According to DDG, a wind wolf is “a mythical creature in a fictional setting, described as a rare species of wolves with large, white wings and a cool-grey pelt. These wolves are known for their ability to fly and their vulnerability if they lose their wings, as they often die from depression.” It is unknown if they hang out with the other cryptids, but it is rumored that they were with STEVE SMITH and the Cryptids when they opened for The Screaming Trees at the Cascadia Ballroom in Bend, OR back in the day. The place was packed. Legend has it that it was the inspiration for one of Nirvana’s songs. It was truly a seminal show in the history of grunge. But I digress.
The Wind Wolves Preserve is a 30 square mile private park comprising the old San Emidio Land Grant which dated back to 1842 when California was still part of Mexico. Located at the south end of the San Joaquin Valley it includes the foothills of the Transverse Range. It sits astride El Camino Viejo, which is Spanish for Old Interstate 5, a shorter route than El Camino Real (Spanish for Old Highway 101) and with fewer prying eyes. It’s home to a herd of elk, bears, and possibly some antelope. I had no idea that there were antelope in California, but apparently there are some in the nearby Carrizo Plain (or as I call it, the Chorizo Plain). It’s unclear if any wind wolves are actually present.
The previous day I had participated in the Rock Cobbler in Bakersfield, and as one does when in Bakersfield, I decided to do something outside of Bakersfield. After 35 miles of driving through oil fields and orange groves I turned onto an unnamed road that heads up the alluvial fan toward the preserve. The road passes the site of Pueblo San Emigdio, which was established in the 1790s. The town’s namesake is the patron saint of earthquakes, who I would have expected to be San Andreas as the fault passes only about 10 miles away, but such is the mystery of faith. In its heyday the town had a couple dozen homes, a couple stores, a school and a church, but nothing remains today except a commemorative marker.
Further along the road passes under the entrance to the preserve and continues up toward the mountains. I parked at the end of the road, assembled my bike and continued up the El Camino Viejo Trail. The road is unpaved climbing at a pretty steady 4-5% grade with rough gravel in some places and smooth dirt in others. There was a strong, cold headwind blowing down out of the mountains. My legs were tired from the previous day, which made it tempting to turn around, but I stayed motivated by the scenery with steep walls on each side of the valley and snow capped mountains in the distance. What’s around the next turn? What’s up that canyon? Will the road reach the snow?
Periodically there are racks next to the trail where you can lock up your bike and continue on some of the side trails on the preserve by foot, or even continue on up the mountains through the El Camino Viejo Wilderness to the town of Pine Mountain Club about 10 miles up the canyon. Other foot trails will take you up to the rim of the valley for more expansive views of the surroundings.
After crossing the dry bed of San Emigdio Creek, the road got rougher and steeper, and soon the road ended for cyclists. I was 5 miles and 1300 feet of climbing into the ride. I was tired and cold (my bike computer said it was 35 degrees), I had to be at work the next day, and it was Super Bowl Sunday, so it was time to turn around and head home to catch the game. What had taken me nearly an hour to climb took only 15 minutes to descend for which my legs were grateful.
If you are looking for something to do on the drive between LA and the Bay Area, Wind Wolves is worth a visit, at least if the weather is cooperating. It probably gets extremely hot in the summer, but any other time of the year is probably pretty nice. It’s a nice ride up the valley floor and would be ideal for an e-bike, but really you don’t need a bike of any kind to explore the area. Entry and camping are free, so it’s a bargain even at twice the price. Jim Bob says check it out.
Beautiful.
But I actually heard they’re just modified grey wolves with 91% of their DNA changed to sparrow.
Don’t be silly.
It’s 91% Velociraptor.
My daughter has a pet sparrow that she rescued when it fell out of its nest. It can be vicious.
But is it genetically engineered?
On topic, who maintains this land?
It’s run by the Wildlands Conservancy which is a non-profit. I’m not sure where they get their money though. They have quite a few of these places.
https://wildlandsconservancy.org/
Thanks!
I went back and read your Rock Cobbler write up.
https://www.glibertarians.com/2025/02/confessions-of-a-middle-age-man-in-lycra-3rd-time-a-charm-or-strike-3/
I don’t know how you got on a bike the day after that.
Beautiful scenery though.
The Wind Wolf drawing looks like my Husky with wings.
Are those wings sharing a shoulder with the forelegs?
Well, they’re imaginary, so . . . .
I guess they just run fast enough to fly and run in the air.
How much more annoying would a Husky be if it could fly?
This was actually two years ago after my first Cobbler, which was much shorter. https://www.glibertarians.com/2023/05/confessions-of-a-middle-age-man-in-lycra-2023-rock-cobbler/
Much shorter in a relative way, but still impressive.
There’s a series of MS rides through the country, I believe all of them have options for Day ranging from 15-150 miles (my best is 75), and an option for a 50 mile ride back the second day. I rode with Team Left Hand, sponsored by the brewery. This meant that they supplied beer for us for training rides, fund raisers, and for the after party. Now, take a group of guys who have been training together, and made it through the long ride. Add in the fact that you could still raise funds until the end of the event. One of my friends (the one who got me to join with the team actually) decided that he would wear the costume he wore to the afterparty for his full 50 mile ride back the next day if we could raise another couple hundred dollars. A couple of beers later, we covered his request.
So there was a man who rode a 50 mile ride back, wearing a full Deadpool body costume (with all the padding) the day after riding 150 miles down.
Nice pics.
Thanks for this! Beautiful.
Speaking of your last write-up, I’m a little disappointed that the Rock Cobbler doesn’t have some low-key filthy logo.
The Cock Gobbler calls out. It needs to team up with the Hamburglar, his to-be henchmen, who lures prey with fast, affordable, and tasty food along with his charming, though slightly rapacious manner.
There’s far too much ragging on McD’s. Everyone can find something on their menu(s) they like. All over the world, in different languages and customized offerings. Difficult and unappreciated accomplishment. See also: Usain Bolt scarfing chicken nuggets during the Olympics in China. He trusted it.
Even if you hate *all* their shit, you can still get some water if ya need it. And it’ll be cheap, clean and cold.
I have an old high school friend who lives on the Carrizo plain, and yes, there are antelope there, in Antelope valley. Also, hwy 58, which runs right through there, is one of the best motorcycle roads in CA.
“yes, there are antelope there, in Antelope valley”
No way.
I tend to think a lot of names in California are made up by developers or land speculators, so when I hear a name like Antelope Valley, I think, “Antelopes. Yeah, right.” But it turns out more often than not there is some basis for the name.
Supreme Court lets Trump move forward with firing thousands of federal workers
TW – NPR
https://www.npr.org/2025/04/08/nx-s1-5351799/scotus-probationary-workers
Finally, SCOTUS is acting
Yesterday’s was something like: Yes the government can deport people, they do get a hearing in their local court, and no the one judge in DC isn’t in charge of all those cases.
I’m fine with that one too.
Its ruling was perfect imo. The supreme court is usually the most sane branch of government these days.
Just had brunch w/ my friend who was/is a probationary IRS employee – he has wisely already been looking elsewhere even though he was still getting paid, for now.
Um, I hate to break it to those at NPR, but executive power has always supposed to have been concentrated in the White House. In fact, it’s the first fucking line of Article 2:
I don’t see any mention of “and unelected bureaucrats” when it comes to who’s in charge of the executive branch.
That’s part of the living, breathing Constitution.
The mistake isn’t there, obviously, it is in the congress giving up way, way too much of their power to the executive over the years.
The one good thing I can see coming from Trump is Congress taking back their power and using it properly. I hoped it was going to happen in the first term.
One of my friends from college is an avid biker and he goes all over the country and just ride his bike with a group of friends. I’ve been thinking about getting into it but don’t really know where to start. Beautiful pictures and great story!
Just get a bike and start riding. It doesn’t need to be anything fancy to start. Something off Craig’s List would do. You don’t need to dress in the goofy tight clothes, unless that’s your thing. Google Maps has an option to show bike lanes and bike paths to help keep you off busy roads. Or Strava has a function to suggest routes near you. There’s probably some local bike clubs too.
First, wait for some warmer weather. 🙂
Unfortunately, the place I would recommend as a great starting point burned a couple months back. I saw they’re opening in a new location, hopefully close to the towpath. When that was a Century Cycle, they offered bike rentals for adults and children (and had trailer rentals as well). With the towpath right there, and the train, that gives lots of access with the kids to ride. They used to do night rides out there in the summer as well.
Other than that, look for used bikes, I would suggest looking at an inexpensive hybrid to start (not the best on roads, nor the best on trails, but can handle both, and considering the roads in Cleveland…). From there it’s a choice of trail, mountain, or street riding. Trails, I can’t recommend the Metroparks enough, good trails, with plenty of options. Mountain isn’t something I’ve done, but I’ve heard lots of great things about Ray’s. For street riding, it’ll really depend on the neighborhood. Bratenhal is beautiful to bike through, with low road traffic, Lakeshore from downtown through to Euclid is a good ride as well.
“Congress taking back their power”
This could happen.
“and using it properly”
Yeah, not seeing this one.
Supreme Court lets Trump move forward with firing thousands of federal workers
…and to hear the lamentations of their bureaucrats.
Such a sweet sweet sound.
I got this crazy notion the other day. I was going to air up the tires of my antique mountain bike and test ride it around in the driveway. My hip is so locked up I could barely get my leg over the seat. I couldn’t get my feet up on the pedals. This getting old stuff sucks. At least I have a goal now.
Pictured
You joke, but this is what I am reduced to!
Once your balance goes, your options are limited.
Better that than just sitting around.
We have faith in you.
Sorta. Maybe. Not really.
I don’t know why they gave him a bike with toe clips. It’s like they were trying to sabotage him there.
Yeah, there is a reason I bought an adult tricycle.
https://www.amazon.com/Slsy-Mountain-Tricycle-Shopping-Tricycles/dp/B0C85VJ1SM/ref=sxin_16_pa_sp_search_thematic_sspa?content-id=amzn1.sym.1091e5b8-0ff4-492a-aa0b-7bc8b59253c6%3Aamzn1.sym.1091e5b8-0ff4-492a-aa0b-7bc8b59253c6&crid=GDTY0CEVBUZ5&cv_ct_cx=adult%2Btricycles%2Bfor%2Bmen&keywords=adult%2Btricycles%2Bfor%2Bmen&pd_rd_i=B0C85VJ1SM&pd_rd_r=ae400eb7-efbb-4d03-b366-59df9214fa87&pd_rd_w=NDfzl&pd_rd_wg=tXmVA&pf_rd_p=1091e5b8-0ff4-492a-aa0b-7bc8b59253c6&pf_rd_r=XBHJVYABJ1J1T0PJTPWN&qid=1744137075&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sprefix=adult%2Btri%2Caps%2C262&sr=1-1-6024b2a3-78e4-4fed-8fed-e1613be3bcce-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9zZWFyY2hfdGhlbWF0aWM&th=1
I have zero balance anymore, and so much nerve damage to my left leg that this is the only option for me now.
And, yes, I hate how Amazon does url’s.
You can cut off anything from ‘ref’ onward and it works just fine
https://www.amazon.com/Slsy-Mountain-Tricycle-Shopping-Tricycles/dp/B0C85VJ1SM/
Recumbent bikes are also a thing, but please put a flag or a post up so people can see you.
“My hip is so locked up…”
*Grimace* Getting back on a bike was predictably difficult. It’s a challenging goal, but achievable. (Rest) and go forth.
And OT:
I follow Rand Paul on twitter and while I don’t agree with him on 100 percent of everything (probably 90 percent, lol) he’s always been consistent and states why he voted the way he has. But I swear, according to the MAGA commenters on his Twitter page, you would think he’s this traitorous piece of shit who is out to destroy Trump. I voted for the guy because he’s leagues better than Harris/Waltz but I never been a fan of his uber MAGA followers. Any dissent or disagreement of anything he does gets this rabid reaction even if the person dissenting has a good reason to do so. It’s just wild to see that the MAGA crowd are similar to Progressives sans the trans stuff.
Agreed w.r.t. Rand. He and Massie are principled and it’s depressing to see the MAGA supporters attack any deviation from today’s orthodoxy.
Everybody sucks except us.
Some of MAGA is unfortunately like socialist gibberish repackaged for the anti-woke.
That’s the downside about movements. They eventually become more about the person than it does about an ideas of which started the movement in the first place.
And while I think it won’t happen, it’s wild that they would try to primary Massie and Paul who despite being on the forefront for the fight for our individual and economic liberties, are seen as disposable by the MAGA crowd. Which leads me to believe that their beliefs aren’t rooted in anything except owning the Libs and pushing whatever Trump tells them to push.
Urthona:
A substack I read just posted a piece about Critical Trade Theory.
Neph: Legit LOL.
The media thinks these woke tariffs are going to bomb the economy back to the stone age, but when I make the abhorrent choice to read the graphs myself it looks more like January 2024. A 20% tariff on Chinese goods is rough. Adding 34% more to it is rougher. But a 54% tariff on Chinese goods is nothing compared to Shenzhen closing its entire manufacturing sector down because they found a germ, and probably not significantly worse than the Fed turning off the free money spigot in 2022.
HWFO is a fantastic read.
Ed, it is really no surprise, as MAGA isn’t about personal liberty. It is populism. A lot of these people would have gone Bernie if things shook out right, and it is no wonder that a lot of the message is akin to socialism.
And this is what a lot of so called prognosticators get completely wrong about him. He isn’t a rock ribbed Reaganite, but more akin to the so called 90s Democrat.
Copying from the linked article because I love it so much…
I will reiterate my HWFO love.
He’s gone relatively quiet recently – getting married soon, apparently – but I’ll recommend following him.
The ‘Most Popular’ entries are great, if you’ve not already read them.
https://hwfo.substack.com/
HWFO is good stuff. Interesting take. I had been wondering about the “look-over-there” currency manipulation, etc. modifiers to the tariff rate.
Reciprocal tariffs, OK, I can see those as a means to end of lower tariffs all around. In fact, it’s hard to see how else you get there from where we are now. But this “eliminate the trade imbalance by eliminating imports” thing . . . Oof.
He isn’t a rock ribbed Reaganite, but more akin to the so called 90s Democrat.
I have said all along that Trump is a Clinton Democrat (Bill, not Hillary).
People are people and the quasi cult of personality Trump types want a daddy like the lefties do, just a different one. If he came out in favor of seizing the means of production they’d be defending that too. Unfortunately the inconsistent and the stupid will always be with us.
I’m generally a Rand fan – but watching him in Squawk Box this AM I can see where MAGA is upset. It was a full-throated screeching about tariffs after the fashion of a Reason know-it-all article – just classic “tariffs are bad” binary nonsense.
Massie – my heart goes out to him as he lost his wife last year, but he is just a crumudgeon spoiler at this point. No real effort to make things better – complains about deficit spending but puts forward a “no tax on social security” bill? Prime Act?
I’m going to have to disagree with that. Massie constantly calls out the bad shit and stupid bills that has gotten us into this trouble. The best thing he can do is just vote no and then explain why it’s a bad idea. We constantly want people to vote with according to their principles but when they do, so we shit on them because it’s viewed as being a spoiler. Could he be a little more proactive, probably but when you have a whole system out to spend and expand government’s powers, the best thing you can sometimes just say no.
As for Rand, he does come off as a little sneering when talking about this stuff but he’s not entirely wrong about what he’s telling us and respect the fact that he has courage to state his belief and go against the grain when it’s sometimes just him making the noise.
Ugh, my bad for shitty grammar.
ED: I don’t disagree with you – I’ve actually donated to Massie several times (even though I live in Iowa). I just want him to do better and engage/create important legislation.
Gonna have to take Rand’s side on this one.
I will admit that my frustration with Massie during the Speaker fight was that if he hated Johnson so much, why not put himself forth as a candidate? Instead, he just said, I’m not voting for dude and offered no alternatives which I get but did make him look like a huge asshole.
“Tariffs are bad”
Yeah, Rand has this one right.
Mob mentality.
Massie, too, explains his votes.
Tru-blevers are True Believers.
And there is little air between the far right and the far left, as far as fanaticism goes.
Here’s one thing, though, I truly believe. It’s definitely representative of activity on social media.
It’s NOT representative of America.
Just look at general polling and it’s fairly obvious.
And to be fair, social media for awhile way had me thinking most left wingers are way dumber than they are too. Most people only barely think about politics.
I still have no idea where this tariff thing will end up. And while I do agree with Paul and Massie most of the time, maybe they aren’t right about this? Or maybe they are?
It’s interesting that we’re suddenly having discussions about tariffs and a lot of other things because Trump has no problem goring a few sacred cows. Of course the Dems look increasingly idiotic because they just oppose anything Trump does. But the rest of us are having to think things through a bit and I think that’s good.
It is. I used to be a hardcore, comparative advantage guy and believed that it’s not our problem to find jobs for those who factories have left town, even if the town fell apart. But now, I’m not all sure that it was a great idea to outsource some of industries to places like Mexico or China.
Sure. If that was the Trump administration’s rationale.
And can you explain why — say — he levied 10% tariffs on Australia which has no tariffs whatsoever and we have a trade surplus with?
Well when you ask him he just says tariffs are great.
..
If this was just against the odious communist China, well that would sure be much easier to defend for at least political rather than economic reasons.
I believe Australia has a 10% VAT on imports (and almost everything else).
I agree with the pickle. The tariffs are casting a wide net, and there are 4 different conflicting explanations for them.
VAT gets applied to _everything_, not just imports.
Lumping it in with tariffs is silly.
Yes.
It’s not really a trade barrier.
Also, that was just one example. There are too many of these.
The Wind Wolves Preserve looks like Scotland in the spring or fall. I have not spent much time in the wilds of CA. I need to do some hiking this summer with Mrs. Time and our Waffles. I hope her Achilles surgery doesn’t cause her any issue. She is getting one leg done next week and another some time later in the year.
She will have to wear a Kiss boot for a few weeks, I don’t expect that to go well.
I hope her Achilles surgery doesn’t cause her any issue. She is getting one leg done next week and another some time later in the year.
Best wishes.
Thanks DEG
it’s wild that they would try to primary Massie and Paul who despite being on the forefront for the fight for our individual and economic liberties, are seen as disposable by the MAGA crowd.
Nobody likes having a mirror shoved in their face.
So, a couple of minor pieces of good luck this AM. First, I thought I had another badly clogged sink a la the 4K disaster from earlier this year, where I had to have a kitchen drain line completely rerouted. But, after a little poking around with a hand snake, cleared right up. Second, I found a screw I misplaced, thinking I was doing something smart with it. Which is good, as it is BA threaded, and finding that, when I don’t have a BA thread pitch gauge, here in the states was going to be a real pain in the butt.
Alsotoo, my plan for a new front sight on a very nice BSA sporter has been successful, as I nicely grafted on an Anschutz unit, which was what the missing screw was for. Seriously, BSA, whathelldamnguy! This springer has beautiful bluing, nicely figured walnut, and, of all things, you have a cheap plastic front sight ramp? Way to fail at the margins.
“a little poking around with a hand snake”
We haven’t had a good euphemism in a while.
Entry and camping are free, so it’s a bargain even at twice the price.
I like a bargain.
Steel Panther update for Chafed:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMbcx3ywH4Y
https://x.com/Osint613/status/1909601566312571219
More of this, please.
https://media0.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExZGZ0bmsxdGtidmlicWk1ZDF0OTV3d3ZrMXN5cXlqd2RlcW0zdDE3MyZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/yAXDs06NsEuRPOhOMA/giphy.gif
Holy shit, that place is fucking gorgeous. On this earth, California truly is the upper echelon of primo real estate. It’s just… everything. All at once, playfully shading into each other. Beaches to mountains to farmland to desert. Way to fuck that up, Californians. (How did Arnold’s governorship go? I recall it was pretty decent, more conservative. I don’t give a shit if he banged the nanny.)
Closest I’ve been? Me and the family went to San Diego in 2019, pre-Incident, and Vegas when I was 10. (We stayed at the Excalibur. Medieval fantasy land, including jousting competitions. They had some sort of system to make it competitive, and not just a show. Knights fighting each other was also involved. Heaven and its bliss, were found. *gushes*
Did you know that jousting is the official sport of the state of Maryland? They still do it at the Maryland State Renaissance Faire, too. Pretty impressive stuff, horseback and live weapons and armor.
From the HWFO piece:
If you were one of the people who were running around on Facebook in 2020 supporting the Covid lockdowns and Covid bailouts, which precipitated a historically high inflation spike that literally priced an entire generation out of being able to buy a house, and now you’re whining about financial instability from tariffs, you can shove an entire mop handle up your rear end until it makes a fluffy tail.
*raucous footstamping applause*
Pretty nerdy but I’ll allow it
“Alluvial” I learned a new word! Well, I kinda didn’t. The definition is…amorphous.
“The present consensus is that “alluvium” refers to loose sediments of all types deposited by running water in floodplains or in alluvial fans or related landforms.[1][7][8] However, the meaning of the term has varied considerably since it was first defined in the French dictionary of Antoine Furetière, posthumously published in 1690. Drawing upon concepts from Roman law, Furetière defined alluvion (the French term for alluvium) as new land formed by deposition of sediments along rivers and seas.[8]”
Fuck me. It’s actually a word I was trying to think of. I couldn’t think of one to describe that ‘shaded,’ or ‘blended’ arc of the rock formations that comes from the wear-and-tear of time and water.
I’m fairly certain I *still* don’t have a good word to describe that shading, especially in an AP way normal folk would grasp.
UCS + all: That seems to be right up your alley, though I *am* fairly certain you’d (correctly, with purpose) use ‘alluvium’ in some fashion. How would you describe the worn, shaded curve of mountains, plateaus, basins, etc to your readers? Or better yet, to regular folk in the regular world.
Are you looking for the incline climbing the rock, or the sweep of the ridgeline across the horizon?
The latter. Jaime’s “the sweeping fan” is gorgeous.
I was describing a ‘hobby’ of mine, watching clouds from afar and seeing the dark shading of the precipitation, blending down into the horizon. The charcoal-esque smudging, smearing of the storm clouds’ downpour, compared to the other white clouds and blue poking through the sky. Mountain’s rugged arc to ground level is a similar visual effect, though the ‘opposite’ medium.
Just a fun thing I pay attention to. I pointed it out to my 11-year-old nephew and he was fascinated. Big win.
I am not happy with the FreeDOS folks. Their installer decided that what I really wanted was to fill up my 160GB SSD with 2GB unformatted partitions. It can’t even address all those “drives”, and I’m going to have to clear them out so I can make more usable partitions.
Did they do that for slack space so the SSD controller could reallocate problematic sectors?
I seriously doubt it.
I’m also now annoyed at Intel, since they sold the Pentium 4 in both 32-bit and 64-bit variants, and I don’t know which I’ve got.
And of course it’s the 32-bit version, so I need different software.
A big Hands Off rally in town on Saturday. Observations: gimme gimme; twice as many attendees as our largest Tea Party rally back in the day; every local Dem official spoke while TP couldn’t get one GOP official to show up to oppose Obama.
The Democrats are speeding towards the cliff, breezing through the stop sign while the GOP are also heading towards the cliff but obeying the stop signs and traffic lights.
Oh good. Two infants have decided to get into a fight.
https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/stock-market-trump-tariffs-trade-war-04-08-25/card/the-math-behind-trump-s-104-tariffs-on-china-6SgbxnceM9ASzU5uTd4A
S&P was fractionally up and now down 2.5%.
Are you not entertained?
The Top Men at Ars from the comments are not amused.
“My first games involved hand assembling machine code and turning graph paper characters into hex digits. Software progress has made that work as irrelevant as chariot wheel maintenance,” Carmack explained. “Building power tools is central to all the progress in computers.”
https://arstechnica.com/ai/2025/04/john-carmack-defends-ai-amid-backlash-over-microsofts-generative-quake-ii-demo/
I’m sure the Ars folks will explain why, ackchyually, Carmack is wrong and they are correct. Also, you should totally check out their demo – they’re almost done with it.