Snowy Sunday Ride

Temps fell a little below freezing Saturday Night and made for a decent trail on Sunday. The going was hard and fast with only the occasional dip into deep unfrozen mud.

All in all, a nice afternoon of riding.

On the way back the snow fell hard, but only for ten minutes.

So far Winter in the South-Eastern part of the state has been a real letdown. It snows a little each weekend, and then the first part of the week brings mid 40's and rain; the same is forecasted for this upcoming week.

Joy.

Oh well, I am making the most of it.

I would really like to hit up a climbing wall/ climbing gym sometime soon. As with most things, money and time will dictate my ability to do that. Hopefully soon.

The goal for this week is to throw up an overview of new gear/ gear to test. I have a bit more than I thought, not that that is a bad thing; I love new gear.

Happy Monday guys!

-J

Winter Commute

I have made the choice to attempt commuting by bike today. So far we only have about an inch on the ground. I have properly decreased the pressure in my tires, laid out suitable clothes and taken proper precautions for my school stuff.

Wish me luck. I will upload some shots from the ride tonight!

Enjoy the snow all.

-j

New Hydration Pack

I am considering a new water pack. Do you have any thoughts?

Osprey Zealot 10

Osprey Viper 10

Hydrapak Big Sur

Camelbak M.U.L.E.

The Windward Shore

Today I finally found the time to begin the journey found between the covers of Jerry Dennis' new book The Windward Shore.

I refuse to make any premature assessments, however, after making my way through the introduction I have already come face to face with the kind of passion, reverence and love for the Great Lakes Region that I have come to expect from Mr. Dennis.

If you have not already done so, please take the time to check out The Living Great Lakes and or The River Home, both are personal favorites of mine.

I hope to soon have a review of The Windward Shore, as well as some of his other works.

Recently I finished 127 Hours; the story about Aron Ralston's self-amputation of his right hand while stuck in a slot canyon, and Blind Descent; regarding two team's quest to find the deepest super-cave on the planet.

If time affords it I would also like to write a short piece on each of those.

In the meantime, check out bookstores or your local library to catch up on other books by Jerry Dennis.

-J

If the snow sticks...

don't let it serve as an excuse to sit inside aimlessly sucked into the television. Get off your butt and go outside. Enjoy that sweet gift from above. There are sweating children in southern states that would kill for snow!

Personally, I think that winter is the best time to test the limits of your gear and yourself. Hiking, skiing, snowboarding, biking, snowshoeing or XC-Skiing; there is no wrong choice about what to do outside this time of year!

What is your favorite snowy weather activity?

Brew Day

I suppose that I am in one of those moods where I want to try something different. So guess what, I picked up a Mr. Beer Kit. Honestly I would have liked to get a more advanced set-up, one that would give me the possibility to brew more that 2 gallons at a time, but hey, I am in an apt with limited space and this seems like a good way to start.

The process seems pretty easy, all in all it was ready to ferment in about 40 minutes.

My brewtensils sit on the sanitized plate while the alcohol booster comes to a boil.

Wort and water with the yeast being pitched.

Not my first choice, but hey it came with the kit! It can't be bad right, it's home-brew!

Hopefully in about 2 weeks it will be ready to bottle, and a few weeks from then it will be drinkable. That means I only have 2 weeks to decide which mix to brew next!

In other news, South East Michigan has received a little snow, but that has not stopped me from riding my bike. However faulty parts has. I am currently on the hunt for a 9-speed shifting mechanism, but after I secure one I will be all set.

Hope you enjoy your Monday Holiday all.

-J

The Hunter

Here is my traveling partner getting some great shots of a bald eagle that was sitting on the edge of Portage Lake. Check out the set of pics that she got on her flikr photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cbromley/6623047249/in/photostream/

they are great!

Happy Tuesday: Time to ride bikes.

-j

Animal Engineering

I know, I know, NO NEW UPDATES! What's up with that hey?

Super busy catching up with the first week back at school. But the updates are coming, I promise. Just trying to finish up a piece for Grand Traverse Mountain Bike, and I have a horrible case of writer's block.

In regards to this picture. On our Christmas Eve Hike Chels and I found this cool little natural bridge that various critters were using. What was most interesting was that all of the tracks at the "base" of the bridge were very similar to the curvature that planners put into on/ off-ramps. More proof that nature has it right most of the time.

Time to keep plugging away at the school thing. Catching up this weekend. Quite a bit of new gear over the holidays, plus new stories and maybe even a new hobby or tow.

-J