tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56897502009-02-20T23:12:04.529-06:00the motions and movements of mombokmombokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630553466917027231noreply@blogger.comBlogger84125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689750.post-41943641805012349952008-08-31T02:24:00.004-05:002008-08-31T04:27:33.096-05:00

Martha and I rode 32 miles over a mountain pass to watch the Soggy Bottom 100 this year. The riders triple that. Some even with a smile. The sun was out and kept everyone's day shining but no need to worry. It rained enough yesterday to make sure everyone got a Soggy Bottom. You can check out more on the ride at AKSpokes.com or head to mombok.com/soggy to look through my photos from the last

mombokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630553466917027231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689750.post-59739026568197414332008-08-05T07:38:00.000-05:002008-08-05T07:38:01.406-05:00

mombokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630553466917027231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689750.post-57363248600633427492008-07-09T01:01:00.002-05:002008-07-09T01:21:08.132-05:00

mombokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630553466917027231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689750.post-66423056762480491902008-07-09T00:32:00.003-05:002008-07-09T00:42:15.733-05:00

mombokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630553466917027231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689750.post-29418574442582579622008-07-08T23:51:00.003-05:002008-07-09T00:58:28.920-05:00

mombokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630553466917027231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689750.post-53771235021364625022008-06-03T23:51:00.003-05:002008-06-04T00:28:32.460-05:00

Filled in for one of Martha's crew the other day. This time of year they ride around with chainsaws slung to the back of their bikes and cut deadfall out of the trails on the district. I hear people who don't ride bikes say cyclists are all titanium and spandex. The Seward Ranger District's maintenance crew is more like Stihl and Kevlar.

mombokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630553466917027231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689750.post-81404312945623652002008-04-09T19:58:00.013-05:002008-05-12T23:13:15.648-05:00

It has been some time. It will likely be more. The website is in the process of an upgrade. Thankfully our upgrade is already complete.Last year's accomodations:This year's accomodations: We movin' on up.

mombokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630553466917027231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689750.post-68445959911206373232007-11-06T22:39:00.001-06:002007-11-06T22:53:45.375-06:00

Along the propane highway, a couple holes have been poked through the sea ice for The Penguin Ranch. Comprised of a few fish huts huddled around a corral, the ranch hosts about a dozen non-breeding emperor penguins each year. Researchers study the dive habits of the birds, in particular the use of oxygen during the dives. It seems that near the deep end of the dive, the penguin body does not

mombokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630553466917027231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689750.post-66268926804674669962007-10-23T02:46:00.000-05:002007-10-23T03:31:52.160-05:00

For those not familiar with the Tucker Sno Cat, your memory may be refreshed by thinking of Jack Torrance. Shortly before he sank an axe into the chest of the would-be-rescuer cook played by Scatman Crothers, Torrance, played by Jack Nicholson, removed the alternator from a Tucker Sno Cat to prevent his wife and child from escaping his murderous mania at the Hotel Overlook.This snowmachine

mombokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630553466917027231noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689750.post-54090076741805303102007-09-02T01:10:00.000-05:002007-09-02T01:50:17.757-05:00

Anyone can enjoy pedaling through the Kenai Mountains in Chugach National Forest. Not everyone, however, enjoys pedaling 109 miles through the Kenai, much less with nearly 11,000 feet of elevation gain. But that is exactly what around 20 folk set out to do this morning. The Alaska Soggy Bottom 100 leads riders from Hope to Cooper Landing via the Resurrection Pass trail, back up the trail to

mombokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630553466917027231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689750.post-65118880797740922312007-08-03T18:57:00.000-05:002007-08-03T22:16:01.139-05:00

Gliding over gusts, wheeling and sailing, Arctic Terns seem to never stop moving. At once delicate and enduring, their existence seems improbable. You might think for a 15 inch bird to log 24,000 miles each year, the unflappable traveler would be unable to pause. But between migrations from breeding grounds in the northern hemisphere to wintering sites around Antarctica and back again, the terns

mombokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630553466917027231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689750.post-65409644056517312832007-07-25T01:25:00.000-05:002007-07-25T01:57:54.895-05:00

They have withstood winter blasts for more than 50 years. They have watched windows shatter and doors swing away. They have even stood by while the ground changed beneath them. But this year, the logs of Upper Russian Lake Cabin have seen a treat.We pulled and replaced the rotten and decaying courses from beneath them. We stripped years of paint, dirt and graffiti from their surface. And we

mombokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630553466917027231noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689750.post-6445133517168923532007-06-25T11:46:00.000-05:002007-06-25T14:34:15.683-05:00

Eight of sixteen cabins within the Seward Ranger District of Chugach National Forest sit along the Resurrection Pass Trail. Rangers do their best to make minor repairs and keep the sites free of trash but every so often the cabins require a larger dose of love. That larger dose of love, however, requires more tools, more gear and the ability to haul out the bagloads of trash people leave behind.

mombokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630553466917027231noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689750.post-2624384804805449792007-06-11T20:23:00.000-05:002007-06-11T23:32:32.858-05:00

mombokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630553466917027231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689750.post-8006028547213112762007-06-03T16:28:00.000-05:002007-06-03T16:42:05.568-05:00

Topics like sexual harassment, CPR, and workplace safety are standard fare for employees undergoing new hire training all over the United States. Shotgun training is a section of the new hire orientation that, while perhaps not unique to, is indicative of Alaska.The Kenai Peninsula is bear country. As our bear safety instructor explained to a woman who had just had her grocery cart knocked over

mombokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630553466917027231noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689750.post-42154480183013137382007-05-28T17:30:00.000-05:002007-05-28T23:44:52.585-05:00

Softball is the name of the game in Moose Pass these days. Shortly after moving into our new place Martha began practice with her team, Mountain Madness. The Moose Pass softball league draws players from Moose Pass and Cooper Landing. A combined population under a thousand and nine teams registered makes the chances of playing your neighbor pretty good. Martha's next game is against a good

mombokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630553466917027231noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689750.post-18255094284571110292007-05-22T21:01:00.000-05:002007-05-28T23:45:40.149-05:00

3880 miles.4 states.3 provinces.168.04 gallons of gas.3 National Parks.60-90 caffeinated beverages.5 black bear.1 grizzly.2 pounds of Swedish fish. (Thanks Amy.)9 moose: 6 live, 3 roadkill.Herds of elk and caribou.Countless pronghorn antelope, whitetail and mule deer.2 pounds of sunflower seeds.Herds of Bighorn sheep, Stone sheep, Dall sheep, and woodland bison. (You can tell the woodland from

mombokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630553466917027231noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689750.post-19187999120401760082007-04-30T16:08:00.000-05:002007-05-01T07:56:31.400-05:00

Click any of the images to view more Trans Iowa photos.The Trans Iowa is a 300+ mile, unsupported race across the gravel and B-roads of Iowa. Most people who think twice about doing it don't. The remainder show up regardless of weather and proceed to ride for over a day straight, stopping only to try and limit their massive loss of calories and sanity with energy drinks, local restaurant fare and

mombokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630553466917027231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689750.post-78338295983598115562007-04-21T17:14:00.000-05:002007-04-21T17:28:05.412-05:00

We probably should have been doing something else. Working, packing or something the squares in us consider productive. The rest of our personalities, however, consider bike rides among the most productive activities around. So we loaded up and headed to Platte for what will likely be our last ride on home dirt. It might have been sad if we hadn't run into good friends doing good things. Thanks

mombokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630553466917027231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689750.post-61957945088882819992007-03-21T22:38:00.000-05:002007-04-17T17:14:39.652-05:00

The cacophony is disorienting in the darkness. The avian din ruffled me awake as the cranes spotted a threat along the riverbank, ousted each other's roosts, or did whatever it is that causes the crescendo of calls to peak and valley time and again well before dawn. Hypersensitive to missing their morning, I woke easily most of the night. As spring dawned, however, I rose with it to find that the

mombokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630553466917027231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689750.post-70771170552080140112007-03-18T14:29:00.000-05:002007-03-20T00:03:49.760-05:00

Farm dogs are a regular part of gravel rides. They usually rush out at any passers-by, losing their minds through their mouths in a desparate attempt to audibly alert their owners (or anyone who cares to listen) of the infidels that threaten to trespass. Occasionally they run back towards the house and recruit reinforcements. Some bark, some bite and some are just looking to make new friends and

mombokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630553466917027231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689750.post-1163999305711030422006-11-19T22:54:00.000-06:002006-11-19T23:14:03.086-06:00

Cross called it a wrap this weekend. At least for now. Bluebird skies, sweet sunlight and warm weather brought out the spectators. But the warmth wasn't all from the sun. According to a number of competitors, the warmest spot on the course was Hooligan Hill. Never at a loss for encouragement, the Hill rallied the racers with bells and cheers and even dollar premiums for those nimble enough to

mombokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630553466917027231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689750.post-1158472760151626972006-09-16T19:56:00.000-05:002006-09-17T19:50:57.393-05:00

Thunderstorms and tornado warnings filled the air the night before and the night after but on race day the heat was the only weather anyone talked about. Limited shade sent fans filing into the woods, seeking out racers and refuge from the heat. A shorter course let them see much of the race and a lot of the action. You can see more photos here or check out Nebraska Cycling News for results.

mombokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630553466917027231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689750.post-1156013740670876582006-08-19T13:44:00.000-05:002006-08-19T13:56:51.533-05:00

Upon my arrival, back in the flatlands, what should I find but a bike lane straight down the middle of my daily commute. It has apparently caused quite the uproar with the regressives of the area. Accusations of cyclists not paying for the upkeep of the road and reaping special privileges stand out on the Lincoln Journal Star's comment page. Not a criticism with much creedence to cyclists who pay

mombokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630553466917027231noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689750.post-1154649138557391132006-08-03T18:45:00.000-05:002006-08-03T19:00:02.256-05:00

Laundry was supposed to be the main event the day before we headed into Devil's Pass but when we were offered the chance to float the Kenai we dropped the fabric softener and headed out. I never catch any fish so didn't even buy a license which was just as well since the reds were late this year. Floating is just as fun for me as fishing it seems. Some hurried loads of laundry later we headed

mombokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630553466917027231noreply@blogger.com3