Back in the bike saddle...

again in Castle Valley, Utah with the Trek full suspension e-mountain bike turning 3,000 miles on today’s ride. Since September 2020 the cumulative mileage on all my eMTBs comes to 14,357 miles (23,110 kilometers), or 57.6% of the Earth’s circumference at the equator. I’m feeling a bit like Forrest Gump during his running phase.

An incredibly green and groomed launch site...

serves as the venue for the well-named Sod Blaster VI, an annual event held during Labor Day weekend at a sod farm near Pasco, Washington. More than 100 rocketry nerds gathered to launch low- to high-power model rockets during the four day-long event. It’s fair to say that everybody here has a blast!

An array of launch pads is commanded by the launch control officer (on left) at the well organized event. A high power rocket is heading skyward from a distant pad on the range.

My Nike Smoke Pro ready to go on a mid-power launch rail. It successfully soared to a 617 foot (188 meter) apogee on a “F” rocket engine.

Preparing to attach the electrical igniter to the high power HV Arcas model rocket for my Level 1 certification attempt on a “H” engine.

The HV Arcas zipping off the pad to a 1,719 foot (524 meter) apogee. Unfortunately the rocket separated too energetically when the ejection charge fired but all components were recovered. I'll have to try again for the L1 certification given this failure during flight.

The Arreaux shooting off the pad on a “G” engine to an apogee of 1,826 feet (557 meters).

T-minus five days until Sod Blaster VI...

in southeastern Washington where I hope to earn my Level 1 certification in order to purchase and launch bigger rocket engines in my larger/heavier model rockets. I will fly the 56 inch (142 cm) tall Aerotech HV Arcas for the certification flight, a 60% scale replica of the actual high velocity Arcas sounding rocket historically used for atmospheric research.

The Aerotech HV Arcas and the Aerotech Arreaux model rockets. The smaller and sporty Arreaux should reach 3,000 feet on a "G" engine according to computer simulations.

Based on simulations using OpenRocket software that utilizes basic physics, aerodynamic principles and the standard atmospheric model, the HV Arcas model rocket should soar to a half-mile high apogee in a flight lasting two minutes long on a “H” rocket engine. A Jolly Logic Altimeter Two will be onboard during the cert flight in order to record flight data.

Design rendering of the HV Arcas from OpenRocket software showing internal structure and components, as well as the center of gravity and center of pressure on the airframe.

Simulated flight profile of the HV Arcas flying on a “H” engine from OpenRocket software showing a predicted apogee of 2,456 feet (~750 meters) for a flight lasting 129 seconds.

Links: Sod Blaster VI and OpenRocket software.

Two aging geologists slowly undergoing fossilization...

met for lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant last week. Emeritus Professor Ernest Gilmour (below left) was the chair of the department when I was hired as a fledgling assistant professor in the summer of 1984, a full 40 years ago, and he remains a good friend and valued colleague. We’re both retired from the university today, but he’s still doing active research in paleontology and publishing on bryozoans. It’s a scientific fact that fossilization is delayed if one stays active, both mentally and physically!

The northern rocket arsenal...

is ready to fly, but with all the burn bans currently in effect in eastern Washington that’s not going to happen anytime soon. The HV Arcas model rocket will be used to obtain my Level 1 certification from the National Association of Rocketry at an event later this month. I’m leveling up to higher power rocketry. It’s important to pursue goals in retirement.

Passing another milestone...

on the journey to ride around Earth at the equator, or at least accumulating the equivalent mileage of such an endeavor on my stable of eMTBs. The 3,000 mile (4,800 km) mark was indicated on my Trek Powerfly hardtail during my ride in the coolness of the early morning, putting me at about 70% of my goal.

There's a cool temperature window...

in the early morning when one can still get out and ride on even the hottest days. It was quite the nice 17 mile (27 km) ride this morning, especially with the additional cloud cover, and I call this spot on the singletrack Ephedra Gardens because of all the Mormon tea.

The Kokopelli mountain bike trail...

runs 140 miles between Fruita, Colorado and Moab, Utah. My neighbor and I rode our eMTBs on the segment that mostly hugs the Colorado River between Dewey Bridge and Cisco Landing today, 20 miles out-and-back. It was moderately technical in spots with steep climbs on loose and bouldery slopes, but overall it’s a magnificent ride on a beautiful day.

View upstream with the trail traversing through the ledgy Morrison Formation (Upper Jurassic).

View downstream of the Colorado River, running at about 15,000 cubic feet per second at the nearby Cisco gage.

There are occasional route markers beckoning one to follow the humpbacked frisky flute player.

Carry water!

It may look menacing...

but it’s just a model rocket, albeit a very big model rocket. The HV Arcas by Aerotech stands 56 inches (142 cm) tall and is mounted on a rigid rail used for launching high powered rockets. I will seek Level 1 certification this coming summer from the National Association of Rocketry in order to fly this impressive projectile on larger engines to several thousand feet in altitude. It’s important to have goals in retirement. Go big or stay home.

Note: The 1010 aluminum launch rail stands 7.5 feet tall (2.3 meters).

"Rocket Men"...

reliving their childhood, featured in this week’s Castle Valley Comments. The young lad pictured below plays a leading role.

Junior rocketeer with Science Fair project, circa 1968.

Richard Codd from Moab (left) supervises as I attach the launch system to the igniter on the unpainted Doorknob model rocket. (Image courtesy Ron Drake.)

Lift-off...

of several model rockets this afternoon, with a digital flight recorder onboard. The rocket engines have gotten a lot bigger, and the gadgets have gotten a lot cooler, since I was a kid. Fun beyond words.

Red Max launching on a C6-5 engine.

Red Nova lift-off on a D12-5 engine.

Arcas soaring on a E12-6 engine, achieving more than 1,600 feet in altitude at apogee!

Flight data as recorded by a Jolly Logic digital altimeter. Data is the new bacon.

A Christmas launch...

of a model rocket, my first in 55 years, went off with a satisfying woooooosh! Just as I remembered it as a fledgling rocketeer in my youth. Priceless.

Second launch of the day, on a C6-5 rocket engine, lofting it to more than 1,000 feet in altitude. Recovery was by parachute, landing 305 feet away from the launch site.

A third launch, on Boxing Day. Woooooooooooooooosh!

The ultimate eclipse-viewing perch...

near the centerline was claimed at Muley Point on Tuesday by this determined correspondent, expecting other friends to join the camp later in the week. And indeed they did, and the astronomical show that followed on Saturday was grand.

Panorama from Muley Point, Utah at the southern end of Cedar Mesa, overlooking the San Juan River canyon and Monument Valley and Navajo Mountain, Arizona. (Click on image to enlarge.)

Our extraordinary perch at the edge of the escarpment. But watch that last step!

Happy eclipse viewers Saturday morning!

At work managing two cameras and a telescope during the several hour-long event under absolutely perfect weather conditions.

Optical projections of the partial eclipse phase on the ground, naturally filtered through the needles on a small pinyon pine tree.

The so-called “Ring of Fire” at near maximum annularity as seen on the back of my Canon EOS 5D Mark IV with a 400 mm telephoto lens with solar filter.

Monument Valley as dusk approaches as viewed from our eclipse camp.

There is nothing better than the warmth of a small fire and the company of good friends when camping in canyon country.

The Milky Way galaxy rising over the Navajo Indian Reservation from eclipse camp, the night before the big show.

A kinematic triptych...

of large, metal wind-driven sculptures are now spinning and twirling at my red rock retreat. I have long admired the beauty of Lyman Whitaker’s wind sculptures and decided to indulge myself. They’re mesmerizing and hypnotic objects of art as they silently rotate on multiple axes! Put simply, they’re lovely to watch in motion and they bring me great joy.

Double Spinner, Lotus and Double Helix, left to right.

Attaining the summit of Bald Mountain...

in the western Uinta Mountains of Utah is a moderate but rocky hike, and is also a lung buster if one is not acclimated to the high elevation. The trail steadily climbs 1,250 feet in 1.5 miles to the 11,943 foot (3,640 meter) summit where there are expansive views into four drainages.

Bald Mountain summit and Mirror Lake. Note the three hikers in the upper left approaching the summit plateau.