Allan’s Site

Another month almost gone without an entry.  Work is pretty much a continuation of the same.  Development of the GSE software continues, albeit slowly.

A USC grad student in computer science visiting us periodically volunteered to help me get the fancy new Dell laptop to work with the big Dell monitor while running Ubuntu.  The problem wasn’t so much that it wouldn’t work but that it wouldn’t boot with the monitor attached; my workaround was to boot without the monitor and then, after the video driver loaded, attach the monitor.  Unfortunately, he got nowhere fast over a couple of weeks.  It seems that all of our computer experts are not experts in the things I need them to be experts in.  Eventually, he suggested reinstalling Ubuntu, and I agreed to let him do it over a weekend.  I wasn’t thrilled, and I eventually found time to try it myself.  I actually reinstalled Ubuntu, and it didn’t work, but then I realized that I could just turn off switchable graphics and disable the Nvidia graphics chip, forcing the laptop to run off the Intel graphics chip.  Nvidia has horrible support for Linux, anyway.  That turned out to be the solution, and the laptop boots into Ubuntu with the monitor attached, and I don’t need the grad student messing with the computer any more, so I don’t have any GSE development downtime whenever he shows up.

It also turns out that I have to give one of many presentations for a CDR — a Critical Design Review — for Solar Probe in January.  I’ve never done one of those, and I had to scramble to put together a rough draft a couple of weeks ago.

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At the beginning of the month, J and W had their first piano recital of the academic year.  J played two minuets by Bach.  He did very well, and the little mistakes were the kinds that probably only he, Vatche, and I noticed.  W played two movements of a Clementi sonatina.  He also played well, very elegantly, with a stumble in the second movement from which he recovered without panicking.  Vatche seemed satisfied.

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W has started the cycling merit badge for Boy Scouts, and I have started riding with him.  The riding portion includes 200 miles of riding, spread out over several weekends.  After the initial 5 miles startup ride, I decided that my ~20 year old bike was completely inadequate.  It’s simply too heavy, and it’s designed for local riding, e.g. short commutes and riding around campus.  I bought it while a grad student.

So, after doing a little online research, I went out to the Pasadena Cyclery (which gives a Boy Scout discount) and bought a Trek 1.1, which is a much more modern bike.  It has 16 speeds (I think), and it weighs a lot less than my old bike.

For the second weekend, I skipped the ride with W because I took J out on a Cub Scout Family Campout, while Hsuan to W that weekend to a Boy Scout hike on the Saturday and then dropped him off for the bike ride that Sunday.

The Cub Scout campout was pretty much the same as last year, and it was the same 3 hour drive away, north of Santa Barbara, so J and I arrived in the late afternoon.  We missed a hay ride, but we were in time for a hike.  About 87 people (cub scouts and parents) started, though 4 turned back after we went a quarter of the way on the 2 or 3 mile hike.  I was the sweep, bringing up the rear, so I had to determine if it was safe to let them go back on their own, and luckily, they gave up early.  It was a pretty steep climb.  Also, the hills were surprisingly populated with tarantulas, much to my discomfort.

Anyway, it was a comfortable campout, and J was very helpful in not only setting up our tent but also in taking it down and packing it away when we left by 8 AM the next morning, so we could get back in time for Sunday School.

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The day after the Cub Scout campout, we went to Legoland for the Columbus Day holiday, which the boys had off from school and which I took as a vacation day.  It still feels a little young for both boys, but J is still very enthusiastic about it, and W is simply open for anything.

We visited the Sea Life aquarium, which we hadn’t done in quite a long time.  It was a nice alternative for the morning, but it’s hardly an attraction to make a special trip for.

One thing striking about this visit to Legoland was the huge number of identifiably Jewish visitors — men and boys with the yarmulkes, the hats, the tassels hanging from (I assume) prayer shawls, and so on.  Conservatively dressed women and girls.  I’d have to say that more than 25% of the visiting population were of this group.  I couldn’t tell if they were all from Israel or if they were just from some really big Jewish Community Center tour group from somewhere in America, but I felt it might be rude to ask (and certainly a risk of offending if I were to approach a female to ask — if I had asked, I’d have to ask a man).

I never found out.

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The next weekend (last Sunday), I was able to ride with W, and I really loved the new bike.  The gearing makes getting up hills so much easier.

At one point, W got a flat as we approached the Rose Bowl during our 15 mile ride.  We had no spare tube or patch kit, but we were able to call ahead and get one from another in our group.  Lesson learned, and I bought a patch kit later.

Another lesson learned:  My new bike has toe clips, and it takes getting used to.  As I tried to start riding, I had a hard time getting my right foot in the clip on the right pedal.  Then I had a hard time getting my left foot in the left clip.  By the time I got my left foot in, my bike had stopped moving, and I started to fall to the left, but then I couldn’t get my left foot out to catch myself.  So I fell to the ground, managing to protect my bike from scratches by skinning my knee.  Two women jogged by and asked if I were okay, adding emasculation to injury.

It didn’t hurt at that time, but by the middle of the ride, my knee was a bloody, clotted mess, and by the time we got back to the car, it was starting to sting.  I’ve been cleaning and dressing the wound all week, and it’s taking its time in healing.

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This weekend, W and I went away on a boy scout backpacking trip to Henninger Flats, in the mountains just north of Pasadena and Altadena.  It’s this year’s beginner’s backpacking trip for the troop, but just because it’s a beginner’s trip doesn’t mean it’s easy.

Henninger Flats is a small forested basin on the side of the San Gabriel Mountains about 2600 ft above sea level, just above Altadena.  You can get there by taking the Mt. Wilson Toll Road, a dirt road that starts in Eaton Canyon in Altadena and winds its way up 1400 ft in elevation, over about 6 miles, to Henninger Flats and extending beyond.  It’s a very popular hiking, jogging, and mountain biking trail, though it’s with a 25 pound backpacking pack on your back, you can expect it to be somewhat more challenging.

Our troop went up in two groups, and W and I joined most of his patrol in the earlier, 10 AM Saturday morning departure group.  We wanted to leave in the earlier group because we knew the earlier departure would have lower temperatures, and the earlier arrival at the campground at Henninger Flats would allow us better choice of locations to pitch our tent.

The hike was grueling, to say the least, though I found it easier than the Cooper Canyon backpacking trip from last year.  That trip had a net elevation change of 250 ft, but the starting point at Buckhorn Pass was already around 6000 ft, the trail then dropped 500 ft, and then climbed 750 ft.  And that trail was a forest trail, not a dirt road, like the Mount Wilson Toll Road.  So even though we were going up all the time on Saturday, I just kept a slow, steady pace, periodically sucking at the bite-valve leading to my hydration bladder.

After noon, we got to the campground and had our sack lunches, and we found the Henninger Flats to be a very nicely forested area with a spectacular view of the Los Angeles Basin below.  Our patrol pitched our tents relatively near the edge — but not so near as to be dangerous, of course.  

Then, we simply had a lot of time to kill.  The scouts were originally going to do the Nature and Plant Science Merit Badge, but the counsellor who was going to lead the merit badge had a sudden family emergency the day before, so it had to be postponed.  Instead, the trip was re-planned around scout sign-offs for rank advancement, so scout instructors went around teaching scouting skills as needed and giving sign-offs to those who needed them.

Our scoutmaster is shopping around for a new backpacking tent, and with all the various models of tents around, he got to spend time walking around and taking a look.  I put in a good word for the REI Half Dome 2, which is what W and I use.

Otherwise, between sign-offs, we either explored the area, sat around talking, or even took naps in our tents.  We even had decent cell phone reception.

The afternoon group left the departure area around 1 PM, and by mid-afternoon, we could see them on the trail.  From our vantage point on the cliff, it was pretty hot, so it must have been blazing hot on the trail below, in the exposed sunlight.  They finally arrived just around 3:30 PM.

S., one of the 1st Class Scouts, gave some basic instruction in plant life in the area, and then an LA County Fire Fighter stationed at Henninger Flats gave some of the scouts a more detailed walking tour of the trees and other plant life in the area, and several of us dads in the patrol also went along.

We had dinner at around 5:30 PM — just freeze-dried backpacking food bought at local sporting goods stores down below.  W had selected mac and cheese for the two of us.  Others had whatever they bought.  Just boil a cup or so of water, pour it in the pouch, seal it, and let it stand for about 8-9 minutes, according to the instructions.  Then open and eat, and discover that 8-9 minutes isn’t enough time to soften the freeze-dried stuff completely.  Same as at Cooper Canyon.

For the evening, some of the scouts had a sign-off with dads who were lawyers, who gave a combined talk on the rights and responsibilities of American citizens.  It was basically what Tom did at the whitewater rafting campout, but this was several dads giving the talk, and it was troop-wide.  Although W had the sign-off (though not with Tom), I had him go with them, for review.

Meanwhile, those scouts and dads not involved in that particular sign-off hung out at the cliff, listening to music, talking, and getting a spectacular view of Altadena, Pasadena, and the Los Angeles basin area.

We had a spirit conference after the sign-offs were done.  All the scouts had to participate and give examples of some exercise of one element of Scout Law.  And after that, we made sure all our food and other nice-smelling items were packed away in the bear locker before lights-out at 10 PM.

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Sunday morning, we all arose at 7 AM and began packing up.  However, we also had our newly instituted camp cooking competition between patrols, this time for breakfast.  The competition was to make the best backpacking breakfast.  Our plan was to do pancakes, but to dress them up really well.  Ben brought Bisquick instant pancake mix, and Prashant brought Tang, canned whipped cream, granola, fresh bananas (technically not allowed — no fresh foods on backpacking trips), walnuts, cinnamon, and other assorted fixings.

I brought the pancake syrup mix — 1 cup white sugar, quarter cup brown sugar:  Add water, heat to a low boil (we had several backpacking stoves), and add a dash of vanilla extract and maple syrup flavoring.  It was heavenly, and you could smell it from several feet away.  Word spread around camp, and people came by to see, to ask about the syrup, and to get a taste.

We also had our freeze-dried breakfasts that included things like scrambled eggs, so after cooking (or reconstituting) some of those, we were able to add those to a plate.

In order to complete one part of their cooking merit badge requirements, each scout had to prepare at least one pancake.  (They also had to cook their own dinner the night before, i.e. boil water and pour it into the bag.)

The senior patrol leader and assistant senior patrol leaders were the judges for the competition, and they eventually came by and had a taste test.  I told Daniel that it felt like Top Chef Boy Scouts.  Our scoutmaster also tasted, and we had a bit of worry when he pointed out that fresh fruit (the bananas) technically violated the rules of the backpacking cooking competition, since you don’t bring fresh foods on backpacking trips.  (Prashant missed that part of the e-mails.)

In the end, however, our patrol won the competition.  I guess our results were so much better than those of the other patrols.  Also, some of the senior scouts pointed out that they were provided with fresh fruit at one or more of the stops on the Philmont backpacking trip this past summer, so they gave us a pass.  As reward for the win, our scouts won a Starbucks gift card.

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After breakfast, we cleaned up and finished packing.  The scouts and most dads had a nondemoninational prayer/religious service at the cliffside, while the leftover dads (including myself) finished cleaning up.  Then we had a camp sweep to pick up the last remaining bits of trash, and we headed out around 9 AM.  The hike down was all downhill, so we didn’t stop much except to regroup as the line stretched out too much.  We met a lot of people coming up as well as several people passing us going down (bikers and joggers, mostly).

I had texted Hsuan to be ready to pick us up around 10 AM, and she and J were there when we finally arrived around 10:20 AM or so.  No root beers this time, but some entrepreneurial kids had set up a gatorade stand nearby, so I had W buy us a couple of bottles.  We were all exhausted.  After saying our goodbyes, we gave Ben and L a ride home, and then we went home ourselves.