Showing posts with label Mountains. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mountains. Show all posts

Accessories And Their Importance In Mountain Biking

Posted by srikanth on Thursday, August 18, 2011
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All adventure sports have their set of must have accessories and gears. Basically these are required to maintain safety and comfort to the riders. Here we get a rough idea of these must have items and what are their uses and importance in mountain biking.

All adventure sports have their set of must have accessories and gears. Basically these are required to maintain safety and comfort to the riders. Here we get a rough idea of these must have items and what are their uses and importance in mountain biking.

Mountain Bike Gear – Choice of the Biker

There are a number of mountain biking accessories available in the market at vide price range. But it’s the personal responsibility of those involved in this sport to choose what is extremely important for them and whether it suits their budget. It is also important to carry spare parts depending on the type of bike in question.

Basically the list accessories required for mountain biking depends mostly on the type of bike used and the kind of event, even the time of event contributes in deciding what is required and what is not. Generally all mountain bikers carry helmets and gloves, but serious racers have to carry elbow and kneepads compulsorily as falling off is very common. All these accessories are extremely necessary for the biker’s safety.

While participating in overnight events it is extremely important to include headlight and taillight in the must carry list. The headlight illuminates the path ahead, thus allowing you to keep moving, whereas the taillight helps you to stay visible to the riders behind you. These lights are usually operated with the help of batteries charged by generators or re-chargers.

Quality bikes, worth the high price

A well-trained rider who performs stunts and ventures on extreme grounds prefers the fully rigid mountain bike. These bikes have soft rubber tires to increase traction and double ply rims to prevent dents.

They also carry an extra set of tires to avoid delay due to flat tires. Kick stand are mostly removed to prevent accidents.

Nowadays using end pieces on the handlebars has become a common practice, since major falls are very common in mountain biking. These end pieces prevent the hollow bars from puncturing. Generally these end pieces can be fitted on straight or slightly bent handlebars and not on curved or racing handlebars.

Nowadays there are many mountain bike resorts offering their services to these thrill seekers. Unlike ski resorts, these mountain bike resorts have special lifts to elevate these bikers to the top of the hill, from where they can ride downhill. So once a rider feels he is well trained and has all the required equipment he can venture out the slopes and enjoy the thrill.


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Beautiful Vancouver, City of the Sea & Mountains

Posted by srikanth on Wednesday, August 17, 2011
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As one flies over Vancouver during the decent into the Canadian city’s airport, the surrounding beautiful natural scenery is already noticed with mountains on one side and the sea on the other. Once inside the baggage claim area of the international airport, visitors are greeted with large Pacific Northwest Coast Indian art carvings. This adds to the overall flavor of nature and the environment that makes Vancouver so different from other major cities. When driving along Granville Street towards the city center, one can’t help but notice that the trees and hedges in the residential areas are so much larger and taller than the ones we normally see elsewhere. One of the
locals claims that the superior growth of the area’s plant life is due to the huge amount of rainfall. Vancouver is close to both the ocean and the mountain range so lots of rain is expected. In fact, the rain here can actually be a problem as grey skies, especially during the winter months, are one of the few negatives of living in Vancouver. Fortunately, there is very little snowfall within the city so for Vancouverites, it is a trade off of some sort to have to deal with rain rather than shoveling snow during their winters. As for tourists, the best time to visit Vancouver is the least wet season which is during the summer months. I’ve been told by another local that September is one of the best months to visit. When the sun is shining in Vancouver with both the ocean and mountains as the background, it really doesn’t get any better.

Stanley Park on the west side of downtown Vancouver is the most visited attraction. A drive around the island will reveal great photo spots of both the city and the ocean. Vancouver’s Aquarium is also on site in Stanley Park as well as a magnificent collection of Pacific Northwest Coastal Indian art totem poles. Of course, one can always marvel at the tall trees which seem to touch the skies here. The Lion’s Gate Suspension Bridge connects Stanley Park with North Vancouver on the other side of the harbor. On the north side is Grouse Mountain, the area’s closest ski resort to the city that has turned into an all year round attraction. During the non-winter months, one can take the gondola up Grouse mountain for some wonderful hiking and views of the Vancouver skyline. The Capilano Suspension Bridge which visitors walk across to a nice nature area is another must see nearby. One of the cuisine highlights in the British Columbia province is the salmon and one of the best restaurants to sample it is the Salmon House in adjacent West Vancouver. Dinner there with the Pacific Northwest Coast Indian art décor and spectacular nighttime views of the city is one of the best ways to finish off a day of sightseeing.

Back in downtown Vancouver, the Gastown district is one of the top tourist areas for boutique shopping and souvenirs. Don’t miss the steam clock that rings on the hour. Vancouver has one of the largest Asian communities in North America so the Chinatown nearby as expected has some of the best dim sum luncheons outside of Hong Kong. Further boutique shopping can be found in the Yaletown and Granville Island districts.

If time permits, one of the recommended day trips to do out of Vancouver is to drive up the Sea & Sky highway to Whistler, one of North America’s largest ski resorts. During the off ski season, Whistler is all season resort with many activities such as hiking, biking, festivities and shopping in the village. A ride up the gondola here will enable visitors to get a bird’s eye view of the majestic Canadian Rockies mountain range. The drive itself to Whistler, about two and a half hours along the coastline, offers many wonderful scenic points as well.

Vancouver is a great city to visit as one can really see how a major city can still be in very scenic surroundings. For those coming to Vancouver as the departure port of a cruise to either Hawaii or Alaska, it is highly recommended to allocate at least a full day before or after the cruise to see what the city has to offer. As I mentioned before, on a sunny day with the sea on one side and the mountains on the other, Vancouver is really hard to beat.


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A White Mountains Vacation - Most Scenic 100 Miles in New England

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This amazing trip through the White Mountains of New Hampshire includes gorgeous views, a visit to the home of the world wind speed record, and one of most scenic train rides in the east.
The White Mountain National Forest is a 4-hour drive north of Boston, Massachusetts. Deep in New Hampshire, the mountains are part of the Appalachian Mountain system that covers the Eastern United States. Within the forest park is the White Mountains Trail, and it’s a drive that’s arguably the most scenic 100 miles in New England. Here’s a selection of my favorite stops along the way - some of them require prior planning and are day trips in themselves.

WHITE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL FOREST VISITOR CENTER

Most people begin the drive from the White Mountains Visitor Center in North Woodstock on route 112 and head out on route 3N to the Franconia Notch area.

If you’re traveling with kids then you’ll want to pencil dates back in this area at the Clark’s Trading Post, and The Whale’s Tale attractions -- both in Lincoln on route 3N. At Clark’s you can see Bears, ride a steam train, climb towers, and generally keep the young ones happy. The Whale’s Tale is a water park with a wave pool, picnic areas, and live entertainment.

Back on the road head north towards Franconia Notch, and shortly you’ll see the sign for our first stop - the Flume Gorge.

THE FLUME GORGE

The Flume Gorge was formed over 200 million years ago when the White Mountains were molten rock. As the terrain here cooled quickly, softer material was forced into the fractures that formed. These fractures wore down with natural erosion much quicker that the surrounding granite rock -- leaving the gorge. And so now you get to enjoy a geological wonder at the base of beautiful Mount Liberty.

The Gorge has a visitor center where your tour starts and ends, one of the oldest covered bridges on the White Mountains Trail, and some dramatic photo opportunities.
Continue to head north on Route 3 until it joins Route 302 and follow 302 towards Bretton Woods. Here the mountains get taller and taller until eventually you see the grand daddy of them all -- Mount Washington at 6,288 feet.

THE ROOF OF THE WHITE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL FOREST...

Depending on time available, you’ve got three options for experiencing Mount Washington: take the Cog Railway train ride to the top, drive the auto road to the summit -- the quickest way, or you can hike if you’re well prepared. But don’t consider hiking to the top unless you’re in great condition and with somebody. This mountain claims lives every year - even in the summer - as conditions in this area can deteriorate dramatically within minutes.

And yes, it’s worth getting to the summit. On a clear day the view is stunning. Visit the museum at the top and learn about the day in 1934 when the highest wind speed ever recorded on earth was taken - 231 MPH. You’ll learn why its unique geographic position provides the mountain with the worst weather on earth.

Now get back onto Route 302 and head south to the town of North Conway.

THE CONWAY SCENIC RAILROAD

Schedule at least enough time to take the shorter valley scenic train, which you board in North Conway. The train rides offer wonderful views of the scenic valleys and notches in the surrounding area.

The valley train is a 55-minute roundtrip, and the Notch train is 5 hours. Both have a first-class car if you want to have a different experience. The notch train has a dome car as well, where you get magnificent views of the steep ravines and sheer bluffs. The trains usually run from mid-June until mid-October.

THE KANCAMAGUS HIGHWAY

Let’s finish up our White Mountains Trail tour by joining back up with route 112 at Conway and driving back to the White Mountain National Forest Visitor Center.

Route 112, or as its better known the Kancamagus Highway, is the only road that runs directly east and west through the heart of the White Mountain National Forest. This is a dramatic road that shows off the magnificence of one of New Hampshire’s best-loved scenic spots. From this road your vistas include wilderness and the highest peaks in the presidential range.

During the summer and fall foliage months you’re likely to have plenty of company on your drive. But if the weather is clear who cares if the going is a little slow - this isn’t a drive to rush anyway. But it’s a magnificent end to our 100-mile scenic drive.


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A Guide to Smith Mountain Vacations

Posted by srikanth on Tuesday, August 16, 2011
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Folding Mountain Bike

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There are many different kinds and styles of mountain bikes that you have to choose from, one of the most popular being the folding mountain bike. The folding mountain bike is extremely popular for a number of different reasons, namely that it is so incredibly mobile. After all typically when you go mountain biking you go to desolate and remote areas, and so you do not have a great means of transportation for your bike.

This means that if you need to get it over an especially rough area of terrain or over water for instance, that you will have to physically carry it, and this can be incredibly difficult, which is why the folding mountain bike is so ideal.

Any folding mountain bike typically looks just like any other mountain bike, only they are patented to be able to fold into a compact and easy to carry size within 30 seconds, and without the use of tools. When you buy a folding mountain bike for yourself you are joining the growing number of riders who openly enjoy taking their folding bike wherever their spirit of adventure takes them, and it also allows riders who are not necessarily that strong, for instance many women and children, to be able to keep up with the other riders.

If you are interested in purchasing a folding bike for yourself, then there are several great companies you should take note of. One in particular is Montague, which is a company that is known as being the world’s leading manufacturer of folding bikes. They are continually expanding their product line and partnerships and are definitely one of the most affordable options here as well.

Another great company offering these folding mountain bikes is Evans Cycles, a company that is known for being the largest independent bicycle dealer in the UK, and as well one of the largest mail order departments. Their range of bikes covers mountain bikes from leading brands such as Specialized, Trek, Kona and Saracen, just to name a few.

The folding mountain bikes are definitely worthwhile, and definitely worth the price that you will pay for them, especially when you consider the comfort and convenience that they are going to bring you. Just make sure that you take your time when deciding on a company to buy your folding bike from, so that you can get the best quality and value possible.

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Aspen Nightlife – Music in the Mountains

Posted by srikanth on Monday, August 15, 2011
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There is always something of interest going on
in Aspen, and September is no different. During
the month of September, every year, JAS
comes to Snowmass. JAS, or Jazz Aspen
Snowmass, began in 1991 to honor the art of
Jazz in the Roaring Fork Valley. It has now
become a music attraction that lasts all
summer long, with the biggest celebration
coinciding with Labor Day weekend.

While this is a Jazz celebration, for all intents
and purposes, all types of music are
celebrated, including reggae and rock-n-roll.
Famous musicians and singers from around
the world attend the four day Music in the
Mountains celebration.

All events take place in the breathtaking
Snowmass Town Park, located on Brush
Creek Road in Snowmass. Snowmass
Village is one of the most beautiful places in
the United States, and this festival is extremely
popular. It is vital that you purchase your tickets
well in advance, and arrange lodging well in
advance also. Snowmass advises that if you
do not have a ticket, to not show up for the
festival – it will be sold out.


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A Guide to Rocky Mountain Vacations

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The majestic Rocky Mountains are a major tourist location in the western United States. Visitors can participate in a quantity of activities, including hiking, skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking, & plenty of more. The Rockies are home to several campgrounds, ghost towns, gold prospecting sites, & national parks. a quantity of the biggest tourist attractions in the Rockies are Pike's Peak & Royal Gorge. There are several world famous national parks in the Rockies, including Yellowstone, Rocky Mountain, Grand Teton, & Glacier.

The legendary Rocky Mountains stretch from old Mexico up through the United States & into Canada. The Rocky Mountains are over 3000 miles long, spanning parts of california, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, & Wyoming before continuing into Canada. Stories of early adventurers like Lewis & Clark exploring the Rocky Mountains are legendary.

about everyone will find something to enjoy on a Rocky Mountain holiday. Aside from all of the great outdoor activities, the Rockies have a quantity of other attractions as well. The Telluride Film Festival is a prestigious yearly event that attracts a quantity of the biggest stars in Hollywood to a small Colorado town. plenty of Smoky Mountain resorts offer spa treatments & other relaxing diversions.

The Rockies are a tourist attraction all year round. The summer months are warm, with the average temperature reaching 82 degrees Fahrenheit. January is the coldest month, with an average temperature of 7 degrees Fahrenheit. The year-round average temperature is a brisk 43 degrees, a perfect temperature for plenty of outdoor activities.

there is a plethora of lodging options in the Rocky Mountains. Travelers can camp, visit RV parks, stay in hotels or ski resorts, or lodge in distinctive cabins & chalets. Vacationers on any type of budget will be able to find an affordable place to stay.

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Around The World With Green Mountain Coffee

Posted by srikanth on Sunday, August 14, 2011
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Whether you are looking for the best tasting coffee with unmatched flavor from other commercially available coffee, or you are in for some of the most exciting coffee tastes you could ever find, Green Mountain coffee will meet your needs. Green Mountain coffee, from Green Mountain Roasters, derives from locations where coffees are grown in its best condition, giving every coffee drinker the best experience.

Green Mountain coffee comes from parts of the world where coffee beans are grown in excellent condition. From the countries in Africa such as Kenya and Ethiopia, to the Southeast Asian region in the country of Indonesia, Green Mountain Roasters brings out the best in their product.

If you are to believe that the birthplace of coffee came from the birthplace of civilization, then you are to believe that Ethiopia is simply the ideal place for a perfect coffee. This ancient country is believed to be the Garden of Eden and is where Green Mountains discovered the precious coffee beans.

Kenya is where coffees are sold at high grade. So if the world thinks of Kenya as the place where best coffees are grown, Green Mountains will think of it as well. Kenyan coffee is what many coffee drinkers want in a good cup of coffee.

Green Mountain travels as far as Southeast Asia to the islands of Indonesia to find unique coffee in three unique regions. Green Mountain finds places of Java, Sumatra, and Sulawesi to get coffee with a distinctive Asian taste and feel.

Green Mountain Roasters is committed to offer the finest coffee beans in the world, so they would not miss the parts of the Americas where coffee growers dedicate their life to perfecting coffee plants.

Green Mountain Roasters recognizes the quality of coffee beans in countries such as Columbia, particularly in the southwestern region that's commonly referred to as Colombia's Popayan region. Also, Green Mountain appreciates the fine quality of coffee beans in Costa Rica. Coffee from this country is known as Costa Rica Peaberry Select. But why peaberry? Coffee cherries are known to produce two beans. Peaberry, in contrast, only produces one. And that's not all, as peaberry is carefully handpicked for it is considered one of coffee's precious gems.

Comprising another part of Green Mountain tradition is their use of Kona coffee. This type of coffee has a mild but rich flavor and aroma. Balance best describes Kona coffee with a fresh aftertaste. In Mexico, Green Mountain also explores the possibility of growing quality coffee beans. Mexico is one of the largest coffee bean growers in the world, producing some of the best coffees ever tasted. For Green Mountains, Mexican coffee comes from the southeastern region located alongside the Sierra Mountains.

Coffee diversity is why Green Mountain also buys coffees from Guatemala. In this part of the world, coffees are grown with significant differences in every district. These differences in growing makes Guatemalan coffee unique even when it is compared with coffee from the same country.

For many, Peru is infamous with the Manchu Piccu. But for Green Mountains, Peru is where they find organic coffee that is grown by the descendants of Incas.

Behind this worldwide effort is the commitment of Green Mountain to provide a readily available great-tasting coffee to anyone without the need to visit these countries. For with every sip of Green Mountain coffee, it is like traveling the world.


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A Guide to North Carolina Mountain Vacations

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Downhill Mountain Biking – A Dangerous Sport For The Strong Hearted

Posted by srikanth on Saturday, August 13, 2011
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Mountain biking is a thrilling and exciting sport and downhill mountain biking is one such activity which is extremely dangerous and can be life threatening. Downhill Biking enthusiasts who have experienced this activity are well aware of the dangers it involves as well as the joy and high it offers. They also know that safety gears and precautions are the best shields while embarking on a downhill mountain biking course.

The sport of Mountain biking began as an ordinary sport where people living in geographic locations suitable for such races took up this as their pastime and later as their passion. However over the years, this sport has generated a huge fan following and despite of the major challenges and dangers that the sport poses, bikers are not ready to quit. Today this sport is termed as an extreme sport and for justifiable reasons. Mountain biking gives bikers the adrenaline high that they desire and which they experience while doing difficult stunts and races.

Mountain biking – a sport similar to snow skiing

Those who are aware and have experienced the thrill of snow skiing on icy slopes will have a little idea about the excitement of mountain biking. Downhill mountain biking is a popular form of mountain biking activity where the biker rides downhill on his mountain bike. On his way down, the biker gets constantly airborne and has to balance himself and the bike while trailing down the rough trails. However the thought of this high is enough to excite the biker to participate in such extreme downhill races.

Mountain Biking is a dangerous sport.

Those who presume downhill mountain biking to be as easy as biking on normal paved roads or riding in cross country biking are completely ignorant. Downhill biking involves high stress levels and the biker has to constantly keep control using his bikes rear and front suspension while simultaneously trying to balance himself and the bike. Bikes used for downhill mountain biking have sturdy frames and are thus heavier with the weights of such bikes ranging from eighty to hundred kilos.

Bikers aiming to participate in downhill mountain biking have to make themselves mentally and physically prepared to face the hardships associated with this activity. This is mainly because the biker has to start the race from the top of the hill and his physical energy is not required to pedal downhill but to maintain his body and bike’s balance on the tricky slope. This is physically demanding and its important that all safety gears and precautions are taken much in advance.

Bikers who have experienced the thrill and high of downhill mountain biking are always game to participate and care less for the risks involved. Downhill mountain biking is dangerous as the downhill trails are difficult, dangerous and the bike can jump almost to forty feet while coming downhill. Difficult trails excite downhill bikers and nothing can stop their eagerness to try such trails, not even the risk of injury or fatalities. However such bikers know the importance of using safety gears like helmet, elbow and knee pads, body suits etc. since these can ensure atleast some amount of safety against fatal falls.

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Andes Mountains Adventure

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My Andes mountains adventure started with a graveyard.

All the monuments near the first refuge weren't for climbers without skill. This graveyard is testament to the unpredictability of high places. Chimborazo is very high. It randomly drops large rocks or pieces of glacier on you, and has weather that changes by the minute. Hiking to the second refuge, we could hear the rocks and pieces of ice falling somewhere above.

"El Refugio Edward Whymper" is a simple, unheated, hut at 16,000 feet. It's named after the English climber who first made it to the summit of the mountain. It isn't completely unheated. When somebody feels like carrying wood up to 5000 meters, the fireplace might raise the temperature 3 degrees.

We drank "mate de coca" a tea made of coca leaves, which are also used to make another product - one that is taken up the nose. That seemed to help. We went hiking for a short while, which was the sum total of my acclimatization. Paco cooked something, and after eating I slept for at least an hour before starting the ascent at eleven that night.

Mount Chimborazo

Mount Chimborazo is in Ecuador, about 100 miles south of the Equator. At it's peak, it is the furthest point from the center of our planet. Earth bulges at the equator, making Mount Chimborazo even further out there than Everest. It's the closest point to the sun on the planet, and yet still the coldest place in Ecuador.

Paco, my guide, woke me up at ten that evening. He frowned when he saw my sleeping bag, which packed up smaller than a football, and weighed a pound. My frameless 13-ounce backpack didn't seem to impress him either. In any case, although it was below freezing in the hut, just as he said it would be, I had stayed warm - as I said I would.

Paco didn't speak a word of English, and I was just learning Spanish. Since our whole group consisted of him and me, we had some communication problems. I thought, for example, that the "night" (a few hours) in the hut was included in the $130 fee. He thought I was a mountain climber.

Actually, I had practiced once with crampons and an ice axe on a sledding hill near my house. I climbed forty feet while people walked by with their sleds, warning their kids to stay away from me.

I think Paco was telling me he didn't like the papery rainsuit I was using as a shell. He frowned at my homemade one-ounce ski mask. When he saw my insulating vest, a feathery piece of poly batting with a hole cut in it for my head, I just pretended not to understand what he was saying.

I hadn't planned to climb Chimborazo with such lightweight gear, but I had come to Ecuador on a courier flight, and could bring only carry-on luggage. I had only 12 pounds in the pack to begin with, so by the time I put on all my clothes that night, the weight on my back was irrelevant. The weight of my body, however, wasn't. Paco had to coax me up that mountain.

Glaciers Near The Equator

The glaciers start near the hut. Hiking soon became mountaineering. I put on crampons for the second time in my life. During one of my many breaks ("Demasiado" - too many, which I pretended not to understand when Paco explained in Spanish), I noticed that the thermometer I carried had bottomed out at 5 degrees fahrenheit. I wasn't cold, but I was exhausted at times - the times when I moved. When I sat still I felt like I could run right up that mountain.

We struggled (okay, I struggled) up the ice, hiking, climbing, jumping over crevasses, until I quit at 20,000 feet. I had also quit at 19,000 feet, and at 18,000 feet. Quitting had become my routine. Lying had become Paco's, so he told me straight-faced that the summit was just fifty feet higher. Maybe I wanted to believe him, or maybe the lack of oxygen had scrambled my brain. In any case, I started up the ice again.

We stumbled onto the summit at dawn. Or rather, I stumbled. Paco, who seemed somewhat frail down at the refuge, was in his element at 20,600 feet. Dirtbag Joe, a nineteen-year-old kid from California with ten dollars in his pocket, borrowed equipment, and my Ramen noodles in his stomach, was waiting with a smile.

The sky was a stunning blue color that you never see at lower elevations. Cotapaxi, a classic snow-covered volcano to the north, was clearly visible 70 or 80 miles away. Chimborazo's shadow fell across forty miles of land to the west. I had never seen anything like it.

Handshakes all around, and it was time to get off the mountain. I was told you don't want to be on Mount Chimborazo when she wakes up. She wakes up at nine a.m.

Paco was looking at his watch, and telling me to hurry. He got further and further ahead. Was he going to abandon me? When I caught up to him at the hut at nine a.m., I heard the rocks begin to fall out of the ice above as the sun warmed it. Now I understood. We really needed to get down to the refuge by nine. A thousand feet lower a photograph that mercifully doesn't show my shaking knees ended my Andes mountains adventure.


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A Guide to Great Smoky Mountain Vacations

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The Great Smoky Mountains are two of the biggest tourist draws in the southern United States. This majestic area is considered to be a part of the Appalachian Mountains, which run from central Alabama all the way to Canada. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is two of the most attractive sites in the country. The Great Smoky Mountains are conveniently located within a day's drive for the approximately half of the country's population that lives east of the Mississippi River.

there's a multitude of attractions in this region. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park offers a staggering range of activities. The historic and attractive cabins in nearby Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge provide excellent lodging options for people who need to get a feel for the area.

lots of tourists stay in the historic cabins in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge while on their Great Smoky Mountain holiday. These cabins range from being simple one-bedroom houses perfect for a romantic holiday, to ten bedroom dwellings made for large families or corporate events. The cabins have all of the modern amenities that travelers require, including hot tubs, cable TV, and swimming pools, all within miles of the Great Smoky Mountains.


The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is two of the best-known tourist attractions in the country. The park features camping, RV hookups, and cabins for lodging. Visitors can hike on the numerous footpaths, including parts of the 2000-mile long Appalachian Trail. Travelers can also visit the old growth forests contained within the park. The most visited part of the park is Cades Cove, which is a valley that's fully surrounded by mountains. Within the cove, visitors can marvel at the natural foliage and wildlife, go hiking, or ride the trails on a mountain bicycle.

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“Brokeback Mountain” Movie, When Love Won’t Count.

Posted by srikanth on Friday, August 12, 2011
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After a number of months hearing once and again a ton of good comments about “Brokeback Mountain” movie I finally had the opportunity to watch this movie in the theaters. I know I'm kind of late, even Oscars have passed, but it took sometime for the film to arrive in my town.

Curious sensation what I felt when the movie started playing, after hearing so many comments about the film I was at the point from which I already knew, at least from the morbid side, what the story was about and who was whom on the screen. At least that's what I thought.

It all starts in the distance; one truck passing by the hills and then we find one young man outside an office that seems to be far away from everything. Then our second character arrives almost pushing his old black truck. It is now that we realize what they are looking for…they need a job.

They are hired to take care of sheep in the mountains of Wyoming, they will spend the summer together in the mountains, they will live and work side by side during all those days. As they arrive to their destination, “del Mar” , feeling more confident, releases a few words from his mouth and starts talking a bit more and showing some signals of sympathy to his buddy. He is a tough young man with a family history with resemblance of a nightmare from one of those Dickens stories. No one suspects anything “out of normal” is happening in the story. Days seem to be passing without any great novelty.

But something new happens, something out of the regular tasks of those working days and nights at “Brokeback Mountain”. Something has arisen between the two men, it is like a storm coming from nowhere that has entered their lives and that will mark them forever. It seems to be just a passionate episode of the lonely at the beginning, a dream that none will ever know. But reality dictates something different, what just happened, will continue happening once and again, they are attached forever by a force that makes or bends the will of anyone; something we may call, love.

Summer is over and both men must go back to their worlds away from the mountain, to their previous lives, but inside them in a secret place they know those lives exist no more. They have been confronted with their most inner reality and it won't go away.

They will marry wives and strive to pursue a “normal” life just to realize they are being a pair of fakes. They don't belong to that traditional society, they belong only to each other since those day in the mountains. They finally decide and meet again outside “del Mar's” home, a poor second floor apartment. He hasn't had much luck in life since childhood and it seems to accentuate everyday, now even his wife knows about his preferences. We are inclined to conclude his only luck and fortune in life is what he feels for Jack, his “fishing buddy”.

Things go wrong at “del Mar's” home, marriage brakes and he is left alone fighting for life in a society that would stone him to death if they only knew. But there are bright moments too, and those happen at “Brokeback” where he regularly meets Jack who travels from far away Texas to meet the only love he has known.

By the end of the story there have been conflicts arising between the partners; too much distance and just a scarce proximity can not improve any relation. They have just had a bad encounter in their paradise, they part away with the promise of meeting again and fix what can be fixed when suddenly the story takes us to a scene where “del Mar” receives the notice of Jack's death in a cold post card with letters that say “deceased”. Everything indicates he has been murdered, he was caught by those who won't let the “others” happen. And now Ennis del Mar has been left aside from society, with his love eternally longing for Jack and a daughter that will get married soon and who doesn't know his dad is a loner for a reason; and love won't count.



Basic Parts For Mountain Bikes

Posted by srikanth on Friday, August 5, 2011
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Mountain biking is a fun sport. It promotes good exercise and appreciation of the great outdoors. A mountain bike is a specifically designed bicycle to maneuver over rough terrain and off road areas. It also has several specific parts that are usually used for mountain bikes only. The frame or body is the most important of the mountain bike parts because this is the biggest and this is your basis for all your other mountain bike parts. It is here that you will attach all the other parts that you will need to be able to use your mountain bike. Frames come in many sizes and shapes and even have different materials depending in the rider’s preference.

Bike frames come in steel alloys, very heavy and used in the first generation mountain bikes. The aluminum alloy frames are lighter and more rigid. They are also more affordable and easier to make in to the desired shapes because they are more pliable. Titanium frames are the most expensive among the lightest frames in the industry but they are also the most durable and less likely to corrode or break due to high pressure and stress. Other materials are carbon fiber and Kevlar. These frames are also light but they are prone to corrosion and are irreparable once dented or broken,

Other mountain bike parts are the handle bars which is used to control the bike along with the crank and derailleur. Handle bars are supposed to be as wide as the biker’s shoulders but these can be cut to suit the biker’s preference. Cranks are the mountain bike parts that are attached to the chain rings and the chains to make the bike move. Pedals are attached to the cranks for a biker’s feet or bike shoes. Derailleur is the part used to shift the chain from one chain ring to another to change the speed of pedaling.

More mountain bike parts are the shifters and gears. These are connected to the previous mountain bike parts. The shifters control the derailleur to accommodate the shifting of the gears from a low speed to high speed. Gears are several rings that have teeth around them where the chains slip into place to be able to make the rear wheel move. The brakes, wheels and tires are mountain bike parts that are also essential to ride. Brakes help to stop or slow the speed of the rider while the wheels and tires are specifically designed to withstand the rough terrain where the bike and rider go. Most mountain bikes use front suspension or shocks to absorb the impact of the rough terrain. One of the more important parts of accessory of a mountain bike is the helmet. Always wear one when you are riding your bike.