Czech Your Parts

Good Grief....

2011-12-31T19:30:00.001-07:00

Danny Macaskill: Industrial Revolutions from Cut Media on Vimeo.

What I'm Listening to....

2011-12-22T12:22:00.000-07:00

&amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://bignic.bandcamp.com/track/charleston-era"&amp;amp;amp;gt;charleston era by bignic&amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;gt;

Randomette....

2011-12-21T20:15:00.000-07:00

A New Place....

2011-11-28T21:35:00.001-07:00

So on the way to the next seismic job, I decided enroute to change up the interstate for some scenery, duh. I turned at the Banks Lowman Hwy and brushed up the river and through to Jackson. Amazing, amazing drive!

Welcome to Wyo and everybody waves at ya when your driving, I love it!

And found some of the weirdest pump jacks I have ever seen.....

Shit here is Wack, yo....

Yes, this is a late post from the summer trip to Lusk.... an interesting little bit of cowpoke and extreme folf, jeep under-carriage fires, crap beer.

Speaking of thats a funny story. After discussing that driving a jeep in the grass it collects all such grass in the skid plate protecting the catalytic converter, a bad place. So 3 times I had to stop and put fires out, pull grass out, put fires out, pull grass out, and stop at some local church to borrow their sprinkler incognito to put out my jeep. I cant believe nobody saw that.... too bad bc it was hilarious....

hehe....

2011-11-08T23:01:00.000-07:00

Because I Can....

2011-11-05T11:55:00.001-06:00

Out with the Old and in with the Insulation....

2011-10-30T11:30:00.005-06:00

Officially moved out of the sweet but extremely frigid cabin in Donnelly and into an awkward but awesome cabin in McCall that has an actual R value. Infact part of the deal was that I could put a stove in, as it already had the chimney box installed some 40 years previous, and I had a monster wood pile built up insuring that I would never freeze my nipples off again (courtesy the new chainsaw). Infact this new joint is a friggen hot box about an hour after the stove is lit. I think theres a song that references how hot it is via removal of articles of clothing.... so yeah, its that hot.

With the arrival of mom comes great organization and now the inside looks amazing. I mean theres actual room to walk around! And it comes with my own personal forest in the back. Zambi loves it.

As well I commute to work on the 426....

The wood pile grows by the weekend.... this is only about 20% or less of the harvest....

And I find myself with another tv to shoot....

One Week....

2011-07-22T12:09:00.004-06:00

Back in Texas, in a town that previously had a lake, I continued to work and find many interesting oddities and such.

Like the baby deer whose mother died of dehydration.

The enormous windmills

And a reminder that someone somewhere is still playing Shogun online, and cheating at it too!

Of other coolness was surveying at a mine back here in Idaho, where you had to wash your hands before eating bc the rocks were saturated with mercury. And cutting multiple blowdown trees out of our way so we could get home before dark. Always bring a chainsaw!

WTFOMG....

2011-07-11T09:57:00.002-06:00

If I ever had a good reason to go home, this would be it. 3 Feet long....

Dead Horse Point.....

2011-06-17T21:32:00.005-06:00

Doing the Seismic Dubstep is a 230 step process, with step number 14 involving beer everytime. Which can then make step number one, waking up, really hard to do.

Luckily on this job specifically, the views be numerous, and I havent seen a dead cow even once!

We bumble around and occasionally come across something neat, like this GIANT windmill on a super short support. And some of these occasions require climbing, and or step number 14.

Lately I've been mapping a lot via the new little Jeep. Not that there's any downside to this, the upside is I get to go 4 Wheeling all day every day. I try and rally up sand dunes and fail, slow crawl the slickrock climbs, really slow crawl the rough and tumbly, and drift the dry creek beds. Thanks to the jeep bc I dont think Jezebel fits in all these places. Ive even tried buying my own from mister B-nuts, to no avail.

Im still amazed at how adding 31's to a 4 banger stock jeep and you can suddenly go everywhere, instantly!

And then we come to a full day of rafting the daily stretch of the colorado riverjust above Moab. I think there were supposed to be 6 or so rapids in what seemed like 60 miles. I saw two. But the beer was flowing like the salmon of capistrana and the laughter be plenty, and the weather permitted excellent conditions. But the trip went fast as the river is over bank full and just screaming down the brown interstate of crispy moistness. And we got "the duck" to go on his first rafting trip ever. And that same non swimmer jumped in twice. BA!!

I lol'd...

Utah....

2011-06-10T16:38:00.004-06:00

I can officially say I enjoy getting paid to do what everyone else is paying to do. 10 Miles outside of Moab, inbetween Arches and Canyonlands national parks, we wander around in Jeeps and on foot. The scenery is awesome, the geology is awesome, the 4 wheeling is awesome, the weather awesome, the beer extremely lacking, and the parts occasionally breaking....

I may extrapolate, but likelihood is quite low....

Did I mention aliens have been here?

Back with a Brand New Edition....

2011-05-10T08:18:00.001-06:00

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Pics from the Field....

2011-05-09T23:23:00.005-06:00

Encounters with stuff in Ok....

Most of the time things Die in Ok:

Sometimes things Live in Ok:

But most certainly things Rust in Ok:

So Far....

2011-05-09T22:32:00.005-06:00

So far to go, yet sometimes it feels like moving backwards. After the total loss of the Apocalypse I was pretty sure everything was fucked. Yet something was right, something unexplainable. Unimaginable. Wrong turns made right. Left turns still go left.

The Apocalypse had come and gone in a instant. Us passengers left extraordinarily unscathed. In one side out the other.

After a couple calls to State Farm (bad ass) we had everything fingered out. Some mind numbing research on the internets confirms that the sister truck exists. Maybe older, perhaps younger. Certainly not the same age. Either way she was found in Denver. Her name is Jezebel.

Crazily enough, with the loss of the Apacalypse I was able to pick up Jezebel AND pay off my medical debts. Amazing, I know. Older, wiser, still alive....

Meanwhile I ventured North, all the way, to pay a little homage to an old camper of mine and the friends in Montucky. It had to go. It also had a name, but I forget things. I had a friend who was interested in a free project leaky camper but after seeing it there was no way I was gonna pawn that pile of total fog shit on him so I set out for a another way. Disposal? They only take four foot sections. Nope. Bonfire? Too windy today, but the kids would love it! Frustrated, with chicken fingers in hand I harrass the cashier at the grocery if I could get a discount if I gave her a camper. She hollers something like "FREE CAMPER" and the next cashier over spins around "REALLY?". She calls her hubby and the previously named camper gets a ride on the smallest trailer of all time and is officially out of Ern-man's field. I feel relieved.

Finally make it back to ID, unload, hang a sweet American flag on the pole (horrible liberals are indeed ok) beer it up, cut some trees, burn some slash, have a birthday, and make a list. Theres absolutely no snow. Im flabbergasted....and await the next trial (trail) in a series that seems like its never gonna end. But I had some SWEET cinematic dreams....

Music of Note: Death Cab for Cutie, Sunny Day Real Estate

Sweet New Dodge Ram 3500 for Sale....

2011-04-17T11:35:00.004-06:00

I have a 97 Dodge 4x4 for sale. Its in near new condition, worth way more than the blue book lists. It has 14 wheels available. No leaks of any kind. Rolls like a dream.

Apparently when they say not to swerve, they mean it. Thank the mysteriousnesses out there everywhere that everyone wasnt hurt. GPS is untouched on the dash and the passenger door opens better now than it did after it had a run in with that cow. If theres any specific parts you want just drop a comment.....

Welcome to oklahoma....

2011-04-06T18:41:00.001-06:00

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Flags and coffee....

2011-03-12T10:08:00.001-07:00

Honestly I have no idea how long I'm going to be living at this sweet cold cold cabin but I do know it has a flag pole. an empty flag pole.

I had thoughts of putting up a british columbia flag, but that may be a bit too empirical with the crown and all. I'm open to ideas and suggestions as I can't figure it out. And yes, I do have a outhouse!

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Tears.....

2011-03-07T00:21:00.002-07:00

....were shed upon seeing this.....

This Morning....

2011-02-26T10:07:00.001-07:00

I knew it was cold, but this is ridiculous. White is inside (32), and black is outside (-10). Fml.

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El Fuego....

2011-02-20T11:41:00.001-07:00

The day finally came when the brush pile was to burn. I only tried 4 times before and failed so today was to be that day, that glorious day.
It only took an hour to reorganize the wood, pour on some girl scout water, and light...which came with a nice eyebrow removing thud and blast of heat that caught me of my guard. apparently I should be practicing my fire un safety more often.

After the monster settled in for cooking I went searching for my refuse to dispose of. Somewhere in there I found 2 boxes of 24 spentspray paint cans. obviously I tossed those right in and post holed my way away a little too causally as the first can launched almost immediately, right over my shoulder. Sounding like a deer rifle I dove for cover as the next 20 cans launched their way out of the fire pit. Orange and pink remained.

After that I lit a stump on fire and ooggled as it consumed itself completely down to the dirt. Self entrainment at its finest.

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Tailgate....

2011-02-09T10:57:00.001-07:00

Watch out, right below the h in nh is a hole from a flying hook off a broken tow strap....coulda killed a great horned own with that one.....

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7 Wheels....

2011-02-04T15:42:00.001-07:00

Nothing quite like having three flat spare tires

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Still there....

2011-02-03T18:28:00.001-07:00

I still cant believe some of the desolation. Just me and my pinback tromping around painting dots....
But im back now, if just for 2 days....

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Windy Wyoming....

2011-01-13T17:33:00.003-07:00

With all the hospital bills piling up I finally got some good project work to add on to the City's help Ive been doing. I find myself in Wyoming. Seismic surveying again, and all is good. Infact, I dont remember laughing this hard and this often for a long long time. Tides have changed and hopefully one day theses bills will go away. All I can say is my neglected boots finally smell really really bad again. I think thats a good thing.

Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey....

2011-01-05T21:09:00.001-07:00

Its true....

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Stuck....

2010-12-29T17:24:00.001-07:00

2 trucks and a plow....all buried in my driveway for 2 hours... let the winter begin!! That and almost lost the beer....

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Tamarack is open....

2010-12-26T14:46:00.003-07:00

....if you want a interesting place to stay for free and want tohit the sweet slopes at Tamarack, come and get it, I live just a couple minutes away! Bring beer....

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The Frist....

2010-12-26T09:05:00.001-07:00

The festivus season has come and gone...pineapple or not. The frist is also looking and behaving more like funcional wrist everyday. I stoked!
The snow flies and the coyote sits by the fire, waiting for his new phone to arrive in the Mail

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Barf-tuna....

2010-11-09T18:57:00.004-07:00

seeing the goods was disturbing. and then the pa tapped her pen on the can opener pin sticking out of my wrist...no pain, just phenomenally awkward. i kept feeling like my wrist was gonna flop over, yet it never did. and you can feel the plate through the skin....

good news is the cast is off on the 6th, pin out....end of story.

I Noticed.....

2010-11-02T11:41:00.002-06:00

-its hard to wash my right armpit

-tramadol is awesome and its not

-anticipating pin removal is like waiting to be nauseous

-cant wash stinky left hand

-cant touch my face with left hand

-zippers suck

-so do cam buckle belts

Bills....

2010-10-31T12:27:00.007-06:00

First medical bill came today...OMFG

they cant be serious, considering the cold war era sling i got that made the nurses laugh.... this does not include er visit, anesthesiologist, surgeon, and follow-ups.... guess its time to start using that college degree....

i kinda want to rant about all those idiots that are afraid of socialized health care, thanks for your support.

i also did some research on my prescription: tramadol
this stuff is awesome.

"Tramadol is used to relieve moderate to moderately severe pain. Tramadol extended-release tablets are only used by people who are expected to need medication to relieve pain around-the-clock for a long time. Tramadol is in a class of medications called opiate agonists. It works by changing the way the body senses pain."

it feels like a combo of thc and heavy ibuprofen. complacency and desire of salty sweet snacks, ski movies, naps, and continued daytime dreaming. luckily i dont need it nor take it much at all anymore. certainly helps undisturbed sleep, but as its used to treat PE it has its weakness - extreme decrease in libido, which at this point in time is fine with me. will be filed in med kit for future emergencies.

....post op

2010-10-22T09:44:00.004-06:00

serious pins and screws

Bones....

2010-10-19T14:16:00.001-06:00

Before and after the set....surgery tomorrow!

Inevitable....

2010-10-18T11:34:00.004-06:00

no words, to hard to type....youll figure it out....

Hunting....

2010-10-15T06:59:00.004-06:00

Meanwhile....back at the ranch: Theres been mucho searching. Searching for jobs to replace the job that didnt happen. Searching for a warm abode to replace the rotten freezing abode of current driveway placed rolling unit that Garrett is gonna be so stoked about when it leaves. Searching for hot coffee on 18 degree mornings.

Kevin and Leos search ended nicely! Bastiges!

Meanwhile I found a couple future warm homes to check out. One of which was so stupid I laughed out loud and left skipping across the deep grass.

This place was SO FAR OUT in the woods and completely half built and half rotting underneath it I dont know how a person actually asks rent for it. I can already see the weasleys mixing up some potions and exploding chewing gum in here. Pass.

I also found a walk in basement for the same low price of 400 buck each month, but considering the door opened right to a minor highway, and the fact that I like zambi alive.... Pass.

Next was a shithole cabin out in Donnelly. Perfect....

Its a single bedroom, 2 loft, fire heated joint on a couple acres on the river with a huge sandy beach. The garage is already half full and when I peeked in I saw two dead animals hanging in there. I think this might be the one. So far. Check.

Motobeerdog Weekend - El Segundo....

2010-10-08T11:28:00.009-06:00

More of the same awesome funnest way to get lost in the woods:

The team, which can be explained better over here and here, with two new members, gathered in the woods north of McCall Idaho this time. Ready and willing to tackle some laughter and late evening excitement to keep riding even though the light is almost completely gone.

Rule #1: No 2-strokes.

Apparently we suck at enforcing rules. We found this dude working at the city and snuck him out fer some real rednecking, and tried so hard to get him to shut up about Vermont. I dont think he can? Thats Brad fer ya.

SOB came out too, loving life and ready to fix some 600. But as it usually goes, it didnt fix, which is why we have so many dang bikes. On the 250 he tore it up. On foot, we both sucked air felt like poop. That being said we came to ride not hike, Period.

So we found ourselves up at Loon lake, the scene of a bomber wreck in the "long time ago" time period. We had to hike all the way over to the other side of the lake, in riding boots, which as far as I can tell are not made for walking. Its hot out too.

A B-23 is supposed to look like this:

What we found looked like a significantly smaller, crumpled, mangled mess of aluminum. Most of the important stuff had been removed and the cool stuff pillaged by visitors. Lame. A cooler part of the story was how the crew had wrecked in a giant snow storm, landed on the frozen lake, slid into the woods ripping the wings off and managed to stay alive and warm by cutting trees for firewood with a big .50 caliber machine gun from the plane. Tight.

So we continued riding, continued racing up the Carey Dome Lookout road, with or without millions of Landrovers, and cooked and ate really good yet gross looking concoctions from the outdoor kitchen, mostly made up of leftovers from the night before. Zambi guarded the camp from chipmunks. On the last day we were gonna head up to towards Riggins and hit the Hard/Hazard Creeks Trails for the sweet inverted switchbacks and such. Thankfully on the way out we decided through a haze of exhaustion that burgers and beer would feel better. They did. That night Brian and SOB took off on the long journey south, dreaming of singletrack, thumpers and whiskey. Im sure B also thought about that "youre the only one who hasnt wrecked yet" comment. We're bastards, I know.

The next day G and I continued the mission and headed up the H&H trails and made it to what I think is called Hard Peak, or Squirrel Square Britches Mountain.

This where I give major credit to Amsoil. When I rebuilt my top end earlier this spring and broke in the piston rings with some crap oil, I needed some new good stuff, and I couldnt find the Silkolene I used to be running. Back in LA at the Husky shop, old man was telling about oil with zinc being the best, so I found Amsoil and wow, it really works. Between the new rings and amsoil I no longer have to change my oil after every other ride, and it stays buttery gold in color. Impressed. I did manage to puke the radiator a couple times on climbs while watching G "mario kart" bounce up the trails ahead of me.

The struggle

Like Brian sez: videos to come....

Main Salmon!....Biznackowiches!....

2010-10-08T10:19:00.005-06:00

So I think I previously mentioned that we tried the Main again. This much lower and with much more beer. In fact so much more that there was extras at the end. And no one wanted any. Too much....

So last time, the water peaked with us there at about 84,000 cfs, and all was crazy. This time the water peaked at about 4,000 cfs, and all was ridiculous. Saw a bear, and brought the dogs, and pushed them out, and cracked a fresh cold one at 9 am, everyday.

By the time we got down to Yellow Pine Bar, their neighbor and friend Steve was already there. This is the same guy who gave us his truck and trailer to drive out of the Whitewater ranch. Rad dude. Well, he informed us that the day we left the rive came up some more and was probably about in the range of 100,000+ cfs with 100 footer trees coming downstream. Ugh. So yeah we ran into those guys and hooked em up with some beer stuff and liqour for their amazing kindness and helpfulness. Insert "rad" anywhere in this paragraph.

Theres a lot more stories, but considering I have close to no pics of the events, I dont like to tell em. The Pano above had great fishing. Nate was catching 4 for 4, and then nothing. He must have caught em all or something. There was also the day when we were all leapfrogging in the boats and just gabbing our way down the river. Oblivious. Our boat fell behind a bit to the point we couldnt even see the other guys. And then a couple hours later, and lucky we didnt miss her, there was Amanda passed out on a giant rock in the middle of the river. She would have had a nice swim if we missed her....

One of the main scary rapids that decided out fates last time was barely even present this time. Whiplash is called a IV-V S-turn rapid with monster eddie fences and undercuts and currents to deal with. The first trip our neighboring guides informed us that their 18 foot boats were too small and that they recommended tying the boats together for that rapid....are you fucking crazy? No way..... This time it was a flat pool next to a wall. Hmmpff....

The good rapids this time around were Salmon Falls, which was flat big water last time, and Elkhorn, which was fairly long and maneuverable and moist. Gonna have to do this stretch again....and again....

Pro-Crastinator

2010-09-21T11:19:00.001-06:00

I had a pencil and handcuffs.....

Updateables....

2010-09-16T11:20:00.006-06:00

So with all the adventure coming to a close, I figured this would be a great time to spread the wealth of it, via pictures and stories. But theres a problem. That problem starts with my camera and its card. And my early lack of caffeine....

First off I planned on taking all kinds of pics on the Main Salmon to compare to the high water pics from last time. Unfortunately and fortunately, with Nate on the trip, I was was blasted everyday and never actually pulled my camera out. I imagine being in the state of mind my folks would be in at my age when they went to the lake for extended weekends before I was around. Anyways the camera has this card extender so it fits in the computer for download, and that piece is now gone. I MacGruber'd it with some tape and that worked for a while but now the card has a chip in the plastic and wont read on my computer....only other ones. So til then its no photo time.

About the other explorations that I havent covered lately: In the spring Garrett and I did some post snow biking over by Riggins that actually had tons of snow. We stayed at Camp Confluence where Hard creek and Hazard creek meet up. Pretty sweet. Look for that story soon.
Then Most recently we had the Motobeerdog Weekend Second Annual up in the Warren area and it kicked so much ass that my body is just starting to recover from dehydration and muscle fatigue. Half of the team took off back to CA and G and I still hada day to putt around so we headed back to the Hazard area and found ourselves on this black diamond motobike trail getting served. For the first time in the history of owning my 450 I blew the radiator 3 times, and had to jog my bike past the crux while kicking the peg and laughing with blood everywhere.

Other progressions include a new to me camper that is completely worthless and a potential job in the McCall area surveying. Hope it works. I havent lived in snow for a long long time, so I guess I better get some skis for some sick backcountry madness.

So stay in touch(e) as the updates come pouring in like maple syrup in -30 degrees....

Lol....

2010-09-03T09:55:00.002-06:00

The Main....

2010-08-30T16:45:00.010-06:00

The trip started with a potential invite for a permitted stretch on the Selway River, the Lochsa’s big sister over in Idaho. The couple days previous to the trip we started noticing the rain and weather, the gauges began rising. If I remember correctly, the personal safety cutoff was about 5 feet on the Selway gauge, anything higher and youre pretty much out of luck on having a successful safe trip. The gauge kept rising.

In preparation for the trip someone loaned Matt a copy of some video explaining the details and rapids on the Selway. Almost immediately we noticed and commented and laughed at the ridiculous nature of these boaters, especially the kayakers. One guy in particular would approach the rapid, fall over, run the rapid upside down and then swim immediately to shore, leaving all his gear to float downstream where somebody else had to deal with it; multiple times. Quite funny.

2 Days before the trip was to leave, the Selway gauge exceeded the 5 foot mark. Everyone bailed. There was a pretty cool option lining up, though, and the trip and most of its participants were to head to the Main Salmon River, an 80 mile stretch of river described as a fun class III-IV between the Middle Fork and the Lower Salmon. Little did we know what was about to happen.

We started picking up new team members and grocery shopping and driving the 8 hours to the put-in at Corn Creek. Driving next to the river we notice how massive a lot of the holes and waves are. Excited. That night we dine on pre-prepared burritos and beers. The whiskey is already half gone. Its raining.

Me laughing: "were so screwed"

In the morning the Corn Creek Shoe gauge reads 6.7. We were to head out and meet three other boats later in the day and have dinner ready for em when they arrive. They never show. We set up a plethora of tarps and ready for the rain. It comes and we get cold so we fire up the best accidental idea Ive ever seen: a 3 hour instant light log. It seems like the river is rising.
In the morning our campfire seemed quite a bit closer to the water than it did last night. I think the water came up the bank 15 feet or more. We estimate its close to 9 feet now, and confirmed that when the giant trees coming downstream started having rootballs. That’s what the ranger said is the indicator for 9 feet. River still rising. With the trees and debris coming down in 5 minute intervals we decide to sit this out instead of rowing with 60 foot trees. This is about the same time I get made fun of for commenting on the burnt trees coming from a burnt area. It never ends.

Later that same day we meet with the other 3 boats that camped 45min above us. With us being out of beer and them having two kegs and a lot more we try and persuade them to our best ability but to no avail. We take note of their gear; shorts, sandals and rain jackets. Our drysuits hanging on the line suddenly seem warmer than they were the day before. They take off, and we learn later, flip a boat and lose some gear and beer. Swimming in 38 degree water doesn’t sound very fun.

Before and after (9ft). Later the
next day the water was
above the downed tree in the foreground (12ft)

Around 7pm that night we witness something quite freaky. A yellow Hyside raft drifts by us, no people and no gear, just a frame. 30 minutes later a purple Maravia floats by, fully loaded and geared but upside down. Fuck. Night time falls fast and the water still rises. Were out of beer.

A nice 50 footer

Our tarp city at Blackadar

The next day we pack up as the debris flow has stabilized. Water still high. Like 12 feet on the Corn Creek gauge high. Like 84,000 cfs high. About time for diapers high. (Note: the biggest water I ever ran before this was in the Grand Canyon at 12,000 cfs in an 18 foot raft) As we head down the river at 12-17 mph we notice all the rapids are gone and the flats have monster eddies and super monster wave trains. Now in 14 foot boats we play everything extra safe. as we near Salmon Falls we see it, a purple boat caught in a eddy. We manage to eddy out and rope it in, remove the debris, drink the remainder of the found whiskey, fix the oar locks and I hop inside. After a few very fast miles, horizontal rain, and dodging wood we find ourselves headed right into one of the largest and longest wavetrains I have ever seen. Tim's 15.5 foot raft disappears and seems like its never going to reappear. Matt freaks out as his son is on that boat and is invisible for seconds upon seconds. It finally reemerges at the next crest. Holy shit.

Im solo rowing the purple boat and find out how easy it is to almost flip on a continuous scale. We make it. I wish we had beer.

We end up at Yellow Pine Bar and see a road from teh river to a nice little house on the cliff. Stopping there we inquire about what we should do with this boat and find out our friends fates and that one is waiting below at the campground so we head there. Turns out one of three boats is there as the flipped one was chased down by the second because it had wallets and keys in it. Bad choice. Drysuits were the deal maker today, thank you NRS!

The Gang: Matt, Levi, Michael, Chris, Timmy, and Mr Stinky

As we start setting up camp we notice the outfitters we spoke with earlier but nobody is there. No customers, no guides. Turns out as the water was showing no signs of receding the company flew its customers out, as the next class II rapid, Whiplash, was way too big and dangerous to continue without getting crazy and tying the boats together in a diamond rig and drifting through somehow. I didnt get it. Something about a giant tongue and 8 foot eddy fences and never escapeable eddies. I get it. We need beer.

When the guides returned from their hike to whiplash a beautiful blonde walks over and introduces herself. Turns out shes the daughter of "old man river" and was on the cover of our river maps. Nice. This chick is tough as nails, and appareantly not to impressed with us. As she walks back to her camp I chase her down for a "very important question"..... "do you guys have any extra beer that the customers left?" "No", she responds, as everyone there was extremely Mormon. Damn, stumped again. It begins to rain again.

The next day one of the boys and I get to hang with the awesome couple watching the Yellow Pine Bar awaiting radio communications from Whitewater ranch about our proposed road evacuation. We got to sample a ton of Homebrew and tour the property. The only way into this place is via jetboat or small plane for which theres a private landing strip that is far from flat and all grass and rocks. Neat.

After unloading and taking out at the awesome Whitewater ranch, we somehow borrow a 3500 and trailer and drive out with the rest of the yahoos. Life is good. Somewhere on the drive out we drive next to 40 miles of amazing high class IV creekage. Life on land is pretty good, and freezing wet. What an awesome trip! Going again on Sunday!

Salmon Story Might be Coming Soon....

2010-08-30T15:20:00.003-06:00

....as I sit here and wait for Hannah's email, I goof off and try and refuse everything from Garrett. Even the snickery. Especially the frogs. So I present a probable repost:

Where did this guy go?

2010-08-29T07:34:00.001-06:00

I know where he is, I think? These government jobs are a total bitch.

Still Nothing....

2010-08-10T09:38:00.001-06:00

....and theres not gonna be till the seasons over. Sorry.

Teaser....

2010-07-01T08:09:00.002-06:00

On our way back from the Salmon, we stopped by Lochsa Falls and witnessed this:

Note the swimmers, kayaker, and 20 second surf!

Where am I....

2010-05-23T21:16:00.002-06:00

Touring my Favorites....

2010-05-21T10:18:00.003-06:00

While I was up in Moscow for the job interview, I remembered that NRS, my favorite gear outfitter was based outta there. I MUST examine more closely.

I poked into this small shed looking thing and began browsing. Not much. I then began talking with an associate Ted, I think, and started prying. Of course I would like a tour....let me grab my camera.

Lets just say when I entered the back, I almost pooped my pants. This building has to be a mile long, full of gear, and operated by boaters. Who'd guess?

It just kept going and going and going. The farther back you go the wider the building became. I was pretty happy in here to say the least.

We walked past a piece of paper on the wall with the accuracy stats for the organizing of the gear and its shipping. It said they had a 98.9% accuracy. This meant of the 80,000 something individual items ordered in May, they only had 31 errors. All done by hand, and working well, very well.

We then enter the call center, all the way in back, not in India, not that I have anything against Indian call centers....

A posh big room, full of all the happy people I talk with on a regular basis. I have to say Im super stoked with the way NRS has turned out. They say Bill Parks, who was wandering in the lobby, started the business in his garage, with $2000, a long time ago. If you get a chance, order a ton of awesome straps, at the least, and be stoked at how applicable this whitewater gear is to everyday life in the flow....

All in a day at the Maki House....

2010-05-21T09:22:00.006-06:00

.... so I need to have my camera ready, at all times, or I miss it, just barely.

So "Commander Data" (thats my old boss' name for me when I worked in Texas hating my existence) was at the Mapp house doing some painting and general tweaking to the establishment. These included examining the well pump and casing for signs of contamination and methods to get bleach in there for a thorough flushing and finishing painting Laurens sweet new RED room.
Now realize that this whole room used to be aqua green before we put that primer grey on there. I swear that edging all the sills and door frames takes forever. Lauren was able to pick her own color for her room at the hardware store. Sweet choice. This reminds me of Dan's apartment in Lincoln when he tried to break every rule on the lease.

The Illness!

At some point in the evening Garrett arrived and brought some more stuff to shuffle in. This is where I come to terms with a Murphy living in the neighborhood. Obviously he deals in Law. Actually it starts the evening before, when I warn G about the dog dish in the dark of night, and then he steps on the edge of it soaking his whole right pant leg. I cry laughing like the asshole that I am.

The first load of gear comes in, but the new badass lightbulbs dont. They sit broken and shattered outside by the pickup door. And after mentioning we should clean it up before Zambi steps on it, guess who is sitting on the shards?

We paint and take a well deserved beer/porch/pellet gun break for the sunset moonrise overlooking No Business peak and plink and watch the clouds rumble past. At this point something weird happens again. A friend arrives and yawns repeatedly at our lack of interestingness:

I bet he weighs a maximum of 15 lbs. We think he may live under the porch. Luckily the Zambinator was sleeping.

We head back inside and break some more lightbulbs, and one that G changed has completely popped the glass off. Why nobody will ever know. Not knowing whether the power is on or off now G ends up welding the little wire jobbies to the tip of his circuit tester. Check, its on.

Before the night and weirdness is over we examine the well pump in the basement:

This little guy and his extended family might give reason to the light contamination of the well. Lets just say he was promptly removed with some light serenading, wine, biscuits, and chortling. After all that he still whined and defecated in my hand.

"Meanwhile, back at the ranch" has new meaning now. Be careful....

Austin, NV....

2010-05-20T10:49:00.004-06:00

So the drive North was an epic fourth gear wonder. Just slap it in 4th and go. Plenty of power for the hills and not enough speed to actually warrant paying any sort of attention. I was fortunate to avoid both Reno and Vegas, though I could have gone for a nice park and play at the Reno whitewater park, but that issue is mute now. I headed NE on some of the loneliest highways and actually ended up on the "Loneliest Highway" taking me right into Austin where I was in need of refueling and the Apocalypse was thirsty. I found this cafe/bar on the corner boasting something about "Serbian", and me not knowing whether this is good or bad just barreled in with my $20 in hand.

First thing, I had to fight. I really had to argue with the cafe cook for some food not labeled pizza. I wanted a burger. He didnt want to make it. After him asking me "Pizza?" and me telling him "cheeseburger" about 6 times, he folded. I then headed to the bar for something to wash the Nevada dust away. Not that it was remotely dusty.

I first noticed the big back bar thing that hold the giant mirror and liquor. Attempting to get a glimpse of the towns history I start asking questions that should naturally lead me toward the monstrosity of wood behind the bartender. "So what do people around here do?" is the vagueity (a new word) that exits my brain and mouth. In less than 42 milliseconds the Serbian bartender answers: "We eat, drink, and fuck". My bud light almost comes out of my nose, as he points to this 40 something lady who winks at me as the bartender mentions in a very loud tone: "shes ready!" Something tells me that if the food were to arrive now the awkward situation might focus itself elsewhere. It doesnt. I never did get the answer.

Way back in the day people came and made Austin bc of a silver boom. Now, that ore mining is quite dead due to the price of silver being so low and the cost of production being quite high. When this little bar was packed with miners (not talking about major politics of the last four presidential administrations) it acquired the awesome bar back it has today. Apparently from the UK in origin, it was shipped over in '27 and trained from the East coast to 'Frisco and then wagoned up to where it is today. Over the years I bet this thing has seen many a thrown beer bottle.

I highly recommend getting in a political debate here. The bartender is some political oddity of knowledge and secrets.

(I failed to mention why this story starts out in 4th gear. 2 days before my actual departure from LA I was going up a hill and 5th gear just stopped being there. Fortunately theres a 4th. That means I can cruise and gawk at a stunning 56 mph)

Lochsa or Bust!!!!

2010-05-17T21:19:00.003-06:00

Lochsa Falls at about 6000 something cfs. Were in the ARA boat, and I got the red suit and green helmet.

Munched

El Returno

...?....

2010-05-07T13:08:00.002-06:00

Lose Your Shorts....

2010-05-04T10:42:00.004-06:00

....This is why you need to czech you parts.

Through one way or another one may have heard that I ventured to the most interesting land of Lost Wages. It was my friend Nat's 30th birthday and getting pretty close to mine as well. On top of all this, Ive never been there, making me a Vegas Virgin. All I can say is I was completely unprepared for what happened thereafter. What happens in Vegas should most definitely stay in Vegas. But heres a taster:

Las Vegas means "the plains", although there is nothing plain about it. Strangely for the first time in years the entire area was green and fairly lush for a complete wasteland. Go earth cycles!

The global flavor

Under the influence of friends

Frazzled and happy
in the sun

Photo-bombing is actually
quite fun

Overload would be a excellent label for the weekend. I still havent fully recovered, and almost never want to go there again. My gastrointestinal tract is pissed off. Internal clock is broken. Theres a plethora of external wounds, mostly attributed to the "Nightstand". I hate the nightstand.

Imagine waking up and feeling abused. Feeling violated. Sore. Then you look up all hazed from the corner of the room where you slept. You see something ominous. Something looking down upon the evil deeds it has done the night before. Theres 4 partially empty bottles, some spilled sitting atop, the built in shade is half broken. It stares at you, smoldering cigarette perched out of its slightly ajar drawer. You come to. Realizing "the nightstand" is to blame. Violated and ashamed, you crawl into the shower, never to look back, hungry for breakfast....

Epicness....

2010-04-28T13:04:00.012-06:00

Different from Loch Ness. Different from toe jam. Different from Godzilla. Pure Awesome.

If you havent figured out where the last two weekends were staged, then youre out of luck, becasue Im still not telling, even though the baby is in the bathwater, or dont throw the proof out with the pudding. Something like that?

This episode is called "Epicness" because if the pureness of epic that it is (metaphysically). I mean, Pipestone was fun. Maybe termed "Epic" at one time. But at no time did I feel all the things I felt here. Ive been tired. Stoked. Covered in mud, and unable to feel my hands. Cant breathe. Cant stand. Back hurts. But my butt doesnt? That was the part that made no sense.

6600 ft

After watching the helmet cam I realised I need to come back. But this here is a bit of mystery documentation. Mysterious place. Obvious documentation.

Under the same tree
where we left off last time...

At some point in the massive ride, I realized that my chest protector was really rubbing me the wrong way. It could have been the new morning garage workout was building my pecks, but I think it was the cool breeze. Either way Brian had to fashion me up some electrical tape pasties to protects my glass cutting gems.

We made it alive. Gnasty hill climbs and exhausting descents. I definitely feel I learned how to ride a bike that day, if not just a wee bit better.

Im gonna work on compiling some of this massive gopro footage and see if we cant get a sick amateur video of the trails up...stay tuned....

Life Above Lava....

2010-04-28T10:21:00.003-06:00

A great place it is. And youre almost always there.

The night before we had to run Lava Falls on the Grand Canyon, we had to make some ritualistic homages or sacrifices, offerings you might call them. One of which was the "painting of the nails". That was early December. Now its almost May and the anthropological evidence is still there:

But just a scotsh....

More Gooder....

2010-04-23T18:39:00.001-06:00

Please examine:

Weekend 1

Weekend 2

Fast Food Nation....

2010-04-15T14:43:00.001-06:00

Via Brad....

When Its Hot....

2010-04-15T13:26:00.002-06:00

....one must enforce creative diversion from productivity:

The Giant Suck of Taxes Actually Blows....

2010-04-14T15:06:00.002-06:00

Done, with refund this year. It actually pays to make less money. Weird?

Exploratative....

2010-04-13T19:54:00.006-06:00

So this last weekend turned out to be a total win. Brian, Sean(SOB) and I headed up into a river valley that I have always want to go to, since I heard about it in Costa Rica. Its in the Sierras.

Im just gonna have to the leave the name out for the safety and security of my recreating future, as this place kicks all ass and theres no one around. Theres a sick river (class III,IV,V,VI) thats super fun and super serious. Theres a bazillion trails for dirtbiking and the grassy rolling california granite hills look so beautiful to the hungover human eye.

We had a bit of a multi-challenge going on here. I suited up for some kayaking fun on a nice class IV stretch while B and SOB suited up for a sweet dirt exploration ride.

Some dork pretending he knows
how to do nose manuals

The kayaking was choice. The water was an expected lower flow that turned out to be tons of fun. Lots of blind horizon lines and mystery mini waterfalls amidst the plethora of bouldery choose-your-own-adventure routes. I smiled. Lots of scouting and Moose was nearly impaled by was moistened scimitar log poking out of the current. Scary.

I loaned my camera to SOB for their ride and from what I heard and saw, it was amazing and gnarly. Gotta love dirt.

Apparently there was a lot of trees down from the winter. They made it to the snow line too.

Unsynchronized flash blinding the masses as we drove in the canyon. I was fairly certain the Apostle (camper's name) was gonna get torn off by all the overhanging ledges we drove by.

Overall: a sick weekend in the sticks!

Loading and Unloading....

2010-04-13T19:15:00.007-06:00

Continued from earlier....

So in the interim of loading all this stuff for Lester and Robin, he started to unload stuff on me and others as well. I was fortunate to get a home for the back of the truck and some bikes, and some lamps and tools as well. Sweet. Getting both those bikes in the camper was a total toe knuckle breaking experience as I had to literally lift one on top of the other, solo. And crush toes, as they were. (I need to stop wearing flipflops for everything)

Notice the yellow wall window thing over my shoulder? Well its not there anymore, along with a many other improvements and customizations. When I tried removing the bikes I tore a giant hole in the couch cushion so it prompted an Interior Design meet with Lacee. She pretty much designed the fabric layout in 5 minutes. It is a huge space to work with, I mean, seriously...

The Pile

So needless to be repetitive, Robin and Lester are awesome. I didnt have any pics of Robin so on my last day I rushed out to catch her before she left for work. The cool part is she drives a bus for some of the neighboring outdoor schools, and heckles kids at a whim. The roads she drives are all tight and curvy and would freak me out as I feel the Apocalypse barely fits. Stick a hand out the window and lose it. But such is the nature of kids. I heard some great stories too, like the time a kid completely lost it and started kidney punching and covering her face while she was driving the mountain roads. Yikes. She also drove with a cracked block for 20 miles at the suggestion of a mechanic. Lets just say that didnt turn out well.

So she has this half hour safety routine to do every morning before she drives. Mostly warming the engine up and repeatedly testing air brakes. I caught her at it. Very squeaky business.

The night before Robin made the most amazing handcrafted pizza with her own stone ground flour, some tomato sauce from the garden, and some moose a friend shot. Needles to say it was quite tasty. After that and a nice tour of the upper deck with included hot tub and Lester built redwood headboard/shelf we lowered some heavy stuff off the deck with his custom roof winch. We then headed down and enjoyed a major helping of some more home crafted straw-barb pie before I "rolled" out the door and into bed, fat and exhausted.

Holy Hand Grenades....

2010-04-04T13:14:00.017-06:00

So with the fall and rise of rain and rivers comes a new documentary chapter in the Parts Czeching. Over many a beers, Brian and I decided I should write more. I mean in LA with all the uberskilled peeps running around, why not. Besides, I have all the time in world. So this is the beginning of the next chapter. In between Ive been trying to learn how to spell, or type, or both.

I finally escaped from NM. Whew....

Next, my travels brought me to an interesting little youth camp deep in the redwoods just off the California coast. It was here that I managed to haphazardly met Lester (and Robin) while attempting to change the 4 gallons of oil on the Apocalypse.

You cant see it but theres a towing winch
built on the to the back of the cart!

A little background on Lester: Hes awesome, period. He used to be the camp's maintenance everything guy. Hes built the upper stories on the house he lives in now and the neighboring house. He has approx 5 antennas for his HAM radio communications, and he considers welding with a torch a form of art. He has an arc welder too. In fact he has everything. And all this everything I am trying to help load and move. And by everything I mean everything that he has been storing for the past 40 years.

I have been loading up pallets of old pipe fittings, 60 year old lumber and little blocks, and partially broken concrete tiles and snippets of wire and rusty cans of all variations of liquid toxins. Most of which are really good at removing paint or applying it. The funny part is he remembers everything's story, and if I ask (which I do) he'll tell whatever I want to know. Just like when I pulled a cardboard box off the shelf, I asked. He explained about how back when he met Robin he cut, split and sold a cord of wood with a hand saw, and used the money to buy a electric chainsaw (in the box) which he could then run off Robin's generator. Moments later he showed me the metal bands used to construct her geodesic dome. There was no tool for them so he didnt know whether he should keep em or not. So he did keep em, like the giant iron oxyacetylene pipe gun. Doesn't work anymore, but well bring it anyway.

Hes showed me his own photo album too. The time the bobcat rolled off a cliff and was caught by 3 trees. the time he rolled the 30 foot trailer on black ice and his son got mangled by the unrelease mechanism. the original pics of Robin, him and his oldest son in the 1938 Ford Flatbed. The same flatbed in the container that Ill be driving to Joe later this year.

Bobcat and Ford cab in the same photo, w00t!!
The same one that rolled off the road!

We dig into another pile of parts and chemicals aged by rust and acidic redwood duff and find dens and dead rats, liquids with undisclosed contents, and a bar that his son made so that Lester could attach a trailer to the xr250. The same bike that has been given to me for my help in the matter. Which brings us to why I might be needed here....

One day, asking about the condition of Lester's back, he responded about how he thinks it got to the injured condition it is today. Turns out he lifted 4 cast iron bathtubs and a lawn tractor to change the tire in a single day. He didnt get out of bed for 5 months after that. Now I do all the lifting of the 22 sets of tire chains. His rock collection from every camping trip ever. Random rusty pipes. Plastic mystery everything and a box who knows I dont wanna ask stuff.

A little crack in the morning?

So far through some free time and sweat equity I have inherited a camper and some motorcycles. So now I have a permanently moving home and some more bikes for Brian's garage. But theres much work to do, like pulling some antennas off the roof and tearing around in the bobcat which he gets to enjoy watching me enjoy learning how to drive. Weird that I haven't before. Piece of cake really.

We also get to enjoy air power-assisted fire waste management:

Finally I get to end the day with a beer and start a new one fresh with some eggs and coffee!

Almost Recycled....

2010-03-26T19:15:00.008-06:00

Once upon a time, a long long time ago, there was this stupid idiot that decided to rebuild the top end on his motorcycle. Almost 2 years pass and he never got to firing it up. He then moved to California and took said bike with him in hopes that it would just start right up. Idiot.

Well after removing and replacing the carburetor from the bike about seven times, fidgeting with wiring, changing tires and tubes, and messing with the dumb air filter, it finally started. Turned out that the one thing I didnt want to mess with was the valves and cams; and thats where the problem lied. One intake and exhaust valve were way out of spec, thus not enough compression to run but enough to backfire once every other trip pushing it down the local street hill. Now the bike is actually hard to kick. I cant wait to ride now.

It also runs extremely hot. Like red hot. Like Franks Red Hot.

Id like to give a shout out to Brian and Nat, ESP, and Scotts for all the help reviving the 4fitty!

I almost forgot to mention the new goodies, red atmospheric lines on the carb and a red hot start nut from zip-ty to replace that mangled plastic piece of crap.

Dare to Hair....

2010-03-23T15:58:00.004-06:00

Its gone. All of it.

See for yourself when I get the digital pictures developed....

--------

So hair come and hair goes. Something about if the shoe fits. Instant showergram.
These are all gibberish. Pure. But the fact is I cut it all off. First time in a long time. Mullet-be-gone in a single user friendly package that vibrates the skull to a nice numbing scalp tingling feeling like youre getting a massage. Then I finished it off with a shave and a massive nap.

The pictures speak for themselves.

The feauxhawk was stage one.

I shoulda taken it a step further and gone the monk route right here, but didnt.

Some western motif that had to be eventually removed, bc I was eating it. I dont like eating moustaches.

And then a nice self-portrait displaying the "oh man the flash is on, ouch" expression common with underlings from York and supersubordinates from the lawn next to Margos, the one with the nicely trimmed hedge row, perfect for shopping cart ghost rides off the roof into. My favorite. Ready for sunburn.

The Ride to 5....

2010-03-22T11:32:00.008-06:00

Somewhere north of the San Gabriels we went for a fairly massive dirtbike ride with great success. We had 3 Contenders:

Brian, SOB and myself. Dirty.

I didnt realize this till I saw this pic but I look like a stuffed a animal. I dont feel like one, just look it. I feel more like an out of work river guide, that needs a haircut, that may happen today, that may feel very very good. I am also avoiding doing my taxes like the plague, like I do every year.

The vista view points were very tight up on the top of the ever long ridge:

Despite the fact that the yz450 was a broken sad piece of shit that doesnt run or want to fire up at all despite the new rings, jetting, washing, flat tires, and fork seals, didnt stop us. I borrowed a xr600 for the win! making the days lineup complete. xr600, xr400, xr250.

I somehow managed to take said borrowed bike and lose the license plate. Something that I am quite good at doing, as Ive done it before. Sorry SOB. Needless to say, what little tire was left on the rear tire has been bureaucratically managed to a lesser extent by the overlords over at the ministry of hillclimbing and vertical traction, in Leeds. So yeah, its time for a new one. Although Im extremely impressed with how the 600 can hookup on anything at low speeds. I think its the high torque and low hp, but it simply wont die. Pretty choice if you ask me.

And remember to bring the beer. Very important. Very.

Amazingly Creepy....

2010-02-28T23:40:00.001-07:00

This is so amazing but so magically disturbing. I had to post it. Awesome.

La Selva....

2010-02-28T10:30:00.002-07:00

Im a huge fan of forests. I have also been getting in to those panoramas.

These here are some of the younger redwoods in the area. Makes you want to hug a tree.

Going Coastal....

2010-02-28T10:05:00.002-07:00

No mail, no guns.

Some pics from the Big Sur area from a couple weeks ago.

Nacamiento road goes pretty far back into the national forest off the 1. Unfortunately when the coastal campsites are so full that people are parking on the highway you kinda have to go inland. We went from sea-level to almos 3000 ft in a single shot, in the dark, with the worst fog I have ever seen. I mean 60 switchbacks and 3 foot visibility make this road a little exhausting on the nerves. Luckily we had beer.

Botchers Gap. This is where we met Moriah's least friendly park ranger. He sucked. She want to kill him. Even though the road was gated here and campsite was a little less than awesome, the morning sun and view wasnt to be missed.

Glad we brought the kayaks....all for nothing. No problem though, the surf was HUGE and scary.

Right Here....

2010-02-10T19:03:00.000-07:00

....is where a new post is supposed to be. Its not. And thats how it is.

Making It in California....

2010-02-08T14:01:00.003-07:00

Im not sure what Im making or what Im supposed to be making, but I know a couple things. I dont think the new wheel bearing is going, bc after the steering damper broke off and spilled all of its oil in the parking lot, it drives significantly better. I also know that kayaking is awesome, and at the root of my anti-skiing days. The San Lorenzo River is super fun with a nice IV near the end that Moose dubbed as making her feel very "smug" as we both ran it as 10 other people watched and portaged. I missed the Pliney the Younger release at the Russian River Brewery, which was sad, but after reading about it was ok, because the lines were out the door and many many more people showed up than what was expected and were turned away without beer as it ran out, very very early.
Life in camp with Moriah is fun and dirty, and there shall be pics following soon. In theory.

Moving....

2010-01-28T19:42:00.001-07:00

Packing for a permanent move is a bitch. I think Im gonna just shower, get dressed and go. With the dirtbike of course.

Water....

2010-01-26T12:36:00.000-07:00

Comic of the Day....

2010-01-24T19:30:00.002-07:00

I just found this guys website. Hilarious!

Odds and Ends....

2010-01-22T09:26:00.002-07:00

While I was out mapping I saw this interesting thing....

Whether you believe it or not, thats an inflatable dam. Going ALL the way across the river. A kayakers nightmare.

Big Move....

2010-01-22T09:06:00.004-07:00

With the action in the sights, I prepare. First is the Nissan....if you want it say so, otherwise day by day Im taking it apart, listing parts on ebay, and at the end of the month whatevers left goes to the recycler. Stuff like, radiator, engine, tranny, wheels, seats....all of which is in good condition minus the leaky tranny.

Also ready to go is the KZ550, Justins Virago in the background there can go too. I have a pile of stuff that my mom is keeping for god knows what, mainly assorted dining sets from around the world (after she realized a couple years ago that entertaining is too hard). I have some more clothes Ive been keeping from gradeschool and highschool. Some misc whitewater gear. Hopefully in the end I can get back some of what was raped from me by the mechanic in salida...asshat.

Jetty Jacks....

2010-01-08T16:50:00.005-07:00

They are ugly. Once put in for erosion control, now being taken out for safety hazard. Im mapping em.

Heres what something like that looks like:

Left Unspoken....

2010-01-06T22:01:00.002-07:00

From the Vault....

2010-01-06T17:41:00.002-07:00

A long long time ago, Kim and Keith decided to trade pants. That belt is from my 2nd year in college.

Just so you know, Kim is Garretts sister. I have an amazing ass.

Steam Powered....

2010-01-06T13:19:00.007-07:00

Since I got back from Tennessee, which was most amazing btw, Ive been piling up the projects and knocking them down before I run out of any kind of motivation and before I move to California, which, again, is another matter completely (six commas, one sentence). Allow me:

Ordered some glass doors for the fireplace, and installed them.

Put a new starter in the Apocalypse.

Wiring that inverter in is always a treat, s'been mounted for over 6 months now.

Regluing the rearview mirror to the windsheild, fell off in Nov.

Testing a new jacket for Outside, havent taken it off yet, slept in it once already.

Installing new shocks all'round, and painted them too. A total bitch in the front, ugh.

Warrantying most of my gear and sending it back.

Pretending I didnt cut off access permissions to ALL my files on the server. Im special like that. If you know how to fix that please do tell.

Lappy Mount....

2010-01-06T12:35:00.004-07:00

How to build a car laptop mount in a few easy steps:

1. Find wood in yard.
2. Sand it.

3. Drill strap hole, sand some more.
4. Varnish a couple of times.

5. Wire in inverter for constant battery power.
6. Strap on armrest, use it.

I personally like the wood grained mouse pad, ftw! This thing is way more stout that I thought it would be, by a long shot. And the dog, I like her too.

You might be wondering why I do this? Well Im doing some major river surveying in Abq and will be spending 2 weeks ground truthing some imagery. This way I can map objects of interest real time while driving the access roads.

Quiz....

2010-01-06T08:32:00.001-07:00

Can you name these feet?

You Cant Fix Stupid....

2009-12-19T16:32:00.004-07:00

Yesterday afternoon I did something stupid. On the one day where I had a pile of things that I HAD to do I decided to go up to the mesa in search of a festivus log. I swear, less than 35 min into the adventure I was stuck in thigh-hip deep snow. 5 hours of digging and rigging JBobb shows up to pull Pete and I out. Lucky for us there was an emergency stash of Busch Light in the back.

Note the awesome curl the tow hook did to the push bar. I was more than impressed to say the least.

More pics coming--->

Automatronics....

2009-12-18T08:20:00.003-07:00

It sucks sometimes that I thought I enjoyed mechanical work. Now Ive figured out too much to go back. I sat with a beer in front of the stove for an hour

Last night I replaced a failing starter (new one sounds rad like transformers!). Replaced steering dampers. Got ready to replace front shocks, later.

Recently Ive upgraded the trackbar, wheels and rims, valve cover gaskets, fog lights, jack and mount and other stuff.

Rebirth....

2009-12-15T12:52:00.005-07:00

Found this old nasty rusty skillet, and since Ive been looking for a skillet for some time now I was pretty stoked to begin the procedure. Rebirth:

The initial part was bad looking. So I took a dremel brush to it.

Right after the heavy brushing. Im adding some olive oil to make a rusty paste and then continue dremeling the hell out of the inside.

Give it a huge cleaning with oil and paper towels a couple of times and then fry up some old bacon grease and cook some more rust out.

Preheat oven to 400 and grease up the pan for hearty seasoning with some crisco. leave in there for at least an hour and let cool in oven.

Look at that amazing nonstick surface! Rust be gone.

Just to test things out I fired up some grilled cheese. Works like a charm! (whatever that means?)

Recipe of the Day....

2009-12-12T18:41:00.002-07:00

When I woke this morning I had intentions of cooking. I had been to the store and come home with crackers, bacon and kale the day before. Digging through the cupboards I finally had a roster of my potential ingredients. After making some paint-removing coffee and eating some toast with egg fired in the middle I started the 5 lbs bacon. Then came out the crockpot.

Bacon, potato, mushroom, and green leech soup!

-Cook up all the bacon and remove as much fat as possible.
-Fire up the crockpot on low with about a liter of water and big helping of seasoning salt.
-Cube 4 potatoes and add em in
-Add cooked bacon
-Add 3 cans cream of mushroom soup
-Slice up an onion and toss it in too
-Add an unhealthy portion of chicken bouillon
-Toss in a can of peas
-Chop kale and chard and add near the last couple of hours (looks like green leeches!)
-Serve with buttered toast for dipping

Freak out as you slurp the leech like kale in your mouth and enjoy this craziness to the very end.
My portioning made about a weeks worth or enough for 6 people to have double bowls

Road Trip, Post Haste....

2009-12-12T09:55:00.003-07:00

The NW adventure pre GC was a complete success. I covered in excess of 5000 miles in 4 weeks. I tried to make a map where the lines are colored relative to their elevation, but didnt quite work as expected. Oh well.

Pro Deals....

2009-12-10T13:48:00.004-07:00

I remember when I was in college all I wanted was a prodeal. Now that Ive been guiding for 7 years I finally get em. But how is the funny part. After seeing a friends Marmot pants on the GC (which he never took off) I commented on how awesome they must be and he agreed. When I returned back to the world of internets I spent considerable time researching gear. Thats when I noticed that I cant afford any of it. About that same time I noticed the link for Pro Purchase programs. I started applying to every company I could think of and then, amazingly, I start getting emails back that Im approved! Being a downtrodden underpaid river bitch has finally swung back in favor. Stoked. So far, I have these great deals that I can flaunt but not share: Marmot, Cloudveil, Columbia/Mountain Hardwear.

Will somebody please give me a job now?

Big Ass....

2009-12-09T13:25:00.000-07:00

Replacements....

2009-12-08T19:13:00.006-07:00

If I remember correctly, the sixth trackbar is waiting patiently in the back of the truck. But, weather dependent, in two days is the arrival of the cure, a dual heim joint trackbar and relocation bracket. Apparently this is gonna actually fix the problem of premature failure of the ball joint. I have heard nothing but good things about it so I had to get it.

I also have to get the link arms at some point bc after 200k miles I have noticed that the original rubber bushing material is disintegrating and falling out.

If you have a dodge, heres your fix. DT Profab. There will be a full writeup on the installability and driveability of the kit, so dont worry. Funny thing is that the day I was leaving for the Grand Canyon, the intake heater relay got stuck on and almost caught the engine on fire. Fuck.

$$ I need a job.

Other potential projects of note:
-5 speed tranny swap in the yz450
-grouting the fireplace tile
-rebuilding (repair) my bike collection
-learning to spell (spellcheck)

All of the above and more are in need of assistance, so come on over.

Something I learned on the month long NW roadtrip: On Demand Water Heaters are the shizzle. Get One!

Life Above Lava....

2009-12-07T13:49:00.002-07:00

Just got back from rafting the Grand Canyon yesterday. Life in the canyon is amazing and re-entry to society is not recommended for most. Its cold. I want to go back. pics on the way.

Support: Living Out of Balance....

2009-11-19T17:25:00.003-07:00

Trackbar #5 has been semi successfully installed. Officially it has been almost two weeks since the last one went on in Missoula. The operation took place in LA at Brians abode and fixit while drinking shop. I like that shop. The Hilift I bought in Livingston has proved itself invaluable for roadside steering surgeries. In a couple days I get to go to Flagstaff again and hike down to the river for 2 weeks of pants peeing adventure. Im sure theres gonna be a flip in there somewhere and I bet its gonna be friggin frigid. Stoked.

If you run across a cheaper stock trackbar for a 2003 or newer dodge 2500/3500 4x4, get it or call me or both!

On the bright side I gots the new installment of panoramics processed and considerable too big to publish so far....

Welcome back to Northern California, hopefully my new home for grad school!

Its Official....

2009-11-02T12:12:00.002-07:00

.... as of yesterday, the apocalypse is on trackbar #4. I have become officially a master at replacing these. With a Highlift, a hammer and Garrett and Brad, 20 minutes and rolling. Stoked. Remember that I purchased this truck in January.

Oh My Gawd....WTF Version 19.7....

2009-10-22T10:48:00.003-06:00

Finally Im getting somehwere. I think. Just balance and oil change and I think I might be on the road. Heres the 12 steps to drive yourself crazy in a single installment over the course of 1 week:

1. Break rim x 2
2. Order new rims
3. Recieve new rims, order new lug nuts
4. Swap tires at local shop, take home, leave out in rain
5. Cuss, invent tool to remove water from inside tires
6. Inflate tires with ether
7. Receive new lug nuts
8. Install new wheels on truck
9. Step back and gaze
10. Painfully remove stuck jackstands
11. Tighten lug nuts with wrong tool
12. Cuss a lot, go pack

Step 1

Note the nice long 2 inch crack in the middle of the four welds....

Step 5

Ingenuity = vacuum + tubes + wine bottle.
Suck for the WIN
Yeah, thats a clay pigeon thrower...

Step 6

Bobber taught me this trick down in Costa Rica, we actually used it a lot. Spray tons of ether in tire, light, enjoy! Ponder smell of burnt hair and find source on back of own hand...

Step 9

I likey!

Project Success due in part to: Eldorado Automotive, Eastside Custom Truck Parts and Fabrication, Brandsport Inc, Juan Valdez' Homebrew, Nitro and Tools, and Keith's Flaming Pallets!

Noticing....

2009-10-20T16:33:00.003-06:00

....when you look at the pics that the goods are in, yet flat. Turns out I decided to support my local peeps to mount the tires bc the folks in town are typically incompetent as proved doubly again by this weeks affairs of lack of service. And Im not going back. From here on I need to do this myself, a classic bitter old white guy slogan.

Using fire. Yup. Fire, and something with a high vapor pressure. Done it before, gonna do it again!

Either way the black is awesome and I still have a bunch of wheels Im gonna sell cheap, so come and get em.

Scary Thought....

2009-10-19T07:22:00.003-06:00

What if this thing fell over? According to the door sticker it weighs in at just shy of 12000 lbs. The jack I used made considerable squeaks and noises of disapproval. One of the jack stands isnt even resting on all four legs. And to think on this day I hadnt gotten coffee til afternoon...wtf?

Well I got the new rims in, and unlike what the dude said, I DO need new lug nuts. Nobody in town has em, and the ones who can order em cant get 32 like I need. One lady quoted me 13 bucks a nut, which all said and done would cost close to $450, more than the price of the wheels...shipped. So looking back online I find that I get a discount for a quantity order of more than 15, and can ship quick for $.60 a nut. $20 is way better. People in SFe are dumb. Like yesterday, nobody wants my money. I go to the tire place and theyre busy. Instead of telling me to just drop off the tires and hell get to em later, he tells me to come back some other day! The guy at the other tire place was quoting me rims and saying how much Im gonna save in shipping as I watch him add $29 per wheel in labor. Apparently the $70 I paid and the $120 he wanted for a week later delivery are the same thing. I am completely unaware.

When will this road trip ever start? I now have a plethora wheels for sale, come and get em.

Note: Zambi is so guilty at everything last night she had pasta hanging out of her mouth and looked at us like, "what?"

Neato

2009-10-09T20:01:00.001-06:00

The Layout....

2009-10-09T10:06:00.003-06:00

River 'Secting ....

2009-10-09T08:11:00.004-06:00

Over all
Back in action. That was till my rim broke again. Last night. Anyways, about this last weeks job.

Beautiful skies and ginormous downpours accompanied by flash floods. Deep canyons and tamarisk. sometimes sparce, sometimes so dense and youre crawling on your knees and you cant see the sky and you start to lose your mind when you realise you have no idea where your going and the gps doesnt work in vegetaion this thick. I better pee on something. As soon as I hit a wall of russian olive Im done. I give.
One day I was out measuring a point when I heard something on a nice brisk breezy morning. I turn to my left and see a handful of pronghorn, huge antelope only 150 feet away. Down in the river I hear a lot of elk bugles. Pretty awesome birds too. And I got the Apocalypse stuck in leg deep mud and had to get chained out.

The start of a new day...storm enroute

Sometimes the caps Im looking for are a little hidden,
considerable since they were put in in 1949

And some get the base eroded right out from underneath em,
thus fall over and get buried

And then theres one that is really hard to get to, dirty SOB!!

Saturday Morning Shenanigans....

2009-10-03T09:55:00.001-06:00

After getting some coffee, I decided that Zambi and I needed a little nature therapy. We headed up to the national forest by Cananda de los Alamos and just kept going down this trail. At a certain spot I had to get out and look to see if we could actually drive down the rocky bit, and then we did. After some chilling in the sun and a walk with the roll of paper towels, we headed back. At the rocky bit I noticed how it looks so much steeper going up than it did coming down. Either way we couldnt make it back out bc of the loose rock. Nows the point where I wish I had a beer. We might be here for a bit.
I found another trail and slowly but surely tiptoed out way up and out of the drainage. The cool part is I mapped it. But I forgot my camera.

Map soon.

Duck Season....

2009-10-02T20:54:00.002-06:00

Hunting is here and its time to go get my license. Always practice safe shooting.

Back from the Dead....

2009-10-01T10:06:00.002-06:00

The lappy survives another day. I never realized how awesome it truely is to be super disconnected. I got so much done the day after the HDD dropped. Amazing. But now its back, and time to pay some bills.

Not impressed.