Unemployed

I quit my job!

I am going to be starting a new job at the end of the month. I have been bouldering in California for the last week with Johnnie Landry. Next week I am going to China to visit my friend Vinay.

Bridge Visit

Me and Gears
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

A couple years ago when I worked on the design of the machinery for this bridge it was calculations, drawings and specifications. A lot of paper. Now it is a lot of steel.

Lifting 1/4 of Movable Span into Place
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Here's a look at the bridge in construction.

If you click on the photo it will take you to Flickr where the photo is labeled with descriptions of the different components.

Adirondaks

teh north August 2006030
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

I went bouldering in the Adirondaks two weekends ago. It was awsome. Special thanks to jee who was our tour guide and let us crash at his place!

More photos at www.dabtronics.com

Linx

Check it out --->

I finally put up some links!

Magnificent Bird

Magnificent Bird in concert. The venue was in the LES, but I forget where. They rocked that place wherever it was.

I took these photos a couple months ago, but my scanner broke down and other excuses. I messed up most of the roll since I developed it improperly (whoops!). I was able to salvage a couple shots though.

magnificentbird03
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

magnificentbird02
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

magnificentbird04
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Note from the Fuzz

Note from the Fuzz
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

This makes me upset.

Minneapolis

Minneapolis
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

I went back to Minneapolis for my 10 year high school reunion this past weekend. I visited my dad, grandparents, and old mn friends. The reunion was definiately more fun than I expected.

Picking Tomatoes2
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

This is my grandma picking some tomatoes in her garden. She grew up on a farm in MN (homesteaded by her grandparents) and is an expert gardener. She makes some mean pickles and jams from her bounty.

4th

4th
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Fireworks from Rich's roof in Williamsburg. Happy Birthday, USA.

moving

moving
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

I did an intra-brooklyn move from windsor terrace to clinton hill. My new place seems cool.

Outer Space Dance Project Photos

driving the mars rover car
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

The Outer Space Dance Project premier performance went off a couple weekends ago. If you didn't make it, here's a look at the photographs that I had up in the theater.

The perfomance was a hit. The photos also went over well. Surprisingly enough, I sold a bunch of photos.

blasting off
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

metric mile
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

movement no.7
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

movement no.8
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

space walk
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

colleen the choreographer
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

looking at space
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

An Outer Space [dance] Project

Go see the premier of An Outer Space [dance] Project this weekend (Fri-Sun) at the BRIC theater in Brooklyn. Colleen Hooper, the illustrious choreographer, has been developing this performance for the last year plus. (follow link above for details)

I have been photographing their rehearsals sporadically since December. I have eight of my photos hanging in the theater through the weekend.

It is an understatement to say the performance is beautiful and engaging.

The M2 works

metricmile
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Metric mile playing at Colleen's fundraising party for the outer space project. This is the second exposure I took with my leica m2.

cincodemayo
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Happy cinco de mayo, papi. (Prospect Park, Brooklyn) This photo is also from my first roll taken in the m2.


I haven't quite got the knack for reeling the 35mm film onto the stainless steel reels for developing. I wrecked some exposures due to improper reeling. Practice makes perfect, I guess.

Haiku

I was reading some bicycle themed Haiku's on-line yesterday.

This morning, as I was preparing to go get my usual breakfast at Terrace Bagels, I wrote the following Haiku (5-7-5):

Book, you're just too big
Wish you fit in my pocket
Must I bring a bag?

ps - My usual weekend breakfast is: seasame bagel toasted with jelly + small black decaf + yogurt.

pps - Help Pete Church raise some funds towards MS. I made a pledge.

Leica M2

Leica M2
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Just got this thing.

Isa Sings

Isa Sings
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Isa is one of the best bridge designers you'll ever meet. He is also a killer singer of traditional turkish songs.

New Job

New Job
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

I have been assigned to the #7 Subway Train Extension project. I now work downtown next to the ass end of this bull. I like working in a new neighborhood and my commute is shorter.

CHL - Slabmaster

Check out the bouldering video I made:

Workingman's Death

Last week I saw the documentary Workingman's Death at the Autrian Cultural Forum. All the events at the ACF are free. The documentary was good and intense.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Some punk kids in Prospect Park celebrated Easter by egging me as rode by on my bicycle.

I had five or so eggs thrown at me, but only got hit by one. The little bastard threw it pretty hard too.

I didn't get a good look at them, since they ran away pretty fast. I called the cops for good measure.

Skiing in Brooklyn

Skiing in Brooklyn
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Winter will be gone soon. I am going to miss it.
Here is a photo of me skiing in Prospect Park, Brooklyn a few weeks ago.

Steel Fabrication Shop

Steel Fabrication Shop
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

They are simultaneously building two bridges in this shop and still have extra space. Not to mention other buildings. The bridges are loaded onto barges to be shipped to their final destination

Trunnions
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

I designed the machinery for this bascule bridge a couple years ago. They are in the process of constructing the bridge now. It is impressive to see the components in person. They are large.

Heating the Girder
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

The girder is being heated so that it will expand, allowing the trunnion collar to be installed

Trunnion Collar
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

I went down to Florida because the fabricator was having trouble assembling some parts of the bridge I had designed. This photo was taken moments after they succeeded in assembling the trunnion collar; everyone was happy. The trunnnion collar is the circle at the bottom of the photo. It is frosty because it was being soaked in a dry ice/alchohol bath to make it shrink.

Scott in Scotland

Scott in Scotland 2
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Mike Desson took this photo of me with my Rolleiflex while sailing in Scotland. He just e-mailed it to me.

Monster Track 7

I raced in Monster Track 7. I got lost for 10 minutes, so my time wasn't too great. It was fun though. Shout out to Eric Monastario, who also raced it. My sympathies to Norske and Pete Church, who couldn't make it. NYBMA Monster Track 7

Monster Track 7
Originally uploaded by Amy Bolger.

150 Racers lined up for the start at 120th x 5th. I am the mitten licker in the middle. Eric is to my right.
Photo byAmy Bolger

23rd st x 5th ave
Originally uploaded by guerillaidiom.

I am still sucking on my mitten at checkpoint 1.

Birthday Party

BdayFlyer
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

You are invited to my Birthday Party.
Colleen & I share the same birthday & birthday party: Thursday, 03.16.06. Hollah.

Kenya Photos

Click on the photo below to be taken to a slideshow of my B+W photos on Flickr.

Trench Digger 1
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Click on the photo below to be taken to another slideshow of my Usalama photos.

Kid Getting Water
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Usalama Water Project - Filmstrip

I made this Filmstrip (4 minutes long) for the Usalama Water Project. Have a look.



Filmstrip - Usalama Water Project

www.usalamaproject.com

Kenya

I am back from kenya. Photos coming soon.

I had a great time and we have decided to develop a plan to build a water pipeline.

-------------
I will be in Kenya through Jan. 28. Wish me luck! (jan 14)

Professional Engineer

I passed the PE test. I am now a Professional Engineer. Okay, actually I have to fill out one more form and pay another $120. Whatever. I am going to get a rubber stamp. I will be able to stamp my stamp on drawings/calculations/specifications before we issue them for bidding/construction. I used to have to get a senior engineer to stamp my work.

I am extremely happy (and relieved) that I passed the test on my first try. I've heard that pass rates are about 60%.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

My roommates know how to throw a party. Happy New Year!

Waterford Cyclocross

Waterford Cyclocross
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

I finally got around to re-building up my Waterford cyclocross frame. It is a single speed with flat bars, cassette, cantilever brakes and skinny knobbies.

I have two bikes now. The red track bike and the blue cyclocross bike. The blue bike is for riding off-road or in inclement weather.


The maiden voyage for this bike was in the driving sleet for a beer run in preparation for our New Years party. This is classic cyclocross conditions: beer and sleet. I built this frame (with much help) while I was an intern at Waterford Precision Cycles in 1998. I did all the brazing on the main triangle unassisted. I also built the wheels, etc.

Merry X-mas

Todd's Cistern
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

I visited MN over x-mas. I wasn't in a photo-taking mood. So here is an archival photo of me and my uncle Todd hanging out in his cistern. His house in Chaska, MN is extremely old and has a cistern for storing rainwater for drinking. He is planning on turning it into a bedroom.

Fundraising Party

Fundraising Party
Originally uploaded by EWB-NY.

Despite freezing rain and threat of a transit strike ~60 people showed up to have a good time and donate just over $1200.

www.usalamaproject.com

Outer Space Project

I was reading an essay by the photographer Barbar Morgan about a month ago, she was a photographer that focused on dance. It made me think: "Cool. I want to photograph dance" So I asked my friend Colleen Hooper if she would let me photograph her crew during rehearsal. She is currently choreographing a mondern dance project on Outer Space. She and her dancers graciously agreed.

Space2 12-07-05
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Space1 12-07-05
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

The performance is 8 minutes long and I only had one take. I hope to go back to more rehearsals. It is a new experience for me to be shooting with my Mamiya 35mm, since I normally shoot 120 medium format.

Usalama Water Project - Fundraising Party

Check out the Usalama Water Project website I made. Then come to our party:

Party Flyer
Originally uploaded by EWB-NY.

Thurs 12.15.05
7pm-11pm
$20 Cover includes 1 drink
Morrisey Park
121 St. Mark's Pl @ Ave


Props to my friend Esther, the world's coolest graphic designer, for designing the party flyer.

Tick

Scott on Ghost
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

I sent a problem on my ticklist for the season!

Rich on Moby
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

I celebrated Thanksgiving with my roommates and some other friends. We were invited to the Roth family's house in Ridgewood, NJ. Best meal of the year.

Turntable

Turntable
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

I Went to go have a look at this turntable today; put on a tyvex clean suit and crawled all over it. Many tracks radiate outwards from the turntable. The turntable is used to switch the train engines from one set of tracks to another.

I Wish I had an arial photo, because turntables look amazing from the air.

This turntable is almost 100 years old and in need of some TLC. We are going to get it back in ship shape.

Ice Pond

Hey!
Originally uploaded by redcrashpad.

I went bouldering at the Ice Pond on Sunday. The weather has been perfect lately. Cool and sunny. The leaves were looking good.

You can see more photos from my bouldering crew at Dabtronics

SPAN LOGO

My company publishes an internal newsletter to all the Bridge Engineers. The name of the newsletter used to be "Nuts and Bolts" and it had a picture of a large bolt as the logo.

The editor decided to have a contest to rename the publication and design a new logo. I entered and won! Okay, I was the only entry. But they still gave me a $50 gift certificate to Amazon.com.

SPAN LOGO - by Scott
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

The sketch above is my entry. The color logo below is the actual one the graphic designer made, based on my idea.

SPAN LOGO - Graphic Designer
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Usalama Kenya

I have started volunteering with Engineers Without Borders (EWB) on a project in Kenya. The town is called Usalama and they have no source of potable water. The villagers (population 1500) currently have to walk 30 minutes to the town of Kibwezi to obtain water. We are working with an NGO called Mwikali's Gift. Mwikali's Gift is currently funding a hydrogeologic survey, the goal of which is to find a suitable location for a well.

The Tribeca Tribune neighborhood newspaper did a really good article and slide show on Mwikali's Gift and Usalama. (search for "Usalama" on the www.tribecatrib.com homepage).

Basically EWB will be providing engineering support. We will propose different options, collect community health statistics (before and after water project), and perform other nerdy, but usefull tasks. We are hoping to send a small team to Uslama early in 2006.

George Washington Bridge

Top of GWB - Looking at the Bronx
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

I am working on a little project on the George Washinton Bridge. I went out to the bridge on Monday and today (Wednesday).

It is a very nice bridge (way to go O.H.Ammann!). The weather was beautiful. Sometimes my job isn't half bad.

Me on the GWB
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Minnesota Visit - PE Exam

Grandpa Carol and Grandma Marge
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

I went to Minnesota this past weekend to take the Professional Engineering exam. It is an eight hour test and it was hard. My brain felt like marshmallows afterwards. I really hope I passed.

While I was in MN, I got to visit my grandparents, uncles, and friends. Minneapolis rules.

Bed Bugs

According to the Village Voice:

Best Candidate for Global Takeover - BEDBUGS
"Believe it or not, BEDBUGS are a near-epidemic in the East Village and parts of Brooklyn. The shame factor has allowed these bloodsucking fiends to proliferate under the radar, leaving itchy sores and red-stained sheets in their wake. The top exterminators can't eradicate them, they survive without food for months or even years, and they often hitch rides with fleeing tenants, taking up residence in new neighborhoods. Sleep tight . . . -Rachel Fershleiser"

The New Yorker also did an article on the rise of bed bugs in NYC.

big spender

big spender
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

My friend Thulo Sam (of Nepal fame) was in NYC for work last week. Due to some misplanning, his company had $10k to spend on dinner for the night. There were twelve of us. His company was going to pay the $10k whether we spent it all or not. Pretty rediculous situation. We ate well.

Mine Still Works

Check out this NY Times article titled: Serious Riders, Your Bicycle Seat May Affect Your Love Life

Here a few excerpts:

The link between bicycle saddles and impotence first received public attention in 1997 when a Boston urologist, Dr. Irwin Goldstein, who had studied the problem, asserted that "there are only two kinds of male cyclists - those who are impotent and those who will be impotent."

"We make kids wear helmets and knee pads," Dr. Goldstein said. "But no one thinks about protecting the crotch."

New York Story #1

I was walking down the stairs of an entrance to the 42nd St. Times Square subway stop when I saw there were two people in the entrance chamber. This was one of those unstaffed secondary entrances with two of the cage-type turnstiles. The first person was a bum. The second person was a women trying to swipe her card and get on her way. She was moving quickly, but not frantically.

As I reached the bottom of the stairs and began to fumble for my card, which I keep inconveniently clipped within a wad of cash, the bum came up right in front of me. He was invading my personal space. He was small, for a grown man. He said "Okay, Okay", preceded and followed by unintelligible mumbling. I looked him in the eye, then at his hands. His hands were held in front of him like a child would while praying, but he was not praying or pretending to pray. He seemed slightly intoxicated, but not horribly so. I said "no, thanks". I was wearing an Ipod, so my own words sounded like unintelligible mumbling to me. I'm never sure how loud to talk when I'm wearing my Ipod. Really bums are the only ones I ever have occasion to speak to while wearing an Ipod; if a conversation is going to be longer than "no, thanks" I will go to the trouble to remove the headphones. The bum sort of receded from my view and attention as I stepped forward to swipe my metrocard.

As soon as my metrocard was swiped, he came back into view. He again said "Okay, Okay" preceded and followed by unintelligible mumbling. I'm pretty sure he would have been largely unintelligible even if I wasn't wearing an Ipod. As I began to push my way through the turnstile I could see from his body language that he was planning on squeezing into the cage with me. I said "No, No", but he was coming anyways. It was over pretty quick and we were both inside the subway station.

Film Rules

I was burning photo CD's of the sailing trip to send to Ali last night. I came across this digital photo. I realized that this was a good chance to throw some fuel on the Film vs. Digital debate. In fairness, I will disclose that the film photo was taken a few minutes later than the digital one. The sun was going down fast and I definiately got the better light with the Rolleiflex (film camera).


When I was first getting into photography, via the Holga, I got a lot of inspiration from the site Digital Sucks.

kilmacolm digital
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

kilmacolm Fuji NPS
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

This photo is the one that I have recieved the most comments on from friends/family (I have reloaded it in a bigger size). It is kind of funny to me, since this photo was taken across the street from my friends house. I spent nearly two weeks in the remote and wild region of the Western Highlands, but the Kilmacolm photo is the one people like best. Kilmacolm is a suburb (Ali calls it a "dormatory town") of Glasgow. I was able to take a city bus from Glasgow to a bus stop about 1 block away from this place. The little hut is where the town's fishing club stores their gear. They have a little dock and three little row boats. Some cows and sheep cruise around and graze.

I called it a pond, but Mrs. Miller quickly corrected me by pointing out in Scotland it is a loch. Put the eskimo's in a land of snow and they come up with a hundred words. Put the Scot's in a region full of bodies of water and they come up with one word: loch. Forget about lakes, ponds, and fjords; they are all lochs.

Buttermilk Softball

Buttermilk Softball is the highlight of my summers. Sam Anders organized this league four years ago and I have played every year. Calling it a league is actually a bit of a misnomer. It is basically a collection of sam's friends, sam's friend's friends, and the random curious passerby that meet up in Prospect Park on summer sundays. We count off one, two and split into teams and play each other. It is always Bodegas vs. Jeans on Fire. Normally, nobody knows which team is which. When in doubt, Sam's team is Jeans and Joel's is Bodegas. If Joel and Sam are on the same team, or worse yet, neither show up that week, confusion ensues.

I will try and figure out how to make a link to the Buttermilk Softball league blog.

Greg Ondeck
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Colleen Batting
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Colleen Batting2
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Scotland Photos -Last Rolleiflex Photos

Check it out, I finally got the last of my Scotland sailing photos uploaded. These photos were taken on a roll of B+W slide film (AGFA Scala 200). It turns out there are only four places in the country that will develop this film. It is expensive and a hassel to develop B+W slide film, but it sure looks nice on a light table.

Scary House
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Rowboat on Shore
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Drum Brewy 2
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Drum Brewy
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Vote

I voted in the nyc mayoral primary today. Did you?

Bouldering at Bradley, CT

I went to Bradley with Garrett last Saturday. It was fun. I am still pretty weak, after barely climbing this past summer. I am hoping to get back in shape and send some problem this Fall. A slight bite is starting to be apparent in the air at night; I have even started using my bed covers again. The bouldering season is approaching.

Ticklist

Gunks: Captian Bringdown, Welcome to the Terrordome, Illustrious Budha, New Pair of Glasses, Meaning of Life, Anticipation

Ice Pond: Crystal Problem on Ice Cube, Snake (clean), Ghost, 1st move of The Official

Garrett's been climbed super strong, see below:

Suspense at Bradley CT
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Track Bike

I finally replaced my stolen Surly Steamroller with a real track bike; it only took me a year to find a frame. I got a Specialized Allez, circa 1980's (my guess). This isn't one of those new, watered-down Specialezed Langsters. This thing is pure track: steep angles, no braze-ons or brake holes, round fork blades, tight tire clearance, everything. Unfortunately, I don't know what brand of steel tubes it is made from, but I'd bet my bottom dollar that it is hand brazed. The serial number is 53, which also indicates that this model wasn't mass produced. The sticker says: "Made in Japan" and it came with an NJS headset.

I was initially thinking of painting it white, as a tip of the hat to the Provo and their White Plans. However, the red color has really grown on me. The paint even has a hint of metal flake to it.

The bike rides great and I look forward to putting countless happy miles on it.

Allez
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Allez front
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Bike Shop Worker 1: Do you know what those are?

Bike Shop Worker 2: Nope.

Bike Shop Worker 1: Those are homemade toe straps, sewn with dental floss.

Bike Shop Worker 2: Cool.

Scott Snelling: Yep.

I like this system because it allows me to use huge bmx platform petals. I can wear various shoes with this system, which is important since my bike is my primary form of transportation. Floppy soled shoes, like my vans slip-ons, are more bearable on the big platform than on a tiny track pedal. I can also pull my foot back on the pedal when I am trackstanding in order to prevent toe overlap, which is impossible with toe-clips.

toe strap
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

toe strap 2
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Maine

Rich and I went up to visit my friend Erin in Maine. She is currently interning as a photojournalist at the Bangor Daily News. We watched her work: highschool football, a crosscountry running meet, a frat house, and a police roadblock to catch drunks. She came away with some pretty nice photos, except the for the road block which was a flop. We also camped, walked, and climbed in Acadia. A few short bike rides were had; a few lobsters and countless blueberries were eaten. All in all, it was a great trip and Erin was a great host.

Erin atop Acadia
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Me and Rich atop Acadia
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Me Bouldering in Acadia
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Albany

Eric-rican, Chris, and I went up to visit Garrett in his hometown of Albany. Garrett was nice enough to cook us bacon, egg, and cheese bagel breakfast sandwiches. He also showed us around some sweet bouldering areas: McKenzie Pond and Little Falls.

Chris earned his cigarettes this weekend by sending a scary (super)-highball slab at McKenzie Pond. He also onsight soloed a 5.8 at Little Falls. My personal highlight was sending Giant Sucker (V2), which proved to be a stellar problem.

Chris Post-sending
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Garrett Bouldering 5.8
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Sailing in Scotland - Rolleiflex Photos

Ok, the Scotland photo barrage is almost complete. My Rolleiflex photos are below, barring one roll of film that is still being developed. I had to upload all of the Rolleiflex pictures as a very small size, because I have almost used up my monthly quota of bandwidth on Flickr.

I have been getting good feedback on my photos. My mom said she really liked them. Ok, my mom is easy to impress, but I still think I did a pretty good job. Enjoy.

ali
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

cloud layers
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

UFO34
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

sound of mull
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

rum from muck
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

muck boat
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

tobermore
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

nutty
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

kilmacolm
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Scotland Sailing - Holga Photos

It is taking me some time to get my film photos developed, scanned, and posted. My Holga photos are below. I also have my Rollieflex photos and map to post; check back soon.

bow splash
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

fisherman
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

ali binoculars
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

minding the sheet
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

rum rest
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

breathing clouds
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

pretty rocks
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

mike run
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

rum tower
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

hungry swan
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Sail
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

lifesaver
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

transit
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

winch
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

splash
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

New Yorker Cover

cover_newyorker_190
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

This New Yorker cover came out while I was in Scotland. It may be the coolest magazine cover ever. (Maybe it is just me, but I think it could use some blue. That's my only beef.)

It is by Bruce McCall and is titled "Tour de Force"

Sailing in Scotland

I spent the last two weeks in Scotland on a sailboat. There were five of us on a 34' UFO brand yacht from 1979 called "Hydrovane." She is half owned by the Miller family and Ali Miller was our skipper. I know Ali from the University of Manchester where we both studied Mechanical Engineering. I was the only Yank on the boat, the other four were Scots. Ali is an expereinced sailor, having participated in various multi-day races. The other four of us ranged from mildly to totally inexperienced.

I took quite a few photos. I just got back to the USA this morning, so I haven't had a chance to develop the film from my Holga and Rollieflex medium-format cameras. I have cherry picked a few snapshots I took with my digital camera and inserted them below.

Check back later in the week. I plan on adding some photos from my film cameras (should be better than the digital ones below). I also plan on adding a map of our route.

Departing
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

We boarded the 34' UFO yacht in Ardfern. Ali's parents, the Miller's, had just completed a 10 day cruise before handing the boat over to us.

Ali the Skipper
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Mike Preventing an Unwanted Gybe.
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Andy Holding Down the Spinnaker Pole
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Ronnie at the Helm
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

As we were coming down the Sound of Mull a yacht race came out from Tobermore, right behind us. We led the entire fleet of 100+ yachts down all the way down the Sound and on to Oben. Only two yachts passed us, and they only caught us towards the end of the sound. Turns out the Hydrovane can move!

The line of racing yachts, receding into the distance is visible in the background.

Me at the Helm
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

.

Mike Checking out our Competition
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Mish Nish
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Playing pool at the Mish Nish pub in Tobermore on the Isle of Mull.

Isle of Rum
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

View of the Cuillin Mountains on the Isle of Rum. We did the ridge traverse walk/scramble (~14 miles), which included climbing all of the mountains shown here (Askival, Ainshval, Ruinsival, Sgurr nan Gillean). Most of the names are of Norwegian origin.

Rum Cuillin Traverse
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Ali and Andy at the top of the Ainshval. The Black Cuillins on the Isle of Skye are visible in the background.

The Whole Crew on Ainshval
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Celebrating to be at the top of the last climb on the Rum Cuillin Traverse. From left to right: Ali, Ronnie, Me, Mike, Andy.

Askival seen from Ainshval
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Looking north from the top of Ainshval (2552 ft) towards Askival (2663 ft). The view from the ridges were stunning. The weather was perfect and it seemed as all the Isles of western Scotland were visible: Skye, Hebrides, Coll, Canna, Eigg, Muck. On the mainland, mountains as far away as Ben Nevis were visible.

Anchorage in Arisaig
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

We got to know this anchorage well, since we got stormed in and were there for two days. I slipped on a wet rock while trying to take this photo and majorly bruised my tailbone. Ouch!

Boggle
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Playing Boggle and waiting for the storm to break in Arisaig.

Boredom in Arisaig
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Allowing boredom to creep in between games of Boggle and Go.

Lashing the Dingie in Arisaig
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Chicago

Jimmer's Bachelor Shindig
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

I went to Chicago this weekend for Jimmer's bachelor shindig. We all stayed with Dave and Batta in Wicker Park. I was pleasently surprised with Chicago. I'd been there before, but never with people that lived in the city and knew their way around. I could definiately live in Chicago.

Wicker Park was full of fixed gear riders and hipsters of all types. North Beach on lake Michigan was very pleasant, with sand, water, and nice scenery. The buses and L train were efficient.

The CMWC 2005

The Cycle Messenger World Championships for 2005 were hosted by NYC two weekends ago. Unfortunately, I was still recovering from a mysterious chicken pox-like illness, so I didn't participate in many events. I did have the pleasure of watching most of the events. The Mermaid Parade with Alleycat, the CMWC races in Jersey City, the King of the F'in Streets Alleycat, armwrestling competitions, etc. The weather couldn't have been nicer and a good time was had by all.

Mermaid Parade
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Eric, Mark, and I leading a flock of German messengers to Coney Island for the Mermaid Parade and Alleycat. This was a prelude to the CMWC.

Eric Racing
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Eric racing in the CMWC

Spectating
Originally uploaded by inazuma*.

@ world trade center
Originally uploaded by inazuma*.

Cyclist leaving the PATH station after the CMWC.

Path Train
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Mark and Eric descending into the depths to take the Path Train across the Hudson. The CMWC main events were in Jersey City.

My Bikes

Waterford
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Here is my current ride. I built this Waterford X-11 Cyclocross frame back in 1998 when I was an intern at Waterford Precision Cycles. I had some help, especially on the fork, droupouts, and braze-ons (thanks John), but I did the silver brazing on the frame more or less on my own.

For some reason I got the most hideos "rastafarian" red-yello-green paint job. The frame went into storage untill 2005 when I decided that the theft of my Surley presented a good opportunity to build up the frame. I had it powdercoated in Baby Blue by Spicer Cycles and built it up.

I will say, in an unbiased way, this is definiately the nicest riding frame I have ever had. Light, lively, and stiff. I wish it was a track frame. Oh well, hopefully I will race a couple cyclocross races this fall.

Building a Wheel
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Me. Building the wheels for my Waterford.

Surley Steamroller
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

I believe this is from the first roll of medium format film I ever used. My Surley was brand new at the time, so it was also in the early days of my fixed gear riding. My Surley was stolen in October 2004 and I still miss it.
Holga

Frejus
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

I bought a Frejus with full campy (friction shifting) when I moved to nyc. It served me well for 2-3 years. This picture was taken on the day I sold it to Josh. I used the money towards my new Surley.
Rollieflex

More Photos

I finally got around to scanning the rest of my old favorite photos taken with my Holga or Rollieflex. I never seem to get my film cameras out of the apt. anymore. Hopefully this will inspire me.

Poughkipsee Bridge
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Looking up at the tower of the Poughkipsee suspension bridge.
Holga

Manhattan Bridge
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Field visit with Dr. Yanev's Bridge Design Class
Holga

Manhattan Arial
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Arial Photo of Manhattan. You can see my office building and my old neighborhood in Harlem in this photo.
Holga

Bodega in Harlem
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Rollieflex

Snowy Branches
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Winter in Riverside Park.
Rollieflex

Log Stack
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Josh and I moved this stack of logs. It was stacked too close to his house and was causing termites to get into the house. This was the first photo where I realized how sharp the Rollieflex lens was. This scan didn't come out that great, but the detail in the negative still blows me away.
Rollieflex

Demolition Derby 03
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

For as long as I can remember the Demolition Derby at the Dakota County Fair, MN, has been a highlight of the summer.
Rollieflex

Life Changes

The last few weeks have been a time of change for me. I moved from Harlem to Brooklyn. I graduated from graduate school (M.S. Structural Engineering). I left the 3rd Avenue Bridge construction site where I spent eight months working as an inspector and headed back to the cubical to work as an engineer again. They are all good changes that I am satisfied with.

Columbia Graduation
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Last Day in Harlem
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

View From my New Apt in Brooklyn
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

3rd Ave Bridge
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

3rd Ave Bridge
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

3rd Ave Bridge
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Back to the Cubical
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Photography

Here are some of my favorite photos that I have taken.

Johnny Bike
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Johnny riding his track bike to the Gunks for a day of bouldering.
Holga

Lenox Lounge
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Harlem, 2003
Rollieflex

Soul Food
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Harlem, 2003
Rollieflex

Magnetic
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Johnie on Magnetic
Rollieflex

Stretch
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Construction of 3rd Avenue Bridge between Manhattan and Bronx.
Millwright John stretching his back over a spool.
Holga

Tiger
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Tiger at Bronx Zoo, nyc
Napping against window.
Holga

Mint Bar
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Mint Bar, Sheridan, WY
Pinhole Camera (Rishi Tea)

Dads Log House
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

My Dad's Log House. Sheridan, WY
Pinhole Camera (Rishi Tea)

My Cameras

My interest in photography was spurred when I read an article in Smithsonian Magazine in the summer of 1999 on Pinhole Photography. I had never heard of such a thing. I was imeadiately drawn to the simplicity, self sufficiency and uniqueness of pinhole photography. However, I didn't really know how to get started, so I procrastinated for a few years. In 2002 I discovered Holga's (thanks Melissa) and found that these cheap ($20) plastic medium format camera's had many of the same appeals of Pinhole photography. The Holga provided a gateway.

After messing around with the Holga for a few months and having my film processed professionally, I decided it was time to start developing my own black and white film. With less than $100 and no more equipment than fits in a wine box I was developing my own film. No darkroom required. If I want a print I just scan the negatives and print from my inkjet.

Now that I was set up to develop medium format film I began longing a higher quality camera. Holga is neat and quirky, but sometimes you just want to take a nice sharp photo. In 2003 I acquired a Rollieflex made in 1931. I think I paid about $80. The detail and quality of its lens still blow me away.

I also decided to get a 35mm camera for all of those everyday photos. I got a Mamiya MSX 1000 manual SLR from the mid-eighties (I think) for around $40. The 55mm f1.4 lens is great for flashless photography indoors.

All this time I was really wanting to make and use a pinhole camera. The problem was that most people use photopaper in their pinhole camera. This is fine if you have access to a darkroom, but I didn't. I really wanted to make a pinhole camera that would use medium format film, but it sounded like a lot of work to make the winding mechanism that would be required to use roll film. There was no way I was going to buy a pinhole camera, since that would be cheating. I was trapped in this circular thought process untill the summer of 2004 when I finally had an idea: cut the film. My solution was to cut the film into strips in my darkbag before loading it into the camera. Each strip represented one exposure and the camera must be reloaded for every photo. This allowed me to make a medium format pinhole camera sans winding mechanism; I used a steel Rishi brand tea canister.

In 2005, after achieving my longtime goal of become a pinhole photographer, I totally wussed out and bought a digital camera, a Canon SD300. It is smaller than a pack of cigarettes and takes video. It takes nice snapshots (especially for bouldering), but I still believe in shooting film for nice photographs.

Climbing at Highbridge North

The bouldering crew made it out to Highbridge North this weekend and sent some new problems. We all agreed that the bouldering was decent, for nyc. It is not as good as Inwood or Van Courtland, but it would definiately be worth some return trips. We are yet to attempt the high, scary and beautiful crack problem.

1/9 to Dyckman
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Take the 1/9 train to the Dyckman stop and walk a couple blocks East. Right before you get to Harlem River Drive the bluff will be on your right, inside Highbridge Park.

Albatross
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Uptown Boulder Exploring

Today I went scouting in uptown Manhattan for new climbable boulders. It was a success! I rode around to four parks: St. Nicholas, Jackie Robinson, High Bridge, and Marcus Garvey. We didn't do any climbing, but we did find climbable rock in all four. This adds to the already developed uptown bouldering in Ft. Tryon, Inwood, and Van Courtland.

According to the NYC Parks Department, the cliffs in High Bridge Park are known as Coogan's Bluff:
http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_your_park/historical_signs/hs_historical_sign.php?id=11107

Here is a rundown of the potential of the new bouldering areas (from North to South):

High Bridge Park North (Harlem River Drive x Dyckman):
This area has alot of potential. Tall faces with interesting features and a couple climbable satellite boulders. The rock is solid and the setting is fairly pleasant. Good problems will go up here. Probably worth multiple trips.

-
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

High Bridge Park North - arete
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

High Bridge Park North - little prow boulder
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

High Bridge Park North - face w/ crack
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Face with crack.
Highball to say the least


High Bridge Park South (Harlem Hellfighters Drive x ~155th-170th St.):
This area has a lot of climbable rock. Cliffs, boulders, roadcuts, trash, vagrants, and noise from the parkway. I heard that they have really done alot of work to clean up High Bridge Park in the last few years, but there is more work to be done on this section. We didn't scout out the whole area because Sachiko was afraid that she was going to step on a deadbody underneath the leaves. This fear was probably not totally unfounded. That being said, I definiately want to do more climbing and scouting here.

High Bridge Park South - cave
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

High Bridge Park South - cave to highball
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

High Bridge Park South - low prow
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

High Bridge Park South - face to lip traverses
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Jackie Robinson Park (Bradhurst Ave x 150th-155th St.):
Some easy slabs, a roadcut face, and an greenish arete. Nothing spectacular here, but it might be enough to have fun for an hour. The rocks are prominently located and climbing will be likely to attract neighborhood attention and mocking.

St. Nicholas Park (St. Nicholas Ave x ~130th-140th St.):
Some slabs, roadcut faces, and natural faces. I could probaly amuse myself climbing here for the better part of a day.

Marcus Garvey Park (5th Ave x 119th-123rd St.):
A really easy slab or two and one lowball liptraverse. I think I'd be bored stiff after one hour of climbing in this park. Mockery by onlookers is likely.

I have posted a few pictures from High Bridge (N & S locations) below. I hope you are inspired to grab your pad and join me for a trip uptown in the near future.

Statement of Purpose

This is my first blog post. I really wanted to create a proper website, not a blog. I guess this blog will have to do for now. My main objective in posting on the web is to display work/projects that I have completed. I intend to post work in the following categories:

Art
Photography: Holga, Pinhole, and Rolleiflex
Painting: Oil

Engineering
Papers
Built Projects

Bouldering
Photos and Videos
Topos and Guides

Track Bikes

Stay tuned and we'll see how this develops

-Scott Snelling