Monday, June 9, 2008
Melbourne
Finally made into Melbourne this morning at 8.05am. I'll add more to this post after I get a good night's rest under me, but wanted to let everyone know that there are boots on the ground in Australia. Melbourne is 15 hours ahead of Minnesota time, so at 11pm here its 8am back home... been traveling for 48 hours, time to rest.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Airports and PA mind-control
I'm sitting at gate 120 in LAX, listening to the loudest airport p.a. system I've ever experienced. There is a women essentially screaming instructions in rapid-fire spanish directly overhead- I'm having flashbacks to Catholic school in Guatemala! Of course in Guatemala the screaming would stop when you complied with directions...
My flight boards in 2 hours at 8pm. I've been at the airport since noon, and I've got an 18-hour flight ahead me... I should have never stopped huffing paint! The LA weather is lovely, and I'm enjoying the sunshine after all the Minnesota rain. I've checked the weather forecast in south Austalia, and regardless of the temperature the all important wind seems to be shifting again to the south!!
Jason is still allegedly meeting me at the airport, and still seems to have a full itinerary ready to keep me from sleeping. I'm sure he mentioned 'wake boarding', but I'd have sworn he said 'water boarding'! Anyway, I can't wait to have boots on the ground in Oz!!!,
My flight boards in 2 hours at 8pm. I've been at the airport since noon, and I've got an 18-hour flight ahead me... I should have never stopped huffing paint! The LA weather is lovely, and I'm enjoying the sunshine after all the Minnesota rain. I've checked the weather forecast in south Austalia, and regardless of the temperature the all important wind seems to be shifting again to the south!!
Jason is still allegedly meeting me at the airport, and still seems to have a full itinerary ready to keep me from sleeping. I'm sure he mentioned 'wake boarding', but I'd have sworn he said 'water boarding'! Anyway, I can't wait to have boots on the ground in Oz!!!,
Airlines- and the collapse of western civilization
Its a looong story, but the short of it is that for some reason no one can explain to me, I was not allowed to board my flight out of Thief River Falls at 6am. Every other passenger in the terminal boarded...even though I checked in first, had all my affairs in order, etc.! So, I came back to the airport at 2.30, waited until 4, was delayed in Hibbing and again in Minneapolis. I missed my connection overseas at LAX by HOURS!
All day I tried to get a NWA supervisor to speak with me regarding this situation, with no luck. I literally ran my cell phone dead on hold with NWA "customer care". If I ever get the chance to meet the TRF/Bemidji supervisor, Roger Tuttle, I may just punch him in the face on general principle! The only people worth a damn at the entire Thief River Airport today were security: TSA, TRF PD (Yes, I mean you Seth!), and especially Les Johnston the TSA supervisor-Thank you Les for being not only damn good at your job, but for being a stand-up guy!!
With no overseas flight and an uncertain stand-by ticket to LA, I was at the point of despair. I asked the gate agent James M. if he could possibly help me... the man was AMAZING! He simply took command, made decisions, and even berated the Qantas "customer care" agent for being an idiot- got me an overseas flight and confirmed my flight to LA! I'm exhausted or I would sing this man's praises even more... perhaps I'll amend this later.
I took this snap on my camera phone, while James was saving the day! NWA sucks beyond belief- I literally had delt with more than a DOZEN other NWA people, all of whom could (or would) do NOTHING! This man deserves something beyond a mere promotion; he may actually be single-handedly running the entire airline for all I know! I should also note that at LAX Mr. Kamran Kaiser went above and beyond as well, helping several of us brain-dead travellers find a hotel even though the ticket area was clearly closed.
So, in a mere 24 hours I've made it to Los Angeles. However, on the bright side I do have all my luggage including the bike.
I also spoke with a shiney-new grad student on the shuttle bus. She will be doing an anthropological study on spirit guides in Papua New Guinea while living with the natives. She genuinely believes that she will subsist for 2 months collecting rain water! She will do this as method of avoiding dysentery from the regular water. I would LOVE to hear about this in 2 months time- honestly, I think they might just eat her on general principle!
All day I tried to get a NWA supervisor to speak with me regarding this situation, with no luck. I literally ran my cell phone dead on hold with NWA "customer care". If I ever get the chance to meet the TRF/Bemidji supervisor, Roger Tuttle, I may just punch him in the face on general principle! The only people worth a damn at the entire Thief River Airport today were security: TSA, TRF PD (Yes, I mean you Seth!), and especially Les Johnston the TSA supervisor-Thank you Les for being not only damn good at your job, but for being a stand-up guy!!
With no overseas flight and an uncertain stand-by ticket to LA, I was at the point of despair. I asked the gate agent James M. if he could possibly help me... the man was AMAZING! He simply took command, made decisions, and even berated the Qantas "customer care" agent for being an idiot- got me an overseas flight and confirmed my flight to LA! I'm exhausted or I would sing this man's praises even more... perhaps I'll amend this later.
I took this snap on my camera phone, while James was saving the day! NWA sucks beyond belief- I literally had delt with more than a DOZEN other NWA people, all of whom could (or would) do NOTHING! This man deserves something beyond a mere promotion; he may actually be single-handedly running the entire airline for all I know! I should also note that at LAX Mr. Kamran Kaiser went above and beyond as well, helping several of us brain-dead travellers find a hotel even though the ticket area was clearly closed.
So, in a mere 24 hours I've made it to Los Angeles. However, on the bright side I do have all my luggage including the bike.
I also spoke with a shiney-new grad student on the shuttle bus. She will be doing an anthropological study on spirit guides in Papua New Guinea while living with the natives. She genuinely believes that she will subsist for 2 months collecting rain water! She will do this as method of avoiding dysentery from the regular water. I would LOVE to hear about this in 2 months time- honestly, I think they might just eat her on general principle!
Thursday, June 5, 2008
...And away we go!
Its about 9:30pm on Thursday night. I'm packed, and everything is loaded into the cruiser. I fly out at 6am from the Thief River Airport. I've got a couple-hour layover in Minneapolis, and then TEN HOURS at LAX before I fly out after 11pm! Its a 14-hour flight to Melbourne, so I'm looking at about 33 hours in transit. Skippy (Jason Scheepers) has already informed me that he will NOT be letting me sleep until dark the day I arrive (allegedly to help me beat jet lag, but I have my doubts!), so I'm in for a study in sleep deprivation!
I took my boxed bike to the airport today and weighed in on their scale, then went home and loaded it to capacity with stuff. The rest is going into one duffel and a small carry-on. I was informed that we are now allowed only one bag on the flight, and that I will have the privelage of paying extra for both the bike and its extra weight... If I could get to Australia in a timely manner any other way I would NEVER fly again.
I had a good scare last night when I was switching out my old Schwalbe Marathon Supreme tires for the new ones I've been sitting on for months... Schwalbe had sent me the wrong size! The box said 35C the tires were 32C or smaller. Fortunately, I happen to still have a Christmas gift from my folks from two years back in the form of two Schwalbe Marathon XR HS s in the right size! So I'll be rolling a bit slower, but the toughness is there.
"Get to bed Nels"
I took my boxed bike to the airport today and weighed in on their scale, then went home and loaded it to capacity with stuff. The rest is going into one duffel and a small carry-on. I was informed that we are now allowed only one bag on the flight, and that I will have the privelage of paying extra for both the bike and its extra weight... If I could get to Australia in a timely manner any other way I would NEVER fly again.
I had a good scare last night when I was switching out my old Schwalbe Marathon Supreme tires for the new ones I've been sitting on for months... Schwalbe had sent me the wrong size! The box said 35C the tires were 32C or smaller. Fortunately, I happen to still have a Christmas gift from my folks from two years back in the form of two Schwalbe Marathon XR HS s in the right size! So I'll be rolling a bit slower, but the toughness is there.
"Get to bed Nels"
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Final Tune Up and the Mindset of Mastery
I spent yesterday evening in Grand Forks with Dave Sears getting a final tune-up and some modifications on the bike. Dave is a consummate professional, and while watching him work I became aware of one of the traits that I've noticed about true craftsmen over the years- the way in which they control the tempo of the activity that they are engaged in.
I first noticed this phenomenon as a kid, watching my cousin Denny evaluating a rifle. To the casual observer he was simply turning the weapon over in his hands a few times. But I became keenly aware of his level of absorption and focus. His casual conversation would continue during the evaluation, but he seemed to me to be on "auto-pilot". The tone of his voice would change subtly, his responses to questions would be a little too offhanded, and time just seemed slow down around in the room until his examination was complete.
There is a similar sense of calm, easy purpose, and an economy of motion when Dave is working on a bike that can only come from years of working through the trials and frustrations of any specialized activity. The result of this diligence, coupled with pride in one's work and a genuine love of the activity, is the "mindset of mastery". This mindset seems to cross all genres and activities, and it is the reward for learning to temper oneself... I have a LOT to learn in this area!
In addition to a comprehensive tune-up, Dave removed my failing STI shifters and installed Dura-Ace bar-end shifters and of course new brake levers (Tektro's). On his advice, today I'm replacing my rear cassette and putting on a new Sram chain. Of course then I have to put the bike through it's paces and get a feel for the new systems.
For me, having work done by a profession of Dave's caliber truly enhances my enjoyment of bicycling. First of all there is the HUGE increase in confidence that I have just knowing that nothing has been over-looked or done in a half-assed manner. Then of course there is the "feel" of having your finely-tuned machine run at it's optimum level. And finally, it's just fun being around people who genuinely enjoy what they do, and do it at the highest levels. THANK YOU DAVE, I wish you were coming along on this ride!!!
I first noticed this phenomenon as a kid, watching my cousin Denny evaluating a rifle. To the casual observer he was simply turning the weapon over in his hands a few times. But I became keenly aware of his level of absorption and focus. His casual conversation would continue during the evaluation, but he seemed to me to be on "auto-pilot". The tone of his voice would change subtly, his responses to questions would be a little too offhanded, and time just seemed slow down around in the room until his examination was complete.
There is a similar sense of calm, easy purpose, and an economy of motion when Dave is working on a bike that can only come from years of working through the trials and frustrations of any specialized activity. The result of this diligence, coupled with pride in one's work and a genuine love of the activity, is the "mindset of mastery". This mindset seems to cross all genres and activities, and it is the reward for learning to temper oneself... I have a LOT to learn in this area!
In addition to a comprehensive tune-up, Dave removed my failing STI shifters and installed Dura-Ace bar-end shifters and of course new brake levers (Tektro's). On his advice, today I'm replacing my rear cassette and putting on a new Sram chain. Of course then I have to put the bike through it's paces and get a feel for the new systems.
For me, having work done by a profession of Dave's caliber truly enhances my enjoyment of bicycling. First of all there is the HUGE increase in confidence that I have just knowing that nothing has been over-looked or done in a half-assed manner. Then of course there is the "feel" of having your finely-tuned machine run at it's optimum level. And finally, it's just fun being around people who genuinely enjoy what they do, and do it at the highest levels. THANK YOU DAVE, I wish you were coming along on this ride!!!
Friday, May 30, 2008
Final Equipment Tally
These photos show the complete and final set of equipment and supplies that I'll be traveling with, with the exception of my two water bottles that will be kept in their cages on the bike itself.
I've managed to streamline the kit as much as I dare. In the process I've shed several pounds from the load by omitting bags and containers that accompany many items like sleeping bags, Leatherman tools, etc. Also, I've replaced numerous items with lighter weight substitutes wherever possible.
Final Weights including the weight of the panniers themselves.
Handlebar Bag: 3 lbs 7oz
Front Panniers: 14 lbs 11oz
Rear Panniers: 16 lbs 2oz
Seat Wedge: 1 lb 15oz
Rear Add-on bags: 2 lbs 2oz
Dry Bag: 15 lbs 3oz
Empty weight of panniers: 13lbs 1oz
Total equipment weight: 40lbs 7oz
*Total carry weight: 53lbs 8oz
*Not listed is the varying weight of the water needed at different times of the trip.
As I mentioned I believe that I've eliminated everything I can... what I will find interesting is just how much more will find it's way into bins at rest areas as it becomes obviously unnecessary!
Test Ride
The Memorial Day weekend saw some pre-trip testing and a little fun. I always make it a point to test all my equipment prior to a trip and the fact that two of my former students, Jerica Olson and David Johnson, were planning a motorcycle trip to the west coast and needed to test equipment as well was all the excuse I needed for an overnight campout. The three of rode our motorcycles to Lake Bronson state park and there we put our kit through it's paces.
Breakfast- but no cold cereal for David!
Jerica giving the universal sign for "Good morning! Why yes, I did sleep very well on the cold, hard ground in that f***ing tent!"
As usual, there were some glitches that emerged during the equipment tests, including David discovering that a 40-degree "comfort" rating on a sleeping bag is really just two lies strung together! Jerica realized that white pants and the woods simply don't do well together. And for myself, I learned that encircling a Coleman Expedition stove with a wind screen is a great way to melt ALL the knobs off it and effectively render it useless... Furthermore, I was alerted to the fact that my MSR XGK stove desperately needed a little maintenance. The gaskets were badly worn in the pump and while under pressure the valve shot fuel everywhere- always exciting!
Of course the biggest lesson is simply re-enforcing the idea that a person should ALWAYS test their equipment BEFORE setting out on the road.
Breakfast- but no cold cereal for David!
Jerica giving the universal sign for "Good morning! Why yes, I did sleep very well on the cold, hard ground in that f***ing tent!"
As usual, there were some glitches that emerged during the equipment tests, including David discovering that a 40-degree "comfort" rating on a sleeping bag is really just two lies strung together! Jerica realized that white pants and the woods simply don't do well together. And for myself, I learned that encircling a Coleman Expedition stove with a wind screen is a great way to melt ALL the knobs off it and effectively render it useless... Furthermore, I was alerted to the fact that my MSR XGK stove desperately needed a little maintenance. The gaskets were badly worn in the pump and while under pressure the valve shot fuel everywhere- always exciting!
Of course the biggest lesson is simply re-enforcing the idea that a person should ALWAYS test their equipment BEFORE setting out on the road.
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