Kong-On-A-Rope + Beach = Ecstasy

This is really a late (not) Wordless Wednesday post! There is almost nothing that makes me so blissed out than my kong and this beach - to wit:

Fun on the Beach

Monday, 10 DECEMBER
HUNTING ISLAND STATE PARK — SOUTH CAROLINA
TEMPS: LO 60F / HI 72F (15.5C / 22C)

It was overcast at 9:00a when we hopped on our trikes to ride the mile or so to the Hunting Island State Park (HISP) visitor center office. There’s no paved trail suitable for our trikes, so we went via the main road. Vehicles were few and far between, so it wasn’t bad, but if we need to go back that way, we’ll use the walking trail to get there instead.

Our goal was three-fold — get some exercise; send a fax; and watch a documentary video about the history of Hunting Island. Check on the first and third goal. The second one was a bust; but not through any fault of the ranger on duty. She tried and tried to send the fax, but the recipient line gave her nothing but a busy tone.

Left: scale model of the Hunting Island Lighthouse Station; the cast iron
lighthouse was built in 1875 and decommissioned in 1933. The mannequin is
dressed in a circa late 1800s Lighthouse Keeper's uniform.

Right: The canopy at the head of the Maritime Forest Trail (in B&W).

We were going to ride further into the park, but seeing the sun breaking out of the clouds, we decided to ride back to the campground, pick up some lunch fixings from home, and head out for a walk on the beach instead. The little bit of sun that was peeking through was gone by the time we got to the beach, but that did not stop us from going ahead with our plans.

With the ebb tide at its lowest, the beach had quadrupled in width (if not more). The hard packed sand was ideal for a walk. I was surprised at how few people were out, but hey … we like solitude, so we weren’t about to complain.

the beach yesterday as the tide is coming in.	the beach today at the peak of low tide.

We walked in the direction of the lighthouse as it looked like there might be more of interest that way. And boy, was there ever. Trees and logs that had been submerged at high tide were now visible, sticking out of the sand like relics from another age. The overcast made the entire scene desolate and moody. (I posted one of my favorite photos from this afternoon in Two to Travel’s Viewfinder if you want to check it out.)

I can't get over the size of some of these trees!

Left: With their roots so exposed, these trees are prime candidates for toppling
over when mother nature deems the time is right.

Right: Standing near the edge of the water, Mui provides perspective for the vast
expanse of beach that becomes visible at low tide.

Left: if you look closely at the bubbles in the foam, you can see a rainbow of colors.

Right: a closer look at the power of water to erode land.

We were resigned to the overcast when patches of blue magically started to show up in the sky. Five minutes later, the sun was shining bright, painting the desolate scenery in a cheery light. Perching on a relatively dry tree trunk, we ate our lunch and studied the marvelous shapes of the toppled trees as the ocean began its move back towards the shoreline.

The sun comes out and Two to Travel stop for a photo op.

When a couple riding their bikes on the beach popped out from amongst the tangle of trees, the bulb went off in our heads. We didn’t have to go triking on the paved main road … we could ride them on the beach at low tide. Wolfing down the remainder of our lunch, we quick-stepped it back home to get our trikes.

Glimpse of the waterfront side of the campground from the beach.

We had to walk the trikes through the soft sand at the beach entrance closest to our site, but once we were on the hard pack, we were able to whiz down the beach, our colorful flags twirling and flapping in the wind. We were simply elated — the sun and wind in our faces, not a care in the world.

We went back to the far section where we had walked before and could see how far the water had risen in the 45 minutes it had taken us to get back to the beach. Still, there was plenty of space for us to ride around and play for the next hour.

I’m posting a video since the child-like fun we had on the beach can best be appreciated in motion. It’s 1 minute long; but if you don’t have the bandwidth to watch it, there are a couple of still shots below as well.

Click the arrow for 60 minutes of fun in 60 seconds.

Having a grand ole time on the beach with our trikes …

… WAS an unexpected opportunity that popped up to make our day!

What a great spot to enjoy a snack break and contemplate the ocean.

When fog suddenly moved in, we decided to park the trikes, bundle up, and enjoy the beach in a more sedentary fashion. After all, we’d been on the move all day and we deserved a bit of rest ;-) This time I managed to read a couple of pages of the book I brought with me.

Our beach chairs come with shoulder harnesses that make them easy to carry!

No sign of the fog where we’re sitting …

… but there’s plenty veiling the scenery on the far side where we went triking.

When the wind picked up around 4:00p, we decided to call it quits and return to the coach where the screen shelter we set up yesterday got its share of our presence for an hour or so. We would have eaten dinner out there, but around 5:00p, the weather chilled quite suddenly. Oh well; we had breakfast in the shelter and lunch on the beach … there will be opportunities to enjoy al fresco dinners down the road, I’m sure.

It sure was a good day on the beach!

The forecasters say we’ll have decent weather tomorrow before the temps dip towards seasonal norms … better go line up some fun ideas to make the most of it.

Spirits in the Sky

For the past couple of nights I've been taking advantage of both some beautiful night skies and the low-light capabilities of my new Canon 5D Mark II camera. This camera is just awesome for making night images. The image above is a 30 second exposure taken at ISO 3200, which I never could have done with my old camera. The old camera at ISO 3200 would have had so much noise that the image would have been unusable. By using such a high ISO setting, the camera was also able to pick up the Milky Way in the image.


The image above is a 2 hour exposure made between 11:00 p.m. and 1:00 a.m. This image was shot at ISO 100, but even with such a low ISO setting, at 2 hours most cameras would still be producing unacceptable noise levels. Not so with the 5D Mark II! The image is very clean, with very acceptable noise levels. It should be noted that in the above image, the glow of light on the horizon is not from the sun or the moon, but rather from the city lights of Thunder Bay, Ontario, which is about 40 miles away.
The image below was a 1.5 hour exposure, taken this time from 2:30 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. This time of year, by 3:30 a.m. the sky is already starting to show signs of light from the coming sun, and by running the exposure until 4:00 a.m. the final image looks almost like the blue sky that you see during the day.

Studded Tires

This winter is looking to be another long one. Before Christmas I was thinking of buying a pair of studded tires for my hardtail. The trails around here in Council Bluffs are generally plowed. When the are plowed, we get several (many) icy spots.
In additional, last winter I learned how to ride singletrack in the snow. I would like to do more of that, to lengthen my riding season.
What I can see the Nokian Extreme 294 Studded Mountain Bike Tires - 26" looks to be a good tire. I like the tread and stud pattern. Wondering if anyone can comment of the tire, other recommendations?

Cat Parables

When they had all gathered together, the cat was completely silent, and some speculated that perhaps he had fallen asleep. The cat slowly opened wide his eyes, and winked. Several of his disciples tried to interpret what this meant, though of course none of them were correct.

Maiden Voyage: Day 1 on the Road

Thursday, July 1

The year was 1985.  We were living in Utah.  That fall, we flew to NYC, rented a car, and went touring.  Our trip looped through DC, Niagara Falls, and New England.  Somewhere along the way, we stopped to visit Old Fort Erie.  As we waited for the National Park Service Ranger to begin a presentation that would bring the War of 1812 alive, we chatted with a couple seated on the grass next to us.  It turns out that they had taken a sabbatical from work, bought an RV, and were touring the US and Canada for the next year.

That was it … that was when our dream to wheel around North America was born.  Twenty five years later, we’re starting to realize that dream.  We bought the coach; now it’s time to take it back to Virginia so we can enjoy having a “condo on wheels” to explore all the wondrous sights we’ve yet to see.

Let the cross-country drive begin …

Our route from Portland, Oregon to Boise, Idaho is on I-84.

Too excited to sleep in, we were up before the alarm went off at 6:30a.  We didn’t waste time getting ready for the day ahead, yet we seemed to be moving in slow motion.  A three hour time zone change will do that to you!  It was 8:00a by the time we got around to having breakfast at the Pacific Grill (adjacent to the Red Lion).  It turns out that this was another “we don’t have single eggs” place (see this blog post for the inside joke).  At least it wasn’t a dive; the patrons didn’t look at us like we’d just landed from outer space; and the food was good.  So, no real complaints.

Mui had stocked the Phaeton’s kitchen with dry goods in May, but we needed to get some fresh groceries and stuff.  To make the most of our time, we devised a plan to divide and conquer.  I went grocery shopping at the Trader’s Joe near the storage facility; Mui went to prepare the motorhome for the road.  Our timing was perfect — I was waiting for him curbside with the shopping cart when he turned onto the side street near the shopping strip.  A few minutes to load up the groceries and we were on our way out of Portland.  It was 9:45a and we were about an hour behind schedule, but so be it for our first day.  Soon we were on I-84E, driving through the beautiful Columbia Gorge.

(Apologies in advance for any spots on the photos; most were taken through the bug-spattered windshield.)

And we’re off.  Does Mui look happy or what?

Glimpse of the Columbia Gorge … albeit a hazy one.

The John Day Dam is one of the hydroelectric dams that span the Columbia River.

A wind farm on the Washington side of the Columbia River.

The drive has been pleasant and easy as we continue to roll down I-84.  Traffic has been negligible.  We’ve passed a lot of RVs of all classes and sizes — not a common sight in the suburbs of DC.  The overcast skies of Portland have been replaced with blue skies, enhancing the beautiful scenery.  We even had a few wildlife sightings along the way — ospreys nesting on the Columbia River; a big horn ram with an impressive set of horns grazing roadside.

The Columbia River is the longest river in North America that drains into the Pacific.

I had to chuckle at the way the sign is worded.
(the building belongs to Pendleton Grain Growers)

The temp was a dry 75F [24C] when we were summiting the Blue Mountains at 4,193 feet [1,258 m].  Now that we’re on the flatlands, it’s warmed up considerably, but it’s still comfortable enough that we have no need of the A/C.

We made a few stops at rest areas to give Mui a chance to stretch his legs, and had sandwiches for lunch during one of those breaks.  We are otherwise sticking to our plan to just drive straight through without dallying for sightseeing. With Mui assuring me that driving the Phaeton is easy and pure pleasure, I’ve been able to put the footrest up on the passenger seat and relax with plenty of legroom. :-))))

Blogging in comfort!

Happy honeymooning!

Still in Oregon; still on I-84.

We have miles to go before we call it a day.  More later …

Later … Hi Valley RV Resort

One state is behind us … there are many more waiting to be traversed.

It’s 10:00p.  A few words to wrap up today’s post and then I’m off to bed to get some rest.  Aside from a bit of “coach rock” (similar to the dock rock one might experience after a cruise), we’re both feeling pretty good.  But as the adrenaline from having accomplished a successful first day of RVing starts to recede, the weariness is setting in and the bed is looking better and better with each passing minute.

Around 6:30p, we pulled into the Snake River View rest area (milepost 1) in Idaho.  Cranking up the Woodall’s camp directory I’d installed on the laptop, we searched for RV parks in the vicinity of Boise.  Since we restricted the search to “big rig friendly” campgrounds with 50 amp and internet service, we got two options.  We picked the smaller of the two (194 sites vs 224 sites) and called the Hi Valley RV Resort to make a reservation — $31.10/night with our Good Sam discount.  From what I’ve read on the blogs, that’s probably a bit on the high side, but we’re OK with slightly higher rates on this trip.

Our accommodations for the night set, we took a bit of a breather and walked to the overlook to check out the views of the Snake River before getting back on the road again.

Mui and the Big Rig!

The rest area has an expansive view of the Snake River.

The Snake River is the largest and longest tributary of the Columbia River.

We would have arrived at Hi Valley around 8:00p, but en route we stopped at a Lowe’s to pick up an essential item that we’d been unable to pack in our carry-on bags — a lightweight stepladder that Mui could use to remove the bodies of the bugs that had committed suicide by flying into our windshield (may they rest in peace). Hence, it was 9:00p by the time we pulled into the RV park.

We still had plenty of daylight by which to set up the Phaeton for our first campground experience.  The office was already closed, but the manager had left us a packet in the night box with all of the essential information, including a map showing us where to find site 39.  Though not especially wide, the pull-through site turned out to be easy enough to maneuver into (despite one small tree branch) and there was plenty of room to deploy our slideouts.

Parked for the night!

Going through our arrival checklist, we made short work of setting up camp.  I have to admit that I was impressed with Mui’s knowledge of what needed to be done, when and in what order.  Seeing him in action, one would have thought that he’s an old hand at this.  He’s been doing his homework and that paid off tonight.

Let’s get the utilities connected!

Once on shore power, we engaged the A/C to cool the rear half of the coach.  After putting water on for pasta, Mui went outside to clean the windshield.  I used the time to unpack the two carry-on bags with which we’d traveled to Portland.  There wasn’t much to put away, so I made short work of that chore and then went about setting the table for dinner.  By the time the windshield was sort of pristine, the pasta was ready to serve.  We would like to have savored our first meal aboard the Phaeton, but that will have to wait until another time.  There just wasn’t any time for the niceties tonight.

Make sure you get all the bugs off; I need a clean windshield to take pictures!

Now to get some shuteye in preparation for another long day on the road tomorrow.

Start Odometer	End Odometer	Day’s Mileage
8603	9037	434 [694 km]

Statistics for Today

Next Up … Maiden Voyage: Day 2 on the Road

Bridge Plank Missing

Amongst the storms, heat, closed trails and the generally unfavorably riding conditions, today I was able to squeeze in a bike ride on the Wabash Trace. At 10am, it was sunny and cool at 75 deg - just a stiff breeze from the East. I decided to attempt a ride from Silver City to Malvern and back.
Not too bad once on the trail. The trees sheltered some of the wind. The first problem I encountered was at Silver Creek Bridge. One of the bridge decking planks is missing. Someone has stuck a tree branch into the gap to warn riders. (see photo).
There must have been some strong winds recently. Between the Silver Creek Bridge and 305th St, (a distance of 1 mile) there are two dead falls that have dropped onto the trail.
The rest of the ride down to Malvern was without incident. Stopped there at the depot and drank a bottle of G2 and ate a granola bar. Sky was starting to look threatening, so headed back.
Sure enough, at Gaston Rd, I started feeling some large drops of rain hitting me. I had 3 miles left of my return ride. Picked up the pace a little. Had my heart rate up to near my max for a while.
The sprinkle did not last much. kept pedaling up to Silver City. As I arrived in Silver City, I heard some thunder to the South. Guess I was back just in time.
The wind died down some on the way back (I was looking forward to a good tail wind).
Still, it felt good to get in the bike ride - had been over a week since I had been on a bike.

How to become a better paddler

No matter what your passion, there's a point at which you're likely to plateau. That may be OK; perhaps you've become proficient enough to accomplish everything you desire. But for those who are dedicated to continued improvement and have ambitions as coaches, expeditioners or higher-level paddlers, plateaus aren't acceptable. We aren't content to see our skills and knowledge top out. We want to become better paddlers.

Leon practicing rescue maneuvers.

While we were on Orcas Island with Shawna Franklin and Leon Somme, we talked aboutthe path to becoming an expert. It is, to paraphrase them, a function of hard work, deliberate practice, and guidance from a coach who offers constructive, honest feedback.

They shared with us an 2007 article from the Harvard Business Review, "The Making of an Expert" by K. Anders Ericsson, Michael J. Prietula and Edward T. Cokely, which summarizes research supporting the idea that outstanding performance is not so much a function of innate talent as it is a product of methodical, challenging practice and thoughtful, critical coaching.

Shawna challenges herself by surfing a wave while sitting on her deck.

For higher-level coaches like Shawna and Leon, this means finding hard things to work on and seeking out mentors who point out their weaknesses, even when that type of feedback is uncomfortable. The same is true for all of us, no matter what our level. We'd often prefer to keep working on the skills we already have and hear others affirm our accomplishments. But that's not the path to improvement.

While we were at Deception Pass, we saw this approach in action. After allowing us to warm on an eddy line, they suggested we try increasingly challenging moves as we crossed over into the current: edging without bracing, exiting with a cross-deck rudder, returning to the eddy as quickly as possible, rolling and static bracing on the eddy line, and self and assisted rescues in the current and whirlpools. They gave different challenges to each of us, ratcheting up the difficulty as we demonstrated we were ready for more.

Seth exits an eddy with a cross-deck rudder.

According to Ericcson, Prietula and Cokely:

• "Deliberate practice involves two kinds of learning: improving the skills you already have an improving the reach and range of your skills."


• "Genuine experts not only practice deliberately, but they also think deliberately...they continuously work to eliminate their weaknesses."


• "The development of expertise requires coaches who are capable of giving constructive, even painful feedback.Real experts are extremely motivated students who seek out such feedback."

This is true for becoming a more skillful and knowledgeable paddler as well as becoming a better coach or guide. Improvement is less a matter of innate ability than it is about willingness to work hard, seek challenges, and accept and act on knowledgeable critiques.

Alec and Sharon practicing deliberately.

"Before practice, opportunity, and luck can combine to create expertise, the would-be expert needs to demythologize the achievement of top-level performance because the notion that genius is born, not made, is deeply ingrained." --Ericcson, Prietula and Cokely