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Mount Richthofen
How shall we celebrate our Independence? We consider climbing, but decide at the last minute to attempt an ascent of Mount Richthofen. Thunderstorms are forecast, so we try to get out the door by 6:30am. The timing turns out to be perfect. Even with stops for gas and change, we reach the mosquito-plauged trailhead at…
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Flying holds at Crystal Wall
Colin bravely joins us as Ann practices driving the BAT up twisty Poudre Canyon. The river is pretty high, enough to make someone on a raft going by scream audibly every few minutes. Which is also high enough to keep us away from the Palace. Crystal Wall is the place to be today anyway, a…
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We own a BAT
Last night I called Sean and Colin to cancel climbing plans, thinking I should look at trucks today. We’ve lived in a fifth wheel for two years now without a truck that can pull it. Oddly we are thinking of downsizing the mobile dwelling, but we’ll still need a big truck. Both of us have…
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Windows Terminates Explorer Just To Be Safe
I haven’t posted an error message in a long time, but this one is too good to pass up. I did nothing unusual to make this happen, it just popped up while I was setting up a new laptop with Windows XP at work: I nearly sprayed the new laptop with a mouthful of hot…
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Camped at Ironsides
It’s threatening to break 100°F this weekend, yet I’m feeling more interested in sport climbing than high peaks. Doug and Liz want to test their backpacking gear, so I suggest we haul packs up to the Ironsides formation of the Ironclads. There we can camp and climb at a cool 8,800 feet of elevation in…
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Movie: Tsotsi (2005)
This is a pretty convincing portrayal of the contrast between the ghettos and upper class neighborhoods of Johannesburg. The story has plenty of setup for both comedy and melodrama, but wisely chooses to keep it subtle and believable on both fronts. The theme of personal growth threatening our learned methods of survival is one that…
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Vedauwoo Weekend
Doug decides to subject his mom Beth to a weekend of camping and climbing with us at Vedauwoo. We all pool resources to make her first night in a tent comfortable. We supply the two-person tent, Kate & Mark supply the ample air mattress, and Doug & Liz supply the sleeping bag. Beth is a…
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Geo Mashup Plugin 1.1 Beta 1 Release
This is a bleeding edge release of my WordPress Geo Mashup Plugin. I know some of these features are in demand, so I’m making this preview release so you can play with them and start getting some feedback to me. There are loose ends, and I plan to put in more features, but it has…
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Clear Creek – High Wire Crag
We’re looking for some easily-reached climbing before we head home today. I have a very old guidebook with some routes in Clear Creek Canyon above Golden, an easy drive. After perusing The Mountain Project information as well, we choose High Wire Crag for its selection of moderates. It turns out to be a popular choice,…
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Live Music: CSO plays Beethoven’s Fantasia and 9th Symphony
This is the finalé of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra season finalé we’ve been attending for two weeks. Jeffrey Kahane has conducted and performed seven great Beethoven works so far, returning from his months of recovery from hypertension with a Herculean performance. The piano introduction to the Fantasia sounds as difficult as any of it, but…