Here’s a little of Tuesday’s ride with Clem. And yes, I crashed at low speed in one of the easiest sections of the trail, but you know what? Fast or slow, crashing on your bike always hurts. Please enjoy the tunes and my pain.
Aug, 12 2010
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Aug, 08 2010
Again, it’s been a while since we’ve checked in, and again, the excuse is the same… We’ve been busy. This time we were out of town visiting our families and also in the process of buying our first home. It has been an eye opening experience; excitement, anticipation, and even a little bit of anxiety are all feelings that we’ve felt during this process. The expected closing date is on the 20th of September. If you would like to take a look at our future abode, go to the link below.
Summer Trip 2010 Slideshow
Jul, 13 2010
Father-Son Baseball Odyssey Continues
June 29th, 2010 Posted in Pictures
Jun, 29 2010
It’s been a busy few weeks since I last contributed to the site. Over that period, I’ve been riding my bike, hiking, and traveled to the Pacific Northwest. The reason for the trip was one part retirement gift and one part father’s day gift, as my dad recently retired from the work world and it was of course, father’s day. It gave us the opportunity to reunite and play a little golf, do a little sightseeing, and continue a father-son baseball odyssey that began several years ago.
We are both avid fans of the game of baseball. We both grew up playing the game and although it has been too long since either of us played an inning, we still share a passion for taking in a game. In 2003, we had a once in a lifetime opportunity to see seven of the 30 major league ballparks in a cross country trip. Prior to and subsequently, we have had the time to check several others off of our list together and separately. One of those parks that was attended by only me, was Safeco Field. This was a chance for both of us to see one of the more striking ballparks in the league. Although the passion for baseball is still present in both of us, the act of attending games is more than to see our national pastime. It is to see the architecture and experience the baseball culture that thrives in different cities. Above that, it is to strengthen the father-son bond that baseball has forged between us. In total, between the two of us, we have attended games at approximately 25 to 27 out of 30 parks. One of the challenges of completing the goal of attending every major league ballpark is keeping up with the new parks being constructed and finding reasons to visit cities that may not have anything else to offer.
Seattle is a city that has plenty of other reasons to visit. Aside from the fantastic seafood and appreciation for good coffee, the greater Seattle area possesses access to National Parks and the home of the 2010 Amateur Golf Championship. We were able to take in the sights of not one, but two parks; Safeco Field and Mt. Rainier National Park. We also played what is probably the finest golf course either of us has set foot on; Chambers Bay Golf Club. Chambers Bay is not only home to the 2010 Amateur, but it is also the site of the 2014 US Open. It will have the distinction of being one of only four municipal courses ever to host a US Open. Of those four courses, my father and I have now played two. Torrey Pines and now, Chambers Bay.
Jun, 06 2010
Pictured from L to R; Jacob Russell, Ben Fresco, Dana Greenwood, Arne Backstrom, CJ Ware
The ski community mourns the loss of Arne Backstrom. Arne was killed in a fall while skiing in a remote area in Peru. His life ended far too soon, as he was only 29 years old.
This page is not a report on his death, so for accurate details please go to: http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=194136
Kristal and I were lucky to have the opportunity to get to know Arne over the last few years. Although we were not Arne’s closest friends, he had a way of making us feel like we were. Whether it was the patented Arne grin, a pole click, or a friendly hello, Arne always made it a point to acknowledge us and he always seemed to take a sincere interest in how Kristal and I were doing.
We shared many lift rides and even a few runs down the hill. He always seemed to appreciate skiing; whether we were shredding early season Resort Lift pow, a mid-winter epic day, or late season corn, Arne always appeared to be having fun. If you were lucky enough to get a chance to “ski with” Arne, you were a first hand witness to the strongest and smoothest skier ever to grace a flake of snow with his skis. I say “ski with” Arne in quotations because unless you possess a truly special gift for skiing, you weren’t really skiing with him… He was just nice enough to wait for you at the bottom.
Arne’s athleticism was not limited to skiing. Clem, Arne, and I went on a mountain bike ride a little more than a week ago, I believe it was his second or third ride of the season. Having been on my bike over 250 miles this season, I was confident that I wouldn’t have any problems keeping up. I found myself in awe once again as he pedaled his single ring Transition away from me like I was standing still. Don’t worry though, even on the bike, he was polite enough to wait for me to catch up. That was the last time I would see Arne.
Arne touched the lives of many, some deeply and some just at the surface. Our relationship was short, but it did not take long to learn that Arne was a wonderful human being that had a presence that could be felt by all around him. He was an ambassador to the sport of skiing and a good, humble, caring person. He was kind enough to wait for us. That is how we will remember Arne.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Backstrom family, Arne’s friends, and the ski community.