Three in a Shower? Cleaned Up; Ural Gear-Up; Hello, Cupcake; Stronger than Steel; A Good Motto; The Sound of Freedom; Scott Lake

I was in the shower with a redhead and a raven-haired beauty when My Lovely Bride called from Scottsdale. This wasn't a wild bachelor's dream. It was reality. And I couldn't answer the phone...



Okay, now that I have your attention, here's "the rest of the story". It was doggie bath time, and Suzanne was in Arizona. Rudy and Gretchen like baths about the same as most dogs. They run and hide. After rounding them up, I set to work. I didn't take a snapshot of Gretchen in the shower; like any girl, she's shy about such things. Rudy, on the other hand, didn't complain, although he doesn't look very happy.

After drying off (towels and yes, a warm blow-dry with My Lovely Bride's Con-Air), they were soft and fluffy and looking like little show dogs. Long-haired Miniature Dachshunds are mostly hair; Gretchen is the lightweight of the family (her nickname is "Ten Pounds of Fighting Fury") and Rudy weighs in at 17.5 lbs. They stay in fighting trim by chasing squirrels and gophers (on lead, of course; they've never caught one, so no letters from PETA, please!). Here's dainty little Gretchen after her bath, standing guard duty at her post in the starboard side window. She thinks she's a Doberman; a fearless girl, she actually once lunged with teeth bared at a Rottweiler. We had to restrain her so we wouldn't get sued.





Rudy (nicknamed "Elvis", or "The King"), on the other hand, is more laid back, although he can bark with the loudest of Dachshunds. A neighbor in the campground saw us walking today and said, "Gee, based on their barking while you were gone, we thought you had really big dogs!" (Uh-oh... but in fairness, he was walking his own dogs past our coach, and our little guys were just trying to protect their territory.) Rudy is a dark red Doxie; we've actually had people ask if he was a short Irish setter...  yeah, very short! Now they're fluffy and looking sharp, ready for their Dog-Mom's arrival tonight! They both clean up good!

Most readers will see "Ural Gear-Up" in the title and wonder, "What the heck...?" History and geography buffs will of course recognize the Urals as western Russia's mountain range that runs from the Arctic Sea to Kazakhstan, and which served as the Russian industrial heartland when Hitler's armies overran most of the country west of Moscow in 1941-42. Ural Motorcycles is the primary manufacturer of Russian motorcycles, originally based on the BMW model R-71 with sidecar in the 1940s. During WWII, thousands of Urals (known then as Cossack motorcycles) were manufactured to help the Soviet Army's transportation requirements over poor (non-existent?) Russian roads. The company now sells off-road capable sidecar motorcycles around the world, and while they do not meet the quality standards of Harley-Davidson, Ducati or BMW, they are rugged machines.  Evidently one soldier here at Fort Lewis wanted one, because this photo is of a Ural Gear-Up model (with engageable sidecar wheel drive). Note: Russian automobiles (and airplanes) still cannot meet US safety and EPA standards, but after extensive modifications, this motorcycle has been cleared for the US market. (And yes, I still believe that anyone who would fly with a Russian pilot must have a death wish.) 


"Hello, Cupcake..." That sounds like a line that an old guy would use to a sweet young thing. Yeah... so what? Well, it's also the name of a real cupcake shop in downtown Tacoma. Unfortunately, it was closed when I walked by so I couldn't sample the wares, so to speak, but it's on my list for my next visit. Their July special cupcake is banana split - chocolate banana cake with cream cheese frosting. Sounds decadent.

We were biking through the woods recently and stopped right next to another one of Mother Nature's wonders. It wasn't a majestic waterfall or a snow-capped peak, but a device created by an eight-legged arthropod out of proteinaceous silk... also known as a spider web. Here's some arachnid trivia: the tensile strength of spider silk is indeed stronger than the same weight of steel, and has much greater elasticity; its microstructure is being researched for possible uses as artificial tendons and improved bulletproof vests.







We are staying at Fort Lewis, which is the headquarters for the US Army's I Corps (also known as "America's Corps"), consisting of 20,000 active duty soldiers assigned here and another 20,000 reservists from many other states as well as Washington. The heart of I Corps at Fort Lewis is the 7th Infantry Division, whose motto, "Light, Silent and Deadly", reflects the modern Army's emphasis on rapid response and enhanced mobility in restrictive environments (mountains, deserts, etc.). Their vehicles are primarily Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicles (ICV), faster than tanks but much more lightly armored, and only armed with .50 cal machine guns and grenade launchers, rather than the 120 mm gun carried aboard Abrams tanks. They carry a crew of two plus an infantry squad of nine soldiers plus their personal equipment.


Riding around the base, I noticed this door with a sign appropriate for the young men and women assigned here who regularly have deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan in their nation's defense. What better credo for warriors than "Everybody Fights; Nobody Quits"? HOO-AH!

While we had visitors over for drinkees tonight, we heard "The Sound of Freedom"... for the uninitiated, that's "military speak" for jet and helicopter noise at a military post or base. It could also refer to any loud noises that are military-related: artillery or small arms fire, grenade and explosive ordnance detonations, tank engine rumbling... you get the picture. Military operations are often loud, and those who have served take noise as a matter of course. But when several CH-47 Chinook helicopters fly over your RV, you get up and take a look. For an hour or so, these helos were making approaches onto American Lake alongside our campground, where they hovered, dropped rubber boats and swimmers, and then returned for personnel extraction 15 minutes later. The rotor wash was enough to almost knock you down, but it was a great air show.

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Finally, I'll leave you with this picture of serenity in the Cascades. This photo was taken at Scott Lake near McKenzie Pass in Willamette National Forest, Oregon, elevation around 4,800 feet, with the Sisters in the background. If it hadn't been for (a) the mosquitoes and (b) the fact that this was US Forest Service land, I might have looked to buy an acre here and put up a cabin for The Pack's summer abode... Sigh...

Tacoma; Quiet Waters; A Smart Weed; Knotty Art

The nearest city to Fort Lewis, where The Coach is staying a few days, is Tacoma. Last night I went downtown for dinner, but had some problems... Restaurant A was kinda dumpy; B was a college dive; C was closed for renovation; D, Pacific Grill, was great, and I had a delightful server, Diane, who made sure I ordered the right menu items and kept my Pinot Noir glass charged. This smoked salmon appetizer was exceptional; I also had a grilled salmon entree. (I would have liked to have caught the salmon myself, but they aren't running right now. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!)






The restaurant was just down the street from Tacoma's old Union Station, with its beautiful copper dome. Opened in 1911, it is no longer a railway station, but is used for weddings and exhibits.

 








 

This morning I went kayaking on American Lake, which is shared by Joint Base Lewis-McChord (where we are staying) and the local community. I wanted to get out early before the power boaters and jet skiers disturbed the silence that blankets lakes early in the day. My regimen while My Lovely Bride is away is to launch the kayak and paddle briskly for an hour, returning home for breakfast about the time the noise comes up. I do carry a small digital camera in a zip-lock bag, so that if I capsize or get drenched, it may survive with minor damage.






I did share the lake with a couple of other boats, but no ski boats or pesky jet skis. This gaggle of Canada geese (Branta canadensis) - distant cousins of mine, perhaps - were keeping a tight cruising formation worthy of Navy destroyers just off my port bow. The lake's luxurious water plants make a good feeding ground for waterfowl.









My initial guess on plant identification for this pretty pink floating variety was a fragrant water lily, but after extensive floral research, I identified it as the insultingly-named water smartweed (Polygonum amphibium). It is an important plant, providing seeds for waterfowl, marsh birds, upland game birds and songbirds. Indians used it as an antiseptic and as a poisoning cure.









This partially-submerged log with an empty knothole and blooming wildflowers caught my eye. The wildflowers probably arrived as partially-digested seeds in bird droppings (birds are very handy for that sort of thing).












A close-up of the knothole shows interesting textures in the wood as well as algae (or perhaps moss?) growing near the high water line. I tried sighting through the knothole to see if maybe it had been used to show the location of pirate treasure, but was unable to locate the chest of booty.

Finally, just to show that I take water safety seriously (maybe more so than in my mountain biking?), this selfie proves that I am wearing a proper Coast Guard-approved PFD (personal flotation device). I also carry a hand-operated pump to bail out the cockpit in case of an inadvertent water entry (capsize). Fortunately, neither has been put to the test... recently.

A Bad Fashion Statement; The Trans-Alaska Pipeline; Two Blenders? A Keynote Speaker

Thankfully, the Bad Fashion Statement alluded to in the title of this blog was not my error, but it is definitely noteworthy. I have never been accused of being a fashion plate, and am normally outfitted in casual wear appropriate to the outdoor activity in which I am currently engaged. On this day, however, I was totally appalled by this campground patron walking back from the office to his RV. C'mon, dude, let your wife dress you in the morning before you go out in public!















You meet some very interesting people in campgrounds. I met this younger guy yesterday wearing an Alyeska Pipeline tee-shirt. Alyeska is the company that operates and maintains the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. His job is building ice highways (in the winter) across permafrost and maintaining heavy equipment year-round. He normally works 3 weeks on and 3 off, but if equipment breaks, it could be 5 weeks on and one off. His family, including three young daughters, lives in Oregon, so he loses a few days per cycle commuting. 



I have always been impressed by the Trans-Alaska Pipeline's amazing engineering accomplishments, safety record, minimal environmental impact, and contribution to our national security. I may get some flack from my readers who are Sierra Club anti-pipeliners, but that's life. In fact, I used to be a member of the Sierra Club when it was still a hiker/backpacker organization, and quit when they became too radical. As Sgt Joe Friday used to say on Dragnet, "Just the facts, Ma'am, just the facts." So here are a few quick facts about the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and Alyeska:
- since 1977, it has safely and successfully moved almost 17 billion barrels (42 gallons per barrel) of crude oil through the Trans Alaska Pipeline system
- air temperature along the pipeline ranges from minus 80 degrees F to plus 95 degrees F
- their reliability factor for 2014: 99.78%
- amount of oil spilled in 2012: 6 barrels
- total area covered by pipeline: 16.3 square miles
- river and stream crossings: 34 major rivers, 500 streams total
- mountain ranges crossed: three (Brooks, Alaska, and Chucach)
- pipeline length: 800 miles
- right-of-way widths: federal land: 54 to 64 feet; state land 100 feet; private land 54-300 feet max
- Caribou: the Sierra Club predicted that the 6,000 caribou in the central Alaska herd would become extinct because of the pipeline. The herd has actually grown to over 27,000. Anecdotal reports indicate that some caribou even lean against the pipeline to stay warm in winter. Snicker.... 



I don't have a real photo for the next vignette, but I assure you it happened exactly like I'll tell it... My Lovely Bride and I were walking the puppies in our campground, and she said, "Ty, look at that camper being unloaded. They have two blenders. They must really like margaritas and pina coladas!" I glanced that direction, smiled, and replied, "Sweetheart, those are Coleman lanterns." A brief silence ensued, and she said, "Oh." 






 

I am now in an Army campground at Fort Lewis, Washington, taking care of Rudy and Gretchen while Suzanne is in Scottsdale, Arizona. She is a keynote speaker at the 38th Annual Conference of the Academy for Spiritual and Consciousness Studies. The title of this year's event is New Developments in Afterlife Communications. The conference just began Thursday afternoon, and she has already seen many friends there. You can follow Suzanne on her web site and blog at www.LoveAtTheCenter.com. 

Smack! Into the Woods; Trail 3507; Blue Pool; Lava; Whoopsie! Why we do this...

I will undoubtedly get in trouble with My Lovely Bride for this photo, which could be construed as her having laid an egg. Actually, she is sitting on this uncomfortable rock under our campground's office window because the Wi-Fi signal in the coach was too weak to send out her daily Sanaya post.  The bedhead and attire is evidence of the fact that NOTHING comes ahead of Sanaya!










Okay, now I will get to the primary reason that we are here in McKenzie Bridge, Oregon; it is the terminus of the nation's #1 rated mountain bike trail, the McKenzie River National Recreation Trail (USFS Trail #3507) in the high Cascade Mountains. This 26 mile long trail parallels (kinda-sorta) the spectacular whitewater river from Clear Lake to Paradise in Oregon campground in the Willamette National Forest, dropping about 3,000 feet over our ride. (Thanks, Brad, for the USFS' great work!) We asked Jim, our campground host, for help in arranging a shuttle to the top of the trail. Lonnie, one of his other guests, then drove us up the mountain, dropped us off, and returned our car to the campground. This topographic trail map shows our route. Beginner map readers will note that the squiggly lines that are closely spaced indicate mountains and steep cliffs...

The trail started out only moderately difficult, and became harder/more technical in places. I'll get to the hard part later. The trail is very twisty and narrow in most places, and you have to duck and weave under some of the branches... that keeps you alert!.

On much of the trail, you are riding through 600 year old Douglas fir groves that blow your mind with their beauty.You have to stop now and then (1) to catch your breath, because it's not all downhill, and (2) to take in the magnificence of the forest.

This area is called the dry riverbed section, because the McKenzie goes underground for 3 miles, due to the porous nature of the volcanic basalt rock. There are several smaller streams and ravines to cross on narrow log bridges. I'm sure there are some teenagers that will ride across these bridges on their bikes, but our good friend Prudence suggested we carry our bikes here....









How does the question go, "If a tree falls in the forest, and there's no one there to hear it, is there any noise?" I can almost guarantee you that when this tree fell, it made a bunch of noise!

Shortly later, we arrived at one of the very special sights on this trail, where the river reappears - crystal clear Blue Pool, also known as Tamolich Falls, one of Oregon's hidden treasures. You can hike to the pool, but it's at least an hour in from the trailhead. From the trail where we're standing, it's about a 100 foot drop to the water below, and the turquoise color rivals that of Crater Lake. The falls, fed by snowmelt from higher elevations, are dry in summer, but in early spring could be seen on the lower left side of the cliff below me.

After Blue Pool, you get to the lava flows. Lava flows? Yes, this area has numerous signs of the widespread volcanic activity that marks Oregon and Washington as part of the Ring of Fire that runs around the Pacific Ocean from South America through the US, Canada, Japan, the Philippines, the South Pacific and down to New Zealand. This photo shows us carrying our bikes through a steep lava flow; it is much safer than riding down, because a fall here could have grave consequences. Local riders call falls on lava like landing on a cheese grader. Oooohhh, that sounds nasty!







Speaking of falls, I am still trying to figure out what happened in the next section of the trail, which featured an off-camber turn (i.e., it sloped away from the turn). My Lovely Bride thinks I may have been "going too fast for conditions" or riding too close to the edge of this drop-off... I think it may have been a late season dry avalanche. I've heard of them. Really. Or maybe it was a very localized earthquake. In any case, one moment I was riding along thinking about the beauty of the river several hundred feet below, and the next moment I felt the ground move under me, and my trusty steed and I were sliding down the hillside toward the river. A very thoughtful fir tree intervened and provided a gentle resting place for a few moments while I regained my composure before climbing back up to the trail. Fortunately, Suzanne was able to document my adventure for future generations to ponder and laugh about. She couldn't have done a thing to help me, because I had the situation completely under control. If nothing else, it made a great photo op, with only minor scrapes and bruises to remind me of the event.


Did I mention that there are lots of really BIG trees up here in Oregon? There were several spots like this where you rode under or between fallen fir trees...















There was also more lava; this must have been a fairly recent event, because it was not overgrown with ferns. I don't think we'd want to be here when the lava was actually flowing... tires don't like that kind of heat.











We arrived at our final bridge crossing, and MLB decided to relax for a few and enjoy the cool breeze blowing over the river. It had been a hard ride, almost five hours of pedaling, carrying and occasionally walking our bikes. But the beautiful scenery had been worth the effort, and even my fall(s) had provided amusement and valuable lessons learned. (Note to self: avoid unintentional, rapid changes in elevation while riding along cliffs!) 

To Suzanne's many mothers out there reading this blog, we seem to do some crazy stuff, risking sprains and fractures on mountain bikes, but to us, it's worth the occasional bruise or three to experience the beauty of the wilderness close-up and personal. You can see by these pictures why we are drawn to do these things...

Shattered! A Portland Connection; Powell's; A Thirsty Hydra? Pioneer Square; Portlandia; Reflections; Daniel from Oz

One of the road hazards we have encountered while driving out west is that of flying rocks. I had not encountered rocks with wings back east, but west of the Mississippi, they are very common. Our Honda CR-V took a bad one recently while driving through a construction area - not only did we get a chip in the windshield, but it quickly developed into a three foot long crack. We had to schedule a Safelite mobile glass repairman to replace the windshield; fortunately, he came to our campground to do the job while Suzanne was giving a reading. Stacey did a superb job, pulling and replacing the glass in less than an hour.










After the glass repair and reading, we drove to Portland to meet Suzanne's nephew John and his lovely girlfriend Beth. After getting a tour of their house and fabulous garden, we adjourned to Bollywood, an Indian restaurant, for a delicious meal. Although we harbored some misgivings about ordering fried okra, it proved to be as good as the rest of the meal; what amazes me about Indian food is that it is yummy and healthy. Very cool...







Beth had to work that afternoon, but John graciously took us on a tour of downtown Portland. When he asked, "Have you been to Powell's?" We responded with deer in the headlights looks... and he was astounded that we didn't know about one of the largest bookstores in the world. My Lovely Bride and I both have a weakness for books, and you might suspect from this photo that her weakness is just a bit "over the top"... after an hour or two, we left with seven books between us.










While grabbing a coffee and cookies at Powell's cafe, we noticed these paper flowers that an unknown patron/artist had created from paper napkins. They were beautiful, and for the 20 minutes we sat there, he/she never returned...















While walking through downtown Portland, we came upon this water fountain. It's perfect for two couples walking around together, or a thirsty four-headed Hydra... the last reference is for fellow Classics scholars.

Another tourist attraction was Pioneer Square, also known as Portland's Living Room, where we found Weather Machine, a bronze sculpture that has a weather beacon and prediction device. This day was clear, so it showed a golden sun (helia). Misty days are indicated with a blue heron, and rainy/stormy days with a dragon. Temperature is shown with a row of vertical lights. At noon daily, the Weather Machine starts its day with a two minute fanfare of Aaron Copland's Theme for the Common Man, accompanied by spraying mist. An engineer named Dick Ponzi designed the device. It is not believed that he also invented the Ponzi Scheme... 





Speaking of bronze sculptures, this one will take your breath away. Portlandia by Raymond Kaskey is the second largest copper repousse statue in the US, after the Statue of Liberty. Unless you have visited Portland, you have never seen Portlandia, unless in a photo. The artist maintains all rights to his intellectual property, so there are no commercial reproductions of Portlandia, much to the chagrin of local souvenir stores. She resides in front of the Portland Building, appropriately enough.














I've always liked mirrors. Especially large mirrors. Like those on buildings. But you can't find them in small towns or back in The Villages. But in cities... well, sometimes cities have their positive aspects.

I first saw rickshaws and pedicabs in Hong Kong back in 1970. Now you find them in almost every major city in the world, operated by healthy young men and women, often students looking to pay their outrageous college tuition. This pedicab was parked outside a cafe, the operator enjoying a few minutes of rest before his next fare arrived. Sports aficionados will recognize the logo as the mascot of the University of Oregon Ducks superimposed over flowers identifying the Portland Rose Festival.














Portland was a great stop, and we appreciated John and Beth's making us feel at home. But our time there had drawn to a close, and we packed up our tent (figuratively) and moved south to McKenzie Bridge, Oregon, where we hope to do some extreme mountain biking. (More on that tomorrow, although My Lovely Bride has let the cat out of the bag via Facebook before I could explain what really happened via this blog.)



I will finish today's blog with a brief story of a very interesting traveler we met on our arrival at our new campground. Daniel Baxter is a thoroughly charming Australian who is biking across the US. He is only two weeks into his adventure, and just happened to be staying in our campground. Suzanne met him on the way to the office, and we invited him to dinner in The Coach. It was a tough choice, because Daniel said he had just bought dinner at the grocery, but we convinced him that Suzanne's Thai chicken fried rice and a Magnum bar were preferable to his planned can of refried beans heated over a Sterno tab. Here you see Daniel fully loaded and ready to ride. Unlike commercial bike tours and professional bike racers who have a "sag wagon" to carry spare bikes, parts, tools, food and clothing, he carries all his gear in panniers and handlebar bag.







Daniel is a physical therapist in a small town near Adelaide, and has three months for this bike trip. His girlfriend Katie supports him completely, even researching his route on the Internet back in Australia. Daniel's next day's ride would be 50-60 miles with a 4,000 foot elevation gain over the Cascade Mountains. He plans on riding to Maine, and said that if we would like to volunteer The Coach as his sag wagon, he wouldn't mind... 

Gallery Treats; Beer on the Beach; Space Cadets; Artsy Portland; A New Tux? My Chilly Bride

Our good friend and spiritual artist Barry Mack gave us a tour of his gallery in Portland the other day. Here is Barry greeting us, with one of his stunning pieces of art showcased on the landing above him.
















My Lovely Bride was admiring this fabulous painting, wondering where in The Coach she might hang it...(For more of Barry's work, see www.BarryMackArt.com)




















During our visit, Suzanne shot a short promotional video with Thubten, who is a social media consultant who has advised her on new media like Twitter and Facebook.










After the video shoot, Barry took us to Stickmen Brewery & Skewery, the only commercial establishment on the shores of beautiful Lake Oswego. It happens to be a craft beer establishment, so I felt compelled to order the flight of 5 beers to sample their extensive inventory... while everyone else drank cranberry juice! (In the photo Suzanne is saying, "That's five beers.  Count 'em:  five!")











During our respite on the shore, we taught Thubten and Barry how to do our "Space Cadets" impersonation; after a few false starts, they were catching on...











The next day found us at the Portland Art Museum (PAM) for a special tour with Barry (shown here) and his sister Sandy. Barry explained that this sculpture by Joel Shapiro was titled "Portland". We tried to determine why, but as with many modern sculptures, it was hard to figure out.










My Lovely Bride had her own title for this work: "Portland in Ruins"... 















The museum also had some interesting Pacific Northwest Indian artifacts; I'll be ordering a copy of this outfit for our next formal dinner out. I think it's much more cool than a tux.
















Okay, back to modern abstract art, which is Barry's specialty. Suzanne and I both liked this piece, entitled "On/Off", but it wasn't for sale, at least not at any price I could afford. It was a real treat having an artist give us a museum tour, and I was able to pass the pop quiz that I had worried about for weeks after Barry sent me a book about modern art in anticipation of our visit ...

There was also a special exhibit of art brought over from the Louvre in Paris, including Bosio's more traditional sculpture of Hercules fighting the River God Achelous. Bosio is also famous for his four horse chariot (quadriga) which adorns the top of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

Following our museum tour, we adjourned to the Charthouse restaurant high on a hillside overlooking the Willamette River and Portland for an exceptional seafood dinner, made even more special by Sandy and Barry's wonderful company. Sandy is very spiritual as well, and is very interested in astrology, a subject I am woefully ignorant of. It was delightful sharing their company for the day, and we look forward to getting together again soon, perhaps back in Florida. 

Finally, I regret to admit that I am in The Doghouse. While we were away at the museum and dinner, I had turned off the hot water heater, both to conserve fuel and as a safety precaution. After we returned home, we went for runs separately so as not to leave the puppies alone for an even longer time. I forgot to turn the hot water heater back on, and when MLB went to shower, she had to bathe in rather cold water... needless to say, she was not amused. As I was cooling down, she was drawing my bath... with a cupful of ice cubes. "Isn't that interesting!"