(Michael Jackson) Billie Jean - Sungha Jung

Holey Cow! 'Course by age 12 I had done plenty of cool shit too, like, um well...yeah ok. Humans are amazing ain't we!

A gaggle of Alfords mug Beckett!

Korova Milk Bar

What have you done to my memory core Dave? Dave?

I'll take the one with double soma, guv!  From one Epsilon Minus (mixing my esoteric sci-fi references here) to another, thanks for the birthday bar-crawl all!  Luckily my liver is so perforated most of the alcohol simple dribbles thru, pools in my feet and then passes harmlessly from my body in the form of damp footprints of the sort the Creature from the Black Lagoon (or Patrick Duffy) might leave behind.

Flat Top Wilderness

I'm not sure if I ever mentioned the trailer my family kept on an acre in Yampa, CO while growing up. We went up there several times a summer to go fishing and to get away from Denver. It's been 20 years since the last time I was up there. Last weekend, Amanda and I went to check it out to see if I remembered it right.

Like any bIKE cLUB adventure, we barely had a plan and definitely not a map. Fortunately, the map problem was solved with a stop at Little Beavers Liquors in Yampa, CO. Pop 400. Main street is still a dirt road. There is a hotel on the acre where our trailer was parked.

Note the disclaimer on the map. I knew we had the perfect resource.

We got lucky with the best campsite you could possibly get up there. Site number 2, Cold Spring campground. One of the few that was well off the forest service road, right next to a lake, a babbling brook, great views, table, fire ring. Plus, an outhouse on the other side of the campground. Close enough to be convenient, far enough away to not smell.

Yes, that is the King of Beers.

The plateau on the right is the top of the monolith in the background of the picture from our campsite. We were in campground that was on the left side of that drainage roughly between the two flat tops so we spent the whole time in camp looking up at them. Really enjoyed the different perspective while looking down on them.

So, we are on the surface of another flat top. As you could tell, these were just huge meadows on top of big monoliths and cliffs. Think a green version of Moab. In the background behind Amanda, you can see the big drainage above Trappers Lake. According to internet sources, this drainage was the inspiration for Wilderness designation. All the contour lines on the real map are really close together and it's an area designated the China wall. Big cliffs behind Amanda. We are definitely going to check out that part of the world next time.

Another option for our next visit. Devils Causeway. See if the big boy pants still fit.

This, of course, is a picture of me with a penguin.

Well, hello!

Riser bars, real knobbies and pedals, sweet!  Brakes?  Whatever...  3 years old and just about ready for Prime Cut.  Can't you picture Trout dropping that big rock?!  Happy birthday son!

Hat Trick

So, I've ridden in a car up Pikes Peak - I was 10, ridden my bike to the top of Mount Evans, and now I've hiked my very first 14k peak. Mount Elbert, because I might as well start with the highest. August 1, about noon. Easier going up than I thought, harder coming down that I thought. Amanda did it with a bum knee, so I can't complain, because she didn't.

Good times, good times

If you got some time to kill..

Blog an old high school buddy writes outside of Oakland. Pretty funny, if you're into funny. www.allhailtheblackmarket.com