One could feel the positive energy of this place. From the very friendly staff who greeted us as we walked around the property, to the horses themselves–each with their own very different personalities and demeanor. I’ve never really been around horses all that much, but they definitely have very different personae that become apparent quickly–instantly, in some cases. I wonder if that’s why this kind of treatment works so well with folks in need. There’s an instant trust that makes you just feel good.

Many thanks to Sayre and the folks up there for letting the fam poke around for a while. I would urge folks to help centers like this out when and where they can. They really can do wonders.

I’ve only been a half dozen times with a few different folks–relying on some borrowed technical gear, trust and the willingness of others (more experienced) to show me the ropes (c’mon how often can one use that term literally, I couldn’t resist). I seem to like the more aerobic mountaineering side of winter in the mountains. Technical ice climbing also requires a huge amount of gear. I have general gear–crampons, harness, helmet, belay device, a couple of locking carabiners, but not full on rack. Racks are built up of slings, ice screws, carabiners, and cordelettes that dangle off of hip harnesses that jingle and clink as climbers use axes and crampons to scale uncertain heights on frozen waterfalls. It’s cold, painful, strenuous, time consuming and fairly dangerous even with all the safety equipment. Ice falls, tools slip, arms cramp, fingers freeze. Whoever came up with the names for climbing gear and other terms was either a total perv, or just really naive to the joking nature and adolescent propensities that go along with climbing. Oh believe me, I get a kick out of the sexual references, with terms like “tools, bulge, crevice, buttress, jug, rack, nub, nut, screw, sloppy plopping( what?), tea bagging,” it’s hard not to snicker. Perhaps the inventors of these terms came up with the names to help lighten the seriousness of the endeavor, but I think they were dudes so committed to the sport that it trumped any other personal relationships and they were simply deprived and frustrated.

Regardless, I am fortunate enough to know some great, trusting, committed folks who take me ice climbing. I was able to make several climbs and rope up to snap a few shots before the end of the day. Unfortunately, I had to miss one of my favorite parts of the experience–kicking back at a local brew pub with some beers and fatty food while recounting the day’s climb, jokes and camaraderie. Next time.

He had a great portable setup—A Lastolite Ezybox with a Canon 580EX strobe and a Quantum Q4D strobe combined with a killer cloud-free sunset. It was nice to be on the other side of the art direction and camera this time. Jeff knew what he wanted for shots and was quick to direct me in the fading light and frickin freezing temps. Bike clothes are great when riding and working hard, but modeling in them when temps are in the 20′s with wind makes for some chilly times. Great working with other local creatives. Looking forward to other projects with Jeff and other Portlanders.

This was another test of the Canon 5D body. I wanted to see how the skin tones looked. This shoot happened to have rather challenging lighting conditions. Inside, very little natural lighting and moving subjects. I set the ISO as high as it would and tried to shoot wide open at pretty slow shutters. Let’s just say there were some cool blurred effects in there. But the ones that I did manage to capture , I think the skin tones and overall colors look pretty decent. The light sensor seemed to compensate with a bit of a magenta hue to many of the photos. Not sure if this is inherent in the camera, or just a result of the extreme conditions. So far, I’m very impressed with the full-frame shooting as well. I did not realize how much of the frame on my 24mm lens was getting chopped off with my other camera. I would say a good 5-8%. The testing will continue. I want to next test out some fast shutter speed/motion subjects. Perhaps biking or skiing? Or maybe another b-day party outside this time?

That is what I was looking for on today’s shoot. Tonal quality. So I decided to convert to black and white. I think because I was trained to look for this, I can better evaluate the range better in black and white. This 5D does a great job. The range from shadows to highlights is amazing. And with a little PS work, the photos really come to life. The images I’ve posted here are of course lower quality, so there’s a little banding, but I assure you, this is not present on the hi-res versions.

The next test with this body will be with people and skin tones. My nephews’ birthday is this weekend, so I’m guessing there will be a bunch of little skin tones running around. Stay tuned.

Here’s where the new little piece of gear comes into play. These little YakTrax shoe traction devices really made for a fun time. The just stretch out over the shoe and require no special straps or laces, just stretch em on and go. And man, did I need them today, the trails were all ice. Packed down from the last couple days of warm weather, they froze solid last night when a nice arctic blast came through. The model that I have is not really for running, but hey, how many times do I really get out to use these things? They held up really well and still look like new after a good 4 miles of trail abuse. And not always the “fully snow cover trails” recommended on the box. Perhaps my next pair will be running specific.

It also got me thinking about biking–as I always do while running. Why couldn’t a pair of these traction devices be made for a bike tire? I know dedicated studded tires work the best, but there are many times commuting that in the morning there is ice and snow on the roads, yet by evening they’re clear. It would be nice not having to ride on bare tar with the studs–traction is pretty slippery when metal his the pavement. But if I could take them off and just use my regular tires, now that would be cool. Hmmm, perhaps an email to a contact at Stabilicers is in order…

“May your days be merry and bright and may all your Christmases be white.”

I took off early the next morning and was up on the slopes by 9. I had a great day on the tele skis. Pretty much any day in the mountains is a good one. the weather was great, albeit a little cold. The snow was decent for an early-season day without much natural snow. The snow guns at Sunday River in Maine had been cranking all week, which made for a solid base. While riding the chairlift alone, I decided to take out the iPhone to snap a few photos. I always carry it in a shockproof, waterproof case when out doing something active. As I took the phone out of the case, it slipped out of my hands and fell about 40′ to the ground. Cripes. This thing has really been awesome for all my outdoor pursuits. I’ve been using it as a case for my iPhones as I am a year round, all weather bike commuter so I needed something secure enough so I wouldn’t have to worry about getting the phone wet or bumped. Sadly, my little guardian took one for the team. I was able to retrieve it on the way down, but the hinge had broken. Later that evening I wrote to customer service about the broken hinge and explained how much I loved the product. In less than four hours, a rep wrote back to say that they would be happy to replace it through their lifetime warranty program. I was ready with my credit card in hand to buy a replacement, but these folks were happy to send me a new one for free. It was so nice to get a second random act of kindness in one day. As much as I can’t stand that phrase, it’s working for me this time. I mean, I was able to accept my boneheaded decision to take out my phone while suspended 40′ up, I should accept the consequences right?

So I just wanted to thank these folks again for being so generous to this lowly designer. I truly appreciate it.

The Republic of Tea
Yogi Products
Choice Tea
Twinings

I will be starting off with 4 items–2 each men’s and women’s. Basically, they are casual looking shirts with 3/4 sleeves made of performance materials –a crew neck t-shirt style and a wool trainer. I’ve done some research, and no one makes a good 3/4 length shirt for biking. I think this and a small distinctive contrasting pocket (think mobile phone, bike tube or wallet) on the back of each garment will be just the differentiator we’ll need to stand out. The 3/4 will lend itself nicely for future products–pants, socks, hats, etc.

So where does it all start? Well, I’ve assembled a great group of folks as advisers to provide some expertise in areas like fashion design, retail, cycling, business, design, as well as some trusted friends. Currently, I’m laying the groundwork for the actual products, while working on the branding in down time between other projects. Oh it’s a process, but I’m really excited to get this off the ground and on the backs of cyclists everywhere. More to come in the coming months.