Part Time Vagabond

VIDEO: Compass Points TV Falls for Ricketts Glen

// March 4th, 2010 // No Comments » // VIDEO

Dave Pidgeon over at Compass Points saw that there was a need for well-produced outdoors videos on the web, so he went out and did it himself (I’m right there with him on that point…it’s why I started PTV). Enter Compass Points TV, Dave’s video version of his blog, where he does video trip reports and other videos. He’s just started his second season with a trip to Ricketts Glen in Pennsylvania. He and his buddy went on a hike to see the official National Natural Area that boasts 21 waterfalls in 7 miles. That is a hike I must take someday.

Urban Mountain Biking

// March 4th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // VIDEO

My buddy Casey over at Just Northwest does a cool little video series called The Northern Rangers, where he and his buddy go out and do fun things in the outdoors. Their most recent adventure was at the I-5 Colonnade Mountain Bike park in Seattle, Washington where local volunteers helped to build a series of urban mountain bike trails right under the highway! The video’s a bit shaky, but the content is great.

VIDEO: The Path Less Pedaled Interviews – the paring

// March 1st, 2010 // No Comments » // VIDEO

Stuff.

Everybody has it, and most of us have too much. It hides in corners and under beds. It clutters our closets and our drawers. We hide stuff in pantries and under sinks and hell, right out in the open. Knicknacks, curios, trinkets, souvenirs, and thingamajigs fill our lives, and because we clean and neaten and straighten, most times we don’t even notice. That is, until it’s time to move. Then we realize just how much stuff we actually have.

When Russ and Laura of The Path Less Pedaled took the self-imposed directive to ride their bikes across the country indefinitely, they had no idea that the first challenge would show up right at home. In part two of the PTV interview, Russ and Laura talk about paring down their stuff to just what they need; a task not for the faint of heart.

Friday Snapshot: Portland, Maine

// February 26th, 2010 // 2 Comments » // SNAPSHOT

Down by the Maine State Pier, just off to the left across from the Narrow Gauge Railroad, is a marina where a sailing school is based and marine maintenance work is done. On one of my acquaintance walks, where I was wandering around getting to know my new home, I came on this large beam covered in black, shiny mussels. The beam must have just been removed from the ocean for cleaning. I thought it was fascinating to see so many of these little crustaceans and realize that they were living beings.

BREWS: Long Trail Double Bag

// February 24th, 2010 // 2 Comments » // BREWS

Long Trail Double Bag

When I picked up a Long Trail Double Bag, I knew absolutely nothing about it. The only reason I bought one bottle from the local convenience store was because my buddy Josh mentioned in a tweet that he was enjoying one himself, and he made it sound good. Really good. I was in the mood for a good, strong beer.

I ran up the street and did a little jig to celebrate the fact that they carried LT Double Bag, ignoring the strange looks from the good folks behind the counter. Running back home (ok, let’s face it, I didn’t want to agitate the fine brew. I slowly lumbered home), I quickly made my way to the kitchen to pour myself a glass.

What I noticed first as I poured the beer into my pint glass was the rich amber color, which gave way to a thick off-brown, foamy head. The beer is toasty and malty on the nose, with some floral notes and a bunch of fruit dancing around in there. I definitely got hints of cherry, maybe a little tiny bit of clove. I found later that Double Bag is a Strong Ale, so I could then understand its bold tones with subtle flavors. It’s got a nice, smooth mouthfeel that rolls around nicely. It had a good rounded taste that actually got better and more pronounced as the beer warmed up a bit. Double Bag has a pretty high ABV, but at 7.2% you hardly notice it over the malt. It actually feels pretty mellow, a nice warm feeling beer with almost no hop taste at all. It finishes pretty dry thanks to the high alcohol content. It’s very drinkable, though not the best strong ale I’ve ever had. It’s definitely worth stocking a 6 pack in the fridge for cold nights by the fire.

VIDEO: The Path Less Pedaled Interviews – the decision

// February 22nd, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Feature, VIDEO

Some people are homebodies. Creating a close network of family and friends in a relatively small area keeps them grounded and safe. They have a local community to support them. This works for most people in life.

But some people find that their lives are lacking something in their current situation. Their worlds have been shaken up, and they need to do something more, something different. So when Laura Crawford, a jewelry maker, and Russ Roca, a photographer, decided to sell most of their belongings and fit the rest onto their bicycles, they had an idea that they would be pedaling indefinitely around the United States, in search of a life less ordinary.

In this episode of Part Time Vagabond, Russ and Laura of The Path Less Pedaled talk about how they came to the decision to leave it all behind for two wheels and the open road.