At times in the last 2 1/2 months, it has seemed that a glacer, formerly known as our driveway, would singlehandedly turn the tide on gobal warming and be the nucleus of a new ice age.
But yesterday, I made a significant discovery that suggests I'm a little premature in calling for a permanent winter up here.
At the bottom of the driveway, where the glacer spills onto lazy Z Rd, I spied a tatered piece of green plastic. I dug it out of the ice and read the date on the frozen newspaper that was inside the green plastic bag: December 21, 2006.
That was the date of the first of a series of snowstorms that brought in enough snow so that I could have my own private ski slope for the last couple of months.
Perhaps spring will arrive after all.
Friday, March 09, 2007
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
The Horned Owl Vs. the Flock of Ravens
After living up here long enough, you know that whenever a large flock of ravens gathers, there there is food nearby. Usually, it means that something has died...
So I pulled on my over boots and post holed through 2 feet of snow into the direction of the noisy flock of ravens.
As I got to the epicenter, I saw a white owl fly off. It was hugging the ground because it was carrying something heavy away.
A closer inspection of the area that the owl came from showed a spot of blood and tufts of rabbit fur. Evidently, a rabbit had hopped out from its home under a log and onto a snow bank. It presumably was sniffing the air for signs of spring, because there was nothing but a deep blanket of white in all directions.
Perhaps the rabbit was to hungry to go on, because the owl, also hungry did not miss its chance.
As the owl flew away, the large flock of raven followed it. But they stayed safely out of reach by staying up above the tree tops.
The ravens must have been hungry too, but they where not about to become owl dinner as well.
So I pulled on my over boots and post holed through 2 feet of snow into the direction of the noisy flock of ravens.
As I got to the epicenter, I saw a white owl fly off. It was hugging the ground because it was carrying something heavy away.
A closer inspection of the area that the owl came from showed a spot of blood and tufts of rabbit fur. Evidently, a rabbit had hopped out from its home under a log and onto a snow bank. It presumably was sniffing the air for signs of spring, because there was nothing but a deep blanket of white in all directions.
Perhaps the rabbit was to hungry to go on, because the owl, also hungry did not miss its chance.
As the owl flew away, the large flock of raven followed it. But they stayed safely out of reach by staying up above the tree tops.
The ravens must have been hungry too, but they where not about to become owl dinner as well.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
The Ridge Elk
Starting right after the first big snow storm, I've been seeing elk prints up on the Winiger Ridge. At first the elk had a hard time finding a patch of grass, so they actually had to dig down through the snow to find some food.
Gradually, the wind and the sun cleared some grassy patches, especially on the sunny south east slopes.
Today, I saw a herd of over 30 elk on the grassy slopes below the ridge.
I spooked them, and the ran up over the ridge and into the safety of the dense forest on the north side of the ridge.
I thought to myself that is was a huge amount weight (30 elk) to move around, powered by nothing but grass.
Gradually, the wind and the sun cleared some grassy patches, especially on the sunny south east slopes.
Today, I saw a herd of over 30 elk on the grassy slopes below the ridge.
I spooked them, and the ran up over the ridge and into the safety of the dense forest on the north side of the ridge.
I thought to myself that is was a huge amount weight (30 elk) to move around, powered by nothing but grass.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Tame Deer
Here are some delightful pictures of a herd of tame deer that share the woods and yeard with a family. http://www.pelorian.com/deer.html
A couple of years ago, I had a deer that considered its "home" to be the front porch of the barn.
A couple of years ago, I had a deer that considered its "home" to be the front porch of the barn.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Recommendation for a new plower
Hi PUMA
I am out of one of my two huge long drifts and down to the
road. This was thanks to a new plower I met. Wonderful guy named
Patrick McCarthy. He charges $75 an hour and no trip time and did a
great job with his pick up and snowplow.
His phone number is 303-241-6567.
Terry
I am out of one of my two huge long drifts and down to the
road. This was thanks to a new plower I met. Wonderful guy named
Patrick McCarthy. He charges $75 an hour and no trip time and did a
great job with his pick up and snowplow.
His phone number is 303-241-6567.
Terry
Saturday, December 30, 2006
My Neighbor Gives Great Advice About the Local Weather Forcast
Here is some great info about the weather from a neighbor:
The U.S. Weather Bureau for the metro Denver area is
located in Boulder, and has more people working the
forecasts than anyone else. Go to:
Weather.gov
The buttons give a variety of information. The official
forecast is gotten by pushing "Zone Forecast" (then
use your browers "Find" function to search for "Ned").
This forecast is updated several times a day, but most
significantly around 4 a.m. and 4 p.m. (only in
unusual circumstances, like today, is it updated
more frequently).
The "Short term forecast" is updated every 3 hours
or so and is more immediate. Look for the part that
includes Nederland. During calm periods, nothing
is posted here.
During periods of potentially bad weather situations,
click on the "Warnings and Advisories" button. During
threatening situations, this is updated every 6 hours
or so. An alternative is the "Special Weather" button,
which is often changed during morning hours more
frequently than the "Warnings...".
For those who really want to understand what to
believe about the official forecasts, the really
special button is "Forecast Discussion". While
this discussion (be sure to go to the Denver
discussion, rather than Grand Junction, Pueblo,
or Goodland) is filled with abbreviations and
technical jargon, the forecasters let their hair
down and tell you about their confidence (or lack
thereof) of the forecasts. Anyone can get the gist
of what's in their minds, behind the official
forecasts, despite the jargon.
For example: last week's storm was confidently
predicted 48 hours in advance, and the "Discussion"
indicated confidence that the storm would happen in
the way it actually did. This storm, that seems
to be ending in our area, had great uncertainty
for the last 5 days. If you read the
"Discussion", it was clear that this meteorological
situation was unprecedented, involved inherently
unpredictable aspects, and the official forecasts
were extremely uncertain. For us, added to the
general uncertainty, is the fact (apparent from
the Discussions) that we have been on the western
fringes of the storm. If it had moved (and, still,
if it might move) a hundred miles to the west, we
could get a lot more snow. But if it moves a
hundred miles to the east in Kansas/Oklahoma,
then we're finished with the snow.
No matter how much you might like Mike Nelson's
personality, he is mainly just giving a "popular"
account of this official forecast. Some media
outlets subscribe to other services (like Accuweather)
which, I believe, are less reliable. For the March
2003 7-foot storm, United Airlines relied on
Accuweather, which predicted snow flurries for
Denver, and flew all its planes into DIA to be
stranded. I relied on the Weather Bureau, which
predicted a possible "storm-of-the-century" in its
forecast "Discussion" 36 hours before the first
flake fell, so I loaded up with supplies. Somne
media simply aren't savvy. KUNC radio, for
example, hasn't figured out when the new forecasts
are issued. So KUNC reported around 5 o'clock
that we would get another foot of snow tonight,m
relying on the official forecast written before
dawn and not realizing that the usual afternoon
forecast (available between 3 and 4 pm) had
downgraded the snow forecast.
I hope this is helpful. Although I am a professional
astronomer, I actually have a Master's Degree
in meteorology and have long been interested in
the weather...so there is a bit of professional
backing to my recommendations.
For the next few days, however, we're happily
stranded by all the snow in our driveway.
Happy New Year!
Clark (& Y) Chapman
The U.S. Weather Bureau for the metro Denver area is
located in Boulder, and has more people working the
forecasts than anyone else. Go to:
Weather.gov
The buttons give a variety of information. The official
forecast is gotten by pushing "Zone Forecast" (then
use your browers "Find" function to search for "Ned").
This forecast is updated several times a day, but most
significantly around 4 a.m. and 4 p.m. (only in
unusual circumstances, like today, is it updated
more frequently).
The "Short term forecast" is updated every 3 hours
or so and is more immediate. Look for the part that
includes Nederland. During calm periods, nothing
is posted here.
During periods of potentially bad weather situations,
click on the "Warnings and Advisories" button. During
threatening situations, this is updated every 6 hours
or so. An alternative is the "Special Weather" button,
which is often changed during morning hours more
frequently than the "Warnings...".
For those who really want to understand what to
believe about the official forecasts, the really
special button is "Forecast Discussion". While
this discussion (be sure to go to the Denver
discussion, rather than Grand Junction, Pueblo,
or Goodland) is filled with abbreviations and
technical jargon, the forecasters let their hair
down and tell you about their confidence (or lack
thereof) of the forecasts. Anyone can get the gist
of what's in their minds, behind the official
forecasts, despite the jargon.
For example: last week's storm was confidently
predicted 48 hours in advance, and the "Discussion"
indicated confidence that the storm would happen in
the way it actually did. This storm, that seems
to be ending in our area, had great uncertainty
for the last 5 days. If you read the
"Discussion", it was clear that this meteorological
situation was unprecedented, involved inherently
unpredictable aspects, and the official forecasts
were extremely uncertain. For us, added to the
general uncertainty, is the fact (apparent from
the Discussions) that we have been on the western
fringes of the storm. If it had moved (and, still,
if it might move) a hundred miles to the west, we
could get a lot more snow. But if it moves a
hundred miles to the east in Kansas/Oklahoma,
then we're finished with the snow.
No matter how much you might like Mike Nelson's
personality, he is mainly just giving a "popular"
account of this official forecast. Some media
outlets subscribe to other services (like Accuweather)
which, I believe, are less reliable. For the March
2003 7-foot storm, United Airlines relied on
Accuweather, which predicted snow flurries for
Denver, and flew all its planes into DIA to be
stranded. I relied on the Weather Bureau, which
predicted a possible "storm-of-the-century" in its
forecast "Discussion" 36 hours before the first
flake fell, so I loaded up with supplies. Somne
media simply aren't savvy. KUNC radio, for
example, hasn't figured out when the new forecasts
are issued. So KUNC reported around 5 o'clock
that we would get another foot of snow tonight,m
relying on the official forecast written before
dawn and not realizing that the usual afternoon
forecast (available between 3 and 4 pm) had
downgraded the snow forecast.
I hope this is helpful. Although I am a professional
astronomer, I actually have a Master's Degree
in meteorology and have long been interested in
the weather...so there is a bit of professional
backing to my recommendations.
For the next few days, however, we're happily
stranded by all the snow in our driveway.
Happy New Year!
Clark (& Y) Chapman
Friday, December 29, 2006
3 feet of snow and counting
Earlier today I measured 21 inches of new snow and a total of almost 3 feet of snow. And there is supposed to be more on the way.
I heard that you'd have to go back to 1913 to find another instance of two back to back snow storms like this.
In Boulder, they have the concept of a 100 year flood for the flood plane.
Up here, we seem to be experiencing a "100 year" snow.
I heard that you'd have to go back to 1913 to find another instance of two back to back snow storms like this.
In Boulder, they have the concept of a 100 year flood for the flood plane.
Up here, we seem to be experiencing a "100 year" snow.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Plowing the driveway using heavy equipment
As I mentioned in yesterdays post, when the snow gets to deep, its time to call in the heavy equipment. We called High Country Excavating because they've given us a fair deal in the past.
The neighbor that usually does our driveway was stranded coming back from Florida, so the snow got to be 2 feet deep in the driveway. This is very difficult for a regular residential grade snowplow to handle.
If you look carefully at the opening sequence in the video below, you'll see that the front end loader had to PUSH his way UP the driveway using the backhoe. This is obviously not a maneuver that is available to a pickup based snowplow.
The neighbor that usually does our driveway was stranded coming back from Florida, so the snow got to be 2 feet deep in the driveway. This is very difficult for a regular residential grade snowplow to handle.
If you look carefully at the opening sequence in the video below, you'll see that the front end loader had to PUSH his way UP the driveway using the backhoe. This is obviously not a maneuver that is available to a pickup based snowplow.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas.
Here is a response I sent to the Puma email list after Terry Greenberg asked about plowing services:
Hi Terry and all,
This is starting to feel like the storm that started on March 15,2003. Contract residential plowing services could not handle it. It took earth moving equipment to dig me and a bunch of neighbors out.
The problem is that standard plowing equipment can't handle more than about a foot of snow. We're working our way up here to two feet now. Once you've got more than a foot, it becomes difficult for a residential snow plow to get through, especially on long uphill driveways.
I just put in my call to High Country Excavating. Last time, spring came to the rescue. The snow may not get as deep this time, but its not even Christmas yet.
Who wants to fess up to singing "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas" ONE TO MANY TIMES!?!
- Mike
Hi Terry and all,
This is starting to feel like the storm that started on March 15,2003. Contract residential plowing services could not handle it. It took earth moving equipment to dig me and a bunch of neighbors out.
The problem is that standard plowing equipment can't handle more than about a foot of snow. We're working our way up here to two feet now. Once you've got more than a foot, it becomes difficult for a residential snow plow to get through, especially on long uphill driveways.
I just put in my call to High Country Excavating. Last time, spring came to the rescue. The snow may not get as deep this time, but its not even Christmas yet.
Who wants to fess up to singing "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas" ONE TO MANY TIMES!?!
- Mike
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Thorodin in the news
Yeah.
Thorodin made the news. It's just a little bit about hiking Thorodin in the Fiday December 15 edition on page 3B of the local Daily Camera, but its something.
The problem with climbing Thorodin is that the one trail to the top was blocked of years a go by a zealous land owner at the trail head. Another possible route goes up a private jeep track that has a "no tresspassing" sign. The jeep track is used to maintain the 2 story antenna farm that is on the top of Star Peak (part of Thorodin)
The suggested trail in the Camera article starts at Panorama Point in Golden Gate State park. It then suggests a moderate bushwack 1.5 miles and 1200 foot elevation gain to the top. It recommend the hike because of the view. I'll second that recommendation.
Thorodin made the news. It's just a little bit about hiking Thorodin in the Fiday December 15 edition on page 3B of the local Daily Camera, but its something.
The problem with climbing Thorodin is that the one trail to the top was blocked of years a go by a zealous land owner at the trail head. Another possible route goes up a private jeep track that has a "no tresspassing" sign. The jeep track is used to maintain the 2 story antenna farm that is on the top of Star Peak (part of Thorodin)
The suggested trail in the Camera article starts at Panorama Point in Golden Gate State park. It then suggests a moderate bushwack 1.5 miles and 1200 foot elevation gain to the top. It recommend the hike because of the view. I'll second that recommendation.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
A friendly neighbors experience and advice about mountain lions
Dear Pumites All:
Over here at Twin Sisters we have regular mountain lion presence as well. Tracks mainly, but also, scat and occaisional sightings and even one encounter.
Roz came home around midnight a few years ago, to find that a mountain lion had treed a racoon or something right in our parking lot. It was roaring, and stayed at the base of the tree forat least a half an hour. A thrilling basso profundo roar, a bit like the Metro Goldwin lion. I was listening out the upstairs window. Roz stayed put in her car. Finally, a long time after the lion stopped roaring, Roz made a dash for the house.
Another time I was gazing idly out the bedroom window at the meadow in the moonlight, 10 pm or so, when suddenly one, then two more deer came tearing across the meadow, east to west, just above the garden, followed immediately by the long, low to the ground outline of a mountain lion, long tail out behind. The whole group was moving at top top speed, the lion maybe thirty yards behind the three deer. Just past the garden the deer cut an impossibly abrupt left turn, downhill, which the lion matched as best he could, (I think he lost some ground to them), then the whole show disappered down below our barn, and that was the last I saw of them. The whole thing was in complete silence. I found a few tracks in the morning, to confirm I hadn't been dreaming, but I am a very lazy tracker, easily bored, so I didn't try to map it all out.
Anyway, we see tracks, every year a handful or so of times up on Twin Sisters. Most recently, ten days ago in one of the fresh snows.
The Antidote to Lions. Roz and I gradually became a little uncomfortable about this definite presence of lions, particularly since we often hike alone, and at dusk. So we have taken to sometimes carrying a super potent can of pepper spray with us. My limited research on this subject leads me to believe that this pepper spray is the best thing you can do for yourself in case of a real life lion encounter. I think this is the consensus among wildlife biologists as well.
The spray was designed as an antidote to grizzly bears, and is used most frequently in Alaska, where almost everyone carries it in the back country. You can buy it at McGuckins for about $40 a can.
VDAP Pepper Power- Bear Deterrent.
Of course it would be useless if you were surprised in an ambush, and it could be counter productive if there was significant wind moving agaInst you. But in a lot of mt lion encounters, wind isn't a problem, and there's plenty of time to get organized to defend yourself. In such cases the spray could make a real difference.
I find it sort of comforting to have along in a back pocket, whenever I think to bring it. And as for muggers, gangs, or maurauding packs of wild dogs or wolves, you're covered.
Well, that's the news from Twin Sisters, John & Roz McClellan
Over here at Twin Sisters we have regular mountain lion presence as well. Tracks mainly, but also, scat and occaisional sightings and even one encounter.
Roz came home around midnight a few years ago, to find that a mountain lion had treed a racoon or something right in our parking lot. It was roaring, and stayed at the base of the tree forat least a half an hour. A thrilling basso profundo roar, a bit like the Metro Goldwin lion. I was listening out the upstairs window. Roz stayed put in her car. Finally, a long time after the lion stopped roaring, Roz made a dash for the house.
Another time I was gazing idly out the bedroom window at the meadow in the moonlight, 10 pm or so, when suddenly one, then two more deer came tearing across the meadow, east to west, just above the garden, followed immediately by the long, low to the ground outline of a mountain lion, long tail out behind. The whole group was moving at top top speed, the lion maybe thirty yards behind the three deer. Just past the garden the deer cut an impossibly abrupt left turn, downhill, which the lion matched as best he could, (I think he lost some ground to them), then the whole show disappered down below our barn, and that was the last I saw of them. The whole thing was in complete silence. I found a few tracks in the morning, to confirm I hadn't been dreaming, but I am a very lazy tracker, easily bored, so I didn't try to map it all out.
Anyway, we see tracks, every year a handful or so of times up on Twin Sisters. Most recently, ten days ago in one of the fresh snows.
The Antidote to Lions. Roz and I gradually became a little uncomfortable about this definite presence of lions, particularly since we often hike alone, and at dusk. So we have taken to sometimes carrying a super potent can of pepper spray with us. My limited research on this subject leads me to believe that this pepper spray is the best thing you can do for yourself in case of a real life lion encounter. I think this is the consensus among wildlife biologists as well.
The spray was designed as an antidote to grizzly bears, and is used most frequently in Alaska, where almost everyone carries it in the back country. You can buy it at McGuckins for about $40 a can.
VDAP Pepper Power- Bear Deterrent.
Of course it would be useless if you were surprised in an ambush, and it could be counter productive if there was significant wind moving agaInst you. But in a lot of mt lion encounters, wind isn't a problem, and there's plenty of time to get organized to defend yourself. In such cases the spray could make a real difference.
I find it sort of comforting to have along in a back pocket, whenever I think to bring it. And as for muggers, gangs, or maurauding packs of wild dogs or wolves, you're covered.
Well, that's the news from Twin Sisters, John & Roz McClellan
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Re: [puma-news] New Mt. Lion
On Mountain Lions.....thank you, Yvonne, on the update from Colleen,
I have been seeing signs of lions in this area for several years...
tracks, scat and kill signs. I have frequently seen their scat along 68
and Cumberland, as well as up around Forsythe and the elk trails through
the woods near Winiger. Two years ago I watched a lion as it walked
through the woods by my studio on a bright, spring afternoon. Beautiful.
Females can breed any time of year....having no set season. Although
they can roam very large distances, they tend to hang around when there
is ample food (resident deer, elk....even an occassional bobcat, raccoon,
rabbit, mouse, or ground squirrel). They are known to hunt during
anytime of the day or night, tending to ambush their prey and therefore
preferring lots of brush or rock outcroppings for cover. When I am out
hiking in these types of areas, I just try to remember to be extra aware.
They do not like to associate with other lions (except for mating), and
are very territorial, I think it would be unusual if there is more than
this one in the area.....at least on most occassions.
I feel so fortunate to live in an area where lions co-exist alongside
me......with so many of Nature's predators being villified and destroyed,
I remain somewhat hopeful whenever I am reminded of their presence here.
Sharon Ticehurst
On Fri, 17 Nov 2006 14:21:22 -0700 George Blakey <ysgb@earthlink.net>
writes:
> Hi all,
> Colleen Canon wanted me to send out an email just to let neighbors
> know
> that in our area of Aspen Meadows and down 68, she has been seeing a
>
> very large lion that usually doesn't hang around here. As they are
> out
> all the time it is good to be aware and not paranoid about this.
> She has seen it at her house around 6:30 P.M. and said that one of
> her
> horses has been trying to dig it's way out of the enclosure down in
> the
> lower meadow, she will be leaving it free for now.
> She thinks that since West Magnolia has been closed to the hunters
> this
> year and that there has been a lot of killing of deer/elk? up behind
> us
> that the lion may have been drawn by the smell, also don't know when
>
> their mating season is, but that could be an affect as well.
> Just a heads up for those who enjoy a walk in the evening.
>
> Yvonne Short
>
>
>
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
[puma-news] Burglars
Turns out that they caught two guys yesterday. My guess is that they are not
the ones actually doing the break-in (that was a man and woman), but were
hauling away the loot.
http://www.co.boulder.co.us/newsroom/templates/?a=659&z=2
Let's hope that puts the fear of the law in the other two, or even better,
the first two roll over on the second two.
John,
~ the chart guy
John Carder, CMT
Topline Investment Graphics
Where your chart dreams come true!
www.topline-charts.com or www.chartguy.com
PO Box 2340
Boulder, CO 80306-2340 USA
800.347.0157 (toll-free in the USA)
303.440.0157 (voice)
303.440.0147 (fax)
Sunday, November 05, 2006
[puma-news] Magnolia Road, runners, and politics
Hello all,
I'm certainly not one of the slowest drivers on Magnolia, but I have to say that I love seeing runners up here...it reminds me that we live in a place that lots of people appreciate...and I have no problem at all getting down to 10 MPH before getting particularly close to them (not just to avoid hitting them but to avoid getting a lot of dust in their eyes.)
As for the school bus, my couple of experiences with it (I usually go to work before it's around) did involve fairly long waits behind it, but the driver was very good about pulling over to the side for me and others to pass very shortly after all the kids had boarded.
Other than the dust issues, I don't think it's particularly hard for us all to use Magnolia, on foot, or bike, in car or bus.
Also, as many of you know I'm quite politically active (maybe not in directions you all agree with.) I don't want to start a political discussion on this news group, but I would like to ask you, if you're interested, to take a look at my blog at http://www.rossputin.com and have a read about my voting recommendations/endorsements. My guess, assuming something about the politics of most Magnolia residents, is that the typical PUMA reader will disagree with something more than half of my suggestions and agree with something less than half. If you go to http://www.rossputin.com and click on the "Colorado Issues" category (scroll down a bit to see the categories below the calendar), you can start with the 10/31 posting and work back up from there. Even if you disagree with me, I hope you'll find my discussion and analysis interesting. I have written an endorsement or suggestion for every state-wide position, Referendum, and proposed Constitutional amendment. I have not written anything on individual State House or State Senate seats or local (county or city) ballot measures.
I would just like to mention that Mark Hillman, running for State Treasurer, is a good friend of mine, an incredibly solid person, talented and conscientious and experienced in dealing with and balancing state budgets, and (not that it matters for Treasurer) much more live-and-let-live on social issues than one would expect from a Republican these days. Maybe it's because he's a farmer by trade. I hope that those of you who typically do not vote Republican will consider a vote for Mark. (Tomorrow I'll have a piece on my blog about more specific reasons to vote for him, though I already have much of that in the 10./31 candidate endorsement posting.)
Beyond that I will hope that you read my blog and I would be happy to discuss politics or issues or candidates with any of you in a private email conversation if you're interested.
Have a great Sunday, everyone!
Ross K
Terry Greenberg wrote:
I'm certainly not one of the slowest drivers on Magnolia, but I have to say that I love seeing runners up here...it reminds me that we live in a place that lots of people appreciate...and I have no problem at all getting down to 10 MPH before getting particularly close to them (not just to avoid hitting them but to avoid getting a lot of dust in their eyes.)
As for the school bus, my couple of experiences with it (I usually go to work before it's around) did involve fairly long waits behind it, but the driver was very good about pulling over to the side for me and others to pass very shortly after all the kids had boarded.
Other than the dust issues, I don't think it's particularly hard for us all to use Magnolia, on foot, or bike, in car or bus.
Also, as many of you know I'm quite politically active (maybe not in directions you all agree with.) I don't want to start a political discussion on this news group, but I would like to ask you, if you're interested, to take a look at my blog at http://www.rossputin.com and have a read about my voting recommendations/endorsements. My guess, assuming something about the politics of most Magnolia residents, is that the typical PUMA reader will disagree with something more than half of my suggestions and agree with something less than half. If you go to http://www.rossputin.com and click on the "Colorado Issues" category (scroll down a bit to see the categories below the calendar), you can start with the 10/31 posting and work back up from there. Even if you disagree with me, I hope you'll find my discussion and analysis interesting. I have written an endorsement or suggestion for every state-wide position, Referendum, and proposed Constitutional amendment. I have not written anything on individual State House or State Senate seats or local (county or city) ballot measures.
I would just like to mention that Mark Hillman, running for State Treasurer, is a good friend of mine, an incredibly solid person, talented and conscientious and experienced in dealing with and balancing state budgets, and (not that it matters for Treasurer) much more live-and-let-live on social issues than one would expect from a Republican these days. Maybe it's because he's a farmer by trade. I hope that those of you who typically do not vote Republican will consider a vote for Mark. (Tomorrow I'll have a piece on my blog about more specific reasons to vote for him, though I already have much of that in the 10./31 candidate endorsement posting.)
Beyond that I will hope that you read my blog and I would be happy to discuss politics or issues or candidates with any of you in a private email conversation if you're interested.
Have a great Sunday, everyone!
Ross K
Terry Greenberg wrote:
To All:
I agree. I even run or perhaps its called "woddle" on Magnolia and love it. I have even put my dog on a leash and we run single file and I love running with the champions, for a split second. That's great. I never ever mind the runners on Magnolia and happily slow down for them too. And I think running on the dirt has allowed my knees to keep on keeping on just fine. Yay Magnolia.
Terry Greenberg
At 07:56 AM 11/3/2006, Kevin Seeman wrote:
As an avid runner who used to train for speed, I have at least a partial explanation for the elite presence on Magnolia as opposed to our vast trail system. Access is a huge part of it, as the coaches can stage in Boulder and have their team stretched, warm and ready to run in 30 min. Of course, they want to run at altitude to maximize their training. Magnolia is ideal because they can set up any number of training routines, including timed speed work, time trials, tempo runs.... And while it may be dangerous as far as traffic, it offers perfect footing. You get to run on dirt without the variables of the trail (roots, rocks...), it is well maintained, snow is removed quickly, it dries out rapidly. Coaches can drive along with their team to offer support and watch their runners' form. And for the runners, it helps to train with your team, running along with your partners, helping each other through rigorous training sessions, as opposed to being strung and scattered along a trail.
I run and bike on Magnolia with my wife every week year round. I also commute to the flats every day. In my opinion, we all have to share the road, and it is ultimately the drivers' responsibility to be aware, cautious and safe. I love seeing the Olympians running our beautiful road, even if I do have to slow to a crawl to pass a pack.
Regards,
Kevin Seeman
From: Craig Irwin <Craig.Irwin@sun.com>
Reply-To: Craig Irwin <Craig.Irwin@sun.com>
To: Allen Gordon <gordona@mric.net>
CC: Fay <fay@mric.net>, "'PUMA News'" <puma-news@www.puma-net.org>
Subject: [puma-news] Re: Magnolia mentioned in NY Times article
Date: Thu, 02 Nov 2006 08:25:46 -0700
It is neat that Magnolia got some NY Times press.
We need to consider how PUMA will advise or improve upon the following
regular occurrence.
Here is the real daily scenario: (keeping in mind that all users of the
road believe that they have a 'right' to use the road.
Parents drive the car with kids up to the bus stop, any School bus stop
on Magnolia Road, approx 8 cars pulled over on the side of the road
waiting on the bus.
* Inbound to the same location from the east, (just around a blind
corner) is a group of 14 road runners, running four abreast on the road
in the middle of the road with no concern nor awareness of other users
of the same road.
* Inbound to the same location from the west, one driver with one hand
on the cell phone the other hand occasionally juggling hot coffee,
running late to an appointment, headed around a blind corner converging
on the school bus stop at 40+mph. This driver will be forced into the
oncoming traffic lanes so as to avoid the cars and people pulled out at
the bus stop.
* Also eastbound is a Lumber Truck loaded with a delivery, driver has
been patiently waiting to pass the Japanese running team for two miles
and is now ready to make his move. He too will be forced into oncoming
traffic lanes as he approaches a corner.
What happens next?!
---
Really this is not a case of 'who is right?' nor 'who is wrong?'. Sure,
the cell phone driver is acting irresponsibly, but thus far, we have
been unable to eliminate the irresponsible members of society, so we
must accept their presence.
This is a case of competing multiple uses where each individual is
equally responsible for their actions.
While county planning has obviously not occurred in order to create a
safe spot for School Bus pickups, perhaps communication to the runners
that Boulder County has hundreds of miles of well maintained trails
ready for their use might be a good start. Why run on a busy road when
you have unlimited trails to run on?
The road runners are clearly not coherent as to the risks that they are
shifting to the other road users when they run in any form other than
single file.
I truly hope that this situation does not end in a fatality, but rather
the community will come together to creatively solve this situation by
way of education and safe behaviors.
The older I get, the slower I drive.
-Craig
Allen Gordon wrote On 10/31/06 07:25,:
Having run on Magnolia, the crown of the road makes it difficult to run
on the sides--the slope of the road twists the ankles. Additionally,
I've found that when approaching a blind curve, running on the inside of
the curve can be dangerous because of the lack of visibility--thus
making it safer to run with the traffic if that side is on the outside
of the curve. Finally, I think there is a bit more traffic in Boulder
than on Magnolia Rd. Perhaps the larger problem is how people drive on
Magnolia Rd, not how people run. One problem that I've noticed is that
people stop their cars in very inopportune places during times when kids
are picked up for school. For example, many folks wait in their stopped
cars at the top of the hill at Magnolia and Frontier in front of the
mail boxes. Cars attempting to pass them have to drive blindly on the
wrong side of the road not knowing if another car is approaching on the
other side of the hill. Similarly at Pine Glade and Magnolia. Cars are
stopped such that cars coming from Pine Glade onto Magnolia must do so
with very limited visibility of approaching cars. Of course there are
many who drive pretty fast exceeding the 30 mph speed limit. Those darn
runners make it difficult to drive fast because they are either running
in the middle of the road, on the wrong side or side by side.
Allen
Fay wrote:
Now if they could only learn to run against traffic, single file, and on the
side (as opposed to the middle) of the road, they would all live long enough
to compete! Funny, same rules they follow in Boulder but don't seem to
apply up here.
Fay Benson
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-puma-news@www.puma-net.org
[mailto:owner-puma-news@www.puma-net.org] On Behalf Of Greg Ching
Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2006 1:30 AM
To: PUMA News
Subject: [puma-news] Magnolia mentioned in NY Times article
I think most Magnolia residents know we have world class athletes
training on our road but it's still neat to see Magnolia mentioned in
the NY Times. The complete article can be found at
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/31/sports/othersports/31boulder.html?hp&ex=11
62357200&en=94ec7cc5b064ac1d&ei=5094&partner=homepage
I'm only copying here the first few paragraphs...Magnolia mentioned in
third paragraph.
greg
October 31, 2006
In Boulder, Runners Gather in Guarded Isolation
By LIZ ROBBINS
BOULDER, Colo. - Here at 5,430 feet, all roads lead to a finish line
somewhere. They just rarely converge.
As the major marathon season hit its fall peak, professional distance
runners from Kenya, Japan, Romania and Tanzania, as well as the United
States, were pounding the dirt roads in Boulder for a high-altitude boost.
Long a popular haven for elite athletes, the area boasts 300 sunny days
a year, 400 miles of trails (including Magnolia, which soars to 8,600
feet), more massage therapists than muscles and a fervent outdoor culture.
But this is no running utopia. Instead, Boulder is an example of the
fiercely competitive sport of road racing, in which runners train in
quiet isolation, passing one another occasionally on hills while
guarding their strategies.
Competitors from around the world may come here, yet the various camps
operate in their own universes. With schedules dictated by agents,
runners compete not just for the podium, but for a relatively small pool
of resources, shoe contracts and race appearance fees. It is a scene
that is more clannish than collegial.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Magnolia Road famous for World Runners
In the summer and fall we do get a lot of runners on Magnolia Rd. I did not know how famous this road is for world class runners until I read about it in the NY times.
I have reprinted the the article below, with a highlight of the most relevant part.
Consider one typical brisk Boulder morning in early October. Dathan Ritzenhein, 23, the United States’ latest prospect, prepared for his marathoning debut in the New York City Marathon on Nov. 5 by repeating 10 hill sprints. Alan Culpepper, 34, a fellow 2004 Olympian and University of Colorado alumnus, was running a suburb away.
“The marathon will be the first time I’ve raced Alan since my senior year in high school,” Ritzenhein said Oct. 9. “We live that close and we’re in the same sport, but our paths don’t cross. It’s kind of strange.”
Elsewhere, Japanese women peeled off matching cinnamon warm-ups and embarked on runs from the Boulder Reservoir. One of the women wordlessly passed a group of Kenyans on a 25-kilometer training run.
The Kenyans’ German coach, Dieter Hogen, barked encouragement, and the former marathon champion Uta Pippig echoed it, shouting, “Keep a good rhythm, guys!”
Hogen had once led Pippig out of East Germany and eventually to Boulder, coaching her to multiple marathon titles in the 1990s. She was barred for two years for failing a 1998 drug test that was later ruled inconclusive, and now she helps runners in Boston and Boulder.
Hogen runs Camp KIMbia, in operation since 2003. It may raise eyebrows for its isolation, but a few miles away Anuta Catuna of Romania was showing off her new house and pointing to one across the road that belonged to the 2000 Olympic women’s champion, Naoko Takahashi. Catuna, the bubbly 1996 New York champion who is trying to become a United States citizen for the 2008 Olympic trials, trains and socializes with other Romanian runners living in Boulder.
To old-timers, segregation is an unfortunate development. “I think all these guys are doing a disservice to each other,” said the South African marathoner Mark Plaatjes, who owns the Boulder Running Company, a small chain of shoe stores, and a physical therapy business. “They are missing out on the collective knowledge, the experiences.”
Frank Shorter, the American marathoner who popularized the sport by winning the gold medal in the 1972 Olympics and the silver in 1976, was the first to settle in Boulder.
“It was the only city with an indoor track at 5,000 feet,” he said in a telephone interview. “There were 10 committed runners in town, but I was the only real athlete training.”
Shorter set the pace. In 1987, Plaatjes came to raise his children without apartheid and to run with other champions: Steve Jones of Wales, Rob De Castella of Australia, Arturo Barrios of Mexico and Priscilla Welch of England.
“We used to meet at each other’s houses; there would be 30 guys and 20 countries represented,” Plaatjes said outside his store. “We’d go out for a run, beat each other up and then drink a beer afterwards.”
Collegiality now thrives in Boulder during the afternoon when the Africans drink chai together. Teamwork is paramount in daily chores or on the course, whether they train to set the pace or to win.
“It is very good to be in a group, because in training you need to simulate running,” said Thomas Nyariki, wearing sunglasses during an interview to protect his right eye, which was blinded in a 2003 carjacking in Kenya. He will race New York, having won the city’s half-marathon in August.
Hogen runs his camp with wry humor and unwavering discipline, coordinating runners’ workouts according to their marathons: Chicago, New York, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Dallas.
The runners leave their families behind and immerse themselves with Hogen, “because of his experience; he knows how to train hard,” Nyariki said, adding, “We go two weeks hard, one week easy.”
Hogen founded the KIMbia (“to run” in Swahili) management company with Tom Ratcliffe, an agent based in Boston.
“These guys all have real good backgrounds,” Hogen said, explaining that he chooses runners who were not necessarily famous but had success at shorter distances. “They come with the thing you want to see — a commitment to working hard.”
A Mecca for Marathoners This year at Hogen’s camp, as many as 18 men and 2 women from Kenya and Tanzania have shared four apartments, which include facilities for physical therapy and laundry and, in one concrete backyard, a hot tub that overlooks an office park.
The athletes usually train twice a day. In the afternoon, they make their sugary milk tea in a spaghetti pot, watch television and play checkers in a living room decorated with prize plaques. At night, they cook ugali, a Kenyan stew poured over a cornmeal mixture.
Hogen said the camp had no secrets, and pointed out that it was featured on a Web site by a freelance writer (chasingkimbia.com). But the camp raises questions among some in Boulder because of Hogen’s connection with Pippig.
“The case was dismissed; they couldn’t prove anything, and that was the end of the story,” Pippig said, referring to her 1998 drug test. “And believe me — I couldn’t work with anyone if I did it.”
She added of the Kenyans, “For these guys, drugs play no role.”
Shorter, the former chairman of the United States Anti-Doping Agency, said Hogen’s camp raised a general concern that foreign athletes went to Boulder to dodge testing.
“My only question would be: How often are the Kenyans training in Boulder tested?” Shorter said, urging marathon directors to control prerace testing. “You have to set up a system so you don’t have to be suspicious.”
Ratcliffe said his athletes were clean. They register their whereabouts with the International Association of Athletics Federations and can be subject to random testing by USADA and the World Anti-Doping Agency.
“I would love for them to come every day,” Ratcliffe said. “People see East German intrigue, but it’s just not the case.”
Ritzenhein said that distance running was not “that dirty of a sport,” and that no American distance runners used drugs. He said that he spoke of the topic daily with his Boulder teammates, the twins Jorge and Ed Torres (the three helped Colorado win the N.C.A.A. cross-country championship in 2001) and Jason Hartmann, a high school teammate from Rockford, Mich.
This year, the New York Road Runners donated $240,000 to support running camps in the United States, including $115,000 to one in Mammoth Lakes, Calif., where the Olympic medalists Meb Keflezighi and Deena Kastor train. Ritzenhein’s coach, Brad Hudson, a former distance runner at Oregon, received $45,000 for his Boulder Performance Training Group.
On training runs, Hudson follows Ritzenhein in a tan 1983 Volvo he bought last summer. Hudson does not accept money from Ritzenhein, he said, to eliminate conflicts of interest with sponsors.
But the allocation, filtered through USA Track and Field, caused some resentment. Steve Jones coaches a young group in Boulder that was not financed. He said he was frustrated because Ritzenhein already received sponsorship from Nike.
“I believe we need to work within reality,” Mary Wittenberg, the chief executive of the Road Runners said in a telephone interview in late October. “We are best served in funding kids coming out of college who have the best shot of winning gold medals. We’re beyond being just the best American now.”
America’s past looms in bronze at the base of Colorado’s Folsom Stadium. Every May, nearly 50,000 runners from around the world pass by a statue of Shorter on their way to the finish of the 10-kilometer Bolder Boulder. Shorter was a co-founder of the race in 1979, and it defined the city as an outdoor Mecca.
Alpinists, triathletes and mountain bikers train here, though perhaps not to the extremes of the running cult Divine Madness, whose members pool their earnings, live ascetically and run ultra races. “We’re not all like that,” Culpepper said.
Children seem to have inherited the running genes; Boulder High School’s cross-country team fielded 135 boys and girls for the second consecutive year.
Stickers convey Boulder’s maximum heart rate: “Don’t Die Wondering” and “Remember to Breathe.” The Go Fast energy drink truck rumbles through downtown.
Running utopia is not yet here. Mark Wetmore, the coach of the nationally ranked Colorado cross-country teams, limited the stadium’s public track hours to preserve its surface four years ago. With no central meeting place, elite runners do track work at different high schools. This makes Plaatjes dream.
“I want to buy a plot of land and build a clubhouse and have a training room, with trails out back,” he said. “A facility where there is a bar and a sitting area, like in Europe.
“I know this sounds corny,” he added, “but I really think, ‘If you build it, they will come.’ ”
But will they come at the same time?
.
I have reprinted the the article below, with a highlight of the most relevant part.
Consider one typical brisk Boulder morning in early October. Dathan Ritzenhein, 23, the United States’ latest prospect, prepared for his marathoning debut in the New York City Marathon on Nov. 5 by repeating 10 hill sprints. Alan Culpepper, 34, a fellow 2004 Olympian and University of Colorado alumnus, was running a suburb away.
“The marathon will be the first time I’ve raced Alan since my senior year in high school,” Ritzenhein said Oct. 9. “We live that close and we’re in the same sport, but our paths don’t cross. It’s kind of strange.”
Elsewhere, Japanese women peeled off matching cinnamon warm-ups and embarked on runs from the Boulder Reservoir. One of the women wordlessly passed a group of Kenyans on a 25-kilometer training run.
The Kenyans’ German coach, Dieter Hogen, barked encouragement, and the former marathon champion Uta Pippig echoed it, shouting, “Keep a good rhythm, guys!”
Hogen had once led Pippig out of East Germany and eventually to Boulder, coaching her to multiple marathon titles in the 1990s. She was barred for two years for failing a 1998 drug test that was later ruled inconclusive, and now she helps runners in Boston and Boulder.
Hogen runs Camp KIMbia, in operation since 2003. It may raise eyebrows for its isolation, but a few miles away Anuta Catuna of Romania was showing off her new house and pointing to one across the road that belonged to the 2000 Olympic women’s champion, Naoko Takahashi. Catuna, the bubbly 1996 New York champion who is trying to become a United States citizen for the 2008 Olympic trials, trains and socializes with other Romanian runners living in Boulder.
To old-timers, segregation is an unfortunate development. “I think all these guys are doing a disservice to each other,” said the South African marathoner Mark Plaatjes, who owns the Boulder Running Company, a small chain of shoe stores, and a physical therapy business. “They are missing out on the collective knowledge, the experiences.”
Frank Shorter, the American marathoner who popularized the sport by winning the gold medal in the 1972 Olympics and the silver in 1976, was the first to settle in Boulder.
“It was the only city with an indoor track at 5,000 feet,” he said in a telephone interview. “There were 10 committed runners in town, but I was the only real athlete training.”
Shorter set the pace. In 1987, Plaatjes came to raise his children without apartheid and to run with other champions: Steve Jones of Wales, Rob De Castella of Australia, Arturo Barrios of Mexico and Priscilla Welch of England.
“We used to meet at each other’s houses; there would be 30 guys and 20 countries represented,” Plaatjes said outside his store. “We’d go out for a run, beat each other up and then drink a beer afterwards.”
Collegiality now thrives in Boulder during the afternoon when the Africans drink chai together. Teamwork is paramount in daily chores or on the course, whether they train to set the pace or to win.
“It is very good to be in a group, because in training you need to simulate running,” said Thomas Nyariki, wearing sunglasses during an interview to protect his right eye, which was blinded in a 2003 carjacking in Kenya. He will race New York, having won the city’s half-marathon in August.
Hogen runs his camp with wry humor and unwavering discipline, coordinating runners’ workouts according to their marathons: Chicago, New York, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Dallas.
The runners leave their families behind and immerse themselves with Hogen, “because of his experience; he knows how to train hard,” Nyariki said, adding, “We go two weeks hard, one week easy.”
Hogen founded the KIMbia (“to run” in Swahili) management company with Tom Ratcliffe, an agent based in Boston.
“These guys all have real good backgrounds,” Hogen said, explaining that he chooses runners who were not necessarily famous but had success at shorter distances. “They come with the thing you want to see — a commitment to working hard.”
A Mecca for Marathoners This year at Hogen’s camp, as many as 18 men and 2 women from Kenya and Tanzania have shared four apartments, which include facilities for physical therapy and laundry and, in one concrete backyard, a hot tub that overlooks an office park.
The athletes usually train twice a day. In the afternoon, they make their sugary milk tea in a spaghetti pot, watch television and play checkers in a living room decorated with prize plaques. At night, they cook ugali, a Kenyan stew poured over a cornmeal mixture.
Hogen said the camp had no secrets, and pointed out that it was featured on a Web site by a freelance writer (chasingkimbia.com). But the camp raises questions among some in Boulder because of Hogen’s connection with Pippig.
“The case was dismissed; they couldn’t prove anything, and that was the end of the story,” Pippig said, referring to her 1998 drug test. “And believe me — I couldn’t work with anyone if I did it.”
She added of the Kenyans, “For these guys, drugs play no role.”
Shorter, the former chairman of the United States Anti-Doping Agency, said Hogen’s camp raised a general concern that foreign athletes went to Boulder to dodge testing.
“My only question would be: How often are the Kenyans training in Boulder tested?” Shorter said, urging marathon directors to control prerace testing. “You have to set up a system so you don’t have to be suspicious.”
Ratcliffe said his athletes were clean. They register their whereabouts with the International Association of Athletics Federations and can be subject to random testing by USADA and the World Anti-Doping Agency.
“I would love for them to come every day,” Ratcliffe said. “People see East German intrigue, but it’s just not the case.”
Ritzenhein said that distance running was not “that dirty of a sport,” and that no American distance runners used drugs. He said that he spoke of the topic daily with his Boulder teammates, the twins Jorge and Ed Torres (the three helped Colorado win the N.C.A.A. cross-country championship in 2001) and Jason Hartmann, a high school teammate from Rockford, Mich.
This year, the New York Road Runners donated $240,000 to support running camps in the United States, including $115,000 to one in Mammoth Lakes, Calif., where the Olympic medalists Meb Keflezighi and Deena Kastor train. Ritzenhein’s coach, Brad Hudson, a former distance runner at Oregon, received $45,000 for his Boulder Performance Training Group.
On training runs, Hudson follows Ritzenhein in a tan 1983 Volvo he bought last summer. Hudson does not accept money from Ritzenhein, he said, to eliminate conflicts of interest with sponsors.
But the allocation, filtered through USA Track and Field, caused some resentment. Steve Jones coaches a young group in Boulder that was not financed. He said he was frustrated because Ritzenhein already received sponsorship from Nike.
“I believe we need to work within reality,” Mary Wittenberg, the chief executive of the Road Runners said in a telephone interview in late October. “We are best served in funding kids coming out of college who have the best shot of winning gold medals. We’re beyond being just the best American now.”
America’s past looms in bronze at the base of Colorado’s Folsom Stadium. Every May, nearly 50,000 runners from around the world pass by a statue of Shorter on their way to the finish of the 10-kilometer Bolder Boulder. Shorter was a co-founder of the race in 1979, and it defined the city as an outdoor Mecca.
Alpinists, triathletes and mountain bikers train here, though perhaps not to the extremes of the running cult Divine Madness, whose members pool their earnings, live ascetically and run ultra races. “We’re not all like that,” Culpepper said.
Children seem to have inherited the running genes; Boulder High School’s cross-country team fielded 135 boys and girls for the second consecutive year.
Stickers convey Boulder’s maximum heart rate: “Don’t Die Wondering” and “Remember to Breathe.” The Go Fast energy drink truck rumbles through downtown.
Running utopia is not yet here. Mark Wetmore, the coach of the nationally ranked Colorado cross-country teams, limited the stadium’s public track hours to preserve its surface four years ago. With no central meeting place, elite runners do track work at different high schools. This makes Plaatjes dream.
“I want to buy a plot of land and build a clubhouse and have a training room, with trails out back,” he said. “A facility where there is a bar and a sitting area, like in Europe.
“I know this sounds corny,” he added, “but I really think, ‘If you build it, they will come.’ ”
But will they come at the same time?
.
Re: [puma-news] Magnolia mentioned in NY Times article
Good call Allen
It shouldn't be too hard to slow down for runners, cyclist, walkers, horses,
choldren etc
>From: Allen Gordon <gordona@mric.net>
>Reply-To: Allen Gordon <gordona@mric.net>
>To: Fay <fay@mric.net>
>CC: "'Greg Ching'" <greg.ching@mric.coop>, "'PUMA News'"
><puma-news@www.puma-net.org>
>Subject: Re: [puma-news] Magnolia mentioned in NY Times article
>Date: Tue, 31 Oct 2006 07:25:05 -0700
>
>Having run on Magnolia, the crown of the road makes it difficult to run on
>the sides--the slope of the road twists the ankles. Additionally, I've
>found that when approaching a blind curve, running on the inside of the
>curve can be dangerous because of the lack of visibility--thus making it
>safer to run with the traffic if that side is on the outside of the curve.
>Finally, I think there is a bit more traffic in Boulder than on Magnolia
>Rd. Perhaps the larger problem is how people drive on Magnolia Rd, not how
>people run. One problem that I've noticed is that people stop their cars
>in very inopportune places during times when kids are picked up for school.
> For example, many folks wait in their stopped cars at the top of the hill
>at Magnolia and Frontier in front of the mail boxes. Cars attempting to
>pass them have to drive blindly on the wrong side of the road not knowing
>if another car is approaching on the other side of the hill. Similarly at
>Pine Glade and Magnolia. Cars are stopped such that cars coming from Pine
>Glade onto Magnolia must do so with very limited visibility of approaching
>cars. Of course there are many who drive pretty fast exceeding the 30 mph
>speed limit. Those darn runners make it difficult to drive fast because
>they are either running in the middle of the road, on the wrong side or
>side by side.
>
>Allen
>
>Fay wrote:
>>Now if they could only learn to run against traffic, single file, and on
>>the
>>side (as opposed to the middle) of the road, they would all live long
>>enough
>>to compete! Funny, same rules they follow in Boulder but don't seem to
>>apply up here.
>>Fay Benson
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: owner-puma-news@www.puma-net.org
>>[mailto:owner-puma-news@www.puma-net.org] On Behalf Of Greg Ching
>>Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2006 1:30 AM
>>To: PUMA News
>>Subject: [puma-news] Magnolia mentioned in NY Times article
>>
>>I think most Magnolia residents know we have world class athletes training
>>on our road but it's still neat to see Magnolia mentioned in the NY Times.
>> The complete article can be found at
>>http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/31/sports/othersports/31boulder.html?hp&ex=11
>>62357200&en=94ec7cc5b064ac1d&ei=5094&partner=homepage
>>
>>I'm only copying here the first few paragraphs...Magnolia mentioned in
>>third paragraph.
>>
>> greg
>>
>>October 31, 2006
>>In Boulder, Runners Gather in Guarded Isolation
>>By LIZ ROBBINS
>>
>>BOULDER, Colo. - Here at 5,430 feet, all roads lead to a finish line
>>somewhere. They just rarely converge.
>>
>>As the major marathon season hit its fall peak, professional distance
>>runners from Kenya, Japan, Romania and Tanzania, as well as the United
>>States, were pounding the dirt roads in Boulder for a high-altitude boost.
>>
>>Long a popular haven for elite athletes, the area boasts 300 sunny days a
>>year, 400 miles of trails (including Magnolia, which soars to 8,600 feet),
>>more massage therapists than muscles and a fervent outdoor culture.
>>
>>But this is no running utopia. Instead, Boulder is an example of the
>>fiercely competitive sport of road racing, in which runners train in quiet
>>isolation, passing one another occasionally on hills while guarding their
>>strategies.
>>
>>Competitors from around the world may come here, yet the various camps
>>operate in their own universes. With schedules dictated by agents, runners
>>compete not just for the podium, but for a relatively small pool of
>>resources, shoe contracts and race appearance fees. It is a scene that is
>>more clannish than collegial.
>>
>>
>>
>
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Earliest Heavy Snow Fall
We got 16 inches of snow between last night and today. This is the earliest heavy snow fall I've witnessed up here. Not that I was surprised. We had a wet spring... and summer... and fall (such as it was)... and now winter.
We where somewhat lucky around here. The power did go out for about 7 hours, but I understand that things where much worse around Colorado Springs.
I got the x-c skis out and went up to Winiger Ridge. Somebody ( I think it was my neighbor Dave) had already put down a nice set of tracks. This ment I could lapse into the kick and glide rythem without having to break trail.
We where somewhat lucky around here. The power did go out for about 7 hours, but I understand that things where much worse around Colorado Springs.
I got the x-c skis out and went up to Winiger Ridge. Somebody ( I think it was my neighbor Dave) had already put down a nice set of tracks. This ment I could lapse into the kick and glide rythem without having to break trail.
RE: [puma-news] power?
Did the power go out? ;-)
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-puma-news@www.puma-net.org
[mailto:owner-puma-news@www.puma-net.org] On Behalf Of Greg Ching
Sent: Thursday, October 26, 2006 3:54 PM
To: puma-news@puma-net.org
Subject: Re: [puma-news] power?
Power just came back along Aspen Meadows!
I agree. Between the Amendment 37 rebates and Federal tax credits solar
electric is more affordable than ever. With the cost of electricity
rising and gas/propane prices soaring the breakeven analysis gets
better. Even if you got a minimal system you could still have a battery
backup system for your essential appliances.
For example, at my all electric house, we couldn't run the major
appliances such as range, microwave, dishwasher, furnace, hot water
heater but we were able to run our refrigerator for a number of hours.
And we were never out of lights/computers/internet/telephones and other
smaller appliances. Our cistern pump was also backed up so we had
water, too.
There are several homes up along Magnolia who have solar battery backup
systems. If you need guidance we can provide it.
Solar hot water, better insulation, compact fluorescent light bulbs, and
replacing older appliances are other areas of savings that may provide
better ROI than photovoltaic. However, the convenience factor of having
battery backup makes working at home much more practical.
greg
bwarre01@pol.net wrote:
> Time to go to solar power!!!
>
> Barbara Warren, Twin Sisters Road
>
>
>
>> 2 hrs here as well on Cumberland Gap off of CR 68
>>
>> Paul DeLong
>> Accuer, Inc.
>> 1942 Broadway, Ste. 208
>> Boulder, CO 80302
>> Ph 303-323-4296 x4
>> Fax 303-323-4297
>> Cell 303-859-0052
>> www.accuer.com
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: owner-puma-news@www.puma-net.org
>> [mailto:owner-puma-news@www.puma-net.org] On Behalf Of Clark Chapman
>> Sent: Thursday, October 26, 2006 11:00 AM
>> To: puma-news@puma-net.org
>> Subject: [puma-news] power?
>>
>>
>> We've been without power for 2 hours on
>> Lazy Z. Curious about how widespread this
>> is and whether there are any indications
>> of when it might be fixed.
>>
>> Clark Chapman
>> 11 am Thurs.
>
>
Thursday, October 12, 2006
[puma-news] thefts
Hi,
Just want to let everyone know that there is still some theft activity going on. Last week, someone went through our truck (& the neighbor’s car) looking for valuables. Luckily, we don’t keep anything of value in our cars; I wish they’d cleaned mine out. This was sometime between 2 & 4:30 am, which we know because the dog was barking hysterically. I think that may be what convinced the thief to move on, before checking out the storage shed, etc.
The deputy said there are still break-ins happening in the mountain areas, although activity seems to have slowed a bit. Most previous activity has been during the day, so this may be a slight change in M.O., or another thief.
Anyway, be aware.
Vivian
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
[puma-news] Documentary on firefighters
http://tinyurl.com/owo5a
The History Channel has made a documentary on firefighters in this country.
It airs at 6PM on 10/13 and 2PM on 10/22.
Over 70% of firefighters in this country are volunteers. Most of Magnolia
Road is served by High Country Fire Department, which has no paid
firefighters. The bottom two miles (or so) of Magnolia are served by
Sugarloaf and the extreme western end is Nederland Fire's district. There
are never enough volunteers, so we often are called for "mutual aid". HCFD
has responded to structure fires for both Nederland and Sugarloaf in the
last month. Luckily, we haven't had one of our own (knock on my wooden
noggin'!).
I must say that what I've seen of this documentary is surprisingly
realistic. If you've ever wondered what it's like, or why people volunteer
to be firefighters, it's worth watching.
There are numerous clips and interviews at the website linked above.
If anyone reading this is interested in becoming a High Country firefighter,
the easiest way is to call Sheila at 303-642-3588. If you aren't sure, and
have questions, I'd be happy to try to answer them, or refer you to someone
who can answer them.
If you want to help your neighbors, it's what we do.
John,
~ the chart guy
John Carder, CMT
Topline Investment Graphics
Where your chart dreams come true!
www.topline-charts.com or www.chartguy.com
PO Box 2340
Boulder, CO 80306-2340 USA
800.347.0157 (toll-free in the USA)
303.440.0157 (voice)
303.440.0147 (fax)
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