Vignettes from Whistler BC

So, we are up here skiing for a few days. We've already skied 2 days. Fitz and Rebecca went off to ski this afternoon; Brian and I are saving ourselves for tomorrow (translation: we hurt).

For someone who has not been on skis for about 2 years, and spent the last 10 months being a blob, I'm not doing too badly. At least as long as the snow is not loose and heavy. I just do not have the quads to manage that yet.

Side comment - we are not bothering to lock our skis. Husband: "they are so old, no one would want them. My poles are worth more."

It is snowing, which is good, as I understand there is a really big international event set to start here in 3 weeks that requires a whacking lot of snow. There is plenty of snow on the downhill/GS run, and they've closed them off until afterwards. Darn. But it is a really big mountain, plenty of terrain.

I've been popping my sock knitting in the pocket of my ski parka, and working on it during lunch break and apres ski break (Dusty's. I'm working my way through the hard cider offerings).

So, yesterday we were having the post-lunch cup of coffee and/or hot chocolate before venturing out again. I was knitting on my sock. (You know, if I wasn't wasting time on the internets, I could be finishing it now :-) ) And suddenly, out of the blue, a woman came over (ski area employee, nametag said she was from Sweden)... "You are knitting! Show me what you are making!" So, yes, it is a sock. She knits socks, loves the yarn, where did I get it... The family looked a bit stunned after she went back to work.

We also planned to take pictures on the medal stand, but it is still under construction. Oh well.

Experimenting

Today is St. Distaff's Day, so this post seems appropriate.

The fiber collection (primordial yarn) is growing. The biggest acquisition was 16 oz of carded Corriedale sliver in a natural white/gray, which is to practice with. I have no emotional investment in this fiber; I won't feel like I'm wasting it if I don't end up with what I was aiming for, and so on... Not that it isn't pretty.



I am initially aiming for 3 ply sock weight yarn, which is in the vicinity of 14-16 WPI (wraps per inch).

Read The Big Book of Handspinning and some books by Judith Mackenzie McCuin. Spent some time perusing the Ask the Bellwether blog (she's good!).

Got a sliding hook flyer for the spinning wheel. Got the husband to drill out the slots in the mother of all to use all the whorls (that would be GEARS to you cyclists; the mother of all is somewhat akin to the rear derailleur).

My Thursday fibers group was highly entertained. They are mostly quilters, but have done spinning and knitting. I have been a quilter. All in all, a really nice, fun group to hang out with.

Pulled off about a half ounce of the sliver, split it into three strips, and started spinning, using my new Spinner's Control Card to help me keep a consistent diameter on the singles. Sort of. My singles ranged from 24-32 WPI.

Then I pulled out the Lazy Kate and started plying while lunch was heating up. Aside: we work for awhile, then eat lunch, then go back to whatever we were doing. Today was beef-barley mixture in pita bread, greens, apple and spiced walnut (walnuts made by SIL) salad, and apple cake.

I must say, I'm pretty pleased with how my plying is improving. Then wound the yarn onto the niddy-noddy, tied it off, and set it to simmer while we ate lunch.

After the simmer, I wrapped it in an old towel and thwacked it on the kitchen counter for awhile. Great way to get one's aggravations out. I highly recommend it. Then dried it on the shelf in my dryer (handy for those who don't want to wait for air-drying).



The end result? 12 WPI, 1125 YPP (yards per pound). Not quite there. But now I know what I need to work on. And it is pretty yarn, just a bit thicker than I was aiming for.

Roadside Finds

Cecil talked me into co-leading the 15's for Portland Velo today. At the speeds I am riding, I was definitely going to be riding sweep. Waaaay back. But sure.

Because my head still thinks I'm a badass cyclist, I rode to the start. Met Cecil at the top of the hill at 8:45, and proceeded west. We arrived aout 9:20, so had a nice chance to sit before starting out.

It was forecasted to possibly rain, but never really got around to it.

The 15's were 4 today - me, Cecil, Susan O, and Duncan.

Heading west on Zion Church Rd, I spied a wrench (spanner). Then I saw another one. Ok, I had to go back and pick them up.



At the start of the Dairy Creek Rd out-and-back, I suggested that everyone scamper off and have fun, and I'd turn around when they came back. Stopped for a snack at Oliver Hill Rd (where the Really Big Dog lives), then proceeded on. The field of yellow curly maple was positively vibrant against the hills in the background. MUST get one for the yard (I say this every year).

Waved at all the Velo ride groups heading back.

Lots of sheep and alpaca, all nice natural colors. I look at them as potential fleece sources now.



Got to the last uphill before the turnaround, and spotted Cecil and Susan headed back. We stopped in front of the friendly and cute alpacas. Duncan reappeared shortly after we stopped, so we all admired the alpacas.



Then back to Mountaindale Rd, and heading east now, back to the start, with the little loop by the pallet factory near the Jackson School/Shadybrook intersection. Then the evil nasty rollers on Jackson School (yes, I was getting tired and sore). Time for a couple of Ibuprofen. Susan found me a nice Philips head screwdriver to add to the collection. All Sears Craftsman tools, I might add.

Then, over Hwy 26, onto Meek-Sewell-Evergreen and done. Time for second breakfast. I had the Farmer's Platter and inhaled it all. Cecil was more restrained, and ordered the oatmeal. I also picked up a pound of coffee, because, well, the main business there is coffee and tea.



Nice visit with Ellen and Tom and others. Then it was time for Cecil and I to proceed onward to our respective homes. Ouch. I was tired. Had to stop once on the Park Way Hill, and it pains me to have to say this. I hope it will be the last time this is necessary.

61.53 miles, 11.27 avg mph. There were headwinds, and no tailwinds except heading north on Dairy Creek. And I was carrying a complete Sears Craftsman tool set and a pound of coffee. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

The Year in Review - Cycling

Perhaps a less achievement oriented year this year, but, looking at the odometers - hey, it isn't as dismal as it seems!

Lemond 11719 miles total, 701 miles this year
Bleriot 7546 miles total, 1304 miles this year
Gitane has no bike computer, but it has been ridden. The MTB was kidnapped by Dear Daughter; haven't seen it in awhile.

In total, 2003 miles for the year. Not bad at all.

Rides longer than 100 miles - 3 (all before April)
RUSA kilometers - 1000 (cool! didn't think I'd get even that many!)

Organized rides - Monster Cookie (62mi) and Harvest Century (45mi)

I did get out on one Bridge of the Gods ride and one ride up on Skyline.

Mille Bornes

1000 RUSA kilometers ridden in 2009. Going along swimmingly until late March, when a few hazard cards were tossed my way. Now, 700 km is a winning distance, but the daring player tries to get to 1000 km.

Today I crossed over 1000 km. Cecil and I set out to ride the Snooseville Permanent Populaire. Beth was going to join us, but couldn't. (Beth and I had lunch yesterday, and shared a misty moment contemplating the SON 20r dynohub. Oh SO pretty!)

I felt I was doing reasonably well in terms of my amazing comeback after the Wine Country Populaire, but recently had a 3 week sideline event. Let's just say that my ENT does not need to know that I was riding in below freezing weather, or that I was lifting my bike in and out of the van. He did ok the ride. I may have left some crucial detail out (ride distance was fully disclosed). The negotiations were entertaining.

It was cold. About 29 degrees at the start. Cecil was worried about the riding conditions, since the start (Longbottoms) was covered with frost and water was condensing and freezing out of the air, coating the trees and road. It is very pretty. It is also a local phenomenon, the Intel Ronler Acres Effect (thanks to Matt D for sharing this last winter). And indeed, as we rode along, the fog became just fog. We had all our lights on for maximum visibility. I do not understand cars that drive around in heavy fog WITH NO LIGHTS! Sure, they can probably see, but you'd think they would want other road users to see THEM!

A short out and back on Dairy Creek (the fog abated for a bit), where, at the control point, we met up with a dog as tall as our bicycles. No joke. Fortunately, a friendly, well behaved dog, that really, really wanted our sandwiches and cookies. Not sharing; we were hungry.

I was a bit worried about crossing Hwy 26 (Frogger Junction) in the fog, but it proved to be a non-event. So, westward into Banks, a brief pause, then out along Cedar Canyon Rd. The Killin Wetlands were full of ducks, and with the fog, spectacular.

Commenced discussions on the upcoming bicycle. While the main color (RAL 4008 Signal Violet) is selected, the logo color is not yet chosen. I'm thinking a nice green, a quiet green, not a vibrant one. Colors in the running: RAL 6011, RAL 6024, maybe RAL 6028. Depends how they look in real life, rather than on my monitor. Oh, and a sparkle clearcoat. Then onto shifters. I am tending toward bar-end shifters. Cecil noted that if I had brifters, it would not necessarily work and play well with my Acorn Bag. Bar-ends it is. Then we discussed ways of mounting my tire pump. There would need to be a mount that would work the way I want it to and it should have screw holes so it could be attached to the frame without zip ties. I hate zip ties. Or for that matter, anything that goes around a tube, because it messes up the look :-) Also lighting (yes, that SON 20r dynohub). Cecil: "are you going to get a new light, or reuse the one you have?" Me: "well..." Cecil:"I hear a massive rationalization coming on". Yeah well. Yes. Supernova or Edelux? Hard choice there. Teeny cute little front rack, too.

Then crossing Hwy 6 (even more of a non-event), up Stafford, and eventually into Forest Grove. Maggie's was closed, but Pizza Schmizza wasn't. I had a Mexican Coke (real cane sugar), and Cecil got a different drink. The kind man behind the counter heated up some water so I could make a refill of the Gatorade Tea. Then off to Gaston, to get there before the control closed. Ow. But we made it, with a few minutes to spare.

As I was pulling up to the Gaston Market, a passerby had a double take on the bikes (steel, totally retrogrouch, canvas luggage, etc). "You two are loaded up for bear!" Well, yeah, we like to be prepared. Although I am not sure what I would do if there was an actual bear encounter incident, I am reasonably prepared for most bicycle roadside emergencies. Ate my banana. The fog finally lifted, and the temperature moved above freezing and stayed there.

North on Spring Hill and Fern Hill; the last real "hill" by the red barn, through the wetlands, and... I was fading. Totally. My quads and hamstrings hurt, my bicycle sitting calluses were non-existent, and I was getting tired. Pedal. Coast. Pedal. Coast. Through Cornelius, then onto Susbauer. Wobble wobble wobble. Did I mention that the Speed Limit Hazard Card is still in effect? :-(

At the turn onto Hornecker I stopped and had a gel with caffeine. Cecil: "I could tell you were fading there just watching you pedal". Munched on a Sweet Salty Peanut Bar for awhile more, and started feeling slightly less dead by the time we turned into Hillsboro proper. By then we were almost done.

East on Evergreen. The finish for this permanent was Longbottoms Coffee and Tea, where we started, but we knew it would be closed at 12:30 today. So we parked in the Fred Meyer parking lot (about 1 mile further east) and planned to finish up at either the Starbucks or the Cornelius Pass Roadhouse. Starbucks won, as we didn't have tons of time to hang around. I was so tired by then, I couldn't find the Starbucks in the shopping center!

Nice Eggnog Latte (which I SO earned on this ride), sitting out in the sun for awhile.

I will sleep well tonight, yes indeed. Maybe sooner than later.

No pictures, because my freshly charged camera battery gave it up in the cold, but Cecil had more luck. Check out the pics of that really big dog!

Ride stats: 64.46 miles, 11.66 avg mph.

Anticipation Kicks into a Higher Gear

Remember this post? 14 months ago? Today we took a big step forward - I had my pre-design bicycle fit! Michael had my fit info from awhile back (1.5 years?), so he and Natalie set up the fit bike and observed. And adjusted. And discussed various components. And intended usage scenario (rando bike!) And tubing.

Color will be Signal Violet, which is shown here.

The magic stem was found that makes the geometry to fit me possible. I've got rather longer legs than I do upper body and reach; finding a commercially-produced bicycle that fits me and is suitable for the intended end-use is darn hard.

I'm SO excited! Watch this space as there is reportable progress.

Spinning, Part 2

No wonder that pencil roving took so very, very long to spin and ply. The best son ever (TM) gave me a McMorran Balance for Hanukkah, and tonight I used it to figure out how much yarn I had made up.

47.25 inches balanced. Times 100 gives me 4725 YARDS in a pound. The total weight of the yarn is 110g, or .242 pounds. Basic 6th grade math (or 4th; don't remember. It was New Math back in the day, and I thought it was pretty cool) renders a shocking total of 1143.45 yards.

Wow. That's a LOT of very, very fine yarn. For comparison, 100g of sock yarn is in the vicinity of 400-450 yards.

So I knitted up a bit of it on US sz 2 (2.75mm) needles:



I probably have enough for that Swallowtail shawl, yes indeed.