A few weekends ago (after Jill and I took our trip to Creede) I jumped in the car with two buddies (Chris and Nick) for a couple days of mountain bike. It sounds cruel to leave Jill at home, but she really wanted to go to work.
Here's the cliffnotes version of our trip:
Friday:
6:54am--Stuff junk in the car. Neatly of course.
7:18--Drivin' drivin' drivin.
12:34--Stop at Wendy's for lunch. This would prove to be a poor choice.
2:07--Set up camp.
2:18--head out to Slick Rock Trail. A little scary. A lot steep. Mucho fun.
Dusk--Grocery store. Delcious noodle supper. Beer. Diet Coke. Cool Ranch Doritos.
Later--Bed time. Animated discussion about "Blankin' Robert Plant" in the back ground.
7:08am--Rise and shine to heated debates in next campsite.
7:32--Start water for coffee.
7:56--still waiting for water to boil.
8:02--Pour water into nelgean with great haste. Ponder Nick's new french press. Make with haste.
8:04--Spit out large chunks of coffee. Acknowledge our ineptitude with the french press.
8:28--Catch Shuttle that drops us @ 25 miles into desert at the top of porcupine Rim trail.
9:47--start riding.
9:52--whoop with delight.
10:01--pass crazy guys "doing some drugs" (their words not mine) along side of trail
10:07 Whoop some more.
11:48--Hunt for trail. Trust hightened sensory perception of aforementioned crazy guys.
11:57--question sensory perception of crazy guys.
12:43--more whooping.
1:51--accept oatmeal from crazy guy. "It's all natural...I mean no green, man." (Imagine Otto like voice).
2:35--laughter as I endo (flip over handlebars)
2:42--grimace when discover that bike is not functioning properly.
2:55--CL miraculously fixes my bike (mostly).
Later--finish ride.
4:37 (ish)--Discover toppled tent. Chuckle.
4:41--discover bent poles on new tent. Swear under breath. Consider leaving to beat storm.
4:53--Make comfort food--brats.
5:01--Contented by brats, decide to stay.
5:06--wind changes.
5:07--decide to leave.
5:41--stuff remaining goods in car and leave.
Later--eat Taco Bell. This is also a poor choice.
Much later--grind teeth, hunch over, squint, and pray as we drive over Vail Pass in snow.
2:30am--arrive home.
Okay: Here's the good part. The pictures...
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Rocktober.
In case you haven't heard, it is no longer October. Its ROCKtober. Why? Because the fine folks at 9 News Denver said so (and a few other notable Denver characters, I guess.)
This renaming of months all has to do with the World Series. If you haven't heard, the Rockies are in this particular series (which doesn't really appear to be a World series from what I can tell, but I digress). And in case you don't know, the Rockies are from Denver. And since I'm from Denver (in case you didn't know), I guess that means I'm supposed to root for the Rockies too.
Truth be told, I've resisted hopping on the Rockies band wagon. Like most other Denver residents, three months ago I was fairly apathetic about the fate of the Rockies this year. I don't know all the history--there's a lot of bitterness about the Rockies ownership, from what I understand--apparently they're too intent on making some money, which bothers a lot of people and they've lost a lot of fans in the last ten years. But that's not really my issue--it's more that I'm generally apathetic about all sports. I suspect that has something to do with my being bad at them.
At any rate, I've not been an overly enthusiastic Rockies fan. I've gone to a few games. But I've also enjoyed poking and prodding the real fans. For example, last spring, I put in a bulletin announcement that said, "Young Adults: Come watch the Rockies lose with us" or some other such thing. Perhaps an abuse of power, but I was right (they lost something like 9-2). So given that history, I didn't think it would be right for me to pretend that I'm overly interested in the fate of Denver's new sweethearts.
But I have a confession to make. I've actually watched TV baseball (and am doing it right now, in fact). I want to yell at the screen (and occasionally do). I think I care.
But I still don't think that they're going to win the series.
But oh well. I'll still lay it on the line. For the record: Go Rockies!
This renaming of months all has to do with the World Series. If you haven't heard, the Rockies are in this particular series (which doesn't really appear to be a World series from what I can tell, but I digress). And in case you don't know, the Rockies are from Denver. And since I'm from Denver (in case you didn't know), I guess that means I'm supposed to root for the Rockies too.
Truth be told, I've resisted hopping on the Rockies band wagon. Like most other Denver residents, three months ago I was fairly apathetic about the fate of the Rockies this year. I don't know all the history--there's a lot of bitterness about the Rockies ownership, from what I understand--apparently they're too intent on making some money, which bothers a lot of people and they've lost a lot of fans in the last ten years. But that's not really my issue--it's more that I'm generally apathetic about all sports. I suspect that has something to do with my being bad at them.
At any rate, I've not been an overly enthusiastic Rockies fan. I've gone to a few games. But I've also enjoyed poking and prodding the real fans. For example, last spring, I put in a bulletin announcement that said, "Young Adults: Come watch the Rockies lose with us" or some other such thing. Perhaps an abuse of power, but I was right (they lost something like 9-2). So given that history, I didn't think it would be right for me to pretend that I'm overly interested in the fate of Denver's new sweethearts.
But I have a confession to make. I've actually watched TV baseball (and am doing it right now, in fact). I want to yell at the screen (and occasionally do). I think I care.
But I still don't think that they're going to win the series.
But oh well. I'll still lay it on the line. For the record: Go Rockies!
Monday, October 22, 2007
Opinion Poll
I know I'm not supposed to covet, but I do spend a lot of time daydreaming about what my next bike purchase will be. A delicious Vanilla from Portland? A classic Kirk from Montana? A pricey Pegoretti from Italy to hang on my wall?
Well, probably not this year (probably not ever, actually). But I do have something in mind. Here are three options...in an attempt to engage my readers I'll let you take a guess which is most likely.
Is it the traditional Dutch transportation bike, built to carry loads up to 125 lbs. Elegant, understated, and practical?
Or will I roll like John Dorian on the fuel efficient (but wildly pollutant) Buddy scooter?
If you guessed #3, you're the lucky winner! Of course, I won't be riding it--but some young Schreurs will be...
Well, probably not this year (probably not ever, actually). But I do have something in mind. Here are three options...in an attempt to engage my readers I'll let you take a guess which is most likely.
Is it the traditional Dutch transportation bike, built to carry loads up to 125 lbs. Elegant, understated, and practical?
Or will I roll like John Dorian on the fuel efficient (but wildly pollutant) Buddy scooter?
If you guessed #3, you're the lucky winner! Of course, I won't be riding it--but some young Schreurs will be...We're Back
Well, we're back--"We" being me and my computer (which has been undergoing major surgery the past few weeks but is finally fixed--I think) and, more importantly, me and Jill from our vacation.
The short version is that Jill and I went to Creede, Colorado for a few days and had a great time. We did all those things married people do--you know, went to bed early, went for a few walks, played games (I taught Jill Yatzee!) and read (for the record: Jill and I listened to The Last Juror, I finished Whale Warrior, and also completed
Terrorist and Lone Survivor). Then we came home so that Jill could go to work on Friday and Saturday and I could go for a little bike ride in Moab, Utah.
Here's the longer version:
Jill and I headed out after church Sunday afternoon on what turned out to be about a five hour drive down U.S. Highway 285. We chatted a lot, ate "Pull and Peels" (more my thing than Jill's), and then had a jaw dropping moment when we came around a bend and suddenly had a huge mountain range (the Collegiate Peaks, I believe) extending before us. The pictures never capture it, but we paused for a few tries anyway.
Monday, we headed from our little cabin on the Rio Grande to the town of Creede. In the summer months, Creede is supposed to be a happenin' little town--it has a lot of theatre, artsy-fartsy stuff. But in the fall (as we expected), there wasn't much to do there but sit around in the local coffee shop and talk about high-powered rifles, camouflage, and musk (its hunting season, in other words). Not really our thing. But that was okay. We had a very greasy burger, stopped by the Forest Service to get some maps and recommended hike routes, and then headed out of town to take one of the recommended hike. A good time was had by all, but a better time would've been had if the place we ate for lunch had put a little more hamburger in with their grease. And if we had Daisy along (sniff, sniff).
Tuesday Jill and I drove a little ways up from our cabin so that Jill could hike and I could bike. The goal (for me) was to make it to make the 14.5 mile MTB ride to Wheeler Geological Area and see the sights. I made it--eventually. And in retrospect, I'd even say I had a good time. But for much of the ride, I could only think, "Wow, I'm not very bright. This was not a good idea."
Here's a few free cycling tips for you from one who's been there. First, elevation makes things harder. (Yes, very good, I know). And on a related note: 11,000 feet (the elevation of my ride) is much higher than 5,000 feet (where I live). And the second tip: if you make it about 5 miles into your ride (okay, 3.5 miles into your ride) and you're wondering if it would be best to turn around--if you really have what it takes to mountain bike 30 miles over tough terrain with much less oxygen than you're accustomed to--you've probably bitten off more than you can chew. You're probably going to have a miserable couple of hours ahead of you. At least, that was my experience. I made it to my destination, but for a good two thirds of the ride home I felt lousy. I don't want to scare my mother or sound overly dramatic, but I was cold. I was tired. I was exhausted (I had to stop and push my bike up several small hills). Like I said, I wasn't very bright in choosing to do that ride. But of course, I'd do it again in a heart-beat if I had the chance.
That's all for that portion of the trip. I'll tell about my little bike ride in Moab later this week. For know, here are some more pics of the rest of the trip (push the play button if you haven't figured that out already).
The short version is that Jill and I went to Creede, Colorado for a few days and had a great time. We did all those things married people do--you know, went to bed early, went for a few walks, played games (I taught Jill Yatzee!) and read (for the record: Jill and I listened to The Last Juror, I finished Whale Warrior, and also completed
Terrorist and Lone Survivor). Then we came home so that Jill could go to work on Friday and Saturday and I could go for a little bike ride in Moab, Utah.Here's the longer version:
Jill and I headed out after church Sunday afternoon on what turned out to be about a five hour drive down U.S. Highway 285. We chatted a lot, ate "Pull and Peels" (more my thing than Jill's), and then had a jaw dropping moment when we came around a bend and suddenly had a huge mountain range (the Collegiate Peaks, I believe) extending before us. The pictures never capture it, but we paused for a few tries anyway.
Monday, we headed from our little cabin on the Rio Grande to the town of Creede. In the summer months, Creede is supposed to be a happenin' little town--it has a lot of theatre, artsy-fartsy stuff. But in the fall (as we expected), there wasn't much to do there but sit around in the local coffee shop and talk about high-powered rifles, camouflage, and musk (its hunting season, in other words). Not really our thing. But that was okay. We had a very greasy burger, stopped by the Forest Service to get some maps and recommended hike routes, and then headed out of town to take one of the recommended hike. A good time was had by all, but a better time would've been had if the place we ate for lunch had put a little more hamburger in with their grease. And if we had Daisy along (sniff, sniff).Tuesday Jill and I drove a little ways up from our cabin so that Jill could hike and I could bike. The goal (for me) was to make it to make the 14.5 mile MTB ride to Wheeler Geological Area and see the sights. I made it--eventually. And in retrospect, I'd even say I had a good time. But for much of the ride, I could only think, "Wow, I'm not very bright. This was not a good idea."
Here's a few free cycling tips for you from one who's been there. First, elevation makes things harder. (Yes, very good, I know). And on a related note: 11,000 feet (the elevation of my ride) is much higher than 5,000 feet (where I live). And the second tip: if you make it about 5 miles into your ride (okay, 3.5 miles into your ride) and you're wondering if it would be best to turn around--if you really have what it takes to mountain bike 30 miles over tough terrain with much less oxygen than you're accustomed to--you've probably bitten off more than you can chew. You're probably going to have a miserable couple of hours ahead of you. At least, that was my experience. I made it to my destination, but for a good two thirds of the ride home I felt lousy. I don't want to scare my mother or sound overly dramatic, but I was cold. I was tired. I was exhausted (I had to stop and push my bike up several small hills). Like I said, I wasn't very bright in choosing to do that ride. But of course, I'd do it again in a heart-beat if I had the chance.
That was Tuesday. Wednesday was a bit more laid back. We had intended to go "somewhere", but it looked like snow, so after going out for an even greasier burger than Monday, we hunkered down at the house. Perfect.
Thursday we made the drive back home, swinging by Great Sand Dunes National Park. There are sand dunes there. They are very great. So I guess the park is aptly named. We didn't spend much time there, but some day we'll go back, hike up them, and get lost in the wilderness
That's all for that portion of the trip. I'll tell about my little bike ride in Moab later this week. For know, here are some more pics of the rest of the trip (push the play button if you haven't figured that out already).
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Excuses
No blogging for a while. I will return when my laptop does (hopefully the end of this week). I like to blog, but not enough to sit at work extra time and do it here...
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