.:. andrew matranga - writer | editor | cartographer .:.

More Rides, Lazy Blogger

2010-08-19T11:42:00.000-04:00

Logged a few more rides. Two here in the Marlton area and one in Wildwood/Cape May. So many other social networking sites are stealing my attention. Without ado, the maps:

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Serious cobwebs

2010-07-15T10:01:00.001-04:00

Second ride of the year. Literally had to brush off cobwebs from my bike frame.

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How recipes should look

2010-05-16T16:25:00.001-04:00

How recipes should look
Originally uploaded by Starsammy

nice chart

Nonno's First Visit With Lake

2010-04-21T11:58:00.002-04:00

So my dad, Lochlan's Nonno (Italian for Grandfather), made the trip from Chicago to see his grandson. Of course, Lake was ready in his White Sox jersey. Then Nonno had a nap with Lake and helped with the bath. The highlight of trip, however, was Lake's first trip to a National Park site: Gettysburg. Best to start with a classic. Nonno gave Lochlan the full tour of Devil's Den and the woods between the Wheatfield and the Peach Orchard. A future Civil War buff in the making.

Easter Weekend 2010

2010-04-07T15:38:00.002-04:00

We went up to New Jersey for Easter. Before we left, Perry came through Takoma Park. On the way back on Monday, we had an unexpected layover in PA at Kelly's Aunt Donna and Uncle Steve's. Ended up being a beautiful day, and Lake got to meet a few more family members. He was held by many new people, and everyone had a wonderful time.

Introducing: Lochlan "Lake" Kent Matranga

2010-03-21T12:49:00.002-04:00

From Lochlan "Lake" Kent Matranga - 03/17/2010 and 03/18/2010

Our son, Lochlan, arrived at 11:01pm with an hour to spare on St. Patrick's Day. He weighed 8lbs. 8 oz. and he was 21.5 inches. It was an amazing experience. Mom was a champion, and Lake was a star. I was humbled, to say the least. We returned home on Friday night and have been hanging out and getting down a routine. He's feeding well and sleeping soundly; of course, we hope that trend continues. Mom is hanging in there and doing her best to rest.

Safe to say, we are completely and utter in love with this little man. He's changed our lives, and we will never, ever be the same.

From Lochlan "Lake" Kent Matranga - 03/17/2010 and 03/18/2010

Counting Down

2010-03-11T11:08:00.001-05:00

Less than a week now until the due date of Baby Matranga. The waiting game begins...

Yearly Tradition

2010-03-08T11:15:00.003-05:00

Each year on March 8th, I try to remind myself that tapping into The Creative is one of our most-important pursuits as humans.

Thanks again to Gato Negro, the little black cat who continues to ride the asphalt rivers of this proud land. I've enjoyed knowing this slinky feline and watching his growth from the parlor of Gorham Street in Madison to the bars and clubs of San Francisco. Now that Gato has found a home with Guella, my dear friend David's band out in San Fran, he's starting to realize some of that nascent potential that Patrick and I harnessed after a snowy drive beyond the city, not too far...

El Gato has traveled well, and like the wine that inspired his birth, continues to age well. Seven years later, and he's on about his third life out of nine.

Not bad, not bad at all.

Ride Report: Variations on a Theme

2010-03-08T09:50:00.000-05:00

The spell of winter broke this weekend. Our feverish work in anticipation of the baby has ramped up. I finally got the bike out of hibernation for a quick spin. Tested some newer hills in the neighborhood.

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Took a slightly different path to Walter Reed and then dropped into the park on Sherill. Lots of debris on the road to avoid. Took the first right and did the small gradient climb to the west side of the park before the rollers back to the northern fringe. Stayed on Daniel Road to meet back up with Beach Drive. Then I circled back into Takoma Park and hit the hills of my neighborhood to scout out a nice set of repeats that will keep me close to home. I have to create a backyard routine to get some miles in this spring. Really tried to stay in the saddle for the shorter, punchy climbs. Would love to have my own personal Flanders (minus the massive mileage and hellish weather) to set my spring off right. With temps in the 60s, I was able to ride in shorts without gloves. Not a bad hour on the road.

Rockstar Wife Frees Car From Snow

2010-02-13T00:12:00.001-05:00

No doubt, my wife is a champion. After a week of having our car stuck in the snow, she took to the streets to bring about change.

Snowy Day Commutes

2010-02-09T20:12:00.003-05:00

Finally took the time to get back to my old self. I powered through the slush and snow up and down and all around today. What a great feeling. The ride home through the falling snow and sodium glow of the streetlights was amazing. Moments of pure bliss.

The ride to work:

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The ride home:

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The Great Storm of February 2010

2010-02-09T13:14:00.005-05:00

The Great Storm of 2010 has passed the first round. We are bracing for the second volley from the heavens. This is a tranquil moment from Sunday morning, when Long Branch Creek was still mostly frozen and the snow pillowed on top of logs and branches. The hush along the path was so peaceful. The aftermath has been less so.

Click below for a slideshow of more pics from Sunday.

Once a Rogue, Always a Rogue

2010-02-02T15:46:00.005-05:00

(image courtesy of Rogue.com)

As I reflect on some recent decisions, I look to Newport, OR, for the truths.

Thanks to Rogue Ales for this inspiration. You can't blame a Rogue for trying. Once a Rogue, always a Rogue. Join the Rogue Nation.

Rogues take risks.
Rogues are willing to shun titles and personal financial success in the
pursuit of the greater good.
Rogues pursue the long shot.
Rogues have respect for diversity.
Rogues are never satisfied to rest on past laurels.
Rogues work hard.
Rogues are driven to succeed in their chosen field.
Rogues ignore the accepted patterns and blaze their own trails.
Rogues have raw talent and focus on that talent.
Rogues are honest with themselves and others.
Rogues are rebels.
Rogues have one foot in reality to let them get the job done, but they
are, nonetheless, led by their dreams.

RIP John Lennon

2009-12-08T07:25:00.000-05:00

Today is the 29th anniversary of the murder of John Lennon on the streets of New York. After taking part in this year's annual Beatles Jam up in Jersey, I have to say that I reflected on this event much differently than in past years. We have the music that has brought us together, and it will continue to bring us together down the road. While I was just over a year old, clearly that moment had an impact on me and my family...and just a few weeks later, my younger brother was born. So the circle will be unbroken and from death there will always be life. In any event, thanks John for writing such amazing music.

Recent Activities: Costumes, Concerts, Giving Thanks and Civil War

2009-11-19T23:33:00.011-05:00

Halloween:

Our Costume - The Bun Maker, The Oven, The Bun. Baking until late March. Fingers crossed that all is going well in the oven. Exhilarating time. (Thanks for costume, Dandrea fam.)

Festival 8:

Phish in Indio, CA, doing a Halloween festival. Covered the Rolling Stones' "Exile on Main Street." Got the Happy Phamily back together. Rocked the travel John Candy style: trains, planes, and automobiles. Got bumped on the outbound from DC due to snow in Denver and had the chance to hang out with my brother. Weather was sublime, the music solid, and the company pleasant. Lots of travel, but worth it. Just missed my baby mama.

Early Thanksgiving/Civil War '09:

The Matranga clan came into DC for a weekend down in Fredericksburg, VA. Had a big Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday night. Cooked for days. Kelly really did it up right, as always. (I helped ;)Got the Mark Matranga Civil War Round Table tour of the battle fields and surrounding troop movements. Stayed right downtown and had a great dinner. Weather was amazing. Saw the house where Mary Washington lived. Had a moment out on the Chatham Heights over the Rappahannock River where the Union troops were staged--something about history, a sense of place, national parks, fatherhood, and being outside. Clarity and focus.

Star Wars in Concert, Baltimore:

The concert I've been waiting for my whole life. Blew my mind. I wish it never ended. Amazing production. Superb sound. Quality video. Overloaded my senses and memories. Exhibit featured costumes and behind the scenes video from the movies. Also, an original score from the Phantom Menace. The icing on the cake was that Anthony Daniels, the man who played C3P0 in the movies, narrated the entire performance. It was an cathartic night, as Kelly said the baby was kicking away all night long. We have a future Jedi on our hands...

The Fog of War

2009-11-11T07:01:00.000-05:00

The past seven months have brought a groundswell of change in our lives. It started with the wedding in early June and was followed by the honeymoon to Thailand in August and September. Now, we prepare for the arrival of our newest member in late March of 2010. Perhaps I have been busy, perhaps I have been negligent. Maybe it's just been an internal struggle to process all of it. I know I have not been as reflective or meditative due to the to and from of commuting, working, and constantly moving things up and down in our apartment.

Today, however, is a most-reflective day: Veterans Day. And for that, I offer up two poems.

Bivouac Of The Dead
By Theodore O'Hara, 1850

The muffled drum's sad roll has beat
The soldier's last tattoo;
No more on Life's parade shall meet
That brave and fallen few.
On fame's eternal camping ground
Their silent tents to spread,
And glory guards, with solemn round
The bivouac of the dead.
No rumor of the foe's advance
Now swells upon the wind;
Nor troubled thought at midnight haunts
Of loved ones left behind;
No vision of the morrow's strife
The warrior's dreams alarms;
No braying horn or screaming fife
At dawn shall call to arms.

Their shriveled swords are red with rust,
Their plumed heads are bowed,
Their haughty banner, trailed in dust,
Is now their martial shroud.
And plenteous funeral tears have washed
The red stains from each brow,
And the proud forms, by battle gashed
Are free from anguish now.

The neighing troop, the flashing blade,
The bugle's stirring blast,
The charge, the dreadful cannonade,
The din and shout, are past;
Nor war's wild note, nor glory's peal
Shall thrill with fierce delight
Those breasts that nevermore may feel
The rapture of the fight.

Like the fierce Northern hurricane
That sweeps the great plateau,
Flushed with triumph, yet to gain,
Come down the serried foe,
Who heard the thunder of the fray
Break o'er the field beneath,
Knew the watchword of the day
Was "Victory or death!"

Long had the doubtful conflict raged
O'er all that stricken plain,
For never fiercer fight had waged
The vengeful blood of Spain;
And still the storm of battle blew,
Still swelled the glory tide;
Not long, our stout old Chieftain knew,
Such odds his strength could bide.

Twas in that hour his stern command
Called to a martyr's grave
The flower of his beloved land,
The nation's flag to save.
By rivers of their father's gore
His first-born laurels grew,
And well he deemed the sons would pour
Their lives for glory too.

For many a mother's breath has swept
O'er Angostura's plain --
And long the pitying sky has wept
Above its moldered slain.
The raven's scream, or eagle's flight,
Or shepherd's pensive lay,
Alone awakes each sullen height
That frowned o'er that dread fray.

Sons of the Dark and Bloody Ground
Ye must not slumber there,
Where stranger steps and tongues resound
Along the heedless air.
Your own proud land's heroic soil
Shall be your fitter grave;
She claims from war his richest spoil --
The ashes of her brave.

Thus 'neath their parent turf they rest,
Far from the gory field,
Borne to a Spartan mother's breast
On many a bloody shield;
The sunshine of their native sky
Smiles sadly on them here,
And kindred eyes and hearts watch by
The heroes sepulcher.

Rest on embalmed and sainted dead!
Dear as the blood ye gave;
No impious footstep here shall tread
The herbage of your grave;
Nor shall your glory be forgot
While Fame her record keeps,
For honor points the hallowed spot
Where valor proudly sleeps.

Yon marble minstrel's voiceless stone
In deathless song shall tell,
When many a vanquished ago has flown,
The story how ye fell;
Nor wreck, nor change, nor winter's blight,
Nor time's remorseless doom,
Can dim one ray of glory's light
That gilds your deathless tomb.

...and...

In Flanders Field

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

— Lt.-Col. John McCrae (1872 – 1918)

Been A While

2009-03-20T17:19:00.002-04:00

Sorry to be caught sleeping...winter and wedding planning have taken up some time. January featured heavy emotion. February zipped by, and March is nigh gone.

But this morning, everything snapped into focus. It's spring, and how.

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Like a Hemingway novel. Bright, crisp, clean. Almost an early fall morning, but on the flip side of the calendar. Next-to-no traffic on 13th Street south. Took R Street west and ended up in Dupont Circle. I was able to get to 19th Street without too much ado. Temps were in the high 30s/low 40s, so the pistons were a little tight rolling out. I feel like I could ride for three more hours. While the legs are still opening up, I feel the road coming up to meet me. I have high hopes for this season, and with such a short ride (35 minutes!), there's really no reason not to be out there. And since it's virtually all downhill, even the mountain bike will be fine in the summer. Today is the type of day that makes me love living here. The panorama from the Capitol to the Potomac was sublime. The city awakening in the early morning haze was inspiring--sure the country is swirling around the porcelain goddess, but on this end-of-week ride, good things were started.

NAVTEQ Maps the Super Bowl

2009-01-28T20:19:00.000-05:00

In what is an annual post, I present:

The NAVTEQ Super Bowl Map and Event Guide.

I was able to assist our graphic designers quite a bit on map, working on the interactive content with them, and also help define the map itself to view online. It was a cool project.

As for the event guide, I helped proof the final copy, but most kudos go to former co-worker Jason Pearlman (he of Complete Jewish Cyclist fame) who did the stadium itself in the event guide. Big project, lots to manage. He is sorely missed by this cartographer and cyclist. Nadia G did the stadium on the interactive map, if I recall correctly. I miss her too.

Anyways, this is the PR push that I found in the Chicago Examiner:

NAVTEQ, a leading global provider of digital map data for location-based solutions and vehicle navigation, today announced it is providing mapping, traffic and content services to the National Football League (NFL) and the Tampa Bay Super Bowl Host Committee. NAVTEQ will assist the NFL and Host Committee with managing increased traffic volume with real-time congestion monitoring and provide fans and visitors with event venue maps and valuable Tampa Bay-area travel information.

As the provider of the official Super Bowl XLIII Online Map and Event Guide, NAVTEQ is working closely with the NFL and Host Committee to provide an array of location-based services including online and print maps identifying nearby lodging and restaurants, real-time traffic information with optimal travel routes and official guide information for event times and locations of Super Bowl-related activities for the entire Tampa Bay metropolitan area.

-- The Official Online Map -- customized to meet the Host Committee's specific needs, the Online Map, now available at http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/43/guide/map, allows website visitors to explore venue maps and obtain driving directions for places of interest (POIs) in the greater Tampa Bay area.

-- The Official Event Guide -- available at http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/43/guide, the Official Event Guide is a composite of all Super Bowl-related events with specified locations and times, venue maps and a full roster of area restaurants and accommodation options. The guide will be distributed in Tampa-area hotels, airports and onsite at official Super Bowl XLIII events.

-- NAVTEQ Traffic(TM) -- provided by the NAVTEQ operations center based in Tampa Bay, traffic congestion monitoring will assist event organizers in managing the high volume of traffic in and around the Super Bowl venues. For fans and travelers, NAVTEQ's Traffic.com(R) site offers continuous, up-to-the- minute traffic flow information, including average speed, delays and drive time information with alternate routes. Web users can go to http://www.traffic.com to sign up for free traffic alerts sent by email, phone or text messages to help them avoid Super Bowl-related congestion.

"It is great that these services are coming from a single provider," said Dave Houghton, director of events for the National Football League. "NAVTEQ's expertise in mapping will help our attendees plan a once in-a-lifetime experience. We appreciate NAVTEQ's efforts in developing these resources."

About NAVTEQ

NAVTEQ is a leading provider of comprehensive digital map information for automotive navigation systems, mobile navigation devices, Internet-based mapping applications, and government and business solutions. NAVTEQ creates the digital maps and map content that power navigation and location-based services solutions around the world. The Chicago-based company was founded in 1985 and has approximately 4,000 employees located in 196 offices and in 43 countries.

NAVTEQ, NAVTEQ Traffic, and Traffic.com are trademarks in the U.S. and other countries. All rights reserved.

Obamathon Obamastock Obamuration

2009-01-20T20:18:00.023-05:00

I was quite a day. Kelly and I were up at 5am to make it down to the Metro before the throngs. Stumbling through the District at dawn. Running into old roommate Elizabeth and friends. Sunrise over the Capitol Dome. Trekking with our group around the White House to make it to a spot on the Mall. Elbow-to-elbow at the Washington Monument with a few million of our closest Obamanauts. It was OBAMATHON2009!

Seriously though, the delivery of the speech was pretty solid, but the overall content wasn't anything overarchingly momentous. Nothing that would be carved in marble. He's not there, yet. But, I felt that the subtlety was appropriate. Not only were expectations running absurdly high, but the gravity of the moment was enough. I read somewhere that Obama could have stood there for twenty minutes, and the historical nature of this day was enough. I agree. It was uplifiting, and the call to service and sacrifice was felt on a personal level. Caused me to step back inside myself and really evaluate. The crowd was hanging on every word.

It was interesting. No real applause lines. I will work on toward these goals. After the address, we fought through more crowds (think Phish NYE2000 in Florida on steroids), got separated, and then reunited at International Square at 19th and K. I had a web meeting at 2:30pm, and I wanted to put to action the new president's call. So, I walked across the street to my office, joined the meeting in progress about some design elements, and fired off some emails. Then I walked over to Lafayette Square and checked out more of Obamastock. Hangers on trying to catch a glimpse of the parade....count me in. I went to all of the across points on Pennsylvania Avenue, and was at 13th Street when the motorcade rolled by. Cool.

As I walked past the vendors hawking buttons t-shirts, I couldn't help but think about all of my bike rides past the White House and thinking of President Bush behind those doors. Walking in the middle of New York Avenue, and just looking at all of the people still around, I foreshadowed to my spring rides and spinning past the White House in 2009...it will be a different feeling altogether. Walking through the paper-strewn streets in the heart of the District, it felt like a parking lot in the aftermath of show at Alpine Valley. I wound my way along H Street toward the Verizon Center. Picked up three editions of the Washington Post EXTRA, hot off the press with the new prez on the cover. Then I saw the Capitol dome out of the corner of my eye. I was drawn to it, as always.

I walked over, and all of the chairs were still in place. In a rare moment, you could walk all the way up the base of the dais where the new president delivered his speech. In modern-day Washington, you can't get up to First Street NW anymore. So, I took the opportunity, and strolled up through the ticketed area. I sat there, emotionally and physically drained, and took it all in the twilight of dusk. The Dome was a burnt amber hue, and across the Mall the Washington Monument stood stark against the setting sun over the Potomac. I thought about what it must have been like to have millions of people in that space, and delivering those lines...and the resonance across the country and the world. I hung my head, let a few tears loose, and had to pack it up. It had been a long day. On the Metro ride home, I took my usual spot facing rear on the left side of the train so I could see the Capitol and the Washington Monument, and I thought back to election day and all of those emotions. It's been quite a ride these last few months. Now, there's work to be done.

See more pics @ my picasa account.

MLK Day Rides: On the Verge of History

2009-01-19T17:18:00.003-05:00

What a ride! Beach Drive closed to cars due to MLK Day. Snow flurrying on the approach. The frozen cascades of Rock Creek. The numbness in my toes and index fingers. The cusp of history in our nation's capital. All of these things, and more, on this early morning spin to the office.

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Decided to spin through the Mall after a short work day to check out the pre-inauguration madness. It's exhilirating in the District. The best part? Running into Obama speechwriter Jon Favreau near the Blair House. He was on his crackberry, so I didn't want to bother him. Then I Metro'ed home.

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Two for Three in 2009

2009-01-03T14:22:00.003-05:00

Kelly and I have been up in New Jersey for the New Year's time, and I brought the Specialized to get in some early year mileage. Took a quick spin on New Year's Day, and just about froze myself into a popsicle. Bottles frozen, wind whipping helter skelter, and an open road with few cars and no fellow cyclists. Great to be in the saddle, and start off the year in a introspective fashion, battling the elements and trying to find a sense of calm in the midst of a turbulent time.

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Then today, I brought up the yearly mileage to about fifty, with another battle with the wind and a stop over at the Dandrea's. Then I detoured, trying to figure out a new loop, and promptly found myself deep in the forest on a gravel track for about five miles, doing a quasi-cyclocross experience. I really tried to focus on my line and avoid anything sharp because flatting out in the Cranberry Meadows isn't exactly my idea of a good time. Made it back to the open road and was forced to battle the winds and rollers on Kettle Run and Cooper Road. A nice ride, just wish the legs would open up a little more. Lots of work to do this year on the bicycle, along with a lot of work to do in the office and in my life. This was a good ride for starting to sort out more of what's to come.

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Back in the Saddle

2008-12-26T16:29:00.001-05:00

I was let out of work earlier today, so I took a quick ride through Rock Creek Park. Due to the holiday, the Park was closed to cars, it was calm and quiet through the Valley. It's been much, much too long since I was in the saddle (since the move to the Takoma), and there were moments on the little climbs where I could feel it. All in all, however, this was long overdue, and truly wonderful for the legs. The Park reminds me of why DC isn't all that bad of a place to be. Nice final ride of 2008, which featured a newfound passion for this sport. Here's looking forward to the spring classics season and plenty of miles in the new year.

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True

2008-11-05T09:33:00.002-05:00

After the Fact

2008-11-05T09:14:00.003-05:00

This is 24-hours old, but still relevant. So, Obama is from the neighborhood where I was raised, Hyde Park, and he voted not far from my parent's old place on East 48th Street. Cool to see Shoesmith in the news, as I used to play at the park near there.

I gotta say again, seeing the Chicago skyline all lit up and all those people in Grant Park, man it made me miss home in a weird way. I am excited that Chicago will enter the world stage with such a big bang. The city has become a place I never knew growing up there. Thanks to Barack's stage crew for doing it up in such fine fashion. And what a speech. Factor in all of the exultory text messages from friends around the country--it's an exciting time for the people of my generation.

And now, turning to my new city: rolling in on the Red Line today through haze and mist of an east coast morning, I could just barely make out the Washington Monument poking through the slate grey ceiling of fog. I welled up something fierce looking at that testament to this nation and everything it's seen in its day: MLK's speech, protests, inaugurations....just thinking about what this all means, clutching the NYTimes in my hands with the bold faced print OBAMA screaming from the headline...it was all too much. The tears just wouldn't stop. Hell, they aren't stopping right now. After the last eight years, it's such grand release after all that tension. I am praying things turn around. We put a lot of faith in this man. We hope he can deliver the change, but we have to be realistic: the machinations of government acquiesce to no one. He's got a lot a lot a lot of work ahead.

Celebration

2008-11-05T08:54:00.002-05:00

Last night, I had a quick beer with a co-worker right after work and then headed home to Takoma Park on the Red Line to be with my wonderful fiancee and watch returns, so I didn't take part in the party downtown in D.C.

Still, this is great to see:

Your Time Is Gonna Come

2008-11-05T08:28:00.001-05:00

In the end, it was over when it started. Still, it made for a tense night as the returns rolled in. By the time Ohio and Pennsylvania went blue, we were just waiting for the 11pm EST closing of the west coast polls. Seeing the Chicago skyline last night and all those teary-eyed faces was an impressionable moment. Now is the time.

Who's Playing Gotcha Now?

2008-11-04T13:49:00.000-05:00

This is a really interesting map about newspaper endorsements in the general election. I like how Kelso broke it down.

Get ready for map overload

2008-11-04T13:15:00.000-05:00

As the returns roll in, the maps will go from red to blue to purple and (hopefully) back to blue. Now, maps are part of the electoral lexicon, and the interactive mapping world is center stage. CNN has made these maps into somewhat of a farce with their overuse of the technology, but every other network followed their lead after the primaries--I'd say for the better. Viewers can get the point much faster with a map than just statistics.

I love this recent SNL sendup of the grab-and-pan big screen maps you see these days:

Keep Score!

2008-11-04T07:16:00.005-05:00

Vote. Get there. This is the time.

Keep score tonight:

Time Off To Vote

2008-11-03T08:17:00.001-05:00

Worried about not having time to vote tomorrow? Check with your state, as you might have a law in your favor that mandates time off to vote.

Check it:

View Larger Map

Down to the Wire

2008-10-31T07:48:00.002-04:00

Indecision 2008 is upon us. One business day of watching and waiting. The final lap. GoogleEarth kml if you're interested.

Otherwise, check something else muy interessante:

But really, this the real race to watch.

Ambient Temperature

2008-10-28T00:54:00.005-04:00

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Tonight’s ride was a study in contrast to this morning’s ride in. By the time I shoved off from 19th and K, dusk had wrapped up the day in a thick embrace early due to the afternoon rains. I dodged my way through Georgetown avoiding splattering sheets of precipitation and lane-changing District commuters. It was as if the weather reflected the angst of the motorists, start-stopping in bursts of timed chaos. There was serene moment under the Whitehurst Freeway where the overhead lights bounced off the undercarriage of the bridge, lighting the road in an otherworldly white glow. As if the road were descending it’s landing gear. By the time I hit the Capital Crescent Trail, the tunnel of canopy turned dusk into deep night. I rolled through familiar territory in a heightened sense of place. Now, I know where the pavement has heaved and rolled, where the shoulder of the trail dips down and collect puddles, but this is experienced mostly in the sheen of early morning. Tonight, a single cone of solitude lit the way, bobbing left and right as my legs stoked the drivetrain to propel me uphill and out of the District. There was no respite to the rain, but I was emboldened by the spare commuters that I passed along the way. Make no mistake, I was on a mission, but that mission was pegged at 14 mph due to the void of illumination and the fear of an unknown object or seam that would catch my wheel and pitch me into the bushes. My breath and the light ahead were my guide in the steady rain and the gusting wind. The headwind that I hit on the way in reversed itself and tried to shove at me in the sections where the trail opens to the Potomac. Reaching Bethesda brought back the light, and the carom of traffic. My brakes were slipping and failing to catch due to the leaves and general grime of the road—an affront to this morning’s comment from a fellow cyclist I tagged along with this morning: “that’s an admirably clean bike you’ve got there.” Still not sure if that was a complement or not. Still, I channeled the spirit of the Belgian and French forests, where the spring cycling season hits the classics that travel over landscapes of driving rain and incessant mud, where the legends of the sport have made their mark (or, their Merckx?). While it was cold, lonely, and dark, it was also empowering: remember, the railhangers and seat shufflers on the Metro have but their fellow commuter and the ticking clock of the arriving train I thought. After the NIH section, and barreled into the last rolling section of downhill into uphill back downhill and then one last descent before the push up Pooks Hill Road. Not thoroughly soaked, but certainly worked after a day of trying to make ends meet at the workplace. Though I wasn’t fully looking forward to the ride home, it showed me that the tougher rides are those that display the character of the place—it can be done.

Take A Load Off...

2008-10-27T11:16:00.001-04:00

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It's been too long. Over two weeks. And now, only one week left at Pooks Hill before the move to Takoma Park. Have to get in my Capital Crescent miles before this era is over. That said, it was a grand morning. Not too cold. Leaves falling all around. The smell of wood smoke in the air. The aroma of the leaves, the earth, the river. Nearly overwhelmed in sensory detail. All the while, trying to take that in through the muted breath rasping from my recently unused lungs. It could have been a sepia-toned bike commercial or something. Total autumnal nostalgia. Pensive pedaling, reflecting on season that's waned. The great rides. The upcoming transition in my life to Takoma Park, the transition of the season, and the transition in our national leadership in a week. These are powerful, heady days. After all that time out of the saddle, it felt natural to be in that rhythm of left foot-right foot for just under an hour. I will miss moments like these, but look forward to creating new moments as my life moves into a different stage. Let the climbing begin...

Make Mine Virginia Wine

2008-10-19T21:27:00.003-04:00

Spent the weekend bouncing from Charlottesville and the Albemarle hinterlands to Loudoun County and her Wine Trail. All in all, I saw seven vineyards, a summer camp-like farm, and rode 25 miles to check out the region of another vineyard estate. It was over 400 miles of driving, and two days of touring. I am glad I got to see more of my new home. And, after years of singing Old Home Place, and I am glad I got to see the landscape that inspired the song.

Here's the set from day one:

Charlottesville Wine Trail

Here's day two:

Loudon County Wine Trail

All of the map pages are coolest.

Charlottesville, VA: Rolling Amidst Silent Vines

2008-10-19T09:53:00.000-04:00

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So I took at trip to C'ville to look at vineyards possible for a wedding. I rode out near the Kluge Estate on Sunday. Great to feel the road after spending eight hours in a tin can careening around the Shenandoah Piedmont. It was damn cold at 33 deg this AM, but I was sufficiently layered. My goal was a loop across the double-topped mountain, but all of the roads appeared dirt or private. Either way, most featured gates. Nice rollers throughout the course, while some solid climbs and rapid descents. Good variety for sure. I tried to stop over at Monticello, but they kicked me out for lacking an entry ticket. P'shaw to that. In any event, I've never been down to these parts, so I relished the close-up view of the hinterlands. Leaves spinning in the center of the road, the tunnels of foliage still transitioning. Steamy breath rising from the horses. Silent rows of grape vines on either side. Feeling the road and everything around it. Mid-autumn magic light. A big grin when the last hill just slays your momentum and pace. Glory and consequence on each pedal stroke that saps strength and gives speed.

Maryland Campaign 2008

2008-10-17T18:16:00.004-04:00

So my father was out last weekend for a mad-dash trip through the Maryland Campaign of 1862. The Battle of South Mountain: Fox's Gap, Turner's Gap, Crampton's Gap. Harper's Ferry. And of course, the setpiece, Antietam (nee Sharpsburg). This was the full-on Mark Matranga Civil War Roundtable Walkbout Tour. It was well researched and well presented. The trip was brought to you by Econo Lodge, Frederick, where the fixtures were literally falling off the wall in anticipation.

Here's some pics:

2008 Maryland Campaign

And here's a map, which got a little messed up without a track and such in some spots (like the Cornfield). But, you get the gist.

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It was cool to revisit places I'd seen last fall when doing an assignment for BACKPACKER on the Appalachian Trail. This really gave a sense of place and context to the terrain that we'd walked over so quickly. I have more to share...but of course not enough time.

Ride It Out

2008-10-07T22:24:00.001-04:00

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Too bad the workday wasn't a nice as the ride in. Oh well. This ride out was steady. A quick zip through the Golden Triangle and then Georgetown. Kept it smooth through the Canal portion. Twilight was egging me on the whole way, and I rolled into Bethesda still feeling pretty good. That turn onto Arlington Road is always interesting, as it seems to be the "cramping spot." Not so much tonight. I really tried to power through my personal classics-style testpiece course at NIH by powering the corners and attacking the "climbs" (really, they are small rises that I like to ride hard and fast and up). I reached the parking lot at Pooks Hill in relative darkness. It's that time of year again: the season of night. I was happy to release some tension of course, but the quickly fading light made the ride slightly anxious, as though I had to get there--like a mirror of the morning, when I have to get to my desk. The ride itself is always about the breathing and the steady up-down of the legs moving the wheels, slipping into that still-meditation of being in the saddle and traveling without moving. I find that clearing mental space during this in-and-out from the District is crucial for balance, but I hope I don't sacrifice the simplicity of riding. Perhaps these approaching autumnal days, big-crush deadlines and massive stock market falling are taking their toll. That means one thing: ride it out.

Racing Over Falling Leaves

2008-10-07T10:02:00.001-04:00

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Cold. Cold cold. At least after a balmy summer of commuting, this was the first biting day of autumn. I welcome it because warming up is actually part of the process. Though couldn't find the full-fingered gloves, the rest of my layers treated me right: knee and toe warmers and a lightweight long-sleeved jersey over the standard medium-weight short-sleeve jersey. Made all of the early splits, but was a few seconds off the top time to the Georgetown Trailhead. A few nice moves in Bethesda and then the Golden Triangle. As I shot down the ramp over Mass Ave., a fellow passed me. I stuck close to his wheel, and he paced me to the Gtown TH. Good to stay above 20mph for a while, but I didn't want to grind too hard--it's supposed to be fun, at least some times. The sections where the trail contours the Potomac were resplendent with the shimmering river and the trees that line her banks. I made some nice moves to keep rolling through the District. The falling leaves that draped the trail and the smell of the earth falling asleep for the season made for a very sensory ride. My time on the Crescent is waning, so I must treasure these last few weeks.

First Lance, Now Phish?

2008-10-01T22:29:00.006-04:00

Last week, it was Lance Armstrong making his bid back into cycling.

Today, Phish decides to take off from the Mothership this spring?

I will say this, Phish wins for better, more surprising comeback release.

But all this really begs the question: when will the legends just walk into the sunset?

Phish 3 678 9

2008-10-01T09:34:00.001-04:00

Phish 3 678 9

Um....I wrote my master's thesis about this music. Now, this music is back. I don't know what to think right now.

Phish is back. Again. Mindblowing.

A Slow Burn

2008-09-30T14:18:00.000-04:00

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Twas a dark and nippy morning at the outset, but it warmed up once I hit the trail. I basically time-trialed into work. Made it to the Bethesda Trailhead for the Crescent in 13 minutes, and then slowly ramped up the gearing. Once I hit the first overpass, I was settled in at about 20. I was back and forth between 22 and 25mph until around Fletcher's Cove, where I decidedly fell off pace. I tried to keep it steady, but was passed by a fellow I'd had deep in my wake. The slight twinge behind my right knee from the MS Ride was subtle, even though I dropped the seat a tad. I was powerful on the hill into Georgetown, and then once in the Golden Triangle, I was able to quickly head through traffic to 18th Street. A good overall ride, but certainly a moment of wonder as to my form by now.

City to Shore

2008-09-29T01:23:00.000-04:00

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This ride started off from just off I-295 at the Woodcrest Patco Station at about 7am with 7,000 riders pledging to ride to fight MS. I heard as we rolled out that the event raised $$4,316,022.77 for Multiple Sclerosis research. Positive. I was part of Team crEATe, a five-person group that raised $3,977.70. A huge thank you to all of the people who sponsored. There are plenty of reasons why Bicycling Magazine calls this the Best Cycling Getaway in NJ, and the main one is definitely the huge turnout and money raised. All in all, it was a perfect day to spend in the saddle sharing the road with teammate and future brother-in-law Dominic. We stuck together for the majority of the course, but I took off on some flyers with a couple groups that were working together well--fun to ride in a paceline. We regrouped a few times and kept at it sure and steady. The middle of the course was stocked with rolling and leafy backroads. A nice misting of rain washed over before reaching Steelman Bay and the final push. The last two bridges over Broad Thorofare and Great Egg Harbor Inlet were the ride's featured "climbs," which I motivated to stay up and really "attack." A guy on a spiffy Colnago rig and I paced each other into Ocean City and then took off a mini-race to the finish. The last two turns had enough cheering crowds and cowbells that amped us to sprint to the "line." The finish festival was decent with ample grub and okay music. We got a massage and chowed down as the sun broke through the clouds. Overall, a well-supported ride with a pleasant course. Next year, I want Team crEATe to raise even more money and ride even harder to fight MS.

Bike Philly 2008

2008-09-15T06:24:00.000-04:00

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This is the second year of Philly's cycling event, and I did the 30-mile tour with future brother-in-law Dominic. My future father-in-law was with us for the first half of the ride. We took a spin through Center City and then into the hills of Fairmount Park before a quick spin into the leafy 'burbs across the river. This was a great day, with mild temps, decent hills, and overall a decent course for a new event. They'll get it down. I love them hills....

Bike DC!

2008-08-26T12:53:00.002-04:00

So, the DC version of the Five Boro Tour is going to happen this year. I am not sure if I can make it due to the MS City to Shore Ride, but we'll see. If anything, the shirt is pretty cool...

Ride for Life

2008-08-04T17:48:00.002-04:00

I am doing a charity ride in September. Please feel free to help out if you can.

Change is Gonna Come

2008-07-21T23:37:00.003-04:00

So, we have a new office @ 18th and K, on the other side of town from our Chinatown office where I started. And, we have a new name: NAVTEQ ID Maps. So, Map Network will soon be phased out. It's going to be a great new future, both here in the space, and as a brand. I have pics from the old office to post, and pics from the new space as well..

Oh yeah, and the Garmin-Chipotle guys are tearing it up at the Tour de France. What a great time to be following such a positive group of riders, especially amidst the concurrent scandals that follow pro cycling.

It's Officially Official

2008-07-10T10:48:00.000-04:00

Nokia-NAVTEQ is on.

Here's to a new future in mapping...and hopefully some success filters down to AJM.

Celebrating Life and Love

2008-07-09T12:55:00.005-04:00

This weekend two big events went down.

#1). My good friend from high school Brian got married in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Kelly and I were there, and we were lucky to see many friends on the entire trip through the heartland.

#2). The wife of a good friend from graduate school had a baby girl. Welcome to the world, Grace Ariel Caplan.

Terrible Local News

2008-07-09T12:43:00.005-04:00

Ghost Bike
Originally uploaded by ryandudek

A cyclist was hit by a garbage truck yesterday while riding to work. She was a young girl working for a good cause here in DC. A ghost bike is up as a memorial.
Please please please, all two-wheeled travelers: Watch yourself. Wear a helmet. Always be aware.

The Home Team Gets A New Look

2008-07-03T10:04:00.007-04:00

Keeping up with developments in the GPS world: Garmin is sponsoring my favorite cycling team Slipstream-Chipotle, powered by H30. Now the team will be Garmin-Chipotle, and they will ride in this year's Tour de France wearing a new team kit:
Of course, I only started seriously getting in to cycling one year ago with the purchase of my Specialized Allez, and I didn't really know about Slipstream, er, Garmin-Chipotle, until this year. Funny thing is, they are a Boulder-based team, and I bet those dudes were cranking past me on US36 (Foothills Highway) as I drove home taking the scenic route from time to time. Anyways, they are the team I follow, and it's great that they endorse doping-free racing. I am excited to watch them in this year's Grand Boucle.

What's even better is that Garmin uses NAVTEQ (soon to be Nokia) data, so as they drive the roads of rural car in their team car, they will be using our core product. Hooray for the largest digital footprint. NAVTEQ, the map driving a mobile world--and the cycling world!

Big Time Update

2008-07-02T09:47:00.002-04:00

It's official: Nokia got the EU approval to buy NAVTEQ. Within a week it will be finalized, and then the incremental differences will emerge. I presume it will take a year or more for Map Network to feel the effects. This is still an exciting time for the location-based services industry, and being on board with the world's largest mobile device company will only heighten the presence in my my life.

notes from the north branch

2008-06-16T21:37:00.003-04:00

(Floor art @ Mitchell Airport)

excerpts from a message to my sister, following my trip to wisconsin this weekend:

wabeno was solid. i need to get you up there. it was wild to be back after two-plus years. seeing six years of new year's eve pictures. bathing in the north branch of the oconto river.

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i can't believe it was five years i started my last summer at that place. now there's a pond, a zip line, and a new addition to the house. the porch on the cabin where we'd sit and pick is going to be a patio that's a music stage. wow. same as it ever was, but totally, completely different.

(Larry the Logroller in downtown Wabeno)

therbst took me past camp on sunday before my flight. i washed my hands in the belle and wiped back tears with her waters. the annex was locked, but there's still duct tape clinging to the walls. when that place goes, know that my soul has left. the chapel area looks like something i cannot explain. good old fireside. we did a quick drive by of that lodge. i guess. i miss the oat field and head-slung horses plodding in a circle, kicking dust into the noon-day summer's sun. something about that said, "you're out here now." driving back down willow creek road, where the hills heave into the horizon, i felt like we were on a day off, heading down to summerfest. funny that calie's apartment (where herbst took me last) is across the street from the grounds. same as it ever was, but completely different. i slept the sat-up sleep of wakelessness on the plane. passing over the blue ridge mountains and the potomac river, i tried to see the farmfields of the midwest, but there slipped away.

(Richfield Truck Stop)

well. that's my take. it ain't worth much, but it's what i've got. you? you get to have fun. it's the best time you'll try to never, ever forget. when you start to remember again, it gets sad all over.

give a yell,
-trangy

Won't You Please Come to Chicago

2008-06-06T00:31:00.009-04:00

Kelly and I spent Memorial Day weekend in the heartland, where we visited with my family, spent time in the city, and had an engagement party in my mother's garden.

A few highlights:

-Meeting Top Chef guest judge Ric Bayless at his restaurant in downtown Chicago. My dad, sister, Kelly and I had lunch there, and as we were preparing to leave, I passed him in the basement doing a tasting with his staff. Kelly was able to ask him for a picture because I was too nervous.

Since I've become such a Top Chef addict, it was cool to meet someone from the show, especially someone who's food is really, really good, and who did a great job judging. His Quickfire Challenge of a high-end taco, I thought, was really good, and it was interesting to see the contestants intepret this dish. Apparently, he's done more for Mexican cuisine that anyone in recent years. Great that he uses local foods, and represents Chicago.

-Seeing a White Sox game with the fam, and running in to old friends at the park.

-Eating deep-dish pizza, italian beef, and Chicago-style hot dogs.

-Spending time downtown with Kelly and Gina on Thursday.

-Spending time at Navy Pier with the whole fam on Monday

-And of course, the primary reason for being there: the party in Victoria's Garden at 201 Elmwood, which was a blast. Folks came out of the woodwork--from playgroup mates to high school teachers to neighbors.

Oh, and a cool cake, or is that a map?

Giro d'Italia

2008-05-21T20:59:00.000-04:00

I am loving the live coverage of this year's Giro D'Italia. Since I've started this cycling obsession, I've discovered all of these great races in Europe. The winter Classics were great to follow, but I'd say it was the Tour of California that really stoked the fires of cyclophilia.

DC Bike Mashup

2008-05-21T00:04:00.000-04:00

WashCycle, a cycling blog I read, has a great post about the DC Bike Mashup. Check it below.

View Larger Map

Failure At the Line

2008-05-16T01:04:00.004-04:00

After all that, it's raining and I just discovered a large gash in the sidewall of my rear tire. The tube was bubbling out of the tire, and when I found the hole, it was after midnight. Thus, a trip to the LBS (local bike shop) is out of the question. To say the least, I've begun the moping and will soon slip into a mild state of depression. I might get over it in the next twelve hours. Maybe by lunchtime. Maybe not.

This is a hard, hard lesson to learn. I am in the middle of a full wash and scrub of my rig. I was giving it the long-overdue attention it deserved, in preparation of Bike to Work Day. And then, due to the lack of attention of the last few months, I am paying dearly. With the Trek still up in New Jersey after the NYC ride, I am rendered bikeless for the day I was looking forward to for months. I don't even want to leave the house.

The stunning irony is that I was at two different shops this week, and I even had my mitts on some new tires to complement the new rims. To say the least, I am frustrated and disappointed in myself.

Chalk it up to experience. All the talk in the world doesn't make your practice any better.

Bike to Work Day is Friday

2008-05-15T01:38:00.000-04:00

View Larger Map

Friday is Bike to Work Day in the District, and the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) is organizing a slew of the convoy routes you see in the map above. They all converge on the Freedom Plaza, which is the HQ Pit Stopp for the event. (Turns out this is the location of a public art installation by my famous aunt Aleksandra Kasuba.)

There are also a number of pit stops along the way. I plan on getting the Aluminum Falcon all ready for tomorrow's ride. After last night's flat, I started tinkering with some things, and I made the choice to do a full clean of my rig tonight. Thus, no ride today.

Bike to Work Week Coverage: Wednesday Journal Afternoon Update

2008-05-14T20:01:00.003-04:00

The ride home from work this Wednesday was good, but certainly not great. Ryan (my co-worker on the GIS team) and I cruised north on 7th St. and took R St. west all the way into Georgetown. It gets really congested there, but that's citylife for you. We were moving at a nice clip; it was good. Then we parted ways at the Key Bridge, and I made my way over to the Crescent. I was crushing, absolutely killing this ride, until I flatted out not too far from the Bethesda Ave. trailhead. I took care of the mechnical, and then had to fight a CF Benefit Walk coming south. They took up the whole path, so I had to take my time. I finally made my awy home, just as Griffin Bicycle was closing...and missed getting a fully infated tire. So, as you can see, not the best ride. I think that it's necessary to changed out flats on the road, as a test if nothing else.

Bike to Work Week: Wednesday Journal

2008-05-14T11:50:00.002-04:00

Another perfect, perfect day to ride into the District. Tried, again, to find an alternate route to the Capital Crescent Trail my home in Pooks Hill. Once I got on the trail, I really pushed it--and I was supposed to be on a recovery ride from my calf-shredder in Rock Creek Park yesterday.

More on the ride home. Back to my lunch break.

Bike to Work Week Continues

2008-05-13T21:15:00.003-04:00

This time it was Bike Home From Work. This route through Rock Creek Park is definitely harder than the downhill roll on the Capital Crescent Trail. My legs knew they hadn't been pushed in a few weeks, and I paid for taking so many days off. Hopefully I can muster up the gumption to hit the road again tomorrow morning. A solid 26 miles of riding today.

AJM'S DC Bike to Work Week Coverage

2008-05-13T18:08:00.003-04:00

It's that time of year again: Bike Month, Bike to Work Week, and Bike to Work Day. It was an epically stormy past couple of days here in the Metro Washington region, so when I saw a forecast for sun in the high 60s, I prepped the cycling gear for a ride today. Bike to Work Day isn't until Friday, but I am going to try to log rides into, and out of, work on Tuesday through Thursday. Friday night I will be taking the Chinatown bus up to Philadelphia on, so Old Yeller will remain at my office (I will lock it, trust me) after the Bike to Work Day convoy ride from Bethesda. I hope to post to the Bicycling.com All Over the Map blog about the commuter convoy ride. Stay tuned.

But back to this morning. It was a wonderful ride on the Capital Crescent Trail.

Tried to push it after over a week off the bike (last time riding was in New York on the Five Boro Tour. Last night's viewing of the Versus Giro d'Italia coverage only made me more twitchy to get some speed and open the throttle. Fighting traffic on both the Capital Crescent Trail and on Pennsylvania Avenue made me miss the cordoned off streets of Manhattan.

As for the commute home, stay tuned...

Slope Analysis of Hiking and Biking Trails in Boulder, Colorado

2008-05-12T23:38:00.004-04:00

Today I finished up the GIS course I was taking at Montgomery College this semester. I was able to pull down an A, which is a nice feeling. I made a map of the hiking trails in Boulder, my old home place. An image of the map is below. Below is the overview of the project.

Slope of Trails in Boulder, Colorado

Overview: Concept and Datasets

For my analysis, I chose the mountain-fringed valley of Boulder as the main subject. Originally, I had planned on analyzing the on-street bike lanes as a mode of network analysis, but that proved problematic due to technical constraints. Stepping back from that, I realized I had a great dataset of off-street and on-street pedestrian routes, which might produce an interesting output when combined with terrain data. As an avid hiker and backpacker—and as a former Boulderite—I take a keen interest in the physical geography of a place. In the four years that I lived in Boulder County, I logged many miles on the singletrack trails that wind to the highest vantages over the agricultural lowlands of the valley. I also wondered about the slope and pitch of the landscape, and how the trails followed that topography.

My first stop was the City of Boulder’s online GIS data portal, a database of boundary files and landuse data. I procured the county contours and boundary files. This would allow for creating a basemap to overlay the trail data.

Since my goal was to visualize which paths in the city of Boulder feature the great degree of slope. There are hundreds of miles of trails in the County, and some wind their way to the crest of the Continental Divide. I chose to focus my analysis on the city because there is the greatest audience of potential users—locals hiking enthusiasts, tourists wanting a quick escape to the hills or endurance athletes training for their sport of choice. Knowing the slope of the trails, at the very least the degree of their incline, would help in picking which trail to hike and for how long.

I chose my input datasets using the processes that follow. I converted the polyline trail data into a raster so I could perform a surface analysis of the slope, using the elevation in meters as the input surface. I classified the output in eight classes and chose the Slope color ramp. While it would make natural sense that the trails in the higher altitude were steeper, I wanted to have a numerical representation that I could glean using the Slope function of Surface Analysis. For perspective and bearing, I added the contour lines in 50 meter interval, as that interval displayed best on for this map extent. I also displayed the highways and major roads, along with lakes. I left the NED and symbolized it in 30 classes to get a nice, even color ramp for display. Lastly, I label the three major summits in the area (Green Mountain, Bear Peak, and Mount Sanitas) to give orientation to the slope raster, since these are the summits to which the trails climb.

For the inset locator map, I took the bounds of the study area, which I created myself using the Editor tool, and combined that with the county boundary file. This was then placed into the entire state of Colorado’s broken down by county. Then I added it to the layout and inserted a callout back to demonstrate the area of study. Lastly, I placed a hillshade raster as a base image and created a layer file from that for printing. This way, the area of study would be highlighted within the larger region of the county.

Conclusions

As previously noted, the assumption that the higher trails would feature greater slope was generally true, expect in the case of the small set of trails in the middle section of the map in an area called Settler’s Rocks, which is a popular place to hike right near downtown. I think that this map displays this different in gradient to the novice recreational hiker and the trail-tested veteran, and it provides a useful service when planning a trip into the rugged terrain of Boulder’s Open Space and Mountain Parks. The bike routes are mostly on-street lanes, so you see the gradient of the slope reflects the flatter, lowland trails of the Boulder Valley. The project opens the door for deeper analysis of the bike routes. In this case, the study area would get smaller, and there would be higher resolution of the slope of the bike routes.

Mother's Day

2008-05-12T00:19:00.001-04:00

Spent the weekend up in New Jersey for Mother's Day. Did a lot of food shopping in preparation of our feast for Sunday. We cooked lunch for Kelly's mom and two grandmothers. Spent about 10 hours in the kitchen from Saturday late and all of Sunday morning. We had a blast cooking together like when were back in Colorado, and I'd say we put together a pretty awesome tapas table with a lot of different flavors. I definitely channeled all of that Top Chef I've been watching.

Here's a list (I think I remember it all, but there was a lot of food):

White Wine Sangria loaded up with Strawberries and Blackberries
AJM's Gazpacho
Mixed Green Salad
Roasted Asparagus
Basil and Blue Cheese Meatballs
Jamaican Jerk Chicken Skewers
Soy and Chili Shrimp Skewers
Empanadas that came in two flavors: Curry Chicken and Beef
Tenderloin Bruschetta with a honey djion horseradish sauce
Breaded Chicken Wings with a homemade creamy sauce
KD's Lemon Curd Cake
Grandma Marie's Chocolate Cake

Happy mother's day to all the moms out there.

Riding the Boroughs

2008-05-07T21:28:00.005-04:00

The NYC ride was great. You can read more about it here and see an interactive map here.

Highlights:
-Riding bikes (duh).
-The awestruck faces of morning pedestrians as they watched thousands of cyclists careening along 6th Avenue to Central Park.
-The shops of Brooklyn.
-Sprinting down the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (southbound lanes closed to vehicle traffic for bikes!) past more confused faces, this time of the motorists stuck in gridlock.
-Riding along the Bay.
-The sun that came out in the afternoon.
-Sitting in the Staten Island ferry parking lot with Kelly and her Dad, drinking wine and eating sandwiches while we watched the tugboats chug past Lady Liberty and the tip of lower Manhattan skyline.

Pooks Hill Chronicles, Springtime Update

2008-04-26T09:05:00.001-04:00

At the moment:
It's odd this weekend, as it's the first down time I've had in a bit. The house is complete devoid of people, which is a first. Kelly is up in New Jersey, so I have to keep myself occupied and doing this analysis. We spent the last few weekends in D.C. looking at apartments. We keep coming back to Capitol Hill's Eastern Market enclave. It's a really great spot in the city. Add up the Farmer's Market , great bike lanes, and quiet, historic streets, and you've got a solid neighborhood anchored around the community. As for today, it's not helping that it's absolutely perfect outside. It's all I can do to keep myself from jumping on my bike and spinning through the streets canopied in springtime blooms.

Most Pressing:
I have been trying to wrap up the GIS course that I am taking at Montgomery College in Rockville. It's been four months of learning the Spatial Analyst and 3D Analyst extensions for ArcGIS. These tools allow for in-depth analysis of rasters (like terrain data) and visualization of three-dimensional data models. There's a lot of chew on, and as I finish my final project, I try to boil down the basic concepts. I am analyzing data in order to formulate a solution for Safe Routes to School for my old home town of Boulder. There's a lot to chew on when it comes to the analytical power and options in ArcGIS. The mind drive spins overtime, while the hard drive tries to keep up.

Pardon the Geek Speak:
I am really pumped because I've started tracking my rides using a mobile fitness program called AllSport GPS that runs on a Sanyo cellphone. This device was provided by Bicycling Magazine's GPS project for me to map rides and activities as a volunteer contributor from the region. A recent route was mapped, photographed and pedaled for their best-of-D.C. rides.

Upcoming events:
#1: Getting stoked for May 4th, when Kelly and I ride New York's Five Boro's in Bike New York's annual bike ride. Forty-two miles through the urban canyons and over the rivers on bridges. I am looking forward to learning more about the neighborhoods of America's urban epicenter via bicycle. It's the best way to really get a sense of place and spatial resonance.

#2: Kelly and I are flying to Chicago over Memorial Day to spend time with my family. Rumor has it there will be an engagement party, and that my brother and sister will be in town. And maybe like 50 people in the backyard at 201 North Elmwood.

In Sum:
There you have it. I am enjoying the transition from the more laid-back hiking/backpacking/climbing scene in Boulder to the commuting and cycling mentality in Washington. Living in a ridable city like D.C. with a GPS phone has made the commutes a little bit more fun. A few trips in the upcoming days, weeks, and months only makes this spring and summer more exciting, if not busy.

Park Service Looking Out

2008-04-02T23:24:00.001-04:00

There was a movement to start adding tolls around DC, including bridges into the District and on the Rock Creek Parkway. The NPS, who operates a few of the national parkways in the region, can't really tax us in those places. So, for now, we're saved by the NPS. One more plus for our national treasures.

Great comic strip

2008-03-27T06:09:00.000-04:00

This comic encapsulates my morning rides...

Pooks Hill to Chinatown
Find more Commutes in Bethesda, Maryland

Gettin' Hitched

2008-02-23T21:12:00.000-05:00

Over Valentine’s Day weekend, I met Kelly in Colorado for four days (Wed. night to Sun. night). She’s been traveling this month for work and play—first, Oregon; then, Colorado; and now, Nevada.

The Pick Up
I left for Colorado the day before Valentine’s. I was to be picked up at Denver International Airport by Kelly and my brother, Peter. While ascending the escalator from the train, I heard a “There he is!” come from the crowd waiting at the fence. Scanning the voices, I was drawn to a huge sign that read “KDAM” in giant block letters (KD for Kelly Davidson and AM for Andrew Matranga—an inside joke between Kelly and me). As I reached the top of the elevator, I could see that the voice belonged to Kelly. When we made eye contact, she flipped over the sign to reveal the words “Will You Be My Valentine?” Very cute, very funny; I couldn’t help but laugh. The confused looks and amused nods from Peter and the crowd of nearby strangers were priceless. She’s fearless when it comes to going over the top with stuff like this. This special greeting kicked off a pretty amazing trip.

The Spot
Kelly and I have always loved the Indian Peaks of Colorado. It’s the place we went hiking most when we started dating, which is why I thought it would be the best place to ask Kelly to marry me. In fact, our first hike was to Lost Lake. Yep, I figured, that’s the spot. That’s our spot. Since we left Colorado in August, all I could think about was being with Kelly in those mountains again. We’ve shared so many beautiful days there, and I’d even say that it’s where I fell most in love with her.

I don’t know how many times I rehearsed the proposal on the flight from DC—too many to count. The general plan was to go snowshoeing and then spend the night at the Sundance Lodge (one of our favorite spots for breakfast and someplace Kelly has always wanted to stay).

The Day
On the drive up to the trailhead Thursday morning, I kept rehearsing in my head—while we got out snowshoes on at the car, while we tromped up the trail toward the lake.

Just where the trail makes a sharp uphill switchback, we veered off the trail and up to a little overlook with some rocks and trees. “Yes,” I thought, “This is the spot.” We got up to the clearing and enjoyed the views over the Eldora Ski Resort and the Great Divide behind us. The sun was shining, and the sky was bright blue. My heart was pumping on overdrive. All I could do was keep the ring in my palm and play with it, waiting for the right moment.

We took off our snowshoes to get comfortable. We laid there and chatted about this and that. After about half an hour of views, we decided to head back to the car. Our goal of reaching Lost Lake, um…lost.

“Okay,” I said to myself, “this is it.” So I stood up, forgetting that I wasn’t wearing my snowshoes, and promptly almost slipped down the slope. “Perfect,” I said to myself, “you look like an idiot. Wait! Where’s the ring? Okay there it is.” In a way, it worked because Kelly had no idea I was trying to get down on one knee.

Then Kelly starts helping me back to my feet, but instead I pull her to her feet and stayed down one knee. I recall a few words, only because they tumbled out so quickly.

As I slid the ring on her finger, I remember thinking, “Please fit, please fit.” Though it fit, it was a little big. It was still a beautiful moment. And most importantly, she said yes, and that’s all that matters. Then I did a little dance in the snow and yelled from the top of my lungs.

The End (and the Beginning…)
So, here’s to a lifetime of love and laughter…and being part of the Koehl Connection. I hope you’ll welcome me into your family the way that Kelly has welcomed me into her heart. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with her.

The Map
Here’s the spot where I proposed:

Nice Songs for the Good Winter

2008-02-21T08:46:00.004-05:00

Bon Iver crossed my path purely by accident. I suppose there was a link through, or from, something or someone on the internet, but I don't recall.

I saw his show on February 19th, 2008 at the Rock and Roll Hotel in Northeast, and it was all I'd expected. Since it was an opening slot, there wouldn't be a tremendous amount of time, but he only has one album to play at the moment.

Bon Iver did what I've long dreamed of doing: he holed up in a cabin up north in Wisconsin, wrote songs, and watched the snow melt off the roof. I have played this album steadily over the last five months, and I have yet to get bored of it.

Location-based Advertising

2008-02-06T07:21:00.001-05:00

Two interesting news stories on related topics: mobile advertising and how companies are adapting to the emerging mobile market. Sure I'll toot the horn of my parent company on this link share.

CBS Mobile alliance with Loopt Mobile in NYTimes.

NAVTEQ Acquisition of Acuity Mobile from GPS Business News.

I'll just start sharing these news briefs in my Google Reader box on the lower right-hand side. It's better than a blogroll, I guess. Still figuring out the power of Google Reader.

Election maps, the morning after

2008-02-06T06:38:00.000-05:00

Some maps and coverage from folks I left out yesterday.

Google

NYTimes

Wired

Geography of Politics

2008-02-05T07:20:00.000-05:00

Maps and tonight's election coverage:

CNN's Interactive Map Screen

Washington Post

BBC

FOXNews

NPR

The first story on CNN's map screen raises the subtext of good map design and how that should drive the editorial decisions. In this case, cartographic techniques lay the groundwork for the content displayed for viewers/users. I'd love to work with such a tactile device.

The second piece is an example of good flash work and clean layout. I like that the tabs let you work in the same page, but it does get somewhat busy and borders on information overload.

The third is a little less visually impressive, but no less workable. While not entirely necessary, the auto pan and zoom is a cool feature. I like the two scrollable information boxes. I wonder if the navigation buttons are necessary, but I guess people use them. I like to just click around.

The fourth I think is good because it's not Red/Blue you see in every other map. I appreciate the like color choice, the speed and density of the rollovers, and the inset navigation.

The fifth, well I might like this one best because it encompasses all of the primaries and uses different colors for each month. This might give the best overall picture of the election season.

All of these choices are politics neutral. I am pondering more about maps as conveyors of information and commenting on user experience. I think maybe the coolest graphic is the tracker chart at BBC.

Map Network in the news #2

2008-02-01T20:00:00.000-05:00

So...some more links from today about our Super Bowl maps.

Auto Channel

San Francisco Chronicle

Yahoo Finance

Fox Business

Map Network in the news #1

2008-01-31T19:45:00.000-05:00

Map Network's customized maps and event guides are being used for the Super Bowl this weekend, and we got a little mention in CNNMoney today. There's even a mobile offering as well, but it's really great if you're there on the ground using it. A version of the Official Map will be distributed in every USA Today newspaper in the State of Arizona on Friday, February 1st. Good things, and great exposure.

You will need Flash for these maps to display properly.

Funny things @ the errata spot

2008-01-16T15:43:00.000-05:00

Check erratanongrata for something funny from today...

Geocaching GPS coordinates save climbers on Mt. Hood

2008-01-16T07:44:00.000-05:00

This is a great GPS-related news story out of Oregon. After last year's deaths on this iconic, but very real, mountain, it's nice to have a happy ending--especially one that involves my technophilia of choice, GPS.

China takes a progressive step?

2008-01-15T09:42:00.000-05:00

This is a news peg for a post you can find @ my errata site.

So China decides to crack down on plastic bags! One of the world's largest economies is taking a positive step?

In Passing

2008-01-11T15:21:00.000-05:00

We've lost a legend of the earth's high places. Sir Edmund Hillary passed away today.

errata

2007-12-21T07:19:00.000-05:00

don't forget the need for occasional errata

Backpacker.com online updates

2007-12-20T21:51:00.000-05:00

I just found a review of camcorders I did for Backpacker right before I left. It ran in the December issue.

Taking Stock

2007-12-17T19:56:00.000-05:00

Happy Holidays and all that stuff.

The final quarter of 2007 grinds to a close here in Our Nation's Capitol, with the squawk boxes trained on the primaries of early 2008. In the high 80s on the radio dial, I found the community station, so at least I get Amy Goodman in the morning and eclectic music programming the rest of the day. The last few weeks of the year proves to be a slow down in my world, with a family trip to an island off the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico for my father's 60th birthday.

And now, for a long overdue, much-needed update to my world:

Back in July, I got an email out of the blue from a recruiter for NAVTEQ about a job as a Content Developer with Map Network, a company that does custom interactive and print maps. I had a quick interview, and I was essentially offered a job on the spot.

But first, I went on a trip with Kelly to northern California for her 30th birthday. We drove from San Francisco to Trinidad, with the mission of visiting some friends from Colorado.

After than, I felt a need to put an emphatic end to this chapter of Colorado and did so with an double exclamation point.

First, a climb of Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park with my brother.

Followed by a hike to Lake Isabelle in the Indian Peaks Wilderness with Kelly.

Saying goodbye to Colorado was certainly bittersweet. It was a place we felt was home, and there were many wonderful things about living there. My brother, the house, the mountains, the sun, my aunt and uncle in Castle Rock, The Park, and so on.

At the end of August, Kelly and I packed up the house into the garage, and she went to Oregon for training with Home Power, her new gig. I bounced around the Front Range for a few days while she was gone, and then we packed up the truck the first weekend of September. We waited out a few days before hitting the road, and then we slept in a different state for five straight nights to arrive in South Jersey two days before I started work at Map Network. I've been trying to see her as much as I can, and get her down to DC whenever possible. Battling I-95 north and south gets exhausting, but we've found the Chinatown to Chinatown bus an affordable option for the regular visits. It's tough being apart, but we've done some time apart in the past. It's an understatement to say that none of this move would have been possible without the support and love of Kelly. She's been the one that made it happen, I just drove the truck.

Being a part of NAVTEQ at a time when the location-based services (LBS) industry is a hot topic is both heady and busy, mostly at the same time. The work I put into learning GIS is paying off, as GIS is a major part of our production process. GIS is becoming firmly embedded into the wireless ecosystem, and my continually evolving skills provided a good platform. Nokia's acquisition of NAVTEQ made for an interesting first month here at Map Network, and the bid war between Garmin and TomTom over map data provider Tele Atlas caused normal people to take notice. LBS is not just dorky tech, it's increasingly the way we'll interpret our daily lives. Navteq's Maps: Finding Our Place in the World exhibit at the Field Museum proves that point, and Map Network's virtual tour of the exhibit takes it another level. (Note: the virtual tour requires Flash and might not work in some versions of Firefox. The developers have been notified, and are always working @ performance status.)

As for the day-in of the job, I am the first stage of our production process, so I am often charged with the task of pulling the most current data from Navteq, our parent company, and making a base map of municipal data, road data, hydrology, and land use (and a few other features). Or, I am doing content development by digitizing satellite imagery and researching new content. I am also trying to learn some terrain modeling and how to work with Adobe Illustrator to make the finished product. Map Network's product suite encompasses online and print maps for three major topics: destinations (official visitor's map of DC), special events (the Super Bowl), and venues (like hotels, museums, and zoos). The opening weeks at my new job were characteristic of any beginning: different people and new challenges. By now, I get a fair amount of the process, and I am trying to teach myself some of the next steps to conceptualize and actualize our entire workflow.

Otherwise, I try to ride my bike as much as possible, but the temps have dropped and the winds have picked up. To keep mind interested in the world, I get cool pics of the day and cool graphics on my iGoogle page. I've been reading Down the Great Unknown, the classic story of John Wesley Powell's 1869 expedition through canyon county down the Green River and The Grand Canyon. Overall, the last few months have been somewhat of a blur, and I look forward to 2008 to really settle into a routine and make the most of this life out here...

Off to the Yucatan.

Three Birds With One Stone

2007-11-13T22:09:00.000-05:00

I’ve hiked among Incan ruins in the Andes, backpacked for weeks through the Sierras, and waded through icy pools of head-high water in Glen Canyon. I've lived in the foothills of the Rockies. I've traveled from coast-to-coast-to-coast. This weekend, I did two section hikes on the Appalachian Trail. Oddly enough, this two-day stretch in western Maryland might have impacted me more (differently?) than some of those epic trips.

But let me rewind the tape.

The whole reason I was out there was a little different than usual. Not pure enjoyment, not all work either. I was there on assignment for BACKPACKER, to do an interview with Jeff “BP” Chow, our hiker who collected GPS data of the entire AT in the past two seasons. I’ve known Jeff for a few years since he’s been a contributor for the waypoints cards project at Backpacker. He's now a good friend with a common passion. Safe to say, we've been through some ups and downs over the last few years. This was our first hike together. I was excited for the opportunity. He was there to finish up the Maryland data, but the real impetus was to hike the last few miles with his friend “Toodles” who was finishing up her flip-flop thru-hike.

She’d walked northbound from Springer to I-70 and then went up to Katahdin and started southbound. An auspicious place to end the journey, but each person’s finale is an exclamation point of a bigger font size. Sure, Katahdin is a psychological benchmark, but simply walking all 2,174 miles is the real test. Actually waking up and walking in the woods everyday.

So, we met her somewhere on MD 17 outside of Smithburg. She was slackpacking the last few days, since it was getting really cold at night and she’d pretty much had it with nightly fits in the shelter with surrounding critters. And, she had a couple friends who have a farm in Middletown, just south of I-70. They put her up and shuttled her to and from the Trail for a few nights. Great people. The trail really does bring out the best in folks. So, we hit the trail and headed south along the spine of South Mountain.

It was about 40 degrees at 10 am when we started up the ridgeline. Great hiking weather. Somewhat overcast, but what’s the difference when you’re in the trees. We pretty cruised up a muddy trail to the ridge and kept the needle pointed south to 70. Toodles was on a mission, seeing as how it was her last 12 miles. We tried to keep up. About 2 miles from 70, an older gent walked up to us. Toodles was motoring, and snapped to just in time to realize her friend “Just Bill” was walking by. He’d driven up from Falls Church to watch her finish. He’d hiked a few hundred miles with her from Day One at Springer. She didn’t think he’d be coming up. Nice surprise. We drank hot chocolate and tea and had some snacks. By then it was almost 3pm, and we’d really only stopped a few times for snacks and video/photos. After snacks, we head downhill for the last few miles. “Blue,” another member from their crew was waiting at the footbridge over 70. More hugs and happiness.

We crossed the bridge and reached a private trail log built by the family whose front yard the trail walks through. They’d given Toodles a ride back in the summer, and she knocked on the door again. They were home. They remembered her. The trail unites. It was special to see that moment in someone’s life. Someone I don’t even know. Quite a feat, especially considered Toodles is a 54-year old woman who has a son around my age. And all these folks that were there for her finale. Family.

That night, we headed out to Middletown and had a massive dinner at Toodles’ friends Eric and Lori’s house on their 40-acre farm. They are converting the farm into a winery. Eric’s lived there for over 25 years, and he’s been wanting to this for a while. Now’s the time he says. They fed us hiker trash a massive dinner of turkey, stewed apples (fresh from the farm), sweet potatoes, and wild rice. We scarfed food and wine, and the hikers rekindled their friendship over slideshows of pictures. I passed out on the couch after the long day “on the job” only to be woken up their puppy Emma licking my face when I rolled over. I was roused to make our way to barn (still under construction) where we spent the (cold) night.

After a slow wakeup, with some video of Jeff packing up mixed in and more goodbyes to Toodles over farm-fresh blueberry scones and coffee, we got our ride to Gathland State Park to start the northbound hike to I-70. It was a perfect autumn morning. Crisp. Colorful. Fragrant. We hit the trail at noon or so. The path was nice, with some rocky sections. I spent a lot of the day fiddling with the video camera, and we shot a lot of footage. Did a sit-down interview at the Rocky Run Shelter, and the light started slipping away. The same sunlight that streaked each step of the way gave traction to the overcast flavor of Saturday. Crossed through Fox Gap and checked out some cool Civil War signage. My dad would have been proud. Light began fading fast, and we crossed Old National Pike at the Church and Old South Mountain Inn right around dusk, heading into the hills of Turner’s Gap near Washington Monument State Park in the dark. Walking through the park past the locked gates was creepy, and the monument all lit up at night was interesting. A commanding view over the twinkling valley below. Cool historical spot though. From there, it was a trudge in the dark by headlamp to I-70, which was booming through the still night air. We the trekkers, moving at 2 mph versus the high-speed travelers zipping by at 70 mph. A slight climb to Bartram Hill pretty much dumped us back where we saw Toodles finish the trail. Once more over the footbridge at I-70 and there was the car on US 40.

Even though it was only 25 miles and two different-direction day hikes, it was a standout weekend--one where I've barely scratched the surface. I saw two people mark a huge turning point in their lives. Finishing the trail mustn’t be easy. After all, months of preparation followed by months of walking leaves you with a spiritual fullness, but psychological void, upon completion. And for me, an AT virgin, it was cool to walk in the woods along the rocky and muddy path that crisscrosses the historical and modern-day life on the east coast. It was nice to get some thinking done and evaluate what brought me here, and where the trail will take me next.

The trail unites.

Another Award

2007-04-25T23:14:00.000-04:00

For the second time this year, backpacker.com/hikes received award. Last week, we won for Uses of Interactivity from MinOnline.

Here's an audio post about the nomination.

So far we're on a roll...

Live from the Continental Divide Trail

2007-04-20T23:09:00.000-04:00

Hiking History: The push to create the first definitive map of the Continental Divide Trail

In the February 2007 issue of BACKPACKER, editor-in-chief Jonathan Dorn called on the masses to help BACKPACKER, the Continental Divide Trail Alliance and federal agencies tackle a massive undertaking: give the trail an official map. As a result, more than 2,975 applied.

This weekend I will be taking off for the Bootheel of New Mexico to lead a team of volunteers on a 50-mile section of the trail starting at the Mexico-US border and traveling through the Big and Little Hatchet Mountains of the northern Chihuahua Desert. We are the first team into the field on this summer-long project to help create the definitive map of the Continental Divide Trail, a 3,100-mile National Scenic Trail that still remains in a piecemeal fashion in some parts of the Lower 48. I've been working closely with the Bureau of Land Management in the Las Cruces District, and as of this week, members of the Southwest Conservation Corps and the Wilderness and Recreation Planning Division were still flagging the potential route.

We will be update our CDT Project Blog with satellite podcasts, and when we return we'll post pictures, videos, and interactive maps of the trail as it unfolds. Join Team Southern Terminus as we hike north toward the town of Hachita on America's most rugged trail in one of the most remote spots in the county.

http://backpackercdtproject.blogspot.com

ASME Announces 2007 National Magazine Awards Finalists

2007-03-15T02:12:00.000-04:00

And we grab for the bubbly yet again.

Backpacker magazine just earned its third National Magazine Award nomination in two years, this time in the single-topic issue category for the Survival Issue. Sure, the magazine is up against tough competition -- Newsweek's AIDs issue, CJR's Iraq issue, The Believer's music issue, and Departures' issue on South American travel -- but it's quite an honor to get the recognition when you're part of an over-tired and under-staffed team.

We'll see if there's more bubbly in on May 1st, but in the meantime we're excited. (Too bad the GPS site I work for didn't get nominated in the "Interactive Service" category. It coulda been a contendah.)

Magazine Publishers of America - Digital Awards

2007-03-08T02:22:00.000-05:00

Like any industry, the magazine industry has a "governing body." This governing body is the arbiter of what's best in their industry. So, they have awards (mostly to themselves feel special, but also to recognize the talent and the trends).

Now, the Magazine Publishers of America (MPA) are having their annual round awards. Last year, BACKPACKER won for Best Magazine section. I blogged about that on one of my alter-ego sites.

This time around, something close to my heart, the website that is my day-in/day-out gig, Backpacker.com/hikes, was honored as a finalist for "Best Online Community" last week in the MPA's first-ever digital awards competition. This all went down during the third annual “Magazines 24/7" digital conference in New York City. The 2006 MPA Digital Awards honored excellence and innovation of magazine brands on all digital platforms in 11 categories.

This is a signficant achievement in the magazine industry, and it's great to see Backpacker recognized alongside such online giants as Epicurious, Sports Illustrated, Wired, and a Rodale sister publication, Runners' World (which was a finalist in the "Web-Only Tool" category for its Smart Coach).

To see the other winners and finalists, click here

This project started a year before my time at Backpacker with a big idea and a little bit of money. Through the tireless work of my boss and our staff (that would be me and a parade of interns over the past 22 months) we've developed a vibrant community of map correspondents all over the country. Safe to say, the Boulder office does good work.

But, the team at Trimble Outdoors is what makes our site more just an idea waiting for its full expression. Thanks to them for having the confidence in our team to collaborate with Backpacker on this groundbreaking project.

Here's what the MPA had to say:

BEST ONLINE COMMUNITY

The “Best Online Community” category recognizes the best use of forums, chat rooms, user-generated content and other interactive features that engage readers.

Winner: 1UP.com Clubs
1UP.com is the #1 gamer community on the web where gamers can read blogs, join clubs and exchange messages with thousands of like-minded enthusiasts.

2nd Place: The Nest
The site is built and maintained by recent-weds in an official capacity (editors) and unofficial (bloggers and members) and boasts unique built-for-two budgeting tools, checklists, and strong user-generated, tried-and-true advice on all things newly wed—from home-buying tips, to easy entertaining ideas and managing the in-laws.

3rd Place (tie): Backpacker’s Trail Network
The Trail Network provides Backpacker readers with cutting edge technology and user-generated content in the form of an extensive network of hikes, GPS data, 3D trail maps, aerial photography and Google Earth flyovers.

Epicurious Forums and Member Recipes
One of the first true community/social networking sites,every minute of the day someone is exchanging favorite recipes or seeking advice from the community or adding their own favorite family recipes into a newly created database just for them.

[Okay. Enough of tooting our own horn. But still, it's huge.]

Story from T.H.E. Journal

2007-02-12T12:03:00.000-05:00

A story I wrote for T.H.E. Journal (Technology Horizons in Education) about Math and Science software/courseware tools is now live on their site and in the February issue.