Santa Cruz Blur LT, aka the BLT

Got the bike a few days ago and I've spent about 6 hours on the trail with it since. It's definitely a different machine than my Cannondale Jekyll. Wicked fast with plenty of travel to smooth out any scree field.

Gear as Inspiration--the Maximalist philosophy

I just ordered a new mountain bike a few days ago ... and I'm counting the minutes until it arrives. I am soooo stoked to ride it; I've got visions of serpentine singletrack, quaking aspen and alpine meadows. With my new Santa Cruz Blur under me, I am officially dedicating this summer to dirt and trail.

I've been hooked on mountain biking since about 1991, when I bought my first mountain bike, a purple Specialized Stumpjumper, to explore the urban mountain trails of Tantalus, near Honolulu, HI. I honed my skills on the slick roots of banyans and tunneled through the thick, swaying bamboo--the air was sweet with the scent of guava and pineapple. Good memories, great times. I have a mental catalog of great images associated with mountain biking; the memories will last a life time. Unfortunately, my bikes don't survive that long, hence the aforementioned new bike.

I own a garage full of gear: skis for alpine touring, skis for resort skiing, skis for light touring, bikes for road, bikes for cruising to the coffee shop on Sunday afternoon, a large BMW motorcycle and all associated accessories. I have three kayaks, two paddles, three or four tents, a dozen backpacks, four pairs of snowshoes and the list just goes on.

Yet, when I look in the mirror, I want to see a "minimalist" staring back at me--it's funny. I have tried and tried to pare down on the gear, but it seems that I just go through cycles--one year it's a new boat, the next a new road bike, then a motorcycle, now a new mountain bike. I don't want to own so much stuff.

Historically, I've viewed this excess of gear as an addicition of sorts, but now, today, it came into focus for me in a more positive light. GEAR is my inspiration, it's what makes me go. A new bike pushes me to ride more, a new pair of hiking shoes will motivate me to hit the trail more often. This is true. So, I'm officially abandoning the minimalist philosophy and replacing it with maximalist. MORE gear means MORE GOOD TIMES .... I can live with that, for this summer at least :) See you out there.

Why is North always up?

I recently discovered the joy of world exploration through Google Earth! How incredibly freakin' kewl is this software? So I've been planning numerous motorcycle trips, exploring Patagonia, Chile, Buenos Aires -- South America basically. And in this process of spinning the digital globe, scoping different geographical features from new aspects, I became curious--why are maps always viewed with north up?

This doesn't make much sense to me, so I did a little research (5 minutes of Googling), and discovered .... there is no good reason, only that many years ago, some Egyptian cartographer decided that's the way it should be ... and that's the way it is. Apparently, in Australia you can find the occasional South up map or globe. I'd like to get my hands on an South up globe; seems like it would a good conversation piece for cocktail parties.

How about a REAL Survivor show? Elephant Island?

I'm no fan of reality television. But I am familiar with the Survivor series, which I thought was pretty cool idea many years ago, when they started the whole thing. I'm not even certain the show is still being produced by CBS, and I'm not willing to spend more than 5 minutes Googling to find out. As far as I can see, the last version was set in the Cook Islands with teams divided by ethnicity, and the ratings were on a steady decline.

I'm proposing a more challenging, updated version of the Survivor show based in history.... how about Survivor: Elephant Island? Elephant Island is home to one of the most amazing, true survivor stories in the history of mankind.

Briefly, in 1915 British explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton left Great Britain to negotiate the first ever land crossing of Antarctica--the 27-member crew wasn't heard from again for nearly two years. Early in the voyage, their ship was trapped in pack and eventually crushed, forcing everyone to live on the float ice for months before sailing lifeboats to the remote Antarctic beaches of Elephant Island. Despite hostile conditions beyond comprehension, attacks by elephant seals, lack of shelter, and even a heart attack, the entire crew survived the ordeal. This is a true Survivor situation, and I believe it would be a compelling tale to retell to reality show fans of today.

No bikinis, coalitions, infighting, lush tropical fruit trees or coral reefs abundant in sealife. Elephant Island Survivor would attract the strongest participants, versed in real survival tactics and they would face a real survival situation. Any volunteers?

Read the Book yourself: Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage

Going, going, gone ...

Have you ever been deep in a conversation on your cell phone, ranting about something for a few minutes, then you come up for air to discover the call was dropped a few minutes earlier. That's what this blogging thing has been like so far ... however, I'm going to continue under the "build it, and they will come" philosophy...

Today, I'd like to highlight the Mountainsmith Mod Hauler. If you're planning a road trip of any sort this summer, you will appreciate this simple gear organizer. 5500 cubic inches contained in three zippered modular cubes will help keep your muddy shorts from your clean T-shirts or perhaps separate your bagels from your climbing rack ... whatever. Because Sierra Trading Post is practically GIVING these away at $49, (reg. $70, ouch!) they are selling fast.

Happy Friday, have a great weekend and good luck with all the eggs ...