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Book: Pirateology: The Pirate Hunter's Companion (Ologies)
Source: Amazon (588)
Mom Rating
Ages: 8+ years
In: BooksAuthor: William Captain Lubber
By Book Description
Aar! Hoist the sails for a lavish new discovery filled with treasures — a magnificent resource for pirate lovers everywhere. The eagerly awaited new title in the best-selling 'Ology series — more than 5 million sold worldwide!Step lively, pirate foes and fanciers! Mysterious booty found inside a long-lost sea chest, hidden for hundreds of years off the coast of Newfoundland, has ...
Similar activities:Book: Pirates Don't Change Diapers, Fun Storytime Book - How I Became A Pirate, Book: Warriors Field Guide: Secrets of the Clans (Warriors), Book: Be the Change: Your Guide to Freeing Slaves and Changing the World (Invert), Book: Warriors: Power of Three #1: The Sight (Warriors: Power of Three), Book: Warriors: The Lost Warrior (Warriors), Book: Magic Tree House Boxed Set 1, Books 1-4: Dinosaurs Before Dark, The Knight at Dawn, Mummies in the Morning, and Pirates Past Noon, Book: Warriors #5: A Dangerous Path (Warriors), Book: Warriors: The New Prophecy #6: Sunset (Warriors: The New Prophecy), Book: Warriors: The New Prophecy #5: Twilight (Warriors: The New Prophecy), Book: Warriors: The New Prophecy #4: Starlight (Warriors: The New Prophecy), Pirate Treasure Chest, Book: How I Became a Pirate (Irma S and James H Black Award for Excellence in Children's Literature (Awards)), Do-It-Yourself Pirate Costume, Book: Peter Pan (Scholastic Classics)
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Widening the Tent of Jewish Camping in America
Jewish summer camps are often a staple for Jewish children. As someone who went to a Jewish camp for four years, I can tell you that it was an extremely important part of not only growing up, but of finding my Jewish identity. In fact, some of my fondest memories of camp are the beautiful outdoor Havdallah services every week (the service to end the Sabbath). Interestingly, many of my fellow campers came from intermarried families, and some were not Jewish at all. The camp welcomed campers of all backgrounds, and when I think back on my experience, I don't think "oh, how integrated!" I just think "wow, those were some great summers."
Welcoming in campers who either may not have been raised Jewish, or only have a distant Jewish relative, can be a struggle for some Jewish camps. How far back in the generational tree do we go? Can we exclude campers who don't have at least one Jewish relative? The answer is probably no. Judaism is a culture of warmth and family, not of turning people away. So how can we truly extend a hand to children and even grandchildren of intermarried families?
In a recent article for the Jewish Herald-Voice, Teddy Weinberger shares the work of the Jewish Agency, which runs a network of summer camps in the former Soviet Union. These camps, described as a "cultural lifeline to Jewish identity," are free, and are funded by several Russian Jewish philanthropists, and by several Jewish Federations, such as Atlanta and Boston. The most fascinating part about these camps, though, is who they seek to serve. Many of the campers don't have Jewish parents, or even Jewish grandparents; they only have at least one Jewish great-grandparent. Some argue that this is providing Jewish camp for non-Jews, but I agree with the article—this is a way of welcoming back in families who were lost to assimilation and political upheaval.
Weinberger then shifts the focus of the article to the United States. Why is this model not being followed here? Surely there are plenty of camp-aged children with at least one Jewish great¬¬-grandparent, so why not reach out to them? Weinberger points out that the majority of Jewish philanthropy for outreach is focused on the intermarried and their children. However, if we broaden the scope and provide funding to reach these other generations (those twice or thrice removed from Judaism), we would reach thousands more people.
Here at JOI, we seek to open the tent to all those who would cast their lot with the Jewish people, whether this be by birth, marriage, or conversion. With many nervous about the "numbers" of Jews world-wide, I think it would be wise to reach out to this relatively unknown segment of the population. Many of the families who fall into the category of having a Jewish great-grandparent may have veered away from Judaism not by choice, but by force, and we should welcome them back in with open arms… starting with some free bug juice and s'mores.
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text:
Governor Bryant and other top Republicans have insisted that the state cannot afford to expand Medicaid, even if the federal government pays most of the costs. Many low-income individuals in Mississippi currently don't qualify for the program, and a family of three cannot earn more than 56-hundred dollars a year and keep their benefits.
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text: Tagged: store layout Viewing 2 posts - 1 through 2 (of 2 total) Author Posts January 22, 2013 at 7:54 am #19624 fernandopxParticipant Hi, my question is how I can give to my store page, a layout like the portfolio, in which the categories are up under the title, I would do the same except that instead of displaying the categories I want to show the tags, or any case make the menu with this structure: About blog Clothing> Categories> Tags Shoes> Categories> Tags Accessories> Categories> Tags contact I thank you beforehand. Regards! January 22, 2013 at 5:39 pm #104384 DevinModerator Hi fernandopx, That level of customization would have to be done by a freelance developer. It'll take quite a bit of work as the entire woocommerce integration will have to be re-done to use the same layout and functions as the portfolio. Regards, Devin Author Posts Viewing 2 posts - 1 through 2 (of 2 total) The topic 'STORE PAGE LAYOUT LIKE PORTAFOLIO PAGE LAYOUT' is closed to new replies.


text:
Username: malyshkakatya
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Signup IP: 188.8.131.52
female 27 years old
kazan Russia
Scam message mass-mailed:
Hello! I recently was registered on this site. And you? I have looked here much enough profiles. I have written to you, hoping, that you will answer me. Now I shall write to you mine e-mail. I understand, that very personal, but nevertheless! Otherwise on another we cannot find out each other. So, mine e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com . I hope, that you will soon answer me and we shall begin our acquaintance! If you want only entertainment you should not write to me. I think, that you looking for serious relations. I wait for your letter.


text:
Brennan Linsley / AP
You may have seen news reports about Americans tiring of the war in Afghanistan, now our nation's longest ever.
Not surprising.
But what is surprising -- and hasn't really been reported -- is that it's taken so long for a U.S. population famously addicted to instant gratification to tire of a deadly war that has so far claimed the lives of 2,313 countrymen and women. And another 1,110 fallen allies.
In previous wars since 1950 it's been a mere matter of months before Americans were doubting the reasons for combat. Politically, the unpopularity of prolonged fighting with its human and financial tolls was responsible for two Democrat presidents (Harry Truman and Lyndon Johnson) abandoning their political careers and second-term ambitions over the Korean and Vietnam Wars.
The first Gulf War to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi occupation ended so quickly, not by accident, that President George H.W. Bush saw his popularity soar briefly above 90%.
For his son, however, the Iraq war to oust Saddam Hussein proved much longer, painful, costly and controversial. And it played a large role in the widespread voter dissatisfaction that turned both houses of Congress over to Democrats in the 2006 midterm elections.
Strangely, not so with the enduring Afghanistan conflict.
It's been 4,523 days, as of this morning, since U.S. and other allied troops moved into Afghanistan less than a month after the shocking 9/11 attacks planned and rehearsed there.
The initial motivation, besides cathartic and widely-supported revenge, was to deny the safe haven of that perennially lawless land for any further terrorist attacks on the homeland. A mission largely accomplished so far.
However, under both Republican and Democrat presidents desirous of leaving a stable country behind, that short-term mission morphed into a much more complicated one of nation-building in a geographical territory that isn't a nation.
It's a collection of feudal fiefdoms with shifting tribal alliances and allegiances skillfully manipulated by Taliban and al Qaeda forces. There, even the concept of one nation is a basic threat to the historic power of regional warlords, who have benefited from more than a quarter-century of constant conflict fed by outside forces.
Beginning as a political nobody in Chicago in 2002, Barack Obama made enormous political profit off his opposition to the Iraq War. Anti-war sentiment among Democrats played a significant role in his defeating Hillary Clinton in the primary campaign of 2007-08.
Both Obama and Joe "I Like Trains" Biden vociferously opposed Bush's 2007 Iraqi troop surge that ultimately produced the military victory for Obama to squander later with no residual forces to give locals time to train.
Twitter: @AHMalcolmFacebook: Andrew MalcolmGoogle+: Andrew Malcolm
Investor's Business Daily provides exclusive stock lists, investing data, stock market research, education and the latest financial and business news to help investors make more money in the stock market. All of IBD's products and features are based on the CAN SLIM® Investing System developed by IBD's Founder William J. O'Neil, who identified the seven common characteristics that winning stocks display before making huge price gains. Each letter of CAN SLIM represents one of those traits.


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News Release
The Sixth Summit on the Global Agenda Opens: "The solutions lie in partnerships"
Oliver Cann, Associate Director, Media Relations, Tel.: +971 526 418 381; E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
- More than 1,000 thought leaders and experts on the main issues facing the world have gathered in Abu Dhabi
- Global governance is too focused on reacting to crises and is incapable of addressing challenges holistically
- More information about the Summit on the Global Agenda 2013 is available here
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 18 November 2013 – The world's biggest brainstorming exercise of thought leaders and experts on the most urgent global issues, the World Economic Forum's Summit on the Global Agenda, opened today.
At the opening session, senior officials of the United Arab Emirates, the host government since the first Summit in 2008, told over 1,000 business, government and civil society leaders that the only way to tackle difficult global problems is through cooperation across countries, sectors and stakeholders. "The solutions to the most pressing concerns in the world lie in partnerships," said HE Sultan Saeed Nasser Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy of the United Arab Emirates, adding that "we need coordinated movements." HE Nasser Ahmed AlSowaidi, Chairman, Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) agreed. He said: "In uncertain times such as these, the need for greater international cooperation is magnified. Complex questions require coordinated solutions."
Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, noted that governments, business and civil society working alone cannot address today's complex challenges. Existing institutions and mechanisms of international cooperation are unable to shape viable solutions, he observed. "The biggest challenge we have today is the incapability of the system of global governance to take the necessary time and devote the necessary attention to construct our future," Schwab argued. "We are much too much in a crisis management mode. We have to take a holistic view. We cannot find solutions in departmentalized approaches."
Among the international experts participating in the three-day Summit, which Abu Dhabi is hosting for the second time, will be Members of the World Economic Forum's Network of 86 Global Agenda Councils. The purpose of the Summit is to tap the knowledge and experience of Council Members and other participants to generate insights, ideas and effective and sustainable action plans to address the main risks on the global agenda.
Notes to Editors
The Host broadcaster for the Summit is Abu Dhabi Media.
Everything about this year's Summit: http://www.weforum.org/events/summit-global-agenda
View the best pictures from the Summit on Flickr at http://wef.ch/gac13pix
Follow the Forum on Twitter at http://wef.ch/twitter and key quotes from the Summit http://wef.ch/livetweet
Twitter users, please use the hashtag #globalagenda for all tweets about the event and #WEF about the Forum
Follow tweets from participants on our twitter list at https://twitter.com/davos/lists/gac13
Live stream of sessions: http://wef.ch/live
Become a fan of the Forum on Facebook at http://wef.ch/facebook
Watch sessions on demand on YouTube at http://wef.ch/youtube
Read insights from our guest bloggers on the Forumblog: http://wef.ch/blog
Subscribe to our News Releases: http://wef.ch/news
The World Economic Forum is an international institution committed to improving the state of the world through public-private cooperation in the spirit of global citizenship. It engages with business, political, academic and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.
Incorporated as a not-for-profit foundation in 1971 and headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the Forum is independent, impartial and not tied to any interests. It cooperates closely with all leading international organizations (www.weforum.org).


text:
Click for more Scout Activities
Title Three Ropes Game
Equipment Three 3' knotted ropes (the length and amount don't actually matter too much)
Play Put the ropes in the middle of the playing field. Divide into two equally skilled teams. Issue each team member a different number. When a number is called, the two scouts with that number (both from opposite teams) run and touch the far wall. On their way back to their team, the scouts must try and get as many ropes as they can.
Rules Don't let the scouts kill each other. No punching or kicking.
Scoring One point per rope carried over.
Activity Type (click a link for hundreds more!)
See more Indoor Activities
See more Outdoor Activities
See more Warm Weather Activities
See more Team Building Activities
See more Summer Camp Activities
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Contributor Kate Harmer
Date Entered20-Mar-2012
Click here to report possible copyright violations.


text:
I want to provide tab navigation with swipe facility. For that i have tried THIS.
Link which shows tabs with viewpager. The class TestFragment.java is adding static views and class can be found at this link : Here
But i want to add dynamic views.Is it possible ?
Please suggest how to implement it ?


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RF performances of inductors integrated on localized p+-type porous silicon regions
1 Université François Rabelais de Tours, GREMAN, UMR CNRS 7347, 16 Rue Pierre et Marie Curie, BP 7155, Tours, Cedex 2, 37071, France
2 STMicroelectronics, 16 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, BP 7155, Tours, Cedex 2, 37071, France
Nanoscale Research Letters 2012, 7:523 doi:10.1186/1556-276X-7-523Published: 25 September 2012
To study the influence of localized porous silicon regions on radiofrequency performances of passive devices, inductors were integrated on localized porous silicon regions, full porous silicon sheet, bulk silicon and glass substrates. In this work, a novel strong, resistant fluoropolymer mask is introduced to localize the porous silicon on the silicon wafer. Then, the quality factors and resonant frequencies obtained with the different substrates are presented. A first comparison is done between the performances of inductors integrated on same-thickness localized and full porous silicon sheet layers. The effect of the silicon regions in the decrease of performances of localized porous silicon is discussed. Then, the study shows that the localized porous silicon substrate significantly reduces losses in comparison with high-resistivity silicon or highly doped silicon bulks. These results are promising for the integration of both passive and active devices on the same silicon/porous silicon hybrid substrate.


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Welcome to WebmasterWorld Guest from 184.108.40.206
Forum Moderators: phranque
I have just acquired a virtual windows 2003 server from 1and1 and I want to install proper antivirus security before I do anything else.
I had a dedicated server before with McAfee Total Protection. McAfee informs me that their software will not work on a virtual server. Also the Norton offered by 1and1 doesn't work on the server.
I read on different forums that NOD32 from Eset is good. I have contacted them, but they are not answering me. Does anyone have experience with this product?
I also contacted Kaspersky and they are also not answering me.
I would like to get a trial version to make sure the software works before signing a 2-year contract, but since no one seems to think it important to answer me, I guess I will have to order and hope for the best. So if anyone has experience with either of the two, please let me know. Mainly I want to know if their product support is better than their customer service.
I have ruled out Avast because of the high price.
thanks for any help
nod32 is not the resource hog that Norton and some of the others are, and it has caught a lot of stuff that was slipping by those other packages. Well worth the investment in my mind.
Do a site search and I think you will find others that have said the same thing.


text:
|Enhanced acidogenic fermentation of food waste in a continuous-flow reactor.
MedLine Citation:
|PMID: 12058816 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE
|This study was performed to improve acidogenic fermentation of food waste in a continuous-flow reactor. The fermentation of food waste is affected by the fermentation constraints such as the biodegradability of substrate, the degrading capability of microorganisms and the environmental conditions. The key factors were, therefore, examined to control the fermentation constraints, such as the effect of seed inoculation and the effect of adjusting dilution rate. Acidogenic fermentation of food waste employing rumen microorganisms resulted in the enhanced efficiency (71.2%) as compared with that (59.8%) employing mesophilic acidogens. In addition, the fermentation efficiency increased from 71.2 to 82.0% by adjusting dilution rate from 3.0 to 1.0 d(-1) depending on the state of the fermentation. The main component of the acidified product was shifted from butyric to acetic acid. This meant that the increase of the fermentation efficiency was mainly caused by the enhanced degradation of vegetables and meats. The control of the fermentation constraints was, therefore, very effective in improving the fermentation efficiency of food waste.
|Sun-Kee Han; Hang-Sik Shin
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Publication Detail:
|Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Journal Detail:
|Title: Waste management & research : the journal of the International Solid Wastes and Public Cleansing Association, ISWA Volume: 20 ISSN: 0734-242X ISO Abbreviation: Waste Manag Res Publication Date: 2002 Apr
Date Detail:
|Created Date: 2002-06-12 Completed Date: 2002-11-19 Revised Date: 2008-07-09
Medline Journal Info:
|Nlm Unique ID: 9881064 Medline TA: Waste Manag Res Country: England
Other Details:
|Languages: eng Pagination: 110-8 Citation Subset: IM
|Department of Civil and Construction Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames 50011-3232, USA. firstname.lastname@example.com
Export Citation:
|APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex
|MeSH Terms
Food Industry*
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Refuse Disposal / methods*
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
Previous Document: Synthesis and antimicrobial activities of N-substituted imides.
Next Document: Continuous feed, on-site composting of kitchen garbage.


text:
- Filed Under
The battle over proposed cuts to the Air National Guard has re-emerged as key lawmakers work to hammer out a defense authorization bill before the end of the year.
The Air Force and Defense Department are aggressively lobbying members of the conference committee, who are negotiating the House and Senate versions of the bill, to pass a revised 2013 budget plan. Supporters of the Air Guard including nearly 100 members of Congress and governors' group leaders are pushing for a complete freeze until all sides can agree on cuts to Guard personnel and aircraft.
The wrangling over the budget dates to February, when the Obama administration sent to Congress a budget proposal that called for cutting 9,900 airmen 5,100 guardsmen, 2,900 active duty and 900 reservists and more than 200 aircraft. After multiple counterproposals from state leaders and the Air Force, the House and Senate decided to block all Air Force cuts for 2013. A conference committee is melding the House and Senate versions of the defense authorization into a final bill that, if passed by Congress, will be sent to Obama to sign into law.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta urged lawmakers in a Dec. 11 letter to approve a revised Air Force budget plan that saves $7.8 billion, while sparing 70 percent of personnel cuts and 30 percent of aircraft decommissionings. If the freeze on budget cuts makes it into the final version of the defense authorization, the Air Force would be forced to "operate, sustain, and maintain aircraft that are in excess of national requirements and are not affordable in an austere budget environment," according to Panetta's letter to leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
The Air Force and Panetta's office have refused requests for details on the Air Force's revised budget plan, and supporters of the Air National Guard say they have not been part of the negotiations.
Retired Maj. Gen. Gus L. Hargett Jr., president of the National Guard Association of the United States, said he was concerned that members of Congress were willing to pass the Air Force's new plan, based on the perception that Air Force and Guard leaders had reached an agreement.
"I do know that there has been some misinformation on the Hill that some governors and some adjutants general have endorsed [an Air Force] alternative plan," Hargett said in a statement Thursday. "This is the kind of mischief that can occur during conference, when a handful from the House and Senate can go behind closed doors and literally change legislation in the name of forging compromise between the two chambers."
On Dec. 6, almost 100 senators and representatives, led by the Senate National Guard Caucus and House National Guard and Reserve Caucus, urged the leaders of both the Senate and House Armed Services committees to keep the freeze in place to allow more time to negotiate how the active force and Guard absorb reductions in the manpower and aircraft.
"An overwhelming majority of the Congress, representing both parties and both chambers, believes that these cuts need thorough and objective evaluation before they can either be passed into law or replaced by other proposals that will better enable the Air Force to meet its mission requirements while adhering to the Budget Control Act," the letter states.
Leaders from the National Governors Association and the bipartisan Council of Governors on Dec. 10 sent a letter to the leaders of the armed services committees thanking them for blocking Air Force cuts and saying they plan to meet with the Pentagon to discuss a future budgeting process.
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text:
by J/Boats
This year's Chicago Mackinac Race was up to its usual tricks again, offering the fleet the dilemma of starting off with breezes in the NE to SE quadrants, with a hole forming in the middle of the rhumbline on late Saturday evening after the start, and then forcing teams into choices of staying west of rhumb and playing anticipated pressure arriving from the west or heading across the lake towards the classic eastern shore 'dunes acceleration' of southerly breezes and playing the 'point strategy' going up the Michigan coastline before rounding Pt Betsie halfway into the race.
Chicago Mackinac Race 2014
Then, the choice again was whether to hang outside and north of the Manitou Islands or stay the rhumbline course inside and south, the more direct route to Greys Reef before the 35nm sprint down the Straits of Mackinac to the finish line.
No matter what fleet you were sailing in, it seemed everyone had slightly different variations on the three main choices on the menu from a strategic standpoint. What was self-evident was that all five one-design J/Fleets all had variations on those themes and no one could point to the 'perfect' race. Nevertheless, 10 of the top 25 boats in the Mackinac Cup Division were J/Teams in a fleet of 135+ boats; J/111's again took three of the top six overall!
For the Level 35 Division, Bad Dog (Larry Taunt) and Touch of Grey (Larry Schell) were virtually glued together the entire race, matching each other's tactics all the way up to the finish line at Mackinac Island. Both stayed west of rhumb all the way up to Pt Betsie and both took the rhumbline track inside the Manitous to Greys Reef. In the end, Bad Dog took second in class and edged out Touch of Grey in third place.
As one of the earlier classes to start, the J/105 class simply took off up the Illinois - Wisconsin shoreline as one huge pack. Like most other boats in the area off Racine to Milwaukee, the big hole emerged over rhumbline around 11:00pm and their class rapidly evolved into two schools of thought— one group kept heading north along the Wisconsin shore while another pack took off on starboard tack west of rhumbline. It was the latter group that took first and second in class and both of them also went inside the Manitous on the way to the major turning point at Greys Reef. Leading the fleet home was Here's Johnny (John Moore), followed by Buzz (Mark Gurney) in second, then Pterodactyl (Mark Symonds) third, Green Flash (Jane Enterline) fourth and Vytis (Gytis and Tomas Petkus) in fifth place.
The fleet of nine J/109s followed a similar course of action as their J/105 colleagues. The leader was established between the 11pm 'shutdown' and the new breeze that filled in by 3:00am from the SE around 175. The boats that could maintain headway in two-five kts winds dramatically lengthened, or newly established, their leads over the fleet at that time. As one of the top three boats, Northstar (Dave Gustman) made the most of the situation and established a jump on the fleet they never relinquished. Behind them the balance of the top five juggled positions all the way to the finish with Momentus (Kevin Saedi, George and Robin Simkins) taking second, followed by Callisto (Jim Murray) in third, Driven 2 (Jim Milliken) fourth and Slapshot (Scott Sims) fifth.
Having started quite a ways behind the J/109s and J/105s, the J/111 class roared up the lake in the building Easterly breeze under jibs and by late afternoon were already setting their mind-numbingly fast Code Zeros to continue to rapidly catch the fleets in front of them. By 11pm when the wind shutdown, the top three boats were Impulse (Miz, Dreher and Hatfield) in first, Wind Czar (Rick Lehmann) in second and No Surprise (Dave Irish) in third. For the next three hours, the boats all juggled positions with half the fleet gybing early in the new SE breeze and headed for the Michigan shoreline, another group continued to struggle north in hopes of more breeze. Emerging from the 'mix-master' at midnight was No Surprise in first with a pack of boat hot on their tail spread across just behind them. At sunrise, Kashmir had leapt in second followed by Wind Czar in third and Impulse dropping to fourth.
Practice race - 2015 J22 North American Championship
For the next hours, the four boats played a game of 'cat and mouse' along the eastern side of rhumbline along the Michigan shore. By Pt Betsie, Impulse had jumped back into second followed by Wind Czar in third and Kashmir in fourth. The standings jumbled again as a late-arriving pack of four boats from way out west of rhumbline headed by Martie Roesch's Velocity stayed out and rounded the Manitous outside and to the north. That plus the fact that Kashmir took one more fateful gybe into shore before Pt Betsie dropped them into fifth. Meanwhile, the battle between Wind Czar and Impulse was finally settled when an enormous 35 degree header rolled in from 175 degrees at 15-17 kts and Wind Czar jumped back into second place. From there on end the 'die was cast' for the top five, No Surprise sailing an excellent race to win class and take second overall in the Mackinac Cup Division. Second in class and fourth in fleet was Wind Czar, followed by Impulse third in class and sixth in fleet. The balance of the top five was Velocity fourth and Kashmir fifth.
The J/120 Class report is courtesy of Frank Kern (owner-skipper of Carinthia). He reflects what others had done from a tactics - strategy standpoint during the race. Here is Frank's commentary: 'This week the Detroit area fleet moved on to Chicago with seven of the eight J/120 fleet participating. The race began with an eight knots wind out of the northeast with the fleet flying genoas for the first few hours on the Illinois shore. When the spinnakers went up as the wind shifted to the southeast the J120s spit with half sailing out in the lake and the other half continuing to sail up the shore towards Wisconsin. On the left was last week's Bayview Mackinac winner Bob and Mike Kirkman's Hot Ticket initially in the lead, Canada Sarnia based Irresistible 2 owned by Gerry Hines, Dennis Dettmer's Perversion, and Frank Kern's Carinthia. To the west was Jerry Bresser's Flyin' Irish, 2012 winner Henry Mistele's Night Moves, Chicago based Frank Giampoli's Jahazi, and new entrant John Hughes and Ed Vermet's Nautiboys. As the racers approached Point Betsy, Irresistible 2 was leading the fleet with Carinthia sailing much farther west on Lake Michigan.
Practice race - 2015 J22 North American Championship
Much of the fleet was sailing the Michigan shore in pursuit of shore breeze. Hot Ticket was no longer in the lead and Perversion was in second, Carinthia in third. At the Manitou Straits, the majority of fleet passed through and Carinthia passed through farther north, south of the Fox Islands. As the wind was stronger on the outside and using a hotter angle, Carinthia gained the lead at Greys Reef. She managed to finish 54 minutes ahead of the next J/120s but the battle was not over.
Irresistible 2 was 1.3 miles ahead of Perversion with the two yachts gybing to the finish. Perversion managed to take second place by one second at the finish line. Flyin' Irish was fourth, Night Moves was fifth, Hot Ticket sixth, Jahazi seventh, and Nautiboys eighth.'
In the big handicap divisions, the J/145 Main Street sailed by Bill Schanen and family from Port Washington, Wisconsin finished fourth in Division 2. The Cup Division 3 fleet had two good performances, the J/130 Edge skippered by Bob McManus took fourth and the J/133 Scirocco 3 sailed by Bob Klairmont took fifth.
The J/122s battled it out this year in Division four and basically sailed a match race from start to finish. Both boats ended up east of rhumb after the 11pm to 3am black hole and proceeded to match each other off the Michigan dunes, but never taking advantage of any of the 'point acceleration' strategies. In the end, Matt Songer's Evvai got the upper hand early and never let go, taking fifth in class and 21st in Mackinac Cup division overall. Mitch Padnos's and Tracy Brand's famous Sufficient Reason (the 2013 Overall and Class Division winner) had a rougher go of it this year and settled for eighth in class.
In the Double-Handed Division, the J/29 TFWB Relentless sailed by George and Scott Petritz sailed well, finishing late afternoon on Monday to take second overall in their division.
In Chicago-Mackinac Trophy Division six, it was the Mac 'debut' of the J/88 Hokey Smoke sailed by Richie Stearns. Their strategies were similar to most of the fleet, starting due north and staying west of rhumbline until the infamous Racine 'hole' between 11pm to 3am. However, Hokey Smoke gybed earlier than most and ended up in less pressure along and just east of rhumb as they approached Big Sable dunes on the Michigan shoreline. Nevertheless, Stearns and crew sailed very fast, capturing not only second in Division but managed 13th overall.
Event website


text:
Don't get me started on Stoopid Human Tricks… This one could be the winner for the Most Stoopid of All Stoopid Human Tricks.
Here goes…
You are probably asking yourself, "What in the world happened to this horse?" Nuclear waste spilled on her? Acid? She slipped and fell into a poisonous pond?
Nope. Her owners did this to her. You see, poor Tullie was suffering from Rain Rot (we won't go into the 'whys' of that here). Her owners mistakenly thought that she had the canine disease of mange, so they mixed lime with auto transmission fluid and poured it all over her body.
Let me say that again. THEY MIXED UP LIME AND AUTO TRANSMISSION FLUID AND POURED IT ALL OVER HER BODY.
First of all, even if she did have canine mange, that is not how one should treat any animal, mange or no mange. But, regardless, my mouth is on the ground over this one.
I don't know the details on how Cheri from HORSE FEATHERS EQUINE RESCUE, INC came to treat poor Tullie, but I know she got her just in time. The young mare was 400 lbs underweight — no surprise there — with burns over 70% of her body. She lost the tips of her ears and was in severe pain.
Immediately, Tullie was rushed to the equine hospital. Her Albumin levels were at 2 (a normal range is approx 30). Tullie wouldn't survive much longer so she was given two pints of plasma right away. Everyone held their breath to see if she would turn the corner.
Cheri said that she knew Tullie would make it because the poor, sick, wounded, hurting little filly wanted to eat and drink all the time, even at the hospital while she was on death's door.
Slow. As with human burn victims, the process is slow and there is always the risk of infection. Everything has to be done methodically and with very sterile-minded precautions in place.
Tullie couldn't stand for long periods of time so Cherie had 3-5 volunteers hold her up while they treated her. Can you imagine how much this must have hurt?! But, she did it.
First, they started with debridement of the worst areas. Tullie handled this without sedation. Without sedation. VERY BRAVE MARE, INDEED.
Then, they used a mixture of Aloe Vera Gel and Lidocaine to numb and heal the area. The areas that they could clean, were treated with Tea Tree oil and Clorhex. This process took months…
Cherie said that no one ever gave up because Tullie never gave up. In her words:
"She has so much spirit and all she wanted to do was to eat and drink constantly. Her body needed all it could get to heal inside and out."
Tullie ate, drank, gained strength, dealt with the pain, dealt with the constant salve applications and dressings, forced herself to move about to gain muscle strength and slowly but surely, she healed.
Tullie was healing but not gaining enough weight. Having low Albumin greatly effects fat absorption and the liver. But, her liver was good so it was time to add a fat supplement her feed. After Cherie tried just about every product out there, Tullie finally started to gain the necessary fat with a product called Envision by Progressive. She says that it is expensive but this product is all that she will use now because it works the best. In fact, she uses it on all her horses who need to gain or who are difficult to build.
Some kind donor sent this product to Cherie to use on Tullie's new skin.
It is made via honey bees. Hospital burn units now use this with human patients. It really helped with healing by keeping the moisture in the skin. Here is the link if you'd like to try it.
She is almost all healed, physically. It took 3 years. 3 YEARS! That is devotion… Thank you, Cherie.
Cherie had this to say about Tullie now:
"There were many times I wondered if she would make it but Tullie seemed to love being the "auntie" to the babies we had born here. Tullie does have a standoffish attitude with new people… I can't say I blame her. She is here, she is alive and she is happy."
Click here if you'd like to donate/sponsor Tullie and get a donor gift certificate to give as a gift for the Holidays!
Well, our Bucket Fund for this month, THE WILD MUSTANGS AND BURROS, has stalled a bit. It is still early and I am very appreciative of those who have donated!! But, I want to remind us about the incredible opportunity here to tangibly help the mustangs through DREAMCATCHER Sanctuary who has an opportunity to lease another 20,000 acres to release more gathered and captured mustangs and burros. Please click here to donate so the HORSE AND MAN Group can become a benefactor.
How good would that feel?
HORSE AND MAN is a blog in growth… if you like this, please pass it around!
The November Bucket Fund will benefit The Wild Horses and Burros, via DreamCatcher Sanctuary. We are helping them acquire an additional 20,000 acres to release more captured Mustangs/Burros back into the wild. To learn all about the Bucket Fund and to donate to this incredible opportunity for our Mustangs, please click on the photo.
Your purchase with R.W. through this link helps the Bucket Fund!
When you shop @AmazonSmile, Amazon will make a donation to Horse And Man Foundation.
Supporting The Bucket Fund through Amazon Smile is HUGE for the horses. Please choose HORSE AND MAN when you make your Amazon purchase through this link. THANK YOU!
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27 comments have been posted...
What in the world possessed them to think transmission fluid was good for the skin, period?? Some people are just beyond help when it comes to common sense. Dx
God Bless you… Thank heaven there are angels amoung us!
Wow we have been without internet for two weeks, I couldnt get online for holidays or anything. Sighs… I had a horse come in to help rehab that had a bad leg injury, she is doing well and is now at her new home.
Betty–great to see you here hun…
I want to thank everyone for their comments. Tullie was from- a fabric–sheer that we used to cover her skin as she couldnt have a regular sheet on. Her skin needed to breathe. Its used in wedding veils, etc.
Owners were never found, Im not sure if I posted it before. There is no statute of limitations if we do find them on animal cruelty. She was passed through 4 people before got here. I 'heard' she went through an auction also.
Tullie, I call her Tullie Bear since she lost her ear tops is silly. She 'pretends' to hate everyone but it is her way of keeping distance until she trusts. I get her up close and you can see her saying–stop luvin on me grammie… I tease her all the time. She just has a personality that you can love.
We can always use donations to help here. Tullie has now about outgrown her blanket and needs a new one. She wears a 74. Got a butt on her now. So if someone would like to help with getting her one that would be appreciated.
RT (cheri)
Tania Collier
Thank you for sharing this inspiring, sad and moving story of courage, love and sheer determination. We can learn a lot from horses (in fact from many animals if we just stopped and watched/listened). Tullie has shown that no matter what is or has happened in your life, when the love of people who care is there to help support you, you can take on anything… and she certainly did that!
I am so glad to have had the opportunity to have read this wonderful story… after reading and learning about so many other horses who are no so fortunate it is heart warming to see that at least one has made it through.
Good luck Tullie (and to all the people who took part in her long healing process) may your meadows always be filled with sweet green grass.
Cathy Hill
What a truly remarkable story, I wish the outcome for my Tessa had been as good. We sent her to a well known trainer, with a good reputation and had 3 personal friends who gave him a good reference but something went horribly wrong and they abused her so badly that after months of care, she ended up having to be euthanized.
Please visit her website to see my dear Tessa's story. It's been years now and I still grieve for her her and miss her terribly and cry.
Zack Thompson
This is just insanity. First of all Transmission fluid is caustic to begin with and lime is very acidic. I can't believe someone would do this. Just horrible. Wonderful that Tullie is healing though. Tragic and happy T THE SAME TIME. ~~Peace~~
Betty Cordoza
Although I sponser another horse at Horse Feathers, I was in on the get-go with Tullie, and made small financial donations, and suggestions for her care. Tullie and Cheri went through Hell, getting Tullie to where she is today! She is lovely, if a bit obstreporous. (Tullie, not Cheri. Cheri is just lovely.) Whenever Cheri and I speak on the phone, I always inquire as to how beautiful Tullie is doing.
I can't remember what happened to the former owners of Tullie. However, maybe Cheri will be kind enough to refresh my memory and enlighten those who have asked about Tullie's former owners. Cheri?
Sue Savage
OMG, I cannot believe humans. I am practically speechless as to the atrocious acts some of us so called "intellegent species" do to animals. What sort of sick pleasure do they get. I am so glad she found Cherie. It really bought tears to my eyes when I read this story.
Give Tullio an extra carrot and a big hug and kiss from me.
Congratulations, you need a medal for what you have done.
The people who did this need the same treatment they gave Tullio so they can experience the same pain and suffering she went through.
Wendy McDonnell
I am so glad you perservered with this lovely horse. Horses are just so amazing: they are the light of my life. Congratulations – please give her a kiss for me.
Bill Barnard
There really is no limit of cruelty humans can do. Just study our history. But to deliberately harm an innocent animal that only wants to please, now that is beyond comprehension. These animals are not a threat to us. They ask for love and they give love. We are the custodians of this planet. We need each other to survive. Horses are majestic animals and should be treated with kindness and respect.
Sometimes I wish people would act as kind as I've seen animals act. My heart's desire is to see Tullie live a healthy and happy life here with us.
Gina Muha
Looks like you did an amazing job on Tullie, great work! You might want to try some Izmine from Dynamite to help balance her out…it would really help her I bet. I was just curious about her name. Tullie is my maiden name and an odd name for a horse. I am praying that I am not related to these idiots.
God bless you for caring for Tullie. The only comfort animal lovers have in this world is knowing that, for every cruel and despicable person like the one who did this to Tullie, there is someone like you providing exceptional care and love.
This story left me in tears. Thanks so much for all the time, money, work, and kindness you all put in to heal this horse! It's nice to see that there are horse people out there who are in it for much bigger reasons than success in the show ring. Tullie is very lucky to have found you!
mary eagle-frith
i cannot believe how stupid some people can be even if it was mange why would you put transmission fluid on the poor thing, that maks me sick! for everyone that cares for animals and makes a diffence i take my hat off to you.
I have never seen anything like this. How could someone do this? I cannot imagine what type of person could have been so cruel. What a miracle to see this horse survive against all odds. My hat goes off to these dedicated folks, must have been heart breaking but thank God you stuck with it cause she is a beauty.
Jail or worse for the inhuman s.o.b. that did this.
What I would like to know is the "Paul Harvey Rest of the Story"… What happened to the owners who did this to this mare??? Inquiring minds want to know. If they got little more than a 'slap on the wrist' then I will finally believe with ALL finality…there is NO justice in this world. :)
Denise Elmendorf
Stupid human trick is not what comes to my mind when I look at this poor baby. This is purely a case of stupidy, ignorance and cruelty!!! This person or persons need to be charged with cruelty as well as neglect! Thank God you were able to save this horse. What horrible pain this animal must have gone though. People this stupid should not own any animals. Rain rot is a very common affliction, and not difficult to treat, if you know what to do. These awful people probably couldn't be bothered calling the vet. If you don't know the difference between mange and rain rot, you have no business owning a horse or any other animal for that matter. So many people get horses and they don't know how to care for them properly. Buy a book, ask questions, educate yourself on proper horse care, or don't get a horse!!
Truly amazing will to live. I am so greatful to the human angels who helped to save this beautiful creature. It is truly a miracle.
judith crosby
why are people so dam cruel..is my question..what in the hell do they get out of being cruel and inhuman to an innocent animal who only wants your love and care!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! dam!!sometimes, actually often times..i hate humans!!!!!!!!!!
Why are people so stupid. Don't they know how to pick up the phone and call or at least ASK a vet.
Vicki Boling
I might add that with the "remedy" of motor oil for mange, I have no idea that it worked. I just remember my dad doing it when I was a small kid. The dogs did clear up. But it may have been from the oil tasting so bad, that they just left the stuff alone, and it healed on its own. I just have no idea as to if, how or why it may have or have not worked.
I'a appalled at the condition weight wise on this horse. If the owners were stupid enough to pour that mixture on the sad critter, that's one thing. But why the heck didn't they feed it? I sure hope that charges were brought on these folks. If nothing else, they should NEVER be allowed to own any animal again!
Vicki Boling
WOW! I have no idea as to what to say!
Being from the country, we have used the old remedy of used motor oil on mange on the dogs. But how they figured transmission fluid and LIME??
Anyway, I was brought to tears at the dedication shown for this poor horse! She needed a true friend and God bless, She found one!! I hope you all are happy for many, many years to come! What a story!
wowwwwwwww…….this is a heartbreaker for sure….but brought tears of joy…..what a story…….cherie….you are an angel for sure………
Yes, we did use that fabric, It worked for the period of time we needed it to as we could not cover the areas that needed to 'breathe' and also could not use any fly spray products at all. Even the all natural stuff we had to be very cautious of what went on her and where.
The owner of Beeceuticals sent the product to us in a case and also sent a donation to help with her vet bill which exceeded 3K over time.
Tullie does very well with babies but she sure thinks she runs the pasture. She is not afraid of tractors, trucks, etc. She actually will try to get on trailers(low ground ones) so we have to shoo her off constantly and she gets really mad and tosses a fit.. Its like she has to explore everything that comes into her area and give her approval.
Good to see you Rose.. We hope she can get some sponsors/angels as we are going to work on the areas that are still healing and have some wee hairs growing. Her vet and I are discussing options.
Did Cherie tell you how Tullie got her name? She needed a very light weight fly sheet so RT used the fabric tulle (sp?) to keep the critters off her sores. I don't think it worked for long but nwo that sweet girl has a beautiful name. RT is amazing with those poor sick, injured horses.
Sandra Vann
Thank God for those willing to help these innocent animals who have so much to give.
Oh my God!! This is both horrific and an amazing story at the same time. Tullie looks almost identical to my daughters little quarter pony, Cherry….


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Richard Yamarone, economist (#416)
Richard Yamarone, a Wall Street economist, discusses the current economic downturn, including how it came about and why he believes the economy will take a long time to rebound.
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Richard Yamarone, vice president and director of economic research at Argus Research Co., has more than two decades of experience analyzing economic trends. On the program, Yamarone also discusses his book, The Trader's Guide to Key Economic Indicators, an overview of economic indicators, how they are constructed, and how they work. And, he shares his personal "Fabulous 5" indicators of economic recovery.
Yamarone also talks about the media's role in providing information on the economy, explains why he believes some businesses should be allowed to fail, and then outlines his economic forecast for the next year.
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text:
NAACP's Former Head In Steubenville Says Rape Victim Was Drunk And WillingIn shocking comments, Royal Mayo says the 16-year-old victim may have been willing participant and that other teens involved were let off easy.
Financial Engineers Or Tech CEOs?It's Tim Cook's turn to face the music when Apple holds its annual meeting on Wednesday. HP's Meg Whitman and Michael Dell know the challenge.
Will Obama's Cyber Directive Echo JFK's Moon-Shot Challenge?The president's directive on cyber security recalls JFK's call for a man on the moon. Will private companies get the same turbocharge?
Tim Cook's Latest Mistake Was Letting Apple's Cash Pile Swell To RecordApple is facing shareholder opposition because its CEO has done little to allocate the big money it has been accruing in recent years.
Hackers Hit The Media In New Cyberwar FrontBy failing to focus on cybersecurity, the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee botched its hearing on Chuck Hagel as defense secretary.
Mayor Ed Koch Saved City With Only-in-New York StyleAlthough former New York Mayor Edward I. Koch left his City Hall office in 1990, he never left the public spotlight.
Is Apple Fated To Follow In Walt Disney's Footsteps?Last week's shareholder assassination of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) raises the question: Is it another Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:DIS)?
Joe Biden Hints At 2016 Presidential Run, VP Gaffes During Inauguration 2013 Speech To State Society Of Iowa [VIDEO]Vice President Joe Biden unintentionally promoted himself on Saturday night, telling a group of Iowans visiting Washington that he was "proud to be president of the United States."
Michael Dell: On Verge Of Titanic Mistake?The decision to take Dell Inc. private will ultimately be made by one person: Michael S. Dell. Does he want to be a financial engineer?
IBM Tops Patent List For 2012 - One Dominated By Foreign InventorsIBM may have won the most patents in 2012, but U.S. companies are losing the innovation war to Asia.
USD/JPY Weekly Outlook and Trading IdeaUSD/JPY is moving higher even faster than expected. As you know I turned bullish on weekly chart back in March of 2012. Then on daily chart I turned bullish when the pair moved above 79.65 level. And I expected this market to really start moving up after it broke above the key 83.80 resistance level. And sure it did. Now, the daily uptrend is very strong but the market is also heavily overbought. While in storng uptrend overbought conditions do not matter a lot, so we can continue to favor the long side. But my guess is that if the prices return below 86.70 level, a short-term correction will start. So, it makes sense to protect the longs with a stop at 86.70 level....
Google Got A Big Break From The Federal Trade CommissionGoogle Inc. got a New Year's gift when the Federal Trade Commission dropped its probe into anti-competitive practices, using a new rationale.
Technology Focus: 5 Tech People Who Stood Out In 2012Emphasize the positive, and forget the negative: Here are five people who deserve credit for doing things right this year.
The Chips Are Down: Five Tech Highlights That Shaped 2012Five top themes were technology highlights of 2012, from low chip demand to online security.
Connecticut School Shootings: We Are All To Blame Because We Love ViolenceThere are reportedly some 300 million weapons floating around this country, enough for every man, woman and child to be armed.
Technology Focus: Five Tech Blunders During 2012Fiorello LaGuardia once said, "When I make a mistake, it's a beaut." Too bad he wasn't around to witness 2012's tech "beauts."
Cisco's Chambers Gambles On Software For LegacyJohn T. Chambers has decided to base his legacy as CEO of Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) on the cloud, software, and services.
Microsoft's Surface Pro May Be Too Expensive To Be A HitMicrosoft plans to release its Surface Pro tablet in 2013, but it won't be cheap.
Divided Government An Obstacle For US Budgetary SolutionsThe ideological divide is huge: If the two sides don't compromise on fiscal issues, major damage will be inflicted on the U.S. and global economies.
Have The Answers? Here Are 20 Technology Questions for DecemberHere are 20 technology questions to ponder before this muddle-through year expires.


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Natalie Emptage Downs wants generations of music lovers to know about Pauline Viardot.
She was so taken by the 19th Century mezzo-soprano and composer that she decided to translate, edit and perform her music for her doctoral degree.
Eventually, she wants others to hear and appreciate the works of a woman whom she believes was never given proper credit during her time.
"I was drawn to her," the 27-year-old explained. "I fell in love with her music."
Born into a musical family, Ms. Viardot's father, Manuel Garcia, was a famous opera singer. Her mother and sister were opera singers. Her brother was a vocal teacher.
After time on the stage, Ms. Viardot spent time composing and teaching music. She started composing at a young age composing art songs for the voice, but chamber works for smaller instrumental ensembles, piano works and operettas.
For her doctoral degree at Michigan State University, Dr. Emptage Downs researched Ms. Viardot at the Houghton Library at Harvard University.
The manuscripts she studied and edited were purchased by Harvard from Les Autographes, an antique shop located in Paris, which specializes in the sale of manuscripts and letters.
"Even though Pauline is not typically recognized today, I found from my research that during her life, she was, both as a person and musician, highly respected among her contemporaries, most of whom were male," the 2003 Bedford High School graduate explained. "She was friends with many famous composers of the 19th Century, which included Franz Liszt, Robert Schumann, Frederick Chopin, Camille Saint-Saëns, Johannes Brahms, Hector Berlioz, Charles Gounod...the list goes on and on."
A unique opera singer, Dr. Emptage Downs said her music was "very flirtatious."
"She was a very French composer and a lot of her music has that very common flirty style," she said.
Ms. Viardot was popular in music circles throughout Europe but also in political and literary circles as well, Dr. Emptage Downs explained.
"The French female writer, George Sand, was one of her closes friends," she said. "Charles Dickens admired her operatic work and was one of her many acquaintances."
For Dr. Emptage Downs final recital to earn her degree, she selected pieces of Ms. Viardot's to perform. The composure spoke six languages, but French pieces were selected for the thesis.
During her research, she found problems with Ms. Viardot's biography, which she believes contributed to why many do not know of her work.
"I found from two different sources that included incorrect biographical information, or gossip and assumptions about her personal life and career that were presented as fact," she explained. "But, there is no solid evidence to prove the viability of these claims."
The claim that surrounds Ms. Viardot in scandal was rumors of an extramarital affair.
"Even though male figures in music history have not exactly been the epitome of sexual purity, their biographies tend to not focus on personal matters, but rather professional accomplishments," Dr. Emptage Downs said. "With Pauline, salacious gossip is definitely spotlighted in her biography, which in my opinion overshadows her musical contributions."
From her research, the music lover found a pattern of bias in presenting biographical information on female composers.
"We don't hold them to the same standards as male composers, and Pauline is a good example of this," she said.
In September 2011, she was invited to present her research at the Feminist Theory and Music conference at Arizona State University. She didn't perform the music there, but lectured on the gender bias she found throughout Ms. Viardot's biography.
Dr. Emptage Downs received her bachelor's degree in music from Otterbein University for vocal performance. She earned a master's degree in vocal performance from MSU before obtaining her doctorate.
She teaches vocal music at Spring Arbor University and is the vocal area chair at MSU's Community Music School.
Sexism has no place in music, she said.
"I want to try and broaden the repertoire to include women composers," Dr. Emptage Downs explained.
Dr. Emptage Downs lives in Dexter with her husband, Trevor. A singer, she performs with The Comic Opera of Ann Arbor.
One day soon, she hopes to translate and publish Ms. Viardot's music for future music lovers to enjoy.
"She is a great composer and her music is very versatile," she said. "I am hoping to have the chance to publish these works, so they can be shared with other singers. Of course, this most likely will be a long process to make sure that I have proper permission to publish and edit these works for the purpose of distribution."


text: Smaller Babies Become Hostile Adults: Study Low weight at birth and childhood linked to more hostility later in life By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff Posted May 13, 2008 6:16 AM CDT STORY COMMENTS (0) (Newser) – New research has linked low birth weight and slow growth in childhood to increased levels of hostility in adults, Reuters reports. Researchers also discovered that the higher levels of aggression were linked to health trouble, including coronary problems, type 2 diabetes and earlier death. The levels of hostility appeared unconnected to any other factors like gender, number of siblings or educational level. "We interpret our findings as suggesting that hostility and cardiovascular disease may share a common vulnerability factor in fetal and early postnatal life," wrote the authors of the study, published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine. The researchers found higher hostility levels were linked to serious health problems in adults, including strokes and Type 2 diabetes. (Shutterstock) People in the study with higher levels of hostility as adults had a lower body weight and smaller body mass index at birth. (Getty Images) Finnish researchers have linked low birth weight and slow growth in infancy to increased hostility in adults. (Shutterstock) ADVERTISEMENT(Click Prev or Next to continue viewing images.) « Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow Reuters (Source Grid ») The abstract of the study Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine Hostility linked to heart trouble in men MedicineNet.com Health weight • medical research • baby • infant • child development • prenatal care • body mass index To report an error on this story, notify our editors.


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Sep 02
Bendtner prepares for "big step forward" next week
Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner has begun his well-awaited return from injury by taking part in running exercises at London Colney, and the Dane admitted that he faces "a huge step forward" next week as he trains with the ball for the first time in 3 months.
The 22-year-old feels that his troublesome groin problem has finally gone away, while his comments also rubbish reports from the Danish FA which suggested that Bendtner had aggravated the injury.
"My basic form is now fully in place, and I have started to sprint. Next week I'll try to train with the ball and it will be a huge step forward," Bendtner told Sporten.dk.
He started up front in all three of Denmark's World Cup group games, scoring in the 2-1 win over Cameroon, as the 1992 European champions missed out on a place in the last 16.
However, the injury flared up again, meaning Bendtner is likely to be out until mid-October at the earliest.
Leave your thoughts on Bendtner's possible return in the comments section below.


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The Circular Pools are a series of (you guessed it) three circular shaped pools in a very remote and wild section of the Little Sur River. The first pool contains the tallest falls and and largest pool. A huge chunk of the cliff amphitheater surrounding the pool recently fell into with rock debris covering up a portion (I estimate around 30%) making it non-circular for the time being. The second pool includes a series of beautiful cascades and mini-pools on slick rock that flow into the pool. The third pool is the culmination of a spectacular narrow gorge. Leading up to the first pool all the way through the third pool is an amazingly lush and rugged setting of pools, gorges, waterfalls, cascades and cliffs. Last year I visited the Circular Pools in January before it had rained so the falls were flowing very gently and the vegetation was relatively dry. I made it a point to revisit this gem of the Ventana after rains to see the pools and falls in their full glory. One week after a healthy rainfall I made my way back to the Circular Pools, this time venturing all the way to the third pool. I found delightful cascades, gushing waterfalls, and a remarkably green canyon of moss and ferns thanks to the rain. While it was beautiful the first time, this experience was on another level. The Cricular Pools are beautiful anytime, but especially after recent rain. GPS route here. The trek to the Circular Pools entails an adventure up the wild and trail-less Little Sur River to an otherworldly scene of clear pools, delicate waterfalls, and precipitous cliffs deep in a lush, redwood filled canyon. The most straightforward access to the pools begins from Bottcher's Gap where it's 3.5 miles downhill on the dirt road to the Pico Blanco Boy Scout Camp. Just beyond the Scout Camp, the Jackson Camp Trail continues 1.5 miles to Jackson Camp. (Note: you can pre-arrange with the Boy Scout Camp to get a code to the locked gate and drive the dirt road down to the Camp and save some mileage but it's not a great road for low clearance cars). The Jackson Camp Trail is in good shape and generally traverses on the slopes a couple hundred vertical feet above the Little Sur River. The trail reaches Fish Camp where the first crossing of many Little Sur River crossings is located. The real Jackson Camp is only a couple river crossing away, but from Jackson Camp to Fox Usecamp there are numerous crossings of the Little Sur River (a total of 12 by one count). These crossings can be rock hops in low flow or thigh deep crossings after heavy rains. In general, it does not seem prudent to travel along the Little Sur River during a heavy rainy period or immediately thereafter. The official trail ends at Jackson Camp, but the use path to Fox Camp 1.3 miles upstream is fairly easy to follow with the numerous river crossings either obvious or marked with orange tape. This section features some truly immense redwoods that are a treat to pass underneath. These colossal trees have thrived deep in this canyon for centuries and the forest looks healthy considering the fire that roared through these mountains in 2008. Beyond Fox camp, the use path becomes more faint as it seems less people venture further upsteam. However, the general idea is the same: follow the river upstream and the use path virtually always coincides with the path of least resistance. The scenery is spectacular the entire way with smooth white river rocks littering the stream bed and alders, bay trees, and redwoods alongside the river. Soon after Fox camp, the canyon narrows considerably with precipitous cliffs closing in on the waterway. Usually the cliffs are only on one side of the river allowing fairly easy access on the opposite side, but in one section the Little Sur enters a small gorge with steep rock walls on both sides. After this narrow portion, the canyon opens a bit before narrowing once again just before reaching the first Circular Pool. At first only the sound of a waterfall can be heard, but as you round a bend around some rocks a paradisaical scene presents itself with a large pool virtually completely surrounded by cliffs. A section of these cliffs collapsed during a winter storm and deposited into the pool making it not-so-circular anymore. Time will tell if the power of water will rearrange the rockfall debris and become circular again. This rock amphitheater around the first pool contains an assortment of lush hanging vegetation including five finger ferns and mossThe first circular pool has the tallest waterfall and largest rock amphitheater, but more adventure lies upstream. A few feet downstream of the main pool a weakness in the cliffs on the north side allows passage upsteam. The next section of the Little Sur River features a series of small pools and cascades culminating in the second circular pool, which is significantly smaller, both in size of the pool and the waterfall plunging into it. This pool does not have an easy walk-around and a small rock step must be surmounted to proceed. A nylon rope aids in this climbing which is particularly helpful as the rock is slick, especially when downclimbing. After the second pool there is a sweet area of slick rock formations including a series of small pools and waterfalls. Beyond the second pool the river rounds a bend and enter perhaps the most dramatic section, a narrow gorge with vertical cliffs on both sides. This gorge culminates in the third circular pool and an impressive waterfall flowing over chiseled rock into the gorge. This third circular pool can by bypassed by climbing up above the gorge granting access to Bathtub Usecamp and beyond lies one of the most remote camps in the Ventana Wilderness (the North Fork Camp) located at the confluence of Puerto Suello Creek and the Little Sur River. On this day, I did not have time for additional exploration beyond the third circular pool so I look forward to returning soon to reach the remote upper reaches of the Little Sur River near North Fork Camp. GPS route here.
Pick Creek Loop
Pick Creek features some of the most beautiful creek walking I have seen in the Ventana Wilderness. The centerpiece is stunning Pick Creek Falls which shoots over a ledge with an 80 ft free-fall into a large, clear pool surrounded by lovely grove of old growth Santa Lucia Firs. Just downstream of Pick Creek Falls is a confluence with Bathtub Creek, which is aptly named since just upstream of this confluence are a series of gorgeous cascades and pools that look like bathtubs. Downstream of the confluence with Bathtub Creek, Pick Creek winds its way down a steep canyon to the South Fork Big Sur River. Along the way, the creek has numerous picturesque cascade and two impressive gorges with deep pools and small waterfalls. The gorges and pools are deep enough to require a bypass, each time on the north side of the creek. The entire canyon is filled with moss, ferns, cliffs and Santa Lucia Firs in a pristine setting.
Upon reaching the end of Pick Creek at its confluence with the South Fork Big Sur River, the fun does not end. While the South Fork Big Sur River is more mellow in its character than Pick Creek and there is a trail (albeit very faint in spots), the deep canyon features a remarkably beautiful forest composed of Santa Lucia Firs and Incense Cedars. In fact, the cedars are the dominant species in certain spots and many of the trees are old growth making this the largest and most intact grove of Incense Cedar that I have seen in the Santa Lucia Mountains, which are otherwise quite rare in teh range. Within about 0.5 miles of Rainbow Camp is picturesque Rainbow Falls, which tumbles into a lush amphitheater of ferns. The 55 ft falls is never a high volume falls since its upstream drainage is small, but its beauty lies in the lush setting and delicate nature. The Pick Creek Loop is an aesthetic 27 mile loop that I designed which packages all of the beauty of Pick Creek and the South Fork Big Sur described above, with some magnificent coastal scenery along Anderson Direct and the De Angulo Trail. Along with dozens of photos of the scenery, the remainder of this post describes the sites and experiences along this phenomenal loop. I completed the loop a week after a winter storm with substantial rain and I recommend seeing it when the falls and creeks have decent flow. GPS track here.
The day started with one of the steeper climbs in Big Sur up 3,500+ feet from McWay falls to Anderson Peak. The brush on the lower part is filling in vigorously but the upper part is the same blowdown mess. Definitely an arudous route, but overall it's still an efficient and scenic route to Anderson Peak from Hwy 1. Only three condors today. From Anderson Peak I ran north along Coast Ridge Road for 2 miles before dropping into the Pick Creek drainage. The upper part of Pick Creek drainage is fairly mellow with a valley including some nice meadows. Downstream of the meadows the cross country travel is fairly easy. The watercourse quickly becomes rugged requiring walking beside or in the watercourse and before I knew it I was on top of Pick Creek Falls, a picturesque 80 foot drop into a circular pool with hanging gardens of ferns. I especially like the setting of this falls amid Santa Lucia Firs. I went down to the pool and my timing was good as while I was there sunlight illuminated the entire falls. After enjoying the falls I headed downstream and took the Bathtub Creek tributary a short ways upstream to a series of pools and waterfalls known as the Bathtubs. I suspect there might be more pools further upstream that would be worth checking out next time. After the Bathtubs, I returned to Pick Creek and headed downstream to the South Fork Big Sur River. Pick Creek is stunning with numerous cascades, moss, ferns, and lined with Santa Lucia Firs the entire way. I followed the stream with two exceptions where the creek entered into narrow gorges withe deep pools and small waterfalls. The bypasses was fairly straightforward. Despite the creek walk in Pick Creek being time-consuming and arduous, it was bittersweet to reach South Fork Camp since I enjoyed Pick Creek so much. From South Fork Camp I was able to follow the South Fork Trail most of the way but there were a few sections that were uncertain. I enjoyed the forest of incense cedars and Santa Lucia Firs. I also saw the infamous South Fork wild board. There was an annoying blowdown section before Rainbow Falls, but that was soon forgotten when I saw the beautiful 50 foot falls with an amphitheater of hanging ferns. I went down to the base of the falls, had a snack, and then returned to the trail. Last time I was at Rainbow Falls it was merely a trickle so it was great to see it in flow and the fern gardens happy after recent rains. The final section of the South Fork Trail to Rainbow Camp is in great shape. From Rainbow Camp, it was up the Devils Staircase to Cold Springs and Coast Ridge Road. The ticks and other insects were out in abundance on this section, the downside to summer-like weather in February. I reached Cold Springs just after 5 pm and figured I had a chance to reach McWay Falls before darkness. I ran down the DeAngulo Trail with a pretty sunset and then hustled down Hwy 1 back to McWay Falls before the last light had faded. Another amazing day in the Ventana! GPS track here.
Last Chance Falls
When in flow, Last Chance Falls is arguably the most dramatic waterfall in the Ventana Wilderness. The falls flows over an overhanging precipice with a 120 foot free fall with a large cavern behind the falls. A natural amphitheater of cliffs surrounds the falls. The ephemeral nature of Last Chance Falls perhaps makes it more special and requires planning, or more accurately, waiting, for the ideal conditions. The drainage upstream of the falls, the headwaters of the South Fork Santa Lucia Creek, is relatively small and in a climatologically dry part of the range. However, in early February an atmospheric river impacted the central coast interrupting months of virtually dry weather. Rainfall amounts were healthy over the Ventana Wilderness but particularly over the Santa Lucia Creek drainage, which is typically a drier region on the east side of the range but received impressive rainfall totals of around ~6 inches in just a couple days. This provided a great opportunity to see Last Chance Falls in flow. By "in flow" I mean a solid stream of water from the top to the base of the falls. The falls becomes merely a trickle in summer and fall and otherwise has no flow or low flow for all but a handful days of the year immediately following heavy rains. This is a quintessential flashy waterfall, and especially flashy after an atmospheric river event during an unprecedented multi-year drought. GPS route here.
A great viewpoint of the falls is located on the Santa Lucia Trail as it switchbacks out of the Canyon. One can also travel cross country following the South Fork Santa Lucia Creek upstream to immediately underneath the falls with exploration of the pool and cavern. The setting of the falls is magical. Visiting Last Chance Falls also provides an opportunity to explore the immensely scenic Santa Lucia Creek gorge, including the 35 ft Jeff Falls, which is picturesque, particularly in the high flow we experienced. Next to Jeff Falls is Mutt Falls, a tall but skinny falls from a side tributary. Both Jeff and Mutt Falls are visible at the same time and are aptly named by Jack Glendening (http://bigsurtrailmap.net/ creator) after the historically popular comic strip with similarly proportioned characters. Dr. Jack also named Last Chance Falls after the the camp downstream in beautiful meadows of the same name. In my opinion, Last Chance is a great name for this ephemeral falls. Jeff Falls is much less flashy than Last Chance Falls since its water source includes the main stem of Santa Lucia Creek which drains a region several times the size of the South Fork Santa Lucia Creek alone. Thus, if Jeff Falls is running low, Last Chance Falls may be a trickle or bone dry.
As a shorthand, I've determined that flow of 250cfs or greater on the Arroyo Seco River will yield a an "in flow" Last Chance Falls but to really bring out the beauty of the falls it seem flow of 500cfs or greater is needed on the Arroyo Seco. The Santa Lucia Creek gorge entails several crossings of Santa Lucia Creek which was running high (Arroyo Seco was ~550 cfs on this day). If the flow was much higher the lower part of the Santa Lucia trail would be impassable. Thus, it would not be advisable to access Last Chance Falls via the Santa Lucia Creek gorge if at peak flow immediately after big rainfall events. Instead, use the Arroyo Seco-Indians Road and drop down into the drainage after the South Fork Santa Lucia Creek has branched off. The Arroyo Seco-Indians Road has some awesome views of the Arroyo Seco canyon and the interior of the Ventana Wilderness. Another great addition is the ridge immediately above the Arroyo Seco campground. A use path runs across the spine of this ridge and includes some fantastic views of the Arroyo Seco region.
Carmel River Gorge
The headwaters of the Carmel River drains the northeast side of the Ventana Wilderness in some of the most rugged and remote terrain in the Santa Lucia Mountains. I have greatly enjoyed exploring some of this terrain recently and look forward to returning for more adventures in this stunning region of the Ventana. Deep in the Carmel River canyon is a remarkable gorge that is one of the highlights of the Carmel River and in my opinion, the entire Ventana. The gorge contains towering cliffs, a deep pool, a beautiful slick rock cascade and a major waterfall along the main stem of the Carmel River. This extremely rugged section of the river is remarkably hidden despite the Carmel River Trail and Round Rock Camp Trail passing nearby. Accessing the gorge from Hiding Canyon Camp one must simply follow the river upstream instead of taking the trail uphill toward Hiding Canyon. At first alders line the river with a splendid grove of Santa Lucia Firs on the hillsides. Soon the canyon walls narrow requiring travel in the river bed. At the confluence with Ventana Mesa Creek, a picturesque waterfall tumbles off slick rock into a pool on Ventana Mesa Creek just above the river.
Beyond the confluence with Ventana Mesa Creek, the Carmel River gorge grows even narrower and one must avoid deeper pools by scrambling on the slick rock. The tall cliffs shield the gorge from sunlight most of the day resulting in a lush environment of moss and ferns. However, lower down the polished rock is bare and smooth manifesting the tremendous power of water that comes through during winter storms. This is obviously not a good place to be in high volume! Approaching the climax of the chiseled gorge the cliffs become overhanging. At this point one arrives at a deep pool and further progress requires swimming to reach a major waterfall along the river which is located around a corner. While a good view of the falls from cannot be achieved from this point without swimming, it is possible to gain a great vantage from above via the Round Rock Camp Trail that passes upstream of the gorge and falls. The Round Rock Camp Trail descends from the junction with the Carmel River Trail to a crossing point of the Carmel River that is remarkably calm. The only thing hinting at a major waterfall and gorge downstream is the noise of falling water, but even this is fairly muted compared to what actually lies below. A short distance downstream the river enters a beautiful slick rock cascade. The cascade includes a swift "luge track" on a slick rock and a couple circular mini pools I like to call the "teacups." Just downstream of the teacups is the most dramatic feature of the gorge, the ~50 ft falls on the main stem of the Carmel River. When viewed from above on ledges, the setting for this beautiful falls is stunning with the deep gorge below and tall cliffs above with overhanging shelves at the top of the gorge with Santa Lucia Firs clinging to the rocks. I visited the gorge in relatively low flow but I'm very interested to return in medium flow. Upstream of the gorge and falls the Carmel River is relatively mellow but still beautiful with occasional cascades and lush sections with ferns and moss. While I have not ventured beyond the confluence with Blue Creek, I understand that it remains fairly mellow until reaching Pine Falls. This blog post contains many photos of the magnificent gorge and the Carmel River canyon. I've also included a video which is perhaps the best way to capture the scope of the falls.
Cone Peak Climbs
Another phenomenal day on the mountain I call the King of Big Sur! Cone Peak rises 5,155 ft above the Pacific Ocean in less than three miles as the crow flies, making it one of the steepest gradients from ocean to summit in the contiguous United States. It's nearly a vertical mile above the glimmering ocean with a commanding view of the Big Sur Coast. My first visit to this grand mountain was in 2010 via the "standard" all-trail route from Kirk Creek to Vicente Flat and the Cone Peak Trail. I repeated this route in 2011. It was only in 2013 when I did the Stone Ridge Direct route that the possibilities for off-trail exploration on Cone Peak really clicked for me. Since then I've visited Cone Peak frequently exploring the various trails and routes on this amazing mountain. GPS route here.
On this day, I joined Joey Cassidy for the next step of my personal discovery of Cone Peak by tackling a series of rock scramble routes. In the process we ascended all three of Cone Peak's prominent ridges: the Southeast Ridge, the North Ridge and the ridge linking Cone Peak to Twin Peak. We also included an ascent of the short but sweet West Rib, arguably the finish of the Cone-Twin Ridge, which makes up for its short length with relatively solid rock (for the Santa Lucia Mountains) and an outrageous setting of stunning views in the background. A special thanks goes to Joey Cassidy for showing me the northeast face and the west rib, routes he had previously scoped out and climbed. It's always a pleasure to join Joey on adventures, especially since he's an extremely talented photographer. His photos of me on these scrambles were so awesome I've included a few in this post so double thanks goes to Joey for contributing (credit indicated below or above his photos). We started with an ascent of Stone Ridge Direct, as beautiful as ever, rising from the redwood-filled canyons of Limkiln to the exposed grassy slopes and finally the Ventana alpine zone with Santa Lucia Firs, Coulter Pines and Sugar Pines. Once we crossed over to Cone Peak via the Twin-Cone Ridge we took the Cone Peak trail down to a point where we could access the Southeast Ridge, a prominent ridge separating the Limekiln drainage from the San Antonio River drainage.Southeast Ridge: The Southeast Ridge is extremely scenic with amazing views of Stone Ridge and also the rugged cirque on the northeast side of Cone Peak giving a nice angle on the face that we would climb later that day. The Southeast Ridge included some sections of class 3 scrambles. The more difficult sections could by bypassed by dropping off the north side of the ridge and traversing underneath, but we chose to stick to the crest of the ridge and enjoy as much rock scrambling as we could. The most difficult part of the Southeast ridge is a loose downclimb from the prominent knob along the ridge into a deep notch. Once in the notch the route is finished with a straightforward scramble up to the Cone Peak Trail.
West Rib: The west rib of Cone Peak (pictured above) is a short pitch of remarkably solid rock for the Santa Lucia Mountains. Most rock in the Santa Lucias is very crumbly so when a pitch is fairly solid it's automatically a gem! However, what makes the West Rib so sweet is its amazing position above Twin Peak, Stone Ridge and the South Fork Devils Canyon. A stunning panorama surrounds you as you ascend the rib to the summit. Instead of traversing around the mountain and taking the switchbacks to the top, simply scramble up the boulder field to the base of the rib. There are easier and looser routes to the summit from this point, but the prominent west rib is the line to climb with its relatively solid rock and mixture of enjoyable 3rd/4th class moves. Credit goes to Joey Cassidy for introducing me to this sweet little finish to summit Cone and it's going to be hard for me to resist climbing the west rib every time in the future versus taking the trail. Northeast Face: The Northeast Face is the most dramatic, committing and steepest scramble offered by Cone Peak's topography. The route starts from a talus field along the North Coast Ridge Trail where you look up into a cliffy cirque with the lofty summit of Cone Peak perched 1,200 ft above. After ascending loose talus, the route enters a gully filled with Santa Lucia Firs. Depending on where you enter the gully dictates how much of the gully you ascend but you ultimately look to exit the gully onto rock on climbers right where you officially start the climb up the northeast face. The rock becomes more vertical and the scrambling begins in earnest. It should be noted that staying in the gully will take you away from the Northeast Face and toward the deep notch on the Southeast Ridge – not the route I am describing. Once you've exited the gully and are on the Northeast Face there are numerous possibilities and micro-route finding challenges to ascend the class 3 face interspersed with class 4 climbing. Some lines will be more difficult than others, but the inhibiting factor in tackling the more vertical, exposed rock on the face is the inherent poor quality of the rock. This results in sometimes using vegetation as holds or foot steps. That being said, the rock is solid enough where you need it to be on the 4th class sections that it's a very fun scramble.The crux moves are near the top where the holds become thin for a few moves but after surmounting this final cliff you emerge onto easier terrain near the top of the north ridge. As with the other scramble routes described, the setting is amazing with a view of the 5th class cliffs along the north ridge, and a vista above a pristine grove of old growth Santa Lucia Firs leading down to the San Antonio River drainage. Photos above and below by Joey Cassidy of me ascending the NE Face.North Ridge: We descended the North Ridge to reach the North Coast Ridge Trail which we took to the base of the Northeast Face route. The lower part of the north ridge is easy open terrain with a use path in sections. The upper part of the north ridge is more rugged with bits of scrambling in spots and a couple places where it's most efficient to come off the ridge slightly to the west side to avoid loose rock formations and gendarmes on the ridge crest proper. This upper part of the north ridge has phenomenal views with lots of steep relief on both sides of the serrated rocky ridge, especially on the east side where cliffs plunge several hundred feet, including the cliffs of the northeast face route described above. Old growth Santa Lucia Firs and Sugar Pines are at home in this environment clinging to the cliffy slopes and thereby avoiding the periodic wildfires that sweep through these mountains. The scenery makes for some very enjoyable scambling on the north ridge, a classic route of Big Sur. In the photo below Joey enjoys the amazing views from the Southeast Ridge to Stone Ridge, the Middle Fork Limekiln Creek and Hare Canyon. Photo below by Joey Cassidy of me ascending the West RibAfter the scramble routes we cruised down the Cone Peak Trail to Trail Spring and then ran the Gamboa Trail underneath the forest of Santa Lucia Firs and Sugar Pines in the headwaters of the South Fork Devils Canyon to Ojito Saddle, where we took the Stone Ridge Trail back to the lower part of Stone Ridge and down to Limekiln Canyon. The more time I spend exploring Cone Peak, the more I love the mountain! Photo above and below by Joey Cassidy of me ascending the SE Ridge. Photo above and below by Joey Cassidy of the SE RidgePhoto above by Joey Cassidy of me ascending the short but sweet West Rib.
Mocho Loop Featuring Mocho Falls
The Mocho Loop is another Big Sur Classic combining spectacular coastal views, a magical walk through a lush river canyon, and a rarely seen waterfall on the main stem of the South Fork Big Sur River. I started the loop with an always-inspiring hike up Boronda Ridge and then ran down the Coast Ridge Road with more marvelous coastal vistas all the way to the top of the Terrace Creek trail. Terrace Creek descends into an old growth redwood grove with a cascading stream along the way. At the bottom of Terrace Creek I took the Pine Ridge Trail to Sykes Hot Springs. The Pine Ridge trail is in awesome condition; the best I have seen it personally. The Pine Ridge Trail is also very runnable with excellent views of the Big Sur River canyon. When the Pine Ridge Trail crosses the Big Sur River, instead of going downstream to the springs I went upstream to the confluence of the North and South Forks of the Big Sur River. This mile-long stretch to the confluence is very pretty with cliffs walls on both sides of the river. At the confluence I went right onto the South Fork Big Sur River. For about 3 miles from the confluence I made my way up the South Fork fairly efficiently as a combination of flood channels, sand bars and rock hopping meant I only had to be in the stream part of the time. Higher flow on the river would make this a more arduous trek as I as continuously crossing the stream. GPS route here.After a major tributary, the canyon walls along the South Fork Big Sur River narrow into a gorge and I could sense a waterfall was coming. Indeed around a cliffy corner the lower section of Mocho Falls appeared. Since the falls is on the main stem of the river, the volume is impressive and the pool beneath the falls is big and deep. Perhaps most impressive is the amphitheater of smooth rock surrounding the falls and pool. The vertical walls around the falls meant I had to backtrack to find a route above the falls to continue upstream. A weakness in the cliffs allows one to ascend a very steep slope above the gorge and then traverse steep, sometimes loose slopes above the waterfall gorge. Mocho Falls has two distinct steps, but what was most fascinating about the falls was a twisty chasm of elegantly sculpted and polished rock separating the two steps. The depth of the chasm was such that it was impossible to see both steps of the falls at the same time cleanly (at least without a wetsuit and ropes). Nonetheless, what is visible is an amazing sight and it was a treat to experience this rarely seen falls. I can only imagine what Mocho Falls would look and sound like after a heavy rain when the water is squeezed through the chasm. In fact, after such rains the roaring sound of the falls is so great that it can be easily heard from the Devils Staircase climb up the Big Sur Trail.
Above Mocho Falls the lovely scenery continues with slick rock pools with fern and moss-covered cliffs a constant. At the junction with Mocho Creek I ate lunch under a lovely canopy of Santa Lucia Firs, incense cedars and redwoods – a rare occasion to have all three of these amazing tree species living side-by-side – yet another wonder of Big Sur! After lunch I went up Mocho Creek a short distance to see Mocho Creek Falls, which is a pretty falls in a lush setting – well worth the visit. Instead of continuing up Mocho Creek to intersect the Big Sur Trail I decided to backtrack to the South Fork Big Sur River to take the river all the way to Rainbow Camp. It was so beautiful I didn't want it to end and I also wanted to do the Devils Staircase climb a little later in the day when it would be shaded. This turned out to be a good decision with more beautiful pools and cascades along the river lined with Santa Lucia Firs. At Rainbow Camp I turned onto the Big Sur Trail for the climb up to Cold Springs and Coast Ridge, known as the Devils Staircase due to the relentless switchbacks and substantial elevation gain. In all, it took me about 1.5 hours to go from Rainbow Camp to Cold Springs up the Devils Staircase, hardly "impassable" as some have commented (although a big pack would certainly slow things down). Bright green flagging marks the trickiest spots in the riparian zones. There are blowdowns along the climb and the brush is thick at times, but progress is reasonable. Back on the Coast Ridge Road I knew I was setting myself up for another awesome descent down Boronda Ridge in evening light. Going down this special ridge is always a fantastic way to end an adventure run, particularly a classic like the Mocho Loop! GPS route here.
Ventana (single) Cone Adventure
After carefully analyzing topographic maps and satellite imagery I saw potential for an aesthetic route from the depths of the Carmel River Canyon directly to Ventana (single) Cone, arguably the most remote major summit in the Ventana Wilderness. Only an average of one party a year visits Ventana Cone and all appear to access via the 2 mile bushwhack from Pine Ridge. I was looking for a more adventurous and less brushy approach that would take us from the lush environs of the Carmel River headwaters up steep talus slopes to the 4,738 ft summit with sweeping views of much of the Ventana Wilderness. Designing new adventure routes carries a lot of uncertainty and in terrain this rugged there was a real chance of encountering an impasse and getting turned around. It's not always easy to find partners for these types of routes, but Brian Lucido was game. We ended up nailing the route, but not without encountering some challenges. I'm especially proud of designing and executing this extremely aesthetic new route to a major summit of the Ventana in an awesome area of the wilderness with outstanding scenery virtually the entire way. GPS route here. The first part of the morning entailed running the Carmel River Trail from Los Padres Dam. The first few miles along the old road were by headlamp but by Bluff Camp daylight had arrived. We continued along the Carmel River Trail deep into the canyon and above Hiding Canyon CAmp we to the Round Rock Camp Trail to Round Round Camp. At Round Rock Camp we continued upstream along the Carmel River before finding the unnamed major tributary that drains the north side Ventena Cone. This amazing stream flows through a stunningly beautiful canyon of turqoise pools, slick rock, cascades, house-sized boulders, ferns, and moss. The amazing lushness of this deep canyon with several different varieties of ferns, and moss covering virtually everything created a scene fit for Jurassic Park. Almost was everything was photogenic. At the head of the canyon the stream splits and we took the left fork. The pace of ascent along the stream rapidly increased and we soon reached our first challenge of the day, a waterfall surrounded by cliffy terrain. Brian and I took different routes up this waterfall but each was probably low 5th class. Shortly after this waterfall we encountered another waterfall. While this waterfall did not have a feasible route alongside it, there was a loop around it, but not without copious brush and wading through thickets of poison oak. The good news was that this bypass around the second falls was the only substantial brush we encountered on the route. That being said, the poison oak was tall and thick and left it's mark on my allergic skin (thankful that prompt washing with Tecnu after these adventures makes it about 95% better that it can be). Large version of annotated panorama here. Above the waterfall headwall and we were back in the stream bed starting what would be nearly 2,000 feet of talus slopes in Santa Lucia Fir forest. The stream would disappear underneath the talus rocks which were unstable as-is, but since water was running underneath they had some slippery condensation adding to the arduous nature of the slope. At times the stream would reappear on the surface when it flowed over the bedrock. Most of this section was remarkably devoid of brush although there was the occasional brush patch to plow through. The routes passed through several rugged cirques surrounded by impressive cliffs and ridges. The Santa Lucia firs in this fire-proof terrain looked very old and the rocky certainly protects these majestic trees from fire. Approaching the summit the final pitch increased in steepness one more time for a direct finish to Ventana Cone. Cresting at the top we were treated to an amazing 360 panorama including virtually all of the Ventana Wilderness. My favorite view was along the rugged divide to Ventana Spires, Ventana Double Cone and Kandlbinder. I also enjoyed the views of the Pacific Ocean and down the unnamed canyon we had just ascended. After a nice break on the summit to soak in the views we headed back down. The return trip proved to be nearly as long since the unstable and sometimes slippery talus slopes are not much faster to descend and the creek walking is not much faster on the descent either. Back down at the waterfall, we carefully reversed our moves down the wet rock, which was naturally much more difficult as a downclimb. After the downclimb we were back in the lush stream and found lovely afternoon light shining down the canyon bringing out the blues in the pools and the vibrant green of the moss and ferns. I enjoyed this section immensely. Back at Round Rock Camp we took a short break and then set off for the 2.5 hour run back to Los Padres Dam. We had about an hour of running with headlamp over the last 5 miles but it was quite pleasant with mild temps. It was an awesome day in the Ventana Wilderness, one of my favorite routes for sure and especially satisfying to know that we had put up a new and aesthetic route in the Ventana. GPS route here.