It's Alive

My nephew's coming out for a few weeks this summer and he's about out grown the Kona we got for him. Money's a bit tight, so I've decided to renovate my old Mongoose BMX. I replaced tires, tubes, chain, pedals, seat post, seat clamp and seat. Some parts are a little hard to find. They don't make the seat post in this size for new bikes anymore. It was fun looking up parts on classic bmx websites.

I also replaced some bearings and pulled everything apart, cleaned it and re-greased parts. Some of the bearing races are in bad shape. I just hope it will work for now. The worst part is the rear hub with a Shimano Coaster Brake MX. I ordered a repair kit for it and hope that the parts are compatible. I should find out next week.

I had a lot of fun working on it, remembering riding as fast as I could and jumping things I probably shouldn't have tried jumping. No helmets back in those days. I'm looking forward to teaching my nephew how to bunny hop.

Standing Desk

I've recently injured my back making it hard to sit for very long. So, I've decided to make a standing desk for drawing. I wanted something that's somewhat height and angle adjustable. What I really want is a treadmill desk for my computer set up, but beyond my financial resources at the moment.

I cycled through about 20 different designs before settling on the simplest to build. Some required complicated adjusting mechanisms. I also have 90% of the materials that I need.

Click on the image for more views.

A Little Farther

My second attempt at hiking the Pacific Crest Trail ended after about 220 miles. It was a better experience than last year. It seems that I couldn't figure out how to slow down and hike reasonable miles. In the first three weeks, the day before I left the trail, I hiked 24 miles. I wrecked my knee and could hardly walk in the next few days.

After 2oo miles in the desert and another bewildering 500 ahead of me, and many ailments related to the harsh and dry environment and my not being able to slow down, I decided that I was through with thru-hiking. Whether that's my permanent disposition remains to be seen.

I've learned many lessons during this hike that I would implement in another attempt if I have a change of mind in the coming years. I've found chapstick a must in the desert and sun gloves are much more comfortable than slathering on sunblock. My legs were cut up from everything with thorns overgrowing the trail, so pant would be nice, though I really like hiking in shorts. I carried a light weight collapsible cup for drinking Emergen-C, which seemed to pick me up a bit. The cup was impossible to clean though. Since being home I've learned that you can pop the powder into your mouth and then add water and mix. You don't get quite the pleasant Super Orange experience, but it works just as well.

Some things that worked really well included my Mont-Bell ankle gaiters, which really kept out the sand and grit that is everywhere in the desert from getting into your socks and grinding away at your feet. Also my Yurbuds, that fit over Apple earbuds and never seem to fall out. They also don't seal out all the sounds around me, including the furious rattler that I came across while listening to an audio book.

Since ending my hike, I've been working on improving my overall fitness, attempting to repair my knees with specific exercises and developing muscular balance. Is there another thru-hike in my future? Only if I'm feeling bullet proof... maybe.

PCT 2nd Attempt

Butter and Eggs; Common Toadflax on the CDT

Last spring I was unable to continue my PCT thru-hike due to injury, illness and circumstance. I won't detail all my problems here. If your interested, check out my Trail Journals entries. I've spent the last six months trying to decide if I want a 2nd attempt in the spring. During that time, I've been improving my conditioning with the idea of PCT take two. I was able to hike a couple 14er's this summer and a short section of the Continental Divide Trail where I took this wildflower photo.

I've started a new journal at Trail Journals for a 2011 PCT hike. My gear is updated and I talk a bit about minor gear changes and strategies. So, I'm planning for the hike, but won't make a decision until early March.

Journaling the Trail

It's almost time to start my hike. I'm making last minute preparations, getting everything in order for the trip. On my AT hike, I carried a journal that I recorded a brief synopsis of my days. This hike, I plan to journal online at Trail Journals. Hopefully I'll be able to post many photos and journal in a bit more detail, mainly for myself, family, and friends.

I begin hiking on April 18th, but my journal will probably lag behind by a couple weeks. I'm not sure how often I will have access to a computer. I already have a few posts on my preparation for the hike, and my gear list. You should check out other hiker's journals. I'm sure many of them will be much more entertaining.

Slash and Hack

My nephew was visiting during spring break, and we decided we needed some wooden swords. So, I whipped a couple up out of some pine I had laying around. They were pretty beat up by the end of the week, but were really fun to use. They fit in really well with the movie we saw this week, How to Train Your Dragon, which was really fun. Next on the list are a couple of wooden shields, which will probably have to wait until after my hike.

Cure for Trail Boredom

Most of the time, the trail is interesting and challenging and requires most of your attention. But, sometimes it can be incredibly boring and monotonous. When your hiking ten or twelve hours a day, every day, there are times when you need something to occupy your mind. About a month into my thru-hike of the Appalchian Trail, I picked up a small am/fm radio. Most of the time, reception was terrible, but it did help a bit. I was always looking for the news or anything on NPR, rather than music. Next time around, on the PCT, I want something more dependable and interesting.

I'm taking an mp3 player this time with a good selection of music. I'd like something portable that I can put in my bounce box with extra mp3's. I was thinking about taking some audio book mp3's, and then realized that when I hit a town with a computer, (library or place I'm staying), I can download podcasts. I have a few that I listen to on a fairly regular basis. By listing them here with links, I don't have to try to remember them or carry a list with me. Here are some I'm thinking about:

/Filmcast
DWO Whocast
NPR podcast directory
Hatecast
The Doctor Who Podcast
The Oodcast
Nerdist
Crazy Sexy Geeks
Podcast Alley
ODEO

A note on the photo: borrowed from backpack45.com, a website with some great PCT information.