... a while back we lamented the passing of the classic plastic canoe ('End of Days'), as we knew it, with the abandonment of the production of 'Royalex' plastic composites around 2014 - well, thanks to 'High Density Polyethylene (HDPE)' plastic and a bunch of human ingenuity, they appear to be back, with reckless abandon...
... that was cool - view in full screen for best effect...
... personally haven't paddled canoes (and that means whitewater) much (if at all), since around 2010 - picked up a few SUP's and have mainly been playin' around on those things since then - but after having viewed much of the performance of those new (shortboat) designs (powered by some pretty impressive paddling ability), we're about a gnats hair away from pickin' one up... we'll think about it some more...
... did pick up this 'Mohawk Maxim' (Royalex boat) back then - think about 8'10" length (may be wrong and don't feel like running out back to measure it) - other than some Class II and some small surfing waves, haven't spent a whole lot of time mastering it - some hard edges on this thing and not a whole lot of primary stability - good secondary stability, but spent so much time low bracing and cross stroking this thing until finally re-injuring a rotator cuff on the left shoulder - it's been back up on the shelf since then...
... from the archives..
... a young rookie 'Strongman Matt' - Lower Yough River around '92...
... around '04...
... around '04 again...
... turned into a pretty competent Class IV open boater...
... don't recall the rapid here...
... gotta' love canoes - they're even cool lookin'...
...we've played around with decked kayaks a bit, but we'll stick with open boats - could never figure out why someone would want to spend only half their time outdoors...
... plus it's scientific fact...
... "not all badass's paddle a canoe... but all canoeists are badass"...
... probably about four inches in width wing to wing - first one we ever viewed... would be cool to complete the trifecta with a 'Luna Moth', but we think that opportunity ended late July...
(internet image)
... here's an image (swiped from the internet) of one for those not familiar - have only ever spotted three in all these years - all while stumbling around the ridge above El 1000ft - and all just after dusk...
... noticed that our old 'Mountain Machines' post gets a lot of views - there's apparently a few people out there with an interest in lifting their compact 'Suzuki SX4' automobiles and are looking for ideas...
... traced the viewer links to a few SX4 Forums out there and discovered some are having problems with broken strut bolts, apparently resulting from undue stresses subsequent to installation of the lift spacer kits - thought that we would point that out... we've had zero problems... don't know how hard those people were drivin' those things but they're still just (disposable - our opinion) unibody compact cars - the lift will get you an inch or two additional clearance for unimproved gravel roads and for installing some larger tires, but you're still a far cry from a rock crawler... read that one guy had welded himself a locker axle (?) - we'd be curious to see how that performed, unfortunately, there was no follow-up... think that ya' would be better off tryin' to modify 'em with an old Suzuki Samurai (or Jeep Wrangler?) chassis if you're lookin' for serious off-road performance out of those things - you can do a lot with a cutting torch, mig welder and big nuts (and big wrench to turn 'em)...
(internet image)
... and in this case some fiberglass (and a lot of skill) as well - Ed "Big Daddy" Roths 1960's 'Surfite' custom show car - that thing's settin' on an Austin Mini Cooper chassis (the above SX4 photo made us think of this thing)...
... incidentally, the SX4 is for sale for anyone interested...
... hey, by the way - what is that on the roof?...
... picked up a new NRS Quiver riverboard - short (9'-8" here) with a bit more volume, width and stiffness combined with a rockered bow and stern for performance in turbulent water - we hesitate to say "whitewater", which we officially consider anything Class III and above, and other than standing waves we still don't know how you would navigate a technical, rocky river of such on one of these things considering Newtons 1st Law of Motion, "... an object in motion will remain in motion unless a force acts upon it" - in our experience that force, when impacting a submerged shallow rock at three knots, has thus far been a wet face plant for the paddler - but we're not tryin' to paddle anything of that sort, anyway...
... having paddled open whitewater boats for many years, we will say that the board is a pretty nice design and does what it's meant to do - very responsive and spins on a dime - only very short and effortless forward strokes or bow or stern draws or pry's are needed to navigate this thing - a strong sweep will quickly overpower it...
... zero tracking in flatwater, so you'll probably become pretty frustrated if you're intentions are paddling around a lake or flat rivers - but it's not made for that anyway...
... Muscle Girl Sarah on some Bottom Yough Class I-II shoals...
... ditto for ZMan...
... as with all technology, however, it probably won't be long before people are runnin' the Grand Canyon or Niagara Gorge on these things (if not already - we don't really follow that stuff) - we envision a high tech board with adhesive velcro deck, combined with velcro soled boots hinged at the ankle and spring activated so the paddler falls forward upon impact and immediately springs back to vertical, just like one of those inflatable kids punching bags...
... was struttin' along early dawn a few weeks back and just happened to notice a large autumn leaf stuck to the side of a building wall - the colors really stood out against the dark wall background... considered it strange as it was the middle of July and all is perpetually green in these parts (at least for the next few months) - walked over to get a better look...
... closer view revealed it to be a large 'Imperial Moth' - seldom seen (in fact, the first one we ever saw) - it immediately fluttered to the ground at our presence...
... not the best images focus-wise... was totin' no camera gear but did have an inexpensive, backup, backup camera in the boot of the vehicle that we carry for work images as well as any unexpected (but potential) encounters with UFO's, paranormal phenomena or bigfoot (each of which never seems to photograph well anyway) - retrieved it and shot these few images... this is suspected to be a female as the males are mentioned to have more purplish (?) coloration on the wings... this gal was pretty big - longer than the camera body - we figure close to six inches in length - didn't have anything we could include for scale and was trying to limit our movements for fear of scaring her off - she was beating her wings the whole time (just like the giant movie 'Mothra') as if in preparation for rapid flight...
(internet image)
... here's an image we found on-line of the distinct similarity between the 'Imperial Moth' and an autumn 'Poplar' leaf - pretty cool... who knows - maybe we have seen hundreds of 'em ...
... anyone who can view this stuff (no matter how big or small) and not realize that there is something out there a lot bigger than us needs to go set under a large tree for a long period of time... 'Poplar' will do - might not see an 'Imperial Moth'...
... nothing to do with us - here's two fantastic big wave surfing clips we thought need to be seen...
(YouTube clip)
... pro surfer 'Kai Lenny' mastering 'Peahi' on the North Shore' of 'Maui'... gotta' agree with one of the comments "... that guy's playin' with that monster like it was a "tiny" six foot wave"... check out the sequence beginning at 1:12...
(YouTube clip)
... some slightly older footage (around 2006) - great sound editing...
... we're no way surfers around here - not many point breaks to sharpen the skills here in land locked SWPA - but we're fascinated none-the-less... we do have the distinction of being the worst surfer in the entire Pacific Ocean for a single day a few years back...
... swiped these clips from 'YouTube' - so they're potential disappearance is out of our control... great work to all involved for creating these images...
... picked up a 'GoPro Karma Drone' w/ 'Hero 5' camera system back in April...
... didn't have much chance to check it out until recently...
... first time out - powered the system, checked ourself out on the included flight simulator and was in the air and flyin' in ten minutes - pretty simple...
... all systems go...
... had been tryin' to get it up into the hills for the past few weeks for some flight testing but was turned back each time for one reason or another... visited this first location four times before we got it right - first visit we had forgotten to recharge the camera battery - second visit was way too windy...
... third visit we were prepping the flight system and machine (specifically, attaching the propellers) all the while standing just a few feet away from this bush (above) when a large timber rattler went totally f*k'n nuts at out presence - buzzing like crazy - had no idea he was hidden there and scared the livin' sh*t out of us before he beat it to cover under that big rock... well, probably five minutes had rolled by and in all the excitement we had forgotten to go back to tightening the propellers - upon lift-off two propellers were immediately ejected with the machine subsequently flipping upside down and skipping out of control and around the cliff top before we could shut it down - destroyed both propellers but otherwise no other damage done...
... fourth visit (after purchasing a new propeller kit) conditions were perfect and all went well... did surprise another rattler on the hike in, so we remained wary this time around...
... another angle - didn't play with the color imbalance between those two images... that location is prime rattlesnake habitat...
... southwest facing with plenty of brush and rock crevices for cover - a bit nerve-wracking when stumbling about... saw five rattlers (and one garter snake) throughout the four visits...
... the 'Moon'...
... a shot from up at 'the Moon' last weekend - nature has really been good at reclaiming the area since being surface mined back in the late 70's - was completely barren up there for many years, hence the name...
... nearby 'Buzzard Rocks' (aka: 'Kraylick Rocks' as known to Pittsburgh rock climbers) - pictured is the "point" area of the cliff...
... there's a great moderate climbing route that goes straight up the nose of that thing that provides a bit of fun exposure that ya' normally don't find in SWPA - was never a big fan of bolting everything in sight but have to admit that that route and two or three on the adjacent walls would be lots of fun... don't matter anyway, though - the area has been restricted to climbing for the past several years...
... from the archives...
... doin' some "gardening" (around '83)...
... some rope fun (around '83) - note the coiled 'goldline' rope lying on the top of the wall - those twisted nylon ropes would stretch 10ft under body weight and close to double that under a fall - good luck getting it un-knotted after that as well if knotting anything other than a bowline.... after retiring it, used that same rope to pull over a large elm tree we were cutting down - was pulling with a 4WD truck and had it stretched almost to it's breaking point before the tree toppled - was a 150ft rope and I'll bet we had it stretched out another 50ft - had to eventually cut the (double figure-8) knotted section from the end of the rope length - still have it lying in the basement...
... didn't get too inventive with the 'Karma', but are pretty content with it - could use a narrower field of view and zoom options for the aerial work, but that's a camera function... a miniature aerial camera platform - does what we expected it to do...
... more wandering amid the 'Desert National Wildlife Refuge (DNWR) and the 'Sheep Range'...
... 'Joe May Canyon' - composite topo and satellite mapping ('Hillmap' image)...
... the canyon is accessed by vehicle via unimproved (dirt, sand and rocks) 'Joe May Road', traveling over the low desert flats and ascending bajada landform until reaching the mouth of 'Joe May Canyon' (around El 5000ft), at which point the road ends and further access is by foot...
... the 'Sheep Range' and 'Joe May Canyon' viewed from lower 'Joe May Road' to the west...
... viewing west across the desert flats and the distant 'Spring Mountains' skyline - the landmark 'Mummy Mountain' and 'Mt. Charleston' - both holding some winter snowpack... was around 98ºF this day at our position in the high desert as we recall...
... some low desert vegetation - cactus and wildflowers in bloom...
... viewing north across the low desert...
... higher ground and a relic livestock corral...
... pretty typical road conditions - easy travel, but definitely needed twin-axle traction in one short, steep spot with loose gravel and recommend something with a bit of ground clearance throughout - we had a rental 'Nissan Rogue' - AWD and was plenty adequate**...
... 'Joe May Canyon' and a vast 'Mojave Desert Scrub' landscape...
... lots of 'Joshua Tree', 'Mojave Yucca' and assorted cacti vegetation...
... 'Barrel Cactus'...
... hiked a distance up into adjacent 'Black Gate Canyon'...
... the trailhead of which begins at the end of the road and forks with 'Joe May Canyon' (see topo map)...
... lots of wildflowers...
... not sure what this shrub is...
... a bit closer up...
... was full of honeybees...
... some type of small beetle we guess...
... more wildflowers and honeybees...
... and shrubs...
... didn't follow 'Black Gate Canyon' out (and back) it's length, though - the trail ascends a good distance and maybe another rugged 2,000ft into the high country - the objective today was to view and photograph a few 'Desert Bighorn Sheep'*... stumbled across many tracks and trails (above)...
... hiked back down into 'Joe May Canyon'... think that they refer to that distant long black limestone rock band as the "black gate", with the gate being a gap in the rock band providing access (3rd class scrambling) up into the high peaks... may be wrong...
... finally viewed a few 'Desert Bighorns' way off in the distance and along this ridge line viewing through 10x binoculars - too far off for any good photos... note the large, ancient agave roasting pit photo center...
... hiked over to check it out - passed this small cave...
... and small arched limestone rock formation along the way...
... the roasting pit close up - Native Americans constructed and used these things for cooking agave plants they'd harvest and gather...
... it was a pretty windy day - before heading out we spent some time viewing a continual series of large 'Dust Devils' swirling for miles across the low desert flats (photo center)... they were best viewed through binoculars... the Native American 'Navajo's' refer to them as 'Chindi' and believe they are ghosts left behind after a person dies, and is everything that was bad about the person - "theresidue that man has been unable to bring into universal harmony"... not surprised that we saw so many of 'em with "sin city" being directly upwind...
* ... or desert 'Raptors' - didn't expect to have much luck in the afternoon time period for encountering either, but on the way in, mid-morning and in the low desert, we did spot a very huge 'Golden Eagle' which was very near and flying close to ground level - apparently on the hunt - failed on the few photo attempts, however...
**... definitely need 'Sirius XM Radio' amongst the survival gear - never book a rental car without it... the brilliant 'Greg Allman' of the 'Allman Brothers Band' had (unfortunately) passed away that weekend and 'Deep Tracks' was playin' a lot of all their stuff - southwest desert cruisin' tunes don't get any better than that...
