project success!
while many projects linger in limbo, it feels nice to start and finish a project in a weekend. i want to move my shit up to washington later on. i need a bike trailer. plans are available for a very kind bamboo trailer from Carry Freedom.
i put an ad on craigslist looking for bamboo. i got a reply very quickly. dude has been growing some timber bamboo. he also has a 100 ft doug fir rotting in his back yard, too afraid to cut it down as it will likely take out some structures. so he's been shooting it with his 30-06, trying to chunk off upper parts of the tree, to fell it later. his llama also attacked me, i had to hit its legs (secret vulnerable spot, the front legs only though) to beat it away.
so anyhow, here's the resulting trailer. it tracks beautifully, hauled 50 lbs with no problem. suggested maximum is 250 lbs. i plan to cut a big piece of canvas to stretch inside the frame and make a basket. maybe with speed holes. this trailer is so light.
cost:
2 used bike wheels+tubes and tires=$40
shitload of bamboo=$5
sheet metal, drill bit, twine, bolts=$10
this could have been made much cheaper. it should be. i tried liberating the hardware from home depot, but was borrowing a car for the tac. got out to the car, key in ignition, alarm goes off. car refuses to respond. had to go back into hd, pay for the ten spot of goods if the fools were hip to me but just too slow. then use their phone. such a failure of a mission in many ways.
i put an ad on craigslist looking for bamboo. i got a reply very quickly. dude has been growing some timber bamboo. he also has a 100 ft doug fir rotting in his back yard, too afraid to cut it down as it will likely take out some structures. so he's been shooting it with his 30-06, trying to chunk off upper parts of the tree, to fell it later. his llama also attacked me, i had to hit its legs (secret vulnerable spot, the front legs only though) to beat it away.
so anyhow, here's the resulting trailer. it tracks beautifully, hauled 50 lbs with no problem. suggested maximum is 250 lbs. i plan to cut a big piece of canvas to stretch inside the frame and make a basket. maybe with speed holes. this trailer is so light.
cost:
2 used bike wheels+tubes and tires=$40
shitload of bamboo=$5
sheet metal, drill bit, twine, bolts=$10
this could have been made much cheaper. it should be. i tried liberating the hardware from home depot, but was borrowing a car for the tac. got out to the car, key in ignition, alarm goes off. car refuses to respond. had to go back into hd, pay for the ten spot of goods if the fools were hip to me but just too slow. then use their phone. such a failure of a mission in many ways.
aearth magicks
On Friday I was working on one of the community gardens and decided to come home for lunch. While at home, I checked my email to see what time people were going to head down to Mts. Thielson and Bailey (replacement for a rained-out Mt. Baker climb). My only ride turned out to be in the bed of Keith's pickup truck, and it was coming in an hour. Frantic pack session. Good to go.
Five hours later, and wow, totally awesome area. We camped at Diamond Lake, sandwiched between Mt Thielson (9,182 ft) and Mt Bailey (8,368 ft), in view of Crater Lake, aka Mt Mazama RIP.
Mount Thielson is a pretty mountain covered in nasty scree and dinner plate rocks that you end up surfing on and knocking downhill, potentially maiming your friends. Really, I was hit by the vibe of Frodo and Samwise sliding down the rocks at the gates of Mordor near the racist evil men everytime we had rocks fall. It was a fun scramble nonetheless.
The summit plug is a fun rock climb, and an awesome little rappel opportunity.
Thielson is the most lightning-struck volcano in the Cascade chain. The summit has lots of melty rock.
Pretty sheer drop.
After the hike down, we snuck in showers (since I fled so abruptly on Friday, my arms were still covered in horse manure plaster for a cab bench I made with some friends, shower was cool. Maybe the 4th shower I've had since last year, after going shower-vegan). At the campsite, while wandering about, I was hit by the notion to cut through the trees back to my tent. In my way stood two beautiful Morels. I gasped deeply and audibly. Then I picked them and founds several others. Morels+leftover potato and garlic soup mix=amazing meal.
Then I found more the next day, when we climbed Mt Bailey.
Anyone who knows my voting records remembers that I have always been in favor of more l's.
We found a natural arch, made likely in the past year or few in the Basalt.
I look huge in that picture, like Giant Man huge.
How does a tree fall like this?
Wildflowers and butterflies on the summit, for real.
Oh, and check out this ungodly large panorama from Bailey. Very large, fun to explore. Climbing is the funnest thing ever and other things are not as fun at all.
if i paid taxes i'd be particularly sad about this
Bush honors victims of communism
Staff and agencies
12 June, 2007
By BEN FELLER, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - President Bush , honoring the memories of those killed in communist regimes, said Tuesday that their deaths should remind the American public that "evil is real and must be confronted."
"Like the Communists, the terrorists and radicals who attacked our nation are followers of a murderous ideology that despises freedom, crushes all dissent, has expansionist ambitions and pursues totalitarian aims," Bush said. "Like the Communists, our new enemies believe the innocent can be murdered to serve a radical vision."
Tens of millions of people were killed in communist regimes, from China to the Soviet Union, Cambodia to Africa, North Korea to Vietnam.
Bush spoke on the 20th anniversary of one of Ronald Reagan ‘s most famous moments — a speech at the Berlin Wall in which he challenged Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to "Tear down this wall." It was the ultimate challenge of the Cold War, and the wall fell in 1989 as communist rule collapsed in East Germany and Soviet-dominated Eastern Europe.
The Victims of Communism Memorial, within view of the Capitol, was more than a decade in the making. It aims to honor memories and educate current and future generations about communism‘s crimes against humanity.
"She reminds us that when an ideology kills tens of millions of people, and still ends up being vanquished, it is contending with a power greater than death," Bush told roughly 1,000 invited guests.
The president declared in his second inaugural speech that the United States will advance democracy in every nation and culture around the globe, with the goal of ending tyranny. Yet that expansive agenda has long given way to the unpopular war in Iraq , which has caused his popularity to plummet and helped Democrats win a majority in Congress.
Staff and agencies
12 June, 2007
By BEN FELLER, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - President Bush , honoring the memories of those killed in communist regimes, said Tuesday that their deaths should remind the American public that "evil is real and must be confronted."
"Like the Communists, the terrorists and radicals who attacked our nation are followers of a murderous ideology that despises freedom, crushes all dissent, has expansionist ambitions and pursues totalitarian aims," Bush said. "Like the Communists, our new enemies believe the innocent can be murdered to serve a radical vision."
Tens of millions of people were killed in communist regimes, from China to the Soviet Union, Cambodia to Africa, North Korea to Vietnam.
Bush spoke on the 20th anniversary of one of Ronald Reagan ‘s most famous moments — a speech at the Berlin Wall in which he challenged Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to "Tear down this wall." It was the ultimate challenge of the Cold War, and the wall fell in 1989 as communist rule collapsed in East Germany and Soviet-dominated Eastern Europe.
The Victims of Communism Memorial, within view of the Capitol, was more than a decade in the making. It aims to honor memories and educate current and future generations about communism‘s crimes against humanity.
"She reminds us that when an ideology kills tens of millions of people, and still ends up being vanquished, it is contending with a power greater than death," Bush told roughly 1,000 invited guests.
The president declared in his second inaugural speech that the United States will advance democracy in every nation and culture around the globe, with the goal of ending tyranny. Yet that expansive agenda has long given way to the unpopular war in Iraq , which has caused his popularity to plummet and helped Democrats win a majority in Congress.
Sist-r-Done
Last weekend I went to the beautiful Bend/Sisters area. Home to deep freak Joel Wright and a shitload of gorgeous mountains. Everywhere you look, big beautiful mountains. The Three Sisters, (South, Middle, and North, aka Faith, Hope, and Charity), Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Washington, Broken Top, Mt. Bachelor (not so big, but pretty), Three Finger Jack.
We snowshoed in, and camped at 7000 ft. There was about 20 ft of snow on the ground. I dug a snow cave for a while, but got too tired, as the snow was so dense heavier artillery than an ice ax and shovel were needed. Maybe I also should have wanted it more.
Here is a big picture from camp.
Then the next morning we climbed up. Perfect snow, so we wore crampons right from the git and made great time. Easy walk up - it is not a glacial-crevassey-sister.
Here's some summit panoramas. The keen eye will spot Shasta, Shastina, Thielson, Diamond Peak, Washington, Jefferson, Hood, Adams. You could see Shasta down in California and Adams in Washington. The entire length of Oregon. Awesome day.
On the summit, 10,358 feet, there was an exxxtreme dude snowboarding in the Cauldera. So tac. Also, dudes trying to kite ski, but having little luck.
I feel like I am making a Butters-esque face.
