Land of the Lily

Taken along the Pigeon River in Northeast Minnesota. I love lilies, but taking a nice photograph of them is a challenge. This was shot from my kayak without looking through the camera's viewfinder. I held the camera as close to the surface of the water as possible and pressed the shutter button… “shooting blind”, so to speak. It took several tries to get a level horizon!

Crowning Glories Galore!

footnoteMaven has posted the 5th Edition - Smile For The Camera over at Shades of The Departed.

The word prompt this time around was "Crowning Glory" and the contributions of the 52 participants will not disappoint you. Please, go check them out, you'll be glad you did! My contribution was The Hover Children :: All Dressed Up.

I'm pleased to say that I will be hosting the 6th Edition of Smile For The Camera here at kinexxions! Thanks, fM, for the opportunity!

The word prompt for the 6th edition is Funny Bone. Show us that picture that never fails to bring a smile to your face! An amusing incident, a funny face, an unusual situation. Share! Choose a photograph of an ancestor, relative, yourself, or an orphan photograph that tickles your Funny Bone and submit it to the carnival.

Your submission may include as many or as few words as you feel are necessary to describe your treasured photograph. Those words may be in the form of an expressive comment, a quote, a journal entry, a poem (your own or a favorite), a scrapbook page, or a heartfelt article. The choice is yours!

Deadline for submission is midnight (PT) October 10, ...

Details for submitting your contribution can be found at Smile For The Camera.

We love new gear.

The very wise marketing team at Wild Country (UK) wereconcerned about me climbing on French made gear. Not safety, style.They are so style conscious, the Brits.So they chose this stunning outfit for me.The Wild Country Ultralite Elite harness.And they racked it up, left and right, with their latest and totally techno-fabulousHelium quickdraws.



Climbers, you know I'm not that fussy about harnesses and quickdraws, I've used a lot of junk in my time and I never blame my gear,but when I took this lotfor a burl today I felt like I was using the best.Good gear matters.

















The Helium Quickdraws areabsolutely superb. They are lighter than anything I've used before.The dogbones are fat, the way I like them, andthe wire gate secures in an ingenious recessed fashion, no doubt made possible by tricky new manufacturing techniques.And how good do they look?



The first matching set of quickdraws I ever bought were Wild Country, and I fondled them all the way home in the car from Brisbane.

I don't know what a quickdraw will look like in 10 years, but for now this is as good as it gets.Thanks Wild Country, thanks Steve Foster.

Gushing, I know.But don't tell me you guyshaven't slept with your new gear beside your bed.





Good night.

jj

Wildlife Along the Alaska Highway

In spite of eagerly obeying a multitude of signs imploring me to “Watch for Wildlife on the Highway” I saw very few wild things along the 1400+ miles of the Alaska Highway. But the lack of wildlife may have been due to my driving habits – starting the day on the road between 7 and 8 am and quitting by 6 pm. Apparently (very) early morning and late evening hours are best for seeing the critters.

A large billboard tells me what the signs mean...

Smaller signs, like this one, dotted the sides of the highway.

The guide book that I've used for the drive to and in Alaska is called “The Milepost” and it provides a mile-by-mile breakdown of what to expect along the various highways - from towns and attractions to highway conditions – and it has been a huge help. It too provided some dire warnings about what wildlife to expect and where it would be.

What little wildlife I did see was on August 3rd (my second day on the Alaska Highway) between Summit Lake and Watson Lake (milepost 373-613). Oh, and that bit about not stopping on the highway? Forget it – everyone was doing it whenever an animal was sighted. Besides, the shoulders were nonexistent in many places and those animals certainly never appeared where there were turnouts!

Stone Sheep at 8:20 am near Summit Lake, exactly where The Milepost said they would be! But there was only one, all alone. It was right along the highway just a few feet from the van.

It posed for me for several minutes and was still standing there as I drove away.

Bear at 10:35 am. On the off-chance that I'd see any wildlife I had gotten my other camera out (it has 15x zoom but takes lower resolution images). Otherwise this fella would have been a small dot in the photo! Berries were its idea of a good meal.

These two bears (taken at 12:58 pm) were some distance away when I saw them and stopped. I was able to get just one photo before they scurried off into the forest.

A small herd of Buffalo at 1:20 pm. Another small herd was several miles further on. It is possible that these are “domesticated” buffalo since several of them appear to be wearing a collar of some kind. Or perhaps it is a tracking device?

That's all folks! That's it. That's all there was!
(Well that's all that I saw...)

Note: This post was written at 11:30 pm Friday night using the available daylight only. There was still an orange tint to the western sky. Even later in the night the sky does not get dark. I haven't seen the stars in the night sky since leaving Montana. Temperature was about 55 degrees with a light breeze. And, this is being posted from the public library in the little town of North Pole, Alaska which is about 15 miles south of Fairbanks.

Island Steam

First light over the Susie Islands on a -13 degree morning. During early winter Lake Superior is still carrying a lot of warmth from the summer and fall seasons. As the cold arctic air flows over the waters of the lake in early winter, the cold air clashes with the warmer air radiating from the lake and creates large amounts of steam. When the sun breaks the horizon and illuminates the steam it makes for one of the most awe-inspiring scenes a person can witness on the big lake.

Changing Commutes

When I first started riding for transportation in Boston, my trips were about 2-3 miles each way and took me almost exclusively through relatively flat urban areas, bike trails, and quiet side streets. But as the nature of my work changed over the past few years, I found myself making more long distance trips that took me out of town. The change snuck up on me gradually. But when I look at my typical week today, a 20 mile round trip with some hills thrown in has become normal.



The effect of this on my choice of transportation bikes has been significant. I could not tackle most of my trips today on a heavy upright 3-speed geared for the city and still arrive at my destination energetic andpresentable - which is, after all, my priority. I need low gears for the hills; I need speed to cover the distance within a reasonable time. Naturally, these practical considerations have influenced my preferences.



On the other hand, the longer trips have not changed how I dress on the bike. I would describe myself as a low maintenance dresser, so I've never been one to wear carefully pressed pastel satin suits and stiletto heels in the first place. But I do wear mostly skirts and dresses - always have; it's just what I feel comfortable in. So far I've had no issue continuing to do that.



My views on the feasibility of cycling for transportation continue to expand as I ride longer distances. I still do not feel the need for a car. In fact, I enjoy traveling by bike now more than ever - the terrain is more varied, with less urban congestion. As far as challenges, time management is the biggest issue - with more careful planning required to get everything done by bike. Poorly plowed suburban roads in the winter will be a possible obstacle in future, though this past winter that was never a problem.



I am looking forward to writing more on this, addressing topics relevant for those with long commutes who still want to ride in their regular clothes.When I started out I never imagined that I would be doing this kind of cycling, yet here I am.



Has a changed commute altered your perspectives on transport bicycles, bike-appropriate clothing, and the feasibility of cycling for transportation?

Big and Little

Our smallest horse, Stormy, who is a bit to big to be a true Miniture Horse, and our biggest horse, Sunny, is isn't really all that big compared to BIG horses. And our Border Collie, Tuffee

Greetings from Louisiana :: Shelter from the Cold

Wednesday afternoon, with temperatures forecast to drop into the teens for the next few nights, I considered my options: Continue camping and deal with the cold. Accept the fact that I'm a wimp and get a motel room for a week (or until the overnight temps get back into the 30s). Accept the offer of a friend to go visit them a little sooner than planned.

From the title of the post, you can probably tell that I chose the third option! And so, after traveling 650 miles west and 150 or so miles north from central Florida, I arrived Friday afternoon... in northeast Louisiana!

It's true, it's still cold here too and will be for a few more days (I'm not sure there is anywhere that you could go to escape the cold right now), but good friends warm the heart and soul as well as provide shelter from the cold. And for that, I thank them ever so much.

Rainbow Springs State Park, Dunellon, Florida
January 5, ..

Cuties

Recovering nicely from their operations.

Ginger (L) is the boy and George is the girl. Clearly, sexing kittens is not among our talents. They laugh at us at the vet's office.

"Ginger Baker!" I want to yell. "George Sand! Rebel cats who'll never conform to your archaic provincial notions of gender roles!"

Anyway, now they are both "fixed".

Looks like I'll be really busy between now and Christmas, filling soap orders. My dreams are filled with boxes and tape. Visions of shrinkwrap, bubble fill and packing peanuts dance in my head.

It doesn't feel normal, not having the time to write here or to visit other blogs. I miss being able to record the small things. It's been dry... it rained... but not enough... the swamp area is almost completely drained... there were four huge male turkeys in the backyard... I snuck out of the craft show to see part of the Veteran's Day parade and was surprised to become so emotional... Mom's been here, helping me wrap soap. See you later.

Mesa Verde :: Cliff Palace

It would probably seem to be a good bet that from Hovenweep I would go to visit the “cliff dwellers” at Mesa Verde National Park, located near Cortez, Colorado and about 50 miles east of Hovenweep. The park contains over 4,000 known archeological sites including cliff dwellings and the mesa top sites of pithouses, pueblos, masonry towers, and farming structures although many of them are not accessible to the everyday visitor.

The first stop was the campground. Even though I was assured by the Ranger at the entrance station that the campground never fills up, I wanted to make sure that I had a site for the night. After securing my site I drove the dozen or so miles winding up the mountain side to the visitors center. A ticket, for the nominal sum of three dollars, is required to tour the cliff dwellings. The number of visitors on each tour is limited as are the number of daily tours to each site. There were several slots available for the two dwelling sites that were open – Cliff Palace and Balcony House – and I obtained tickets for Cliff Palace that afternoon and Balcony House the next morning.

There are signs posted at the waiting area for the tours warning that “Visiting the cliff dwellings will involve strenuous hiking and climbing. If you have any health problems do not attempt.” Dire warnings, indeed. But the trail is only a quarter of a mile long. How difficult could it be?

A portion of the Cliff Palace seen from the top of the trail. A large part of the dwelling is off to the left and much of it is barely visible in the shadows.

Several of the towers are four stories high. Park literature states that “The cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde are some of the most notable and best preserved in the North American Continent. Sometime during the late 1190s, after primarily living on the mesa top for 600 years, many Ancestral Puebloans began living in pueblos they built beneath the overhanging cliffs. The structures ranged in size from one-room storage units to villages of more than 150 rooms. While still farming the mesa tops, they continued to reside in the alcoves, repairing, remodeling, and constructing new rooms for nearly a century. By the late 1270s, the population began migrating south into present-day New Mexico and Arizona. By 1300, the Ancestral Puebloan occupation of Mesa Verde ended.”

And, “Recent studies reveal that Cliff Palace contained 150 rooms and 23 kivas and had a population of approximately 100 people. Out of the nearly 600 cliff dwellings concentrated within the boundaries of the park, 75% contain only 1-5 rooms each, and many are single room storage units. If you visit Cliff Palace you will enter an exceptionally large dwelling which may have had special significance to the original occupants. It is thought that Cliff Palace was a social, administrative site with high ceremonial usage.”

It was fascinating. And the trail really wasn't so bad. A metal stairway leads to a series of uneven stone steps of varying heights. Then the path goes along the edge of the cliff making its way around to a 10-foot ladder going up to the next level. From there, you had to go back down a ways along a stone and dirt path finally reaching the area of the cliff dwellings.





The park Ranger preparing to climb the last of the ladders back to the top.

At first glimpse, and from a distance, the final ladder climb looks scary. This was taken from the trail waiting area before going on the tour. But, as you can see from the previous photo, the ladder hugs the wall and it was a relatively easy climb.

Upside Down North Roads

During the VCC Northern Ireland Ride last weekend I had the opportunity to ride several bicycles that were fitted with upside down North Road handlebars - classic swept-back bars mounted upside down in order to achieve a lower hand position. Personally, I love upside-down North Roads. Unlike many other handlebar set-ups designed to achieve an aggressive posture, I've always found them comfortable and intuitive. So it surprised me to learn from others on the ride that this set-up tends to be a "love it or hate it" sort of thing, with many falling firmly into the latter category.






Apparently, those who do not like the bars report that they make a bike's handling twitchy - almost providing too much leverage for comfort. That intrigues me, because that same feeling of leverage is what makes me feel in control of the bike - able to manipulate it and "place it" as it were exactly as I want.





I also like the ergonomics: My wrists just seem to naturally plop down onto the gripping areas as they do on regularly mounted North Roads, but the low placement of my hands enables a much more aggressive position than on a typical upright bike. It's almost like riding with drop handlebars, except with access to standard brake levers in the drops.






Interestingly though, I noticed that all the upside-down North Roads on the VCC ride were set up with the gripping areas pointing down, whereas in the US I usually see them set up with the gripping areas more or less parallel to the ground. I cannot tell which I find more comfortable.






Setting a bicycle up with upside-down North Roads is the best method I know of achieving an aggressive yet ergonomic hand position without resorting to drop bars. I am curious what your thoughts on them are.

Umbilicals...something to think about and it aint good.

Photo courtey of http://colinhaley.blogspot.com/





Like may of us I suspect, I have thought that factory umbilical attachments were best done in a steel or aluminum "loop" that could be directly clipped with your umbilical biner of choice. Having climbed a bunch on Cobras, the newest Fusions, new Ergos and Nomics (old and new) and the original Quark I am rethinking that idea.



photo courtesy of http://colinhaley.blogspot.com/



I really rely on my umbilicals. As much as they are a moving belay for me I also have come to rely on them to retain my tools while climbing leashless. On the occasions I do climb without umbilicals I am very careful to watch where my tools are all the time and that they are securely placed. And I don't worry about my partners kicking or bumping them off the climb. May be I should be more concernedall the time..







I've notice that those that don't choose to use umbilicals aren't always very careful on where they leave their own tools. To the point of a couple of winters ago wepicked up several sets of tools left behind simply because the climbers who owned the tool forgot them at a rap station or even just left them on the ground at the base of a climb. (hard to blame that on umbilicals I guess :) Or just as bad, set them somewhere they could easily be knocked off (by the owner,their partner or rock and ice fall) at a belay station.







But the issue that just became readily apparent to me is clipping carabiners to a metal umbilical attachment points has a huge disadvantage. That is, the wire gate biners tripping themselves open and dropping the tools in use. You can't just ignore where the tool is and what is happening when it is a metal to metal contact between umbilical and tool. None of the carabiner based umbilicals have any advantage here..."no matter how strong the the binergate is" as one manufacturer's rep told me.







Rope tie on points won't solve the entire issue. But they will help make the umbilical biners less likely to pop off the tool. Tonight, as good as the BD tool design work is, I added perlon loops to both my Fusions and Cobras all the while negating the full strength metal attachment pointson both tools. The reason?I'd rather have a less than full strength umbilical attachment point than loosea tool because the umbilical biner ever so easily snapped off the tool by accident.





photo courtesy of http://www.alpineexposures.com/pages/chamonix-conditions





Pays to always think and rethink your own systems.

How to better your ice climbing?

Photos courtesy of the V. and N.



One of the cool things about having a blog is being able to see where the traffic comes from and what most who read the blog are interested in.



I remember teaching with the now legendary Canadian Guide James Blench, years ago, whenhe ratherpointedly asked me why I didn't "get to it". That while I stood around wide eyed watching him and John Lauchlan whip a bunch of beginning ice climbers through their paces in class. I kept my mouth shut and learned a lot about ice climbingfrom those two guys.



Note worthy side-bar here, giving credit where it is due

"If youwant to goclimbing, anywhere in the world,and really learn the skills more aboutJames in the link below. James is one of the guys who invented free climbing really steep water ice and is still at it. No betteror more experiencedmountain guide working today."



http://www.jamesblench.ca/mountaineering_about.html.





ok,back to thestory ;)

I was afraid to open my mouth. Better be seen as knowing something than speaking up and letting the word (or lack of them) out. So take this FWIW ;)



Rock climbing and ice climbing have a few things in common. I am not so sure that there is as much in common as some profess these days though.



First suggestion is get a pair of comfortable, warm and rigid soled boots.



Second is get a set of the newest, 2 grip, radically curved, leashless tools. Cobra, Viper, Quark, Nomic.



Third is get a set of "typical" 12 point crampons. Sabertooth or G12 style crampon of your choice will do fine.



Yes, I have hear the arguments on mono point crampons and vertical front point crampons. I use them both at times. But I believe the single most important piece of gear for ice climbing is a the combo of rigid soled boot and a equally "rigid" (as in not moving) set of perfectly fit crampons.The front point direction has little to do with the ability to climb well withcrampons on steep ice.



Way more important things to learn about ice climbing than dropping a knee or setting your mono point in your last tool placement. (does any one actually do that?)



This from Will Gadd which I think is spot on:



"Good rock climbers can learn to climb ice a lot faster than good ice climbers can learn to climb rock. I attribute this to the fact that rock climbers already have the fitness, and just require motion training, while most ice climbers are relatively weak. But, while a rock climber can learn to get up about any ice climb in a season or two, just getting up a climb does not mean doing it well. I have seen reasonably competent rock climbers move with glacial speed on what for a good ice climber is 5.5 terrain. I think the real artistry and style of ice climbing is not in just getting up a pitch, but doing so quickly and securely. It's like running--anyone can run a mile, but it's another thing to do it in under five minutes... I would rather see someone climbing well below their max but in total control than someone pushing it on ice, not worth it."



more here:



http://gravsports.blogspot.com//01/new-years-tips-for-ice-ability-gains.html



Most ice climbing is actually a battle to conserve energy. You want to stand and stay on your feet, not hang on your arms. If you use some thought most ice can generally be climbing on your feet. Even very difficult WI6 stuff can be climbed much on your feet.



When you do have to hang off your arms do it quickly, hang on bones not muscleand then get back on your feet asap . Just as you would crack climbing.



Don't kick the ice to death or to build a food hold. Set your crampons on features, weight them and let the crampons..well fit of course..do the work. Better yet look for "steps" on the ice where you can just set your cramponed foot and stand up. Look for the foot holds or "steps" just as you would on a rock climb. Think about and look at what you are climbing.



You should be doing one kick and stand or one placement and stand. Any more and you are wasting energy. Think positive and learn to trust your feet, the first time. PRACTICE.



Tools?...climb leashless. It is easier. Don't over grip. Climb with thin gloves...learn what you need for gloves to stay warm with. Don't over grip. Thin gloves let you to use a lesser grip. Learn to match and climb on one tool at a time. You'll save an enormous amount of energy by doing so. Matchingon your tools and leashless are THE two of the major innovations in ice climbing over the last 3 decades. Follow through on your swing. You are using high clearance, radically curved tools, right? Learn to hook. Hooking saves energy and is much, much faster. You can hook natural features and previous tool or crampon placements. There is no cheating when it comes to ice. My goal is to hook every placement, on every climb.



Never accept a bad placement. Never place a tool at the same height. Skip the Gen X program entirely. Make a real effort to go fast by using fewer tool placements...and keep your heels down.



Feet are easy. Take just oneswing per step...walk your feet as high as possible. Work the tool placements by matching and take advantage of those long reaching placements by walking your feet as high as possible every time. Practice.



Learn to follow in half the time it takes to lead. Yes, follow in half the time or LESS than it takes to lead. Practice andmake it your game.



Don't dick around on climbs...even practice climbs. Think about what you are doing, stay organized and alert. And climb quickly.



Keep you heels down...as in lower than your front points. Not as important as it use to be....because you are less likely to shear your front points in softer ankled boots. But keeping your heels downwill make your calves feel a lot better :)



Helmet head? Use the helmet to deflect dinner places or that bad tool placement you are forced to pull up on once in a while. Turn your head to put your helmet between your face and your tool. Less painful that way when your tool eventually pops. And they will.



Learn to use flat footing or French technique. It is the one technique that will get you through all ice climbing, at any level. Learn to use the entire 12 points of your crampons not just the front two. Using the entire cramponis way more important that having a mono point or vertical front points. Try to remember the great ice faces in the Alps, including the Eiger, were first done with 10 point crampons. Just think what they could have done with the gear we have now. And imagine what you can becomecapable of with it!



Read the ice. Know what solid, junk, new, soft or oldice is. Know where you have to swing and where it is more likely you can just hook good placements.Recognise the colors and textures and what is good or bad for YOUR INTENDED PURPOSE. Do you want to hook it quickly or get a bomber screw? They aren't the same ice. Get off the vertical any time you get a chance. Even on vertical ice there are small corners and grooves. Work them both and stem where it is possible. Even a small stem can turn the suffer-fest90 degree pillarinto a 85 degree romp.





Remember when ice climbing really sucks...and it will at some point....it is just ice climbing, and you chose to be there. Even the hard parts won't last for ever and with even a small amount of thought and precaution you are unlikely to die :) Relax your grip...your hands will stay warmer.



These aren't all the bit and pieces that will make you a better ice climber. But it is a good start I think. "Reading the ice" is equally import in making ice climbing easier. But that takes time on the ice as well as some thought. More on that nexttime.



James would likely still say, "when are you going to get with it". But thisis all I got for the moment.



Remember it really is easy and the basics will generally get you by if you think about it. Stay just warm enough, climb hard and push your own limits even if that means you do it on a top rope!

Mt Erie ..

Steve and I decided on doing some rock climbing at Mt. Erie on Monday. Skies were to be clear, and temps around 40° up in Anacortes. This was our choice after being somewhat tired from our Saturday climb, and not thinking the skiing was going to be all that great.

We had a leisurely start to the day, and left Edmonds around 8:30am. Our intention was to climb in the Snag Buttress area of the mountain, and check out some new (to us) routes in that area. Steve's main interest was in the route Touching the Sky, a 5.9 sport route accessed from Snag Buttress. That meant climbing the first pitch of Zig Zag (5.7) to get there. Once on the ledge, we determined that the down climb, and water seep on the route meant we did not want to do it. Instead we opted to climb up the ledge slightly above the top of Snag Buttress where there were multiple routes to chose from. We opted for the Ray Auld Memorial Route (5.7) which brought us up to the top of wall.

We hiked around a bit trying to make sense of the maps and crags. We stumbled upon a short blocky sport route which I am thinking might be A View to a Climb (5.6) on the Lumpy Crag. Hard to tell. We climbed it, and just west of the top we were above the Friction Slab area. After that, we played the typical Mt. Erie find the best way down game. We looked through the book and followed some weak trails down. (Made more fun by walking on slippery grass with rock shoes.) A free-hanging rappel off a Madrone tree and some bramble bushwhacking got us back to the packs.

It was a fun day. However, I seemed not mentally up to the climbing and had difficulty at times with moves/grades that are well within my ability. Also of note, was the generally crummy rock quality and lack of good protection in some areas. Plenty of relic pitons and old bolts around too.

Coming up Zig Zag (photo by Steve Machuga)

Steve leading up Ray Auld

Show off

Olov Isaksson's trip report

I have a few blogs I follow. Everyone of them from guys climbing much harder than I ever have. Some I've met, some I will yet, hopefully. Either way I stole the picture and wanted to add the link to some great climbing in my own haunts. Nice trip guys and some great sends! Nice Nomic hammers as

well ;-)






photo courtesy of olov isaksson's web site










Day 1 - The
Replicant
"We wanted to
warm up by climbing the Professor falls but before we knew it we were breaking
trail up to the Trophy wall. With no rock gear the only feasible route seemed to
be the Replicant"





http://olovisaksson.blogspot.com//01/canada-ice-trip-part-1.html



http://olovisaksson.blogspot.com//01/canada-ice-trip-part-2.html

Mill Trail in Redwood Regional Park

Mill Trail, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

Here's the Mill Trail in the awe-inspiring Redwood Regional Park. Yesterday's rain cleaned all the dust off the leaves and turned the dull mosses a fluorescent green. There was even a stream flowing nearby, which had been dry a few weeks ago.

Redwood is an interesting park because its stream contains the habitat of the original rainbow trout. The rainbow trout was first identified here as a new species in 1855. The fish has since been introduced to many lakes, rivers, and streams around the world.

It's still ice season here! but for how long?

Went out at the crack of dawn to check conditions. We still have plenty of ice (currently). The next 5 days forcast to be really warm. Not sure if it'll hold to the weekend, but we'll see. If there's ice we'll be climbing. Here's a few photos of our outing this morning.





Sunrise through the forest



Laura ready to hike in, 22° and crust packed snow



Snowshoeing in. Still 3'+ of snow under the packed surface



Walking down into the left wall. Best overall shot we got this am.



Still lots of snow under there as I quickly learned



Please stay in, just a few more days.



Enjoying some "bouldering", couldn't resist!

That's the report on what it looked like today. The past several weeks we've hardly seen any other climbers out despite the great late season conditions. We (L and I) know the end is near, but we'renot ready to give up just yet!

Toour fellowice climbers: we hopeyou got out and enjoyed the great seasonwe've had here this year in SWPA.Laura and Ihad a great timeclimbingwith friends old and new.Thanks everyone for the great sesason and memories! To our ice friends... see you nextwinter! To our rock friends...see you in a few days after we put the ice season to bed!