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sasquatch69

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Posts posted by sasquatch69

  1. 8 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

    I have not ridden Wolverine, which is short, but blue.  Can't figure out what makes it blue.  The main loop, Ranger, is one kind of big slow climb and fairly extended descendy on the backside.  Has some jump kickers and other features that I bypassed today. Coyote is a bit of a beating with several climbs and short descents. Anyway, I considered it almost a new trail having not ridden it in so long, and wasn't up for any real surprises.  Considering how "ginger" I was about riding it, I was surprised at my speed.  Chalk it up to the descendy parts.

    I rode Frisco once, and while OK, it wasn't worth the loooong drive up northwest when I can drive the same distance to the superior Horseshoe or Erwin (or a tiny bit further to Boulder or Big Cedar).

    Did nearly 11mi at RCP tonight - rode loop 1 to the temp bypass, then 8-12, then back down to 2-5 on the south side (I'd heard 6 was totally overgrown so I skipped it).  After my rough first outing on the 29er at Northshore, this was a totally different experience - it gave me plenty of time to get used to the different feel.  The last few miles were glorious.  Jury is still out on whether the XL frame is the best fit for me (I need to try an L) but now I get the hype about the bigger wheels and modern geometry.  

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  2. 13 hours ago, tomahawk dunk said:

    What backpacks and tents do y'all like for backpacking? I'm going to get rid of my old Osprey Atmos and REI half dome tent. Have looked some at Gossamer Gear Mariposa 60 and the Two tent. Both look like solid options. Just wanted to hear some other thoughts. Thanks.

    My Philmont pack was a 70L Gregory Reality, and it performed well.  There is a hole in the bottom of the brain that slowly got bigger over the course of our trek, and I'm waiting to see if Gregory will cover repair (it's an older pack and all their models have changed, so we'll see).  The folks in our crew with newer Gregory packs were very pleased with them as well. 

    For tent, I used an Alps Lynx 1 for Philmont (and a dozen camping nights before that) and have been very happy with it.  Durable, fully enclosed with mosquito net-type material so I've never had any issues with bugs, and light (4lb total, and you can get it down further if you go with ultralight stakes).  Felt roomy given its size, and didn't leak at all in a couple heavy downpours (one with small hail).  Only issue I had was a broken zipper on the rain fly, and they are shipping a free replacement with no hassle.

    ALPS Mountaineering Lynx 1-Person Tent Review

  3. 1 hour ago, TwiceHorn said:

    Were you expecting the 29er to be hard to pedal?  I think the main thing most people "feel" is lack of instantaneous acceleration, rather than being hard to pedal.  The momentum of the larger wheel tends to make up for the difficulty in accelerating it by comparison to smaller wheels.

    I didn’t really know what to expect. I did notice that it was more difficult to get little bursts of acceleration going up small hills, over big roots, etc. compared to my current 26”-wheel bike. But longer, shallower climbs were definitely easier - and the geometry of the bike (Rockhopper) was much more comfortable than the forward posture of my current older bike. 

    The big question is going to be size. I’m 6’ and have been riding a L frame all these years; the Specialized is an XL. It didn’t feel too big overall, but the larger frame and tires definitely combined to make it more challenging. Northshore was probably not the best first-time-out place to try it, so I’m going to try a few rides at KJ and Rowlett to get a better feel for it. 

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  4. Difficult, grindy 7mi or so at Northshore this am, my first time on a bike in nearly a month after a long hiking trip away from home.   Had to stop 3-4 times - I don’t think I drank enough water beforehand (and I’m probably not fully recovered yet).

    The good news is that it was my first time riding a 29er - a fairly new Specialized hardtail belonging to a friend - and it didn’t kill me. I’m borrowing it for a while to see if I can get used to it, and if so I may end buying it as a bridge until I can save up for a modern full squish (as he recently did). I think my days of riding the trusty 1990s GT are numbered - it’s lasted a long time but starting to break down more and more often.  

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  5. Just got back from Philmont (posted more on the hiking thread).  I was really intrigued by the change in their approach to conservation and fire prevention that occurred after the Ute Park fire in 2018 (which has left a huge chunk of Philmont closed, likely for years to come).  This video does a great job talking about the fire and what has changed since.

     

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  6. 38 minutes ago, Saint Tacky said:

    We called that climb out of Rich Cabins and up to the Mesa the "Father Fucker."

    Your third-pic, is that Whiteman Vega?

    Tents with sunset?  That's Dan Beard, but on the Valle Vidal side. 

    We were at Whiteman Vega one night after a long slog across flooded fields, and we didn't get to do the mountain bike program due to mud (and disinterested camp staff).  

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  7. 22 minutes ago, Saint Tacky said:

    @sasquatch69 Rich Cabins is great! In '19 they shared guitars and let a couple of our guys join in and jam. We had hit the creek that day to rinse off and clean our clothes. Felt like a million-bucks. Looks like you went across the Mesa to Pueblano? Did you go up Baldy from Miranda? My daughter wants to go back and Ranger if she can work at Miranda. She loved it there, and especially the tomahawk throwing. Welcome home!

    Yes - we hiked up the mesa from Rich to Pueblano, did day program there and then onto Baldy Skyline. We got lucky and got two nights at Copper Park so we summited from there and then returned for a second night. Went from there to Miranda for our final night on the trail and did both rifles and tomahawks.

  8. Fantastic 12 days at Philmont.  We figured out that we did about 120 miles of hiking with nearly 4,000' of total elevation gain.  Besides the usual early-afternoon showers, weather was great. - we only got caught in one big thunderstorm as we were going up and over Windy Gap, which sucked, but otherwise we were really lucky.  Scouts got their work done each day with minimal drama, and the advisors had a blast.  My left ankle started swelling up about Day 7, but between a wrap, a compression sock and Advil/Tylenol, I kept it mostly under control. 

    Our scouts' favorite moments were the singalong at Rich Cabins, the campsite/views and program at Miranda, and summiting Baldy on a clear day (up at 4, on the trail by 5:30, at the summit just after 9).  I'm exhausted, but already hoping our younger son wants to go in a few years.

     

     

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  9. We're planning out our coming year of campouts, etc.  We've got some solid plans on paper, but our PLC tends to lean towards fun campouts we've done in the past.  Mostly, that's fine, but I'd love for them to consider new ideas.  Anyone (particularly those in North Texas area) have any suggestions for really fun campouts you did/campout destinations that were unique or different?  Thanks.

  10. 29 minutes ago, davidg said:

    I did two treks with my son. Adult advisor on the first and on vacation for the second.  Other that the standard, remember you are on vacation and let the youths lead, my biggest tip would be to make sure you are packed up and ready to go before the yutes.  On our first trek, we had a sister crew from the troop and one of the adults was the last to get ready almost every morning.  From what I understand, everyone else would be standing around waiting while he doctored his feet, fussed with his pack, etc.  It took several talks from the adult advisor and the youth crew leader to get the adult to better manage his time in addition to getting called out during Roses, Buds and Thorns.

    Is your step off date on Tuesday?  It won't help this time but it might be something to think about for future crew treks.  We selected treks that started on Tuesday, but we left Houston on Saturday morning.  We stayed a night in Amarillo at the Kwahadi Museum and then 2 nights at the NRA Whittington Center in cabins.  We used all that extra time to do hikes at elevation around the Capulin Volcano crater rim and in the WhC back country. On that Monday, we did about 13 miles at the WhC with full packs  and did a meal cook using similar items in the PSR meal kits as a final shake down.  

    Thanks, helpful tips.  Day 1 of trek is Tuesday; we're driving up Monday and staying in Raton.  We did a full weekend campout/hike at Caprock Canyon a few months back to get used to backpack camping/meals/etc, and had some good takeaways from that.

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  11. 1 minute ago, TwiceHorn said:

    At one time or another, I have done them all.  You may not have been participating, but I somehow ate it hard on Ranger and broke my finger and collarbone.  

    It's now been so long that I don't remember what the runouts are like, because I was about to go back into the woods where I wiped out.  And I am just generally skittish about them.  My recollection is that the further down you go, although the drops may be steeper, the runouts are basically flatter.

    I remember you mentioned that happening at KJ earlier in the thread, but I thought it was on a skinny. Happening on a drop makes more sense (although I still skip the uber-skinny at the end of Red).

    The runout on Ranger is fun and twisty, although right now it's pretty overgrown.

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  12. Leaving on Monday for a 12-day trek with a crew from my son's BSA troop at Philmont.  We've been doing shakedown hikes for months at the few spots with any elevation gain here in Dallas (Cedar Ridge, etc.), and early-morning stair climbing sessions with full packs the past few weeks at a local parking garage.  We also did 5 days in Taos last week for a family event, and got in a couple more hikes there with packs to practice at altitude (Devisadero Loop and Williams Lake).

    As for pack (a 70L Gregory), I've done several rounds of packing/evaluating/repacking, and have a fitting today at REI just to make sure both our packs are good to go.  Been reading Reddit threads for tips as well, so I feel as prepared as I can be without having been before.    

    Having said all that, any last-minute tips from folks who've been?

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  13. On 7/5/2021 at 2:23 PM, TwiceHorn said:

    To my great surprise, Katie Jackson, among others, open today.

    We have continued to have sporadic, but heavy rain.  So I was quite surprised to find a nearby trail open.

    Alright ride.  It was hot and sticky because I didn't think to check DORBA until 1030 or 11.

    After a bit less than five miles, doing the whole trail except black, I forced myself to do another loop and was kind of wobbly/disengaged.  Wound up banging my hand on a tree.  Not even a tree gate.  And I still didn't push the ride to an hour.

    I wasn't bonked or exhausted, just kind of tired, hot, and sweaty.  I often don't make myself go more for exactly this reason:  I don't trust myself to ride safely.  Anyway, no harm and it did feel good to wear myself out a little.  Bike is shifting like shit, though.

    I did KJ Tuesday morning after we got back in town - similar experience.  Five days of vacationing and poor (but delicious) meal choices - even with a lot of physical activity, since we were in the mountains - led to a rough ride.  Warmed up with blue, then red, then blue again and then yellow with a couple drops.  Kicked my butt.

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  14.  

    Searched for previous posts on this and didn't find any, so starting new thread.

    I was visiting my parents in North Dallas the other day and noticed a neighbor flying a white flag with a pine tree, with the words "AN APPEAL TO HEAVEN".  I hadn't seen this before, and wondered about it, but promptly forgot. Yesterday we went out for Father's Day lunch and saw a couple with two kids, and the husband/wife were wearing matching shirts with the same logo/text.  This got me really curious, so I looked it up when we got home - and the truth about it is unnerving.

    Turns out it's an old flag flown by Continental Army naval vessels under Washington's command.  Now, it's a growing slogan/insignia for Christian Dominionists/Nationalists, and popularized by nationalist leader Dutch Sheets - and was apparently flown at the Jan. 6 insurrection, although I don't recall seeing it (the one I remember is the Gadsden flag).

    More at link below, including this quote.  Are y'all seeing this more frequently?

    Quote

    Sheets’ “Appeal to Heaven” movement is but one example of a marked rise in Christian Nationalism in the U.S., according to both experts in the field and my research for the Tow Center’s VizPol tool. The tool helps journalists identify unfamiliar political symbols, their contexts and their associations, particularly at protests. I co-wrote an article about the symbols and flags present at the U.S. Capitol riots on Jan. 6 — and their meanings — using the VizPol tool. In the analysis of the day, we found that several other symbols, including those with secessionist, Norse, and neo-Confederate connotations, evoked the sentiment that participants saw themselves as waging an all-out war. In their storming of the Capitol, rioters seemed to believe that they were preserving their white supremacist version of the United States. Similarly, bearers of the Pine Tree flag at the “Save America” rally seemed to be attempting to further their own Christian Nationalist agenda. Taken in this light, the Pine Tree flag can be seen as a symbol of the fight to elevate the influence of biblical law in American society.

    Spoiler

    Pine Tree Flag

    https://towcenter.medium.com/the-pine-tree-flag-how-one-symbol-at-the-capitol-riot-connects-far-right-extremism-to-christianity-f02314a5f759

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  15. 17 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

    Also, @sasquatch69 or any of the other DFW riders @TexPx ever ridden WIndmill Hill down in Duncanville/Desoto?

    It's a little further south than Boulder off 67.  I don't recall having seen it "dried out" early, like it apparently is, but I know almost no one that's ridden it.  It's short and all green but seems to have quite a bit of climbing with grades >>10% and similarly steep descents.  

    Never ridden it, but have been curious to try it. 

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  16. 4 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

    Well, an interesting experience today.  A youngish relative (34) moved back to Dallas after years in Colorado Springs.  And bought an intro-level mountain bike.  So he was itching to ride.  He was kind of active in Colorado Springs with fishing and other outdoor activities, but not exercising per se.

    So, with Big Cedar, Boulder, and Windmill Hill being the only trails open today, I decided I would take him to Boulder.  I don't know how it compares for "climbiness" or other features to the two others, which I have never ridden, so I figured devll you know.

    Boulder is kinda climby and has a fairly monstrous climb out.  There are also a few places to turn around and head back to the trailhead to cut the ride real short and avoid the climb out.  I don't consider myself to be in proper shape for Boulder, having not ridden since April, and the heat.  I figure the 20 year age difference and coming from the altitude of Colorado Springs set us on pretty even footing.

    Wrong.  He catastrophically bonked a mile and a half into the trail.  I didn't think I'd have to call 911, although he was kind of whining about it.  To my surprise, I was pretty fresh and strong even despite the heat.  After about  30-45 minutes of kvetching and lying in the shade, we managed to walk/ride back out, wrong direction, and cut probably a half mile off the route so we did maybe 2.5 miles at the outside with the last half walked.

    So, I am actually in better shape than some people!  And maybe ok shape for my age.

     

    Honestly, it's likely the heat.  CS rarely/never gets the combo of temps/humidity we have right now.

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  17. Had a bunch of places to be today, but I had a window of about three hours this afternoon in between commitments, and noticed that Big Cedar switched from red to green in the DORBA app. I hauled ass down there and was able to squeeze in 5 miles. It was hot, trails were overgrown and the bugs were worse than usual, but it was glorious.

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