funny…
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Planet Granite – Lead Climb Certification
So yesterday we dragged a rope and belay devices along to the climbing gym with the thought of getting lead certified.
The single biggest difference between toprope climbs and lead climbing in the gym is having to stop and clip all the quickdraws. The other difference is that all the lead climbs are overhung to one degree or another, as the gym doesn’t want people peeling off and hitting hand and footholds all the way down – ouch!
Plan A – warm up, climb hard bouldering routes until too tired to continue, then “rest” for a while by taking the lead test. Continue reading Post ID 1585
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I don’t know what this is, but it’s really cool
Let it load, then click play and move your cursor around. Be sure to have sound on.
~Rick
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Owens River Gorge, Sierra Storm
After we left Red Rock Canyon NCA, we drove to Death Valley for our annual Desert Pupfish visit. We love them because they’re small, energetic, focused (on reproducing) and – survivors. We took a walk along Salt Creek and there were hundreds of them – I don’t know if we’ve seen that many in past years. If you want to see them, you need to go real soon, because Salt Creek will dry up soon and they’ll all expire 🙁 But – they’ll provide a great bounty for a lot of other hungry animals in the area.
It was a little toasty in DV for our taste so we headed for Lone Pine, but then, because we had a pair of Carol’s climbing shoes to get resoled, we headed to Bishop (where we get shoes resoled at The Rubber Room; they have a mail-in service, too). We spent the night at Upper Gray’s Meadow CG and in the morning went on up into Onion Valley just for sightseeing. At Onion Vally, we met two guys off on a winter peak bagging expedition and two other guys who were putting on skis to do some backcountry skiing. I asked them if they didn’t know about ski lifts, but couldn’t detect a sense of humor. Continue reading Post ID 1585
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Frittata with chicken, corn, chipotle chili
This is a new favorite – tasty, high in protein and fat, low in carbohydrates.
- 2 Tbsp EVOO
- 5-6 cloves garlic, microplaned or crushed
- 2 Tbsp chipotle chile powder
- one big onion, chopped
- 1 can corn
- 1.5 lbs raw chicken breast, diced
- 12 whole eggs
- 1/3 cup coconut milk
- 5 ounces Monterey Jack or Colby Jack, grated
Over medium heat in a large nonstick frying pan, saute the garlic and chili powder in the EVOO. I use some corn juice from the can for extra moisture. Continue reading Post ID 1585
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Hummus Asian Style
Ingredients:
- 300 g (2 C) freshly cooked chickpeas (substitute 1 can chickpeas or garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed if needed)
- 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons chili oil
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin. Best to use cumin seeds and grind fresh!
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1-3 tablespoons warm water (to adjust consistency)
- Add salt to your taste during processing. Note that both seasoned rice vinegar and canned chickpeas are salty!
Preparation:
In a food processor, blend chickpeas and seasonings to a smooth paste. Add water if mixture is too dry.
Serve warm or at room temperature with chips or fresh veggies for dipping.
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Climbing Outing at Red Rock Canyon NCA
Our friend Bob M. invited us to a climbing outing at RRCNCA where we’d meet up with a few of his climbing buddies and get in some late winter outdoor climbing.
We camped at the RRCNCA BLM campground just outside the park. Pretty basic, flat spots, vault toilets, water, $10/night ($5 / night if you have that “mature citizen” card). Downside – the roads are paved with crushed white rock so every vehicle going by makes a lot of noise. Add spring break and the proximity to Vegas, and it gets pretty noisy.
We met Bob’s friends Steve, Kay, Lila, Brad, John and Tim. Continue reading Post ID 1585
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Pan Seared Salmon with Avocado Remoulade
Ingredients
* 2 large avocados, cut and peeled
* 3 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice (can substitute lemon)
* 3-4 Tbsp light olive oil (light refers to flavor and color, not calories)
* 1 Tbsp minced shallots or green onion
* 1 Tbsp minced parsley
* 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard or to taste
* Salt and pepper to taste* 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of salmon fillets
* Grapeseed or canola oilMethod Continue reading Post ID 1585
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Marinade Matrix
From a Men’s Health article:
7 marinades and spice rubs to pack your food with flavor
By: Matt Goulding
Marinades and spice rubs pack your food with flavor without the gut-busting calories of heavy sauces. They also break down tough muscle fibers and seal moisture into your food, turning even pedestrian cuts of meat into succulent feasts. With the help of Food Network chef Tyler Florence, we’ve created this easy-reference matrix for making the most of any meat. Continue reading Post ID 1585