Author: Matt (Page 21 of 23)

Selling the Camaro

10/20/2004 / Matt

Post from Josh: A few weeks ago I sold my Camaro Z28. I will definitely miss that vehicle. I have owned it since June of 2000, and put no less than 80 thousand miles on it. It has taken me to both east and west coasts numerous times. I have many memories of traveling in that car, from foggy passes in the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee, to being at the top of Hurricane Ridge in Washington State. Oh, and lets not forget overheating in Wyoming. Yes, you’ll notice I didn’t just say good memories. But I wouldn’t call them bad memories either. Sure, that car could be really frustrating sometimes, but it was always worth it when you cranked over the engine to hear those Flowmaster mufflers growl. It’s one of the sweetest sounds. And there aren’t very many problems that can’t be solved by turning up the stereo and shifting down a gear. (or two, if needed) Disclaimer: Most police officers say that speeding is illegal. Use Caution.

So it will be missed. But it was time to move on. The engine was getting tired, and a rebuild was not in the budget. Right now I am riding in style (okay, maybe not very much style) in my 1987 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz. But I am anxiously awaiting the day when I can once again sit behind the wheel of rear-drive V8 American iron. Hurray for Detroit!

Stanley Canyon

10/14/2004 / Matt

Kristina and I went on a hike with Abby last Sunday. We went to the Saturday night service at church so we could skip out on Sunday morning. 10 o’clock found us cruising through the gates at the Air Force Academy and heading for the Stanley Canyon trailhead. This is one is rated difficult. It did not disappoint either.

The trail does not fool around. It maintains a steady climb up through rocks and loose granite. You don’t walk up this trail, you climb. There are a few places along the way that provide a nice overlook of the Academy grounds but mostly you stay in the trees. Towards the top you start running parallel to the stream coming down the canyon. Abby promptly laid down in the cold water and and had a big drink.

After climbing 1,200 feet or so you reach the top and it levels out as it winds into the foothills. You pass through a small meadow and finally reach the reservoir. We had just caught up with a group of people when another group caught up with us so there were three groups of people, all with dogs, that arrived together. We all went different directions at the reservoir so we were quickly alone again. We decided to head off-trail, up a little valley, and then followed a ridge line looking for a place with a view to eat our lunch.

We eventually found a nice granite outcrop with a view of Pikes Peak and had our lunch. We wandered around in the woods for awhile taking in the beauty and shooting a few pictures. We took our time going back but continued to run into more groups of people coming up. Overall, I think we met or passed 10 or 12 different groups. The trip back down the steep trail went much faster but in all reality was almost worse than going up. My knees were hurting by the time we got back down and several times we barely avoided a nasty fall. I don’t know that I’ll be going back to that trail real soon.

I am pleased with the photos I got, well at least some of them, and I continue to get a little smarter each time I go out.

The Little Blue Triumph

10/13/2004 / Matt

I rescued my 1967 Triumph TR4-A from a dilapidated one-car detached garage in Waukee, IA during the fall of 1977. It was not running and had some minor damage to the left rear wheel. I towed it back to Indianola behing my 1969 Grand Prix using a sturdy rope. We were living in a two bedroom apartment above a guitar shop on the town square at the time. The only parking space available to us was a block away in a small lot across the street from the police station. That had to suffice as my “garage”.

I don’t recall precisely what was wrong with the motor but it must have been minor because I began driving it shortly thereafter. The damage to the wheel was a little more problematic, the trailing arm on the independent rear suspension was bent and as a result the car travelled down the road slightly askew. This did not really affect the handling of the car but it did have a significant effect on tire wear and looked a little peculiar. I eventually replaced the trailing arm.

I got a tremendous amount of enjoyment from driving the little blue beastie and had a lot of memorable exeriences with it. I was attending college in Ankeny at the time and had a 50 mile round trip to make on a daily basis. On a typical fall morning I would unzip the tonneau cover on the drivers side, pop open the air vent and enjoy the warmed air that was forced through the heater and trapped underneath the cover while I drove through the crisp autumn air to class.
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Fall in the Moutains

10/10/2004 / Matt

Several of the neighbors have been suggesting we take a drive over towards Cripple Creek and see the aspen trees in their fall colors. We decided to incorporate that idea with a hike I have been wanting to make on the western slopes of Pikes Peak. South of Divide along Highway 67 almost to Cripple Creek is the trailhead for Horse Thief Falls (HTF) and Pancake Rocks. HTF is the more popular hike but I’ve seen plenty of falls lately and since it seems to predominately stay in a narrow valley I didn’t figure there would be much of a “view” and I was definitely after a “view” so I could try out my new telephoto lens.

The Pancake Rocks trail veers off to the right about 2/3’rds of the way up HTF trail and commences a steady steep climb up the north side of the mountain. The trail is in good condition, pine needle covered, and it makes you think of the Energizer bunny… it just keep going and going and going. Up that is!
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Jaguar Tribute

10/1/2004 / Matt

I miss my Jaguar. It had a certain mystique about it that cannot be replaced by ordinary Detroit iron. What exactly do I mean by the Jaguar mystique? What is it that Jaguars have that other cars do not? Even people who are not generally interested in cars can immediately identify a Jaguar, new or old. Perhaps it is the rare combination of understated elegance and grace, a certain “presence” on the road. It’s hard to say, but when all is said and done, the Jaguar is a car which pleases the senses, and does so in a way that virtually no other automobile seems able to. Those of us who have (or had) Jaguars can attest that our cars simply make us feel good, whether driving, tinkering, polishing, or just staring at them.

I suppose this unquenchable desire has its roots back in the mid-seventies when I got my first LBC (little british car). I’ve forgotten exactly what drew me in the first place. It may have been high shool memories of John Zaun’s TR-6. Whatever the case, I found this navy blue 1967 Triumph TR-4A languishing in a dilapidated one-car detached garage out by Waukee, IA. Aahhh but that’s another story…

I found my Jaguar in Kansas City. It had been well cared for and did not show it’s age or the 156,000 miles. I did have a few issues to work through but they were minor. I enjoyed entering the Jag in local car shows when the opportunity arose and always did quite well. We won several plaques and trophys for Best in Class. Perhaps most enjoyable were the events sponsored by the British Car Club of Iowa. During the summer the club would have monthly get togethers which consisted of a “drive” culminating in a final stop somewhere for fellowship and ice cream. Sometimes we would put on a little car show of our own to help sponsor a local business.

Yes, one day I think I shall acquire another LBC. I’ve always wanted an Aston Martin… like the one James Bond drove in Goldfinger.

Jones Park – Cap’n Jack Trail

9/30/2004 / Matt

We have made several trips down to the Cheyenne Mountain area to go hiking. There are quite a few trails in the area including the Gold Camp Road hike detailed earlier. One of my favorite journeys is a combination trail that starts at the top of High Drive.

Cap’n Jacks is a multi-use trail that climbs rapidly up the east side of Mt. Buckhorn. It is a single track that is heavily used by mountain bikes and dirt bikes. You have to be a little careful going up since it is difficult to get “off-trail” should you meet up with a bike coming down (ask me how I know). The trail provides some nice views of the city off to the east until the trail goes around the south side of the mountain. Thereafter the views are dominated by the smaller mountains surrounding Pikes Peak.

It becomes Jones Park Trail as you leave Mt. Buckhorn and begin heading south along the side of an un-named ridge. After a while you reach a saddle where you can see down into Bear Creek Canyon and also see Josephine Falls. If you backtrack up along the top of the ridge you come to some very nice observation points. From here you can see the Tenny Crags and a gorgeous view off to the north of the Garden of the Gods, and all of northern Colorado Springs. The day we were there the visibility was quite good and we could see way out onto the eastern plains and all the way north up to Monument.

The aspen trees were begining to turn in the higher elevations and there was a little snow on some of the mountain tops. We have travelled a little further up the trail during an earlier hike but I have yet to see if there actually is a Jones Park or not. This trail was one of the early “tourist” hikes to Pikes Peak before the completion of Barrs Trail.

Camera Gear Motherlode

9/29/2004 / Matt

I hit paydirt awhile back on some camera gear. I had been looking on Ebay for a zoom lens to expand my photographic capabilities but had not seen what I was after (at least not at a reasonable price). Then one day I saw a collection offered up that had the lens I wanted.

There were 8 lenses, the camera body, winder, flash, grip, filters, tripods, etc. One of the lenses was the 85-250mm one I wanted.The starting bid was $1,000.

I had a feeling that it would not sell. So, I emailed the seller that I would be interested in purchasing the one lens if the collection did not sell.

I got an email back stating that the family did not want the set broken up (it was an estate deal). As I suspected it did not get any bids. I got to thinking about it a few days later and decided to shoot them an offer for $800. Figured I could keep the lens I wanted and sell the rest individually on Ebay. It took them a few days but they accepted my offer.

Several weeks later several large boxes arrived via UPS and I was suddenly the owner of a very complete set of Olympus gear. What a treat! It was kinda like Christmas. All of the equipment is in mint condition. It has been quite challenging trying to decide what to keep and what to sell. I was able to get out and take quite a few pictures using some of the different lenses and that helped me decide. Reason prevailed. I only need a few lenses. The winder and flash are staying here though!

I have begun listing them on Ebay. They have sold well so far with some of the buyers as far away as Italy and Germany. By the time I get finished I will have recouped most all of my money and still have the zoom lens I wanted in the first place and several other bonus items to boot!