Chrome Pasha Hoodie: Wool That Feels Like a Real Sweatshirt?

Hooded sweatshirts are the comfort food of clothing:There is something so snuggly and relaxing about them, that just putting one on at the end of a long day can improve my mood.Before I started cycling I was a fan of this garment and wore it frequently when not in my dressy attire.But I soon discovered that I can't really wear hoodies on a bicycle: I sweat too much and the thick cotton eventually turns into a heavy wet rag. Comfort food no more. Wool manufacturers have attempted to address this issue by making their own versions of the hoodie. I've tried these from Ibex, Icebreaker and one other company I can't recall, hoping to find a replacement for my beloved cotton sweatshirts. But the wool versions only vaguely resemble the real thing; something is off about the texture and feel. Thus jaded, when Chrome offered me to review their "Pasha" hoodie I expected more of the same. But I am glad to report that I was wrong.



Whatever else might be said about the Pasha, I think it is crucial to recognise that Chrome did it: They made a wool sweatshirt that feels like a "real" sweatshirt and not like a wool sweater pretending to be a sweatshirt. The inside is fluffy and impeccably soft, the outside feels convincingly sweatshirt-like to the touch. The weight, the texture - everything is just like the hoodies I am used to. The asymmetrically placed zipper and structured tailoring add a contemporary touch.



The design of thePasha is cycling-specific, in that it is semi-form fitting and is cut longer in the back than in the front. I have read some reviews complaining that the cut is too narrow around the chest and too generous around the middle, and I somewhat agree. But I have a modestly sized chest, so the narrowness in that region works well for me. The middle is indeed roomy, but I do not find the cut unflattering. I am a US women's size 4, and the "Small" hoodie is just about spot on.



The hood is tight around the head and neck without requiring pull-strings. I've worn it on a roadbike in windy thunderstorms, and it did not get blown off over the course of the ride as other hoods tend to.



I admit that once I took these photos I blacked out theChromelogo, which is just too prominent for my taste. I suggest they consider making a subdued version of it, as many don't like displaying branding on their clothing. (And yes, I realise the irony of this photo as I write this - but bicycle logos are different!)

My one major real complaint about the design of the Pasha is that the thumb loops are not practical when riding a roadbike; they dig into the space between my thumb and forefinger when I stretch my arms to reach the drop bars. So unless I am riding an upright bike with a short reach, I end up not using them. I will probably sew up the holes in the sides of the sleeves.



A lesser complaint is that I do not like the exposed metal zipper. It's cold and "unfriendly," in contrast to the overall feel of the hoodie. The zippers they use on the pockets feel much better, so I would love the central one to be replaced with something in that vein.



Yet another minor complaint is an aesthetic one. There is maroon stitching in some parts of the hoodie, apparently for decorative reasons. This is nice in itself, but it clashes with the primary-red stitching next to the pockets, as well as with the Chromelogo and with thefabric of the same colour inside the pockets. Maybe this is a personal thing, but the combination of the maroon and the primary red looks off to me.



Finally, I should note that the Pasha is made in China, unlike some of Chrome's other items.



The Pasha has two zippered side pockets - one much larger than the other, due to the asymmetrical placement of the central zipper. The larger pocket easily fits a wallet, point and shoot camera, or sandwich. The smaller pocket will fit a mobile phone or keys. There is also a large zippered rear pocket that will fit the contents of both side pockets together. The pockets have meshy interiors and can also be used for added breathability.



As far as weather conditions, I find the Pasha best for cold weather and mild rain - which we've been having a lot of here, even in the summer. In May and June we had stretches of days with temperatures in the 40s-50s, continuous rain, and this horrible bone-piercing dampness. The Pasha kept me warm, not sweaty, and mostly dry from the rain. Being wool, it is wearable in warmer temperatures as well, certainly into the lower 70s.



I've had this hoodie since March and have washed it three times on account of getting it covered in mud while riding a fenderless bike. It is durable and takes well to being washed and dried.



The most enjoyable thing for me about the ChromePasha, is that it has all the properties of 100% wool while feeling like a real sweatshirt. The design could be tweaked, but I'll take it even as is. It's great to be able to wear a hoodie on a bike without the "wet rag" effect.

Rough Start to - 3 fatalities

2007 has become a dangerous year at Mount Rainier, even with the roads closed. Since mid-February, there have been three fatalities within the park boundary, a terrible trend as the park prepares to reopen this spring.

The first incident involved a skier who ducked a ropeline at Crystal Mountain Resort for backcountry turns. The intent was to catch fresh tracks down the White River drainage (and into the park). That skier was caught and killed in an avalanche and the Crystal Mountain Ski Patrol recovered the body.

The most recent accident involved a married couple who drowned in Ipsut Creek. The pair were crossing a footlog when Annette Blakely slipped, fell, and was quickly swept downstream in the frigid current. Her husband, Robert, immediately shed his backpack and leaped into the stream in an attempt to save her life. Sadly, both were caught in a log jam and drowned.

The News Tribune, Seattle Times, and Seattle PI have been covering the accident and recovery in detail, but a few details have emerged in the stories that are inaccurate. Some are minor, for example, a helicopter did not spot the body from the air. Another, however, is misleading. That is that the footlog to get across the washout was clearly established and marked. Here in this photo, you can see the two foot logs in question. The lower log was the one where the accident occurred, the upper is the preferred log to cross...

An accurate point about all of this is that the park, the roads, and the trail system are in very rough condition. With so much damage, climbers, backpackers, skiers and hikers will need to take extra precautions when visiting this spring and summer. Normally minor incidents in places like Ipsut Creek will be more difficult to respond to and manage.

As for the latest recovery, my thoughts are with the family and friends of the Blakely's. I would also like to thank the Pierce County Swiftwater Rescue team (and the bomb team, the dive team, and the SAR team too) for the outstanding assistance in this incident. In the image above, the field operations leader views the screen of an underwater camera.

A Special Christmas Treat

Since we have lived as full time RV'rs, there are many things that we have to do differently. Most of these things are small trade offs inn order for us to live the life we want to. But it's been nice to get some of those things back when we are sitting in one place for a bit. This being a great example of that:




I have a real (artificial) Christmas tree this year! And I couldn't be more excited about that. Every time I walk in the door and see it, I smile. I love that I can put gifts under the tree, rather than in front of it.



I love that I could put some of the many ornaments that my MIL has given us for Christmas over the years on it. There are so many memories in those ornaments.



It's is really feeling like Christmas in our rig and I'm enjoying every minute of it.




Living the life in chillier Florida!

Minuteman Bikeway

The Co-Habitant and I finally took Marianne and Miles to the Minuteman Bikeway. The Minuteman Bikeway is an 11 mile paved bike trail that runs from the edge of Cambridge, Mass., through Arlington and Lexington, ending in Bedford.

The trail was built along the old Boston-Maine railroad line, which you can see a glimpse of in Bedford. This train car has been converted into a cafe serving hot dogs and ice cream to hungry cyclists.

What I loved most about the Minuteman Bikeway is the abundance of shade! I am one of those persons who burns horribly and gets instant heatstroke at the mere whisper of direct sunlight in temperatures over 75F. A bike trail that runs almost entirely under overarching trees is a rare blessing. I can come here at any time of day and do a 22-mile loop without falling into a heat-induced delirium!

What I did not love so much, is that the trail interrupts for road intersections. The cars were courteous, but still I dream of an endless bike trail without interruptions -- Is there an American version of the Danube Cycling Path?

I was warned that going on the Minuteman on weekends was not a good idea, as it gets congested with slow-moving families and joggers. But we went mid-day on a Saturday, and didn't find it too bad. Certainly less crowded than the Charles River Trail.

Conveniently, there are several cafes and grocery shops, and two bike shops along the trail. Pictured above is the Bike Stop, selling lots of nice used bikes in addition to new ones, as well as cold drinks and snacks.

And at the end of the trail is the Bikeway Source, selling new bicycles, athletic bike clothing and many accessories, including some neat grocery panniers made of bamboo. We were told by the employees that after the Bikeway ends in Bedford, there is an unpaved dirt trail that continues all the way to Concord. It is accessible by mountain bike, but only during dry weather conditions, turning swamplike when it rains.

The Minuteman Bikeway is a scenic 22-mile round trip trail that is useful for pros and accessible to beginners. Riding Marianne was great fun and the longish ride made me a lot more comfortable with handling her. The most difficult part was cycling to the start of the trail from our house, in busy traffic through Somerville. Those who live around Boston know that this area is not ideal if you are not 100% steady on your bike! As I've mentioned earlier, I am not comfortable riding a road bike in traffic yet, so this was a challenge. The Co-Habitant gallantly made it easier by riding and signaling in a way that made us both visible. I probably could not do it alone at this point. One step at a time!

Sunset on the bay

Grand Portage Bay on Lake Superior - Grand Portage, MN. Here is a shot of the BEAUTIFUL sunset that we were fortunate to witness last night! Because of the cloud cover it seemed as though sunset wasn't going to be very good, but by the time the sun dipped below the horizon there was a small break in the clouds which allowed the sunlight to shine through and illuminate the underside of the clouds. SPECTACULAR!

BlackJack

Snowdepth Record at Paradise

Starting on the 7th of August this year, we have more snow at Paradise than ever recorded since 1916. The world-record snow years in the early 1970's made for similar snow packs this time of year, but the cool weather has caused the snow to melt more slowly than usual. Our total snowfall for the winter of was approximately 907 inches - not a world record, but one of the five biggest snow years Paradise has ever seen.



What's different is our cool summer we've had this year. Just today, I skied all the way to Camp Muir from the Paradise parking lot. That's amazing. It's August and we should be enjoying the flowers.



I anticipate that our record breaking trend will continue a few weeks. It never really cleared off today at Paradise. The moist, marine-layer that has Seattle fogged in is strong enough to push all the way to Paradise.





Here's the data break down:

From a different perspective

This afternoon I noticed a hummingbird flitting through the lilies. I grabbed my camera in the hopes of capturing it enjoying the nectar but by the time I got to the window it was gone. Perhaps it will come back tomorrow and I'll be a little quicker. Since I had the camera at the window, I played around a bit with the zoom capabilities and got these shots. I like how the out-of-focus grass enhances the color of the lilies. I'm still amazed by how many blooms are on each plant and am really enjoying them. When we lived at our previous home, the flowers were in beds on the side and at the back of the house and we had to actually go outside to look at them. It's much nicer with them right outside the front window, especially with the high temperatures and high humidity we've been having lately.

So what does this have to do with family history research? Not anything, really, but seen from a different perspective, these views of the lilies are quite different from those taken two days ago. Sometimes (quite often), when I'm stuck with a research problem, it helps if I look at the problem from a different angle. Reviewing the information already found could help in rediscovering information previously overlooked. Talking with someone else and getting their input can also be helpful. Since they aren't emotionally attached to the problem they can take a step back and possibly offer new insight or recommend other areas of research. Regardless whether the problem is resolved or not, it almost always helps to take another look, from a different perspective.

Limestone glade

We discovered a small limestone glade. It's not near our place, but it's in the same county (Blount county).



Plants in these glades thrive in unusual conditions: very thin soil on dry rocky ground.



A rocky pocket. From above, these flowers bring starfish to mind.



Widowscross, Sedum pulchellum. A.k.a. Pink stonecrop.



Most of them were white rather than pink. Definitely, they fit the description of "locally abundant".



Drifts of sandwort surrounded the sedum. I believe this is Glade sandwort, Minuartia patula.



In the shadier areas, there was a little Miami mist (Phacelia purshii). (Sounds more like a soft drink than a plant to me.)



I love the fringed petals.

Velophilia and Its Symptoms (and Announcing Dress Guards Recipient!)

Several days ago I offered togive away a set of dress guards, and the rule was for bicycles (not their owners) to post comments about why they would like them. I expected a dozen or so comments from bicycles, but receivedclose to 40... which made me realise that I am by far not the only one to anthropomorphise my bicycles to a point that borders on delusion. And the good news, is that when 40 people share the same delusion, that's called sanity!



[image via Laura B.]

Without further ado, I now announce whom my bicycle Linda has chosen as the recipient of the dress guards: a 1950's step-through Dutch bike named Fanny (pictured above). Here is Fanny's comment:

I'm a Dutch lady, from the mysterious Fanal family, born in the 1950s. I have naked holes running along both sides of my back fender. After reading your post about dress guards, I realized how un-lady-like it has been to leave these dress guard anchors exposed.

I have recently been working on my appearance--rust removal, new pedals, touch-up painting, pin-striping with a gold paint pen, re-shellacking my grips, etc. It would be so nice to show up at the farmer's market this weekend with a lovely dress guard. The lilac branches in my photo (link below) might have appreciated the guard, too.

Love,

Fanny, the Fanal

A vintage Dutch bicycle who lives in exile in the US, loves lilacs and has gaping holes in her fender? Linda dabbed at her eyes with an embroidered hanky as she read Fanny's story, and would like her to have the dress guards. If Fanny's human companion Laura B. could please send me her mailing address, the dress guards shall be on their way to her shortly! And thank you everybody for all the bicycle comments on that post; they were hilarious and a lot of fun to read!



Speaking of acute symptoms of Velophilia, I knitted this skirt while convalescing from my hopefully-not-pneumonia. The design is bicycle friendly:It looks like a narrow pencil skirt from the front, but the pointed end in the back allows it to open up while pedaling. I think cycling exclusively on a road bike for the past several weeks has made me crazed with desire to ride an upright bicycle in a skirt again.



And once the skirt was completed, I also realised that my choice of yarn looked a little familiar...



Ah yes, my mixte!My Velophilia is at its most acute when something prevents me from cycling as much as I'd like. Everything I do ends up being about bicycles.I look forward to returning to Boston later this weekend, hopefully entirely recovered.

Mt. Rainier, Ptarmigan Ridge

Tina drove Mark and I around to Mowich Lake and dropped us off. We would have to climb Ptarmigan Ridge and descend the easier Emmons Glacier to get to the other car waiting at the White River Campground. This picture shows the northwest side of Mt. Rainier. Ptarmigan Ridge is on the left.
Moss covered rocks by a small creek.
The "entrance" to Spray Park.
Kids playing on the snow at Spray Park.
Colorful rocks and Indian paintbrush on the lower slopes of Ptarmigan Ridge.
This is what we came to climb! A steep 2,000' face, the icy chute below the buttress and a short rock climb.
Our route is shown in red.
The snow was absolutely perfect. It was firm, but not too hard for crampons or ice axes.
The air was about 40 degrees and calm. There wasn't any rock or ice fall while we were climbing.
Mark swinging his ice tool near the top of the face.
The sun rising near the Stuart Range as seen from 12,000'.
After climbing the face, we had two options. One was to go left and cross below a large ice cliff and get right on the Liberty Cap Glacier. We chose to go right, break out the ice screws and climb the icy chute below the rock buttress.
The ice was also in great shape.
The views looking down on the glaciers and valleys were amazing.
The last obstacle was this exit gully. It was a bit of a challenge to climb rock wearing crampons and carrying a large pack.
Our shadows projected onto the rock as we head towards Liberty Cap.
Climbers moving over the sun and wind sculpted snow at about 13,500'.
Mark checking out a bergschrund near the summit.
Doug and Mark on Liberty Cap.
A black bear at Glacier Basin.
It was a nice change to approach a climb on Mt. Rainier from a new area. It was great to finally make it up Ptarmigan Ridge. This is one climb we will never forget!