Hits, Misses, Close Calls...

[DDT (12)]

 
Some things are just meant to be, some things just are not, it seems… How are those things determined? Fate? Destiny? Happenstance? All of the above? None of the above? Or, are they not ‘determined’ at all; do they just happen randomly, helter-skelter, willy-nilly…? I surely don’t know, but it amazes me how stuff happens…
 
I had a direct hit with InZane this year! Yep, I made it on-time and on-target… two things never a given with this navigationally challenged trekker! OK, I had help… I rode over from ‘God’s Country’ with the usual suspects plus a few others from various states, so I can’t take any credit for the ‘hit’… still… A memorable feat, nonetheless…
 
I scored a complete miss on my solitary ride to Solo1’s 90th birthday celebration. A worn-out rear wheel bearing halted that trek in Russellville, AL. Good ol’ troutdude rescued me, however, and all turned out fine… except I did miss seeing Wayne and his sons and joining in the commemoration of such a remarkable event…
 
Close but no cigar… I came oh so tantalizingly close to making the Darby Ride this year… but I just couldn’t quite pull it off. Nope, I rode from central Florida to east Tennessee, where I hooked-up with some of our group, then on to Kentucky where we joined the rest of our ‘squad’ for the ride westward. I endured the heat of the south, east, and central parts of our country, then I weathered the transformation to coolness along the way in Kansas. But, I did survive to ride on…
 
We made it into eastern Colorado, and I was holding up pretty well… until we ascended to the lofty heights of the Rocky Mountains. That’s where it all started to go downhill for me… We rode across Rocky Mountain National Park, down the other side of the ‘great divide’ then turned around and rode back again to Estes Park, where we spent the night. Yeah, I was huffing and puffing by then, but I was still optimistic…
 
Rocky Mountain NP

More RMNP

Most of our crew taking a ‘breather’…

 A good omen? An omen at all? Visitors to our motel in Estes Park…

 
The following day we rode down to Mt. Evans, and the highest paved road in North America… High for sure, and by the time I’d dismounted ‘up top’, I knew it was time for me to get my tookus back down to somewhere lower! I did ride back to the restaurant and gift shop at the turn-off onto the ‘natural high’ route… There I patiently waited for the group to catch-up with me… Yeah, I also caught a much-needed nap, too…
 
On our way to Mt. Evans, we rode through the hamlet of Nederland, CO. Curious little throw-back to another era… Haight-Asberry and the whole 'flower power' scene would have been right at home here… Perhaps this is a retirement community for aging hippies and the turned-off generation once over the hill… Pot shops, street musicians, the music… it all seemed to fit…
 
Retirement community for the children of flower power

Yep, they really have those… (pot shop)


Fall color just making a first appearance on the way to Mt. Evans

Catching our breath on the way up Mt. Evans

Atop Mt. Evans – I parked, dismounted, snapped a pic, waved good-bye, then immediately rode back down!

 
My breathing was still a bit labored but much improved at the ‘lower’ altitude. I knew what was going on… On previous visits, I’d already learned that for most folks, especially yours truly, it pays to ‘work-up’ to the adjustment necessary for those who live near sea-level much of their lives and then first arrive out there. I knew that, but like so many times before, I didn’t heed that lesson! And, I was paying the price… I later realized I’d been making another ‘rookie’ mistake, too!
 
The group caught up with me down at the store/restaurant… We then proceeded to make our way towards Leadville and the beginning of our main purpose in coming out to that spectacular locale… The Darby Ride with the Colorado riders… I was leading, so…
 
We naturally had to stop for me to check my atlas and regain my bearings… We weren’t lost by any means, but… you know… Traffic on I-70 was unexpectedly heavy, stop and go at first, and of course we had a shower arrive to make the picture complete. It’s just so utterly magnificent out there, though, that it’s hard to justify grumbling about anything, so even the less than ideal circumstances were more than tolerable…
 
Once through the Eisenhower Tunnel, things improved dramatically. Traffic became a non-factor, the weather cleared, the temps were most pleasant, and the whole adventure had seemed to have ‘turned the corner’! We stopped for a break before riding the last twenty miles or so to the Darby Ride rendezvous at the motel in Leadville…

Dinner in Leadville had been planned by our most hospitable host, and a good meal was in store for all who made the short ride into town… just down the street from a famous watering hole…


Our amazing host…

The 'eastern contingent'...

McKenna, Polky, 'Damon's Dick', Tailgate Tommy, Hal47...

JP & Bobbie, Denver Dave, Disco Dave...


Once back at the motel, I was seriously thinking about skipping the actual Darby Ride… Then I walked inside to the lobby, where a small group of fellow attendees were holding a … ummmm… I guess the only accurate description would be a BS and big-dogging session. I felt right at home with such a group, so I sat down and joined right in…

Denver Dave then presented me with a ‘gift’ he’d had prepared for me to commemorate the event, and it really turned me completely around! I was definitely going on this ride with my good friends now, and that was that…

A very special and most thoughtful gift from Denver Dave… (I couldn't figure out how to rotate it...)


The following morning, I felt pretty bad from not having slept well, not being able to breath properly, and generally lacking in energy, vim, vigor and vitality… my enthusiasm had trailed off considerably, too. That’s when my dear friends persuaded me that it would be wise for me to return to lower altitudes (Leadville itself is over ten thousand feet in elevation!)… and that’s what I wound-up doing…

I watched as the group began the Darby Ride… I’d made it to the ride, but I did not make it on the ride… A very close, near-miss, indeed!
pictures upload sites

Troutdude and Winghot escorted me back to Colorado Springs. Dennis and I stopped by Misfit’s house to pick up a key to Ron’s house, where we would stay until the rest of the folks returned from the ride… Wayne made the turnaround and headed back to Montrose where he would rejoin the folks on the ride.

Three days of rest, deep breathing therapy, alcohol abstinence, and rather careless dieting worked wonders for this tenderfoot, and I was well on my way to a full recovery… that would only come eventually when I’d returned to more normal altitudes! Oh, and one other thing… In Leadville and continuing after arrival in Colorado Springs, I drank lots of water… something I’d belatedly realized I’d neglected to do earlier in the ride! A rookie mistake, for sure, but I was guilty as charged… Not like me at all, but… I am, after all, still a work in progress…

DDT

[Stitch]

Outstanding write up, thanks for taking the time to write it. It was worth reading, about fellow "Valkers"

[The emperor has no clothes]

Glad to hear you made it to thru relatively unscathed.   (you got this picture thing down)   Take Care !

[da prez]

  Bruce , most do not think water is important when you get to a higher altitude. I have been in the Alps and got dizzy (er) from the height. As long as you notice before you pass out.
  Good ride report. Keep the rubber side down and keep going.

                                   da prez

[f6john]

I never realized that the altitude was that much of an issue. Looks like an enjoyable trip for everyone even with the normal issues of weather and heat. Still dreaming of the day I get back in the wind, even if just for short hops.

[baird4444]

   Sorry you were afflicted....  I was lookiing forward to meeting the Legend in Montrose when
Y'all came through.  Will catch you next time.
             Prollly a wise move to git to lower altitude-  Mike

[JimmyG]

Good write up Bruce. Glad your back to normal, well your normal anyway  

[f6john]

So where are you today, back home in the recliner or???

[Avanti]

Maybe the Flavored Oxygen Bar in Leadville would of help.

[henry 008]

 

[MarkT]

Good report Bruce.  Sorry the height got to ya.  Same thing happened to my Dad & the doctor told him, no more Colorado for you!  He was approaching 90 and had had a quad bypass.  Sometimes folks need to develop the lungs and red blood cell count by acclimating.

Was that Saddle & Surrey you stayed at, in Estes Park?  The owner wants me to bring up some smoked brisket - didn't promise a free room, however!  I told her where to get good deals on Pit Boss pellet smokers and the pellets.  BTW, I just picked up the largest brisket Costco had, today.  But it was only 14 lbs.  Going for brisket experiment #2 this weekend!

The saloon you pointed out in Leadville - that's where Doc Holliday dealt faro before he retired in Glenwood Springs with his consumption (TB) and is buried there to this day in Linwood cemetery.  He lived on the 2nd floor of the bank across the street - now an antique store.  Some real interesting history in those towns.  If you go in that saloon, it's frozen in time.  Looks exactly as it did in 1879.  I like to read history books and go see the places it happened.

From wikipedia,
After a stay in Leadville, he suffered from the high altitude. He increasingly depended on alcohol and laudanum to ease the symptoms of tuberculosis, and his health and his skills as a gambler began to deteriorate.[9]:218

Holliday's last known confrontation took place in Hyman's saloon in Leadville. Down to his last dollar, he had pawned his jewelry, and then borrowed $5 from Billy Allen, a bartender and special officer at the Monarch Saloon, which enabled Allen to carry a gun and make arrests within the saloon. When Allen demanded he be repaid, Holliday could not comply. He knew Allen was armed, and when Allen appeared ready to attack him, he shot him, wounding him in the arm. Holliday was arrested and put on trial. He claimed self-defense, noting that Allen outweighed him by 50 pounds and he feared for his life. A witness testified that Allen had been armed and in Hyman's earlier in the day apparently looking for Holliday. On March 28, 1885, the jury acquitted Holliday.[64]

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doc_Holliday


BTW the overnight stop in Creede you missed, that's where Bob Ford was shot dead in a gunfight.  Ford was the coward who shot his pal Jesse James in the back for a reward. Ford was shot to death at the age of 30 in Creede, Colorado, by Edward Capehart O'Kelley, who attacked him in Ford's temporary tent saloon. Ford was first buried in Creede. His remains were later exhumed and reburied in Richmond Cemetery.

You also missed the site on the edge of Lake City where Alferd Packer ate his pals in the winter of 1874.   From wikipedia,

" According to a local newspaper, the presiding judge, M. B. Gerry, said:

    Stand up yah voracious man-eatin' sonofabitch and receive yir sintince. When yah came to Hinsdale County, there was siven Dimmycrats. But you, yah et five of 'em, goddam yah. I sintince yah t' be hanged by th' neck ontil yer dead, dead, dead, as a warnin' ag'in reducin' th' Dimmycratic populayshun of this county. Packer, you Republican cannibal, I would sintince ya ta hell but the statutes forbid it."

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alferd_Packer

Last year we ate at the Packer Saloon in Lake City, you can have a cannibal sandwich if you want.

I have a cousin who lived in Nederland for some years, before I moved here in 87.  She fit your demographic very well - she was, and still is, a hippy!  Came down from the mountain and moved to the People's Republic of Boulder.  Fitting.  
Nederland is a fun stop.  Nice ice cream store right near the carousel. Fun town to walk around.  Never stayed overnight there.   If you want to talk about quirky - they have a festival there called Frozen Dead Guy Days.

From everfest.com:

The bizarre lore behind Grandpa Bredo sparked the three-day festival, which has been held annually since 2000. The saga began when Grandpa Bredo's family decided after his death at age 89 to preserve the body in dry ice and ship it to a cryonics facility in the U.S.

He rested there in liquid nitrogen until grandson Trygve Bauge had the body moved to Nederland to be with him and his mother, Aud Morstoel. They planned to start a cryonics facility with Grandpa Bredo as their first member, hoping that future technology would lead to corpse “re-animation” and cures for what ailed them.

However, obstacles loomed. First, Aud had to leave her house because, lacking plumbing and electricity, it violated local ordinances. She abandoned plans for the cryonics business and moved back to Norway.

Then there was the matter of a municipal code that banned the “keeping of bodies” on private property, which threatened Grandpa Bredo's icy existence. Aud pleaded to the Nederland City Council to amend the law, making Grandpa Bredo's corpse an exception. They agreed and the frozen body was “grandfathered” in, allowing it to remain in Nederland.

Frozen Dead Guy Festival Events

People come from all over the country and even from around the world—including representatives of cryonics organizations—for Frozen Dead Guy Days frat-party atmosphere of beer drinking and zaniness. Among the wacky events are a parade of hearses in downtown Nederland, a macabre Frozen Dead Guy look-alike contest, shivering jumps into icy ponds, frozen salmon tosses, frozen T-shirt contests and ice-y turkey bowling.

The festival, now run by a private company, is tweaked each year and events are often dropped or added but several frigid traditions are mainstays, including the costumed plunge in an ice water pond, coffin races and the parade of hearses. Participation in the plunge, unlimited beer and tours of the Tuff Shed where Grandpa Bredo's corpse lies are offered to those who purchase special VIP tickets to the event. Otherwise, the festival is free.

On noon on Saturdays the coffin race takes place, in which teams carrying coffins of a “corpse” of a team member rush to race each other on an snowy, often icy course. The race requires early registration for participation because of its popularity. The frozen T-shirt contest involve four-person teams, who don shirts chilled to an icy crispness 72 hours before the event, and dance two rounds of the can-can to compete for prizes.

In between the parades, competitions and races, there's plenty of live music, food and drinking at beer stands under large festival tens.

One of the big much-anticipated events is the Saturday night “Blue Ball” featuring live music, an Ice Queen pageant and ghoulish Grandpa Bredo look-alike contest.

Read more at https://www.everfest.com/e/frozen-dead-guy-days-nederland-co

That little lake where you "caught your breath" on Mt Evans - one night 30 years ago we went up there with lawn chairs and beverages to watch a meteor shower.  Gotta tell ya, the sky is pretty dark that high up, above the timberline!

[..]

Ahem.
Smoking?

[..]

I spent one night in Leadville and skedaddled due to a bad nights sleep at altitude.

At the top of Mt. Evans I spoke with 2 cyclists.

They told me the secret of cycling to that altitude was to pace oneself. 

[Bigwolf]

Bruce,
Thanks for taking the time and making the effort to post the photos and the accompanying story.  A great read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

I hate that you missed the Darby ride.  I am sure that was a big disappointment for you. 

As for the water issue, I still get that wrong sometimes too.  I pay a lot more attention to it when the weather is hot but still sometimes underestimate my need.  My big lesson in hydration came about 30 years ago.  I rode my Honda 550K to a 3 day outdoor music event 6 hours ride from home.  It was hot!......3 days of sitting out in the sun with 100 degree temps.  I had a few beers but mostly drank water and what I thought was a lot of it.  Then rode home wearing shorts and T-shirt..........just did make it home........sick, .... bad sick.....was 3 days before I felt tolerably well.  I had some dehydration going on while riding home from Inzane this year.....not too bad but bad enough.  So I bought a hydration backpack.  I feel kinda silly riding with it ........ but sometimes I just have to accept I am not as young and tough as I like to think I am.

Take care of yourself and keep doing what you do best.

See you somewhere out there,
Bigwolf

[The emperor has no clothes]

Bruce,
Thanks for taking the time and making the effort to post the photos and the accompanying story.  A great read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

I hate that you missed the Darby ride.  I am sure that was a big disappointment for you. 

As for the water issue, I still get that wrong sometimes too.  I pay a lot more attention to it when the weather is hot but still sometimes underestimate my need.  My big lesson in hydration came about 30 years ago.  I rode my Honda 550K to a 3 day outdoor music event 6 hours ride from home.  It was hot!......3 days of sitting out in the sun with 100 degree temps.  I had a few beers but mostly drank water and what I thought was a lot of it.  Then rode home wearing shorts and T-shirt..........just did make it home........sick, .... bad sick.....was 3 days before I felt tolerably well.  I had some dehydration going on while riding home from Inzane this year.....not too bad but bad enough.  So I bought a hydration backpack.  I feel kinda silly riding with it ........ but sometimes I just have to accept I am not as young and tough as I like to think I am.

Take care of yourself and keep doing what you do best.

See you somewhere out there,
Bigwolf

Jerry, there is nothing silly about riding with the hydration backpack. I too got one for my trip to Inzane this year. Although, I don't like wearing it. I put it in a pack on the pillion seat. I need to extend the hose a few inches though, it had no spare length. I wish I'd have done it years ago, it works great !

[Thunderbolt]

Was "Jones-ing" for a DDT Dissertation.  That fit the bill very well.  Hope you are home and enjoying the semi-annual love bug infestation.

[MarkT]

Speaking of Hydration - I keep a Butler cup as a holder for my 30oz SS vacuum cup.  Fill it with ice & water. Use it to schedule my next stop.  When the water runs out, time to stop, refill it, and walk around a bit.  That typically happens at about 140 miles.  Anymore I travel pulling the HF trailer with the cooler on it. Might stop anywhere I have to slow down anyway, or stop to whiz at a rest stop - and replenish the cup from the cooler which has water and ice in it.  So I drink a quart of water every 2 hours. Sometimes happens at fewer miles. Works for me.  Never get dehydrated.  Just love having a cooler with me all the time.

BTW I have a hydration back-bladder thing.  Got it for hang gliding long ago.  Haven't used it since as I don't have a need for hands-free drinking anymore and I prefer cold drinks.

[DDT (12)]

Outstanding write up, thanks for taking the time to write it. It was worth reading, about fellow "Valkers"

Stitch,

Thank you very much! Yes, it does take some time and effort, but the reward is in re-living the events. I agree, reading the stories of the various journeys of fellow Valkers is worthwhile... Our physical journeys are amazing in themselves, but the journey between our ears is the most incredible of all!!!

DDT

Glad to hear you made it to thru relatively unscathed.   (you got this picture thing down)   Take Care !

Rob,

Thanks... yeah, I managed to have another adventure without any harm coming to this aging carcass... Old friendships were strengthened, some new ones were formed, and no ill-feelings were observed anywhere! Even though I missed out on the Darby Ride, the trip was most worthwhile, and I'm mighty glad I went along... Wish you could have been with us!

DDT

 Bruce , most do not think water is important when you get to a higher altitude. I have been in the Alps and got dizzy (er) from the height. As long as you notice before you pass out.
  Good ride report. Keep the rubber side down and keep going.

                                   da prez

Ross,

Thanks for the kind words and the sound advice! Yeah, I've always been a 'water drinker', having learned at a tender age the value of that. I should have known better!  Another example of having knowledge but failing to apply it, I suppose... of getting caught up in events and over-looking details... Oh well, I did realize it before passing out... although, napping was never difficult!!! We'll be looking for you to join us next time!

DDT

I never realized that the altitude was that much of an issue. Looks like an enjoyable trip for everyone even with the normal issues of weather and heat. Still dreaming of the day I get back in the wind, even if just for short hops.

John,

Yes, it is a very big deal, especially for low-country dwellers like yours truly. It is manageable, of course, but care and attention to details have to be observed... Hope to see you back out here when the time is right for you...

DDT

  Sorry you were afflicted....  I was lookiing forward to meeting the Legend in Montrose when
Y'all came through.  Will catch you next time.
             Prollly a wise move to git to lower altitude-  Mike

Mike,

Yeah, I was looking forward to meeting the few Colorado riders I haven't already met... Oh well, I reckon I'll just have to do this again and again until I do get it done, huh... I wasn't so sure at first, but it did turn out to be most wise for me to retreat to lower altitudes... and to rest some... One of our group about my age stayed with the ride, and he paid the price for cumulative fatigue, target fixation/fascination, and the insidious effects of altitude... and he crashed. That could easily have been this tenderfoot, but my wise friends steered me in the 'right direction'... I'm so fortunate!!!

DDT

Good write up Bruce. Glad your back to normal, well your normal anyway  

Jimmy,

LOL! Yeah, what passes for normal for me!!! Anyway, I'm haired-up and healed-over now, and raring to go! Thanks for the compliment...

DDT

So where are you today, back home in the recliner or???

John,

Yep, I'm back at the hacienda of my land-lady... and my tush is again glued to that danged ol' recliner! I'm gonna change all of that soon, but for now... I am a 'recliner potato' once again... sigh...

DDT

Maybe the Flavored Oxygen Bar in Leadville would of help.

Avanti,

I'm not familiar with 'flavored oxygen bars'... If they are anything like what I'm guessing they might be, though, that would seem to offer a remedy for one 'high' condition with another...?

DDT

Henry,

Thanks!

DDT



Good report Bruce.  Sorry the height got to ya.  Same thing happened to my Dad & the doctor told him, no more Colorado for you!  He was approaching 90 and had had a quad bypass.  Sometimes folks need to develop the lungs and red blood cell count by acclimating.

Was that Saddle & Surrey you stayed at, in Estes Park?  The owner wants me to bring up some smoked brisket - didn't promise a free room, however!  I told her where to get good deals on Pit Boss pellet smokers and the pellets.  BTW, I just picked up the largest brisket Costco had, today.  But it was only 14 lbs.  Going for brisket experiment #2 this weekend!

The saloon you pointed out in Leadville - that's where Doc Holliday dealt faro before he retired in Glenwood Springs with his consumption (TB) and is buried there to this day in Linwood cemetery.  He lived on the 2nd floor of the bank across the street - now an antique store.  Some real interesting history in those towns.  If you go in that saloon, it's frozen in time.  Looks exactly as it did in 1879.  I like to read history books and go see the places it happened.




Mark,

Yeah, I hated to miss out on all that I did... Altitude has always affected me, even the first time out there back in the sixties... I've know about that, and I've learend to pace myself and acclimate myself along the way for best results... This time, however, there was just so much that I wanted to show my eastern friends, and our time together was quite limited, that I took the risk, rolled the dice, so to speak... and came up with snake-eyes!

Yes, our motel in Estes Park was indeed the Saddle & Surrey! I thought it was a great place for us, and the lady that waited on us was most friendly, helpful, and accomodating. I'd stay there again... The owners (fairly new, I was told, about four years) are probably a bit thrifty, so a free room may not be in the cards... That is, until they get a taste of your brisket! If you properly dazzle them, I'll wager they will come around...

Thanks for the history lesson! I'd heard bits and pieces of legends, tales, and fables about various places out there, but your tutorial fills in many blanks! Just another of your many contributions!!!

DDT

I spent one night in Leadville and skedaddled due to a bad nights sleep at altitude.

At the top of Mt. Evans I spoke with 2 cyclists.

They told me the secret of cycling to that altitude was to pace oneself.  

Paul,

Yep, pace is one of the three legs of the altitude survival stool, in my opinion... Drinking lots of water, and limiting motion of any kind, being the other two... Knowing those things and applying them are two different things, however, and I... well... you know... I was unable to sleep well in Leadville either... for the same reason!

DDT

Bruce,
Thanks for taking the time and making the effort to post the photos and the accompanying story.  A great read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  

I hate that you missed the Darby ride.  I am sure that was a big disappointment for you.  

As for the water issue, I still get that wrong sometimes too.  I pay a lot more attention to it when the weather is hot but still sometimes underestimate my need.  My big lesson in hydration came about 30 years ago.  I rode my Honda 550K to a 3 day outdoor music event 6 hours ride from home.  It was hot!......3 days of sitting out in the sun with 100 degree temps.  I had a few beers but mostly drank water and what I thought was a lot of it.  Then rode home wearing shorts and T-shirt..........just did make it home........sick, .... bad sick.....was 3 days before I felt tolerably well.  I had some dehydration going on while riding home from Inzane this year.....not too bad but bad enough.  So I bought a hydration backpack.  I feel kinda silly riding with it ........ but sometimes I just have to accept I am not as young and tough as I like to think I am.

Take care of yourself and keep doing what you do best.

See you somewhere out there,
Bigwolf

Jerry,

Staying hydrated is vitally important anywhere in any climate... Dry conditions and altitude are two things that can easily creep-up on us southern boyz, because we don't grow up with them enough to develop a proper respect for the risks they present... Lots of ways to deal with that, yours sounds like a good one... Thanks for your always positive and helpful replies!

DDT

Bruce,
Thanks for taking the time and making the effort to post the photos and the accompanying story.  A great read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  

I hate that you missed the Darby ride.  I am sure that was a big disappointment for you.  

As for the water issue, I still get that wrong sometimes too.  I pay a lot more attention to it when the weather is hot but still sometimes underestimate my need.  My big lesson in hydration came about 30 years ago.  I rode my Honda 550K to a 3 day outdoor music event 6 hours ride from home.  It was hot!......3 days of sitting out in the sun with 100 degree temps.  I had a few beers but mostly drank water and what I thought was a lot of it.  Then rode home wearing shorts and T-shirt..........just did make it home........sick, .... bad sick.....was 3 days before I felt tolerably well.  I had some dehydration going on while riding home from Inzane this year.....not too bad but bad enough.  So I bought a hydration backpack.  I feel kinda silly riding with it ........ but sometimes I just have to accept I am not as young and tough as I like to think I am.

Take care of yourself and keep doing what you do best.

See you somewhere out there,
Bigwolf

Jerry, there is nothing silly about riding with the hydration backpack. I too got one for my trip to Inzane this year. Although, I don't like wearing it. I put it in a pack on the pillion seat. I need to extend the hose a few inches though, it had no spare length. I wish I'd have done it years ago, it works great !

Rob,

One size never fits all in anything I can think of regarding people! Some ideas resonate with certain of us, while they might not so much with others... Even on things about which we may agree generally, we typically must find ways to 'customize' or otherwise personalize things to suit our own unique tastes, preferences, and needs... I'd probably like your solution better than the one Jerry has chosen, but both offer a remedy to a serious issue!

DDT

Was "Jones-ing" for a DDT Dissertation.  That fit the bill very well.  Hope you are home and enjoying the semi-annual love bug infestation.

Terry,

Thanks for the kind words! Yes, I am 'home'... the rest of that... not so much! Not fond at all of lovebugs, but they are responsible for me 'earning' my handle... so...

DDT

Speaking of Hydration - I keep a Butler cup as a holder for my 30oz SS vacuum cup.  Fill it with ice & water. Use it to schedule my next stop.  When the water runs out, time to stop, refill it, and walk around a bit.  That typically happens at about 140 miles.  Anymore I travel pulling the HF trailer with the cooler on it. Might stop anywhere I have to slow down anyway, or stop to whiz at a rest stop - and replenish the cup from the cooler which has water and ice in it.  So I drink a quart of water every 2 hours. Sometimes happens at fewer miles. Works for me.  Never get dehydrated.  Just love having a cooler with me all the time.

BTW I have a hydration back-bladder thing.  Got it for hang gliding long ago.  Haven't used it since as I don't have a need for hands-free drinking anymore and I prefer cold drinks.

Mark,

You do like to tinker, experiment, and explore options... We all do at least some of that, and we all eventually come up with that special solution that works for us... maybe only us, but... An open mind opens up so many possibilities... I imagine the wide array of experimenting you do is more a product of your fertile and wide-open mind seeking ways to stretch it in new directions... good on ya!

DDT

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

It was a trip I'll remember to the end of my days . Thanks for letting me tag-along Bruce   

[DDT (12)]

Joe,

It's always a treat for me to ride with you... anywhere, any time! You do add a lot to any group of which you are a part... Sharing the ardors, joys, and adventures of long distance travel induces a special form of bonding, and I find myself enjoying your company even more now than ever... Thanks for being you, and for being with us!

I know how you feel about the Smoky Mountains… I share that very special reverence for those hills... For me, however, and perhaps for you now, too, it isn't so hard to acknowledge that perhaps 'God's Country' is a bit broader than we might have once suspected... Let's do it again!!!

DDT

[skinner]

Gus I’ll have to go back some time and finish what I started the Rockies are beautiful 

[JimBob]

For what it's worth, (and if my memory serves me correctly!) FAA regulations on piloting an aircraft state that the maximum altitude for prolonged periods of time is 10,000 ft above sea level. Brief periods above 10,000 but below 12,500 are allowable (to get over a ridge, for instance) but above 12,500 ft, oxygen is mandatory.

Nice story, and glad the rubber side stayed down.

I drove up through Estes Park and up to the Continental Divide one time. It was summer, and we had the windows wide open because the air felt so good, but we had the heater going wide open becuase it was COLD!

[DDT (12)]

Gus I’ll have to go back some time and finish what I started the Rockies are beautiful 

Skinner,

Yes sir, they are indeed!!! The more I travel around North America, the more I am convinced there truly is no 'finishing what we start' to be had. One could easily spend an entire lifetime wandering around and never see it all or experience everything... We can only do what we can do, however, but I've found that to be a most worthy undertaking... I highly recommend returning... If you're anything like me, though, that will only whet your appetite and not sate it... Good luck!

DDT

For what it's worth, (and if my memory serves me correctly!) FAA regulations on piloting an aircraft state that the maximum altitude for prolonged periods of time is 10,000 ft above sea level. Brief periods above 10,000 but below 12,500 are allowable (to get over a ridge, for instance) but above 12,500 ft, oxygen is mandatory.

Nice story, and glad the rubber side stayed down.

I drove up through Estes Park and up to the Continental Divide one time. It was summer, and we had the windows wide open because the air felt so good, but we had the heater going wide open becuase it was COLD!

JimBob,

In the movies about WWII, the air crews of the earlier 'high altitude' aircraft had to go on oxygen above 10K ft, because the cabins/crew compartments weren't pressurized... Later, when pressurized cabins were introduced, no supplemental oxygen was required... That is my source of information of the subject!

Valks are NOT pressurized! Everybody knows that, but still we ride them into extreme and unfamiliar situations... It's all manageable, of course, but many of us get caught up in the awesome experience and begin to over look seemingly little details and precautions, and that's when we get into trouble...

Thanks for the compliment! I hear ya on the 'windows down, but the heater on full-blast'! I was wearing an extra layer or two myself, as were my companions! Temperatures and weather generally out there seem to be influenced more by 'up and down', than by north and south... Part of the mystery, ergo the 'draw', of riding out there!!!

DDT

[MarkT]

Serious hang glider pilots, particularly those who fly in the mountains, have oxygen on board.  Even so they are limited to staying below the PCA (Positive Controlled Airspace) which begins at 18,000 ft.  Flying thermals in the mountains hang gliders are able to get much higher than that, and they do at Telluride where there is a permanent "hole" in the PCA. The world aerobatic champioNships are held there. Airline pilots have to fly around or over it.  To fly in the PCA aircraft are required to have transponders and radios and be under the control of the ATC.

the rules of when to hook up the gas aren't hard and fast for hang gliders.  Pilots who live here and are acclimated physically don't need the O2 at 10k feet, the normal height to hook up - some LIVE at that height.  Most hang gliders have instruments - altimeter, airspeed, variometer.  I even had a temp sniffer that measured the temp diff between wing tips - you turn to the hot side, that's where the thermal is. (They also have ballistic chutes - rocket deployed parachutes to get that puppy out and open FAST.)  We were having a discussion about when to turn on the gas.  It's not free, and you have a limited amount on board, and it's possible to stay up for hours in good conditions - why waste it.  I asked my friend John C. how he knows to turn on the gas. 

He said "That's easy - I do math problems in my head - when I make a mistake - time for the Oxygen."

"So John -  WHO'S GRADING THE QUIZ?"

[Jess from VA]

I was riding in the back of a C130 somewhere over 10K feet, when we lost pressurization.

I didn't get dizzy or go on oxygen, but the really big bang hurt my ears (and was damn worrisome to say the least).  WTF was that!!!!  (And the Herky is one of the noisiest aircraft you'll ever fly in)

We were 90% of the way to our destination, and had to turn around and go back (because the Taurus Mountains were getting taller not shorter).  

That sucked.  I felt like it was safer to go the last 20-30 minutes, than the hours back to base.  

But I didn't get a vote.  The pilot in command has the only vote (and maybe the tower).

Come on back in the morning, the plane will be fine.  

Whatever you say boss, mine is not to reason why, only to ......... follow orders.

I never found out what happened or how it was repaired.  I kept my opinion about duct tape to myself.  

_________
For an old warhorse, the C130 is one of coolest planes you could ever get to fly in.  The cockpit has amazing visibility through many windows, some nearly in the floor.  But no back up camera.