Antarctica Weather: extremely difficult

One hundred years ago Ernest Shackleton and his team attempted to cross Antarctica. They didn't make it to the South Pole but their expedition became one of the greatest adventure stories ever written.

Two expeditions are commemorating Shackleton's expedition.Shackleton Solo has been going for 20 days. Henry is battling fierce winds and demoralizing whiteous. Meanwhile Shackleton 2015 is waiting at Union glacier for a freak in the weather so they can fly to their starting point.

A lot of things have changed over the last 100 years, but the unrepentant weather in Antarctica remains just as challenging as ever.

I wish the best for the two expeditions trying to make a trans Antarctic crossing. 

I got lazy

The shuffle mode on the iPhone doesn't do a good job of randomizing. It likes to play the same songs over and over and then some songs never get played. This morning on the way to work the phone started playing an audio recording from the day I was at the South Pole, something the phone hasn't selected to play for nearly two years.

It was interesting to hear what I had to say that day. A few weeks ago I was looking at my journal and noticed that it stopped the day before I got to the South Pole. I had gotten lazy and did the final journaling using audio recordings instead of writing.

I think it is interesting that the story I tell has not changed from what I said in that audio recording. We all know of stories that grow in the retelling. My story however seems to be staying true to the actual events.

Anyway, hearing this has made me want to get the movie made. Now that I have a job I can actually put some money towards getting the movie made and so I can feel good about starting up a Kickstarter to get the movie done.

One of the first things I need to do with a new job, and thus a new computer is to set the desktop picture. So I took this picture from a bike ride a couple of months ago and divided it into thirds so it could span all three monitors.

 

I'm Committed

Or maybe the title should be "I should be committed!" 

I just started a new job as a software developer for Xactware. It is about 25 miles round trip from my home. I committed to myself that I would bike every day to work. Yesterday was getting set up. Getting access to the showers etc. So today is the first day of the biking to work commitment.

From the vantage point of Xactware looking across Utah Valley it looks nice. A mix of clouds and blue sky. Looks like the prefect day to bike to work. But that is not what it was like while I was biking.

I decided to use my aero road bike (Giant Propel) today. Bad choice. It was windy all night, and this morning there was a bit of rain mixed into the high winds. Oh well, I'm committed. 

As I started the rain started to pick up, by the time I was headed down the highway towards Saratoga Springs the road was a flow of water and the winds were threatening to push the little bike right out from under me, or worse toss me into the rush hour traffic. 

I try to obey the laws, like stop signs and stop lights. I failed this morning. First in the driving rain the light turned red right before I got there the icy rain pelting the side of my face was bad enough that I slipped through the light. Then when stopped at the next light I tried to time it so I would start across the intersection the moment it turned green. Sitting still in that rain was no fun. However there was a turn signal at that light so my timing was off and I went through the intersection before the light turned green. 

So I guess I gave the bike haters out there more things to complain about. I'm sorry, but man that was bad weather!

Why Do I Like My Miata So Much?

I think I'm slowly figuring things out.

A few months ago I rode my bike from Utah to the Oregon coast to go buy back my old Miata. But my old Miata came with a bonus, a not quite as old Miata to use as parts. So for that last few months I have needed to make a second trip to Oregon to get the parts is parts car. Last week I finally got in my old truck and headed out to get the car.

Not long after getting into the truck I am reminded that driving is a boring activity. I'm not sure what all is involved, a creative mind that likes to be active, and a body that likes to be active, or what but I can't drive for long before I get bored and have troubles staying awake. So a little Red Bull, a little more Red Bull, and even more Red Bull and I am able to endure the 14+ hours it takes to get from my home to Astoria Oregon. First thing I notice when I get out of the truck is how jittery I am.

Then a couple of nice days riding my bike and it is back to the truck. Even the couple of hours of driving down to Newport is way to long to be sitting in a truck. Then comes the true test, driving back home. With the car on a trailer behind the truck I have to drive slower, and with the nap somewhere in the middle of Oregon it ends up taking about 24 hours to get back home.

Shortly after getting my Miata back the convertible top broke, making it hard to put the top up or down. Now with the spare parts car I got to work and swapped doors, fixed seatbelts, and fixed my convertible top.

So today I had to go for a short drive. Putting the top down it starts out as a fun ride, but then I realized why I like don't really like driving and why the Miata is so much better.

I like to be creative, I don't like to be caged in, I like freedom, freedom of expression, freedom of movement, just basically the feeling that I can do what I need to do. But in a car (or truck) your freedom is severely limited. First of all you are boxed into a little cage. Then you must stay between the lines. There are speed limits that if you get caught breaking then you have to sit around while some cop that has been trapped in his own cage takes his time to give you a fine for your attempt to enjoy the ride. But then even without the speed limits there are stop lights, stop signs, and all kinds of rules that you have to conform to. And if that was not limiting enough you are always surrounded by other cars that limit you freedom of motion.

So I think the reason I like the Miata so much is that when I put the top down, to some degree I escape the cage of being in a car. It gives me a sense of freedom. I find myself swerving back and forth in-between the lines of my lane. My little bit of freedom makes me want more. And so I like the Miata.

But mountain biking is even better. I am not in any kind of cage. I feel free to roam and explore. I love mountain biking. But maybe all of this factors into why I hate the rule that mountain bikes are not allowed in the Wilderness areas. Wilderness areas are set apart so that we can escape the confines of our modern world. What I love about mountain biking is also what I love about being in the Wilderness. Too bad I am not allowed to combine the two.

I just love to ride my bike.

Fat bike Oregon coast day 2

Today I retraced back form Nehalem back to Astoria. Only this time I knew not to do the trail through Ecola. 

I knew high tide would be in the morning and I might end up waiting at Arch point. I took my time riding up the beach taking pictures and getting some video. Still when I got near arch point the tide was too high. So I hung around eating and enjoying the view. Then I decided to make my attempt. Timing in between the surges I worked my bike through the rocks. When a surge would come in I climbed up rocks to keep my feet dry. It worked well until I was about 10 feet from clearing the rocks when a big surge got me. Wet feet for the rest of the day. 

When I got to Hug point the waves had just gotten low enough to make it passable, but the wet rocks made it evident that not long before it would have not been passable. Other than the people not paying any attention getting through was not a problem. 

The return trip was easier and faster since I knew the problem areas. It was a great day that ended with a dense fog coming in off the ocean.