Trip to Moab, Utah

My brother got a hold of me and wanted to vacation. Since I'm not too busy these days, I flew down to his place in L.A. and we drove up to Moab. The plan was to rock climb. Moab has some amazing climbing. We were mostly prepared though, my brother forgot his big gear and we didn't get to try a certain route I wanted to do. So it goes... We did drive further, down to Indian Creek, and climbed pretty exclusively on the Scarface Buttress. Two amazing climbs to try, if you are there, are Scarface and Wavy Gravy. I didn't do Scarface clean, but I think I could get it to go with a little more practice on it. It's a very tricky hand crack size and for my hand is very rattling. It would be an intense lead climb. Wavy Gravy had novelty appeal. It has an undulating overhanging quality, finishing with a vertical hand crack in a corner. My brother posted a video of it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zruPxddD2CI . The whooping at the end was in honor of a woman who lives on the Colorado River at Wall Street climbing area. She kept calling out to geese floating by on the river. The locals call her "The Goose Lady". We climbed a little there on Wall Street aka Potash Road. It's all too easy to just climb what you know when you go places like this. I'm proud that we climbed a fair amount of new stuff, even if it wasn't the best or hardest we'd ever climbed.
We went skydiving one morning. It was early. Since we were both first timers, we had to tandem jump. Perhaps this isn't the best experience, but at least now I know I wouldn't freak out and not pull my own 'chute. The whole experience is a story of anticlimax. I was nervous all week leading up to it. "It's gonna be scary... I'm gonna freak out... The 'chute will hurt when it pops open... The landing will crack my ankle..." All these worried voices played broken-record style in my head. The morning of we were both numb about it. I wasn't really feeling anything. The guy I was strapped to wasn't gonna settle for that. He kept trying to elicit a reaction. We took our agreed 30 minute plane tour of Moab and the door flung open. Unfortunately, this was the pinnacle of my excitement. I looked out the door and nothing really stood between me and the ground. I put my feet out on the step and my tandem rocked us out of the plane. It seemed like we tumbled a few times, but it may have been just the once. When we leveled off, I put my hands out. We looked right and (as if governed by the laws of physics) we rotated clockwise. There was no real sensation of falling. Weightless is all I felt. The wind was rushing by very fast. It was exhilarating. I did enjoy it all. After 35 or so seconds, the 'chute popped and I was pulled back into a vertical position. It didn't hurt. It was even softer than most of my lead falls. My instructor was nice enough to let me control the canopy and we did a tight right turn that made my stomach drop through my feet. The landing was awkward since Paul, my tandem, didn't bother to tell me what to do until it was too late. I got into "landing position" with my legs lifted high and out of the way. Paul put his feet down and took a couple steps. At this point he was holding all of our weight. Then he calls out, "Run Run Run Run it out Run!!!" I tried to put my feet under me, but I would have had to lift Paul up too considering he was a foot shorter than me. I plowed six feet of soil and we came to a nice stop at which point I stood partially up. I unbuckled, turned and watched my brother try to land as well. NOSE DIVE! I'm surprised we didn't nose dive either, watching it from that angle. I probed my brother for a recap of his experience, but I got very little. He did say that the similar experience of anticlimax happened though. It all happened so fast. There was too much to take in. My tandem kept trying to get me to look into the camera. Pain-in-the-ass! I wish we could have gone solo.

After the jump, Steph Davis was sitting on her tailgate outside the hangar. I tried to chat her up. She didn't seem to interested in it. In hind-sight, I may have interrupted a conversation she was having with someone else. It's hard to say because the other person remained in the conversation when I joined them. For those who don't know, Steph is an awesome climber and BASE jumper. Although, I'm not sure how you rate BASE jumpers. Steph was an early inspirational character when I started climbing. My brother joined us but didn't really say anything. I tried to give him an opportunity to chime in but he didn't. Later he said, "I didn't want to seem like a stalker or something". Hmm.. Not my approach at all.

These trips we take always involve a lot of talking. Dusty recommended that I post more photos due to the rather bland quality of my blog. Criticism received. I'll try to improve that situation. These are of my brother and I, Castleton Tower, and Me in front of the Bridger Jack formation.

Plans for a Bike Tour

Trip Plan
My plan thus far is to ride from my house in Renton, WA to either my mom'shouse in Vancouver,WA or my in-law's house in Portland, OR. It's a difference of maybe 20 miles and I may or may not want to ride the extra distance. I've found a mapping service online at http://www.mapmyride.com. Every year there is a sponsored ride from Seattle to Portland. I won't be participating in that particular event. They pace it at 202 miles. 15% of the riders do it in one day. The rest either do it in two days or don't finish. The two day riders stop over in Centralia or Chehalis, WA. Between the two is the exact half-way point. Since I'm about 15 miles south of the start point and don't necessarily plan to ride into Portland, I won't be riding nearly as far. According to the mapping service, the route is bike friendly though there are some high-traffic areas along the way.

Clothes
My apparel may change at the last moment due to weather conditions. Ideally, I'll choose a low-rain potential week and set out. That being said, the weather in this region will be around 70-90 degrees during the days. The nights range from 40-60 degrees. The actual range will be smaller but I'll pack accordingly. Clothing will include:
1. Lycra riding shorts
2. Nylon gym shorts
3. Nylon water-resistant shell pants
4. (maybe) thermal pants of capilene
5. Riding socks - ankle height (4 pair)
6. Riding jerseys - 2
7. Light shell vest
8. Nylon water-resistant shell coat with hood
9. Underarmour long sleeve shirt
10. Buff - black or red (for head warmth)
11. Helmet
12. Fingerless riding gloves
13. Extra t-shirt
14. Arm-warmers
15. Woolly socks for sleeping - 1 pair
16. Flip-flops

Bike and Bike Gear
My bike is a 2002 Specialized Rock Hopper, a front-suspension mountain bike. It's been modified:
1. Kevlar tires - 26x1.25 with a nearly-smooth tread
2. Rear-rack bolted on
3. REI/Novara brand panniers - 2800 cubic inch capacity and waterproof http://www.rei.com/product/780452
4. Schwinn bike computer - $10 special from Wal-mart
5. Ergonomic handlebar grips
6. Shorty bar ends
7. (not yet but soon) flashing LED taillight
8. (not yet but soon) waterbottle and mounted cage

I will have a maintenance kit:
1. Extra tubes
2. Extra tire
3. Multi-tool by alien
4. Patch kit
5. Tire levers
6. Mounted tire pump

Camping and Cooking Gear
I'm leaning towards a lightweight set-up. I'll error on the side of just getting a hotel room if the camping doesn't look safe. My cookware is minimal as well with an emphasis on easy and light. My gear list is as follows:
1. Bivy sack - REI minimalist bivy (a waterproof shell for my sleeping bag and weighs around one pound) http://www.rei.com/product/731432
2. Mummy bag - REI mojave once rated to 45 degrees. (it's old)
3. Sleeping pad - Thermarest Z-lite 3/4 length http://www.rei.com/product/781084
4. Emergency tarp/blanket (for extra shelter from elements/ just in case)
5. 1.35L Titanium Pot with pan lid - Firelite brand
6. Titanium stove for use with esbit solid fuel tablets - Firelite brand
7. Camelbak 3L bladder - with modified pack
8. Headlamp and LED lantern
9. Tupperware for food hydration
10. Travel mug - 16 oz. capacity

Food
One calculator of caloric exercion says I'll burn 800 calories/hour. With that in mind, I'd like to keep close with the food intake. However, I don't want to carry a lot of food at any given time. Food I plan to cook in the evenings and mornings will include:
1. Ramen
2. Tuna - foil pack
3. Chicken - foil pack
4. Dried mushrooms
5. Instant oatmeal with sugar
6. Hot apple cider

For fresh food and snacks for the day:
1. Clif or Promax bars
2. Veggies - carrots, zuccini, onion
3. Jerky
4. Gatorade mix or pre
5. Trail mix

Miscellaneous Gear
I'll have a host of gear that doesn't really fit into any of the above categories. Some of this gear hasn't really been finalized. I still want to do some test riding with all the gear in the bike and then try to lighten up where I think I should or could. Some of the gear is down right unnecessary, but they might offer a mental necessity. The left-over gear is:
1. Maps from http://www.mapmyride.com - I should be able to take a course parralleling I-5 all the way down.
2. An all-weather journal with mini space pen.
3. iPhone with charger
4. iPod with earbuds
5. JVC Everio video camera with back up battery and wide angle lens.
6. Wallet with ID and some extra cash in it.
7. House keys
8. Folding knife

Pre-clusion
I'm going into this attempt with the knowledge I can just turn around and come home if I like. If I get down to Portland and decide not to ride home, I can either buy a train ticket or have Sandy, my wife, pick me up. The gear I've decided on is more price driven than anything. I would definately like to buy more gear that would make my ride more comfortable. However, I don't know how comfortable I'll need to be. The food situation I'm up against will probably be the most concerning on the road. I know I'll pass several gas stations and grocery stores. I don't doubt I'll be able to pick up what I need as I go. Still, I'd like to not have any more variables than is necessary. I used to ride to work in the LA area. 15 miles usually took me about 45 minutes up hill and 30 minutes down hill. I went through many flat tires and a couple of blown out tires. Admittedly, that was a road bike (not really even meant for commuting). The 700cc tires went out when I rode over some unseen potholes after dark. My bike has 26" 1.5 slick tires with kevlar on it. I'm not worried about blow outs, but a thorn can get in just as easy as ever. I want to take my video camera and get some good video footage. I don't have any illusions of getting enough to make a real movie, but I make little YouTube shorts that I still find entertaining. If I can get myself put together enough soon, I'll be riding in the month of August. The rainfall is the lowest this time of year. The temperatures are the highest too. Last week we had over 100 degree temperatures. I'm hoping we are done with that. Now it is raining off and on with perfect temperatures of mid 70's. Follow up post to follow...

Dried Chili Recipe

I've been putting together a dehydrated chili recipe for about 3 weeks now. Here is my account of all of this.

*I have a great veggie chili recipe that I love to eat at home. I've modified it for the trail and did all the leg work to dry the ingredients and combine for a quick and minimal heat required meal.

The original recipe calls for:
Smart ground (a meat substitute that simulates ground beef)
3 green bell peppers
2 jalapeno peppers
1 medium while onion
tomato sauce
tomato sauce with herbs
tomato paste
pinto beans
black beans
chili powder and other spices

I could have used "Smart Ground" and dried it for my dry chili, but I was enamored with the idea of using turkey. I did some research and the critics agree... Using a low fat ground meat like beef, turkey or chicken gives a product called gravel. At my local grocer I found 20.45 oz. of ground turkey breast with less than 1 % fat. First I cooked it on the stove top with .25 teaspoon of salt. This gave me a cooked weight of 15.75 oz. This I further prepared by paper towel drying it as much as possible. Into my drying rack I put 11.60 oz. of turkey. For 8 hours it dried at around 140 degrees. This yielded a 4 oz. dehydrated weight. Note: all of the ingredients combine for a 5 servings batch. I could have added seasonings to the turkey but I didn't. I figured the sauce would hold most of that.

The bell peppers and jalapenos were a tricky affair. I had in the ball park of 20 oz. of chopped and washed pepper and jalapeno. This is the yield from 3 large bell peppers and two normal jalapenos. I did blanch them quickly. The dehydrated product was 1.4 oz. of dried peppers. Based on the finished chili, I would easily double the peppers in the recipe. Perhaps I would add some red and/or yellow peppers. Ultimately, the other colors aren't important on the trail, but they may add some flavor.

The onion started as a large onion, but a small portion was used for some cooking I did before hand. I would guesstimate I had about a medium onion left. A starting weight around 10.5 oz. This part was chopped into pieces not exceeding an inch square. I blanched the onion quickly. Truthfully, I could have just heated and let the natural juices blanch the onion. The onion went into the dehydrator and yielded less than 1 oz. of dehydrated onion flake. In the future I will double the onion. Since it reduces so much and takes so little volume, it is a optimal thing to increase for caloric value.

The sauces are where I can tweak the recipe the most. In a large sauce pan I combined all of the following: 2 cans of tomato paste (total of 12 oz.), 2 cans of tomato sauce (no salt and no flavor total of 14 oz.), 1 can of tomato sauce with basil and other herbs (total of 7 oz.), 1 teaspoon of chili powder, and small amounts of garlic powder, red pepper flakes, black pepper powder and a salt substitute. This 33 oz. mix simmered on the stove for about 30 minutes before going into the dehydrater. I only have one sauce drying rack, so I had to do 4 rounds of sauce drying. The last round was a half try. The net weight was a 9.30 oz. of chili sauce leather. I then took this and froze it to make it brittle. After freezing over night, I cracked and broke it into sauce flakes that were easy to measure and seperate. Already I could tell the sauce was too tomatoey. An easy fix is 1 less can of tomato paste and more seasonings.

I took the easy-out with the beans. A true cook wouldn't have used a canned bean, but I was seriously invested on the time already. I used a pinto bean with the least amount of additives I could find. These were rinsed and put onto the drying rack with a foil liner. The black beans were given the same treatment. Both beans were 15 oz. to begin with. The black beans dried out more than the pinto beans. End weights were 3.05 oz. for the black beans and 3.25 oz. for the pinto beans. Both kinds split open while drying. I would have preferred them to not split. I will have to try a lower heat setting and longer drying time in the future. If half of them don't split, it would be worth the extra effort.

With all the ingredients dried, I set out to weigh and seperate into pre-combined chili mixes. Since my scale weighs in increments of .05 oz., I had to approximate some of the weights and the finished mixes were within .2 oz. of each other. The tomato flakes were the most difficult to deal with because the heat and moisture of my hands was making a mess. Each pre-pack of chili weighed about 4.5 oz. To each I would add 16 oz. of water and then heat to serve. This should give me a 20 oz. serving of chili totalling about 750 calories or more. On the trail I intended it to be served with a pita pocket to sop up the last of the chili and help the cleaning process. It also bumps up the calories to over 800 calories.

When on the trail, if everything works correctly, I can add the water and let the chili sit for an hour. Alternately, I can add the water an hour before we stop hiking for the day and it would be ready for heat as soon as I set up my stove. I'm thinking of trying a solid fuel stove on the trail. Since I may not get as hot a cooking and may not have as long a time to cook, I want the chili to require very little time on the stove. In my trials at home, I hydrate exactly one hour, and then heated on med-low heat for exactly 5 minutes. After that, I let it cool for 30 minutes with a pita pocket to cover. When I ate it, it was still quite hot and spicy to boot. First trail recipe is a success so far.