ever want to feel old and out of shape?

[peoplechipper]

So last night I went snowboarding for the first time in 25 years; my gal wanted someone to go skiing with so I decided to pick it up again. I started back in 1982 so I was one of the first here in Vancouver back before you could even be on the mountains (lots of hiding from ski patrols!) anyway I gave it up when I went to jewellery school because lift tickets are expensive and I had no one to go with...until now. even with 10 years in my ancient past of the sport I was a complete gimp...I was even warned by my brother who never stopped, to practice getting up off my ass and I did, but it's WAY harder to do on the hill with all the gear on; so much harder when strapped to a board in the snow after being pounded into said snow...needless to say I'm gonna get some lessons next time I go up and I have an idea for a small pole to carry to help myself up off my butt...it's crazy, I was most frustrated by the fact after awhile that I could not get off my ass without major struggle, if my arms had been 8" longer it would be fine...needless to say I am sore in a few areas today...oh well, next time will be better, and it was nice to be in fresh air, trees and snow...Tony.

[tbrannon]

No matter the age, the first day of snowboarding will leave you sore in ways you haven't been in a long, long time. 

[edwardofhuncote]

Ooohh, bad memories! Learned my lesson a couple years ago. Had a gig every third Sunday at a ski lodge a couple hours north of here. They had inner tubes for people like me who have a hard enough time walking. Face-planted into snow. Went from 40mph to 0, instantly. Witnesses claim it looked like something from a Road-runner/Wiley Coyote cartoon. Couldn't turn my head for two weeks. I don't miss it. But that was a pretty sweet gig. 

[hankster]

Oh, yeah. Last summer's annual canoe trip in Algonquin Park in Ontario - 100 kilometres of paddling and portages. Nearly killed me and reminded me of the problems of being almost 60 instead of almost 40. Still -I'll do it again this year!

R.

[peoplechipper]

canoeing, another thing I have not done in many years...I have not asked Jenn if she's into that but she does want to go fishing...it's good to do new things and revisit old things so it's overall good for me; I guess I'll keep her...Tony.

[tncaveman]

If you want to be sore the next day - and you are over 50 - do a 9+ hr trip underground   


(these are actually from 2 separate trips.  But both require work to get to the really awesome stuff.)



Stephen

[edwardofhuncote]

Cool pics Stephen!

[pauldo]

That last picture . . .  wow.

But don't you ever stop and think about the rocks that have fallen from the top of the cavern . . . .  or the shifting of the rocks that opened up that crevice you are wedged in and what if things decide to shift today?!   I do not consider myself claustrophobic but I do worry that my mind will start messing me in those situations and a hasty retreat would be my agenda . . .

I bet the acoustic properties of some of those caverns are tremendous.

[tncaveman]

That last picture . . .  wow.

But don't you ever stop and think about the rocks that have fallen from the top of the cavern . . . .  or the shifting of the rocks that opened up that crevice you are wedged in and what if things decide to shift today?!   I do not consider myself claustrophobic but I do worry that my mind will start messing me in those situations and a hasty retreat would be my agenda . . .

I bet the acoustic properties of some of those caverns are tremendous.

I think the last pic the room is called Echo Hall.  A good red-neck yell will yield about 15-20 seconds of echo / reverb.  It has a 300 ft ceiling.  If you look at the hill of braekdown boulders, my son is setting off a flash up there too.  Here are a couple more pics from there.

As a geologist, last time there I actually asked the two guys with me if we should really be here.  I have been to this cave at least 10 times.  I kind of think it's like getting wiped out by a asteroid hitting nearby.  Can happen but unlikely.  There is about 800-1000 ft of rock left above the ceiling.  There are large collapse sinkholes on top of the Cumberland Plateau nearby that have breached the surface.  These collapses eventually turn into valleys.  Pretty cool area to study the geology.

Stephen

[tncaveman]

The room takes about 30 minutes to traverse because of obstacles.  By the looks of the drip-stone formations, it hasn't changed much in a few hundred years.  The second picture shows the start of another big room.  This section floods and is an over flow route for a stream.  takes a lot of rain to flood this section.  Notice the water line?

[pauldo]

Very cool, I did recognize the extra light, almost thought it was sunlight . . . .

I wish I knew geology and rocks better, we recently bought an old farm on top of a hill and turning soil that hasn't been turned in over 40 years.  The rocks we find in the fields are an amazing variety of colors from Snow White to red, blue, green, speckled, striated, quartz's (smokes and clear), from pebbles to boulders.  Some of the rocks I pick up have a story and I wish I knew more . . . . .

Here is some history of where we are located:
http://dnr.wi.gov/wnrmag/2015/02/fossils.htm

[peoplechipper]

Stephen (which is actually my first name too) you have bigger huevos than me; I'm not very claustrophobic but I'd probably lose it in that tight passage you showed...I used to have a real fear of heights that I beat by confronting it (climbed a stupid big tree with a friend and shook so much I'm surprised I didn't fall out) but certain things still get me buggy, like riding trails with big fallaways on one side...Tony.