Look what turned up!

 March 21, 2026

To the brave and the bold,

Thank you for taking a moment to check in with me to see how things are going.  I hope you are surviving the many twists and turns fate may have been throwing your way lately.  Life isn’t always easy and it’s sometimes unclear what may be coming next!  For instance, I have recently started a new job which has affected my bicycle riding habits.  I now ride my bike a shorter distance than previously up to a bus stop where I load up ye olde bastarde on the bus bike rack and kick back for 20 or 30 minutes until I get to my place of employment.  

There are no showers at this employer, so I guess it’s lucky that I don’t have to ride my bike as far / get all sweaty!  I did get some nice wicking socks recently that kept my feet comfortable and dry, not to mention that they really make my ankles pop (in a good way).

I also went on a bike ride with my friend Todd in the Chalco Hills area.  We tried to mostly ride the dirt paths, which also involved riding over some bushy vegetation and backtracking.  It was kind of confusing but generally enjoyable and rewarding.  It was also very hot for this time of year.  Around 90 degrees(!) F(!) but thankfully pretty dry and with a slight breeze.  We rode for almost 2 hours, and covered 10.67 miles, which was a lot for this guy this early in the season.  

I am also excited to have planned a trip out to Rocky Mountain National Park to attempt to reach the summit of a mountain that is more that 14,000 feet above mean sea level.  If only there were a shorter way to convey that meaning, but alas there is not.  NO!  I typed “there is not”!  To have a good shot at obtaining this lofty goal I plan on not only maintaining a moderately active lifestyle, but also doing more hiking, backpacking, and strenuous cardiovascular exercise for the next few months.  When it comes to cardiovascular exercise, I tried some “mountain climber” the other day. That was intense, let me tell you!  However, despite the intensity, I persevered for almost 1 minute, then I rested for more than 1 minute, and then I persevered for almost 1 minute again.  For those of you not familiar with the mountain climber, here is a video that demonstrates the ordeal/activity:

Nice!  After re-watching I see that he suggested trying 45 seconds at first, so I guess there’s hope for me yet!  

In addition to all of this excitement, I am also about to head out to watch some University of Nebraska men’s basketball as they are involved in an event known as the National College Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament.  I’ll let you know how this turns out.  They did win their first every victory in this event a couple days ago, so maybe there’s hope for them to win again!?  The unknown can be exciting, no?

March 22, 2026

 Huskers win!  What a game!  What a team effort!  Vanderbilt looked good too, but it seemed like Tyler Tanner carried them (and almost won the game for them).  He seems like a likable guy, especially because he’s “only” 6 feet tall. Nice job Huskers!  And although they may no longer have an Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Department, it looks like they might still have some nice bicycling adventure options.

Anyway, back to my usual topics:  I watched a really good movie a week or two ago called Mountain Queen:  The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa.  There is some hard, grim subject matter, but overall it’s a story of triumph and strength.  It was also a chance for me to reminisce about some of the excitement and enjoyment I experienced whilst living in Nepal for two years. You could even ride on top of the buses over there!  What a thrill!  And that is (at least one reason) why there are no amusement parks in Nepal!  

Living in Nepal allowed me to do some high altitude trekking, which I hope will assist me as I plan and prepare for my planned alpine hiking expedition I mentioned earlier.  

No matter what your altitude, I hope you're loving your attitude!

Wishing you a peaceful (but not silent) spring,

BSO

Fire and Snow

 February 28, 2026

Hello Dear Reader,

How is your Year of the Fire Horse going so far?  I hope it is going well.  I recently travelled to an area that is acquainted with fire:  Hitchcock Nature Center!  I previously visited this area about a year ago and it had been recently ablaze.  Although no longer smouldering, the smell of burnt wood lingered along with fantastical wood sculptures carved into the landscape by the flames.  

Although it is not readily apparent in the photo, it reminds me a bit of a Giacometti sculpture

It was starting to warm up, but a collapsable water container someone had left behind at the group campsite was still mostly ice. 

I was happy to get out on some trails and to try out my new, recently Sno-Sealed Keen boots.  They felt pretty great, with one exception that I will expound upon later.

I arrived at HNC last Tuesday morning that was sunny with temps just a bit below freezing, which I thought would be good since there was still a good bit of snow on the ground and once it melts it would be a mess out there.  I traipsed about for a while with the intent of making it out to the Mt. Crescent area.  Despite having one of the more recent maps that includes the Mt. Crescent area, I turned a bit earlier than I intended and ended up back at the Westridge trail near the High Point backcountry campsite.  That was alright with me; however, as I was starting to get kind of hungry. My boots were feeling pretty good; however there was some chafing on the outside of my left ankle.  I tightened up the boot and that seemed to help, but did not completely eliminate the problem.  Next time I think I will try one or more of the following:

• Loosen the laces in this part of the boot (maybe tight on foot and loose on ankle area.
• Where my thin liners underneath a thicker sock
• Bring some duct tape to tape either ankle or inside of boot to reduce friction
• Bring moleskin to apply to ankle 

In summary, it was unpleasant and I’d like to avoid that in the future.  My ankle is still a little sore even though it’s been four days since my hike!  Hopefully the boots will break in so I don’t need to take special measures to be comfortable.  I generally prefer wearing shoes vs. boots, but I am thinking of attempting some alpine hikes and/or backpacking later this year and I like having the extra ankle support when carrying a pack.  It’s also nice for keeping the snow out, although I guess gaiters are pretty good for that too.  Anyway, during this expedition I had both the boots and the gaiters and there were no problems with any snow inside the footwear.

As I mentioned, the burnt wood sculptures were compelling and I spent a few minutes taking some more photos once I descended from the ridge (and taken a mild fall due to an ill-advised step onto the still frozen and slippery soil on the side of the snowy path).  

It was during this selfie session that I took off my gloves and later dropped one!  Oh no!  Fortunately I noticed the missing glove before I ascended The Chute trail back up to the visitors center/parking lot.  I went back for it and we were reunited.  

I’ve had these OR thin gloves/liners for at least a half a decade or so (ancient for a pair of gloves!) and although they currently smell kind of bad due to a recent work experience that involved a well from hell, I’m hopeful the smell might dissipate especially if I resort to a more frequent washing schedule (current schedule is “as needed” which typically has meant annually).  The Chute appeared to be pretty smooth, 

so I suspect that some bold souls have been using it as a sledding run, similar to the bobsledding event you may have witnessed at the recently-concluded Winter Olympics.  Those were great!  I didn’t watch much, but I particularly enjoyed a couple of events where the USians emerged victorious:  mixed team aerial and men’s hockey, as well as the ice dance figure-skating event where the French team managed to triumph even though the Canadians were more likable and soulful.  Anyway, in a non-Olympic event, I made it back, climbed the tower to snap a few photos, 

and headed back home.  I’ll get booted up and back on the trails once I let my ankle heal up a bit and get supplies ready to help out if I still experience some ankle pain.

In the meantime, I was told the movie 14 Peaks is worth watching and I am sure it will provide some inspiration for my planned alpine hiking expedition(s) later this year.  I am considering an attempt on Longs Peak that would ideally include some backcountry camping.  However, I am aware that these sites can be tough to get.  They will be available for online reservations starting tomorrow at 8 a.m. MST.  I’ll let you know how that turns out for me.

Well, it’s Saturday so I will soon prepare to take the kids out for dinner.  This is a weekly tradition that allows us to enjoy one another’s presence for a few minutes in a convivial atmosphere.  

I hope that you all are safe and happy and have some appropriate footwear.  Let me know if you want to plan some alpine hiking and I’ll be sure to try to help out and/or participate.  

Now I gotta cut footloose!

BSO        

Fire Horsin' Around

 February 3, 2026

Welcome celebrants!

It is indeed a festive time of year as you well know:

·       If you are like many of us, you have recently woken from your post-Groundhog Day hangover.  Perhaps you have seen your shadow and it scared you back to bed?  I feel you.

·       Superbowl is this Sunday!  I will be attending a Superbowl party with family and friends.  It should be fun, although I am guessing the other guests will be unimpressed by my contribution to the potluck, as usual.  In addition to my questionable taste in recipes, I have recently read most of a book called Superlife that has got me thinking that a delicious quinoa casserole is in order.  More on this later.

·       Year of the Fire Horse is just a couple weeks away!  So awesome!  Who can restrain the power of the fire horse?  Neeighh!  No need to retort, 'twas a rhetorical question.

So, I thank you for taking a bit of time off from your partying so you can check in with me.  Here are a few things I’ve been doing/considering these days:

So apparently the groundhog saw his shadow.  I am not surprised by this since there was a magnificent Super Groundhog Moon shining as I awoke and pedaled off into the sunrise on that glorious occasion. 

So, even if the ‘hog was up early, he likely would have been startled to see his moonshadow lying threateningly on the ground near his home.  Also known as the Snow Moon, here you can read all about the significance of this event.  

Since we all know astrology holds intense truths, not to mention truisms, I felt this was very compelling reading.  We must be bold and not dim ourselves!  That is good to hear since I will soon be boldly switching jobs!  I know, that is intense!  I will be switching to a different company and getting a different job description, etc.  I haven’t had a new job for around 12 to 15 years, depending on how you want to allocate the time off I had to try to become a middle school teacher (Ouch!  My soul hurts just thinking about it!  Thank you to all educators, especially middle school teachers!)  So, I’ll be sure to keep you in the loop about how this works out.

Although I recently predicted that the Superbowl would feature Bob Weir’s two favoured contenders (i.e., Bears and ‘Niners) I was obviously wrong about that.  However, as I mentioned earlier, I do think that the Superbowl will be a great place for me to provide my friends and family with a somewhat healthy quinoa casserole.  Let me tell you about a great book my friend Todd lent me:  Superlife.  It was written by Darin Olien, a superfood hunter, and it basically tells you a lot of truths about nutrition in a “hey bro, let’s not bullshit” kind of way.  In addition to the book, he's got some blog entries here:  https://superlife.com/blogs/  So, I am now pretty inspired by these ideas, to the extent that I recently ate some oatmeal WITHOUT BROWN SUGAR!  I know!  I was freaking out too!  However much I didn’t appreciate that, I think our tastes can adapt to healthier eating - next time I may sweeten it up with more berries and/or raisins.  One of my main takeaways from the book is there’s too much sugar in our diets and I’m afraid that includes most breads and pasta!?  Now please join me in a moment of silence ....  I am now crying inconsolably, as you may be too (virtual hug)!  However, I think there is still hope, although you may not be feeling it in this moment.  Here are some things to consider:

·       Ezekiel bread (not sure exactly what this is yet) might still be pretty healthy

·       Everyone is aware of the Sourdough Cult.  Although not mentioned in Superlife, I think this is probably still pretty healthy and I’m not just typing that to avoid angering the Sourdough Cult.

·       I think some nutritious things can still be delicious.  Like that black bean soup I made a couple weeks ago.  My coworkers made some great soups too, like a spicy ramen (with tofu) and a hearty minestrone. 

·       Here is “the best a quinoa casserole” recipe.  I think I will try this one (or similar).

So, as you can tell, I am getting amped about Superlife and Superbowl!  I will also have a few days off while I decompress between jobs and I intend to make the most of it by tormenting blessing my family with a healthy recipe or two and getting out on some hikes to break in my new Keen hiking boots. I've only worn them once so far, so I don't have a fair review to proffer.  Also, I personally guarantee the Seahawks will win this game (by more than 4 1/2 points).  How do I know?  Well, it’s because I have enjoyed myself a lot whenever I’m in Seattle.  New England is great too, but they’ve already won a bunch of Superbowls.  The good news is that, when the Patriots lose, they can still win by treating themselves to a delicious quinoa casserole!  You can find Tom Brady’s favourite quinoa casserole recipe, the Brady Bowl in his book – The TB12 Method (which, to judge a book by its cover, seems suspiciously similar to Superlife):  

So are you ready for The Fire Horse?!  In the spirit of being prepared, here are a few things to be aware of when the fire horse rears up in front of us:

·       The fire horse rewards those who act decisively with discipline and clarity rather than impulse.

·       Here is some good background on the fire horse:  

Fire horses are also popular in Pokemon (please add accent!).  

Well, I guess I’ll let you get back to your festivities now so you can prepare with the intensity of the Quinoa Bowl / Year of the Fire Horse!

To your health!

BSO

Bootin Up for 2026

 1/10/26

Hello fellow 2026ers!

How is your year going so far?  Some good, some bad?  Withholding judgment?  Valid, valid, you and your thoughts and feelings are most certainly valid.  Just stand up where you can against the oppressors and try not to get too stressed please.

I have been doing a little more walking than bicycling so far this year.  That is because my friend Todd mentioned he was interested in hiking up to the top of Longs Peak over in colourful Colourado!  I am very excited about this prospect!  I am not one to avoid an alpine excursion, it’s just that (as you may be aware) I don’t live very close to any mountains here in Omaha.  I now have a goal and an excuse to purchase some new hiking/backpacking boots.  So, as you can tell, I’m very excited about this.  Let me calm down by taking a few deep breaths.  Fyew!  That’s better.  Let me put this into a somewhat reasonable sequence:

Speaking of footwear and walking, here are a few photos from a recent walking expedition over at Fontenelle Forest.  It was last weekend and the weather was unseasonable warm so I decided to head over to ye olde FF to get a few steps in.  This was shortly after Todd had mentioned the Longs Peak mission so I was anxious to get a few trail miles in ASAP.  I got a brisk 2.5 miles or so in and about 1.5 pounds of mud on my Altras.  

Alright, that photo only contains a few ounces, but a lot of it fell off on the way across the parking lot.

I have been enjoying the Altras (Lone Peak 7) since I forked out about $140 to REI for them about 2 years ago.  Footwear can be pretty important, especially for moderately active individuals and the value of the products can vary substantially.  So here are a few thoughts about some of the footwear I’ve been associated with:

Altras:  I love the feel of these shoes.  When I bought them I was looking for a minimal-type shoe for trail running/walking.  More or less a more focused version of my older Oboz (Sawteeth Lows, if I remember correctly) that I’ve had for 10+ years.  I wore those Oboz for general purposes, but the Altras have been pretty much limited to the trails.  I think the Oboz were waterproof or at least water resistant.  However, the fact that I’m not sure about that made me decide that I don’t really need a waterproof shoe.  The Altras aren’t waterproof, but that hasn’t bothered me so far.  They are unique looking, comfortable, and secure on the trails.  They have a wider toe box than the Oboz and any other shoe I’ve had, which is a good fit for me.  I don’t really like lateral pressure on the side of my forefoot.

Asolo boots:  I’ve had these since around 1998!  

Another REI purchase.  They have been great and have seen a lot of miles:  desert, mountain, snow.  They’ve been reliable, supportive, and comfortable for a stiff backpacking boot.  I don’t think they were advertised as waterproof, but they’re made of good leather and I was pretty good about waxing on a regular basis.  They kept my feet dry on a snowy expedition out to Rocky Mountain National Park a little over a year ago, but the tread was getting pretty thin 

and I noticed I was slipping around and falling (nothing dramatic and the snow made for a pretty good landing) a fair bit during the descent.  So, maybe a pair of new boots with some new thicker tread would be a good idea.

Prior to ordering boots I looked at a few options and discovered a few things:

·         Polyurethane midsoles, well generally durable and supportive, can separate from the sole if not worn fairly regularly and especially if left in a damp condition.

·         There are a lot of poly- and perfluoro aromatic substances (i.e., PFAS / forever chemicals) still being used in boots.  It seems especially common in synthetic boots or ones with a lot of seams.  My understanding is that a solid leather boot (like ye olde Asolos) shouldn’t really need a PFAS coating for waterproofing (or at least water-resisting?).  Just wax ‘em up from time to time and you should be good. 

Oboz Bridger Ridge Mid GTX (waterproof) – I ordered these from Campmor shortly after getting super amped about the Longs Peak venture.  However, once they arrived I noticed they had a GoreTex tag on them.  One thing I should have figured out prior to ordering these boots:

·         If I had paid attention I would have noticed that they have GoreTex in their construction.  GoreTex used to have a lot of PFAS in it, and it turns out that it probably still does.  There are some newer versions of GoreTex that probably have fewer PFAS, but I’m not yet convinced that the newer formulations are fully PFAS-free or that whatever replacement chemicals are being used are any better.   

So now I was left with a pair of boots I wasn’t too crazy about.  I’ve got ‘em packed up and ready to send back; however, according to Campmor’s return policy I’ve got 90 days.  So I figure I may as well keep them until I can find a suitable boot to meet my preferences.  I’ll be sure to let you know once I find the best boots I can.  Don’t worry, price is not a major factor.  As Mrs. Snot will attest, I’m not typically a big spender so I’ve got enough scratch saved up to get a reasonably good pair of hiking/backpacking boots.  Please feel free to let me know if you have any recommendations. 

To summarize, choosing a pair of boots is similar in some regards to choosing our political representatives where that is an option.  I’d say it’s a good idea to avoid PFAS in boots and it’s also a good idea to avoid leaders who support our continued fossil fuel addiction, US-ian expansionism, and ICE idiots gunning down people on the streets.   That is probably enough soapboxing for now, since I doubt that’s why you are perusing my semi-annual column.

So what else has been happening?  Today I made it out to the old climbing gym to get a good workout and to discuss a potential Longs Peak trip with Todd.  We also discussed nutrition and fitness a bit and he gave me a book called Superlife that he credits with turning his life around and getting him into good shape.  He’s definitely in good shape and much leaner than he used to be.  I think he said he lost 40 pounds in 6 months or so, which is pretty damn impressive!  I am sure I could benefit from losing a few lbs, especially around my gut, but it’s not currently one of my main priorities.  Surely being moderately active is pretty good, right?!  We’ll see how ambitious I get once I’ve perused the book and thought about it for a while.

1/16/26

So it’s been a few days since I started typing this up and quite a few things have happened since then:

·         Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead passed on.  He was an avid bicycler in addition to a musician.  

 As a casual fan of the Dead, he also seemed to me the more rational, grounded of the frontmen.  Since Bob was born in the San Francisco area and the Dead played some shows at Soldier Field in Chicago it is obvious to me that Bob’s spirit has chosen the Chicago Bears to play the San Francisco 49ers in the National League Championship in the sport known as el Fútbol de muy Norte America. 

·         I purchased a pair of Keen Durand II hiking boots.  They seem pretty nice from when I wore them in the shop for 5 minutes or so.  I’ll let you know more once I get them out for a nice hike.  They also don’t have any PFAS that I am aware of.  Thanks Keen!

So I got the boots!  Now we just have to give the boot to all the toxic thugs who are trying to pull the rest of the world with them down into their oily pit of deception.  It’s a new day.

                                    

                                                           One way or another,

                                                                                              BSO

State of Uniting to Honor Those Who Have Gone Before

 November 10, 2025

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings of the warmest variety.

Lately I've been pondering the balance between compassion and strength.  A completely altruistic government would probably not fare very well without strength.  I think most of us believe that the most powerful governments have the most soldiers with the best guns and tactics.  However, governments may last longer and be more productive if they acknowledge the power of compassion and incorporate it into their policies.  What does this have to do with bicycling?  Well, it may be a bit of a stretch, but I was in Lincoln, Nebraska over the weekend and it is the seat of our state government.  

I enjoyed some time with friends as we commemorated the life and shared some memories of our late friend Ben Kroeze.  I have thought about him a lot lately; unfortunately probably more than when he was alive.  It's pretty easy to take our friends for granted.  So please, consider giving an old friend a call later today or tomorrow, at the latest, and tell them why you appreciate them.  Ben was a great guy.  He was hard-working and handy.  To honor his memory I decided to build a reliquary/ofrenda.  I got an image by a Lincoln artist who I could not identify printed onto some wood and built this.

Although I'm not as handy as Ben was, it was a rewarding experience that made me feel like I was in touch with Ben and I think it turned out well.

Here are some photos from the part of Lincoln I stayed in.  

Some folks were outside on a cold night.  Got down into mid-20 F-ing degrees!?

While the Ol' B and I were comfy in a classy Super 8

with some nice clean water flowing into Salt Creek from the Theresa Street Water Resource Recovery Facility (TSWRRF-ing beautiful!) in the vicinity.

Not pictured is a grocery store that didn't have any local beers in the liquor department!?  Also a DUI pullover that occurred in the hotel parking lot in the morning.  Now that is quite a way to start the day!

Anyway, back to my bike ride:  I rode downtown on some pretty nice bike paths.  I stopped in Antelope Park on my way there.  

Downtown they were putting up Christmas lights 

and one controversial question will apparently be decided on November 12!  Get your tickets fast!

There was some nice bicycle-oriented public art

and I rode in a bike lane for a while on my way back to the Super 8.  It was on P Street and it seemed kind of short, but nice while it lasted.  

Nothing questionable about that sentence, right Michael Scott?  And then past the classic Moose's Tooth/Cycle Works Shop that I remember from days of yore.  I think one of the signs described a sale on gravelly bikes, which might be interesting to check out.  Meet you there after the Beatles beat down the Stones?  Or maybe the Stones roll over the Beatles?  

I'd say the Beatles are better, but the Stones rock harder.  But I'm sure you have your own ideas about that.  No need to make it bad, so I guess I'll just close this one up for now my friends, let it be,

get off of my cloud, and wish you and yours some satisfying activities of whatever variety you like.  And here is something that I guarantee we will all enjoy:

Virtually embracing you,

BSO