June Bug

Sept. 15, 2020 We are on a Garmin Flex plan for an InReach Explorer and I needed to update the CC billing number. Garmin log-in page recognizes my email, but not my password. Set up a new password, it just cycles back to the log-in page with no other feedback. Sheesh. I'M TRYING TO GIVE THEM MONEY. Next, customer support by phone. Did the competent, cheerful customer service rep come on the line to HELP ME GIVE THEM MONEY? No, no s/he didn't. "We are experiencing technical difficulties and are disconnecting this call." There it is. I've been ghosted by Garmin. Deja vu all over again?

Sand Canyon (Canyon of the Ancients Nat'l Monument)?

Glad you got a ride in before the Cold Times arrived!

Link?

I know I've been a bit of a broken record on this in the past, but if ya don't have one, it's great to support Colorado Search and Rescue and if things go south and you've got to use that SPOT, these are the people who will come and get you. In practical terms, having a current CORSAR means you won't be billed for the cost of your rescue. To purchase on line: Click here.

Got to be The Zither, right? Or Crazy Train.

My somewhat limited experience with November in Eugene, OR and several Christmases in Seattle is that it's post-nasal drip weather. Seattle was consistently misty and drizzly, but not super cold.

Also, SNL skit: Bad Idea Jeans See also: Why shouldn't I ride? It won't be THAT muddy...

Every time I see the title to this thread (WTF is wrong with people?), I'm reminded of Guy Noir on Prairie Home Companion: It's a dark night in a city that knows how to keep its secrets, but on the 12th floor of the Acme Building, one man is still trying to find the answers to life's persistent questions...Guy Noir, Private Eye. "WTF is wrong with people" definitely ranks right up there as one of life's persistent questions.

Southwest CycleSport on Bee Cave Rd is closing its doors at the end of the month. I've never been in the store, it's far away, but Jennifer, one of the owners, was a regular at Ride Like a Girl in years past and is a truly nice person. One the website, they mention that the lease on their store is up this month, and with all the changes going on (including, I assume, Bicycle Sport Shop opening a location close by on Bee Cave Rd) they've decided to close.

I joined a new to me gravel grinders page on facebook, and there is a topic: "Will a gravel bike do well at Moab?" Some comments were well, yes, on gravel roads, (like White Rim Trail) and scenic dirt roads. One guy was like, hell yeah, 26 x 1.75 was great on all technical trails. Somebody else is "Well maybe a gravel bike is OK for Slickrock, but other stuff not so much." That said, Moab these days has a lot of variety, but still...

If we spent more time hanging out in the yard or had kids, I'd spring for that mosquito trap! The web site indicates that mosquito trap targets the Aedes mosquito, but specifically doesn't mention the Culex mosquito species that spreads West Nile virus. If it targeted both, it would be win win.

Hard pass from me! I think I'll just run through the sprinkler. In another era of my life, I loved to go to hot springs. My ex and I were on spring break in AZ, and decided to go find Strawberry Hot Springs on the Verde River. Getting there was an adventure in itself. There was an extensive "living in vans down by the river" scene and as we were wading across the river a guy told us the hot springs was "pretty mondo." So yes, it was a kind of a human slurry, with people tripping on acid and whatnot. We soaked and went home without becoming infected, high or diseased but it was probably a very close call. I cannot even imagine what is growing in Campbell's Hole, Twin Falls or wherever else has water right now, including e. coli at the least. Also, a perfect set up for the growth of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), courtesy of the Naegleria fowleri amoeba. Each summer, it's not unusual for a kid or two to get it swimming in a Texas lake. It likes to grow in warm shallow water. Wonder what the indigenous scene was like at Barton Springs in, say, 1500, B.C. Was it considered a neutral zone where small bands from different tribes could intermingle, hang out and soak in small pools of icy water? I'd like to think so. A wee bit of respite from the heat on Monday, with a northerly breeze and the possibility of a high under 100 degrees! Have a nice weekend!

Also Kermit: "It's not easy being green." This. I see throttling back access as a way to address this.

Ned looks awkward in that photo because it's pre-dropper post, and old time geometry with handle bars much lower relative to the seat -- a set up not that far removed from road racing.

It's straight up Qanon crazy.

One more thing: It was 105 in the shade yesterday afternoon and the folks manning the reservation stations at the various trail heads were there through the heat of the day. As Austin Bike noted in his other BCGB thread, Be. Nice. to those folks. It's a thankless job in many ways.

Note: Austin will continue to sprawl with no proportional increase in public space/open space/parks, so user demand for these resources will only increase. My sense is that the City of Austin has not developed a master management plan to address these issues and is using more of an ad hoc approach, but I hope I'm wrong. I have no quarrel with a reservation system. There's a damn pandemic going on and city resources are stretched thin. Every call to the city to deal with drunkenness, injury due to poor choices, fights, ODs, whatever bad thing is happening on BCGB just puts more stress on that system, so limiting access seems to be a sane response. Also, if the reservation systems means a better user experience FOR YOU when you ARE on the trails, win win, right? Timely reminder!

Upthread I noted that folks were posting that reservations were required only after 10:30 AM. However, when I looked on line, I couldn't find any reference to reservation hours on any of the numerous articles I read. Any word on that?

'Roided up performative screaming as agitprop is Jones' brand. That particular location was just a backdrop.

Many construction guys use this now. It's a light weight nylon brim, neck shade that fits over a hard hat. Amazon has you covered: Full Brim + Neck Sunshade Actually, I'm liking this better, made out of Lexan: MSA 697410 Sun Shield for V-Gard and Topgard Full-Brim Hard Hats

Very stout chinstrap.

I bought a Da Brim several years ago and no longer use it. It's heavy and cumbersome and tends to get caught a bit in the wind. However, it does work very well for it's intended purpose -- to shade the face and neck. I've thought about fashioning something similar but much lighter from corplast for commutes around town. Edited to add: I bought it at the recumbent store. For some/many/all of you, that will drive a stake through the heart of the whole thing.

This makes me cringe because the complete lack of situational awareness puts a woman in a very vulnerable space if she should have the misfortune to encounter a predator.

I think I'll just go with the whip.