2010 in Review in Photos

Because pictures tell the best stories....

JANUARY: In a new short lived New Years tradition, I throw my halloween pumpkin off a bridge to represent heaving one's burdens and past into the abyss and welcoming a new year. I say this was short lived because while I wanted to continue this trend this past year, my pumpkin died a gruesome death in mid November after a particularly bitter frost.

FEBRUARY 10: 30th Birthday/Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony party! It's not every year that they fall on the same day, nor is it every year that a friend of yours from Australia comes to visit (Emma, the one with the wine next to the cripple in the cast). ;)

FEBRUARY 21: Sam and I celebrate our first Anniversary with snowboarding at Mt. Hood (where we first started going on unofficial dates) and a night at the Mt. Hood B&B, at Parkdale. All I gotta say is... awesome.

FEBRUARY/MARCH: Snowboarding Trip to Mt. Baker, WA with Sam, Amy and Julie... afterwards, Sam had the best fitted pair of snowboard boots ever created for man or womankind.

MARCH: Sam's birthday weekend in Bend, Oregon. Friends, TWO Brandi Carlile shows, snowboarding at Bachelor, hiking at Smith rock and a hot tub... what more could you want?

APRIL: Speaking of Brandi, Miss Carlile played an intimate show at Mississippi Studios and gave me a public shoutout mid set, thanking me for some awesome videos that I had shot there. Which, not surprisingly, was quite possibly the best moment of my life.

APRIL: Podiumed (for the first time) in my biggest race to date, the Cherry Blossom Cycling Classic Stage Race Criterium. Out of 36 women in the Cat 4's, I placed third. Not too shabby.

MAY: Traveled to Sweden to see my family's former exchange student Ulla get married. We also got to see Nikki (one of our other exchange students from Austria). My parents traveled on afterwards to then see Yvonne, one of our other exchange students in Germany. Overall, it was great getting to see some extended family and also spend time with my parents. It was my dad's first trip overseas.

MAY: On my way home from Denmark, I swung through Iceland to check out Eyjafjakkajokull, the volcano which had recently erupted a month prior. Sadly, air was still filled with ash from the explosion which meant that I couldn't really see it, but I did climb on a nearby glacier which was covered with ash from the blast. For the next day prior, everything I ate tasted ashy and my clothes were full of the stuff.

JUNE: Got the track bike built up and customized... levolovevelo fuck yeah!

JULY: 4th of July camping/surfing trip to the Oregon Mountains and Coast with Sam, Amy and Julie surprised us with being about 40 degrees and foggy. We still got some quality surfing in, but we wondered where our summer had gone to.

JULY: Oregon State Champ at last! I won the state in the Match Sprints for the Cat 4 women on the track. I placed 2nd in the 500mm TT by a mere one one hundredth of a second.

JULY: 2nd Annual Tour De Franzia. This event has got to be one of the highlights of my summer... copious amounts of boxed wine, friends in spandex, bikes, crazy contests and one fractured wrist.

AUGUST: Traveled to Reno to see my cousin get married. David made the trip in from Manhattan, mom from Oregon (she was hanging out with me) and Aunt Pat (who just passed at the end of December) from North Carolina.

AUGUST: the happy couple

AUGUST: Right after the wedding in Reno was over I hopped a plane to come back to the Pacific Northwest and help my softball team win some games and whatever it takes to make that happen.

SEPTEMBER: Another happy couple! Our friends Wendy and Natalie tie the knot in Seattle with Bumbershoot raging in the background and a Raise the Roof Brandi Carlile concert the following day. It was an awesome wedding and so nice to see so many friends from all over the country there. Hilarity ensued.

SEPTEMBER: After all the summer sporting was over, Sam and I took some time to get outdoors and enjoy some activities without rules and winners and losers.

SEPTEMBER: We also celebrating moving in together with our very own kegorator and a nice house party.

OCTOBER: Another cousin got married in Denver so Sam and I drove 20 hours to Colorado to see some family, meet up with my parents who brought a pair of seats from the old Cincinnati Reds stadium with them for me to bring back to Oregon. Also, another cousin of mine was brutally murdered in Florida a week prior so it was a good opportunity for family to get together and mourn and celebrate.

OCTOBER: ArtCrank Portland. This is the second year I've been participating as an artist for ArtCrank and every year it seemingly gets better and better. This year I loved seeing so many friends and familiar faces at the function.

OCTOBER: We had a group of friends get together each Tuesday night this fall at our house to watch Glee together. For the Halloween episode, we carved pumpkins, ate chili and enjoyed the episode. For the Christmas one, we even made Christmas cookies. These Tuesday night gatherings have been a highlight of my fall.

OCTOBER: For Halloween Weekend, we (a group of friends) all rented a house at Canon Beach and then drove up to Astoria to participate in the Cross Crusade Cyclocross Race. The race on Sunday was costume friendly, so Sam and I dressed up as Fuck Yeah factory workers in our matching overalls. Pretty much almost every weekend this fall revolved around a cross race. It was my first year racing cross and I can't wait till next year.

NOVEMBER: Wouldn't you know it... I ended up winning another OBRA medal this year! This was in the State Cross Championships for Women's Single Speed. It was a pretty competitive field and a really fun and challenging race.


DECEMBER: A friends Thanksigiving, this is turning into a nice little tradition too... a little friends, a little football and a whole lotta turkey.

DECEMBER: My friends and I celebrated Christmas Eve by climbing to the Palmer Glacier on Mt. Hood and snowboarding back down. It was a great way to start the holidays and also burn off some Christmas Cookies.

Here's looking to a great 2011!!!!

bringing in 2011 the best way I know how...

This past Friday, New Years Eve, my friends and I went to the climbing gym to work on some bouldering problems and the subject of evening activities came up.

FRIENDS: What are you guys up to tonight?

ME: Um, nothing huge... swinging by Lisa's house to celebrate her birthday and the New Year, but other than that... no huge plans. We might make a nice dinner before hand?

FRIENDS: Yeah... same here, no big plans.

ME: Well, you know.... I did had this crazy idea this morning that we could get up before dawn and drive to Mt. Hood and hike up it to watch the sunrise and then snowboard back down... but um, well.... you know, it's kinda last minute.

FRIENDS: I think that's a great idea... I had that same exact crazy thought actually, but was too afraid to say it.

So, we worked out our plan over the chalk dust at the gym and then polished them up over brews at Laurelwood. Then that evening, we had a nice dinner, went to a birthday/new years party, and then went to bed at 1am... only to get up three and a half hours later, bags packed, snowboards waxed, coffee hot and snowshoes ready to roll.

What follows are photos from the first sunrise of 2011 on Mt. Hood, which I believe, tell the story better than I ever could. Seriously, I can't think of a better way to bring in the New Years than with friends and enjoying the great outdoors... reasons like this is why I love living in Oregon.

Enjoy, and happy new year to you and your loved ones - I hope you made it special!

Best wishes in 2011!

Pre-dawn in the Timberline Parking lot... 7:00am

Ready to roll... 7:15am

ice...

breaking dawn...

Mt. Hood, looking beautiful as always...

me, surveying the scene...

Fritts, Amy, Julie, me, Sam

Fritts and Julie sharing a laugh...

Sam... contemplating...

the clouds start rolling in....

Did I mention the white out?

white out.... it was like walking in a cloud.

good and steeeeeeep....

Anyways... New Years Day, I feel a tradition coming on....

Life is a banquet

Last week, my Aunt Pat, who was 79 years old and living in Wilmington, NC passed away from unknown causes. Apparently a work man was scheduled to come to the house for repairs and got concerned when she didn't answer the door or the phone. Concerned, he called the cops who then broke into her house to find my Aunt sitting in her favorite chair... seemingly just sleeping.

When I look back at my Aunt and this unfortunate news, I can't really be too terribly depressed. Yes, it sucks that my Aunt is no longer with us, but... looking back on it all, she lived a great life right until the end and hopefully, her passing was quick and painless. If anything, I see this as an opportunity to celebrate my Aunt's life.

You know, my brother and I always referred to my Aunt as "Auntie Mame" because she was such a riot (if you've seen the movie or read the book.... you know exactly what I mean.) Whereas other people her age knitted and collected Hummel figurines, Aunt Pat drank, smoked, met men at the bar, played golf and told inappropriate stories. She really did live life to the fullest and never seemed to slow down. In fact, she carried on right till the very end. I'd like to think that she had a smoke, fixed herself a nice strong drink and then sat down to relax at the end of the day.

I'll always remember visiting Aunt Pat when we were children and she lived outside of DC. This was always a highlight of the summer as it meant getting to eat Maryland crabs, tons of port wine cheese and crackers, visit all the Smithsonian Museums, the National Monuments, and sit out on her balcony watching all the people in her neighboring apartments come and go. I always enjoyed those visits and later when she moved to North Carolina, there were also more crabs to be consumed, but there were also warm beaches to visit and big cypress trees to hang from. With going away to college and then moving to the West Coast, it became fewer and farer between visits, but I made a point to go to my cousins (her granddaughters) wedding in Reno this summer to see her again. As well, just a few days before her passing I marked in my 2011 planner a trip to go visit her on her 80th birthday in April.

So- So long Aunt Pat... may you be remembered with a smile and a laugh always.

"Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death." -Aunite Mame

Oh, and I took your advice Aunt Pat:

These are my day dreams in the winter

There are some days, especially those in the winter, that when I sit down at my desk and my mind doesn't go straight to the work to be done for the day. I walk into the kitchenette to get some coffee and I look outside, out into the cold damp dark morning. I watch as the working people rush into the coffee shop across the street and the computer monitors light-up in the office windows across the way. It is in these moments that my mind drifts far away from the hustle and the bustle of the city, my mind drifts off towards a snowy mountain pass somewhere. A road with tall, majestic fir trees lining the way; branches laden with snow and slumping towards the ground. Past the road, there is a deep dark snowy woods. A woods that is slowly filling with a soft morning light; going from a muddled navy to a light hazy lavender. There in the woods is untouched powder. It softy blankets the base of the trees, just waiting... waiting for someone to track through it. White, perfect, crisp, silent, still...

These are my day dreams in the winter.

I am not one to dream for Caribbean Cruise vacations filled with snorkeling and sandy beaches. My drinks do not come in coconuts with little umbrellas. My screen saver is not palm trees and crystal blue water. It is the snow, it is the trees, it is the mountains, and it is the cold. And these things I would gladly pass up any tropical vacation for. These are my day dreams, not only in the winter... but in the summer too.

Over the past few weeks a few storms have rolled into the mountains and dumped a fair amount of snow on the slopes of Mt. Hood. This has provided an ample base to begin the snowboarding/ski season and so this past weekend, I partook for the first time this winter. I've been keeping myself busy racing bikes all spring, summer, and fall long... but each time I put on my racing spandex and pull out my bike, I am secretly wishing for the time when I can put it away for a while. I am waiting till it gets cold, till it gets wet, and the seasons change. I've had my snowboarding bag, filled with my base layers, my wool socks, my snowboarding pants and my red parka, packed for the past three months, just waiting. I got my board waxed and edged last month.... just waiting.

I love pretty much everything about a trip to the mountain.

I love meeting my friends in the morning; coffee, breakfast burrito, and snowboard in hand... just waiting for the adventure that the day will bestow upon us. I love the approach, the drive up to the mountain. I love seeing how far away the snow starts. I love passing the Mt. Hood Wilderness sign and seeing cars pull over on the side of the road to put their chains on. I love the trees that line the way, branches heavy with snow. Little cabins nestled in the woods, warm glows coming from inside. I love telling my friends to be quiet for Silent Rock (respect it ya'll). I love the view that comes right after we pass it. I love seeing that first glimpse of the mountain. I love getting our parking spot and then getting out into the cold air in an eager attempt to layer up as quick as you can before the chill from the air gets to you. I love that first chair ride up, hearing the snow... listening for what it sounds like under the skis and boards of those below. I love trying to spot the powder stashes off to the side. And I love love love if it's a powdery day. If the snow is soft and light. I love if I can make it to my favorite little tree sections before they get all run through.

(I heart Jack's Woods)

I love the trees. I am sure that one day they will be the end of me, but I love nothing more on the mountain than a deep steep section of trees. I love plotting my way through them. Connecting the dots, using the trees as markers, swishing left, swooping right, narrowly making it through some trees that are only wide enough for a board, ducking under a fallen tree or a low branch. I love seeing a waterfall of powder under me... the snow becomes fluid, just like me, it cascades below till I catch up with it. More than doing tree runs themselves though, I love the trees because it is here that the mountain seems the quietest. Away from the lift lines, away from the park punks, away from the hill bombing toddlers, here in the woods it is still. Here in the woods I have the greatest connection to nature. I feel a part of the world around me. I honestly wish I could have a tree-run that would last for hours, endlessly boarding down without ever having to stand in a lift line to do it all over again.

But alas... at some point an end of the day has to come and with it, a sobering ride home from the mountain. That's the part I hate the most; leaving, driving, being tired from the exposure and the exhilaration. I wish at the end of each snowboarding day there was a few pints of a nice stout or porter, some pizza, cajun tots and then I'd magically be whisked away to a hot tub, a fireplace and a warm bed... wanting nothing but waiting for the alarm to go off and then do it all over again the next day.

Unlike many, I never listen to music while riding on the mountain - but if I did... it would be this song on repeat. There is just something about it that takes me to a snowy woods... enjoy and happy daydreams yourself.

	Fleet Foxes - Blue Ridge Mountains .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

Women's CX Single Speed Oregon State Championships and other bike related news

"SSara Tingey and Jenn Velolevo both got a podium spot in the womens SS cross race yesterday. I saw them both on the course and they were rockin' it! Congrats to both of you and nice work in some tough conditions. Levo did a cool slide out on the tough off-camber section at the top of the course. I didn't see a single person ride that section, although it didn't keep me from trying all day (stoopid!)"

-Joe Santos

Sometimes, it's best to leave the detailed race reports to more simpler formats. If that was the case here, I think Joe summed up Saturday's State Championship races pretty well. But, me being me and this being my blog, I'm going to elaborate just a little bit more.

Going into Saturday's race, I was mainly just stoked that there WAS a Women's SS Category, for the first time ever. Granted, I thought that we'd probably just have at least five women show up on the start line but to my surprise we had one of the largest women's fields of the day! (SS: 15, Beginner: 15, Cat B: 10, Cat A: 12, Master A: 19, Master B:5, 45+:10). And, it was a pretty strong group of women who showed up. Everyone from folks like Sarah T and Anna Christiansen (who race A's), a lot of the B's (who I normally place behind), and some fasters masters ladies. Prior to the race, it was fun standing on the line with everyone who is basically, your cross bike racing peer, meaning, we are all riding the same basic bike. It's a great equalizer, you know that when you're not looking forward to that big hill... that no one else is either. It's gonna be tough for you, it's gonna be tough for everyone. Speaking of hills by the way, this subject got everyone talking about what gearing they were running. While we all had single speeds, we were not all running the same single speed. Looking around and chit-chatting, I realized that I was running way too big of a gear for the "dreaded hill" at Salem HS. Whereas most of my competitors were gearing the mid-to-late 30's, my gearing was up in the 40's. This, I realized, was most likely not going to be too favorable for the race. But, instead of worrying about the fact that I'm going to have to run my bike up the hill, I just accepted it was not my ideal course and that i'd be running with the bike any time the elevation started gaining and my legs started pushing. In that case, I'd just have to make up for it by kicking the shit out of any flat spots where I could sprint and gain ground. I mean, I might as well make my big gear work for me while everyone else is spinning eh? So, that's what I did.

Once the race was underway, everyone shot straight out of the gates and in no time flat, a few people went down and got stuck in the mud. Anna C. seemed to have hit turbo and was out of sight in no time, a bit ahead of me was Sarah T but I still had about three other racers in between us that I figured were going to give me a run for my money. Bit by bit, someone would wipe out on the slippery off-camber. Being an opportunist, I made it past some folks by mostly riding this section with one foot clipped out - that way I could brace myself intentionally and just kick it through most of the time, catching myself when I needed to all the while keeping momentum up. Every time there was a little bit (or a big bit) of a hill, I just did what I said I would do and got off and ran it, conserving energy rather than expending it trying to ride. Luckily the hill wasn't that steep, it was just long and littered with momentum draining bark dust wood chips. As long as you could keep a good pace and stay moving at a quick rate, I figured you could do pretty well.

By the end of the first lap, I was only going back and forth with two other riders, MK from Ironclad and Angela from Hammer. A few times I passed Angela on the flats, but then she'd catch back up to me on the hill. By the mid part of lap two though, I caught back up to her after she passed me on a hill and she was just spinning and spinning and spinning on the flats and gaining no ground. This is where I was glad to be running a big gear as I just flew past. MK at this point was the only rider ahead of me. She was going strong but got caught up a few times in the mucky off-camber where I was able to pass her. For the rest of the race my main motivation was not to catch up with Sarah, who I'd occasionally catch a glimpse of ahead of me, but it was to keep those two other girls off my back. (I've found that not only beer, but paranoia as well is a great motivator). The rest of the race was spent hammering it in sections that I could, looking behind me, bombing down sections where I could, looking behind me, running into tree branches that covered the best lines, (looking behind me) and running up hills. It wasn't till about the third lap when I realized that I was in a medal spot and that there was only one other person ahead of Sarah, which was Anna. Cool I thought, I just have to not freak the frick out and finish strong. I managed to ride the rest of the course pretty clean aside from a big wipe out in the mud section right before the finish. It was one of those where you fall down and you fall through your bike... meaning, you and your bike have to be untangled in order to keep going. It was at this point that I had visions of having to run the bike to the finish and having one of the other girls creeping up behind me turning into a neck and neck bike vs foot race... but no, the bike kept moving and so did I.

At the finish line I happily saw Sarah and Anna there waiting. I got a little confused at first since there were some other racers standing there too, people that normally place ahead of me or at least near to, so I wasn't to sure how I placed at first, but I soon learned that they had been cut from the race a lap before me, so no... I did indeed come in third. Woop woop! As well, there was a nice chunk of time between me and 4th so even if I had had to run it in the end, I still probably would have placed third. Overall, I was stoked to medal in the first ever wmns ss category and happy to do it with my BTV teammate Sarah (who she being a superior mountain biker, I never thought I'd see the day where I was standing on the same podium.) Hopefully, with our strong field and good showing on Saturday, OBRA can make Women's SS a legitimate open wmns category at more cross races next year. Sadly though, I hope it wouldn't take away from the competitive nature of the other women's categories; for example I was a little disappointed in turnout in the Women's B field with only 10 racers. Hopefully, everyone can have their cake and eat it too.

PS: special thanks to Margi who can either predict the future or at least fill my head with self-full filling prophecies. Thanks for helping me believe in myself. :)

(photo by Sara F)

As well, on this note... it's with bittersweet satisfaction that I hang up my BTV kit for the 2010 bike racing season. It's been a good season for me and I've had many enjoyable races and fun times and beers with my Bridgetown teammates. However, when I return to the road in 2011 I've decided to switch teams and race with Ironclad instead. It's nothing personal as I love Bridgetown and it's been a great two years riding with and getting to know them. Most of all, I thank Bridgetown for taking a chance on a kid who came to team rides wearing tennis shoes and had cage pedals. :)

Overall, it's been a great season and a great year. In 2010, I entered in 40 races including road races, time trials, crits, track races and a cross. Which in aside from cross races (where there are 60 some plus riders), I placed in the top ten in all events with a few top five finishes (and a lot of 4th places) as well as one or two podiums. The highlights of the season were probably:

3rd place - Cherry Blossom Cycling Class Stage Race Criterium, Cat 4

1st place - OBRA State Championships, Match Sprints, Cat 4

2nd place - OBRA State Championships, 500mm TT, Cat 4

3rd place - OBRA State Championships, Wmns SS XC

Looking back on that, I am a very very very happy camper and I am really really looking forward to racing with the Ironclad crew net year. However, at the same time I am also really really happy for bike racing to be over for a bit. I am ready for the snow to start falling. I am ready to say good bye to dirt and asphalt for a while and hello to powder and pine trees. Everyone needs some time to refresh and rejuvenate and for that, I go to the mountains. See ya on the road come spring time!

(Speaking of snow, here's a photo of the podium for the Wmns SS on Saturday... who here looks like they just came out of the half-pipe?)

Playing Outdoors

So, being on a vintage book kick recently (see last post) got me to thinking about going to the library a lot as a youth. It's something I don't do so much anymore because when I do find the time to read, it happens to be magazines that I either buy or have delivered to my house. And, if I really want a book bad enough, I'll buy it or borrow it from a friend. That's just how it is these days. And well, I feel bad... but I've lived in Oregon now for 3.5 years and I have yet to even get a library card. I think that makes me a bad Oregonian. I mean, I have a bike, I snowboard, I try to surf , I have a dog, I recycle, I drink beer, I drink coffee, I go see live music, I even drive a SUBARU! but... I just don't have that library card yet. (Maybe that's what I'll do to celebrate my fourth year. 03.31.11, get ready for it Multnomah County Libraries - it's gonna be raging!)

Anyways, back when I was a youth in Hillsboro Ohio, there was one book that I think I checked out of our library at least 12 times. As some of you may know, as I kid I was obsessed with magazines, especially L.L.Bean. One day while pursuing the outdoors section of the library, I came across this book and fell in love. It was so chock full of information and tips, that it was my go-to source for the outdoors, and well... the fact that it was an L.L. Bean book just made it even more delicious. So.. I did some searching on the internet and found it. In less than two weeks a perfectly good used copy of the L.L. Bean Guide to the Outdoors, by Bill Riviere (published in 1981) showed up on my doorstep.

I eagerly ripped open the package and sat down in my favorite chair to thumb through the pages. Almost thirty years have passed since the book was published and at least fifteen years have gone past since I last read it. So many of the articles like weather forecasting, nutrition on the trail, and where to put your tent still ring true today, but some of their fashion tips I just chuckled at. I mean, in the 90's when I first found this book, fleece was all the rage. I couldn't believe that people actually used to wear wool baselayers and puffy down filled coats. And now well, fifteen years later look at the outdoors and fashion industry, that's exactly what people (ie the urban woodsman) are wearing again.

(the model for this illustration lives in Williamsburg.)

(Always handy for finding your way home from the bar.)

(Axe, bought unfinished from vendor for $30, painted pretty colors and resold for $150.)

(Classic L.L.Bean boots, made by L.L.Bean but now resold by J.Crew for an additional $200.)

Take for example the external frame backpack. Five years ago, people were probably finding them in the the back of their garage and giving them away for free. Now though, a vintage Kelty External Frame pack easily goes for $100 on ebay! And, I don't think those people who are actually buying them are planning on going on large expeditions of scaling Mt. Hood with them. No, they'll probably just throw it on their back, put an extra pair of skinny jeans, a vintage flannel, their iphones, some PBR and tofu in them and walk around Forest Park with their "Best Made" axe and "play" outdoors.

(Where do I put my fixed gear bike lock?)

Anyways, I'm glad I was able to find this book. More than anything else, it's connected me back with a little bit of my childhood and past. There are still plenty of helpful tips in it, but there is also humor seeing how modern-day trends has co-opted some of the icons and the "lifestyle".

To Do List: Rewrite and Reride History

So, last year I wrote a little bit about a new vintage book I picked up online, The Oregon American Guide Series book from the WPA, first published in 1940. Due to the fragile nature of the book, I really haven't fully delved into it's facts, figures, routes, trips and storied past of Oregon history... but whenever my mind wanders into getting outside and exploring more of Oregon... my mind goes back to this book. As I've said before, I'd love to follow some of the routes suggested in the book and then take photos at the same spots pictured in the book; however, I'd do it all on bike. In proper Oregon fashion. The only problem is, for as much as I enjoy riding my bike... I don't really like "riding" my bike. Truth of the matter is, if I'm on my bike it's probably because I'm racing it (and ideally, in spans of time no longer than forty-five minutes at a time). Learning to ride for long distances for long periods of time is something I'll have to get used to. Maybe, thinking of documenting this trip while riding would be a good place to start.

Anyways, I got out the camera last evening and decided to take some more photos of the book... you know, to keep the fires going. If you are a local cyclist who does enjoy riding for long periods of time and would like to sign on with me to explore some of the routes... I'd love to collaborate with you. Let's discuss.