If the months of December, January, and February make up the season of winter, then we are at the halfway point already. Snowshoes and skis will be put to good use as the days begin to lengthen again, but one winter activity that has gotten less playing time for me since I moved to Colorado is ice skating. When the landscape changed from flat to sloped, I guess it was inevitable that the blades wouldn’t get much use, but back in the day, ice was the vehicle for fun and adventure.
Recently on a trip back to Michigan, I was reminded that I grew up playing hockey. We were sitting in the stands at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit watching The University of Michigan play Boston College in The Great Lakes Invitational annual college hockey tournament and there was an eleven year-old kid watching the game a row in front of us. It was like looking in the mirror 40 years ago.
Playing Pee Wee hockey was an indoor activity played in an indoor ice arena, but we also played ice hockey in the woods across the street whenever Mother Nature cooperated. The ponds would freeze and we would spend hours and hours freezing as well as we scrapped out games against each other. Our hands and feet would get so cold that some of us even got a touch of frost bite every once and awhile.
To prepare for the winter, the entire neighborhood would venture out into the woods in late fall with garden rakes and try and clear the grassy marshes in hopes of creating a super ice rink. The native grasses if left to nature froze in the ice creating an un-skate-able surface. We would also maintain the woods ice by shoveling off new snow and using brooms to clean off the ice shavings from the games.
One year, a neighborhood kid’s dad made an ice rink in their backyard. He formed the edges up with snow and used a garden hose to spray water in the area to create the ice. It worked so well that I tried to create my own version on our patio. My mother actually let me connect a garden hose to the hot water heater and run a hose thru the kitchen and spray water out the window on to the patio. Most of the water ended up evaporating or seeping thru the clay patio bricks, but I did create enough ice one time to briefly skate on.
Our creek, the North Branch of the Chicago River, would freeze some years and you could literally skate out of town on this ice super highway. You had to avoid overhanging tree limbs and low bridges under streets, but when it was cold enough long enough, you could skate for miles and miles.
Here in Colorado, we have ice skated in the past at Beaver Meadows in the Red Feather
Lakes area. They have a nice little pond to skate on there. They rent ice skates
and have a warming hut near the pond when the cold winter wind gets to be too much for you. You can also cross country ski on man-made trails and tube down hills. Finally, there is a rustic restaurant to get a bite to eat or get a cup of hot chocolate at.
My step daughter and her boyfriend recently went ice skating inside at the Northern Colorado Ice Area near our home in Windsor. They had fun and both were quite proud of the fact that they didn’t fall. Maybe it’s time for me to get back in the game again…
Monday, January 9, 2012
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Who is #1?
Who is college football's best team?
If you answered LSU or Alabama you would be right for this season, but what about all time? The following teams have the most wins in Division 1 football all time:
1. Michigan - 888 wins
2. Texas - 853 wins
3. Notre Dame - 845 wins
4. Nebraska - 836 wins
5. Ohio State - 825 wins
6. Alabama - 824 wins
7. Penn State - 821 wins
8. Oklahoma - 806 wins
9. Tennessee - 789 wins
10. USC - 784 wins
National Championships and winning percentages and conferences aside, when it comes down to it, the question will always be, did you win or lose the game?
1. Michigan - 888 wins
2. Texas - 853 wins
3. Notre Dame - 845 wins
4. Nebraska - 836 wins
5. Ohio State - 825 wins
6. Alabama - 824 wins
7. Penn State - 821 wins
8. Oklahoma - 806 wins
9. Tennessee - 789 wins
10. USC - 784 wins
National Championships and winning percentages and conferences aside, when it comes down to it, the question will always be, did you win or lose the game?
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Mills Lake Snowshoe Adventure
It has been 3 months since I was here at the Glacier Gorge Trailhead in Rocky Mountain National Park. The warm early autumn weather at that time has been replaced by some warm early winter weather. Skies are sunny with temperatures in the mid 30’s and miraculously there is little to no wind. My hiking boots have been replaced by a pair of snowshoes for today’s adventure to Mills Lake.
The trailhead sitting at 9,240 feet in elevation is no longer cloaked in fluttering leaves of gold. Instead the entire ecosystem is blanketed by a thick layer of snow. The sounds of nature seem to be as quiet as a sleeping bear hibernating for the winter. Any noise from the park road or from other snowshoe enthusiasts is quickly absorbed by the white insulation on the ground.
As I walk along the packed down snow on the trail, all I hear is the crunching sound emanating from beneath my stride. An occasional rattle from my backpack reminds me why I am making this journey today as a sizable tripod for my camera is in tow and strapped to the outside of my pack. The goal is to capture some snow capped peaks from a distance in my lens and I am confident that the backdrop of Mills Lake will fit this description. All I have to do is get there before the light fades into the winter sky.
The forest thickens as I continue my trek. Snow looks as if it has been sprayed on the trees. Although the elevation gain is only 700 feet by the time I reach Mills Lake, it feels as if I am on an escalator up the mountain. My snowshoes grip the packed snow on the trail and my poles help me to slowly advance up as well.
Mills Lake sits at 9,940 feet in elevation. The last time I was here, an elk swam across it. This time, after a lone figure on snow shoes crosses the lake, I am completely alone. There is a deafening silence as I remember my encounter with the elk in the fall. I also begin to wonder if it is safe to be standing on the snow covered ice taking pictures. I move around as to not stand in any one place for very long. The ice holds.
A gust of wind hits me in the face and reminds me that I am high up in the mountains. With the light fading, it is time to head on down the trail. My perception of the trail is now one of a lot of up to get this far. My snowshoes grip the trail as I rapidly make my way down. I come around a bend and remember that elk that charged me for the fun of it last September. He is nowhere to be seen today. It is just me and my thoughts on this day.
The last part of the trail back to the trailhead of course is uphill and I am ready to be done. I hear other people that are making their way back as well. I decide that no one will pass me as I accelerate toward the parking lot. This last burst of energy taxes my feet a little as I feel the effects of the nearly 6 miles I have walked today.
When I return again this winter, I might try this trail on cross country skis. It may be a little dicey in some spots, but well worth the risk. I’ll let you know how it turns out.
The trailhead sitting at 9,240 feet in elevation is no longer cloaked in fluttering leaves of gold. Instead the entire ecosystem is blanketed by a thick layer of snow. The sounds of nature seem to be as quiet as a sleeping bear hibernating for the winter. Any noise from the park road or from other snowshoe enthusiasts is quickly absorbed by the white insulation on the ground.
As I walk along the packed down snow on the trail, all I hear is the crunching sound emanating from beneath my stride. An occasional rattle from my backpack reminds me why I am making this journey today as a sizable tripod for my camera is in tow and strapped to the outside of my pack. The goal is to capture some snow capped peaks from a distance in my lens and I am confident that the backdrop of Mills Lake will fit this description. All I have to do is get there before the light fades into the winter sky.
The forest thickens as I continue my trek. Snow looks as if it has been sprayed on the trees. Although the elevation gain is only 700 feet by the time I reach Mills Lake, it feels as if I am on an escalator up the mountain. My snowshoes grip the packed snow on the trail and my poles help me to slowly advance up as well.
Mills Lake sits at 9,940 feet in elevation. The last time I was here, an elk swam across it. This time, after a lone figure on snow shoes crosses the lake, I am completely alone. There is a deafening silence as I remember my encounter with the elk in the fall. I also begin to wonder if it is safe to be standing on the snow covered ice taking pictures. I move around as to not stand in any one place for very long. The ice holds.
A gust of wind hits me in the face and reminds me that I am high up in the mountains. With the light fading, it is time to head on down the trail. My perception of the trail is now one of a lot of up to get this far. My snowshoes grip the trail as I rapidly make my way down. I come around a bend and remember that elk that charged me for the fun of it last September. He is nowhere to be seen today. It is just me and my thoughts on this day.
The last part of the trail back to the trailhead of course is uphill and I am ready to be done. I hear other people that are making their way back as well. I decide that no one will pass me as I accelerate toward the parking lot. This last burst of energy taxes my feet a little as I feel the effects of the nearly 6 miles I have walked today.
When I return again this winter, I might try this trail on cross country skis. It may be a little dicey in some spots, but well worth the risk. I’ll let you know how it turns out.
Christmas for Cowboys
“Tall in the saddle, we spend Christmas Day,
driving the cattle over snow covered-plains.
All of the good gifts given today,
ours is the sky and the wide open range…
…a campfire for warmth as we stop for the night,
the stars overhead are Christmas tree lights.
The wind sings a hymn as we bow down to pray,
It's Christmas for cowboys, wide-open plains…”
-John Denver,
Christmas for Cowboys
Perhaps you are up early and reading this or perhaps you are relaxing in your easy chair as the afternoon meanders by. Either way, I hope you are warm and comfortable. Warm and comfortable were not part of the job description for the American cowboy and they were not part of the journey for Mary and Joseph on their way to Bethlehem that first Christmas.
Let’s set the scene. You are nine months pregnant and traveling by donkey. At the end of your journey, the only thing for certain is that you have no place to stay. It is getting dark and cold, so you take refuge in a manger. You surround yourself with animals to help keep warm. Oh, then there is the whole having a baby thing. All I can say is that Mary was one tough cookie.
Fast forward 2011 years and here we are. The hustle and bustle of Christmas should pretty much be over by now. If you are like me, you might have even taken inventory of your gifts. As a kid, I remember neatly piling up all the wonderful presents I got and then feeling a little tinge of sadness that Christmas was kind of over for that year. The afternoon light was usually fading and the Christmas meal had begunto digest. A winter nap was next and then maybe one more viewing of “It’s a Wonderful Life”.
Somewhere along the line, going to see a movie at a theatre became a tradition on Christmas night. I guess the Christmas day movie is like watching football games on Thanksgiving. We all can take only so
much of our family and relatives before we need to escape with a good diversion.
That reminds me of that Christmas special of the little boy who wants a BB gun for Christmas. His family ends up at a Chinese restaurant for Christmas dinner because the neighbor’s dogs storm their house and devour their Christmas turkey. Thus another Christmas tradition was started for some, going out for Chinese on Christmas night.
And yet when it is all said and done, perhaps Linus of the Peanuts cartoon was right when he concisely breaks down what Christmas is all about to a frustrated Charlie Brown:
"And there were in the same country shepherds, abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them! And they were sore afraid ...
And the angel said unto them, "Fear not! For, behold, I bring you tidings o great joy, which shall be to all my people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ, the Lord."
"And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."
And suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth peace, and good will toward men."
"That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."
-Linus Van Pelt
driving the cattle over snow covered-plains.
All of the good gifts given today,
ours is the sky and the wide open range…
…a campfire for warmth as we stop for the night,
the stars overhead are Christmas tree lights.
The wind sings a hymn as we bow down to pray,
It's Christmas for cowboys, wide-open plains…”
-John Denver,
Christmas for Cowboys
Perhaps you are up early and reading this or perhaps you are relaxing in your easy chair as the afternoon meanders by. Either way, I hope you are warm and comfortable. Warm and comfortable were not part of the job description for the American cowboy and they were not part of the journey for Mary and Joseph on their way to Bethlehem that first Christmas.
Let’s set the scene. You are nine months pregnant and traveling by donkey. At the end of your journey, the only thing for certain is that you have no place to stay. It is getting dark and cold, so you take refuge in a manger. You surround yourself with animals to help keep warm. Oh, then there is the whole having a baby thing. All I can say is that Mary was one tough cookie.
Fast forward 2011 years and here we are. The hustle and bustle of Christmas should pretty much be over by now. If you are like me, you might have even taken inventory of your gifts. As a kid, I remember neatly piling up all the wonderful presents I got and then feeling a little tinge of sadness that Christmas was kind of over for that year. The afternoon light was usually fading and the Christmas meal had begunto digest. A winter nap was next and then maybe one more viewing of “It’s a Wonderful Life”.
Somewhere along the line, going to see a movie at a theatre became a tradition on Christmas night. I guess the Christmas day movie is like watching football games on Thanksgiving. We all can take only so
much of our family and relatives before we need to escape with a good diversion.
That reminds me of that Christmas special of the little boy who wants a BB gun for Christmas. His family ends up at a Chinese restaurant for Christmas dinner because the neighbor’s dogs storm their house and devour their Christmas turkey. Thus another Christmas tradition was started for some, going out for Chinese on Christmas night.
And yet when it is all said and done, perhaps Linus of the Peanuts cartoon was right when he concisely breaks down what Christmas is all about to a frustrated Charlie Brown:
"And there were in the same country shepherds, abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them! And they were sore afraid ...
And the angel said unto them, "Fear not! For, behold, I bring you tidings o great joy, which shall be to all my people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ, the Lord."
"And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."
And suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth peace, and good will toward men."
"That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."
-Linus Van Pelt
The Burning of the Dummy
A new year has arrived, right on schedule. It is nice to know that some things don’t change. A New Year’s Day activity that I knew in my youth was the burning of the dummy. I believe this tradition began in Ecuador. My exposure to it came by way of some kids down the block named the Kennedy’s. The Kennedy’s would have a New Year’s Day party every year. Mrs. Kennedy would prepare an array of delicious finger foods and tins of Christmas cookies to feast on.
Around the end of each year, Dev and Chris Kennedy would set out to create a dummy. This dummy would consist of old clothes and be stuffed, like the Scare Crow on the Wizard of Oz, with crumpled up old newspaper. They would also implant Black Cat firecrackers and various monetary coins within their creation.
The dummy was a symbol of the past year. The coins represented good fortune for the coming year. Setting the dummy on fire represented the letting go of the past and all the bad things that had occurred during the year. When the dummy had burned and was just a pile of ashes, all the kids would search the ashes with metal yard rakes to try and find the lucky coins. Finding one of those blackened beauties was a real treat and nice keepsake, after it cooled off.
In those days, it was college football’s biggest day and everyone would watch some of the major bowl games. Since the Rose Bowl was a perennial favorite, the dummy burning would usually occur in the
late afternoon before the game. The dummy was usually soaked in a flammable material, say gasoline, before it was set on fire. The Kennedy’s backyard beneath a large Maple tree served as the backdrop for the ceremony.
With the late afternoon sun setting, the party goers were summoned out into the cold for the lighting of the dummy. Sometimes speeches were given and goodbyes were said to the year past. Then, with a flick of a Bic lighter, the dummy would catch fire. As it burned, random firecrackers would go off blowing off parts of the body. The Kennedy boys were always at the ready with their tending rakes to corral any fiery projectiles back into the arena. When the explosions had stopped and the ashes had cooled, the small kids were allowed to try and find the lucky coins. Any undiscovered coins either remained for prosperity or became like bullets when the lawnmower came by in the summer.
The Kennedy’s over time had to remind the neighbor kids that this was in fact supposed to be a family party and that like teenagers still trick or treating, our welcome had run its course. I never knew of anyone that burned a dummy on New Year’s Day before the Kennedy’s and have not met anyone since.
Maybe this year I’ll start up the tradition here in Colorado. Since this past year has been one filled with challenges and tragedies, I for one would like to usher it out with a size 11 boot well placed for emphasis. Anybody got some coins I could use for this year’s good luck?
Around the end of each year, Dev and Chris Kennedy would set out to create a dummy. This dummy would consist of old clothes and be stuffed, like the Scare Crow on the Wizard of Oz, with crumpled up old newspaper. They would also implant Black Cat firecrackers and various monetary coins within their creation.
The dummy was a symbol of the past year. The coins represented good fortune for the coming year. Setting the dummy on fire represented the letting go of the past and all the bad things that had occurred during the year. When the dummy had burned and was just a pile of ashes, all the kids would search the ashes with metal yard rakes to try and find the lucky coins. Finding one of those blackened beauties was a real treat and nice keepsake, after it cooled off.
In those days, it was college football’s biggest day and everyone would watch some of the major bowl games. Since the Rose Bowl was a perennial favorite, the dummy burning would usually occur in the
late afternoon before the game. The dummy was usually soaked in a flammable material, say gasoline, before it was set on fire. The Kennedy’s backyard beneath a large Maple tree served as the backdrop for the ceremony.
With the late afternoon sun setting, the party goers were summoned out into the cold for the lighting of the dummy. Sometimes speeches were given and goodbyes were said to the year past. Then, with a flick of a Bic lighter, the dummy would catch fire. As it burned, random firecrackers would go off blowing off parts of the body. The Kennedy boys were always at the ready with their tending rakes to corral any fiery projectiles back into the arena. When the explosions had stopped and the ashes had cooled, the small kids were allowed to try and find the lucky coins. Any undiscovered coins either remained for prosperity or became like bullets when the lawnmower came by in the summer.
The Kennedy’s over time had to remind the neighbor kids that this was in fact supposed to be a family party and that like teenagers still trick or treating, our welcome had run its course. I never knew of anyone that burned a dummy on New Year’s Day before the Kennedy’s and have not met anyone since.
Maybe this year I’ll start up the tradition here in Colorado. Since this past year has been one filled with challenges and tragedies, I for one would like to usher it out with a size 11 boot well placed for emphasis. Anybody got some coins I could use for this year’s good luck?
Thursday, December 15, 2011
REI Winter Gear Clinics
I recently attended a couple of clinics about snowshoeing and cross country skiing at the REI in Fort Collins. Gerry Cashman and Mark Sickles led the programs and opened my eyes to a whole new world of equipment for these activities. I was amazed at how high tech everything has become. When you live and play in the Rocky Mountains, this equipment is necessary if you plan on heading out for some adventures in the winter.
The days of gliding along on flat cross country ski trails on the prairies of Illinois are long gone. I started cross country skiing on a pair of hickory wood skis that had metal coil spring bindings. The poles had oversized baskets made up of leather spoke radials. I think these skis were used for downhill skiing in the 1950’s. I can’t imagine trying to downhill ski on them, but they worked just fine for the gentle slope of our backyard. They were also good for traveling in deep snow, sort of like snowshoes.
I acquired my first real cross country skis from L.L. Bean 25 years ago. They were 210 cm long and made in Norway. The poles were 155 cm long and made in Finland. And the boots were made in a country that no longer exists, Yugoslavia. Compared to the old wooden ones, these narrow skis were as lite as a feather and cut thru the snow like butter. I can only imagine how efficient the equipment of today must be.
Gerry and Mark had all the latest and greatest gear at the clinics at REI. The gear is now tailored for the specific activity you are going to use it for. So, before you throw a pair of snowshoes or skis in the car and head out for a day of fun in the outdoors, you need to ask yourself some questions. For example, are you going to go to a golf course to cross country ski or are you heading up to Cameron Pass? Will you be skiing on man-made trails or will you be breaking your own? Will you be at a resort or in the back country? The answer to these questions will help you pinpoint what gear will be best suited for your activity.
The gear you need includes what type of clothing you will wear. 3 layers of clothing on your top half are recommended. What the layers are made of is very important. You need to stay warm, but not too warm. You don’t want to get hot and sweaty. In order to stay comfortable and dry, you need to wick the moisture away from your body. You also need to have breathable wind proof and water proof outerwear.
Since mountain weather can and does change rapidly, you also need to be prepared for the worst at all times. Carrying things like extra socks, clothes, food, duct tape, paper clips, and a space blanket are essential to peace of mind when you venture away from civilization on your adventures.
If you have never snow shoed or cross country skied and would like to try it, I recommend you rent some equipment from REI. Another option if you want to try snowshoeing would be to go to Rocky Mountain National Park on Saturday January 14th between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm and try some of the hundreds of demo snowshoes that will be available for free.
Finally, I recommend you talk to the experts at REI before heading up to the hills on your next adventure. They will help you enjoy your outdoor experiences more during the winter season here in Colorado.
Finally, I recommend you talk to the experts at REI before heading up to the hills on your next adventure. They will help you enjoy your outdoor experiences more during the winter season here in Colorado.
Monday, December 5, 2011
The Taking of the Tree
I once read a story about a cowboy that went out and cut his own Christmas tree down every December 21st on the winter solstice. It was called “The taking of the tree”. In this story, the cowboy spoke of this annual event like it was a spiritual thing. He would search for the perfect tree, cut it down around sunset, and drag it to his cabin in the woods. There he would decorate it and begin to celebrate the season of Christmas.
In some ways, we are all a little like that cowboy. We search for our perfect tree. We struggle with the logistics of getting it home, and then we kick off our Christmas season by trimming it. When I was little, my family would get a nice Scotch pine tree from the parking lot of the Catholic Church in town. We would stuff the tree in the trunk of the car in order to get it home. We would then have to cut off a chunk of the bottom with a long bladed handsaw. You had to wrestle with the tree and try and balance it on a concrete step in order to cut it. Then we would place the tree in a bucket of hot water in the garage until it was time to bring it in and decorate it.
To this day, every time I catch a whiff of a Scotch pine though, it immediately brings me back to my grade school days at Crestwood Elementary School in Northbrook, Illinois. During the holiday season, Christmas trees and wreaths were actually delivered to our school. Classroom by classroom and floor by floor, the smell wafted up through the school as the janitor distributed them. That smell was something. It smelled like Christmas.
Real trees were eventually replaced in our house by a fake tree. My mother had had enough of the left over needles from the tree getting stuck in out wool carpeting. She also was not fond of the needles clogging up the hose on the vacuum back then. So we learned to live with an artificial tree that resided in the attic for 11 months of the year. As the fake tree patiently waited to come alive each year, I would bug my mom to get the tree down so we could decorate it; especially after “A Charlie Brown Christmas” aired. The fake tree did not smell and was kind of lame, but we made do.
Heading into my high school years, the fake tree was once again replaced by a real tree. Pier pressure was the culprit this time. It seemed everyone in the neighborhood was trying to see who could get the best tree each year. It was like a contest. Scotch pine trees were a thing of the past as the Douglas fir and Frasier fir were the “it” trees of the day. They were much fuller and much more expensive. Their smell didn’t seem to last as long though as the Scotch pines.
As I got older, my homes had higher ceilings, thus the need for taller Christmas trees. The trees were in the ten foot plus range and they were heavy. Luckily, the service in the tree lots increased along with the price of the trees. At local nurseries here in Colorado, the people are usually very friendly and will come down on the price if you ask them. They will also cut a fresh slice off the bottom of the tree with a chainsaw, bag up your tree, and tie it down on your vehicle.
So as you head out this year to find your perfect tree, remember your trees of Christmas past. May they smell like the Scotch pines of my youth.
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