Rocked a 24:35 on Lookout! Personal best! Thanks Yuki and Junko for the preparation – good sign for 2010!!!

This week, the Administration proposed increasing funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a 45-year-old program that protects wildlife habitat and provides recreation in Federal lands in Colorado and across the US. These are places where people can escape the stresses of everyday life, experience open spaces and enjoy species that construct our natural heritage.

Instead of using taxpayer money, LWCF uses a small portion of royalties paid by companies conducting offshore drilling. It simply makes sense to use funds generated from natural resource extraction to reinvest in America’s natural places – protecting open space and clean water which benefits us all.

Conservation creates opportunity. Opportunity for people to enjoy increasingly threatened wild spaces. Opportunity to generate sustainable tourism revenue.

Kudos to Secretary Salazar and Senator Udall for striving to meet our responsibility and working to safeguard America’s great outdoors.

So many good intentions, so little time.

Its amazing sometimes to sit back and watch and think about many great ways that the world is changing.  Take energy generation – the American Dream of convenience and low cost has been plugging along great since World War II – flip of a switch or the press of a dial, and you can illuminate the night, or warm your living room by a couple of degrees, simple as that.  And its cheap too!

Fast forward to the 1970’s (I was, like, 2 then) – and there are lines for blocks to get gas.  Carter responds by declaring a new, renewable energy push – putting solar panels on the White House.  Reagan takes them down, and we languish in an every increasing pattern of dependence on foreign oil.  Sure, there have been sporadic attempts to introduce renewables into the mix, but with the big oil companies like BP and ARCO owning much of the rights to solar cell technology, they were effectively able to keep the industry reined in all this time.

Here we are in the 2000’s – energy becomes a real issue – natural gas and oil prices explode last summer.  People start to get real about conservation to save money, not cause its a green issue.  Colorado voters put in place a rule that 20% of Colorado’s energy much come from renewables by 2020.  Achievable, in that Xcel has already gotten far down that road by the time the bill was put into law.

Well-meaning people would like to see that be 30%, and frankly, I would too.  But one avenue that is to be expanded that will count as a renewable, is hydropower.  Now, most people think of hydropower and they think of Glen Canyon Dam, or Grand Coulee, or Hoover Dam outside Las Vegas – big, powerful monuments to American engineering.  We have probably all heard about the fights to have regular flushing flows in the Grand Canyon for the benefit of fish and wildlife (and beaches for rafters).

But what about the little dams – the ones that are only 10-15 feet tall?  They can’t hurt much, right?  Oh, so wrong.

Think about a fish – she is swimming upstream, booking along, and bump…there is a wall of concrete.  Now, to you and I, that wall of concrete may only be 5 feet tall, and that wall of concrete may only generate a few hundred kilowatts or a megawatt or 9 megawatts over the course of the year – that’s small!  That’s low generation!  We should not be concerned about those!  They’re green – no carbon emission!  Yeah!  Hey fish, getta ladder – you’ve got fins!

But what about for that fish.  Its habitat has now been fragmented.  There is no migration up and down that river any more – it has effectively turned into two fragmented rivers, the only thing common now is the flowing water.  Its like someone put a random fence at a diagonal in the middle of your backyard.  You can’t use the rest of your yard, your spouse is on the other side, and you can’t get across.

Oh well, they’re just fish, right?  Tell that to the Salmon, and the billions of dollars trying to truck them around dams, reclaim the rivers, and rebuild healthy, native fisheries that are so important to so many people, and are basically the life pumps for wildlife in the Pacific Northwest.  Is Colorado going to go that way?  Have we not learned anything over the past 50 years?

Low generating capacity does not mean Low Impact…Low generating capacity can still mean…Mega Impact.

In almost every way, clear-thinking lovers of open spaces, unbroken habitat, and forests agree that clear cutting of forests are bad.  But when is it good, or at least acceptable?  Is there ever a time when a clear cut is a thing of beauty – or at least an acceptable means to satisfy human entertainment?

In Colorado, there have been over 200 ski areas pop up over the course of the state’s history – the vast majority of which are now defunct.  Some probably have removed their lifts, shacks and buildings, but others have just boarded up the windows and walked away, leaving their old buildings, mechanical litter, and lift structures to rot on the landscape.  Worse, have any of them made any efforts to reforest the slopes that were clear cut in order to create the swaths of open runs that makes a ‘ski area’ possible?  I strongly doubt it.

I recently saw a review of a new book and related film called Powder Ghost Towns by Pete Bronski and thought it looked pretty cool.  A guidebook that chronicles and celebrates the history of skiing and ski areas in Colorado – safe enough, right?  I then watched the trailer of his related video, and there was something in there that really peaked my interest – one of the text lines in the video reads “The ski areas have been returned to the backcountry from which they came.  And their quiet solitude and untouched powder await rediscovery.”

Wow.  Really?  The ski areas have been returned to the backcountry from which they came?  Far from it.  They are clearcuts – they are scars on the landscape, they are a visual blight in the forest – a reminder of man’s destruction of thousands of acres of forest for nothing more than the entertaining self interest of the few, coupled with an attempt of economic gain for even fewer (and clearly, that didn’t exactly work out, did it?).  If they had been returned to the backcountry from which they came, then they could not be seen – they would have been reforested when they were closed, or at least have reforested themselves naturally – back to nature, blending back in to the backcountry from where they came.

Now I have nothing against Mr. Bronski’s book (I don’t have it, and I have not read it, so I can’t really talk about the book itself – I am not dinging on his probably great efforts to think about this interesting subject), but what I am harping on is the romantic notion that ski areas are an acceptable use of the forest, and that for our own personal enjoyment, it’s ok to seriously disrupt virgin forest.  There is nothing that we can do about the probably 180 abandoned ski areas in the state, accept to enjoy them as the book probably suggests, but what can be done is to not expand what currently exists.  Not promote the idea that lift-served skiing is an environmentally acceptable use of our (usually) National Forests, and that there is no harm in creating these places for people to play.

It has been especially disturbing to watch the actions of the state government and the ski areas with regards to the Colorado Roadless Rule.  There are proposed exemptions in the Colorado Roadless Rule for more than 8,000 acres for ski area expansion.  When the ski areas expand, they cut down the forest – they make clear cuts, plain and simple.  They destroy intact forests.  They fragment habitat.  They alter migration patterns.  They change hydrology.  They encourage erosion.

I have nothing against true backcountry skiing.  I have nothing against human powered recreation.  I have nothing against using these historical areas for recreation and exploration and the quiet and adventure that Mr. Bronski’s book likely advocates.  But let us call it as it is – we destroyed those areas of the forest for short term gain – let’s be diligent to not further exacerbate the problem.  And if we really want to set an example, let’s truly help the backcountry reclaim the places that were taken from it.

Legend has it that back in the day (mid-1980’s, I think) the planes were so loud coming in over Park Hill to land at the old Stapleton International Airport, that at times it was simply unbearable.  The Park Hill neighborhood was improving, and a mayor named Federico Pena was moving up in the political ranks and looking to a possible national political future ahead.  I don’t really know about all that political stuff, but I do know that airliners 200ft above your house can be pretty loud, and as Denver grew, I am sure the volume and frequency of planes overhead grew as well.

I have heard that one strategy the city used to placate the residents of this neighborhood was to give residents who wanted them free storm windows to cut down on the noise.   Our house is one that (allegedly) accepted those storm windows.  Well, 25 years is a long time for cheap aluminum storm windows to survive, and frankly most of ours are hammered!  Coming apart in the corners, or the glass window part wont slide open, or if it does it may not stay open, crashing down in the middle of the night…not fun.

Since we are going to [finally] get the house painted this year, it was suggested that if we could swing it, that we get new wooden storm windows put on as well.  So we are – we contracted with Lyons Historic Window to build new custom storms, that match the Arts & Crafts character of the house, for all 22 windows on the top two floors, and to do field restoration of 6 windows at the same time.  (Replacing ropes and weights, making sure they slide well, all that…)

I decided to save a little bit of money and removed all of the storm windows on the first level myself – half of them just fell apart in my hands as I pulled them off the windows.  They were pretty hammered.  Lyons will take care of the ones on the second story…they start that as well as measuring and field restoration tomorrow, then our new windows come in 3-5 weeks.  Should be fun!

I often am asked, by those outside of the mountain bike world (and even from some within…), Why Singlespeed? Why would you not want to have gears on our bike, to go faster in the flats, to help grind up those hills…it’s got to be so hard on your knees! What happens when the hill gets really steep? But with only one gear, going downhill must not be any fun because once you spin out, you can’t go any faster! You’ve got to be crazy!

All of those may be true – but the bottom line is this…Singlespeeds are just more fun (and if you are a blonde on Singlespeeds…well…) They are just more fun, plain and simple – and mainly because they ARE plain and simple. Without all the extra shifting and chainsuck and crap on the handlebars and cable housings and stuck derailleur pulleys and cable tips that poke your shins – you just hop on it and ride. No worry, no thinking, no scheming – just ride.

The added benefit is the benefit to your skills by riding a Singlespeed. The rider has to be much more in tune with the terrain, much more adept at predicting what that hill up ahead is going to bring, or how to power through that rocky obstacle when there is none of this shifting down to the granny gear to save your butt in the middle of the climb. You have to buckle in and power up that hill, or stand up and grunt through it. Those reactions make you focus on the task at hand, quickly parsing out and evaluation how you are going to deal with what is right in front of you – do you sprint or grunt? Do you see the line to the left or to the right? Do you try to trackstand and maneuver through the field of rocks, or put your head down and crank? With time, it becomes so much more natural than the analysis that goes into thinking about gearing and shifting.

When you do go back to a geared bike, those Singlespeed skills transfer right back. Your legs are strong and firm from gutting out those climbs, your sight is more focused on what lies ahead, and your giggle factor, well, that is probably on the shelf for the day, but you know that your trusty Singlespeed steed is waiting there for you – waiting to provide the simple, direct, just plain FUN that only a Singlespeed can deliver. In some ways the challenge is bigger, but the rewards are commensurate as well, but more fun is always worth the effort!

Colorado Trout Unlimited Annual Gala will be held Friday, March 19th at the Arvada Center. This is the biggest and most important fundraiser of the year for CTU, and your help is much appreciated.

Click here to reserve your tickets, or if you are a corporate or chapter sponsor, to purchase your Gold Table and bring a group of 10!!

This year we are introducing an online component to the auction events – so stay tuned!!

The time when we starting getting all itchy for home improvement projects…

Last year at this time we discovered that the roof was in worse shape than we had previously thought.  So, why not get an estimate to have the roof re-shingled?  Oh, look, there is a broken ledger beam that holds up the entire porch!  Man, your stucco looks really cracked and weathered…  Wow, your fascia is really rotting out and those kneebraces are barely hanging on…Gee, that sag in your porte couchere really looks bad – I wonder if that beam is broken??  Ugh!

So we had a new roof put on (Dave Evenson at Troost Roofing was great!), had the porch jacked up and the ledger beam (the beam that holds the entire porch roof to the wall of the house) replaced and reinforced (the new one is 2.5x thicker and being held on with about 70 screws instead of 4), and reinforcements to the porta roof, new fascia and knee braces all the way around and new stucco.

Jason Elliot and Mark Holloway (Acacia Builders) did all of the general contracting and carpentry work and did an absolutely fabulous job overall – on time, under budget, and extremely pleasant and caring – a great experience working with those guys and they really exemplify professionalism.  Further, our house is 100 years old, and we are sticklers for keeping things in a historic feel, so them being sensitive and proactive about that was great as well!  Top Notch!

So with all that work done, we thought it best to get the house painted as well – buuuuttt…we ran out of money.  For once we did not just run off and get a loan, or borrow off the credit cards or the numerous other ways we could have finagled the money…we saved…and waited.  It was a good lesson, for sure.

Now, we are ready.  The paint is going to get started in April or May, and we are FINALLY going to spring for new storm windows.  Most of the windows in the house are the original leaded windows from the early days, and the storm windows are super-cheap aluminum ones that are about 25 years old and totally falling apart.  So looking for all of these weatherization rebates and tax credits to help defray the costs…

…and its only January.  Its that time of year again!

I’m sure that it would come as no surprise, but for me, doing things with other people is more fun than doing things by yourself.  Sure, there are certainly times when I enjoy getting outside, being in nature or doing an activity by myself that is therapeutic and calming.  But for the most part, going out for a workout or a day on the river is more fun with a buddy.

Cycling is a very individual sport, and the vast majority of the time I am training by myself – it can be pretty lonely, and I am subject to feeling alone on the bike.  Certainly having friends to ride and train with is fun, and in 2009 I met some incredible people to ride and have fun with that I did not have before.  They have been a great source of motivation to work hard, have fun, and enjoy the sport of mountain biking more than ever.

Throughout my life, in all the sports I have participated in, I have always thrived more in a team environment than in a solo one.  In 2009, I started to realize that I really wanted, if not needed, to be on a team of some sort.  Through a lot of thinking and watching other teams in the race circuit, I started to mentally whittle down a list of teams that I thought could be fun to try out.  Some were serious, some were riding clubs, some in Denver, some in other Front Range cities.  I watched other team riders and competed against a variety of people in 2009, befriending some simply by being at the same level they were and spending miles and miles to trail time together.

I found an opportunity late in the year, however, to possibly hook up with one team that I was most impressed with over the course of the year – they kept popping up, I would see them at races, see them in magazines, see them on training rides…they kept appearing over and over again, and at some point I googled the name of the team to check them out…Bach Builders.

Bach Builders is run by the two Bach brothers, David and Fran, who have their own construction and remodeling company in Boulder.  They are builders, riders, fanatics of the sport, and interesting and fun guys who just want to train and race and have fun with the sport.  I met with them and over the course of a couple of weeks we worked on bringing me onto the team.  I could not be more proud and motivated to work hard, improve my speed and endurance, and really gain ground on my training because I am part of the team.  They are motivating and encouraging, and meeting some of the other team members and hanging out with them has also been incredibly motivating.

I am sure you will see more about Bach Builders and my working with the team, but for now its safe to say how cool it is to pull on the black and go out for some work.  Soon enough, when the number plates are zip-tied to my handlebars and the air is warm and crisp, we will be ready to go lay it all out there for the team!  The black train of Bach Builders is coming!!

Maybe its cause I am on Facebook so much, that I don’t blog all that frequently.  Maybe its cause I am embarrassed about things or don’t think that anyone really would be interested in the everyday things that I would write about.  Maybe its cause I think my prose is not all that up to snuff.  Who knows?  But whatever it is, I gotta get over it…

There is a TON of stuff going on – but gotta take it one nugget at a time.  Here we go