After The Rant

After my rant of a few days ago, I thought I'd give you an update. I'm in a much better frame of mind today. The reason being that my DH took our daughter everywhere she needed to go yesterday. I didn't leave my house one time. Woo Hoo! I got an amazing number of things accomplished; mostly housework, ironing, repairing, and the like. I have a hard time trying to create something when the house is a mess. My goal this summer is to decrease my stack of clothing repairs to be made, ironing basket all ironed, and all superfluous papers put away/thrown away. I'm making good progress. I'd dominate these things if I could stay home every day. I hope that by the time school starts in August I'm ready to tackle some big projects.
I downloaded Dracula by Bram Stoker on my Iphone and listened to it while ironing and repairing. I really enjoyed it and was surprised by the Christian overtones. It reminded me of Frankenstein in that way. I'm searching for a movie that closely stays with the Dracula book. The Frankenstein movie with Kenneth Branaugh did, and I thought it was really, really good. I'm trying to listen to more classics while I do my housework. Right now I'm downloading The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving. My husband and I took a trip a few years ago to the Hudson River Valley in New York state. We went to Sleepy Hollow Cemetery and visited Irvings house on the river. It was the cutest, romantic cottage. I love the cottage architecture from the mid-1800's. It reminded me of Sir Walter Scott's house in Scotland; same sort of feel.
P.S. The cottage in the photo isn't Washington Irving's but the caretaker's cottage at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia where our son is attending. The books are in the library there. I'm not planning on reading deep philosophical tomes anytime soon. I'll let Dylan, our scholarly son, give me the auditory, abbreviated version. Right now I'm settling for lighter fare; like Dracula.

Gibraltar Ledges and Ingraham Glacier Direct Route Conditions

Two teams attempted these routes this week.
Tuesday at Camp Muir, two climbers departed in the morning hoping to climb the Ingraham Direct. The pair made it to 13K before turning around. They reported knee deep snow the entire way up the Ingraham Glacier. They also reported several crevasse crossings, most of which went smoothly. They stated that the bridges were in good shape and most were easy to cross. That said, one of the pair did take a crevasse fall at 13K... After a day of kicking steps in deep snow, the pair decided to descend after the crevasse fall.
Gibraltar Ledges was attempted on Wednesday by a soloist (carrying skis). He reported knee deep snow on the Cowlitz Glacier up to the beginning of the ledges. The snow on the Cowlitz was described as powdery, underneath a crust of varying thickness, but "thin" overall.

On the ledges, the climber experienced a lot of soft, sugary snow... Sometimes even waist deep. It took over 2.5 hours to traverse and climb the ledges. After pushing through what you get when you "open a bag of cane sugar," upward progress seemed futile. He turned around at 12,500 feet (about 3/4 of the way up the chute). It took over an hour to descend the ledges, as the footing was still quite challenging.
There is a boot path up the Muir Snowfield. The weather is supposed to be excellent this weekend.

Photo by Mike Gauthier, climber ascending Gib Ledges before the traverse and chute.

Upper Ormeauning

I'm not saying where that picture is taken from, because nobody would believe me if I did. On Saturday morning Martin and I decided to go for a century ride on relatively short notice, heading through the relatively flat stretch through Ormeau and Yatala (with only one noteworthy climb at Upper Ormeau), before doubling back on Stanmore Road to Mt Tamborine, and returning over Wongawallan. That was the plan. I actually "slowed" us a little by forgetting my repair kit early, but it didn't really slow us at all, because the time I spent going back to retrieve it would have just been expended sitting at a red light at the Bermuda Street/Hooker Boulevard intersection. In fact, I think I timed it pretty well, arriving just as that particular light was turning green.

In a strange way, I was actually enjoying the early stretch to Upper Ormeau. Flat rides aren't normally my thing, but I guess I hadn't been in that area for a while. I certainly hadn't taken the detour to Upper Ormeau for a while -- and that's a situation I'll have to rectify more often. We still have a dirt road behind a quarry to explore up there at some point. The contrast between the flat plains and the vegetation up here is actually quite startling.



The only other interesting thing that happened on the flat stretch was me wondering where a dirt track off the western M1 service road went. One of the local yokels (a kid on a trail bike) had an answer -- albeit not one that fired any great enthusiasm in either myself or Martin. We declined to ride it this time on the grounds that Martin was on a roadbike, when the yokel looked at Martin and said "bit of a f*ckin' pussy eh mate?". I'm not entirely sure he realised that he was talking to someone who has actually placed highly in 24 hour MTB races on much rougher terrain than that particular track, but that didn't stop us having a laugh about it later on.

It felt good to return to Mt Tamborine. It was the first time I've climbed the northern approach of it in over a year, so I decided to make a statement. I was actually surprised at how good I felt, and how easily the mountain seemed to crumble. I felt so good, I decided to double back after cresting the summit and decided to ride the last bit of the climb again.





There was one more bit of drama. On Wongawallan I took off again, largely because I was feeling so good on the climbs. On the descent I copped a bug in my right eye at 65km/h. I held it together calmly until I had cleared the descent and reached the flat, where I could wash it out. After doing this I noticed that Martin hadn't caught up to me. This was a concern given that he usually catches me on the descents. Eventually I turned back and saw him free-wheeling down the slopes, before he reached the flat bit and told me to "spot the missing bit". He'd snapped a chain on the climb. He didn't have a chain-breaker, and I realised at that moment that mine was still packed away with the things I took to New Zealand. I suppose that gives us something to moan about.

As it was, Martin was able to phone someone to come and get him, while I just completed the relatively flat ride home through Oxenford and Paradise Point. The fact that I had a tailwind meant that I didn't bother stopping at any of the bakeries. I regretted that a little when I reached Broadbeach, but with just 3km to go, it didn't concern me unduly. 163km in the end, with 1,495 metres of climbing. More importantly, I know there's one item I won't be thinking of lightly next time.

Yumzers!

Mom took us to Miller Creek a few days ago, thinking that we needed a run (and we did), but... once we discovered the gifts on the forest floor, we stopped our runnin' to investigate...
These are pretty awful pictures of us, but you can see us nosing around the leaves for something...
And here's a short movie of what we are doing...

And below... what. we. are. nomming. on. Yumzers!

New Orleans, LA

THE BIG EASY

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Fabulous Hotel Indoor Pools

"The water is your friend.....you don't have to fight with water, just share the same spirit as the water, and it will help you move". - Alexandr Popov


I love to swim. I have been around water all my life. As a little girl I would spend my summer days immersed in water and to this day nothing soothes me like plunging myself in water and enjoying some aquatic relaxation. Swimming provides me with a sense of peace. It is the one place where I am left alone with my thoughts. A rare treat in a world filled with blackberries, computers and a million other distractions. Swimming has served as a catalyst for life by teaching me how to be disciplined, to set goals and achieve them. It taught me the importance of breathing and to have courage and strength when I was ready to quit. They say that the swimmer who says, "It can't be done" is passed by the swimmer who is doing it. And so I am doing it, one lap at a time… A gorgeouspool serves as an indoor oasis, especially during the winter months when cold and snow dominate the landscape. It is my favorite place to escape to, so it comes as no surprise that when booking a hotel a great indoor pool is definitely a feature I look for. Whether you prefer a rooftop pool with breathtaking views or a pool adorned with floating candles, rose petals andbeautifully painted murals, an aquatic relaxation zone is always a welcome treat for the discerning traveler. Without further ado, allow me to introduce you to my favorite indoor hotel pools.


Indulge your senses at the TRUMP INTERNATIONAL HOTEL & TOWER TORONTO^®, Quatrz Crystal Spa™. Towering high above the hustle and bustle of downtown Toronto, the spa pool provides a serene escape on the31^st and 32^nd floors.





THE PENINSULA CHICAGO was voted “America’s Healthiest Hotel” by Health Magazine. The top-floor picturesque indoor heated pool makes the most of the property's Magnificent Mile location, framing panoramic city views in its 20-foot floor-to-ceiling windows.



The pool at HÔTEL DES TROIS COURONNES is complimented with a wide range of massage treatments, a sauna, steam bath, fitness room, indoor swimming pool “underwater music” and relaxation areas overlooking Lake Geneva, Switzerland.



A refuge for the body and the spirit, in a harmonious atmosphere that fosters the quest for balance, the BULGARI HOTEL MILAN Spa offers all the rituals of contemporary wellness in a setting at once sumptuous and elegant.



There's plenty to look at in the bustling city of Kuala Lumpur, and the ideal vantage point is from the comfort of a pool-side chaise at TRADERS HOTEL, just opposite the epic Petronas Towers.



Like everything about the BURJ AL ARAB, the pool on the 18th floor (more like the 36th, since each floor is nearly double height) is outrageous — proof that maximalism is alive and well.




As you wade in the subterranean pool at the OBSERVATORY HOTEL you can study the constellations of the Southern Hemisphere painted on the ceiling overhead.



Expect nothing short of fantasy at the Umaid Bhawan Palace, a former royal residence. The exceedingly placid Zodiac pool is adorned with floating candles, rose petals and the murals of Polish artist Stefan Norblin.



Home to some of the hottest parties and events in NYC, the indoor pool at GRACE HOTEL is conveniently connected to a 40-foot bar and comes equipped with mood lighting, stadium seating, and a projector to show movies. There’s a large coed steam and sauna near the DJ booth.

There's Gold in them thar Hills - but none in this creek!

The day is looking iffy weather wise but we just bought a bike rack for the spare tire on the Tracker so we load up the bikes and head into the Park in hopes of getting in a bike rideThe sun is shining when we get there so we bike the Creekside Trail to the Grace Coolidge Creek Fishing Area





Turns out to be a great place for a picnic. Dark clouds are looming inthe distance and we get a small sprinkle so we finish up and head back to thePeter Norbeck Visitor's Center

We arrive just in time for the Gold Panning Demonstration. There is thunder in the distance butthe group heads down to the Creek - after all we could find our fortune! Actually not- anything found isthe property of Custer State Park.I decide to give it a shot anyway.


The rain comes just as I discover the gold must still be up in them thar hills and not this creek bed, but at least now I have my technique down!Might as well drive the wild life loop and see who's out there. Pronghorn - with a set of triplets!Or just looking picture perfect

Doesn't look good ahead (weather wise!)

A turkey with 2 babies - can you find them?

and Surprise Surprise - Buffalo

Another nice day off I guess since we didn't find our fortune in Gold today it's back to work tomorrow!

Till Later,Meanwhile, we keep on Trek'n

Melissa and Gary

Indian Creek Trail

Friday I took a ride over to Indian Creek Trail. Wanted to check out the trail condition under Hwy 92 -- the mud pit/ice rink.
Wonders - a lot of gravel has been spread under the bridge! Thanks to the City of Council Bluffs - who contacted the DOT to rectify the problem. Now, wondering when the contractor will get the rest of the work done - pavement under the bridge and re-paved trail along Hwy 92 (so we don't have to ride through trailer park).

City of Rocks State Park - New Mexico

Had 4 days off this week so we decided to drive to Silver City. We planned an overnight camping at City of Rocks State Park. As we arrived, it didn't look too impressive from afar.

Looking a little better.

Now there's a campsite!

However, we brought only a tent, sleeping bags and 2 pillows. Duh! City of Rocks, not Lush Green Grass and Soft Sand . . . A sleepless night trying to get comfortable, but we still had a great time.

The park consists of large sculpturedrock formationsin the shape of pinnacles or boulders rising as high as 40 feet, formed by volcanic eruptions and then eroded over millions of years.

Throughout the park are placards with information on the planets and various solar systems. The night we were there they had a star party and we got to look through a telescope at Mars, Jupiter and Venus as well as 2 galaxies of millions of stars.

There is a 3.5 mile hiking trail that starts at the botanical garden

and ends at the top of the Hill overlooking the Park.

You can also hike amongst the rock formations

Tucson really liked camping and was king of the hill!

Till Later!

Meanwhile, we keep on Trek'n

Melissa, Gary & Tucson