Gear

Last time Ryan and I climbed together he called me a gear dork. Yes I admit it, I truly enjoy gear. I think that the gear is half the fun of any sport or hobby. Someone once said (although I don't know who) something like Americans can make any hobby an opportunity to purchase.

I think outdoor gear is more than something to just be purchased. It is necessary to participate in certain activities, part of the experience and sometimes life saving. I almost always say to Amy "this piece of gear would be perfect if only they had added a strap here or buckle there" after using a new piece of gear for the first time. Many times extra effort is wasted to make the gear look more appealing, when they could have made it more functional. It's the old joke that fishing lures are designed to catch fishermen, not fish.

As a gear dork I think that it is our responsibility to search out the gear that will work best for our application. Just buying the most popular, flashy, cheapest, or expensive without doing any research usually ends badly. Gear doesn't necessarily have to be new to be good. If one of your partners shows up with older well patched gear (as long as it was high quality to begin with) he will probably be able to teach you a few things. Although something like climbing gear should not be patched. If your climbing partner shows up with patched gear climb on your rack. Home made gear can also be good. It is usually designed and built for a specific purpose, and tweaked until perfect (only a gear dork would take the time to build gear).

It is my opinion that cheap, poorly designed, overpriced, or doing without quality gear shows a lack of commitment to your chosen sport (s). It's one thing to be working on filling your gear closet, and something entirely different to try to make do permanently with crappy gear. End of rant!

Shoes

A few weeks ago one of my friends said I have more shoes than any one man should. I do have quite a few pairs, but I didn't think I had that many. It turns out I have 16 pairs of shoes not counting the worn out trail runners that I keep in the shed in case I need a pair of shoes I can dispose of. In my defense 5 of the pairs are worn out running shoes. They still look good, but the cushioning in the sole has been battered by 300 to 400 miles of running. I am still running in a pair of worn out road shoes until I can find some I like (16 pairs going on 17). 1 pair is my current trail runners. 2 pairs are climbing shoes, but one of them needs a resole. 2 pairs are church shoes, 1 black 1 brown. I have one pair of mountain bike shoes that has a hole in the toe. A pair of casual shoes, a pair of flip flops, a pair of work boots, and my Crocs. I have no excuse for the Crocs except they are comfortable.

I think my friend just needs to put more miles on his running and hiking shoes. Then he too can have a closet full of worn out shoes. I think he only needs 297 miles to get to 300.

Mike Stevens

Meet Mike Stevens. He is a rocket scientist......really he is. I'm not just saying that to make it look like I have smart friends. He works for ATK. They design and produce rocket engines for the space shuttle. He lives in Tremonton Utah (for now) with his wife and two daughters.

A few years ago Mike received the nick name "The Gas Man" (don't ask) during our hike through the Grand Canyon. That was a really fun trip. Kent was also with us. Mike worked really hard for months to get in shape for that hike.

Mike is an exceptional wood worker. He without a doubt has the best mechanical mind of anyone I have ever met (that's probably why he became a mechanical engineer). He knows the engineering part, but is also able to do the hands on part which is very rare in an engineer. Mike's most special talent is his ability to befriend someone and show genuine compassion even if he has never met that person before. It's not easy. I've tried it, and always come off looking like a cheap fake.

Mike has a killer Jeep. It is orange. Just like his favorite T shirts that now number 7 (at last count). Mike is a hiker, backpacker, snow shoer, and firearms enthusiast.

Trail Running

I went for a trail Run today. I enjoy running on trails because it is like a high speed hike. I get to see more scenery in less time, and I get a good hard workout. The trails are also easier on my joints than pavement.

Last year the county built some trails in the Tucson mountains. The trail system is called the Sweetwater trails. This is my favorite trail system for runs and mountain bike rides. They may not be the best trails, but they are close and relatively moderate. The scenery is beautiful if you ignore the houses you can occasionally see. The trails are not officially open yet. Everyone that I have run into on them has been friendly. They will always stop and talk, mostly about the trail. We all agree that we wish no one else would find out about it. It will be a shame if it gets really crowded and trashy.

Just a couple of pictures from Sweetwater. A crested saguaro and a really handsome trail runner.

Weaver's Needle

This weekend Philip and I went with his scout troop and hiked the Prealta trail to Fremont saddle. Being with a scout troop and being around all those rocks with no climbing gear was pure torture, but the hike was beautiful. There were over 400 people on the trail according to the log. A few to many for my liking.

At Fremont saddle you can see Weaver's Needle. There are some climbs on the Needle, and I hope to do it some day. I got tired of listening to the scouts after about five minutes. I tried, I really did, but I ended up going at my usual pace. It was nice because I got to the saddle and had some time to just sit and look at the surroundings.

Weaver's Needle is in the Superstition mountains and is entrenched in myths about the Lost Duthcman's mine. I did not find it so I will be going to work tomorrow.

Clown Shoes

I wear my Crocs when I go to the climbing gym. I know they are ugly, but they are very comfortable and make it easy to change into my climbing shoes. One day my friend and climbing partner Ryan said "Don't they make those in red? They are so big they would look like clown shoes". I don't really think that a size 13 is that big.................if you are 6'4".

As luck would have it I needed a new pair of trail runners. We went to the running shop and the first pair was a bright red pair of Brooks. They fit perfectly, but I moved on to some of the other pairs that were more subdued. Wouldn't you know it. The bright red shoes were the most comfortable. I asked the clerk if they made them in another color. They do, but the shop didn't have any in stock. I bought the red ones. On the way out of the store Amy said "you know you can never wear those around Ryan". I asked her why, and she said "clown shoes".

Tuesday I was running in Pima Canyon and pulled off the side of the trail to let a group of elderly hikers pass. They were all friendly and made polite conversation on the way by..........except for one old guy who just said "red shoes?".

The Ironman

This is Kent "The Ironman" Stevens. He is my friend. I call him "The Ironman" because he is always in shape, and he can survive for days with no sleep. As an emergency room surgeon his schedule has been crazy ever since I have known him, but he always has a flat stomach and can go hike the Grand Canyon or climb Denali with almost no preparation. If he wasn't my friend I would probably be insanely jealous of him and dislike him immensely just on general principles. Kent was an electrical engineer but decided he wanted to be a doctor. He is now an Associate Professor of Surgery at Johns Hopkins University. Nothing on this blog is new to him. Kent has traveled to places like Egypt and Bangladesh to help train other doctors. He has also traveled to many interesting places on his own, or with his wife. Places I know he has traveled are Nepal, Peru, Ecuador, Alaska, Hawaii, Egypt, and Bangladesh. He has been to Everest base camp a couple of times, has climbed in Ecuador, and recently climbed Mt. McKinley (20,320 ft I think). Somehow on top of all of this he manages to be a husband to his wife Janet and a father to their three kids.

Left Out

I've heard a few of your spouses are feeling left out because I did not send them an invitation to Broken, Beat & Scarred. I appologize if I left anyone out. I just assumed that they would be included if they had a strong enough stomach. I guess I imagined a little quality family time around the computer. If your spouse would like their own invitation let me know and I will send one out. It could even help your relationship since they will be so glad they are not married to me, it really could cast you in a better light.

Does this look normal to you?

My kids say it looks like I am growing a second head, but it is really just the end of my collar bone that should be attached to my shoulder with some ligaments. It is part of the legacy from my last road bike crash. Next time you visit check out the big rock that I hit. It is sitting in my front yard. The doctor said we will fix it if I ever fall on it again and it comes through the skin. That will make for some great pictures for the blog don't you think.

Brett

You know that you received an invitation to my blog, and you know that makes you one of my friends. But do you know who else was invited? Well, I'm going to introduce you to each other one at a time. You all know at least one other person, but some of you have never met. I had a hard time deciding on who to introduce first. Since all of you are my friends I couldn't decide so I am going to use alphabetical order. I was never very good at ABC order when we learned it in second grade so if I make a mistake don't take it personally.

No matter which of his names I use Brett Anderson is the first to be introduced. The picture of Brett is several miles into Pima Canyon last spring. Brett is not only my friend, he is my Bishop too ( for those of you that are not Mormon think Pastor). Somehow Brett never mixes the two up. Brett works as an electrical engineer at Raytheon. Between work, church, and family he doesn't get to get out much. In fact he still owes me 10 outings from last year because we had an agreement that we would just go hang out at least once a month. The things we have in common are we like to hike, families, church, and OCD. Although, Brett is much better at OCD than I am but I am working at it.

Road ID

Well, I guess we have milked the appendix for all it was worth. Here is a picture of my Road ID after my last crash (yes that is blood.......my blood). If you have never heard of a Road ID it is a bracelet that you wear around an ankle or wrist that has a small stainless steel plate with all of your contact info on it. My mom bought it for me the Christmas after my first crash. I don't know why she would think I need one. I give it my highest recommendation. It is comfortable to wear and could save your life if you are involved in an activity where you might not be carrying your ID. It has phone numbers printed on it and a website where emergency workers can instantly retrieve your medical history.

Bruise

I hope you got to see the video. Those are pictures of my stomach. It is swollen, really I'm not that fat I swear....honest. Amy noticed a bruise under one of the bandages on Tuesday night. Wednesday was the first day I was allowed to shower. When we pulled the bandages we found a big bruise. It kept getting bigger for a few days, but is now getting better. I was hoping it would stay. The only thing better than a scar is a big purple bruise.

Laparoscopie

OK, by now I'm guessing all of you know I had to have my appendix out last Sunday. It is a really cool procedure and I was interested so I went to youtube and found a video that is close to what I had done. Watch at your own risk if you are squeemish (Ryan), or if this is old hat to you and would be boaring (Kent).

Welcome, Warning

Hello everyone. I know my wife runs the official Brenton Family blog, but I wanted something just for my friends. She only puts the things she wants people to see on her blog, but I will post the stuff that everyone wants to see, but won't admit in polite company. If you received an invite (which you apparently did or you would not be reading this) it means you are one of my friends. This is an elite group that you are a part of. More difficult to obtain membership into than the Navy Seals or SR-71 pilots. That being said here is the warning. If you continue on you will see carnage like you have never seen before. I am injury prone, and I enjoying sharing them with my friends. You will also get my unique insights on gear in "Brenton's Best Gear", and anything else I find worthy to go on my blog. Enjoy Friends!