Windy and cold

Last night I attended a burlesque interpretation of the Nutcracker along w/ a packed house. Dancing, pasties, and G strings on both sexes. I am still processing what I viewed. The audience was into it.

In late afternoon the winds abated considerably w/ temps still in the 20s. I can’t get warm. Last night I slept in the airport parking lot exposed to the wind rocking the van. The wind played hell w/ my opened roof vent such that I was concerned the wind would destroy it so I kept it closed. Tradeoff was no venting of combustion h20 vapor which sheeted out on the inside of the windshield. I doubled up both blankets and wore a bike skull cap and the heater on high I still slept chilly. This AM I watched a air carrier land a single engine passenger plane into a slight side wind, no, the angle was slight, the wind speed was gusting into prolly the 30s. Exciting. Later I watched a smaller single engine attempt while being wing to wing bounced around, he decided he really had no business on Orcas. Just too windy and cold for my comfort. Today I wore long underwear, top and bottom. I added my Pisgah wool jersey and the heavier Patagonia wool sweater. For wind protection I wore a Patagonia puffball jacket, and my ski wool hat, and gloves while walking along a beach. I was so cold.

Today I visited Ian @ his hostel where the cast from last night’s show stayed for an invited shower. He was a partner in the show. He said when we met he felt a kindred energy flow and he chose to share. Cool.

B4 the show I visited the local brew pub to sample what is up. A guy stood beside me and asked me who was following whom. Huh? He told me we met this summer on Angel’s Staircase. Naw, I didn’t ride it this summer. As he talked my memory spooled up and I remembered the encounter. He puts on 100 mile foot races and he was cleaning the trail. He is putting on a 200 miler on the Tahoo rim next fall. We met in August of 2011 as verified by my log book.

MT Baker from Anacortes, thanks for tip.

DSC_0024 baker for web

It fit but won’t enlarge.

Back in the 80s I climbed Baker 4 times, skiing off the summit 3X and a death defying technical ice climb on the NW ridge. An ice fall preceeded our start then another after we climbed by. Our escape was the summit. We made itto the top then downclimbed the ski route. We made our bivy site just b4 dark, packed up, then wiggled our way over the crevaced glacier almost in the dark. More to it than that. Another exciting adventure w/ Jeff Johnson. (I wonder if he is still alive?) Skinny skies and leather boots, telemark.