Christmas Fun for the Young

Click on the Chin Carolers for minutes and minutes of Excellent Under-Age-12 Entertainment.

A few suggestions from Axel, age 8:

12 Days of Christmas

We Wish You a Merry Christmas

Deck the Halls

Psycho-X

Our friend Steve Lamont (aka The Dude) encountered a little difficulty while pre-riding the course at Cyclocross Nationals in Bend, Oregon. Apparently they feature extra sharp ice in Bend. He recovered and went on to bravely finish 42nd in the 50-54 Age Class. Good thing he was wearing his Bouré Wooleez socks!

He's not Lebowski, he's the Dude.

So that's what you call him.

That or His Dudeness... Duder... or El Duderino,

if, you know, you're not into the whole brevity thing.

Dudleya Do-Right of the Mazatzals

On a recent trip to the Mazatzal Mountains of Central Arizona, Lisa Bourey (our local native plant expert) came upon this interesting plant which we could not readily identify. Luckily, Arizona native plant expert Peter Geirlach (or Petey Mesquitey to radio listeners in Tucson) quickly helped us identify it as the rare and protected Dudleya saxosa. Peter is a Grower who lives near the Chiricahua Mountains and is responsible for some of the more interesting Sonoran and Madrean plants in our yard.

Rock Echeveria

Dudleya saxosa

Flowering occurs in mid-April. Looks like we'll have to be going back then.

This subspecies is a Salvage Restricted Protected Native Plant, by the Arizona Department of Agriculture.

PARTICULARS
Rock Echeveria is a blue-glaucous succulent which forms a basal rosette. It has bright yellow - orange, tube shaped flowers It seems to grow best in rock crevaces with little soil. In fact, Dudleya saxosa thrive in a very small soil volume, and the underground corm is the major supplier of water to the succulent leaves during periods of drought. This would make it an excellent Xeriscape plant.

Height: Height to about 1 feet. Spreading to about 1 foot.

Flowers: Bright yellow tubular shaped flowers which are supported on orange - red peduncles.

Blooming Time: Mid-April.

Leaves: Smooth gray - green in color, elongate in shape, with smooth margins, the leaf tips are not sharp.

Stems: Stemless, densely leaved basal rosette.

Fruit: The fruit is in a group of five capsules, containing numerous seeds.

Elevation: 0 - 7,218 Feet.

Habitat: North facing rock cracks, clifs, with some, well-drained soil. Full Sun. But best with some shade.

Miscellaneous: Flowering Photos Taken near Apache Lake, Arizona. April 17, 2009. It is a host to the Sonoran Blue Butterfly, Philotes sonorensis.

Particulars and flowering pictures courtesy of George and Audrey Delanges.

Snow, a Pyracantha and Superman

Durango was recently blessed with two excellent snowstorms, the better of which resulted in 18" of accumulation.

Until further notice, refreshments will no longer be served outside on the patio.

Pyracantha pruned as an espalier.

The ornamental fruit of the Pyracantha.

To put the copious snowfall into perspective we use an established and standardized backyard measuring instrument, the Weber Kettle Grill. Pow!!!

Winter on the Animas River Trail

One of the pride and joys of Durango is the Animas River Trail, which contrary to local confusion, is maintained on a daily basis year around. The trail travels through several city parks and across five bridges, and I get to use it everyday to ride to and from work. The trail currently extends about 5 continuous miles - luckily from just about where I live to just about the Bouré workshop. Within a year or so, anticipated work on one bridge and one trail connection will extend the trail another 2 miles south. Even better, there are ongoing plans to extend the trail another 2 miles north into the Animas Valley.

The development of the Animas River Trail in Durango has occurred over several decades, beginning in 1976. And to give credit where it's due, we offer a big thanks to Kevin Hall, the City of Durango's Parks, Open Space and Trails Viceroy. He's personally overseen the most rapid expansion of this trail system to date.

On firm packed powder, excellent traction can be had with a set of Continental Town and Country tires. Looks great for skate skiing, too! Did we mention Kevin Hall's a XC skier, originally from Wisconsin?

This snowblower is one of many machines the City of Durango uses to quickly clear snow and allow the trail to be used as an everyday bike commuter route. Honestly, the trail is always in better shape for riding than the adjoining streets after a snow storm.

Cycle Squawking

Cycle Squawk is aired lived on KDUR Radio every Tuesday from 11-11:30, immediately following Margy Dudley's show, "Timbuktu and Beyond - West African Music". Hosted by Ruscle "The Mussel" Zimmerman and Chad "The Decider" Cheeney, this show takes in Durango cycling with riveting interviews and listener call-ins. Go to Durango Herald Multimedia to get the Podcast for every single episode, or subscribe to every episode using Apple's iTunes.

Your hosts

Vive Le Tour!

Biking is Groovy!

Directed by Philip Chernyak & Nora Wolf, Grand Prize Winner in the "Why Biking Rules" category, Best HD/HDV 4-minute PSA. Check out bikingrules.org/PSA to find more.

Special Holiday Hours

How to be... AWESOME!

We're Not In Payson Anymore

Mazatzal Wilderness Area

In the language of the Aztecs, mazatzal means "an area inhabited by deer". We saw a lot of interesting flora and fauna, but no deer. Regardless, I'm sure they abound.

Looking into beautiful, and copper-rich, Barnhardt Canyon.

Agave toumeyana, found only in the Central Mountains of Arizona (except for one tucked under a Live Oak, Quercus turbinella, in the front yard of our house).

Agave toumeyana accompanies a Claret Cup Cactus, or Echinocereus triglochidiatus (funny thing is, we have a thriving Claret Cup under that same Live Oak?!?!)

Palmers Century Plant, or Agave palmeri

The predominant agave of Central Arizona.

And again...

Close-up of the rosette. Note the "ghost leaf" impressions left behind by subsequent, newer growth.

Chihuahua Pine, or Pinus leiophylla var. chihuahuana "Ocote blanco"

Similar in form to Ponderosa Pine, but with much shorter needles (grouped in 3s) and bark that blackens with maturity. The Mazatzal Mountains represent a northern extreme for this species found primarily in the Sierra Madre Mountains and Chihuahuan Desert of Mexico.

Pringle Manzanita, or Arctostaphylos pringlei

Recent fire activity has appeared to allow these manzanitas, normally a understory plant, to grow taller and more erect. And the leaves appear especially large, perhaps due to the pruning affect of the fire?

The fearsome teeth of the Mazatzals.

The Magical Land of Az

A few findings from our explorations in the West Clear Creek drainage, near Camp Verde, Arizona.

An idyllic pool along West Clear Creek.

Soaptree Yucca, or Yucca elata

The prevalent narrow-leaf yucca of central Arizona.

Arizona Sycamore, or Platanus wrightii

Red Mahonia, or Mahonia haematocarpa

Framed by the colorful bark of an Arizona Sycamore.

Exposed, stream-side Sycamore root system.

Fremont Cottonwood, or Populus fremontii

Unusually convoluted bark of a Netleaf Hackberry, or Celtus reticulata

Lurking in the deep, dark recesses below the Mogollon Rim.

We're Off To See The Lizard!

A whole week off for Durango's school children, and nothing better than heading to Arizona for a final bit of warm weather before we start waxing skis and mounting studded bike tires.

Sunset from the campground at Navajo National Monument.

The rare 2-legged Pinyon Pine, or Pinus edulis 'Biped'

Navajo Yucca, or yucca baileyi var. navajoa

Spent yucca seed pod.

Littleleaf Mountainmahagony, or Cercocarpus intricatus

Community Service

Bouré Sportswear and other Durango business owners provide what they can to support their local community and the people that live here, and that's what makes Durango a unique place to live. And sometimes we need to take care of each other.

Roots

If you've called Bouré, then you know that Uncle H-Wade offers the best customer service ever. Ever! Need a Custom-Fit pair of shorts, no problem! Not sure what kind of clothing you might need for a future event. Wade's all over it! Need advice on how to live on 12-volts? Got it! How to finance and bond a $18,000,000 road project. Please! Here we try to explore how that kind of customer service is born.

This is the home Wade's granddad grew up.

He has been told that his granddad, Oren Getchell Moore (aka Daddy-O), proclaimed "it the nicest in Willacoochee, Georgia when I was a kid".

(L-to-R) Father Oren Getchell Moore Jr, John "Baby" Moore, mother Kathy Moore, Kitten Moore, and Wade (aka Oren Getchell Moore III) as a youngster (far right with both legs in casts). Note those worn out knees.

Wade posing with Hal McLean, living legend of Durango cycling, atop Lemon Dam during Bike Fweest 2008.

Animas Mountain Mysteries

Animas City Mountain rises about 1500 feet above north Durango. Mountain? Maybe more of a tilted mesa. I'm guessing (off the top of my head) that in 20+ years I've run, hiked and ridden Animas Mountain about 500 times. However it's done, it's steep and hard, offers great views and some fantastic vegetation.

Photography by Jeff Wagner, Founder of The Colorado Dendrological Society.

Quercus undulata, or Wavy Leaf Oak.

Not often found in our area. I huffed right by it 496 times before first spotting it with my wife.

Same Wavy Leaf Oak. Can remain evergreen (or considered a "live oak") in slightly warmer climes. We've yet to find acorns.

Anyone know him?

Looking south to Durango.

Animas River Valley just north of town.

Woolly Bully!

Bringing more wool to you! This photo was taken by Wade, near his home on US Hwy 160, about 10 miles east of Durango. If you didn't know, Wade lives out in the country - where they like to Move Mutton. Scroll below to see our latest Wool offerings.

Molteni Wool Trainer

Just like the one Eddy Merckx wore, but nicer.

Black Cross Wool LS jersey

For your dark Swedish id.