Blogger Play

Isn´t that the truth? Public service ads sure have come a long way from the days of Nancy Reagan haven´t they!

I got this picture off of Blogger Play, which is a hillarious addition to your desktop, it runs through all the photos currently being uploaded to blogs...interested in seeing more of a photo? Just click on it and go to the blog.

Apparently the folks at Blogger just have it running on a projector in their office all day long.

Floods

So far there are 12 reported deaths resulting from the insatiable rains here in Ecuador. The President has declared a state of emergency in five provinces. Thousands have lost their homes, and this is the worst flooding Ecuador has seen in recent history. Our thoughts are with the many families who have suffered.

Though we´ve had lots of rain in Quito, we have been relatively spared compared to the communities along the coast.

Photo from the El Comercio newspaper.

Video of the flooding is available at CNN.

Maker's Mark, My Sister, and a Man Named Greg

(Note, I've added links in this story...the highlighted blue words. Clicking on these might be especially useful for those travelers visiting Canoa.)

It isn't what is sounds like. I just liked the alliteration of the title, and, well, what's not to like in the picture? Entonces (so), my sister, Megan, was down here visiting us last month from Washington D.C., and there is a bit of a story to go along with the bottle of Maker's Mark bourbon she brought down with her.

As I've mentioned before, Ecuador has a great selection of consumer items from most parts of the world. But when it comes to making a list of items that are missing, somehow, things like Guiness, Sierra Nevada, Maker's Mark Bourbon and the such get elevated much higher than lunchables and squeeze cheese. God, look what happened to Erin and I when our friend Brett's brother came down with a sixer of Sierra Nevada....we had one sip each...


Or, look at the bliss dripping from our eyes as we discover a brand new microbrewery in Quito with my sister...

So, suffice it to say, lots of us are willing to negotiate heavily when it comes to obtaining items which are simply impossible to obtain here in Ecuador. Which brings us to our friend Greg in the beach town of Canoa. We first met Greg back in Christmas with Andrew Clinkingbeard. Greg the "le-rougue-neck" Gilliam is a good-ole Kentucky boy with a passion for three things, his gorgeous family, Maker's Mark, and Paragliding. Coincidently, Megan's mantra for Ecuador was "All I wanna' do is fly like a condor." I put eight and five together, and quickly called Greg.

I think the conversation went something like this:

Me "Hey Greg, my sister is coming down and want's to fly"

Greg "Yeah man, we cun prolly do that"

Me "Yeah, I thought so, listen she's going to bring down some Mak-"

Greg "Maker's Mark!" "Shit man, why didn't you say, what does she need? Can I send a car to pick her up? Do you need a place to stay? we'll fly as much as she wants to. How soon can she get here? What time? Don't worry about a thing, I'll take care of it all....."

So, it was settled, Megan was on her way to bond with the condors. And, actually, Greg is such a top notch individual, he would have said the same things whether I mentioned the Maker's or not...

Arriving in Canoa is a bit of a chore, and so we chose to simplify and expedite things by skipping the 9 hour bus portion of the trip in favor of a thirty minute flight. Problem was, our (Aerogal) plane was delayed in Columbia for the entire day....typical South American travel whining. We weren't the only ones complaining though, and by the afternoon we were in route, with free beers, free lunch, and free Grand Marnier in hand. For travelers reading this blog, I've since learned Icaro is the ONLY way to fly in Ecuador.

We managed to find our baggage carrier and fight off the throngs of crowds around the massive Manta, Ecuador airport terminal....

...and by the next day Megan was off soaring with the Condors (actually, I think she was with Pelicans, but who's counting?) Megan had my camera in the air, and I had hers on the ground, I'll post the pics from her camera later. The first picture is of where she took off from....



I was proud of my sister as I watched her up in the air; she didn't think twice about it, and in paragliding you pretty much just jump off a cliff! I think I was more nervous watching her than she was doing it. Landing back on the beach near Canoa, Megan, Erin and I proceded to engulf ourselves in the beach life of Canoa: sunsets, cold beers on the beach, fresh fruit juice (watermellon (sandia) and blackberry (mora)), shrimp, shrimp, spicy shrimp!, beach bars with Perception kayaks!?! and of course, eggs benedict at the Coco Loco.

Oh, and did I mention it was Carnival?...........




Yeah, that's another story, but suffice it to say that Greg discovered that you can throw a water-balloon into the car of and onto the lap of a cop during carnival and NOT get in trouble over it.

We had many more adventures with my sister, which I'll need to write about in another posting soon. The lesson for today though: bring Maker's Mark and you'll go far :)


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We upped our footprint

I didn´t really think we would do it. I was really enjoying the good feelings and enviro-karmic rewards of not owning a car, not contributing to CO2 emissions, utilizing public transportation, leaving a tiny carbon footprint....all that hippy B.S. that we probably ought to start paying attention too.

But it just isn´t practical for us, I´m going stir-crazy in this city, I need to get out. For a climber, a car is a necessity. We´ll still ride the bus to school, use the big busses for long trips, we don´t heat or cool our house, 90% of our food is produced locally, and let´s not forget, we´re still not a two car family! But for the weekends, to get to remote areas around Quito, we simply had to buy the Landcruiser. Now, how come I still feel guilty?

The car? 1986 FJ70, never available in the states. By the 80´s we were demanding more refined vehicles. It has an inline 6 cylinder engine, and in four low, if I close my eyes, I can imagine I´m actually driving my Dad´s tractor. It´s beefy, no coil springs, just leaf springs for suspension. No carpet, vinyl all the way. There´s a video on youtube of one of these suckers pulling a stuck hummer out of the sand somewhere in the middle east! It was expensive, not much cheaper than what I sold my 2000 Tacoma for, but as long as nothing huge goes wrong with it, we should be able to sell if for about the same price as we bought it for. This is what I call, an investment in my sanity. Stock market sucks right now anyways, right?



Oh, and I found the youtube video...

Better News

In a much less intimidating news article than the scary volcano below, my father-in-law, friend, and mechanic of more years than I care to count made the local Boone paper. Many of you know Steve Byerly, and like me, have known him for a long long time (I knew Steve for five years before I even met, and later married his wonderful daughter!). In his classic modest nature, Steve didn´t even mention this article last night when we are on the phone with him...those who know him wouldn´t be surprised.

http://www.highcountrypress.com/buz_spotlight/buz_spot_08/index.htm

Tungurahua

(Toon-gu-ra-hu), the locally infamous throat of fire has really started looking pissed off lately.

This volcano has been off an on for the past 10 years, but over the last month activity has increased so much that villages are being evacuated, and there are even unconfirmed reports of associated deaths. Quito is not in any danger, nor, supposedly is the popular resort town of Banos...though it lies directly below the volcano. I can´t figure out how Banos wouldn´t be threatened, but the town has yet to be officially evacuated. We´re certainly not planning a trip there any time soon, though the two National Geographic photographers who live above us immediately set out to snap some shots of the spectacle. There are reports of up to 4,000 people being evacuated, though many villagers do not want to leave because of the potential for thieves to come in and rob their unprotected homes....as legitimate a threat as the volcano! Another little reported fact is the effect the falling ash will have on glacial retreat. The glaciers, source of water for so many, are looking thinner than my hair as it is. Now, with a layer of dark ash covering places like Chimborazo, the heat will be absorbed at an even faster pace...a scary proposition.

For now, we just have to hope that the evacuations go well, and that the local population finds a way to resettle....scientists warn that this may just be the beginning.

For more pictures, check the bbc at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/5184258.stm

The Mountain Gazette

As I'm sure readers of this blog will be surprised to learn, someone out there is actually willing to pay me for this dribble.

I'm not kidding.

My third article was published this fall in the Mountain Gazette, a magazine with a colorful history dating back to the likes of Ed. Abbey and George Silbey in the 70's. I've always been a fan of the MG, and was flattered last year when they published an article by myself and Glen Griscom chronicalling the life and times of Jonny Love...a present for his 40th birthday. On the plane to Ecuador, as I was sadly thumbing through my last MG for what I knew would be a long while, I noticed they were soliciting article for the "Bar Issue." Well, if there is one group with plenty of material for something like that, it would be Team Hideous, my group of climbing buddies. The link that follows is the result of a cathartic explosion of prose on the airplane to Ecuador, and in the first few days of living here.

Thanks to Jonny Love for sending me four copies of the mag all the way to Ecuador, and thanks to my editor, M.J. Fayhee for actually appreciating this shit.

http://mountaingazette.earthbound.com/article/785

And a bit about the magazine, from Summit County's Summit Daily News:

Defining A Magazine

Fayhee cultivated the Mountain Gazette's following by transcending the way many people look at mountain country. Instead of a quick recreational fix or, “How can we make some money here?” he aimed for an honest publication. His understanding of the West and its issues, inflicted with his good-natured and often dead-serious crankiness, quickly generated fans.

Staff surveys show readers to be Baby Boomers or Gen Y’ers — either 40-plus or in their 20s. There's a perception it is “a beer drinking, ball scratching publication,” as Fayhee puts it, but 44 percent of fans are women.

The simplest practices done blindly in mainstream magazines are turned on their ear in the Gazette. Quotes and photographs on the contents page make a reader stop and think. Advertisers run quirky ads that make sense only to people who live in the mountains. House ads — those in the magazine advertising itself — make fun of consumerism or light of cultural norms. Even the standard note about recycled paper content is changed each issue to a laugh-out-loud funny statement about recent news events.

For those who know him, the magazine is a true reflection of its editor. Reading it is like sitting at a bar with the man, after he's had a few beers but not before he's had too many.

Like his understanding of the mountain West, choosing stories for the magazine is visceral for Fayhee. He doesn't solicit submissions and instead of picking one story at a time, plans an issue as an “organic entity,” with each piece being part of a whole.

“I just go with my gut feeling,” he said, recounting a story about ravens chosen for a recent issue. “As soon as I read the first five paragraphs I said, 'OK, this is a Gazette story'.” But he didn't explain why.

Ironically, the Gazette started as a hard-core recreationists' magazine. Called the Skiers' Gazette in the early 1970s, it ran interviews with famous skiers and stories on technique. Then it got into climbing, and then it evolved into a counter-cultural lifestyle publication. By 1974, it changed to its tabloid size and became known among writers as a place to experiment with their style.

“Writers knew they could get away with almost anything,” Fayhee said of the mid-'70s. It died in 1979, at a time when many writers jumped ship to work for the better-paying and up-and-coming Outside and Backpacker magazines.

Today, the magazine's content and readership naturally reflect a combination of its history and how it has evolved. There are writers from the old days, who Fayhee committed to publish at the onset as long as their stories remained relevant, and readers who remember the old product and were happy beyond belief to see it once again on shelves. Then there are the new writers, like Michelle Murray and Brad Frank, who were “discovered” in the pages of the Gazette.

“We keep finding writers out there who seem to be Gazette writers,” Fayhee said. “Seems like every year we get another two out of the blue ... And that's been the cool thing.”

What is even better, according to the 50-year-old editor, is the crop of 20-somethings reading the new Gazette who weren't exposed to the old one because they're too young.

Cars, autos, coches, it´s becoming an obsession

After posting some pictures of cars on the 4X4-geek discussion board ¨I-H8-MUD¨ I became a bit intimidated in the buying process. Replies to my posting included:

I don´t believe those turn signals or seats are original...
Everything down there is a bondo-buggy...
Looks too shiny, what are they trying to cover-up?
It´s missing emblems, big warning sign...

There are simply too many cars I don´t know of, on top of a market I am unfamiliar with.

I think I´ve found the solution. Our friend, and boss, Susan has a brother-in-law who buys and sells used cars. For 100 dollars he will help us look, check-out, and (hopefully!) negotiate for a car. Seems like a wise investment.

In the meantime, check out some of the new options. Some of these cars are amazing, and were never imported into the states! Too rugged for our collective refined tastes I guess...

Nissan ¨Patrol

Land Rover Defender


Landcruiser FJ73

Landcruiser FJ70

Landcruiser FJ75...WOW


Landcruiser FJ40, tricked out!


And for my Dad, a 16 valve, Alfa Romeo...

Happy Birthday MOM!

Love You!

Closer to the Cumbre (Summit)

After the hedonism of an all-u-can-eat Christmas Eve buffet, a week at the beach, and more than a couple New Year's Eve cocktails, Erin and I decided to repent with five days on nearby Cotapoxi.






I had been on Cotapoxi earlier in December with Andrew Clinkingbeard, but his leather boots became too cold, and we turned around fairly early into the summit day. I was determined to get closer to the summit this time...

While not technically hard, Cotapoxi's 19,000 feet is demanding. Lots of people climb Cotapoxi every year with guides. $300 bucks, physical stamina, a mild penchant for suffering, and some good weather will get you to the top of this, one of the tallest active volcanoes in the world. We spent a couple nights in the park acclimatizing on nearby Rhuminaui, and then went for it Saturday night at midnight.

Most of the folks we started with turned around within an hour, the weather was truly horrible. It wasn't really raining, but the moisture from the clouds kept condensing on us, and freezing in the 40mph wind. But, you never know, the weather could get better. We pushed on, following a friend of mine who was guiding a large group. Two other climbers joined Erin and I, and it was nice to have some company on the mountain with Blaze and Dominic, two Polish students from Yale ignoring their dissertations and climbing instead!

At about 18,000 ft. we threw in the towel. Even if we made it, there would be no view from the top, and the weather was getting worse, nearing a white-out. I still haven't heard from my friend who was guiding, he pushed on with his clients toward the summit. I hope he's okay.

Some brief observations for my climber friends:

• Not a bad climb, never more than 40 degrees, though I hear it nears 50 at the top
• Normal time is 6-7 up and 2-3 down
• The refugio is at 15,400, so it's a big day to the summit
  
• Most of the bridges were well covered, it was sometimes really hard to tell where the crevasses were
• Saw a "guide" with a poncho on, yeah, like the orange ones you wear to a football game
• Many guides do not have helmets for their clients, seems odd
• Bad accident the day before our climb: guide and client were glissading with crampons on! They went for about 300 meters out of control, and, the client broke her ankle. Luckily some SOLO guys from VT were there, and did a good job of splinting and evacing her. Glissading with crampons!?!
• Most people don't acclimatize, but there are tons of great peaks around Cot. to do so on!
• The refugio is expensive, and full of clients suffering from AMS, not very pretty
• Much better is to stay at Hacienda Tambopaxi at 12,000 feet until your summit evening. 6 Dollar camping, amazing dinners, and hot showers!

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