Inverse Equal Slog topped by a Japanese Bath House

I left Hanmer Springs, a hotbed of tourist activity, and headed into the wind. I must be developing an ole' timer sense of predicting the weather, and I forecast it to rain. As I slogged uphill all day, the rain fell as well as the temperature. At the top of Lewis Pass, I buckled up for the 6km descent to a japanese style bath house. I could barely pay for the access as my hands were frozen in place.

After a beautiful bath in ungodly hot water I camped with a Tasmanian guy and we ate some pasta. The next day was the polar opposite. I enjoyed unexpected 10 km downhill runs, a massive tailwind and a shining sun to dry my sopping socks and bathing suit.

I've determined biking reflects life, as you will win some and lose some, but as long as you are smiling there isn't anything to worry about.

Arapaua SeaFarm and the Molesworth

The first adventure of the South Island started with a trip on a mailboat to a farm on the tip of the Marlborough Sounds. The Arapawa SeaFarm is a 900 acre farm, cultivating paua (aka abalone) on a small bay facing the North Island. In the picture it is the upper right island.



The day to day activities included weeding tawini, moving wood from a tree that was chopped down, and helping with the three children. All in all it was an epic view, lots of work, and a week to remember.

The next destination was the Molesworth, New Zealands largest farm. At 400,000 acres, this high alpine farm is managed as a conservation area, as well as a recreation area. Although the road traveling trough is only open for a short period starting in December, I applied for a special permit to ride through. One week later I found myself traveling up the gravely road towards the enterance. The road was a mix of velvet dust and splintered river rock.



Smack dab in the middle of the Molesworth I hit 1000k on the odometer. I think big #2 will come much faster as my time on the south island will be much more cycle intensive.

Bye bye North...Helloooo South

A view looking somewhat towards the South Island. I barely nabbed a campsite in a grove of trees near the beach.



Cruising into the South island via the Troy Channel was epic, especially after the hussle and bustle of Wellington, the capitol city. On the prow of the Interislander winds would jar and throw people about, similar to a bumpy ride in a car. It was cold, but well worth the front and center view of the Marlborough Sound.



I made plans for a micro tour around the Marlborough wine country. Vineyard after vineyard, I eventually stopped for lunch at Wairau River estate and splurged for a steak burger. Delicious.



Kiwi birds. Wacky little creatures with no wings. These curious little things were scurrying around my camp, and as you might notice they had no fear of me or my camera. I was awakened periodically by their pecking at my gear. I tossed sand at them in response.

In a couple hours I will leave on a mailboat to the Radon's aquafarm on an island in the Marlborough Sounds. This should be an interesting experience, for there are no roads, and supplies are delivered via barges.

Coming up...Molesworth Station Ride..

Savita- An uncommon experience

Savita is an eco community of a few like minded individuals whom devote their energy to the pursuit of purpose. With grand plans for an earthship that challenges the square, the architectural feat will be home to many flowing curves and well thought out areas.


In the midst of the activity, the Gubbs showed up on their travels as a Targa Rally finish timing crew. I joined them for a morning of timing rally cars as they sped past the finish line. All this was at the base of Mt. Taranaki, and a good day to see the mountain. Bonus Fact: Mt. Taranaki recieves around 7000 mm of rain anually so a good day is a great day!



My primariy occupation at Savita was designing tire stairways and retaining walls. This activity was carried out with the help of 3 other Wwoofers, one named Shun from Tokyo, and a french couple named Rhenaud and Angel. The 'stairway to heaven' is a full 20 steps tall, and consumed about 250 tires. Its a good thing tires are a abundant natural resource of the 21st century...



A memorable moment will be the gorse burn. Gorse is a hedge plant from Scottland that was imported as a cheap hedge. It spread everywhere in New Zealand, and soon the prickly, ugly downright nasty plant covered many hillsides instead of native bush.

The night started with a chant in the meditation temple, afterwhich we equipped ourselves with diesel torches. Atop a hill the torches were lit and 5 of us proceeded to burn as much gorse as possible. Soon enough we were feverishly scampering through goat paths with the flames licking at our heels. It was a task for pyro-oriented tire-obsessed mates pursuing purpose in a community of like minded individuals.

Dr. Melva Martin and her farm

After pedaling through torrential wind and rain storms, akin to stopping ole Lance in his tracks, I made my way along the coast to Waitara for lunch. Coincidentally, this was also the hometown of Dr. Melva Martin, whom I had arranged my next stay with- all things bueno!



Melva is full of determination and spirit, founding and developing New Zealand's first Natropathic College. While this served her well, Melva is moving on to pursue farming blueberries, fejoas, cultivating native trees and constructing a retreat center. Once all the business is done, she will live a 'crusie' lifestyle, which is admirable.



Initial plans were concieved to construct a chook house from tires, building on my previous expereince at the Earthship. However, this plan has developed into a meditation seating area, poised next to the creek and amongst a native tree grove.

Coming up...the finished product!

The Gubbs Earthship

Made from 10,000 or so recycled tires, the Gubbs Earthship is quite a feat of pioneering sprit. 'Kandoit' is the title of their effort and it looks like the project is progressing slowly but surely.



Most, if not all of the Earthship, is created from recycled materials including: pavers, air filters, lumber, cans, and so many more ingenious repurposed materials.

Coming up- A mini earthsip for chooks at the Rainbow Retreat...

Auckland and the little cat

At approximately 5:45 am, the bohemouth 747 shuddered to a stop in Auckland International. After a quick clean of my shoes in the biosecurity checkpoint, I wandered about with a large bike box and duffel, obviously without direction. Soon enought David Stillaman, whom I had met on a cycle touring site, approached me and off we were for coffee and a crossiant.

David has a little cat, which incidentally is its name. To keep things short and simple I'll say adio until I see a house made of tires...

The secret of the pine cone

The end of the summer is wrapping up. Bursts of color are erupting over the mountains as trees, shrubs and other foliage battles the cold nights. I have been learning the secret of the pine cone, and this plant matter will not change, ever.



At Custom Iron Design I have learned a tremendous amount of knowledge pertaining to random skills for metal working, similar to the random things learned through life. To much philosophy dumbs down the act of creation. I made pine cones, and lots of them for a pool table chandelier.



Additionally, the last artSPOT artwork was installed, capping off the project for my part, however it may continue... I was allowed to demolish and remove the Chevron'ness of the sign, and it was immediatly transformed into a sculpture zone.
Think of the possibility of a public art gallery, exhibiting fine art and design for everyone to enjoy. Utopian dreams, but maybe a reality someday.

Around the Block

In preparation for a tour in New Zealand I decided to go 'around the block'.



20 minutes into the journey I started up Teton Pass via the old pass road. 15% grades and a loaded touring bike were interesting for my gumby legs, but I made it up fine at barely walking speed. Gotta love the great granny gear, weee.



Borrowing gear is splendid. A friend loaned me his bike from a previous Pan Am journey, and I acquired all the panniers from a local non-profit, Friends of Pathways. The director, Tim Young is an interesting and inspiring individual having ridden around the world.



I stayed the night at Pallisades, approximately 60 miles into the journey. It was a shock to see the resivouir in its current state at 18% of its capacity. If there isn't a monster snow year coming up, this shallow lake will turn into a babbling brook.



The epic vista from the journey wasn't the splendid fields or magnificent color changes occurring, rather it was two moose attempting to ford the Snake River. I happened on this intense moment in the snake river canyon, and witnessed the creatures standing strong in deep waters when the current overcame them. Instinct took over, and both moose avoided the treacherous white water downstream and opted to munch on willows upon exiting the water where they began their journey.

Burning Man and the dust devils of Black Rock City

Welcome to the Playa of Black Rock City, home of Burning Man.




I am drawn to the event, held in the desert of northern Nevada for the awe inspiring and often interactive large-scale art. I made the promise to myself that this would be the only way I would return and attend another Burning Man - For the purpose of creating sculpture on the Playa, a gigantic open canvas of expression.



I was the chief engineer of our shade structure, and what a ride that was. After a group consensus, the structure was plotted out 50% longer than originally planned, increasing the deadly surface area of the sail-like structure.



A de-commissioned hot air balloon served as the shade, although it acted as a heat barrier and soon we were baking inside the structure. Vents and multiple layers of fabric were the logical solution...However this had its downfall which was unpredictable by us 'virgins'.



Low and behold, Black Rock City is privy to the extreme and unrelenting forces of the desert climate. Far away in the deep playa, on a art appreciaiton journey, a dust storm hit. The air was as thick as black coffee with dust and 50 mph winds, and it was soon painful to open an eye behind sunglasses. Thankfully, we hitched a ride with a hardy art car equipped with a live band on the second story. It serindipidously headed back to its home base, a mere 1/4 mile from our camp. The winds had run amok in our camp, and the vents cut just that morning to relieve us from the heat had bled wind into the structure, ripping and tearing the middle section away. If it wasn't for quick thinking and haggard knife hacking, we might have lost the entire structure.



In another endeavor, hammock bikes were fabricated for the playa. We chopped a bike in half, flipping the back and putting it in the front while placing the front in the rear for steering. All in all a chillin ride.



All in all the event was a spectacular experience in self reliance and problem solving, mixed in with a deep respect for nature and the 50,000 crazies that convene in the desert to share their energy, projects and company for one week. The image above tells it all, with a formation of planes that departed from the airport in Black Rock City, to display the icon of Burning Man in the sky for all to see.

Sustainable Design Residency

Recently submitted-A Sustainable Design Residency proposal to DuPont. Maybe the idea will develop into a couple month stay at the Corian® factory in Buffalo NY. If implemented, I would focus my attention on immedaite and long-term solutions to reduce the quantity of waste, specifically flashing from injection molding, sent to the landfill.

Whew. That was about 3 months of pondering about the possibility. Lets wait and see what happens...



Might as well post an image as well to keep it exciting. A view from the top of the Sleeping Indian in Jackson WY.

Sucker Rod Adventure V2

We are going to Burning Man and these pieces of steel are coming with us. Sucker Rod is used in the middle of Wyoming, among other exotic places, to drill oil wells. The sections are connected together and the ropey quality of the steel enables it to snake down deep holes.



Ian, Avery and I started experimenting with a structural system to utilize the sucker rod as a shade sculpture on the playa of Burning Man.



Soon enough, a hot air balloon will cover the skeleton, and the wind test will begin. It is hopeful that a week long test of the sculpture will reveal all the kinks we need to work out in the last week before we leave for the desert of northern Nevada.

Burning Man and a Balloon

Well, it looks like there has been a change in plans. Previous to the month of August, our little group of friends planning a trip to Burning Man was semi nebulously focused on rennovating an old school bus to take to the festival. Ha. Our realization that no one knew mechanics, or anything about a bus came slowly and surely. There was brilliant talk of chopping the bus in half to make two trailers, and even inserting a rustic Jackson cabin betwix the two, but these thoughts were tainted by a lack of motivation and group energy.

Just about 36 hours ago I found myself standing in a field. Interesting? Well this field is home to the Wyoming Balloon Company, and I was there to purchase a decommissioned hot air balloon. Luckily I met with the owners niece, and being into the arts (a dance major) she sided with my thoughts on a new use for an old balloon. We will cover a gigantic sculpture with it, and walla!



Brian Carpenter and I spread the balloon out on my lawn. The material cost $160, and this was for 1/2 of a 250,000 cubic foot balloon. I can say with confidence we don't need any more.

The plan is to use the rest to give a hammock making clinic at Burning Man as a gift to the community. We will invite others to take a piece of the balloon and make a hammock, and maybe give away Ping Wu Hammock guides...

artSPOT- The race is ON

the artSPOT project is an idea I had when I was in Jackson Hole in the winter of 06-07. A forgotten sign structure was wrapped in black plastic for who knows how long. It was a perfect opportunity to display public art. After a few phone calls to the owner of the lot, the project sprouted. A call for artists was made, drawings were prepared, and when all was said and done, the lot was sold to the Rocky Mountain Bank. Square one, once again. At least I had all the foot work done previously.



Now the race is on. The project has been re-approved, and the first series of artwork is installed. One Barn Chicken mural created using free paint swatches from hardware stores, and a gigantic osprey nest using landfill bound tree clippings were recently installed, Ha Hoooo.

Production Junction, Whats the function?

A waste of materials? No, its waste material. Corian® flashing from injection molded sinks, configured for a prototype bench. 400 or so pieces to cut, drill, sand and cut twice more. Gia Michael likes the project, and has been helping route, sand and grind the material. The end result has very little tolerance and flucuations in 400 or so pieces. Less than 2% failure.



It is reminiscent of geology and striated landscapes.

Buckle your seatbelt

Diving board to the deep end of college. About to spring, flip and jam out a graduation sized splash in the pool. Life is about to get wet and I'm looking for a slip and slide. I see economic incentives in waste as potential or making solutions for tangible problems. Life will be different than what I thought.



Everything is now done and gone from the senior show. It is all in storage, awaiting another iteration.





Matt Rink and I will be applying for some outdoor sculpture competitions to remake and revamp the lamp poles. It is hopeful that a tour might ensue and the poles will get every ounce of use squeezed out of them before the inevitable occurs...Rustola...

Badda Bing

In twelve hours, six tons of lamp poles were erected. The resulting sculpture was charged with light, and then viewed at night as a mass of glowing lines hanging in the air. Perfect.

Plop

40 Lamp poles have plopped. The sculpture was constructed efficiently in under 15 hours. Thats very nice. Wasting time is not an option.



In the grand scheme of things, we caught these poles at the perfect time, between usable and unusable. A gray area where stuff is free because its is still in condition, and should be put to some use. They are like a fine wine for art purposes, aged to perfection. Pragmatism is paramount.

Sore Shoulders are a Sign

60 lamp poles are heavy, but not too heavy for a UHaul. At 12,000 lbs, the poles take a full day's work to move around. Matt and I solicited the help of 2 people on loading and another 2 for unloading. In addition, we welded some pole carts together for efficiency's sake. There is a reason the wheel was such a hit back in the cave man days...



In addition to the 60 lamp poles that measurre 25 feet tall, Matt and I are making another sculpture from smaller 15 footers.



The sculpture is being constructed in a courtyard, and is viewable from three floors, and three sides of a building.



Matt and I set up a portable pole cutting station to size the poles to the same length. These cut-offs were then reused as the spacers that will elevate the poles to an almost standing orientation.