hmmmmm.

on Facebook now....

lizard brain

had an interesting conversation the other eve.

delved into creation myth and where does 'history' start.

also reading a book right now, Explorers of the Infinite.

Gets into the spiritual side of extreme athletes of all backgrounds

and disciplines.  Talks about those magic moments, visiting those

thin places, alpine tragedy, etc.  

Why is it that so many different pursuits lead to the same place?

That extra-body transcendental experience of disconnected nowness.  

Do we purposely 'go there?'  

If so, what do we seek to find there? 

What do we actually learn while visiting?

Anything? or just an escape?

So, you've torn it all down, shredded yourself to the core, as essentially you as you know how to be.  Focused survival mode, running on instinct.  Looping back to the opening about creation myth and also blurbs I've read about more evidence being discovered that supports these passed down stories and memories....Is something like Atlantis really just a myth?  Why couldn't there have a been greatly advanced civilizations previously, that are now gone due to cataclysmic events?

Like when the poles of the earth flipped, or extraterrestrial impacts, wiping out all but the hardiest survivors.  Forcing them back to the Earth, back into the caves, surviving on instinct and passing down their history thru memories and stories, now myth.  And if we've heard these stories, so many, many, many, many times through how many generations, is there a part of the semi-primitive old brain that has that knowledge stored in some way?

Visionaries, mystics, shaman, monks.....what are they really tapping into during those transcendent states?  Do we also catch a glimpse of that when we've torn it all down at the end of a long effort?  What's the difference between a full on emptied the well need to push on for 4 more hours or sleep in the woods bonk vs a monastic meditative days long fasting?  

Physiologically a similar experience, empty the body until the brain bonks, then do some exploring....guess it depends on your focus, and where you really want to go.

bring it!

Bought my season pass yesterday.....

Today: Rain showers, mixing with snow after 11am. High near 44. Breezy, with a northwest wind between 17 and 25 mph, with gusts as high as 47 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

logged.

Added up the numbers
that I keep track of.
From some point in Feb
to last week, the 'season.'  
Peaks and valleys, along
with scribbled notes.

The spreadsheet goes back
a handful of years now, stack
of journals grown by one, my
'manifested artifactual evidence.'

Riding with purpose, 
'training' on instinct,
this year's total was 
457.5, last year was 455.  
interesting that it came 
out so close.

didn't count the commute
though, that's another 35ish,
it's just a short spin....

flight

You roll out the door, down the block, settling in.  Working out the wrinkles in the chamois, getting the pack settled just right.  Half hour of fidgeting and the legs have loosened, the kit is tuned and the trailhead taunts.  Qwik 30 minute ascent and you're up on the ridge, take a breather, take in the view, munch some calories and relax into the trail.  Let the tires find their purchase, test the shluffyness of the leaves and loam, slowly wind up the cadence.  Don't force it, let the trail come to you.  Roll out of each turn with a bit more snap, sometimes with a crackle, then a pop.  Soon enough the 32:19 is wound out and gravity takes over.

Relative silence, no clanging banging shifty bits to disrupt. Bit of brake squeal into a corner, the buzz of the Eno and the stern plunk of rubber on rock, knobs chewing up crunchy leaves. Keep winding that gear out, chasing gravity, ramping closer and closer closer to wide eyed blurry oxygen deprived sweetness. Swooshing thru the trees, nip and a tuck with a hoot and a holler, bike is brakeless flow and there's that perfect little hit.  An inviting ramp of rock with a sweet downslope landing.....then it's silent, and you're no longer connected, taking flight for those few bike lengths.  Don't forget to breath.

Is it any wonder that the inventors the magical flying machine had their start in bicycles? Wilbur prefering long rides thru the country, Orville being more of a scorcher on the track.  Their shop in Dayton was the foundation for the aeroplane works, where they repaired bikes, where they designed and built bikes, where they experimented with flying.  Did you know that the Wright Brothers were the 'inventors' of the left handed thread on your non-drive pedal?  That the propellers on the original Wright Flyer were driven by a bicycle chain?

freedom, in so many ways.

viral

ripped this from Fuzzy's site......

Dear Red States:

If you manage to steal this election too we've decided we're leaving. We intend to form our own country, and we're taking the other Blue States with us. In case you aren't aware, that includes California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and all the Northeast. We believe this split will be beneficial to the nation, and especially to the people of the new country of New California.

To sum up briefly: You get Texas, Oklahoma and all the slave states. We get stem cell research and the best beaches. We get the Statue of Liberty. You get Dollywood.

We get Intel and Microsoft. You get WorldCom.

We get Harvard. You get Ole' Miss.

We get 85% of America's venture capital and entrepreneurs. You get Alabama.

We get two-thirds of the tax revenue; you get to make the red states pay their fair share.

Since our aggregate divorce rate is 22% lower than the Christian Coalition's, we get a bunch of happy families. You get a bunch of single moms.

Please be aware that Nuevo California will be pro-choice and anti-war, and we're going to want all our citizens back from Iraq at once. If you need people to fight, ask your evangelicals. They have kids they're apparently willing to send to their deaths for no purpose, and they don't care if you don't show pictures of their children's caskets coming home. We do wish you success in Iraq, and hope that the WMDs turn up, but we're not willing to spend our resources in Bush's Quagmire.

With the Blue States in hand, we will have firm control of 80% of the country's fresh water, more than 90% of the pineapple and lettuce, 92% of the nation's fresh fruit, 95% of America's quality wines, 90% of all cheese, 90% of the high tech industry, 95% of the corn and soybeans (thanks Iowa!), most of the U.S. low-sulfur coal, all living redwoods, sequoias and condors, all the Ivy and Seven Sister schools plus Stanford, Cal Tech and MIT.

With the Red States, on the other hand, you will have to cope with 88% of all obese Americans (and their projected health care costs), 92% of all U.S. mosquitoes, nearly 100% of the tornadoes, 90% of the hurricanes, 99% of all Southern Baptists, virtually 100% of all televangelists, Rush Limbaugh, Bob Jones University, Clemson and the University of Georgia.

We get Hollywood and Yosemite, thank you.

Additionally, 38% of those in the Red states believe Jonah was actually swallowed by a whale, 62% believe life is sacred unless we're discussing the war, the death penalty or gun laws, 44% say that evolution is only a theory, 53% that Saddam was involved in 9/11 and 61% of you crazy bastards believe you are people with higher morals then we lefties.

Finally, we're taking the good pot, too. You can have that dirt weed they grow in Mexico.

Peace out,
--Blue States

for freedom.

got together with the extended family for bit of mountain bicycle freedom celebrations down in WestByGawVirginny over the wknd. Full effect two day shuttle maximized the trail lovin'. Gaggle of fifteen fools of Foof, 'burgians, 'cakes and even a native son on hand for SpruceBerries-High Meadows-Horton-SpringValley-Allegheny on Saturday, 40 in 7.5. Lose a pair, add a bunch and you get 22 of us traversing the GnarlyNorth on Sunday, 5hours of quintessential east coast ridge love.  Team ACL Buck & Martino were missed. Awesome to see Sue's HUGE smile talking about her fresh tastes of pedal freedom once again. 

drive, beer, fire, beer, sleep, eggs, bacon, shuttle, riiiiiiiiding, burritos & beer, fire, beer, fire, beer, sleep, pancakes, shuttle, riiiiiiiiiiiide, beer, break camp, pizza, drivvvve, zzzzzz.

yeah, it was alright.