Bedrock & Paradox

Burke would have wondered at this. And in 2008 he might have noticed that, if conservatism is as much a temperament as it is any particular set of policies, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, both Democrats, have sounded more conservative than many Republicans….Indeed, some of what [McCain’s] detractors view as inconsistencies display a distinctly Burkean…

Three day weekend; hardly enough time to say a temporary goodbye to the best town in Arizona. And what might be the best single riding area anywhere. That I’ve found; yet. Day 1 log crossing on the new “Secret” trail. Prototypical Flag. Big rings are punished. Day 2 we rode the first loop of the…

Yesterday I finally got out and hiked Trail 261 to it’s end on the summit of Granite Mountain. I should not have waited this long. It’s a great 4+ mile hike, up from 5.5k to up above 7. I ran into this little dude, first one I’ve seen since living in AZ. The overlook has…

Jill’s got nothin’ on us. PS: Chad and I are rockin’ the Flag this Fri (my last “personal day”)-Sat-Sun. Come get some.

M’s tomato seedlings, amongst the ruins of the last months’ training. The fleet. New additions: NOS WTB SST on the monkey, Gobi XM on the Lenz, XDXs all over (save a WW on the heavy front wheel), Arch/Comp/Hope Pro II SS (old one) rear wheel on the Lenz, Obama spoke cards. Mike builds pretty wheels.…

First, I should have brought a camera, but didn’t. Felt like a silly choice standing at 9k, watching massive thunderheads unload on the Lonesome Valley (location of our home) 50 miles to the south. I did bring the GPS, intent on map generation for this presentation, but neglected to check for signs of life in…

So, next year (if plans allow, and later if they do not) I plan to make a self-supported speed hike of the John Muir Trail. My post back in the beginning of January has the beginnings of all this, and the trip last month gives me a sense of the terrain, and what I’ll need…

Society in every state is a blessing, but Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil… Absolute governments, (tho’ the disgrace of human nature) have this advantage with them, they are simple; if the people suffer, they know the head from which their suffering springs; know likewise the remedy; and are not…

Snow bridge below Forester Pass. Upper snowfield on Forester. Whitney summit.

A more systematic effort to train drivers to ignore road conditions can hardly be imagined. By training drivers to drive according to the signs rather than their judgment in great conditions, the American system also subtly encourages them to rely on the signs rather than judgment in poor conditions, when merely following the signs would…