tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50124810316455164152024-03-14T01:12:16.339-04:00phattire.net[The official blog of phattire.net]Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15530119081898511670noreply@blogger.comBlogger856125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012481031645516415.post-33722482695229497652019-10-20T21:56:00.002-04:002019-10-20T21:56:50.236-04:00Adirondack Overland Video!<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hey folks! Just posting up a little ADK Overland adventure video for ya'll. This one took a lot of work but I'm really happy with the results. Adria and I had such a great time. Sit back, click that play button and enjoy!</div>
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<br />Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15530119081898511670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012481031645516415.post-37686817964129555122019-09-20T10:38:00.003-04:002019-10-21T17:41:23.010-04:00Overlanding the Adirondacks<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Moose... in Moose River Plains.</td></tr>
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Just got back from a three-day overland adventure through
the Adirondacks! What a blast! Although one of the best parts of wheeling is
the fact that you need not be in shape; I’ve been home for two days and my legs
are still sore. I planned out a killer trip through some of the most beautiful
country I know and managed to pull it all off without a hitch! Well, maybe
there was a small hitch on the last day, but I’ll get to that. <o:p></o:p><br />
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Perhaps we’d better start from the beginning. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I’ve been dying to get the Jeep up to the Adirondacks for
some exploratory adventure wheeling for quite a while now. Having spent a large
part of my youth in these mountains, I really wanted to plan an adventure that
would take us (My copilot Adria & I) through some of the best parts of it.
So, I sat down and put together a list of the things I knew I’d enjoy and that
I wanted her to experience: Inlet, 7<sup>th</sup> Lake, Moose River Plains,
Long Lake, a couple High Peaks, Lake Placid and the Olympic Village, Buttermilk
Falls, Whiteface Mountain, etc. Next, I broke out the topographical maps and
trail guides and noted all of the potential camping areas we could use. After
calculating distances and time needed to enjoy each area, the last step was to
create route that would take us to all of these areas without having to
backtrack. It ended up looking like this:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Friday 9/13</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Philly to Inlet, NY (6:00hr)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Pick up fire wood & hoagies - find a campsite in
Moose River Plains<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sleep in the Roof Top Tent (RTT)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Saturday 9/14</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Inlet to Buttermilk Falls (0:45hr) Hang out, aerial
photos & general photos of the falls<o:p></o:p></div>
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Buttermilk Falls to Keen Valley (1:15hr) Hike Cascade Mt.
& Porter Mt. (total hike < 6 mi)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Keen Valley to Lake Placid (0:25hr)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Camp at Wilmington Notch Campground ($23/night) Showers
on site<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sleep in RTT<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Sunday 9/15</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Explore Lake Placid <o:p></o:p></div>
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Gondola ride to top of Whiteface Mountain?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Whiteface Mountain Memorial Highway takes you to the
summit of Whiteface Mountain?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Lake Placid Olympic Village?<o:p></o:p></div>
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High Falls Gorge waterfall walk?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Camp at Wilmington Notch Campground ($23/night) Showers
on site<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sleep in RTT<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Monday 9/16<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Lake Placid to Philly (7:00hr)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Things didn’t go exactly to plan but having an actual
plan proved to be a really big help. Often, we’ll take a trip and have a great
time, but play it all by ear. Having the itinerary kept us aware of all of our
options and the time it’d take to go to each place. We deviated quite a bit.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Friday… Friday the 13<sup>th</sup> that is… which
happened to coincide with a full moon… we drove north from Philly, PA up to Inlet,
NY about 40 minutes inside of the Adirondack Park. Arriving around 6:00pm, we
grabbed firewood and picked up a couple of hoagies from Kalil’s Grocery Store.
From there we dropped into Moose River Plains. This is a great area, mostly
marshland with a winding sand road, along the side of which are numerous
primitive campsites. No permits are necessary to camp here. About a mile into
the plains our trip got very real: We saw a young moose standing in the road!
I’d never seen a moose in the wild. As he made his way into the woods, I
quickly and quietly made my way to the back of the jeep to dig out my 200mm
lens. Cautiously, I followed him into the brush and managed to get a few shots
of him before he marched off. I had a tough time focusing on him, through the
thick brush, but managed to get a couple poorly framed shots of him. What an
experience!</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HCUr4Sh8GkQ/XYpvaf96KFI/AAAAAAADgbU/UjartMA6es4fU4wamwRkcfFd6_7w_DGxQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/moose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="177" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HCUr4Sh8GkQ/XYpvaf96KFI/AAAAAAADgbU/UjartMA6es4fU4wamwRkcfFd6_7w_DGxQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/moose.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c0GcB22RccI/XYpvaSXcvyI/AAAAAAADgbM/H5BJQkCplnQWCxYOyrnmZ39oBH3oDEugwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/moose2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="177" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c0GcB22RccI/XYpvaSXcvyI/AAAAAAADgbM/H5BJQkCplnQWCxYOyrnmZ39oBH3oDEugwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/moose2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We spent Friday night at a campsite, around a warm fire,
drinking Saranac and enjoying our hoagies. It was a cool, windy night. Rain was
forecast to fall around 4:00am, so we took our raincoats to bed with us. We
woke a few times in the night only to be lulled back to sleep by the rain and
rumbling thunder. IN the morning the rain had stopped, and we fixed ourselves
some coffee and instant oatmeal. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Continuing through Moose River Plains, we stopped several
times to take photos of the gorgeous scenery. We admired everything from beaver
dams, lakes, streams, old bridges, and the very beginning of autumn’s foliage
transformation. Still early in the season, bright explosions of orange and red
lit up the otherwise green surroundings. Although it was a very overcast day
with drizzling rain, it was still quite amazing and we both felt very lucky to
be there. The drizzling rain had thrown a curve ball into our plans. We’d
planned to hike up Cascade mountain in the afternoon, but decided we’d better
hold off for better weather. The view from the top of Cascade is incredible and
we didn’t want to miss out all that it had to offer, so instead we just took
our time photographing to our hearts’ content. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Leaving Moose River Plains we continued north towards the
High Peaks Region. We stopped at the Adirondack Hotel on Long Lake for lunch
and then spent some more time on the shore photographing the sea planes which
were grounded due to the weather. It was getting late, and we decided we’d
better get up to Lake Placid and check in to the Wilmington Notch Campground. A
hot shower was sounding really good at this point! To our surprise, when we got
to the Campground, it was closed for the season! A quick search on the phones
turned us onto a KOA Campground. Now, I’ve never stayed at a KOA before. I’ve
always just pictured them as glorified trailer parks for those who “camp” in
RVs. But, I have to say, I was quite pleased with the site we stayed at. It was
far from the RVs and absolutely stunning. We set up the tent, got comfy around
the fire and drank delicious beer until we were ready to hit the sack. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A seaplane floats on the shore of Long Lake.</td></tr>
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Saturday morning was gorgeous. It was bright, sunny, cool
and breezy. After showering, we were eager to hit the trails so we drove over
to Keene Valley and got to it. The hike up Cascade Mountain was easy compared
to hikes we’d done earlier this summer. Although it’s one of the 46 High Peaks,
it’s considered one of the easiest and has one of the best views. Just 2.4
miles to the summit. Nearly at the top, we decided to pop over to Porter
Mountain (Another High Peak) and see what there was to see from that mountain
while we were there. The weather had turned from sunny to rainy and the wind on
the mountain was very strong. We were glad we’d brought our rain coats because
we really needed them! The summit of Cascade Mountain was one of the coolest
places I’ve ever been. It’s completely exposed with alpine vegetation and views
that can’t be beat! We had a great time up there photographing it all and just
enjoying the moment.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adria enjoys the summit of Porter Mountain. Elevation: 4,058 Ft.</td></tr>
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Dilly-dallying on our way down the mountain, we ended up getting out of the woods after dark. Boy, were we exhausted! So much so, that we stopped at the Cascade Inn just a few minutes down the road and spent the night. We just had zero strength after all that hiking. For $70 we spent the night in a warm bed and I sawed logs all night long. I have no shame!<br />
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<br />Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15530119081898511670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012481031645516415.post-26912743404712743052019-08-27T16:50:00.000-04:002019-08-27T16:50:00.321-04:00Overlanding at Bald Eagle State Forrest<div style="text-align: justify;">
In the spring of this year, I was bitten by the Overland Bug. What is overlanding? Essentially, it is vehicle-supported, self-reliant adventure travel, typically exploring remote locations. This sort of hobby is right of my alley for a few reasons: 1) You need a high-clearance 4X4 vehicle. 2) Camping is inherent to the activity. And 3) it's an activity chuck full o' adventure.</div>
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Although typically, overlanding trips are multi-day journeys, I have really only been "overlanding" once and that was just last weekend at Bald Eagle State Forest. Adria and I drove three hours to the forest where we navigated a planned 20 mile route across high-clearance off-road trails and dirt roads, terminating for the night at a campsite that we had reserved. Other trips have simply been camping trips where there was no need for four wheel drive, and my tires didn't really even see gravel. They were more or less just luxury car-camping trips utilizing my roof top tent. Nevertheless, I am excited at the prospect of future overlanding trips.</div>
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The above video was a lot of fun to make and I believe it to be just a small taste of what the future holds for me and my quest for adventure. <a href="https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateForests/FindAForest/BaldEagle/Pages/default.aspx" target="_blank">Bald Eagle State Forest</a> is huge, comprised of 193,424 acres of land spread across five counties in Pennsylvania. I'm sure I can put together at least a two or three day overland trip through this area. Maybe even include <a href="https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateForests/FindAForest/Michaux/Pages/default.aspx" target="_blank">Michaux State Forest</a> in the mix. Stay tuned!</div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15530119081898511670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012481031645516415.post-10992192853194775372019-08-23T16:19:00.001-04:002019-08-23T20:45:13.602-04:00I'm not dead!<div class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-size-adjust: auto;">
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">I’m baaaaaack! I’m dusting the cobwebs off of this crumby little blog and breathing new life into it! I’ve been busy working hard & playing hard and it seems that Facebook has taken the place of the blog that I once loved to update and share with you all. I’ve got a lot of updating to do. I mean, hell, a lot has changed over the past few years that I’ve been away. Let’s break it down section by section, shall we?</span></div>
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<b>Home</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Home is the suburbs of Philadelphia now. In June of last year, I came to a fork in my career path. I had to choose between continuing along the path that was slowly draining my health & happiness and a new and scary path, rife with challenge and unknown adventure. I chose the scary new path. That said, I no longer live in Maryland; the state I’ve loved so dearly for the past 8 years. Alas, I no longer live in that amazing old farm house nestled in the quaint and quiet country side of Carroll County. Gone are the late night bon fires, dips in the local reservoir and Natty Bohs down the road at A-Town. I miss it all very much. Still, I’m glad for the decision I’ve made. Faithfully, I followed my new compass heading and again my choice ended up being the right one. I’m happy to be here.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Work</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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That scary new path, I mentioned above took me to a new side of my industry. Although I still work in the passenger rail industry, I now consult the transit authorities on matters related to subway vehicle production and quality assurance. I work with great people, one of which is a very close friend of mine, and I don’t find myself stressed out, in a panic, or angrily working through my weekends.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Hobbies old & new</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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I’ve come to accept (finally) that the hobbies I once loved, have slowly become less important to me. Mountain biking specifically. This was once a huge outlet for me. It served as a way for me to get away from my social pressures and fly as fast and as far as I wished. Early morning cross country rides along dew-soaked fields and over the loamy, soft single-track in the woods of my hometown in NY was one of the most enjoyable and freeing experiences of my adolescence. I was fast, I was fit, I was free. Today, it’s just not the same. While I love the sport, the fun factor is not quite the same with my 41 year old, out of shape body. Still I do visit the downhill parks a couple times each summer.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Hunting remains a favorite hobby of mine. To date, nothing tops hunting with my father. It will forever remain my favorite part of life.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Photography has taken a backseat to film. I’ve really been enjoying videography and although my Sony A7 Mark III is ideal for motion pictures, I remain impressed by the footage I’m taking with my GoPro cameras. Although they lack any control over depth of field, the ease with which I capture fun footage continues to impress and amaze me. Check my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/oharamichael78" target="_blank">YouTube channel</a> for my most recent adventures at Bald Eagle State Forest.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Although I still have my truck, I traded my Jetta in for a 2 door Jeep Wrangler which I’ve named Samsquanch (A Trailer Park Boys reference). I went with the Sport model, although in hindsight the Rubicon would have been a much better choice. Nevertheless, the upgrades I’ve performed have been a lot of fun and I’ve learned a lot about the machine in the process. The ol’ Samsquanch has taken my girlfriend and I on many fantastic adventures, mostly overnight trips, which have been a hoot. My girlfriend Adria has very much enjoyed being a part of the wheeling lifestyle and has proven to be a great mechanic’s apprentice and copilot!<o:p></o:p></div>
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To recap the gap between my last blog entry and today’s I’ll let the below pictures do the talking. They’re supposed to be worth a thousand words anyway. Enjoy. Talk atcha’ soon!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Squanchy": 2017 Jeep Wrangler Sport edition. 4.5" Metalcloak lift, 35" tires, Tom Woods drive shafts, Smittybilt bumpers, EAG rock sliders & rack, Steinjager spare tire carrier.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little solo overnight trip to Eight Lake in the Adirondacks, this past June.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Despite moving to Pennsylvania, I still managed to eat a lot of crabs with Adria (Left) and my sister Kate (Right).</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of crabs.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I took Adria to the range and taught her how to shoot pistols. She's pretty good!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beauty shot of Adria in Texas for a good friend's wedding.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buttermilk Falls in the Adirondacks.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Got to see my folks a bit over this past winter :]</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adria and I had a good time in NYC this past Christmas!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pH17muHPnvU/XWBHbyMbp0I/AAAAAAADfPQ/OmpoDsCqykMg8F8NbHt4yzoW5o82ZYOPgCKgBGAs/s1600/LRG_MJO00820.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pH17muHPnvU/XWBHbyMbp0I/AAAAAAADfPQ/OmpoDsCqykMg8F8NbHt4yzoW5o82ZYOPgCKgBGAs/s400/LRG_MJO00820.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I've done a lot of traveling with my new job. I've been to Japan a few times, Spain, Prague... and I stepped directly into a pile of dog poop in Italy. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I filled the other eye in my <a href="https://www.domodaruma.com/blog/daruma-doll-history-of-japanese-wishing-dolls" target="_blank">Daruma Doll</a>. Finally. Feels fantastic.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c2D85hsK5cA/XWBHb_dqP-I/AAAAAAADfPQ/EzEjEJVZs2wNzUhbVzV68Nt1WJImvn4bwCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_7473.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c2D85hsK5cA/XWBHb_dqP-I/AAAAAAADfPQ/EzEjEJVZs2wNzUhbVzV68Nt1WJImvn4bwCKgBGAs/s400/IMG_7473.HEIC" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adria and I did a lot of hiking this past summer. Including a 15 mile, two day trip along the Burrough's Range.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When I left my job at with my old company I was unemployed for a month and grew a ridiculous mustache. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I certainly miss my old dive bar just down the road from the farm house. Adria and I had so many good times there!</td></tr>
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Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15530119081898511670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012481031645516415.post-17218556626372415052017-08-14T20:08:00.004-04:002017-08-14T20:08:39.842-04:00Gimbals and Swivel Mounts; oh my!<div style="text-align: justify;">
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I'm back! Another weekend at <a href="https://www.skibluemt.com/outdoor-adventures/mountain-biking/">Blue Mountain</a>, yielded another sore ass, dirty, sweaty pads and of some decent new footage from behind, over and around the bars. Pushing pride aside in the name of creative exploration, I hit the trails looking like R2D2, just to see if I could get some more exciting yet steady footage of what I enjoy most. I picked up a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TKMZN92/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1">Rhino Swivel mount</a> from Amazon to take advantage of the 360<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;">° coverage as well as a <a href="https://shop.gopro.com/accessories-2/karma-grip-extension-cable/AGNCK-001.html">cable extension</a> for my gimbal, which I mounted to my chest. The results are shown below. If you compare this video the last video I posted <a href="http://phattire.blogspot.com/2017/08/dh-ride-at-blue-mountain.html">here</a>, you ought to notice a lot more image stabilization. As I continue to ride at Blue Mountain, my cajones grow larger which means more speed and more exciting footage. For now, here's the latest from phattire headquarters!</span></span></div>
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Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15530119081898511670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012481031645516415.post-73744368974553852492017-08-02T14:53:00.001-04:002017-08-14T19:44:33.269-04:00DH ride at Blue Mountain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VSXTM3L3OM8/WYIbXUhtgJI/AAAAAAAC_uU/UR31D3b86-wz5wtSdaMOk2QdmgqNTsu9wCKgBGAs/s1600/dff75022-6f21-4c46-8e2c-3590eeda90c3" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VSXTM3L3OM8/WYIbXUhtgJI/AAAAAAAC_uU/UR31D3b86-wz5wtSdaMOk2QdmgqNTsu9wCKgBGAs/s200/dff75022-6f21-4c46-8e2c-3590eeda90c3" width="200" /></a></div>
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Fortunately, I got a few XC rides in this summer and for that; I'm thankful. A ride up in Jim Thorpe, PA and a few trips to my local trails at Hashawha have quelled my thrist for dirt and speed. <br />
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Although over the past few years, like the mold in my vegetable crisper, the urge to get into downhill (DH) mountain biking has been steadily growing. What once was an exciting thought has now become reality. A few weeks ago, I picked up a used DH rig that I found on <a href="http://www.pinkbike.com/">Pinkbike</a>. It's a 2015 <em>Specialized Status 1</em>. In all my years of riding, this is my first "Spesh". After a quick bleed of the breaks, new tires, flat pedals, and overhaul of the drivetrain, she's running tip-top. I took it out to <a href="https://www.skibluemt.com/outdoor-adventures/mountain-biking/">Blue Mountain</a> and we put eachother through our paces. I was exhausted after only 5 runs down the mountain. 7" of front and rear travel makes for a lot of bike but I am absolutely loving it! This is not to say DH riding is new to me. "Back in the day" I was quite a ballsy freerider, spending most of my weekends riding pirate huckle up at the Frederick Watershed. Those were the days. My bike was a beefy hardtail and my body was made of rubber. Young and fearless, you might say. Things are a little different today. I was quite reserved during my first day of riding this bike on the mountain. I got some hangtime and I carved some berms, but a lot slower than the rest of the riders at the park that day. Nevertheless, I did have my Gopros running and I put together the 3 minute video you see below. More soon.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Above: 2015 Specialized Status 1</td></tr>
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<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HLfhtMVr8Ng?rel=0&showinfo=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15530119081898511670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012481031645516415.post-64584888687960588322016-08-22T20:03:00.000-04:002017-08-15T21:39:32.525-04:00Burroughs Range revisted<div style="text-align: justify;">
Back on July 12th, I posted with great enthusiasm about a recent re-hike of the Burroughs Range in the Catskills. This was awesome, but a killer for me. I'm pretty out of shape. Nevertheless, I packed light and planned to make the same 15 mile day-hike I had done years ago, into a two-day hike. I thought it'd be fun to take my time and enjoy it over a couple days at a leisurely pace. However, it was super hot, humid and muggy. I ended up putting in a good 10 miles on the first day because I couldn't decide on a good camping spot, and for a while had to hike until a legal site was available (There's no camping over 3,500'). And I got tired. Really tired. At times I thought someone would probably find my body (my sweaty, out of shape body) collapsed over a rock cairn; two empty Nalgene bottles at my side. Someone would say: "<i>Geez, this guy was in rough shape! ...See if he's got any change in his pockets</i>." Nevertheless, I traversed Wittenberg, Cornell and Slide Mountains and made it out with only the loss of one Teva. I am sure someone scratched their head upon finding only one Teva sandal on the trail. </div>
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<br />Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15530119081898511670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012481031645516415.post-52136020560234098062016-08-10T21:46:00.000-04:002016-08-10T21:48:20.465-04:00Phat biking<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's been quite a while since I made a video. This one, was fun to make. The entire video was shot using my iPhone 6S and edited on my iPad Pro. Im super happy with the results. It was a lot of fun to make for a few reasons. For starters, it was a perfect evening after work. I really wanted to be in the woods and the setting sun, smell of the pines and lush trails were just what I wanted. Secondly, it was a 'back to basics' ride; I used flat pedals, took no tools with me, and just wore a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. No lycra. No SPDs. No camelback. Just the essentials; like back in the day. At any rate, good times. Need to start doing this on a regular basis again!</div>
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Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15530119081898511670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012481031645516415.post-3635591928023429242016-07-12T18:17:00.002-04:002016-07-12T18:24:07.205-04:00The mountains are calling<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have not blogged in a coon's age, but I'll tell you what; I have been one busy man. A week off of work doing the things I most like, has gotten me really excited about backpacking again. Last week I hiked a nice 15 miles in the Catskills along the <a href="http://phattire.blogspot.com/2010/11/hiking-burroughs-range-phoenicia-east.html">Burrough's range and Panther Ledge</a>. I also spent part of the week with my girlfriend, Sara, in my childhood playground; the Adirondacks. Just being up there in the mountains has really gotten me pumped about hiking the High Peaks of the '<i>Dax</i>'. Tonight, as I read trip reports and blogs of others who have hiked a lot of the exciting alpine routes of the park, I plan my own adventure along the the Lower Great Range Traverse in Keene Valley. In my delusional quest to conquer all 46 of the High Peaks, this traverse, albeit challenging, would bang out a few of the peaks in one shot (Upper & Lower Wolfjaw, Armstrong, Sawteeth & Saddleback). Stay tuned!</div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15530119081898511670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012481031645516415.post-52811422645085695752015-10-18T10:44:00.002-04:002017-04-11T15:43:32.500-04:00Life on the ol' farm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello interwebbers. Time for a serious update from phattire headquarters. I'm speaking to both of you, who follow this sad little blog. I am renting an excellent old farm house in Manchester, Maryland. The house was built in 1900 and is rife with character and the general <i>old-timiness</i> that I love so much. It's lonely, but it's perfect for me. It's nestled right in the middle of a cluster of horse farms and the views out my windows are amazing. I don't think I'll ever get tired of walking out through the fields around my property. I have plenty of garage space for my bikes, it's got a great basement with a workshop, a timeless attic for my backpacking gear, hardwood floors, a great wood stove in the living room and here's the cherry on top: It's got a wood shed in the back, so my firewood will stay nice and dry as I burn through it this winter. It's been ages since I've posted, but I was up for the sunrise this morning and walked the frosty fields with my <a href="http://www.phattire.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-alpha-and-omega.html">new camera</a>, and just wanted to get some images up on the ol' bloggidy blog here. The rest of the day, holds a few projects for me. I've got the first batch of this year's pineapple-orange marmalade simmering away; so I've got to jar that. I'm also planning on filling a growler with some local IPA from <a href="http://www.johanssonsdininghouse.com/brewery.asp">Johannson's</a> in town, so that I don't get thirsty watching a little football this afternoon. Perhaps a quick burn on the cross bike before I head into town... Be well friends.</div>
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Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15530119081898511670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012481031645516415.post-14008335709200089032015-08-02T10:41:00.001-04:002017-08-15T18:30:59.038-04:00Taking the plunge<div style="text-align: left;">
Ever since I was a wee lad, I've been jumping off of the bridge that spans the junction between 6th & 7th Lake, of the Fulton Chain Lakes in the Adirondacks. It's been a cheap thrill each and every time. It was a pleasure to introduce my young nephews to it this summer! </div>
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Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15530119081898511670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012481031645516415.post-64217158650436549632015-07-30T10:29:00.001-04:002015-07-30T15:15:22.873-04:00Dirt biking in the Dax<div style="text-align: justify;">
Yesterday was pretty epic. Since childhood, I have wanted to cruise around the Adirondacks on a dirt bike. Yesterday, that happened. I've had my Honda CRF 450X for about three years now, but it was broken for half that time and I haven't got a lot of throttle time accumulated. I'm still a bit timid on the bike but am feeling more and more confident with every ride. It was just great to rip through the logging roads and snowmobile trails up here in the 'Dax'. </div>
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Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15530119081898511670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012481031645516415.post-64581939561412595322015-07-27T10:36:00.001-04:002015-07-27T10:36:58.568-04:00Family Vacation - Adirondacks<br />
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Well, I spent the last week and a half in Munich for work. Now I'm off for a week to vacation with my family in the Adirondacks. Of course, I brought my camera, and have been taking advantage of the sites. I'll try to post some pictures every other day or so, but the wifi at the camp we're renting is spotty at best.</div>
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I'm fairly happy with the way this shot of the moon and starry sky turned out. I sat on the dock with a cold Utica Club while I played with the settings to get a decent exposure. I ended up shooting with my 35mm lens at f/1.4 for 2 seconds, then processing in Adobe Lightroom.</div>
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This morning I woke up at 7:30 and drove about a mile up the road to the old mill on Moose River. I've driven past this mill since I was the age of 10 and have always been curious to see what's inside. Here are a few photos from this morning.</div>
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Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15530119081898511670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012481031645516415.post-62696056691991354952015-07-12T15:02:00.001-04:002015-07-12T15:02:21.271-04:00Updates, get your updates.<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hello world wide web. I haven't not contributed to you since March 15th; let's fix that. Sounds like a general update is in order.</div>
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Work has been rough. The new position, which is not so new anymore, has certainly brought a lot of challenge and stolen more time from me that I imagined. At least I'm down to working 11 hour days as often. It's getting easier, but there's just so much more responsibility in this role than I had imagined, and I'm not so great at delegating, so I end up working myself to death. I'm learning though. Overall, still happy I took on the challenge. I'm the Director of Quality, for a <a href="http://knorrbrake.com/en/">major player</a> in the rail industry. I'll take a pat on the back for that. Oh, and the travel has been awesome. I love to travel, but I'll write more about that below.</div>
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Home life:</div>
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Home life is good. Debbie is happy. The two bunnies seem happy; I haven't heard them complain. We got new couches which are pretty awesome. The old couch was a monster that just gobbled you up and forced you to slouch down until your chin touched your chest. I do not miss it. Plus, new couch has foot rests that pop out... and drink holders. Win. Landscape wise, I've been enjoying mowing. It's just satisfying. We've had a couple fires in the backyard this summer which were fun. Not so many rabbits in the yard this summer, but I have seen a lot of coyote poop and my neighbor caught a glimpse of some coyotes early one morning. This would explain the pieces of rabbit and bird we've been finding.</div>
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Travel:</div>
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Work has taken me to some pretty awesome places: Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, France and Spain. Oddly enough, I do not mind sitting on the plane for 10+ hours. It's worth it to get to experience the sights, sounds, food & culture. The Bavarian Alps are beautiful. The Czech Republic strange and has a phony/corrupt feel to it. Paris is amazing, as always and Madrid has the feel of NYC, but with an old world feel. I love how much history this European places have. Our country is so new, by comparison. Still I love living in the US; it's the by far the best! On Tuesday I'm headed back to Munich for a week and a half. Looking forward to it!</div>
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Camping/Backpacking:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-85pJjoMgwH8/VaK42uhJ8GI/AAAAAAAC2Bw/GmfrIxnj1DM/s1600/brocamping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-85pJjoMgwH8/VaK42uhJ8GI/AAAAAAAC2Bw/GmfrIxnj1DM/s200/brocamping.jpg" width="200" /></a>Debbie and I went camping with her Brother and his family last month at Laurel Hill State Park, and it was awesome. We even cooked crawfish that we ordered from Louisiana. They were delicious. Of course we ate steaks as well. Plenty of relaxing, hammock time, kids getting dirty chasing crawfish (little ones, too small to eat) and swimming. Debbie's two brothers and I had another super rainy backpacking trip at Ohiopyle State Park as well. Total sog fest. But a blast nonetheless. The weekend I get back from Munich, I'll be driving up to the Adirondacks to spend a week soaking in the lakes, and hiking some of the High Peaks. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothics">Gothics</a> is at the top of my list!</div>
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Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15530119081898511670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012481031645516415.post-50300435487974047222015-03-15T14:59:00.003-04:002015-03-15T14:59:57.303-04:00Back to the iPhone<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-owidD2QSYYI/VQXShddKJkI/AAAAAAACsbA/ZfCE-TmIYpw/s1600/iphone6-select-2014.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-owidD2QSYYI/VQXShddKJkI/AAAAAAACsbA/ZfCE-TmIYpw/s1600/iphone6-select-2014.png" height="320" width="250" /></a></div>
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After using the HTC One (M8) for the last year, I missed the simplicity and design of the Apple iPhone. The HTC was actually a good phone and the camera, specifically, was amazing but now that I use a Macbook Pro, I was eager to switch back to the iPhone. You know... all those synergies and whatnot. Although, one thing I never liked was iTunes. Syncing up my music library and contacts has been a real pain in the ass. But I think I've got it now.</div>
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My previous experience with iPhones has been positive. When I was living in NY, I used a couple different versions of iPhones and really enjoyed the straight-from-the-pocket creativity it provided. Looking through my blog there are actually <a href="http://www.phattire.blogspot.com/search/label/iphone">34 posts</a> tagged "iPhone". Not only did I enjoy snapping photos and using fun applications like the T<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tiltshift-generator-fake-miniature/id327716311?mt=8">ilt Shift Generator</a>, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/shakeit/id313968697?mt=8">Shake It</a> & <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pano/id293709029?mt=8">Pano</a>, but I also enjoyed taking short video clips and splicing them into <a href="http://www.phattire.blogspot.com/2010/07/phattire-video.html">videos</a>.</div>
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Aside from the photo/video fun that iPhones provide, they just work really well. The user interface is intuitive and friendly. I'm glad I made the switch back to Apple.</div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15530119081898511670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012481031645516415.post-50145266608259357962015-03-08T20:02:00.003-04:002015-03-08T20:32:43.977-04:00The Alpha and the Omega?<div style="text-align: justify;">
When I was in Munich, in December, I popped into a camera store to take a closer look at a camera that really caught my eye: The <a href="http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sony-alpha-a7">Sony Alpha 7</a>. This is a full frame mirrorless camera. It's basically everything I've been hoping one of the major companies would create. And I find it funny that Sony came out with it. Not Nikon. Not Canon. It's a full frame camera packed in a small body. It's got a great shape to it; classic. After reading/watching many reviews, I think that I will make this my next piece of equipment. Sony has a small but fantastic suit of <a href="http://store.sony.com/full-frame-e-mount-lenses/cat-27-catid-All-Full-Frame-E-Mount-Lenses">E-mount lenses</a> featuring Zeiss glass. Most are very fast primes. The reviews I've read and seen show stunning results. Stay tuned!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OdZ2q8X-ES0/VPzfl1rMwcI/AAAAAAACsSE/bslryVso0d4/s1600/ILCE-7_wSEL55F18Z_front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OdZ2q8X-ES0/VPzfl1rMwcI/AAAAAAACsSE/bslryVso0d4/s1600/ILCE-7_wSEL55F18Z_front.jpg" height="444" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15530119081898511670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012481031645516415.post-39419035409684705522015-03-08T19:34:00.002-04:002015-03-08T19:34:48.656-04:00Promotion<div style="text-align: justify;">
Wow. I didn't blog once in the month of February. Work has consumed my life over the past few months. Although working 60 hours a week to stay on top of things has paid off; I just got promoted to Director of Quality Assurance last week. I'm proud of myself, and I really do like my job, but I'm afraid that work has left me little time for the things I enjoy most; biking and photography. I'm hoping that I can find a way to balance my work and personal life this spring, because I really do miss expressing myself creatively and I sure would like to get out on the trails again. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My office. Home away from home lately.</td></tr>
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Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15530119081898511670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012481031645516415.post-14018421330832738212015-01-24T12:01:00.001-05:002015-01-24T12:11:42.632-05:00Loading 405 Winchester<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QRCct64S_9Q/VMO_cyhl2EI/AAAAAAACrLc/HpkplcdceO8/s1600/reloading405-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QRCct64S_9Q/VMO_cyhl2EI/AAAAAAACrLc/HpkplcdceO8/s1600/reloading405-3.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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The other night, a friend from work, taught me the basics of loading my own ammunition. I've always been interested in loading my own, and with the recent spike in ammo prices, I was pretty jazzed when my friend offered to show me the ropes. My father had recently gifted me a beautiful Winchester Model 1895. The rifle is a Winchester-made, reproduction of the rifle that was produced from 1895 to 1932, totalling 425,825 pieces in all. Although this rifle was chambered in many calibers with many intended uses, including military, mine is chambered in the heaviest of them; 405 Win. This '95 is the rifle Teddy Roosevelt used in his famous African safari in 1909, and the rifle which he referred to as "<i>big medicine</i>" (<a href="http://theodoreroosevelt.com/african-safari-hunter/">Read more about Roosevelt's safari here</a>). It was used to take down hippopotamus, rhinoceros, and lions as well. The big advantage of this rifle, at the time it was introduced, was its ability to hold pointed bullets, stacked in its non-detachable magazine. Up until this rifle was introduced, lever action rifles held their bullets in tubular magazines, that paralleled their barrels. Due to the fact that the bullets sat in the magazine, with the nose of one bullet resting upon the primer of the next, rifles with these tubular magazines were limited to holding only flat-nosed bullets Like many of my rifles, I look at this one as a marvel of engineering geneous. Coincidentally, this was the last of the lever action rifles, that John Browning designed for Winchester. Surprising to me, is the fact that a musket version of this rifle, with an extended forestock and bayonet lug, was even used by the Army of the Russian Empire, in WWI and Finland in WWII.</div>
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Along with the rifle, my father gave me shell casings, powder, primers, bullets and even the dies needed to flare, seat and crimp the rounds. The only pieces of the puzzle missing, were the actual loading press, primer seating tool, powder measure and scale. My friend had these pieces. After finding the right recipe for 405 Win rounds, my friend showed me the way to go about it. Over the next few hours, of swapping stories and drinking a few pilsners, I made 40 rounds. I was using a single stage system, so the process was slow, and there was a learning curve, and I did make a few mistakes (<i>like forgetting to seat the primer before charging the bullet!</i>) So, not only did I learn how to load, I learned how to correct my mistakes. There's a neat tool, called a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hornady-50090-Kinetic-Bullet-Puller/dp/B000PD5UR0">kinetic hammer</a>, which you use to remove bullets when you do silly things, like underload them, or forget to install primers. When I was finished I marvelled at the sheer size of the rounds I loaded. They make a 30-06 round, look small. They just look like great big cowboy bullets! I cannot wait to get to the range.</div>
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Details of my loading data is as follows:</div>
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Powder: Hodgdon H4895 - 58 gr</div>
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Bullets: 405 Cal .411 300 gr InterLock® FP</div>
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Brass: Hornady 405 unprimed cases</div>
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Primers: CCI standard</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E_qCv6J7FoY/VMO_dKFb2bI/AAAAAAACrLk/NNzi1vRUhX4/s1600/reloading405-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E_qCv6J7FoY/VMO_dKFb2bI/AAAAAAACrLk/NNzi1vRUhX4/s1600/reloading405-4.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15530119081898511670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012481031645516415.post-15063466925266366232015-01-17T10:12:00.002-05:002015-01-17T10:12:41.105-05:00Austria & Czech Republic: Fantastic quick trip<div style="text-align: justify;">
I'm back. Finally. What a whirlwind of a trip. I spent about a week in Austria (In Kamaten, about an hour and a half west of Vienna) with one night in the town of Bruno in the Czech Republic. I'm always stoked to travel, but this trip, was so full of actually traveling (flying & driving) that I hardly had any time to myself. The only time I had to really explore, was the first day I arrived in Kamaten, but I was so tired, from being awake for 24 hours, that I had to go to sleep. With that said, I do not have any great photos to share. Nor any great stories, really. The purpose of my trip was to meet my overseas contacts within my company and learn about their quality structure and operations. So, most of my time, was spent in a conference room, reviewing org charts, processes and discussing quality strategy. </div>
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I did stay in a really nice resort: <a href="http://en.kothmuehle.at/">The Kothmuhle</a>. The room was excellent, with a nice balcony overlooking the rolling hills. You could see the snowcapped mountains in the distance. The restaurant was top notch, and I ate 5 course meals each night (*burp*). The people I spoke with there, were very friendly, and spoke fluent English.</div>
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Driving in Austria was super fun. I rented a nice BMW and got to open it up on the Autobahn, a few times. The roads in the backcountry, are stunning. They're twisty and roll through the hillside. The fields and pastures through which I zipped, were completely free of any sort of garbage or litter. Just absolutely beautiful.</div>
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Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15530119081898511670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012481031645516415.post-17740006005360265442015-01-12T16:43:00.004-05:002015-01-12T16:43:52.496-05:00Hello from Austria<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="">Hello folks. </span><span class=""><span class="">Work has me in Austria and the Czech Republic this week. </span></span><span class="">I'm happy to be here, but wish I had more time to enjoy myself and explore, the way I love to explore. </span><span class="">Still, I'm making the most of it, and trying to capture what I can with my camera. </span><span class="">The trip over here was hellacious. </span><span class="">One debacle after another Including nearly losing my luggage and almost missing flights. B</span><span class=""><span class="">ut, I made it. </span></span><span class="">I'm extremely jetlagged so I'm just going to toss up some photos from the last days worth of travel from Baltimore to New York to Dusseldorf, Germany to Vienna Austria.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A quick photo through the glass at BWI airport Sunday afternoon at 2:30 pm.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="">After switching planes in Dusseldorf, Germany, I arrived at Vienna via this weird airline ... www.flyniki.com.</span></td></tr>
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This is just one of the cool scenes inside the Vienna Airport. <span class="">Although, by the time I got here I had been awake all night and what exhausted. </span>I do not sleep well on international flights. All I wanted to do what find my rental car agency and get to my hotel.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="">I walked around forever, trying to find the car rental office. </span>I found the cars ... but could not find the office. Probably I spent 45 minutes just wandering around different levels in the parking garages looking for the Hertz office. Holy frustrating.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: justify;">At last, I was on my way. <span class="">I rented a BMW and hit the Autobahn (Super fun!). </span><span class="">An hour and a half later, I arrived helped in Kematen, Austria, at my hotel.</span></td></tr>
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Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15530119081898511670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012481031645516415.post-82267784736941852032015-01-08T18:26:00.002-05:002015-01-08T18:26:20.150-05:00Video of the Day<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="337" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/115733946" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="600"></iframe></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15530119081898511670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012481031645516415.post-85821181761535752902015-01-01T13:46:00.002-05:002015-01-01T13:50:52.353-05:00Squirrel Hunting & Hornets nests<div style="text-align: justify;">
Well, it's the first day of 2015, and I decided I'd kick it off with a morning hunt. I thought I'd go to my usual spot for squirrels, and then pop over to another field area and see if I could kick out any rabbits. So, I packed my .17 caliber and my 12 gauge in the truck, with a bunch of wool layers and headed over to <a href="http://dnr2.maryland.gov/publiclands/Pages/central/patuxentriver.aspx">Patuxent River State Park</a>. It was pretty damned cold this morning. When I stepped out of the truck, it was only 17ºF. It was so cold, that the earth was frozen solid and ice crystals clung to the tall grass and weeds. I took advantage of the sun's horizontal rays whenever I stopped to look and listen for my furry friends. I did see one large squirrel, just as I entered the woods, but I was still too close to the houses that sit on the edge of the public land I was hunting. I was more than 150 yards away from the houses, but I didn't feel comfortable shooting, so I let him go.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HSr5V-Uny1I/VKWGIQRaE6I/AAAAAAACpuQ/U8HAx2bEeqw/s1600/patuxentcoldhunt-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HSr5V-Uny1I/VKWGIQRaE6I/AAAAAAACpuQ/U8HAx2bEeqw/s1600/patuxentcoldhunt-3.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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After walking for a while, I came across the remains of a deer. It was the same deer I had seen exactly 327 days ago, while hunting squirrels in this area. Check out the amount of decay that took place since then: [<a href="http://phattire.blogspot.com/2014/02/squirrel-hunting-patuxent-river-state.html">Time warp back to February 8, 2014</a>].<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N41NHeb62K8/VKWJhLZbJzI/AAAAAAACpv0/kQaHrXzzPBw/s1600/patuxentcoldhunt-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N41NHeb62K8/VKWJhLZbJzI/AAAAAAACpv0/kQaHrXzzPBw/s1600/patuxentcoldhunt-6.jpg" height="225" width="300" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s_begPD5FZo/VKWJgkuB4AI/AAAAAAACpvs/wXtwSxV7JLU/s1600/patuxentcoldhunt-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s_begPD5FZo/VKWJgkuB4AI/AAAAAAACpvs/wXtwSxV7JLU/s1600/patuxentcoldhunt-5.jpg" height="225" width="300" /></a></div>
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These photos remind me of the importance of regular brushing and flossing. </div>
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The area that I hunt, at Patuxent River State park, is too small to ever need a map and compass, still I always carry one. This morning I took my new <a href="http://www.suunto.com/en-US/Products/Compasses/Suunto-KB-14/Suunto-KB-14360R1/">Suunto KB-14</a>, which Debbie gave to me for Christmas. I really love it, and have had my eye on it for a couple of years now. You could describe it as a simplified lensatic compass. Used by surveyors and forestry folks alike, it is a liquid filled, aluminum-bodied compass with an optical feature that makes it very easy to accurately shoot an azimuth. You simply hold it up to your eye, aim the compass at your target by looking over the top of it, and look through the lens to read the azimuth (70º as shown above). It's got some other cool features, like a standard tripod mount (for those surveyors out there) and super robust construction. It's lighter than it looks too; which is awesome.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y2mIGdCuK3U/VKWJiS0GTjI/AAAAAAACpwI/FQL3uksfak8/s1600/patuxentcoldhunt-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y2mIGdCuK3U/VKWJiS0GTjI/AAAAAAACpwI/FQL3uksfak8/s1600/patuxentcoldhunt-8.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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After a couple of hours exploring the woods and occasionally looking for the elusive grey squirrel, I packed it up and headed over to the fields I had planned on kicking through, in search of rabbits. I exchanged my .17 caliber for my 12 gauge and loaded it with a couple No 6, low brass shells. I spent the next couple of hours meandering fields and hedge rows, kicking brush piles but had no luck. Still, it was a beautiful walk. I happened across a bald faced hornets' nest which was really neat to find. The top of it was frosted with a light layer of sparkling ice crystals. Boldly, I shook the nest. I wasn't really sure if the wasps were still inside or not. Thinking that the nest would look great perched atop my gun cabinet (<i>Its no wonder I am not an interior decorator</i>) I used my small Kabar to cut the sapling it was fixed to, and carried it back to the truck with me. After <a href="http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/iiin/bhornets.html">researching</a>, I learned that most hornets flee the nest by October each year, and they do not reuse the nests. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mKJC84U_QJw/VKWJimPVZ6I/AAAAAAACpwM/ZR4tEGSGWs4/s1600/patuxentcoldhunt-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mKJC84U_QJw/VKWJimPVZ6I/AAAAAAACpwM/ZR4tEGSGWs4/s1600/patuxentcoldhunt-9.jpg" height="225" width="300" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vi1q08rgJ_o/VKWJht224FI/AAAAAAACpv8/rKj7zVQTJEc/s1600/patuxentcoldhunt-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vi1q08rgJ_o/VKWJht224FI/AAAAAAACpv8/rKj7zVQTJEc/s1600/patuxentcoldhunt-7.jpg" height="225" width="300" /></a></div>
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(As usual, click the images to see them larger, and in all their glory)</div>
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Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15530119081898511670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012481031645516415.post-65564103438695089972014-12-31T10:56:00.001-05:002014-12-31T10:56:47.275-05:00No resolutions this year<div style="text-align: justify;">
Well, Christmas has come and gone. Here it is New Year's Eve. I've been on vacation from work since 12/23 and spent my time off, visiting my family in Sherrill, New York and generally loafing around the house. My Christmas was really nice. I got some really nice gifts for Debbie and she got me some beauties as well. The best gifts from here, were my new gun cabinet, my <a href="http://www.topsknives.com/product_info.php?products_id=371">Brother's of Bushcraft knife</a>, my <a href="http://www.suunto.com/en-US/Products/Compasses/Suunto-KB-14/Suunto-KB-14360R1/">Suunto compass</a> and <a href="http://www.mrbeer.com/">Mr.Beer Beer Kit</a> (I'm looking forward to brewing my own). All, are great things. I'll have to post some pictures and reviews once I get out and use them.</div>
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If you know me, only by reading this blog, you'd think that everything in my life was just about perfect. I tend to post, only positive things here; not the negative. I have a great job, I'm in a healthy relationship, I have lots of freedom to do things that interest me. But the truth is, my job is stressing me out beyond belief. I got promoted from Supplier Quality Manager to Quality Assurance Manager, and that has brought a ton of increased and sudden responsibility. I think the people I manage hate me, and I haven't worked less than 60 hours/week since I got the promotion, a couple months ago. My nights are always the same, tossing and turning fretting about what I may have missed or what issues at work, I may not be handling in the best way. I eventually fall asleep and wake up unrested and stressed out, before I even get my first cup of coffee. But, hey, it's gotta get better right? My relationship is good, I'm with a great girl, but I still have regretful dreams, about my x-wife, that torture me throughout the next day. At the same time, I proposed to my girlfriend last year and then backed out of it, because I don't know what I want in a relationship anymore. And lastly, as for all that freedom I have: I have the freedom to do what I want, when I want to, but nothing interests me the way it used to. My photography has dropped me into an eternal rut, where I have no interest in capturing scenes like I used to, what's more; blog about it. My interest in mountainbiking has virtually evaporated, leaving me with great bikes to ride but no ambition to actually get on one and start pedaling. Even my urge to hunt has subsided. I only got out hunting two or three times this season. So what <i>AM</i> I doing these days? Drinking beer and binge-watching TV series. This is about it. Something's gotta change, but lately, I don't have the motivation to apply any effort to that end.</div>
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Don't get me wrong; I'm am thankful for what I have and how my life is going. I'm just not sure that my life is going the way its supposed to. I'm glad I'm healthy, I'm glad I'm successful. I'm glad I live in the US. But, is this it? Is there something else I'm supposed to be doing that might make me truly happy?</div>
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With 2015 coming for me in the morning, I suppose I should think about what I'm going to resolve to do in this great new year ahead of me. Although, to be honest, who ever sticks with their resolutions? Not me. Looking back, through my blog, I see that I always seem to post the same thing on New Years Eve: Lose weight, ride more, push myself creatively. This year, I don't think I'm going to resolve to do anything. What's the point, if you never stick to it? So this year's resolution is, to just keep hanging in there.</div>
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Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15530119081898511670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012481031645516415.post-10238633207982704412014-12-24T01:14:00.001-05:002014-12-24T01:16:59.629-05:00I'm baaaaack.<div style="text-align: justify;">
Well, I'm back in the US. I got back on the 15th, but have been too busy to blog. Life has just been so busy lately. I never mentioned that I got a promotion a couple of months ago. So now I'm the Quality Assurance Manager. I'm happy about it, but its been a hell of a chance. My scope of work is much larger now, and I have a lot of direct reports to manage. Hopefully, things will settle down. It's been 60 hour work weeks since I got the promotion and I feel like I'm drowning. Ugh. Anyway, it's good to be back. Germany was amazing and I'm so thankful that I got the opportunity to go and experience another great part of Europe. I made a friend over there, that I'm sure will come visit this spring/summer. I have a lot of photos to process from my trip, namely my Alpine photos I took on the free weekend I had over there. There's just no time these days! Here it is, Christmas Eve already!<br />
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Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15530119081898511670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012481031645516415.post-91523334687302318762014-12-11T16:55:00.000-05:002015-01-02T15:38:51.762-05:00Manikins in Munich<div style="text-align: justify;">
Happened upon this store while waiting for my laundry to dry this weekend in Munich. Creepy. Cool. Wish I could have gotten inside for some more interesting shots!</div>
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Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15530119081898511670noreply@blogger.com0