July Colorado Trip

OK, yeah, my attempted blog resurgence kind of failed.  But I figured if Amanda can blog and raise a baby at the same time, and Emily can uproot herself and start a cross-country road trip, I should be able to post every now and then...

So first order of business is to catch up with some pictures from our trip out to Denver to visit Kate's family in July.  It was great to visit Colorado in the summer, as much of our past visiting has been over the Christmas holidays.  While the skiing is better in January than July, we got to take advantage of a lot more of the great Colorado outdoors during this trip, including:

• Hiking along a creek in Morrison (above)
• Swimming and sailing in Bow Mar Lake
• Mountain biking amongst the flatirons in Deer Creek Canyon
• Fun family soccer and wiffleball games in the backyard
• Camping out in the backyard with the nieces and nephews after having s'mores and a campfire
• Climbing Longs Peak!

I had previously attempted Longs with reader Marc and his friend from Longmont, but we were turned back about 2/3 of the way by snow and ice on the some of the more treacherous terrain.  Fortunately this time the weather was perfect, and I got to summit a Colorado 14'er!  It's a great hike if anyone ever has the opportunity to do it. Despite being pretty strenuous and requiring a super-early start to avoid thunderstorms that often roll in after noon, it's one of the most (if not the most) climbed peaks in Colorado (however that's measured).  We hiked on a Friday and were joined by Anonymous, which was fun.  There are 4 distinct portions to the "standard" Longs hike: 1) The early hike through the woods following a creek, 2) Alpine zone where the trees give way to the rocky mountainside, 3) the boulderfield leading up to the keyhole, and 4) after the keyhole the majorly exposed spiraling traverse/climb up the rocky flanks of Longs to the summit.  This last portion is commonly subdivided into aptly named sections such as "the ledges," "the narrows," "the trough," and "the homestretch."  Instead of dumping a whole lot of pictures here, you can watch this slideshow with captions if you'd like, or you can see the pictures on my Picasa page (if you haven't already seen them).



In addition to family, we got to spend a couple fun nights with Erin and Anonymous.  Was great to see you guys.  Anon even gave us the grand tour of his castle, which was very nice.  We are jealous of your status as a homeowner.  Glad the smell is gone, though.

Stay tuned for more posts about our visit to the industrial yet entertaining (and surprisingly generous) Coors Brewery in Golden and an impromptu sub-trip during our Denver visit north to Cheyenne, Wyoming to go to Cheyenne Frontier Days (rodeo) - "The Daddy of 'Em All" as they call it...

Notes from School - Day One, 2010

Hi folks!

So I'm back being a teacher again! The beginning of school is always a blur, with learning kids' names, trying to get a rein on classroom behavior, and jumping right into material.

Anyway, I always ask students to fill out a little questionnaire about themselves. It has some standard-fare questions, and then things like "what are 2-3 careers you might enjoy", "what's your favorite dessert", and "got any good jokes?" I got some funny answers to these that I thought you might enjoy. You can probably figure out what questions they are supposed to go to.

1) What do you call a bee with a low hum? A mumble bee. What do you call a bee that gives milk? A boobee. (From one of my brightest and quietest female AP students - didn't know she had it in her.)

2) The Sahara

3) An astronaut, a pilates instructor, or a rapper. (And yes, this is answer is from a single student).

More tales from the classroom as I get them!

July 4th at Loon Lake

Kate and I spent Independence Day 2010 up in the Sierra Nevada mountains at Loon Lake, just outside of the Desolation Wilderness at the southeast corner of Lake Tahoe.  Thanks to some good organizing by Alex, we had 3 adjacent campsites for the long weekend, enough to accommodate our large group of assorted friends and friends of friends coming from various places around the Bay Area, California, and Reno.



At about 6,400" elevation, the Loon Lake area is just on the border of the high alpine above-treeline type Sierra backcountry that is so fun to explore.  There are trails leading into the wilderness areas, up to the nearby peaks, around the lake, swimming (brrrrrrr!), biking (or 4WD jeeping, but we don't have anything like this) on the world-famous Rubicon Trail that starts here, and plenty of enjoyable plain 'ol hanging out around the campfire.  Thanks to the large amounts of late-season snow we got this year in the mountains, this was amazingly the first weekend these campgrounds were open!  There was no snow on the ground at lake level, but plenty up higher and on north-facing slopes.

One of the noteworthy activities was a nice hike up to Tells Peak (8,872').  Here's some annotated photos from that adventure.  And yes, it was a little more of an adventure than we had planned...


Here's our group about to head out from the campsite.  It's about a 15 mile loop, we think.  Maps are inconclusive.  Enormous flag courtesy of the Wequasset Resort, via Mr. Dad.  Thanks!


Hiking through a marsh early on.  It was clear a lot of ground was seeing sun for the first time this year, and was still very swampy in the meadows from snowmelt.


We stopped for lunch at Forni Lake, about 900' vertical shy of the summit.  Here's Adam and Scuba doing a Spaceman.  In case you were wondering, a "Spaceman" involves filling a plastic astronaut with 3 1/3 beers and consuming it as quickly as possible.  In case you are wondering about more things now, yes, they toted 8 beers into the backcountry to perform this ritual.  In case you are still wondering, yes, they started regretting both the fact that they inadvertently were using 6% abv "Simpler Times Lager" and that they were at 8,000' feet soon after starting.  But amusing, and well documented. 


Reached the ridge!  Lots of snow still on the North side.  Looking SE toward Mt. McConnell.


Dustin, Rufus, and Taylor.


Alex contemplates the map, as we start to realize the trail down may or may not exist, and also may be buried under several feet of snow for the next few miles.


Group on the ridge.


Hiking up to the summit.


Conveniently Adam's dog Jameson bonked right about at the halfway point.  Good timing, Jameson.  But it was nice to know that dogs other than Banjo wimp out on hiking trips.




The views from the top.


The way down.  Got to glissade the first few hundred yards, which is always a blast!  Glad I brought the gaiters.  Note - the footprints were ours, we saw exactly zero other people on our hike...

Which may explain why the trail was so hard to find on the way down, leading to some semi-stressful routefinding (or routelosing) and the eventual decision to "bushwhack" over the open granite and scrub towards our destination to where we knew we'd eventually cross a real trail.  This cut off some distance but bushwhacking always is much slower going than you think.  Fortunately over half of this part of the hike was exciting hiking over open granite, much more interesting than numbly following a trail.  The downside came once we got low enough to have to fight our way through thick scrubby bushes for a couple miles after an already-long day.  Suffice to say the pictures became sparse during this tenuous period but we all made it back in one piece, more or less.  Jameson the dog wasn't all that good at walking the next day, but I'm told he made a full recovery.

Aside from hare-brained wilderness bushwhacking adventures, we played lots of campground games, including:


Jungle Speed, our new favorite quick board/card game (it's great, you should totally get it)


and Bags!  We had a full 15-person double-elimination bags tournament!  Kate almost won (2nd place, I think?)

Rufus and Banjo hope you had a good 4th too!

Avett Bros. at the Mountain Winery

Ever since our 2006 wedding at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga, CA, we had been wanting to go back for concert at the beautiful outdoor venue.  Last month we finally made it happen!



Right after our wedding, the Mountain Winery underwent a significant renovation to the whole concert bowl and grounds in general.  While it's turned what was a cute but a little outdated venue into a beautiful and very classy concert venue complete with several upscale (read: overpriced) dining options and luxury boxes (to cater to the wealthy silicon valley types), I was a little nostalgic for the simpler, less "shiny" Mountain Winery that I remembered from our wedding.  For example, the nice stone courtyard, benches, and little fountain beneath the giant redwoods where we had our ceremony has been completely redone and I think not all the trees survived the construction.  Still, much of the appeal of the place is the wonderfully sweeping valley views it provides, and those were still there in abundance.  Also, they got rid of that ridiculous swimming pool that used to be there, and the concert bowl (even if it dominates the property now) is really nice.  Not a bad seat in the house.



So on to the show - I got lucky with Craigslist again and snagged some great seats for a cheap price that included some pre-show hors d'oeuvres.  The Avett Brothers are an energetic folk/rock group from North Carolina that somehow Kate had managed to see once before already (Merlefest)!  They put on a good show and as the sun went down we put on all our layers and huddled for warmth (and reminded ourselves of how we were glad we decided to have our reception indoors!) and enjoyed the light show on the historic facade of the Paul Masson winery building.  A nice summer evening - we were happy to get back there finally!

Shark Week!

Yikes!  Stay out of the water in Chatham!  (at least the ocean water)



In case you don't feel like watching, the Great White shark infestation off the coast of Chatham, MA continues this year, and was featured on ABC's Good Morning America.  They are attracted to the area by the "buffet" (as the ABC narrator calls it) of grey seals that life there.  Thanks for the tip, mom - hope those kayaks are sturdy! 

Santa Barbara

We've explored a lot of California in the six years we have lived here, but until recently we hadn't ever been to Santa Barbara.  So, when Dustin and Cara invited us to take a weekend trip there to visit some of their friends and family, we jumped at the opportunity!

We stayed with Cara's friends from her days as UCSB, Vince and Susan, and their children Emma and Asher in their very cute house surrounded by delicious fruit trees.  Every meal was supplemented with fresh-off-the-tree apricots or plums.  Even Banjo liked them.  Mmmmm! 

We went hiking up in the Santa Barbara hills in an area that had been completely burned from the wildfires last year.  It was really interesting to see how much early growth had come back and covered the hillsides.  The trees weren't there yet, but lots of wildflowers and brush had taken root.  At our turnaround point we had some great views over the town to the Pacific as well as up to Cathedral Peak.

Our group on the trail

Aside from the Santa Barbara backcountry, we stopped at the Mission and took in some of the amazing chalk-art that was there, and explored downtown with all it's trendy shops and beautiful Jackoranda trees.

Kate with her favorite chalk drawing

Kate meeting Asher's pet snake

Downtown skate park action

Our next night was spent a little ways down the coast in Ventura with Cara's sister Shonna, generous enough to put us up for the night, and her parents.  We had a great time hanging out with good friends as well as meeting new ones on this trip - and those apricots were delicious!  I have renewed motivation to care for our 10" tall sprig of an apricot tree we are nursing in our backyard now...

Some more pics

Babies!

Before getting into the summer, I think I never posted about our April trip back East to see family and some of our recently-parentified college friends! A belated congrats to Andrew and Jess, Erin and Brian, and now Gordie and Amanda! It was fun seeing all of you and now we look forward to getting to meet Willem in person, now that you've finally joined the world! Here are some highlights:

Visiting with our NH/VT friends and hiking along the creek in Gordie and Amanda's backyard

Andrew and Tyler

Group at Andrew's house, in the apple orchard

Tom and Donovan the horse

Gordie changing his first diaper (I'm sure he's got plenty more under his belt now!)

Us and fuzzy baby Zoe in Boston

Trip with the parents to P-town

Kate goes whale-riding

More pictures

Summer Fun

We've been decidedly negligent in posting recently, but that's not for lack of exciting activities. Kate has been enjoying her first real summer vacation as a teacher, and we've had some enjoyable trips recently, both near and far. Stay tuned for some catch-up updates on our summer soon!

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Advance preparation

• 3 to 8 hours for marinating the meat (optional); also, allow yourself 4 to 6 hours cooking time

Special equipment

• 6 cups hickory chips or chunks, soaked for 1 hour in cold water to cover and drained

For the rub (optional)

• 1 tablespoon mild paprika
• 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons hot paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 2 cups cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar, or more to taste
• 5 teaspoons salt, or more to taste
• 4 teaspoons hot red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

For the barbecue

• 1 Boston butt (bone-in pork shoulder roast; 5 to 6 pounds), covered with a thick (1/2 inch) layer of fat
• 10 to 12 hamburger buns

Preparation

1. If using the rub, combine the mild paprika, brown sugar, hot paprika, celery salt, garlic salt, dry mustard, pepper, onion powder, and salt in a bowl and toss with your fingers to mix. Wearing rubber or plastic gloves if desired, rub the spice mixture onto the pork shoulder on all sides, then cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours, preferably 8.

If not using the rub, generously season the pork all over with coarse (kosher or sea) salt and freshly ground black pepper; you can start cooking immediately.

2. Set up the grill for indirect grilling and place a drip pan in the center.

If using a gas grill, place all of the wood chips in the smoker box and preheat the grill to high; when smoke appears, reduce the heat to medium.

If using a charcoal grill, preheat the grill to medium-low and adjust the vents to obtain a temperature of 300°F.

3. When ready to cook, if using charcoal, toss 1 cup of the wood chips on the coals. Place the pork shoulder, fat side up, on the hot grate over the drip pan. Cover the grill and smoke cook the pork shoulder until fall-off-the-bone tender and the internal temperature on an instant-read meat thermometer reaches 195°F, 4 to 6 hours (the cooking time will depend on the size of the pork roast and the heat of the grill). If using charcoal, you'll need to add 10 to 12 fresh coals to each side every hour and toss more wood chips on the fresh coals; add about 1/2 cup per side every time you replenish the coals. With gas, all you need to do is be sure that you start with a full tank of gas. If the pork begins to brown too much, drape a piece of aluminum foil loosely over it or lower the heat.

4. Transfer the pork roast to a cutting board, loosely tent it with aluminum foil, and let rest for 15 minutes.

5. Wearing heavy-duty rubber gloves if desired, pull off and discard any skin from the meat, then pull the pork into pieces, discarding any bones or fat. Using your fingertips or a fork, pull each piece of pork into shreds 1 to 2 inches long and 1/8 to 1/4 inch wide. This requires time and patience, but a human touch is needed to achieve the perfect texture. If patience isn't one of your virtues, you can finely chop the pork with a cleaver (many respected North Carolina barbecue joints serve chopped 'cue). Transfer the shredded pork to a nonreactive roasting pan. Stir in 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the vinegar sauce, enough to keep the pork moist, then cover the pan with aluminum foil and place it on the grill for up to 30 minutes to keep warm.

6. To serve, mound the pulled pork on the hamburger buns and top with coleslaw. Let each person add more vinegar sauce to taste.

Southern Light Cornbread

Vegetable oil spray
1 c Quaker yellow cornmeal
2 t sugar
1/2 t salt
1 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/3 c boiling water
3/4 c buttermilk
1 large egg
1 T butter, melted and cooled

Preheat oven to 450, spray 9 inch round or 8 inch square baking pan with spray

Measure 1/3 cup of cornmeal into a bowl. Whisk remaining 2/3 cup, sugar, salt, powder, and soda into small bowl and set aside.

Pour boiling water into the 1/3 c cornmeal and stir to make a mush. Whisk in the buttermilk gradually, then whisk in egg and butter. Stir dry ingredients in until just moistened and pour into pan.

Bake roughly 20 min.