Adventurelaus

I recently completed an exercise study in which I did weight machines for a year.  That was a big achievement for me since I never sicked long with an exercise routine.  Although I do have to confess that working through that second part of the year was though since the routine became boring and the assigned weight was getting way to optimistic.  A chip key was programmed with weights "appropriate" for me but being able to leg press only 100lbs less than the exercise asked for becomes a downer.  I do see the value of a trainer that often checks up with you in person or setting your own weight program. Now that the year is over I have the opportunity to explore the exercises of one of the other study groups.  I'm quite well aware how the no-exercise works so naturally I'm doing four weeks of cardio.  I'm really glad I wasn't assigned to the cardio group (or the no-exercise group).  The couple of weeks I've been doing cardio have already b...

Somehow I kind of got stuck watching Red Beard's through hike of the Appalachian Trail on YouTube in 2014. An AT through hike would be an awesome thing. I have hiked the AT approach trail to the top of Springer Mountain , the most of the Standing Indian Loop hike was on the AT, and a section hike from Winding Stair Gap to NOC in North Carolina.  These hikes were awesome but you wonder if you ever could complete a through hike. Of course with kids in school, a job, a wife, and otherwise a life that doesn't support a year long break a through hike isn't feasible.  At least not at this stage in my life.  What a bummer! Until last year that is,  when I learned about the Superior Hiking Trail.  It's much shorter than the AT but seems to be a nice hike and with 255 to 300 miles it's offers the challenge of a through hike. Something that I could take vacation from and reluctant approval from my spouse.  So I've been dreaming of that thru-hike ever since and ma...

Having gotten a barely used set of studded winter tires my argument of never riding when there's snow or ice on the ground changed. These tires do such a great job in packed snow that its a lot of fun riding them. On dry asphalt/concrete ther work but you'll wish the packed snow back. The ride will sound like riding on a crushed limestone path. I also have the feeling that turns need to be taken with care when on dry road. Bicycle commute on a warmer day Today was the first commute with these tires, and the first bike ride of the year because of the snow. I loved it. It was really fun. Strangely on the ride home I got the chills and for the first time my fingers got cold with the Outdoor Research Alti Mitts. It wasn't any colder that evening compared to the morning. -3 (-9 wind chill) versus -1 (-11 wind chill) fahenheit. Recalling it now I remember the cold being a chill, totally different than the freezing your limbs off. Yes, tonight I got miserably sick. Pr...

Yesterday I took a stroll with my family through McFarland park here by Ames, Iowa and saw the "no camping" signage.  It really depressed me seeing that a nature conservation discourages people to spend time in nature by the primitive campsites, a rarity in Iowa and in the Midwest as a whole. Their reasoning were: lack of sanitary facilities underage drinking and illegal drug use difficulty accessing the area with law enforcement vehicles and poor radio and phone reception, affecting law enforcement communications Well, it's a primitive campsite so of course it doesn't have facilities.  Is that bad?  I don't think so.  The whole point of primitive campsite is to learn how to take care of you and nature with simple means.  Aside the primitive campsites haven't been used that extensively that huge piles of poo is in that area.  If there were then pit toilets might have solved the issue or, even better, open more primitive campsites to dispurse campers ...

Yeah, I'm going hi-tech here and will be twittering on my tour. Of course I must remember doing so, I must want to do it and most of all have phone reception with my pre-paid T-Mobile phone. At Slater I needed to climb playground equipment and hold the phone high to be able to send the message. :( In any case, it's mainly a fun thing to do and somehow I need to use up some of the minutes on that phone. Twitter allows me to send SMS (short text messages) and post it that way. I guess blogger does, too. But this way the short live feed is separate from the nice long trip reports and other musings.