Pregled posta

Marketing

I went up into the mountains for a snow vacation. To take some pictures and have some fun and stuff.

See, living in Silicon Valley gives you the option of a nice snowstorm, but not the requirement. When I lived in Ohio or Illinois or Connecticut, every winter brought snowstorms. And shoveling snow. And stuff.

But if you want to go and see the snow, while living in California, you just need to drive up into the mountains. So it's more of an option than a requirement. And it's been a while since I've seen some good piles of snow.

There's one big difference. They don't salt the streets out here and they require that you have tire chains. I keep wondering if I really need them, but if you don't mount 'em, they'll write you a ticket.

Most of my snow gear lives in the pockets of the down coat I grab whenever I'm headed to snow country. But Priti has been a good bad influence of late, which has caused Mrs. Wirehead to get a loom and this is one of her scarves.

It was warm and snuggly. And since Mrs. Wirehead was feeling sick and didn't make it, it was a good substitute.

We went snowshoeing. For me, the first time. That is basically what happens when a photographer reads Galen Rowell and realizes how many of his great shots were taken while out on a big outdoorsy hike somewhere in often extreme conditions. You start to want to bike and hang glide and hike and climb and otherwise explore. Because you might be able to coax a woman to come over and pose naked with a jar of pickles... but you won't coax a snow-covered conifer into your living room for a shoot... and if you do, it probably means you need to check to make sure your insurance is paid up.

This bike was built specifically as a winter commuter, and more specifically for a short (5-mile) night ride through industrial and residential city streets. Marin frame, Kona fork, WTB grease guard hubs on Syncros rims, and a bunch of stuff that was just sort of around my garage. The frame is from some time in the '90s, and was suposedly welded up in Marin County. Geared at 42:17, the chain tensioner is a requirement even with a half link. The Kenda tires are heavy (especially with thorn proof tubes), but have held up well over broken pavement and alleys.