The Tour de France has started, July 4th is exploded into history and the dog days of '07 are upon us. Cancellara's prologue was visibly dominant. By the numbers, his gap over 2nd and 3rd place was gargantuan. You didn't need to see the numbers, though. He was pounding through that course like King Kong. When a big guy like that gets a head of steam, he'll move through a city center prologue, especially one without too much braking, like a wrecking ball. If you like watching things like the Tour, having a DVR (or Tivo) is a must. I set it to record, wake up, make my coffee, and fast forward through boring sections and the 800+ commercials that air on Versus. Looking at today's finale in Stage 1, I rewinded a few times to see exactly what happened. McEwen's timing and feel (aside from his spirit) are his greatest assets. Coming from behind, today, actually worked to his benefit. He got the jump on everybody. Boonen's move required even more strength because he started slower - only his timing was not there. I think Boonen will get his wins, this year. Today's finish was a little deceptive and Big Tom was better than where he ended up. Flick of the day was Millar taking 2nd in the last KOM while the Frenchman was killing himself off the front. Millar got the jersey, anyway. If you ask me, that was a brokered deal between Millar and the rest of the bunch. You don't wither and fall out of a breakaway and come back to storm the group on the last climb. Regardless, cheers to Millar. DeFeet socks are out in force at the Tour, as they always are. Quickstep and Telekom are using them, as well as numerous individual riders (most of whom DeFeet is not allowed to comment on).

I did not celebrate this action with a bike ride, however. I wanted to relax and get out of the heat. Around here, that means either jump in a river or go to the higher elevations. I chose the latter and went for a hike. I wore DeFeet Blaze socks inside the La Sportiva Sandstone GTX shoe. La Sportiva recently won Outside Magazine's 'Gear of the Year' with this shoe. In that review it was dubbed 'One tough bastard of a shoe'. I call it a perfect match for a DeFeet sock. The hike climbed 2500 ft. in the first 3.5 miles to 7,700 ft elevation. There was still lots of snow on the trail, and at the summit it was actually cold. The wind was ripping. Once, at the top of a mountain seen in the photos I took, I stood in the midst of a monarch migration. For over an hour, a thick flow of monarch butterflies passed by, carried along by the jetstream.

I like this shot. Nothing like a good, old, gnarly snag. Are you kidding me? How juicy is this view? This snag might have died over a thousand years ago. It's amazing it even grew to this size, up here.









La Sportiva's Sandstone GTX worked excellent. The shoes Impact Brake System? It works! If you want to read more about DeFeet socks for trail and backpacking use, this site gives user reviews.

What struck me here was how these little purple flowers (see lower left corner) are able to grow right out of the lava rocks on this totally exposed face. Those trees are leaning East because they stand with their backs toward some of the most heinous weather in the country.






Many shots stitched together here to make a full 360 degree panarama. Click on it for a larger view. This is a pretty nice backyard to play in. Mt. Hood visible in the (far) distance.

All that is needed for a rockin' good time. Literally.

If you like to hike, and you're still not using poles, you should try them. I've found that they change the experience significantly. They do require more coordination, but it makes hiking a full-body, athletic experience. You will eventually produce higher speeds on climbs with the same amount of effort, and descents become safer. There is less stress on the joints, both up and downhill, and I've noticed that the alignment of the foot/hip/shoulder stays more square through the entire stride. I use the Leki Super Makalu.