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The Comfort Zone- last time- I promise!!

IMG00239-20100809-1331IMG00260-20100812-1501IMG00243-20100809-1600IMG00242-20100809-1556 You know, I appreciate you reading these posts because I need to get this stuff out of my head and into some legible form, so this is for me as much as it is to entertain all of you who read these posts. I appreciate it. In any event, I have this theme that has been rattling around in my head about pushing yourself a little bit out of your comfort zone. In previous posts I have told you about my friend Eric who lives in Incline Village, Nevada. He and his wife Helen have truly taken advantage of their environment out there in the west. They are expert skiers, they take their sport mobile out into the desert and camp, mountain bike and hike and enjoy their surroundings. Eric took his motorcycle and went from Tahoe to the Artic Ocean and back. They are adventurers but all of us can be adventurers too maybe to a lesser degree but nonetheless, adventurers in our own environment.

Three years ago, my wife Janet and Jack and I went to visit Helen and Eric and had a fantastic time enjoying the Sierras and Lake Tahoe. We visited Yosemite which by the way, if you have not been there or to a National Park, please by all means put that on your bucket list. Eric has the good habit of pushing folks out of their comfort zone which is a good thing and allows people to stretch their limits and take the experience home with them. He has done that for years on the slopes with me and in previous visits, he has stretched Janet’s zone in more mental ways than perhaps physical. By that I mean that we were out for Eric and Helen’s son’s wedding and we all went for a hike. Eric made note to tell Janet that there are bears who climb up over his fence and feast on the birdseed in his feeders. Her eyes were like saucers as we went out the door to the hike by the lake and Eric regaled some other stories that had Janet wondering whether hiking with Eric was a good idea. All was well and the only bear that we did see was crossing Rt. 50 in the main drag of North Tahoe. Both Janet and Jack had never seen a bear in the wild but here was a nice sized one looking like he had just come out of the Starbucks store on the left of the road. We watched from the safety of the car but Janet had her bear experience and had also hiked in bear country which definitely stretched………….her comfort zone.

So- getting back to the recent trip, Eric and Helen had us in the kayak in the lake, we swam in the lake, went for walks and took in the beauty of the Tahoe region. All pretty benign activites until the day Eric told Janet that we were going to hike Mt. Rose. Now what you must understand about my friend Eric is that he is the master of the understatement. He told Janet it was a quick three hour out and back hike. So, our merry little band of hikers, Eric, Helen, Jack and Janet and me, took off with some instructions and some nice delectibles in the packs. Jack had to use his hiking shoes that I bought him much to his chagrin but I told him that basketball shoes were not the footwear of choice when hiking in the Sierras. The wildflowers were in full bloom and the trail was dry and the day was crystal clear. We could see the summit of Mt. Rose and it looked like we could reach out and touch it. That is how things are in the west. So near, but yet so far and crystal clear, kind of like some goals in our lives. About two hours into the hike, Janet started to ask how much farther which indicated to me that she was approaching the end of the comfort zone. I told her that it looked like only a little bit more but that turned into an hour. As we reached the summit, the views of the lake and over to Reno were spectacular which masked the fact that Janet was tired. I told her it was all downhill from here which was pretty much true but there were some undulations in the trail in which vertical feet were gained and not lost. But for the most part, we were making our way down. The nice thing about Helen is that she is in great shape yet very understanding and was happy to be with Janet as she told Jack and Eric and I to basically get lost. This made the return trip more enjoyable for Janet and as we reached the trailhead…….6 hours after we started, Janet breathed an altitude deprived sigh of relief. Jack was undaunted as he gave a very simple statement of approval as per the teenage communication protocol,” that was cool.” He is the master of the understatement in our family.

Bottom line in all of this is that Janet stretched her comfort zone immeasurably that day courtesy of Helen and Eric. She is much more confident on hikes or other physical activities that she has taken up in the time since the big hike. She loves to hike now and she and I have taken some nice day hikes right here in Pennsylvania and enjoyed all of the seasons. We snowshoe in the winter- which is a form of winter hiking and again, the confidence that the trip to Incline has brought her has helped in so many ways beyond physical exertion. Mental confidence and experience brings a lot to the table and I thank Eric every time I ski with him for making me a better skier by stretching my limits over all the years that we have skied together. Lots of folks are hesitant to go out of their comfort zone and do not have the good fortune of having friends that help them expand their horizons. As we get older, it is very important to keep growing physically and mentally. There are so many healthy activities that can be experienced if we only have the courage to take on the challenge. It doesn’t have to be riding a motorcycle to the Arctic Circle. Lots of folks just have to get up and go for a walk. Everyone has their comfort zone staring them in the face. You can blast through it or you can go through it gently and at your own pace. Take a page from Janet’s book and slowly stretch your limits for the better. Life is to be lived. Lots to do. Enjoy it. Thanks for reading.

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Bouncing along the Laurel Ridge

photophoto There is a saying around here that if you grow up skiing in the east, you can ski anywhere. Easterners cut their teeth on rock hard icy trails with high winds and frigid conditions. Some of the best racers and skiers in the country grew up skiing on the steep and demanding trails of the East. The same can be said for the trails that we Easterners ride on mountain bikes. From the mountains of Georgia, to the Shenandoahs, to the Appalachians, to the Green and White Mountains of New England, the trails are rocky, rooty, muddy, sploogy, tests of will in very tight singletrack conditions. The Greenlee boys taught me the ropes a while back when we rode at Moraine State Park. This area in Western Pa. is known as the Terminal Moraine. Geologically speaking it is where the glaciers melted and deposited large amounts of granite not indiginous to this area. These granite tombstones litter the trails and make the riding challenging to say the least. All of us who ride in Western Pa. have been exposed to these trails one time or another if they are serious about mountain biking.

West Virginia is held in the same regard for demanding trails as I have pointed out in previous posts. Gunnar Shogren, a former GT Mountain Bike Professional was known as the “Beast of the East” because his stock always rose when national races were held in the East where he was most comfortable. Western rides tend to be lung searing, altitude challenges with fire roads and singletrack. But nothing can compare to the Eastern conditions that we ride regularly. Central Pa. has its mountains and no challenge is greater than the Tussey Mountain Trail or the associated trails that are part of the Rothrock State Forest near State College,Pa. If you want to ride momentum stopping, tombstone like obstacles in the trail, you need not look any further than the Tussey Mountain Trail or the John Wert Path. A true test of skill and endurance can be found here.

However, the Laurel Ridge is close and dear to my heart because I have spent a majority of my life enjoying the mountains of Western Pennsylvania. The trails in the mountains have their own challenges as seen by the picture of the “Rock Garden” at Seven Springs Mountain Resort. http://www.7springs.com This section of trail is part of the 24 Hour Race Course and has also been part of the course when the NORBA National Mountain Bike Series was held at Seven Springs. I fractured my wrist in this lovely little garden a few years back and was relegated to riding most of the summer in an Ace Wrist Guard with a metal protector. A little uncomfortable for the summer but it allowed my wrist to heal while I still pounded the trails. I have spoken in the last few posts about testing and pushing yourself even when you are a 58 year old kid like me. Momentum is always your friend, as my friend Barry Jeffries always says. Sometimes you have to test your will and ride these sections to keep your skills sharp if you want to continue to enjoy what the Laurel Highlands has to offer. There are miles of trails like the other photo shown above and I always enjoy the Laurel Highlands on a mountain bike. I call it accelerated hiking. No cars, no crowds, just quiet peaceful trails riddled with the frequent challenges of rocks and roots. Your troubles can be left behind if you ride these trails because you have virtually no time to think about anything else than concentrating on where to put your wheel in the next rock section. Whenever I finish(survive) a good ride in the Laurel Mountains, I feel like I got a very good workout and kept my riding skills sharp. Even for an old guy.

If you check out my post about my fireplace, it is constructed with the rock that you find in the mountains of Western Pa. It is a constant reminder to me of the challenges that we face whenever we Eastern riders go to our trails of choice. Like the skiing here, the riding is challenging. The green woods are lush with fern growth and the hardwoods provide a perfect canopy for riders. Lots of local riders enjoy these trails and many of them ride them with true expertise. But it is important for us older riders to continue to ride these challenging trails and keep our skills sharp so that we can enjoy this wonderful sport for a long, long time. Test yourself, push yourself. We all know our limits but when you go just a little beyond your comfort zone, keep your momentum up and ride it out, you can have a thrill that lasts for many days until………….the next ride. Check out the Laurel Highlands. Whether you ski them, hike them, or ride them, let them teach you. You will enjoy it. Thanks for reading.

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A Really Fast Week of Cycling

beachwater ” OK- the diaper is changed, Janet is asleep, it is o dark hundred Monday morning, I am out of here. Wow! what a glorious day to ride at the beach.” ” Stop at Kohler’s and order the sticky buns, pick them up on the way back.” ” Nice tailwind- feeling pretty strong surprisingly after that brutal drive.” ” Looks like the crabs are coming in pretty good for the folks on the bay.” ” Ok- up over the drawbridge- hi there Mr. Drawbridge keeper.” ” Wildwood came pretty fast, maybe I can make it into Cape May and turn around quickly?” ” Whoa- what was that? A quarter pounder with cheese just missed my head. I think that guy in the car just called me a forking icehole? Not sure what that meant but better keep riding.” ” Oh man- what a headwind!” ” Wow- this is harder than I remember.” ” OK- here I am at Stone Harbor. Crank it in the headwind a little more. Ahhhhh- Avalon- Cooler by a Mile sign.” ” Hi Jan- I will be just a minute. Lets get all the gear, the stroller, Pack N Play, cooler, chairs, I feel like a Sherpa.” ” Nice evening- Jack is down. Relax.” ” Good night dear.”

” Tuesday- another great day. Yes- Jack. I won’t be long. We will go to the beach buddy. Daddy just needs to get his ride in.” ” Oh yes- we will build the castle.” ” I will be back soon.” ” Man- another tailwind. Good thing- I have to hump it down to Wildwod and probably turn it around. He wants to hit the beach and dig. Spend about 4 hours straight in the ocean. Man- that kid likes the waves.” ” Got to get back- dig in man.” ” The headwinds are brutal today. Come on Pat- you are dogging it. Dig in against the wind. Buddy is waiting to go to the beach.” ” Ok- Jack- here we go!!” ” Yikes- I feel like a prune. All burned and wrinkled.” ” Got him down dear- yea, I will bet he is tired.” ” OK- see you after your walk. I have him – no worries.”

” Wednesday- ” Rain- oh hell. Well it can’t be nice every day. Just get your jacket and go.” ” Oh- Jack. Did you get something to eat?” ” OK- when I get back- we will throw the lines in.” ” What- oh yes- we will get something better than dog fish today. Maybe Mr. Denmeade will go with us and give us his good luck?” ” Yes- Mr. Denmeade is a better fisherman than me, Jack.” ” I know- I will be back.” ” Head north today Pat. Ocean City- wow the headwind and the rain.” ” OK- over the bridge to Sea Isle.” ” Careful- road is slick.” ” This is brutal with the wind. Wonder if I will make O.C?” ” Oh man- this flat. Wonder what all those people are doing? Still sleeping I will bet. Oh well- even though I am getting pelted with wind and rain- it is still a good day on the bike. Every day is a good day on the bike.” ” Is this the road? Ahh yes- ok- Ocean City. Wow- crowded. Way too many cars.” ” Turn around Pat. Ahh yes- the tailwind.” ” Oh cool- some other riders. Hi guys…………no response. Oh well- I will just suck their wheel for a while. They deserve it.” ” Good ride- yea- I am from Pittsburgh. You guys? Oh NYC. Cool- thanks for letting me suck your wheel, I mean ride with you guys. Yea- thanks . It is a vintage San Rensho frame with Dura Ace. Yea- thanks – I like it.” ” Ok guys – see you again.” ” Thanks ”

Thursday- ” OK you clowns- get up. Joseph? Jack? You can’t sleep the day away. Get the ball and go shoot some hoops will ya? I will be back- your mother and I are going for a ride. Yea- here is 20 bucks. Will that cover you. You hope?” ” See you in a bit and we will go to the beach. Get the stuff ready ok. Just don’t sit here all morning.” ” OK dear- here you go. Lets go to Avalon Coffee Company. Relax a bit and then ride to the causeway ok?” ” They will be fine. Teenagers! What can you expect.” ” Yea- I wish they would ride too but what are you going to do. At least we can ride together. It is a nice morning.” ” OK guys- home by 11 ok?” ” How much? Geez you guys are going to put me in the poor house.” ” Hey- lock up our bikes will ya? Thanks” ” OK – have fun.”

Friday- ” Jan- headed out. See you soon and then we can ride. I may try to make it to Cape May today. Yes- the Masi is still a nice ride. Campy is always reliable and precise.” ” Yes- I will pick up some stickies on the way back.” ” Another sunny day in Avalon. Wonder what it is like to live here? I will bet Janet would like that. Not the same without Jack though. No schlepping of gear, no teenage worries, but miss him here with us.” ” Now don’t get weepy Pat. The bladder is always behind the eyeballs with you. Come on man. Enjoy the ride. Great day and the fisherman are killing them on the bay.” ” Hi guys- how is the catch this morning?” ” Oh cool- lots of flounder but I am not sure I want to haul in one of those rays.” ” Keep moving Pat. Maybe go to Sylvesters tonight. Not the same without Jack.” ” Don’t start Pat. Quit it.” ” He is fine and doing well at school. Think about the good time he is having with his friends.” ” Hi dear- yea good ride. Miss Jack though. Give me a hug.”

Saturday- ” What a glorious day. No wind- strangely calm.” ” I can see a long way down the road. I am not sure I have ever seen it so clear!” ” I think Cape May is not out of the question. Maybe the lighthouse?” ” Can I still do it? No wind. Go for it old man.” ” Hey riding pretty good for a guy long in the tooth as dad used to say.” ” Great just to sit here and have a coffee right?” ” No need to kill yourself.” ” I should be glad to be riding.” ” Wonder what time Jack and the family will be here? Man- it will be good to see them and spend time with those grandkids. Wait till they see the first horshoe crab or dog fish that we catch. Never was good at catching the good fish. Maybe take them on the new Miss Avalon today for some tourist fishing?” ” Oh well- better get back. wind is starting to pick up.” ” Come on old man- head down. Keep grinding. Remember the time Mike King killed you on this stretch?” ” He was a tough rider. I remember sucking his wheel for a while.” ” Hey Jack- great to see you. There is the bride. Don’t hug me honey? I am a sweaty mess.” ” Hi kids- yes, we will hit the beach. Grandpap has boogie boards for all of you. Don’t worry Jack- the old man can still hang.” ” Hey- I will race you to the beach?” ” Sorry dear- a little crazy this morning. Must have been the Avalon Coffee talking.” ” We will get our ride in too dear.” ” Jack- wait up.” “Wow- that week went fast.”

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The Infamous Tuesday Night Ride

photophoto I was sitting outside jamming a burrito in my face at Chipotle the other day, when I heard a loud rap on the window next to me. It was my old mountain biking buddy Bob Anderson harassing me again and we sat together and laughed about the old riding days. Back when I started mountain biking, I had an entry level bike with no shocks( they were not invented yet). A couple of road cycling friends got MTBs too and we began to explore the horse trails in North Park much to the chagrin of the equestrians who reported us to the police. Undaunted, we tried to get together as much as we could and one of the regular nights that fit everyone’s schedule was Tuesday night. I was always an organizer so I contacted my group and we began to ride regularly. Soon the word spread at the Month of Mud Races that there was a “training” ride on Tuesday nights led by yours truly. I am here to tell you that the original intent of the ride was exploration and fun and not a “training” ride. But since we were dabbling in racing at the Month of Mud Races and the Hidden Valley spring and fall races, some guys started to show up and the next thing we knew was that the pace of the ride accelerated with each passing week.

Fast forward, Chuck Greenlee and the Greenlee Mountain Bikes crowd started to show up with some pretty fast guys. They adopted me to race in their Vet and Masters Team and began to treat my ride as the official Greenlee’s weekly training ride. Really fast riders started to come like Bob Anderson, Chuck Greenlee, Jonathan Moran, EJ Sigety,Eric Sauereisen,Frankie Ross,Diane Blackburn,Steve Wahlenmeyer, and a host of other characters. Ed DeLuca came and was so fit he looked like he could explode right out of his skin suit. The guy was ripped and still is to this day. Ed rides a single speed today and still races the most difficult MTB races on the local schedule. We even started to see guys and gals from West Virginia and Seven Springs. It was becoming somewhat of a cult ride and the funny thing is that I organized it every week and was quickly becoming one of the weaker riders. My M.O. has always been to bring people into the sport and watch them eventually get stronger and kill me on every ride. The story of my life. The only reason they put up with me was because I kept them entertained with my inane stories and jokes along the trail. They were serious racers and I have always been a serious joker.

Each week my group of normal guys like Bill Belch, Master Plumber Supreme, George Sagan, and some other North Park specials were being pounded on the first hill by all these incredibly fast guys who had taken over my Tuesday Night Ride. People used to think I must have been really strong to ride with these guys when they really did not know my secret weapon………….the short cut. You see, I know every stone in North Park and when the pace became insanely fast and all these guys tried to beat each others brains in on the climb in the Nature Center, I would lead my little band of mortals up the climb to the North Park Lodge where we would stop, have a drink, catch our breath and wait for the thundering herd to come up the hill. Rested and hydrated, I would look at the group and say,” Here they come………..the pain continues.” We would be abused by the group for cutting the route but I looked at some of them and said that I had socks older than them. They would laugh, Bob A would abuse me personally and we would laugh as they inflicted more pain on us until…………..the next short cut. All in all, on the two hour sufferfest, I had about three bona fide hydrating, heart rate reducing, short cuts which kept us in the game. At the end, we had been pushed close to our limits but since we took some “liberties” we were at least able to ride most of the ride behind the fast guys and feel like we were still part of ……..”My Ride!!!!” The nerve of these guys taking over what had begun as an exploratory mission on new steeds of steel. I am proud to say that this ride continued and grew for close to 15 years until guys got married, had kids, had to attend to soccer games and baseball games like me which forced my riding during the week to 4:30 AM. The Tuesday Night ride started to fade with responsibilities and schedules. But it will be forever etched in the minds of all who took part. The interesting thing is now guys are starting to return because their children are raised and they have a little more time on their hands. I see some of the old Greenlees jersies on the trails and along with the younger,faster, Dirty Harry’s crowd, some of us old veterans can relive our youth watching the young guns ride up the trails at lighning speed ahead of us. But, I still know those old short cuts and the 58 year old kid and his pals can hang in there if we indulge ourselves. Age and treachery can sometimes beat youth and skill…………but not too often. Mountain Bike technology has come a long way and equipment can always keep you in the game. But the memories of the infamous Tuesday Night Ride live forever in my mind as I trace those old routes that have been worn in with the riders of time.

We all need to push ourselves in this world. I can say with certainty that my group of mortals became much better riders because the good guys pushed us out of our comfort zone. I see this all the time as people become involved in a sport and have a friend or friends that hold them accountable to ride each week. Whether it is with work, relationships, sporting pursuits, or whatever stirs your blood, don’t be afraid to push yourself. A good group can help you but take the initiative to work hard and improve. You can even do it at my age. Remember…..the older I get……..the better I was. Thanks again for reading.

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Friends Can Help Weather the Storm

IMG00060-20091104-1655photo The picture you see above is of me on the right and my friend Richard Nicolette on the left at Mt. Evans just outside of Denver on the Front Range. Richard is my oldest friend. In fact, he was the first human being that I knew outside my mother and dad when I was a kid. We grew up in the neighborhood together and now he lives in Arvada, Colorado. Richard and I skied together as kids and he has been living back and forth in Colorado/Pittsburgh three separate times and now lives in Colorado permanently. He was the first guy I ever saw do a back flip on skis. In those days, these were done on 210 cm skis. A pretty impressive feat. One day Richard called me from Aspen where he was working at the Mesa Store Bakery and told me that he laid out a back gainer for Boz Skaags. I thought that was pretty cool and we had many ski adventures in the last 50 years together.

Recently in the last several years, my travels have taken me to Denver for various reasons and Richard and I always get together. In these recent times, we have hiked together because I found myself in Denver during non-ski seasons of the year. But that is ok because we have been able to catch up while hiking and while we have had fun, we have endured some amazing weather. For instance, several years ago we were hiking up the James Peak Lake Trail in the Roosevelt National Forest not far from Boulder. In Colorado, you need to make sure that you get your hike started before noon and make your way back as soon as you can because there are always wicked thunder storms in the afternoons in the mountains. We made the mistake of staying too long at Chipotle in Arvada, our favorite haunt( how about that Chris, Adam and Loraine). We started the hike in the early afternoon and by late afternoon we were still up high at the lake when a really big thunderstorm was brewing. The clouds were black and the lightning was right on us. When you are high in the mountains, the lightning is all around you and it can be pretty un-nerving. We had our rain gear with us and quickly donned it before the biblical rains began. We nervously laughed at each crack of thunder and lightning until we started to run towards the parking area. Not a good time when the storms begin. At the end of that hike, we went immediately to the Sundance Cafe on Highway 119 near Nederland. After the storm, we sat on the deck and had an amazing view of the Front Range and talked incessantly about the harrowing experience on the mountain that day.

We went another day to the trail systems in Golden, Colorado where the weather was so hot, we were glad that our hydration packs were full of ice water and we had a spare bottle between us. Those trails are really well laid out and the city of Golden should be proud of their system which is within easy reach of the town. http://www.golden.com The trip to Mt. Evans on another hike in another year was momentous in that it suddenly turned very cold and the rain was intense and freezing. Richard and I never let the weather spoil our fun and fortunately we have the packs and the rain gear to protect us. You have to have the gear if you want to venture into the outdoors especially in the unpredictable Front Range of Colorado. Mt. Evans is 14,264 feet high and is one of the famous fourteeners in Colorado which locals like to summit during the summer months. However at that altitude, curiously not far from Denver, you have to be prepared. It can snow in mid summer and this particular picture was taken in August. You will notice I am wearing a wool hat. Many people have died from exposure because they go to this altitude without backup clothing and hypothermia is a real threat especially when you are stuck in a cold rain storm.

Richard and I always like to do adventurous things together. We have weathered many storms together hiking, skiing and riding road bikes. But we have also weathered some life storms as well. Richard was one of the first people to call me when my father suddenly passed away in his sleep 12 years ago. He was on the phone when my mother passed 4 years later. We talked for hours about the old neighorhood and stories about our parents and how they raised us back then. To this day, when we see each other, it is as if I just saw him yesterday and we pick up talking about the old days and current situations in each other’s lives. Richard likes to hear about my son Jack and my wife Janet. He doesn’t have any children but is engaged to a really cool lady named Linda who is truly his soulmate and I am happy for him. We E-Mail each other frequently and they tend to be contemplative about life in general. Richard has had to weather some storms. He has a degree from Rochester Institute of Technology and has been in the graphic arts business all of his life. Unfortunately, that industry has fallen on hard times because of the new technology of self publishing and the Internet. However, Richard has re-invented himself as a substitute teacher in the Denver and Boulder area and couldn’t be happier. He has a real passion for kids and his gentle spirit is welcome in all of those classrooms. I like to think that I have weathered some of his life storms with him that are just as hairy as that day on the James Peak Trail.

So, if you have a lifelong friend in the world, cultivate that relationhship. They say if you die with 5 real friends, you are truly a blessed person. Richard is one of those people in my life. We like our gear, we weather the storms on the mountain and in life together. If you have a friend like that, make an effort to see them at all costs. Life is short and friends are true treasures in life. Go hike and catch up with a friend. Thanks for reading.

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Ray’s Indoor Mountain Bike Park

photo OK, so I am going into church this morning with my family, and my 18 year old son Jack and my wife Janet both comment on the length of my khaki pants. “Hey, where’s the flood dad?” ” Gee honey, those babies need a rest. I will cut them off for you.” Now in Chris Crowley’s wonderful book “Younger Next Year” http://www.youngernextyear.com he says that your clothes are not cool anymore, man, and you need to buy some new clothes. He is right but I draw the line in the sand with my khaki pants, stone washed shirts and hiking shoes. This is what I like to wear, and this is what I am wearing. But I guess they better be the right length. I already embarass my kid enough so I need to be aware that although I am the 58 year old kid, I can’t be the 58 year old dweeb with the flood pants. At the same time, it is a dilemma. I love to ski and ride my mountain bike and I keep in pretty good shape so that I can continue to do all of this stuff for a long time, just like the book says. But I can’t be seen in a snap back hat, sagging shorts, Adam Levine tatts on the forearms, or the thinly sliced, marrowless, ham bones pressed into my earlobes. I won’t be seen with the earbuds blasting Wiz Khalifa. No, I am hardwired with The New Riders, The Flying Burrito Brothers, The Byrds, Jerry and Mick. Sorry but there are lines in the sand that dictate that physically I can still sort of hang on the slopes and trails, but culturally, I am over the proverbial hill. I lost music with “Money is for Nothing and Your Chicks for Free”

So putting in reverse a little bit to last year, I find myself with my two friends JR Ellis and Patrick Heffernan at Ray’s Indoor Mountain Bike Park in Cleveland. I work with JR and ride mountain bikes with him and Patrick is my winter buddy as he is a snowboarder while I ski, and we also mountain bike together. Patrick is a year older than me although you would never know his age by his amazing athletic ability and his love for the outdoors. He and I feed off of each other and he is one of those guys my age who I really like for many reasons. But, our common goal is to stay fit and do fun things until they spread our ashes in the wind out west some day. In the picture above, Patrick is on the left and JR (the youngster at 40) is on the right with yours truly smiling as usual in the middle. The reason I am smiling is that Rays is a totally cool place where you can ride indoors in the winter. This facility is in an old warehouse in Cleveland. http://www.raysmtb.com The owners have painstakingly built a cross country course that utilizes two floors. They have a beginner course with obstacles that you can try and ride. They have a sport course and an expert course. The kids that work there and ride there are very nice even though I have socks older than all of them. I have never been called “dude” so many times in all of my life but always with a friendly and respectful tone.

So, JR, Patrick and I start on the cross country course and get warmed up and get used to riding on ramps and alley ways in an old warehouse. Pretty cool if you ask me. After we get a good lather on, we decide to go to the beginner course but most of that is fairly simple in that we ride a lot of that stuff outdoors already. We quickly go to the “sport” course where I encounter my first teeter totter. Now I immediately have a flashback of riding a teeter totter on the old Berkely Hills playground with my AMF Roadmaster bike with the baseball cards flapping in the spokes. I rode up the teeter totter on that playground and crashed on the other side more times than I care to remember but 50 years later, here I am doing it again at Rays. We took the big one first and then the more narrow ones and in a very child like way, we were proud of our ability to ride the teeter totters, the ramps, the jumps, and all of the other obstacles in the sport area. We even got some nods of approval from the younger set who saw us as kind of an anomoly seeing that we were probably older than their dads. Laughing, we moved to the expert room where we successfully navigated similar, but more difficult obstacles, and left the real hairy ones to the “dudes” with the youthful bravado and the BMX bikes. But, for a couple of older “dudes” we were pretty “rad” and were “stoked” to do well and have the stamina to ride this place for over two hours. Believe me, it took me back to that old playground and I wished that I had those old Pittsburgh Pirates baseball cards flapping in the spokes of my 29er mountain bike. “Hey Pat- grow up man” “Why should we?” Patrick and I always say “we may age chronologically but we will never mature.” We say that with tongue and cheek but in many ways it is true. JR just laughs at us and enjoys the scene. He is the most fit but he enjoys hanging with the old guys making a spectacle of themselves.

As we said goodbye to our new compadres and the nice kids that work there, everyone always is encouraging you to come back soon. We did and will be back as many times as we can because it is just so much fun. We now have one in Pittsburgh in Homestead that has 57,000 square feet of space and has been crafted by a real enthusiast, Harry Geyer. I don’t know Harry but I am anxious to meet him and try his new local spot,The Wheel Mill. I am sure that Patrick and JR will join me as we attempt their ramps and obstacles with the same enthusiasm as we run Ray’s MTB Park. I kind of laugh at myself with all of this and think just how long I will be doing this crazy stuff. Hopefully for a long time. “Peace out man” HAHA. Thanks for reading

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The Mountain TV

photoIMG00104-20091231-0858IMG_0070 The pictures you see above are of my “mountain TV”. Before I tell you all about how we love our outdoor fireplace, I need to tell you all about the construction, the seating, and the fuel situation.

The Construction- I know a guy from the Laurel Highlands named Teddy Hall who does most of the stone work in the mountains east of me. One day I find him building a stone pier in Ligonier,Pa and I ask him if he would be willing to come to my neck of the woods and build a 30 foot retaining wall and an outdoor fireplace. He consented and said that his brother lives near me and it would give him a good excuse to come to visit more often. The next thing I know is that a Somerset Coal truck shows up on my street with 16 tons of Laurel Mountain stone and dumps it in my yard. For a fleeting moment I think that I can wheelbarrow it around the back but then I see a guy with a Bobcat in my neighborhood and we strike a deal to move the stone. Fast forward, Teddy and his brothers show up in the spring and start on the french drain and the wall and then don’t show up for another 3 weeks. My wife starts to get concerned and I assure her that these guys are on mountain time. The cycle continues and they show up every 3 weeks or a month and “dry stack” the hand cut stones. Dry stacking as told by Teddy is putting a small amount of mortar between the stacked stones so that the mortar is not exposed. Thanksgiving comes around and Teddy assures me that he will finish the “firebox”. Sure enough he brings a crew and they finish the job and we are burning for the Thanksgiving holiday dinner.

The Seating- My friend Doug Cornelius who is also our insurance guy from Erie,Pa introduced me to his Amish friend from Western New York who makes steel roofing for the barns and houses in the area. Turns out he also makes Adirondack chairs and gliders from recycled milk cartons. Now these chairs are heavy and they are held together with recessed stainless steel hardware. They are bombproof and require no maintenance. When Janet and I go to pick up the chairs and pay the guy, he hauls out a wad of cash the size of a softball and peels off my change. I feel like a homeless person as I sheepishly accept my change from the guy who is obviously LOADED!!! You just never know about some people.

The Fuel- my friend JR Ellis with whom I work and ride mountain bikes, introduced me to his parents Judy and Rich. This wonderful couple have a great house and property in Mars,Pa. Yes- like the planet. Now Rich can do anything. He is like my dad was. The guy is a mechanical genius and can build anything and his wife Judy is an awesome cook and baker. They have a nice life out there on the planet Mars and when I come out with my chain saw, I always feel a little inadequate as I carefully cut up wood under the watchful eye of Rich who thinks that I am going to cut my fingers off. I am not quite as adept as he is with the power tools but I get by with my trusty Poulan 18 inch saw. Our deal is that I can take as much wood as I can stuff into my Jeep. I usually fill it to the brim and also stack it in the front seat. The springs will probabaly go some day on the Jeep but I will have my wood. In return, I cut the deadfall that Rich hauls out of the woods with his tractor and I use his nifty electric log splitter to split what I have cut. I then replace the wood that I take with the wood that I cut and all is hunky dorie. What a deal with the endless supply of wood and the endless friendship that I have developed with the Ellis family.

Why we like it?- Well when my wife Janet and I sit down either by ourselves or with neighbors and friends, we solve the world’s problems in front of a roaring fire. Really- we should invite Obama to fly down with his helicopter and park it in our front yard so that he can listen to some advice. I then can give him a cold Corona with a lime stuffed in the top or maybe he is a Long Trail Ale guy? I have both along with wine to fuel the conversation. The warmth of the fire sucks you in as you talk about kids, the world, what colleges will they be attending, moaning about the cost of things, and when all the conversation ceases and the neighbors and Janet all go to slumber land, I often sit by myself and look at the vast universe displayed by the stars in the heavens. We have a lot of people from India in my neighborhood who believe that smoke from a fire is like prayer rising heavenward. Native American cultures also believe this and as I sit in the quiet of the evenings and listen to the crackling of the fire and the crickets chirping, I think that my fireplace is a portal to what is to be. I get pensive around that fire and think about my parents and friends who are gone now. I am a believer and I know where they are and I know where I am going someday. But I look at those stars and wonder what is beyond our world. The fire in the night spawns thoughts and time alone to think. No cell phones, no I -pads or I-phones. Just the mountain tv to view in all of its red, glowing splendor. Whether you have a fireplace, a fire pit or whatever, try to use it as much as you can for as many nights as you can. It is great time with family and friends and the time goes all too quickly with conversation around the fire. Your kids will like it as they roast marshmallows or as they get older, join you for a beer. Whatever it takes to get that time alone is GOLD to families today. Go burn some wood and thanks for reading.

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The Wild 100

fader8IMAGE_1_12022009095949 One of the more interesting events that I have participated in was the Wild 100 Mountain Bike Race in Slatyfork,WVA. This was a point to point event with 6 check in stops in very remote corners of the West Virginia wilderness. The weekend always started with a camp out in the field behind the Elk River Touring Center. Most often the Inn was sold out but it was more fun to camp under the stars anyways. The next morning was a mandatory meeting at 6:45 AM where you were given a map to the 100 K course along with the notation for the check points. You had to make the check points by a certain hour or you were asked to board a pickup truck for the long ride back to the touring center. Only one time did anybody in my group not make the check in point. One of our guys one year was an ultra runner and wanted to try the event. He underestimated the difficulty and the need to ride miles on the bike. He was escorted out. He told us to keep riding.

Most of the years I participated, I had an interesting entourage with me. Maurice Tierney, founder of Dirt Rag Magazine, was our navigator. He was a pretty good map reader as well as being fairly familiar with the area. Some of the other Dirt Rag guys joined us along with my friend Dixon whose energy source on the ride, among other things, was blue bubble gum. At the top of Props Run, which was nothing more than a stream bed that went to the top of the mountain, Dixon could be seen loading up on blue bubble gum and smiling with matching teeth. Dixon is a character and deserves his own blog post. Props was always inluded in the course and some times you went down it, which was a bone rattling descent, or you went up it and pushed your bike for about half the distance. There was a lot of fire road and if you decided that you wanted to shorten the ride, you went into the woods to several places like Bear Meadows, or the infamous Tea Creek Canyon. The streams and water that you encounterd in the canyon were dyed with tannin from the leaves and the image of a cup of tea was very apparent in the color of the streams. But you had to pay attention here because the descent was off camber with a lot of slippery, slimy roots, into the valley where you had a check in point before you began a long climb out of the canyon.

Navigating wilderness trails and fire roads was a true challenge and you had to prepare well with a pack loaded with plenty of water, energy drinks, food, and lights in the event that you had an issue that would push you into the evening hours. Suffice to say I never had that issue but on the final fire road descent I was always bonking badly and jamming the last dust ball infested energy bar into my face to ward off the fatigue and the blue dots appearing before my eyes. The last time I saw the blue dots was when I did a time trial at Halloween on a very hot day dressed in a tuxedo. That was a heinous road climb up into an industrial park and the blue dots of maximum exertion apeared before my exploding eyeballs. Always avoid the blue dots. They are a sign of imminent disaster. I always avoided the big bonk on the last descent to Rt. 219 and successfully avoided he speeding logging and coal trucks which were dangerously close to us as we navigated our way back to the Touring Center. The outdoor shower was welcome but the temperature of the freezing stream water that fed the showers was anything but relaxing. However, all was saved with a great bar-b-que and awards ceremony followed by blue grass music on the deck. One more night in the tent and back to the burg. The Wild 100 was always a great experience.

This years event is not scheduled yet but if you call Gil and Mary Willis at the Elk River Touring Center, they might be able to tell you if they are scheduling the event or not. They are great people and it is definitely worth the ride to Slatyfork just to ride. The Inn is wonderful as well as the food and the hospitality. The riding, the fishing in the Greenbrier River, and the evenings on the deck with a cold beer are also memorable. http://www.ertc.com If the Inn is crowded, you can go down the road a bit to Marlinton and stay at the Jerico Bed and Breakfast. A wonderful place with pre-Civil War cabins that have been restored with pot belly stoves and lofts. Lots of Confederate memorabelia around and the proprietors grandfather always delights in telling us Yankee boys that there are 9 of us buried up above on the hillside. The earlier battles of the Civil War were held in this general area and sleeping under the picture of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson gives you something to think about as you doze off to sleep to the relaxing sound of the stream bed outside your window. http://www.jericobb.com

The riding in West Virginia is always challenging but there are hundreds of miles of great trails all accessible from either facility. There are lots of fishing events, music festivals and riding events at Elk River like Women’s Clinics conducted by local heroine Sue Haywood who is a member of the Trek Professional Mountain Bike Team. If nothing else, you might be fortunate enough to ride with Dixon and get some of his prized blue bubble gum on your ride. Thanks for reading.

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Risk versus Reward- Part 2

03jack395.2IMG00162 If you look at an earlier post, you will see the picture above of Corbett’s Couloir at Jackson Hole, Wyoming. This is a very famous ski run where the conditions dictate the severity of the descent. Sometimes it is full of snow and no issue, other times it is rock hard, very steep, and with rock walls all around, you have to really consider the first couple of turns. Now I referred to the situation of risk versus reward in cases like this especially for a 58 year old kid. Equipment, technique, and experience keep me in the game. But in some instances, we need to evaluate whether the reward is worth the risk of meeting the rock walls head on compounded with a slide for life? Most times, experience and mojo win out but there have been times when I have said…………nah………..not today. I remember having a bad feeling at Alta, Utah with my friend Eric Durfee as we traversed above a cliff area. We know Alta pretty well but this was new to us and as we went further accross the area, I had this eerie feeling that if we went down, we would not be in a good place. As it turns out, we turned back and when we looked at it from the chair on the next run, Eric said to me that had we continued, we would have faced an 800 foot drop and most likely would not have been able to climb back up the area to safety. Sometimes, you have to go with your gut!

Now if you look at the next picture, you will see another condideration that I have faced when mountain biking out west. There are big cats out there who are rather fickle in their approach to humans. Most often they avoid us but sometimes, we may look appealing around their feeding time. I have a T-shirt which says,” Bears like me………I taste like chicken.” Bears are one thing and black bears generally avoid you but I am not so sure about the feline 150# muscular killing machines that roam the ledges of the American West. Again- it is a risk versus rewards situation in that you would love to ride some of the remote trails in the region but when these signs appear at trailside, you pay attention. I either ride with someone or I ride trails that are fairly well populated. A couple of years ago, a group of us entered a trail running race called the Colorado Relay. It was a 24 hour team relay that went from Georgetown, Colorado accross 4 passes and ended up in Carbondale. We all had to do some night laps with headlamps and I don’t mind saying that I thought of this sign during the remote evening runs. Fortunately, there were enough other runners to make it relatively safe, but nonetheless, it was a risk versus rewards consideration at the very least.

Rattlesnakes are another risk versus rewards consideration when hiking, or mountain biking in the west. As the signs usually say, they are members of the community and to be aware of their presence. We are to respect them but there are trails where you just can’t help but run into them. I have given them a wide berth and I never get close to them. They don’t like me and really want to avoid me, and the last thing I want to do is bother them. You have to be aware if you venture into snake country. Beautiful rewards of great vistas but the risk is ever present.

Bottom line here is that common sense is a value that I have developed over my 58 years of adventure. My experience tells me that I can handle challenges on the slopes and trails but common sense tells me that sometimes the risk is not worth the reward. I have to work, I have to live to ski or ride another day. Sometimes that ultra steep rocky descent on a mountain bike may be great bragging rights in the bar at night. But the peril of a broken collar bone or worse may be a consideration especially to a 58 year old adventurer. Don’t get me wrong, I still like challenges and adventure but I have learned to temper my zeal with common sense and look to the bigger picture. My wife and son are always glad that I return in one piece. I like the challenge of skiing steeper terrain and riding for exercise. I leave the hucking to the younger generation. I am amazed by what I see these days on You Tube. There is a lot of bravado and perilous decisions that make the videos and the rewards are often just the fact that they can be seen by thousands on You Tube. What is done on a mountain bike and on a pair of skis these days is really amazing considering I thought a back flip by Wayne Wong when I was a kid was out of this world. Now they are flipping off of 80 foot cliffs and skiing away from it. They are jumping the same types of distances on long travel bikes, landing it and riding away. Unreal. Not for me. I am a kid at heart…..but nonetheless a 58 year old kid who knows better. Thanks for reading and have fun but use good judgement.

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Don’t be a “Slam Clicker”

IMG00214-20100708-1448IMG00221-20100709-1421 For thirteen years, my wife Janet was a flight attendant for USAirways. She used to say that there were crew members who would go right to their rooms upon landing and close the door and lock the lock and never come out again until it was time to go back to the airport. They are known in the airline industry as “slam clickers” Slam the door shut and click the lock. What a waste. In my mind, if the company is paying you to fly somewhere, why not see what you can see? Be social and see the sights of the different cities and states. Take me for example, when I go to New England, Colorado or the Pacific Northwest, I either take my skis or my mountain bike. If I can fit it in after my work schedule, great. If not, I take a vacation day and enjoy the place with my friends who are scattered all over the country. My friend Norm says the axiom should always be to get your work done first, then play. I adhere to that for sure but if I can catch a Mud Hens game in Toledo at night, I do it. If I can get a run or a ride in, I do it. If I can get a ski day, I do it. But I get my work done first. Imagine gettting injured and not being able to perform your job after the company flies you somewhere. Not good for job security. So…………I adhere to the axiom.

Now occasionally, you run into some business associates that like to do what you do. Take the three guys above. One is a Coke guy and the other manages a large distribution center in LA. They are both avid cyclists and our supplier and customer. I have a couple of others who ski. Like my man Chris in Salt Lake. He is in the McDonalds system like I am and we take time to ski and get together. No slam clicking in Salt Lake. There are always good things to find in all cities and states. You just have to take the initiative to find them.

Take the other picture above. This is taken of me at the Laguna Wilderness Trail System which is part of the Orange County Park System. http://www.Lagunacoast@ocparks.com When I go to LA, I don’t miss going out here to these fabulous trails which overlook the Pacific Ocean. There are many miles of trails which have spectacular views. I take my own bike. Many people ask how I do that and I tell them that I travel with a bike box. I can disassemble my bike in minutes, pack it up, schlepp it to the airport, check it in and pick it up at the end of the line at John Wayne Airport. I have the routine down. Yes, it is a hassle but it is well worth it when you have your own bike to ride. I do the same with my skis. Yes, I could rent high performance skis but I like my own stuff and I make the effort to schlepp it. It is well worth it and for a little extra effort, you can have a memorable experience. If you want to rent a bike, that can be done at the fabulous Laguna Beach Cyclery. This shop on Thalia Street in Laguna Beach is eye candy to the max. They have everything high performance, and if you need anything, you look up Christian and tell him that the McDonalds guy sent you in. He is a very knowedgeable and friendly guy. A hell of a road racer too!!! http://www.lagunabeachcyclery.com You can start your ride right from the shop and ride Thalia Street to the top of the park system. When you are finished, make sure you stop at the Stand Natural Food Restaurant right next door. Amazing vegan food that is absolutely delicious. Smoothies, shakes, sandwiches with fresh baked breads. Amazing. I usually start my rides from the Crystal Cove State Park. You can unload your bike box, assemble your bike with lots of room around you. You pay 13 bucks to park but it goes to the preservation of the trails which is well worth it. Always check the weather. If Laguna has had storms, they close the trails because of the fragile ecosystem.

All in all, some of the best times I have had is when I eliminate the pain in the butt thinking, and just haul the gear and go for it. Work first, then some play is a great trip. I always travel with my toys if at the very least my trail running shoes because I can always find a park or a golf course near the hotel. Even if you entertain in the evening, if you can squeeze some exercise or some fun in, the beer and the food taste all the better. Don’t be a slam clicker. Enjoy life, be social, and explore. We have a great country, go see it. Thanks for reading.