seven summits

Getting up to date on blogging is much like doing a pile of dishes...digital house-keeping.
The "seven summits" trail is in Rossland and is worth a visit.

starts with a lot of climbing...


fantastic views...


Klingon conferring with Alice...


Travis and Borg...


Alice coming...


Travis going...


Lunchtime...(they are smiling)...


Travis was the driving hero as we pushed on late at night to get home. As the eyelids began to drop and my brain slowly became mush I remember having a conversation with myself in my head...

me: I'm tired
.......time gone by....
me: Maybe I'll make myself look awake so I just appear non-talkative and not just a deadbeat passenger. (sit up 'straight')
.......time gone by....
me: I need to come up with some engaging conversation...
.......time gone by....
me: Maybe we can play a game....come up with words that start with the letter "a"...no, that's stupid
.......time gone by....
me: I wonder if Travis is falling asleep.

...then a bunny rabbit darted out...
Travis: "A rabbit just crossed the highway...I hope I didn't hit him!"
Me: "No, I don't think you hit him." Like I would know...but it was an opening to make myself appear awake.

.....some more time....

finally, some stimulating conversation came to mind...
Me: "I guess I'll have to give the bike a good cleaning."

..a little time gone by...

Travis: "Yup."

That was about it.

...a few weeks ago...keystone

This time, armed with more time and modern technology, actually got to the end of the trail. The un-blogged (and therefore non-existent?) previous attempt was last year.

The camp spot at head of trail...nothing like morning coffee with mountain views!


A view on the trail...I know there is technology to 'stitch' photos together quite nicely (and even erase people if you don't like them) but I don't know how it works.




Bikes! We all love bikes!

...a while ago...

Henkka and I met in Canmore for a weekend of meat and climbing.


I forget what routes we did but I do remember having chicken the first night and steak on the second night (and bacon covered mushrooms!).

The campground maps, although printed on semi-gloss with a paragraph on the back of each one, made for only marginally adequate plates.

...anyone see my wallet?

It's blue and has a very faded "fabulous las Vegas" on it. I'd very much like it back...with my id...and my 600 dollars.

I guess that's what you get for leaving it on the roof of your car and then driving off.

I'd like to think that all humans are honest.

new old sport

Mountain biking!

I haven't been so excited about mountain biking since 1986 when my buddy Jeff and I went in the first known races together. "The Hell of the Desert" was the first race in Kamloops...I think Jeff was first or second and I was third. Him on his Fischer Hoo-Koo-ee-Koo and me on Jeff's old Kuwahara Shasta that cost me 300 bucks(rip-off...he's still a business man). So much has changed since the days of hite-rites, bio-pace, 18 speeds, long stems, double-butted chromolly tubing, u-brakes, and rigid everything. After nearly 20 years of neglecting the sport, I've taken the plunge and purchased a rather sexy machine. In fact, all modern machines are sexy. They have personality...and are well travelled. Mine travels over 6 inches front and back, has hydraulic disc brakes, 27 speeds, and tubing you'd find on the space shuttle. It's a different game. If I were to capture my memories of mountain biking from the past, they would include...
-80's: steep hill climbing...the steeper the hill, the more a man the boy was.
-80's: a particular rocky and bumpy downhill...on mount Dufferin in Kamloops...I remember the vibrations were so severe I could hardly hang on to the bars and use my u-brake.
-mid 90's: the twonie race in Whistler...did fine on uphill part but remember a combination of shitting my pants and fore-arm cramps on the downhill topped off by people laughing at my bike.

Laugh no longer for I have the beast!

I've joined the local band-wagon of people (re)discovering the sport. Recent memories include...
-smashing through anything
-rocks and roots are no longer obstacles.
-Ryan chasing me down a trail egging me on but at the same time, due to guilt, advising me to 'take it easy Simms'. (he broke Rob's wrist)
-Verena: "Oh, come on John, you can do that drop....come on!!" (as I'm pussy-footing over a steep thingy)

yup, different sport. And I love those brakes.

And that pino grigio is one ounce from being gone...and none of the house chores I wanted to do are done but I don't care...cuz I just wanna riiiiiide!!! cuz you don't know me!!

...business time...back in December...

Back in December myself and my biz partners, Derek, Brian, Jason, and Ric sold our wares. The 'ceremony' went down in a high-rise downtown Vancouver.
Here's the papers we had to sign...

signing...
Derek, concentrated...note the excel sheet...


Brian, confident...


Me, eternally suspicious...


...I missed Jason and Ric...they're quick signers.

The after math...I mean aftermath...


Our lawyer...Zafar Khan...yes, cool name...and great to work with.


Me taking a break amidst the groups of chatter and negotiating...