Scrub oak, scratches, and cockroaches

Got out for some trail exploration w/ Chris yesterday. Got a little "off-route" and did some bushwacking through tons of scrub oak. Lots and lots of scratches and a buncha cursing. I think scrub oak is the cockroach of the shrub family, tough enough to survive a nuclear blast.

Bushwacking through scrub oak also brings back memories of another favorite pasttime of Chris and mine, off widths! Most people hate off widths, but we get a perverse sense of accomplishment from the abuse necessary to conquer them. The satisfaction of completing a huge climb (or trail) is enhanced by the sweating and bleeding required by the off width (or scrub oak).

I did a runtime test last night of my MC-E flashlight. About 53 minutes to 50% of the initial lux, with the light pretty much toast at 60 minutes. So, I can get one lap at full burn if I just use the battery.

I don't think I want to swap batteries every lap, so I spent the evening building a 3x18650 battery holder out of a Brut deodorant container. 3 x 53 minutes at full burn should mean that, given some amount of conservation, I can get away with one battery change. Just gotta figure out a way to tap the flashlight body for a power jack.

Woke up to a couple inches of unexpected freshies this morning. With the snow and the Bogu Kumite this evening, it looks like I'll be hitting the trainer after the munchkins go to bed tonight.

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