May 13, 2008

• Climb Ev'ry Mountain

  We have some pretty big goals this year.  July riding RAGBRAI and September climbing Mt. Humphreys, not to mention this crazy idea I have of buying a bigger house next year.  Is it wrong to hope the housing crisis goes on a bit longer?  Yes, it is.  But there are some seriously fire-sale opportunities out there, in neighborhoods I couldn’t think of approaching in ordinary times.  I haven’t really “looked” at a single house, just driven around a few neighborhoods observing sizes and locations and yards and for sale sign after for sale sign.  Another 10 years and I bet prices are even lower, as boomers downsize homes and move into condos or retirement communities.  But I’m not waiting 10 years to move… it’s just something to keep in mind… buy a house with the understanding that it may be 20 years to really appreciate.  Route66 Finance 101 for the duhhhhh.

  RAGBRAI.  www.ragbrai.com

  Forget about clip-ins and mileage-counters.  First I got to figure out how to fill the stupid tire on my bike.  Couldn’t we just keep the old-fashioned screw off top and the valve that the pump just screws onto?  I tried multiple configurations of the valve and pump attachments and still couldn’t get air from hose A into tire B.  Stupid elitist athletes and their goddamned conspiracies to keep new adopters out.  Last spring I claimed the tire had a tear and had the bike shop replace the tube.  That man at the cycle shop actually lectured me about wasting money having him replace it when I could probably patch it myself.  Here I am standing there with a baby on one hip, pulling Ollie off the new bike displays, while simultaneously telling Stan how much he can or can’t spend on a bike bell.  Do I look like I have time to patch a tire?  I don’t know how to fricking patch a tire, you bastard.  Didn’t people used to say “it’s as easy as riding a bike?”  It ain’t easy no mo.

  MT HUMPHREYS.  http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/150241/humphreys-peak.html

  12,633’.  All you need to be a Highpointer is the ability to walk.  Sure, there are big tall mountains that require technical skill, but they’ll still be there when we’re ready for them.  For Humphreys, I’ve heard, we just need endurance.  One foot in front of the other and a pretty good elevation gain.  But slow and steady up a well-packed and defined dirt trail… easy trail path to the summit, too, which is such a blessing after climbing so long (SD is a bitch once you finally get near the top...knee-high stone steps might as well be 10’ high after 3 hours of walking uphill.  Humphreys, my cohort says, is a little tougher than TX and SD, but not as tough as NM, CA, ID.  Okay then, that’s the kind of comparison that computes.  We failed TX but conquered SD, Norway in the backpack, Ollie’s endless blessed whining, Stan’s shin splints and all.  And I’d do TX again now, in a heartbeat.  In fact, we might consider getting to it before Humphreys, just for some training, if I could find a good 3-4 days free before the summer gets too hot.  TX’s Mt. Guadeloupe is east of El Paso on the NM border, due south of Carlsbad, NM.  You do not want to be on that hill in July.  You’ve probably seen pictures of El Capitan?  Mt. Guadeloupe is her sister mountain, right next to her, not as handsome but j-j-just a wee bit taller.  Highpointing is a totally awesome family project.  We tackle the lowboys while the kids are young and start in on bigger challenges as we gain experience.  I think we have about 15, but I started getting mixed up as we’ve tried to get Norway caught up.

  We all summitted
  MN, WI, MI, SD, ND, IA, KS, MO, TN, MS, AL, SC, NC

  Stan, Ollie, & I (but not Norway) have summitted
  IL, AR, NE, GA

  So I guess that’s 17 for the big kids and 13 for Norway.  Gee!

  • 12:35 pm
  • 6 Comments