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It’s harder than you think.

I’ve slowly gotten better at riding and I’ve been looking forward to riding Snowy trail for well over a year.  I’m glad I waited this long to ride it, as I barely had the skills to make it.  I had a good partner, Mike who’s not only a paramedic (always good to have) he’s also an experienced rider who’s done the baja more than a few times and ridden all over California and Colorado.

Snowy trail is the only double black diamond rated dirt bike trail that I know of.  When it’s open we’ll have SAR’s and just plain old rescues a few times every month.  People get in over their heads quick up there because it’s hot, it’s damn hard, it’s long and it’s hard to get a grasp on just how technically difficult it is until you’ve been on it.  I’ve hiked it before so at least I’ve seen it, but even so I still didn’t expect it to be as hard as it was to ride.

We were supposed to start nice and early to beat as much of the heat as possible.  Mike being a medic though had a couple of calls to run in the early morning and we didn’t wind up starting the trail until just after 9am, and we had 15 long miles to cover.  The first two miles is just fun, the trail winds around, up and down some ridges and through small trees.

After those couple miles it widens out and merges with a (very narrow) jeep trail that leads to an old mine claim on Piru creek.  This section is the easiest you’ll see all day, and that’s not saying much.  2/3 times that I’ve been through here I’ve seen or been struck at by a rattler on the trail, so keep your eyes open.

Just about a couple miles later you’ll leave the jeep trail and you’ll see a sign that lets you know you are in for it.  This sign signifies the beginning of the double black diamond section, with good reason as it gets nuts just after this.  You’ll ride through and along a generally dry creekbed and on the sides of ridges for another mile and then you’ll reach the switchbacks going down to Piru creek.

The switchbacks aren’t easy, but they’re easier than what’s coming next.  Once you get to Piru creek, this is a great place to break.  Eat some food, drink some water, cool down and get ready for the tough(est) part of the trail.  Take your time here, and if all else fails come back to the creek as it’s the easiest place to rescue you from due to the fact that almost everyone getting rescued off of Snowy gets taken out at the creek so the helo crews know this area quite well.

When you’re ready, head up on the east side of the creek.  There is really no right or wrong way out of the creek, just head for the sign that says something about the future of the trail and endagered species.  The trail picks up here and gets really obnoxious starting here, so get ready to earn your keep.

There is a long uphill slog, really rutted out with a few problems;

1. Steep
2. Soft
3. Rocky
4. Rutted out

So, you’ll be going about two miles up a very steep hill.  This is a narrow section, with really only one run up that’s very soft so you’ll be stuck in one big long rut.  There’s nothing but soft dirt and rocks in this rut so good luck getting much speed up since it’s so steep.  At the end of this two mile section the trail drops down into Snowy creek and where the old Baker cabin used to be.  The cabin burnt down in the Day Fire in 2006.  You’ll see some remains around where the cabin used to be and it’s a nice place to take another break if you need.

From here it’s back to a normal difficulty trail.  You’ll weave through and over some big trees on the way up to the top of Alamo mountain.

This is a brutal trail.  A successful run would include the following recommendations:

• Be a great rider
• Be in great shape
• Bring food
• Bring more water than you think you’ll ever use
• Start on top of Alamo mountain and end at Kings campground for the easy version
• Start at Kings campground and go up Alamo mountain for the hard version.

The better rider you are the worse shape you can be in and vice versa.  Either way, bring lots of water and enough food.  Mike, who’s ridden for more years than I can count and in more states and countries than I ever will called this the toughest trail he’s ever done.

It’s harder than you think.

The more I learn the more it looks like in the range of 1-6 total participants the total number will eventually work out to be 1.   The mover just doesn’t have the seniority to get time off in an understaffed area, the broken one is no wolverine and will likely take too long to heal up.  The other one just didn’t have the intestinal fortitude to make the 7 day trip into the backcountry.

Now, the biggest question is do I have the cajones to go out solo?  I know the route, I know my gear, I know my capabilities and my limitations.  I know what I can and can’t do and I know I’m capable, but I guess the more integral question is, “Do I want to?”  This would be the longest period of time I’d ever been alone and it seems appropriate that it would be on the Circle of Solitude I suppose.

I know when we got out of the Marines, we all decompressed in different ways.  Canfield lived in the mountains alone for six months, Deleon opened a taco stand, Jolin wound up in jail, Engie threw himself into his education and I’m just a jackass.  Maybe this would be a good chance for an oft-delayed decompression for me.  Still though, I’d prefer not to deal with those demons yet.  Seven days of solitude seems like a nice concept, I’m just not sure I’m ready for it.

So, I’ve been invited to bag Whitney and camp up at Onion Valley for a few days prior to acclimate.  This sounds just damn peachy to me, the invitation comes from one E. Good of Banner peak trip fame and it is enticing.  There’s only one problem; gas prices.

It’s about 350 miles round trip and I’d likely be solo.  So the entire gas bill is on me.  350/18 mpg = 19.5 gallons of gas.  19.5*4.5 per gallon = 88 bucks.  That’s not as much as I’d thought it would be actually.  So maybe I can make it.  I sure would like to bag Mt Muir, and if I could just get one of my two yahoos to go with me I could cut that in half as it is almost all of my discretionary fundage for the month as pathetic as that is…

So, to whatever force it is that makes me wonder if I can afford to go to the Sierra and enjoy some altitude, I’d like to go pinata all over you and pick up the money that falls out and then shove it down your throat again.

I’d also like to believe that this wasn’t intentional.  PS. Somethingawful rocks my sox.

In my never ending search for my brother I scour television shows (or you could say I watch TV because I’m lazy) for references to my brother Dave (david) Lenz (Grant).  Well, whaddya know, on CNN today there was an interview with a Farmer, Dave Lenz from Oakville Iowa talking about the floods.

He looks about the right age, hair color and maybe bone structure.  But the teeth/mouth look wrong.

Interesting either way, now I need to call Ted Turner according to Mr. Gant.  If you have his number, let me know.

So, I’m obviously a huge fan of Battlestar Galactica and proud of it.  The show is simply the best thing on television.  The acting, the story, the themes and of course the music.  Anyone who knows me, knows that I almost always need noise around me. The music in BSG is freakishly good from the pounding war drums to the rare vocals and the haunting piano. The music fills in the story and hints to you where you’re going. I’ve actually taken to listening to the BSG soundtracks and the Blackhawk Down soundtrack while reading and for running, as they both make for excellent mood music.

Bear McCreary is the compooser for BSG.  Bear McCreary is one of my favorite people on the planet due to what he can do to my emotions with his music.  He’s also quite the wordsmith as you can see in his blog (don’t read if you don’t want spoilers as he goes into deep details about the show, up until to current episode).  The music in this show is, like everything else just top notch.  Evocative and emotional, and it sets the table for the actors to tell their story. I don’t need to go into what a great story arc it is again either, do I?

The best way I can demonstrate for you the power of the music is by listening to the music itself.  These are two of my favorite pieces.  Despite the fact that they are both from season two, believe me when I say all four season are just tremendous.  Take five minutes out of your schedule and check this out.  Just sit back in your chair, close your eyes and listen.  When the music is done, go ahead and do what you need to do (purchase the soundtracks at your favorite CD distribution location).

Love

War

Well the planning and preparation for the (sometimes) annual summer Sierra Nevada backpacking trip is in full swing.  There are alot of variables to juggle; people, places, times.  The trip dates are the closest to being final, the trip location is coming along though not quite nailed down and the final biggest variable is entirely up in the air; the number of people.

This time around there are a lot of problems with people.  The usual suspects that I hike with both have issues that may prevent participation so I invited my boy, Scott.  Though, Scott might not be able to make it depending on the number of trip days involved.  Scott also may bring one or two people, or none.  The shorter number of total days the trip is the likelier he is to be able to go.

So, party one has a freshly broken arm and a busted up shoulder.  He has surgery on monday and may not be all healed up by trip time.  He also has a baby due just a month and a half after the trip.  With two bad appendages, he also has trouble (as in can’t) train up to get into the shape he needs to be in for the trip.

Party two is in the process of either a) moving a hundred miles away and taking a new position and all that entails.  As well as dealing with trying to get some significant time off for the trip or b) staying where he’s at and just hoping that he can get time off in the middle of a staffing shortage.  In both cases he also has a long distance relationship to make work as well.

Party three has twins who are turning two just a few days before the trip.  I remember getting the message from him minutes before stepping off onto the HST a couple years ago that he had the twin girls.  That was great news to hear just before leaving.  He also may or may not bring with him one or two people on the trip.

So, between all that the number of people varies from 1 (me) to 6 potentially.  Hopefully over the next few weeks we’ll start straightening this all out.

My god.  You can call me a geek, you can make fun of me, you can point and laugh all you want.  No matter what you do though, I swear to god Battlestar Galactica (2003-2009 version) is by far the best storyline, acting, drama that I have ever experienced in my life.  With all due respect to my English teacher, Mrs. Wright and her fascination with Shakespeare, Ronald Moore and co. have put him to shame. 

There are only four seasons in this story.  Season four’s midseason finale just aired and just like every other finale/cliffhanger that Battlestar has put out there this one is simply stunning.  The story that they are telling in this show and the way it is told is so foreign to television that I can’t remember what TV shows were like before I started watching BSG.  This isn’t science fiction, it’s a story of morality and the tests that we fail.  This is a drama, not the cheesy evil twin is tarnishing my name around town soap opera, this is tension wrapped in humanities failures.

There’s three sides to every story, most stories told show you just one side.  Battlestar Galactica shows them all.  The only other time I can think of that I’ve seen so many perspectives in a story is a book by Michael Dorris called, Yellow Raft in Blue Water, which is also a great book by the way.  For those that don’t like all those confusing words to read, go ahead and watch you some Battlestar.  For those that like the readings, get that book and watch you some Battlestar.

I can’t wait until 2009 for the last half of the last season.  This show is the only thing on TV that would keep me up until midnight after a 12 hour workday.  I’m so pumped and depressed and excited and confused I can’t sleep but I love it!

As part of my plan to drop pounds in order to get into better shape for this summer’s backpacking trip (either the Sierra High Route or the Circle of Solitude) and next year’s racing schedule (Death Valley Marathon, Mountain Warfare Training Challenge, Et al) I’ve been eating better lately.  I discovered what may be the easiest way for me to lose lots of weight, fast; sugar free gummie bears.

I bought a bag of these yesterday at Disneyland and ate them on the way home.  We got home right about five o’clock and I spent the next four hours either in or very close to a bathroom.  This morning when I woke up though, I had lost two pounds.  If I can keep up that ratio of 1bag/2pounds I only need a few more bags to get to a very ideal weight.

ps. stupid idea.

This isn’t the first time someone’s run from me at work.  It’s not even the first time someone has just completely gotten away from me, but it was fun enough to want to write about.

To set the scene, my partner and I had a juvenile driver with alcohol in his system detained and waiting for his parents.  While we were waiting, the juvenile’s younger brother walks up to us out of nowhere.  By out of nowhere, I mean there are no pedestrians around here, ever.  There are no cities within 10 miles and nobody just walks around out here.  So, he walks up, eyes red and puffy and a little disoriented, he may have had the munchies as well.  We detain him and take his driver’s license for identification. 

My partner cuffs him and places him in a caged vehicle as he’s a mouthy little guy.  He complained of being claustrophobic and unfortunately my partner lowered the windows for him.  So, now I’m way up at the front of this situation, explaining to the juvenile driver that his license is suspended, blah blah.  All of a sudden I look up and my partner is sprinting away yelling, “STOP!”

So, here is this young punk, with a stupid little eyebrow ring who is high as a kite who managed to get one hand out of his handcuffs, opening the door of the truck by reaching out the rolled down window.  He gets out and starts running for the hills (and there are alot of hills around).  He’s waving his one cuffed hand around above his head yelling, “I’m running!”

My partner gives chase for a couple hundred yards until the suspect jumps down a 10 foot cliff into a sandy wash.  I had to stay with the other suspects to make sure they didn’t boogie.  Now, remember that we have his driver’s license and backpack in our possesion still and you’ll see the big picture problem with him actually getting away.

I read a great book recently called, “The Last Lecture” which I highly reccomend.  There’s one line in there this is very apt, “Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted”.  That’s true.  Based on this one here, I’m sure my partner will not ever roll down the windows of a caged prisoner.  One of the other times that I had people boogie on me I learned how to better position my dirtbike when I make stops with it.  That was a good long term experience gainer for me.  This one was just funnier to watch.

Yes, the young man does now have a warrant out for his arrest, so good for him.