empty as a pocket

As if everbody would know what I was talking about. Mostly, February (as opposed to Spring) Break. Kids get a week off of school. Gotta do something.




My posse's getting big...



The boys and I drove over to the put-in and loaded ourselves (meaning me) up with camping gear for 5. Don't worry, though. This time we went ultra-light. We left out the folding camp chairs, the 2 burner propane stove, the cast iron dutch oven, etc. We are so soft nowadays that we just hauled out sandwiches for the 1st night's dinner and enough fixings for a couple breakfasts (DON'T forget the coffee!) and lunches. The ladies were to meet us the next day- bringing burritos for the 2nd night's dinner, and themselves.





and my posse's getting bigger.

My posse's always ready, cuz my posse has velocity.














We set up camp and gathered firewood before settling in.







Break.



It is still February...






The new (6man!) tent is roomy. And weighty...







Everybody helps. Breakfast dishes...




...and grab assing.




Kid bikes. NO racks?!? That's how soft.







We messed around camp, throwing rocks, jumping in the (refreshing!) river. We were visiting Spring, but barely- it's plenty chilly. The lupines are just sending up their flower buds. A couple weeks and blooming things will be in full swing.  As we got antsy and pulled out bikes, who should arrive but the ladies?




So the lot of us cruised over to check out the old adobe/Girl Scout Camp and the waterfall. Nobody wanted to ride but me, and I think I know why.








Waterfall. I've not seen it running so big before. The water was waaaaay too cold to get hecka excited about it, to be honest. Although that did not stop the Newt King from his appointed role:







Back to camp...





I brought those eno party lights again, and we had ourselves a dance party. It's nice the kids will still get up off the wall with us...



Break.




In the morning, the ladies stayed for coffee but then left us mens to our own devices agains.



We cruised over to that 1st swimming hole and checked it out. It is a steep trail (steep enough to have ropes fixed along one section) and the beach is underwater right now. We checked the beach across the river, and found it covered in refuse. I don't understand how folks go to such effort to get to a secluded and unspoiled spot and then proceed to literally trash it. I envision young assholes who talk a good outdoorsy game and then don't meet each others' eyes as they slink off, leaving their garbage behind...I would enjoy teaching them some manners.

So, we cleaned it up and hauled it out. I forgot to mention the garbage left behind at the campsite nearest the waterfall. Which we also cleaned up and hauled out. Motherfuckers.



We got back to camp, made lunch, I cracked my last beer (saved in the creek per the Newt King's advice), and we packed up our own camp.













As if everbody here would know exactly what I was talking about.

buying speed

On the other hand, I love stuff. Some stuff. Stuff that I love.




That category includes, but is not limited to: the delicate harmonies of the Louvin Brothers, DOING things that are fun (versus talking about same), the feel of the clunky while smoooooooth shifting Shimano Deore SL-M700 thumbshifters (I won't lie- the incongruity of these when paired with shiny modern componentry is a visual delight for me), the manageable heft and tradition of a 3' crosscut saw (with the add-on peg style handle for better 1 man use or real hott 2 person action), and these 29+ tyres are pretty fun.

So. Stuff and talk. I recently "finished" the Krampus build. I'd had the 29+ set up offset on the Pugsley as a trial and liked it waaaaaaaaay better for actual riding. The 4" fat tryes are just so piggy, it makes getting to trail heads not worth it. I do love them for the chunky trail stuff, but that's not everyday, people. And I've been riding the 29+ front wheel (with the dyno hub, because only a ashhole goes on adventures without a dependable light) to good effect with it jammed up in the Ogre fork. I'm pleased with the bike. It's fun. It floats pretty good.

The other day, I tried out the Revelate Designs harness I had gotten and never gotten around to slinging. One of the finer points of a small overnight is the opportunity it affords for virtually consequence-free gear trials. I was drawn to the harness because it seemed like (a good idea at the time) a practical way to lose the weight of the front rack for some hott off-road action.

the new:



2nd thoughts were thunk while rigging. I found myself looking over at the Ogre (yes, they's a lot of Surlys up in here...they work great and my builder has a back log) and thinking "I could just lash all this crap onto the front rack and hit the road", but I reckoned the fussing would be worth it and I'd get the hang of rigging this new buckle heavy jobber soon enough, etc.

the old:

I don't love the harness.

I used to could plop down the sleeping bag, the tarp, a ground cloth wrapped around my z-rest (I know, I got to get a smaller pad, but the z-rest is so foolproof, and I have no illusions about my foolishness), and have potential for quite a bit more. With the harness, I could wrap my sleeping bag, jerry-rig on the sleeping pad (all off the front and liable to shifting), and...that's it?!?  I also got the clip-on pocket, which is nice for ez access small stuff, but hardly makes up for the SIGNIFICANT decrease in haulage. And, plus the harness buzzed the tyre because it was "overloaded"?!?! I am finished with trying out this bit of gear, and will now move the rack over to this new adventure machine. Weight be damned. I can fit a case and a half on there, and it won't never hit my tyre.

But, friends, you know even a buzzy front end can't ruin a nighttime sneak over hill and dale through darkened streets and dewy trails. I called in my order to the taqueria because it was getting on to closing by the time I hit Cside(!). The matron there thinks I'm a weirdo for voluntarily sleeping in the woods, and this time she told me to my face. I laugh and cannot argue the point. Then I cross the street to the liquor store to validate it. My vacation is your worst nightmare being a DUI homeless man? 

Trails' end...

with the party all set to go. Sleeping bag beers are the best!

Woke up quick, at about sunrise.

When I got to the place, it was in a shambles. No less than 7 empty beer cans were scattered around, and there were candy wrappers on the ground. In all honesty, it could well have been us, as the last time we rolled through it was pretty far into the evening and details are...fuzzy. I hope it was, because that means the spot is not blown up. It is one of my favorites.

Finally, for all y'all who have been axeing if Satan is real...

Don't kid yourself.

immunity from ridicule

Beyond whatever pale you got. There's a good spot out there, somewheres. My roommates and I went looking, and we found one. Nowadays we know right where it is- about 15 miles from HQ. We take the back ways whenever possible, on account of they are less trafficky and more quiet.

Everybody fusses before we leave. The boys fuss because they know what kind of effort they have in front of them, and I fuss because the this and the that aren't where they "should be" and a strap pulled off, and this part needs adjusting and that one needs lubing, etc. I am a crabby packer when I am trying to concentrate and answer questions and give directions all at once. I have realized I am not great at multitasking (mul tit asking?) At all. Eventually we get all sorted and roll out. On the road, all these irritants blow away. It is time to settle in.





D is in a growth spurt, so he's a hard fit on his bike(s) right now. And he is extremely reluctant to adopt an efficient/aggressive bike stance- he wants to sit upright and slouch with his giant flipper feet square over the pedal. He test rode his mama's Xcheck and didn't want to ride it because of (half foot)toe overlap. After some (more) instruction (again) he got it and that bike fits him best and is quick rolling. It is hard to talk to him about riding because I get frustrated that he can't remember basic instructions (like how to take a front wheel off). He doesn't care to learn is the issue. I try not to flip a switch (it should be fun) and I succeed maybe half the time. So he pouts and I say "too bad. You're doing it." Hopefully the fun is enough to overcome the "this is hard." Time will tell.



This route is the same as the last route. J was sad that we juuuuust missed the fruit stand hours of operation. We rolled over to the taqueria and they know us and our order and how we like our burritos in foil, not the cardboard to-go box because they're more packable that way. We stopped at the sundries store and got a glass jar to stash some candy out there. We learned to store sweets in glass after the ants crawled under the wrappers of the Tootsie pops that one time and all that was left was an empty balloon of wrapper and stick. We crossed the street and picked up some tall boys of Modelo (gettin' fancy) and some Skittles.

Stopping at a high point to drink a nice cold beer, I put my jacket on straight away. There was a good on shore breeze, and being sweaty- that'll chill you quick. J followed my lead and then D. After a few more minutes standing around speculating, they had theirselves a yard sale:



I laughed and laughed. Off with the shorts and on with the pants...



and the ninja.






I ordered this handlebar setup from Revelate a while back, and am only now getting it out for a shakedown. Well, I been so complacent with the (already installed) porteur rack. Anyways, it's a process. It does mess with cable placement, and I now know you gotta pack a smaller bag in closer to the bars or your brake finger action is impeded. I reckon I'll use the bag on my sporty bikes and slap the rack on this Big Dummy because cargo bike. I carried all the boys' stuff in order to make hard effort as fun as possible. Also, I really, really like the big front end, but I feel like I'm wearing that ($pendy) tyre out too quickly by rolling around on so much pave on the get to and from, so I'll switch back to regular and save that for the real trail rides.


When we arrived at the place, the light was fading and we had to get our set-up set up. The boys were hongry, so they began eating whilst I set up the tarp. Which, that is a time suck. I asked/told  D to set up the hammock meanwhile...and he sucked his teeth and threw up his hands (the irritants all come rushing back in!) indicating that he was busy eating his burrito and what the F. Oh man, does that put me in a tailspin. I explained the importance of helping your family/team and how that helping will be appreciated by anyone he ever hangs out with for his whole life versus how laying back and expecting things to be done for him will not be appreciated, etc. Also, if the hands get thrown up again, ever, there will be some hands being thrown. Some new attitudes (freshman in high school) are being taken out for a test drive and I will see that shit STOP. Generally he's a great kid.

Moving on from parent rant. Check this out:







I picked up some ENO party lights (your LBS can get you some) and, wow, are they neat. There was plenty of light for Risk-the game of world domination.



Fog will drop a lot of water when it does, so we all slept under the tarp.






You already been knowing how the Kelly Kettle boils water for coffee and for oatmeal...



and how to fashion a bowl from a used tallboy.