Shortly after our arrival in France in April, our neighbors Christian and Koro invited us on a trip to Porto in Portugal.  We debated briefly whether we should take their hybrid or our rented electric ID.3, but since we weren't familiar with the charging situation in Spain, we reluctantly decided to take the hybrid.  As it turned out, aside from adding an extra 30-45 minutes to our trip each way for charging, it wouldn't have been a problem.

Entering Spain, Christian decided to take the N-1 not only to avoid the exorbitant tolls on the AP-1, but because it took us through a scenic canyon along the Rio Arakil. 

​Rather than do the 8-hour drive to Porto without stopping, they suggested we might want to see Salamanca, home to the oldest active university in Spain. 

While the architecture and history of Salamanca were fascinating, I have to admit that it was the storks that got me excited.  I'd never seen a stork before, but here in Salamanca, many of the towers on ancient buildings had storks' nests.  I wasn't quick enough to photograph one in flight, but with wingspans of about 10 FEET(!), they're incredibly impressive.

We found a great place for lunch, sharing several rationes - large appetizers.  After lunch, we toured the city and visited the university, which is reputed to be the 3rd oldest in the world.  It has a world-renowned door called La Puerta de Salamanca.  Quite a few tourists (like us) stood in front of it, searching for the mysterious frog hidden in the sculpture.  Supposedly, if you find it, you'll have good luck for the next year.

We visited the Plaza Mayor and toured the shops and restaurants on the sides of the plaza, then continued to the Cathedral.  And, like many cathedrals in Europe, Salamanca's is beautiful, but as you can see, the architecture is unique - a mix of Gothic and Baroque styles.  It was built between 1513 and 1733.

As we were looking at the sculpted exterior, we were fascinated to find an astronaut.  An astronaut in a sculpture from before 1733?! It looked like the theories of extraterrestrials visiting us hundreds of years ago might be true.  But no.  A little research showed that the astronaut was a planned addition in 1992 as a 'signature' by the artist doing restauration.  

The next morning we started the 3-and-a-half-hour drive to Porto.  Christian and Koro wanted to show us Coimbra, a former capital of Portugal, known as the City of Knowledge since it harbors the oldest university in Portugal.  Our plan was to have lunch, walk around the city, then make the drive north to Porto where we would spend 3 nights.

Just after crossing the border into Portugal, as we drove through miles and miles of cork-producing oak trees (Portugal is the world's largest producer of cork), Christian noticed that we needed gas.  We pulled into a service plaza, surprised to see lines of cars.  They had no power.  It was April 28th and the entire Iberian Peninsula was without power.  

We had a decision to make.  If we went to Coimbra, and there wasn't an open gas station, we wouldn't make it to Porto.  We discussed options as we continued west.  Fortunately, the next service area was open saying their power had just come back on.  We filled up and headed towards Coimbra assuming the power outage was over.

​We went into the main square looking for an open restaurant and quickly discovered that the city had no power.  We ultimately found a restaurant that was serving salads and had lunch.  We walked around the city admiring the architecture of the cathedral and of the Ingreja da Colegiada de Sao Salvador with its blue tiles - something we'd see quite a bit of in Porto.  But, with no power, everything was closed except, of course, the solar-powered parking meters where we were 5 minutes late and got a ticket.

We made our way to Porto, expecting that a city of 1.3 million people would certainly have power, but no.  Our hotel was dark and there was no way to pay.  Fortunately, the management was flexible and offered flashlights.  

After unpacking, we started touring the city.  We made our way down to the Dom Luis I Bridge for our first views of the Rio Douro in Portugal and the six famous bridges.  This one is a pedestrian bridge on the upper level about 150 feet above the river.  To the south is the Vila Nova de Gaia section of Porto where several excellent wineries (making port) and restaurants line the river.  To the west, you can make out the Atlantic Ocean just a mile or two away.  

All the restaurants and most shops were closed but a few bakeries were open - cash only.  Being old, we always carry some cash - enough to get home if we needed a taxi.  Unfortunately, many of the young people we encountered were stuck.  And as the sun set, Porto went BLACK.  No lights anywhere. 

​It was eerie walking the streets of a large city in total darkness.  The only lights were cell phones, flashlights and a few car headlights.  At one point we came around a corner and saw a line.  Out of curiosity, we followed the line around one block, then two, and then we saw it - a lone ATM that had emergency power.  

We bought some pastries and wine at one of the bakeries and had dinner in the dark.  We made our way back to the hotel and noticed that across the river a few lights had started to come on.  About 10:30pm, power came back on.  We all plugged in our phones.

Koro recommended breakfast at the Cafe Majestic, a well-known place to be seen.  The breakfast, while a bit expensive was excellent.  The scones were phenomenal!

Koro also recommended that we get tickets for hop-on/hop-off bus along with the associated tours.  The buses travel both the south side (Vila Nova de Gaia) and the north side of the river to the coast.   Headsets give you a verbal tour as you pass particular places in the city and you can stop anywhere and then get back on a later bus - they pass most places every 15-20 minutes.

After multiple stops to explore, we ultimately decided to have lunch near the beach.  Christian told us that one block off the beach was a small road that led to the harbor and that all the restaurants had fresh-caught fish.  We found one that had an open table for 4 and shared a sumptuous lunch.  

My grandparents were born in Switzerland but aside from a detour around a closed tunnel on a trip from Chamonix to Italy years ago, I’d never been there.  My mother always wanted to go, but the trip that Karen and I had hoped to plan with her was put off because of an elective surgery that resulted in complications and ultimately, her untimely demise.

It was with a bit of trepidation that I finally let Karen convince me to make the trip to Switzerland.  I’d heard about Interlaken and had seen spectacular pictures of the Alpine lakes and hikes, so I searched for the best hotel in the area and came up with the Grandhotel Giessbach located about 25 minutes to the east on Lake Brienz.  While a bit more expensive than what we’d usually pay for a hotel, they had a special 3-night package with the 4th night free, free boat rides on the lake to visit nearby villages, and lots of free admissions to nearby places like The Sherlock Holmes Museum, the spectacular Aare Gorge, and the Ballenberg Open Air Museum, a huge space of farms, local artisans, and historic buildings.   A sumptuous breakfast was included. 

Because of great charging infrastructure in France and Switzerland, the roughly 3000-kilometer roundtrip (about 1860 miles) from Guethary was a breeze in our rented Volkswagen ID.3 electric car. We made stops in Brive and Annecy along the way there, and in the Ardeche on the way back.  I’ll write about those places another time.

The Grandhotel Giessbach sits above the intensely turquoise Lake Brienz with a trail and funicular to get down to the lake.  But the main attraction, aside from the hotel itself, is the waterfall that tumbles from a nearby peak into the lake below. 

Our large, well-appointed room had a small balcony that looked out at the waterfall and we slept to the calming sounds of cascading water. 

Originally built in the 1870s as a retreat for the aristocrats of Europe, it continued to be a centerpiece of the elite into the early 20th century.  Unfortunately, after two world wars, the hotel declined to the point that it was closed in the late 1960s.  A foundation worked with the Swiss government to raise funds to restore the hotel to its former glory and it reopened in 1989, fully restored. 

Within the 50 or so acres of hotel property, there are countless hiking trails and organic gardens which supply much of the food for the hotel’s excellent restaurants.  There’s a piano bar, and well-known musicians fill the lobby and bar with music every evening.  Classic. 
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The place is magical.  Every time we stepped out of the hotel we were assaulted with views that took our breath away.  Even after four days (or seven - we extended our stay), we couldn’t help but revel in the beauty of this very unique place.  

While I did get to try out my very rusty German, we were quickly informed that although all of the staff spoke German, none of the German staff could understand the local staff when they spoke  Schweizerdeutsch – Swiss German (and obviously, neither could I).  But of course, everyone's English was much better than my German.
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​During our first morning (after a great breakfast), we hiked to the top of the falls.  It’s a moderate hike on a wide trail for about half the way up, with bridges that cross the gorge and places where you go under the falls.  The upper part of the trail is steeper, narrower and more challenging, but with the invitation of the fall colors, we continued upward.  It was a great introduction to the area.
​

​Karen had always wanted to fly, so I’d booked a paragliding flight for her out of Interlaken.  Quite frankly, I was disappointed with Interlaken.  I was expecting a small, quaint alpine village, but it’s very commercial with luxury-brand stores and huge hotels dominating the city.  And, paragliding is a big deal.  There are numerous companies offering paragliding flights so the sky is filled with paragliders taking off from a nearby peak and landing in a large park from early in the morning until sunset.  While thrilled with her first flying experience, I think Karen was a bit disappointed.  We’d paid for an extended flight but the conditions didn’t cooperate, and her planned long flight ended up being a descent from the mountain directly down to the city.  Her views were mainly of the city.   Maybe next time she’ll get to experience going up instead of what we hang glider pilots call a sled ride.
​
On subsequent days we had some great hikes.  On one, we took the hundred-plus-year-old cogwheel railway to Schynige Platte.  It’s a great jumping off place for countless trails in the high Alps.  

​We did have one rainy day when, after a short wet hike near the hotel, we decided to spend the afternoon playing pool in a large cozy room inside.  

​Although it was more of a walk than a hike, we loved the Aare gorge.  It’s probably 45 minutes out and back in the gorge itself.  The glacier-white river has carved out spectacular rock formations and you walk along an elevated path built into the side of the gorge.  

We had some fantastic meals both at the hotel and elsewhere, but one of the most memorable was at a small restaurant in Interlaken that served fondu.  I’m not a fondu fan as I tend to almost choke on the thick hot cheese, but this restaurant offered a spicy fondu with both bread and vegetables. It was excellent!
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Even with 7 days, we barely touched on all the possibilities of the area.  Karen and I have each done a lot of traveling but we both agree that the Grandhotel Giessbach and the surrounding area are the most beautiful we’ve ever experienced.  We WILL be going back!

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​Our friends Bob and Linda, who spend as much time in France as we do, invited us to join them in an area we hadn’t visited – near Perpignan and the Spanish border on the Mediterranean.  They were planning to do a walking tour of Collioure to follow the path of one of their favorite artists, Andre Derain and his compatriot Henri Matisse.  We’d heard of and knew some of the works of Matisse, but not Derain or of the Fauvist movement.  We’d also heard of Collioure, not for the art or history, but for a very fine wine that a good friend had shared with us. 

We were game to make the 5-hour drive in our electric Volkswagen ID.3.  We’d done a 3000-kilometer trip to Switzerland and back in the fall in the ID.3 we’d rented then, so we were confident in its abilities as well as in the charging infrastructure in France.  The drive was uneventful, and although we did stop to charge (we needed lunch), it turned out we could have made the 330-mile trip without charging. 

Linda had booked the spectacular Hotel les Bulles de Mer on the beach in Saint-Cyprien, near Collioure.  After a walk along the beach and harbor, we had a quick dinner at the hotel.  The next morning we started our walking tour of Collioure.  It’s a picturesque village on the Mediterranean, which looks like something out of Pirates of the Caribbean – a small bay guarded by fortresses at the entrance and on the hill overlooking the bay.  ​

We followed the path of Derain and Matisse to 15 spots from which they’d painted, viewed their reproductions, and read up on the history of many of the paintings.  The two artists were founders of the Fauvist Movement, a step away from the realism of the Impressionists.  Following what may have been the lead of Van Gogh, the Fauvists used wild brush strokes, strident color, and more abstraction.  We learned a lot.
​
We had an excellent lunch at the impressive La Voile on the south side of the bay.  Before leaving Collioure, we stopped at a small wine shop where we learned that this part of France is also the French part of Catalonia.  None of us realized that Catalonia (both the Spanish province and Catalan language) extended into France.  A little research showed that most of the residents of this French Department do speak Catalan and think of themselves as Catalan, much as the French Basques think of themselves as part of the Basque country (which also spans the border of France and Spain).  

​​Our next stop was Villefranche de Conflet.  I had expressed an interest in the fortresses built by Vauban in the 17th century and Linda had suggested Fort Liberia, overlooking the medieval village.  Leaving the rolling hills of the coast, we entered a valley in the Pyrenees and followed the Tet river to the walled village.  The fort looms over the village and was the site of few battles but interesting imprisonments, including women convicted of the Poisoning Conspiracy!  

​Leaving Bob and Linda, we continued our trip.  Our next stop was Foix, another town with a medieval walled city and famous castle (pictured at the top of this post).  The road through the Pyrenees was spectacular, but a bit harrowing for me as the winding two lanes climbed higher and higher above the narrow Tet valley.  When we finally began the descent, the sky opened up to violent thunderstorms and hail.  We entered a tunnel which, if I understood the signage correctly, actually went under the tiny country of Andorra. 

Arriving in Foix, we stayed at the Hotel du Lac situated on the side of a lake formed by the Ariege and Arget rivers.  We had an excellent dinner on the terrace overlooking the lake and while our ample room and terrace also looked over the lake, the room's bathroom was so small that you had to sit sideways on the toilet.  The musty smell in the room turned out to be not so innocuous, so in spite of a great location, we won’t stay there again. 

After breakfast at a small café in the village, we toured the walled part of the old city as we made our way up to the Chateau.  Unfortunately, it was closed.  We decided to take the short drive over to Labouiche, a cave with an underground river.  And again, although there was no one there waiting, the guide informed us that their next several tours were completely booked.  Strike two!  He did talk to us about the cave and compared it favorably to Padirac, a cave and underground river in the Dordogne that we had visited.  Oh well!
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Since it was still early, we realized that we could make it home in time to have dinner at one of our favorite restaurants.  We made reservations and decided to avoid the auto route and enjoy a pleasant drive through the foothills of the National Park of the Pyrenees.  We did stop to tour the small citadel of Saint Lizier.  It was a Wednesday, and all the restaurants were closed.  Strike three!
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All in all, I’d strongly recommend visiting Collioure and Villefranche de Conflet.  I’d probably skip Foix.  But, if you get off the highway, there are countless villages, bastides, ruined castles, and fortresses to visit at the foot of the Pyrenees.  
​
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​Ok.  Sure.  Of course we do.  But the long waits we've recently seen at charging stations are not due solely to an insufficient number.  Let's take a deeper look.

First, as EV owners know, the vast majority of us charge at home the vast majority of the time.  For most, we only need public charging stations on long trips.  As an EV-only household for the last four and a half years who does a lot of long trips (3 350-mile trips a month and 4 or 5 1500- mile trips a year), we didn't see the problem - until recently.  

Being retired, we can usually choose when we travel so until this holiday season, we never travelled close to a holiday.  On most of our trips, we rarely saw another EV charging at a high-speed charging station.  But over Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, we needed to do 1500-mile trips  close to peak holiday travel times.  It was a definite wake-up call.  We had to wait.  A lot.

Of the three to four stops we made in each direction on both trips, there was only one where we didn't have to wait.  Fortunately, people were polite and waited their turns.  In one case, where we needed a 5-minute charge to make it to our next stop, a slow charging Kona let us jump ahead.  He admitted that he needed 45 minutes to an hour to charge and could certainly give us 5 minutes (if we weren't trying to fool him).  As it turned out, we disconnected in less than 4 minutes and were on our way, much to his surprise.  

So what was that about?  Take a look at this chart of EVs we encountered on our recent two 1500-mile trips. Although we didn't encounter Teslas, I included their charging times just to show how non-Tesla EVs stand up.   The numbers come from evkx.net, an excellent site for looking at the performance and charging speeds of pretty much every EV on the market.  Since the Bolt and the Leaf are no longer sold, I used numbers from InsideEVs for them.  

Imagine if you will, pulling up to a charging station in Grants Pass, Oregon, only to find that of the 4 chargers, 1 was out of order and the others were occupied by Chevy Bolts.  The max charging speed of the Bolt is 55 kW and that's only during a small window.  This did happen on one of our trips up.  The SOC of the Bolts ranged from 40% to 60% and we were looking at a minimum of 40 minutes before one charger would free up.  Of course, so were the two  Ioniq-5s, the Ioniq-6, and the ID.4 ahead of us.  And, although the Bolt owners were receptive to the fact that there were ChargePoint stations a short distance away, that was for next time, though one said that the Electrify America stations were much cheaper so he'd continue to use them even though he was charging at only 24 kW on a 350 kW station.  

Of course everyone has a right to charge wherever they want.  But for those of us with EVs near the top of the chart, it's pretty frustrating to wait knowing we'd only need 20 or so minutes to charge and could then move on for the next EV.  Clearly, you can't blame the EV owners.  So who should we blame?  How about the manufacturers?

Unfortunately, the manufacturers and many EV buyers look only at max charging speed.  But look at the Teslas.  They can charge at up to 250 kW, but their charging curves are such that they're pretty far down the list in terms of total charging times.  

And if you consider charging past 80%, wow!  For almost all of the EVs in the list, it's a disaster and people waiting may get very frustrated. 

One more anecdote:

On our way back, since a nearby EA station was full, we decided to try one of the new EVgo stations that advertised 350kW rather than wait.  Sure enough there was one charger open of the six on site so we plugged in.  It advertised 100 kW and we figured we'd need to charge 25 minutes instead of 15.  Unfortunately,  we only saw 50 kW.  It turns out that the EVgo stations are shared. So, if there are two cars on a  station, each will only get half the rated kW.  

Nearby, there was a 350 kW station.  A Rivian was plugged into one port and was happily charging at 140 kW.  Next to the Rivian was a Mach-E.  It was charging at 12 kW.  It was at 82% so I asked the driver if he was planning to continue charging.

"I have every right to charge!" he shouted, clearly angry that I'd even asked.  
"Well, you're only charging at 12 kW on a 350 kW charger.  Would you consider trading with us?  We'll be gone in 15 minutes."  
He rolled up his window and ignored me.

Fifteen minutes later he left and fifteen minutes after that, so did we.  

Okay.  Bottom line.  We need more charging stations and they need to be reliable, especially on heavily travelled weekends and holidays.  But, if EVs charged faster - didn't have the major taper we see in most EVs, the throughput at charging stations would be much greater.  You'd be back on the road faster and the station operator would make more money (more kWh sold).

If you have a slower charging EV, do consider letting someone waiting jump ahead and if available nearby, definitely think about using a slower charger if your EV can't charge at the higher rates.  But better yet, complain to your manufacturer.  You don't need faster instantaneous rate; you need faster total charging time.  It'll make your trip faster and will reduce the wait times at charging stations.

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It's mid-October, 81 degrees with 30-40 mph offshore winds and no surf.  What should we do?  How about a visit to the Chateau-Observatoire d'Abbadia, a spectacular edifice overlooking the ocean near the border town of Hendaye, France? 

After a great tour where we learned about its former owner, Antoine d'Abbadie, a 19th-century scientist/scholar who spoke 14 languages and built the observatory, Karen and I decided to take a hike on a part of the Sentier Littoral (Coastal Trail) we hadn't seen before.  

The Sentier Littoral runs about 25 km (~15.5 miles) from near Bidart in the north to Hendaye in the south.  And actually, it continues in Spain as a different set of trails.   Most of the Sentier Littoral is wild untamed single-track along the high cliffs overlooking the Atlantic, though there are some parts that require you to traverse village streets. For more on this remarkable trail, check out my previous posts: No Surf - Time for the Sentier Littoral and Sentier Littoral - North through Bidart. This  new (for us) part just north of the main beach in Hendaye may be the most spectacular and   least travelled section.  ​

Starting on the trail on the south west end of the  Abbadia estate (see Vous êtes ici  on the map above), the trail is flagstone for the first half mile or so.  From that point on, you can choose one of numerous single-track trails which lead you to and along the cliffs or across open fields or through small forests on the property.  We chose the first possible left next to a former farmhouse, and reached the edge of the cliffs above the main beach after a few minutes of walking.  Continuing along the cliffs we passed several WWII bunkers.  While most of the bunkers along the other parts of the Sentier Littoral are tightly closed up, on this part, if you want to see the interior, you can certainly enter.  Surprisingly, while they're crumbling, you don't see any tagging or detritus.  

If you follow the trail along the cliffs, you'll note the impressive rock formations called flysch.  This is a sedimentary rock which in many parts of the coastline has been twisted and turned into unusual shapes.  Along this stretch, they're much more uniform (see the picture of Les Deux Jumeaux at the top).  

​Looking inland you get occasional glimpses of the Chateau d'Abbadia along with verdant pastures sprinkled with small forests.  ​

The main trail ultimately leads to the road which runs from Socoa (near Saint Jean de Luz) to Hendaye along the Corniche, another part of the sentier littoral which while beautiful, is too close to the road for us.  We decided to turn back and took alternate trails for our return.  

Overall, we walked a bit less than two hours, largely because we did a fair amount of exploring and picture-taking.  My guess is that the loop along the cliffs, then back along the road, would be about an hour and a half.  I'll update this blog if we decide to do it before we leave.  

The only other people we saw on our hike were a few runners.  If you're in the area and would like a non-strenuous hike,  this is a great one.  You can make it as long or as short as you like.   I'd have to say that this is our favorite part of the Sentier Littoral.

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The first question I get when people find out we only drive Electric Vehicles is "What's the Range?"  I guess I can kind of understand that newbies might wonder about range.  Many owners of internal combustion engine vehicles (ICE cars) are afraid they'll 'run out of gas' in an EV.  So range must be the big issue, right?

After all, most ICE cars can go 400 miles; some might go 500 miles.  And if you can't go that far in an EV, it's just not up to par, right?  

Oddly, it's not just non-EV owners who express this concern.  At every charging station, I invariably get the same question: "How much range do you get?"  And although I still answer, I now follow up with the statement that "Range is not that important!"

Even confirmed EVers look at me sideways until I explain.  

The big issue for EVs is not range.  It's charging speed.  

You can now drive 3 hours or more at highway speed in most modern EVs.  Me, even in my old ICE cars, I needed to stop every two to three hours.  Then it was food and to stretch my legs.  For night drives, it was to stay awake. 

Now that I'm a few years older, it's bio breaks.  I do need to stop every three hours.  Most drivers will admit that they need a break after every two to three hours.  Yeah, when I was much younger, I can remember doing over 400 miles (6 hours) without stopping, but how many of us really do that?  

And how often do we take long trips?  A few times a year?  Most of us have commutes of less than 100 miles roundtrip - well within the range of every modern EV.  

For us, greater range just means we don't have to charge as often - once every week or ten days instead of every four or five days.  And hey, if you own or rent a house, you can just plug in at home.  

No, we really don't need an EV with 400 or 500 miles of range.  But there are some valid concerns about EVs.

Charging Speed
Once again, for a typical commute, charging speed isn't much of an issue.  You can charge at home or at the office and you probably don't need to charge more than once or twice a week, even with a longer commute.

But on a road trip, you really don't want to sit around waiting for your car to charge.  When we took our Chevy Bolt to Oregon for the eclipse several years ago, we had to wait an hour or more at each charging stop, adding at least two hours to our ICE car trip times.

Now, in our Audi etron (we use the Bolt for trips within a hundred miles or so), we can drive three hours then charge for twenty minutes, then repeat.  We compared a recent trip to Oregon in our Audi etron to trips we did in our Audi Allroad, and with a 20-minute stop every three hours for bio breaks and food, the total travel time was identical.  As of today, the etron is the fastest charging EV on the market.  

But Teslas, Porsches, the Ioniq-5, and others charge faster, right?
Actually, no.  EV buyer beware!  Newer EVs claim very fast charging with high kilowatt charging rates - 250 kW?  That must charge faster than an Audi that only charges at 150 kW, right?  

The fact is that like your cellphone, EV charging tends to slow as the battery fills.  Those EVs that charge at 250 kW only do so up to 40 to 60 percent.  Then they taper off dramatically.  

So, if you're looking for fast charging, you need to look at the charging curves which show the rate of charge as the battery fills.  I like to check out charging curves at the Electric Vehical Knowledge Exchange  Click on a particular model and the look at its average charging times and charging curves to see how fast a give EV will charge.   

Are there enough charging stations?
We've been doing long trips in EVs for several years.  Charging infrastructure has dramatically improved, particularly on major highways and recently, secondary routes.  The VW dieselgate settlement has put fast chargers along most of these routes.  

Years ago, we'd charge three or four times on a long trip and would never see another EV charging.  That has changed.  A few days ago (a Sunday) on our way to Oregon, we encountered an Ioniq-5, a Mustang Mach-E, a VW ID-4, and a Volvo XC40 Recharge at a popular Electrify America station.  Like us, the Ioniq-5 was there for about 20 minutes.  We spoke with the drivers of the Mustang and the ID-4, and they had been charging for a while and expected they needed another 30 minutes to continue.  

I note that on our return trip, we were the only EV charging.  So for now, at least on the routes we're travelling, we're not yet seeing congestion at charging stations.  But that will likely change.  

If EVs had faster charging rates, their time charging would be reduced enough to minimize any waiting for other EVs.  So, as you look at purchasing EVs, and as you talk to manufacturers and on message boards, please push the importance of charging speed over range - and not just charging rate - TOTAL CHARGING TIME.  This will not only improve our long distance driving times, it will help avoid congestion at charging stations.  

It's not about range.  It's about total charging time!

Hope you find this helpful.

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In my latest novel, The Swimmer, instead of debating others, a third party presidential candidate who campaigns on bringing our divided country together, holds public discussions between people on opposite sides of the political spectrum.  Here's the first one.  I note that I've changed  the name of the candidate to TOM in this post so as not to reveal too much of the plot.

    ​“Today, I announce the formation of the REASONABLE Party.  Those of you who join us could be from the left, right, or center.  All we ask is that you be reasonable in your disagreements.  I honestly believe that as Americans, deep down, most of us are decent people.  Most of us want our country to be stable and to go forward as our founders once demanded, that we have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  And don’t discount that last one.  Aside from a few at the top, I don’t think too many people are happy these days.  It’s hard to be happy when you’re scared.  I’m scared.  But if we work to listen to others, to agree to disagree, and to show some respect to everyone, I think we can save our country. 

    “Perhaps others have said it before, but I’m prepared to do whatever is necessary to put the ‘United’ back into the United States.  Don’t be afraid to put reasonable disagreement and discussion ahead of hate and fearmongering.  Join us!”

    A week later, TOM held the first of what he called ‘Reasonable Discussions about Divisive Issues’.  While the major networks tried to bid for exclusivity, TOM made it clear that his broadcast would be for everyone and that any network that wanted to carry it could.  In fact, nearly all did.

    Dressed in a very presidential suit that left no question about the powerful athlete underneath, TOM greeted the audience and two scowling individuals.

    “Good evening all.  Welcome to the first of our Discussions about Divisive Issues.  With me are John McCallum and Steve Bourne.  As you can see from the way they’re scowling at each other, they’re not the best of friends. 

    “Tonight’s topic is Immigration.  We’ll be holding future discussions about Abortion, the Economy, Gun Violence, Election Security, the Wealth Gap, and depending on how things go, several other key topics which so far, have furthered the division in our country. 

    “My role is to act as moderator.  Well, maybe moderator isn’t the best description.  This is not a debate.  Instead, call me a mediator.  We’re going to imagine that a court has ordered these two to settle their differences with a mediator. 
​
    “As mediator, I decide who gets to talk, when they get cut off, and how we move forward.  Sometimes mediation doesn’t work, but generally each party leaves with a better understanding of the other side and sometimes they reach a compromise in a subsequent mediation session.  I’ve known a few judges in my career, and most are pretty tough.  They keep sending adversaries back to mediation until they come to agreement.  We may not have time to do that for each topic, but I wanted to see if we could move the needle toward the center from two extreme positions. 

    “Before they came I asked Steve and John to prepare a short, two-minute-or-less statement about their positions on Immigration.  So, to kick things off, I’d like Steve and John to read those statements.  After that, they’ll introduce themselves and then we’ll begin the discussion. Steve, why don’t you start?”

    “Ah.  Okay.  Here goes.  Sorry.  I’m a bit nervous.”

    “Understandable, but hey, it’s just us here and we’re going to try to be reasonable.  Nobody’s going to attack you.  Go ahead.”

    “Okay.  Immigration.  We should just shut it down.  Our country is being overrun by people who shouldn’t be here.  They take our jobs, they fill our emergency rooms and drive up the costs of healthcare for everyone.  Most of them are lazy.  Many are criminals. They live off others either through snow-flake social services, by dealing drugs to our kids, or robbing small businesses.  Their gangs kill each other and innocent hard-working people and our kids.  Those who got here illegally should be deported.  So should their kids.  They have no right to take places in our schools where our kids should go.  And this bull crap about seeking sanctuary?  No.  They should stay in their countries and solve their problems there, not bring them here.  As for legal immigration.  It needs to be severely limited.  Like New Zealand.  No one should be allowed in unless they have enough money to live on, are going to start a business with enough money, or have a guaranteed job.  Our current policies have been a disaster.  It needs to stop!”

    “Thank you Steve.  John, I can see you disagree and seem to be getting a bit heated listening to Steve.  However.  I’d ask you to just read your statement.  We’ll get to the discussion shortly.”

    John glared at both Steve and TOM.  For a moment, the audience and even TOM thought John might get up and leave.
​
    “This sucks.  No one should be able to say that bullshit.”

    “John.  You agreed to come.  You agreed to listen.  You agreed to try to be reasonable.  I’m not asking you to agree with Steve. Let’s give this discussion a shot.  Please read your statement on Immigration.”

    John paused, clearly thinking about his next move.  He had agreed.  He wasn’t a quitter.  He’d follow TOM's orders.  And while it may have sounded like encouragement, John knew that these were orders.  He’d been in the service.  He knew. 

    John took a deep breath, sighed, took another deep breath and started reading.

    “We’re all immigrants.  Immigrants built this country.  We wouldn’t have a country without immigrants.  My great-grandfather came here from Scotland over a hundred years ago because there was no work.  Some of his friends came because of religious persecution.  I don’t see much difference today.  The United States is the richest country in the world.  It’s our duty to help others.  We should open our borders to all but criminals.  The immigrants I know work harder than anyone else.  They came here often risking their lives to work hard and make a better life for their families like my great-grandfather did.  They will pay their taxes and take jobs most Americans don’t want.  They’ll get ahead.  Their kids will get educations and our country will prosper because of them as it always has.  We need to open our borders.”
​
    If looks could kill, Steve would have murdered John.

    Acting as if nothing were amiss, TOM continued. 

    “Thanks guys.  Now, please tell us all where you’re from, give us a bit of history, and then tell us what you’ve done or do for a living.  We’ll get on to our discussion topic after that. 

    “John, why don’t you start?”

    “Ah, okay.  I’m John McCallum.  I was born in Perry, Oklahoma.  My dad worked at the Charles Machine Works for over forty years.  Me, I was a wrestler in High School.  We won 3 state championships while I was there.  When I graduated, I joined the Marines and eventually made it into the Seals.  TOM, you’re a legend there.  Like you, I saw a lot of action and lost more friends than I want to think about.  I put in my twenty and retired.  I’m now following in my dad’s footsteps working at the machine works as a line manager.  I’m married and have two kids: a girl who’s twelve and a boy who’s ten. I’ve stayed involved with wrestling by coaching the kids in an after-school program.  I think that’s about it.”

    As the camera pulled back, it was obvious that Steve Bourne was surprised, and maybe a bit fascinated.
​
    “Steve, your turn.”

    “Ah.  I’m Steve Bourne.  Okay.  My great-grandfather came to this country over a hundred years ago too. He was from England where industrialization cost him and his family their jobs.  Ultimately he settled in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania.  He worked in the paper mill there.  My grandfather did too.  Then my father worked in the aircraft factory.  Both are closed now.  I went to Lock Haven High which is now closed too.  I was on the wrestling team and we won two state championships. When I graduated, I joined the Army and worked my way into the Rangers.  For those of you who don’t know, the Army Rangers are a special forces group like the Seals.  Like John and TOM, I saw a lot of action.  I’m not happy about a lot of it.  But I survived.  Some of my friends didn’t.  Anyway, I didn’t put in twenty.  After my last Purple Heart, I didn’t re-up.  I went home and got a degree in accounting from Lock Haven University.  It was weird taking classes at my former high school again.  Now, I’m an accountant.  I have three kids: Amy, age 15, John, who’s 13, and Mitch who’s 11. And,  I also coach the local high school wrestling team.”

    “Thanks, Steve.

    “Before we get into the actual discussion, let me ask you something.  John, what do you think of Steve?”

    “Well, I hate his politics, but hey, respect brother!”

    “I’m going to be picky here but John, let’s try to avoid the use of the word ‘hate’.  It just gets people riled up when you say you hate them or something about them.”

    “But –”

    “Sorry to have cut you off, John, but could you rephrase to be just a bit nicer?”

    John was fuming and you could actually see him count to ten.

    “Alright.  Steve, I’m not happy with your position on Immigration, but I do respect you man.”

​    “Steve?”

    “I’ll say the same. I’m not happy with your bullshit position.”

    “Steve!”

    “Yeah.  Okay.  I’m not happy with your position on Immigration, but yeah.  I respect you too.  Seals.  Action.  Wrestling!”

    “So one last thing before we get started.  If you guys had met in a bar or at a game and didn’t know anything about the other’s politics, if politics were the last thing on your minds, do you think you could have been friends?”

    Each shook his head pensively, looked at the other, and reluctantly nodded.  

​On a hike to the summit of Jaizkibel (see my blog Jaizkibel - Hike from a Ruined Spanish Parador), a mountain/ridge overlooking the Bay of Biscay in Spain, we almost continued the extra 6 kilometers to Pasaia, but with the rain intensifying, we decided to go another time. Unfortunately, years passed without our ever visiting what was reputed to be one of the most picturesque coastal villages in Spain. 

On Wednesday, our Basque neighbors, Koro and Christian, who have taken us to some excellent restaurants in nearby Spain, suggested lunch in Pasaia.  

Pasaia is located across the border from France between Hondarribia and San Sebastian.  It was built at the beginning of the 13th century.  Lafayette launched his voyage to help the American revolution from Pasaia and Victor Hugo spent time there in a home which is now a museum dedicated to the author. 

Pasaia served as the biggest whaling port in Europe up until the late 18th century.  In the 16th century, long before the French and British laid claim, the Basques formed partnerships with the Inuit people of Newfoundland and ultimately became the major suppliers of whale oil for all of Europe.  Many Basques settled in Newfoundland, which in the 16th century was actually known as 'the Land of the Basques'.  Today, Pasaia and Red Bank are sister cities.   
    
Approaching the village, we drove past the main port which housed massive cargo ships.  Christian told us about his experiences watching them enter the narrow entrance to the port with just a few meters on each side and when we ultimately saw the entrance, it was hard to believe these huge vessels could make it through. 

We continued up to a parking area and then entered the village on foot.  The streets were cobblestone and the passages included extremely narrow tunnels.  We had to step into doorways several times to allow vehicles to pass.  

We followed the road through the xirimiri (Basque for drizzle, pronounced chirri-mirri).  The narrow road becomes a pedestrian path, passing colorful homes, many of which were built into the faces of the cliffs bordering the entrance to the port.  

The path continues to the Bay of Biscay, then turns into a trail leading to the top of Jaizkibel and beyond to the east.  

There's a water taxi which you can take to the other side where there are trails leading to the spectacular Camino de Santiago, past view points like the  breathtaking Senokodulua lighthouse, and ultimately to San Sebastian.  

The other side is also home to Albaola, the Basque Sea Factory, which does restoration and replication of ancient boats and ships.  You can take a tour and see the process they're using to build a replica of the NAO San Juan, a 16th century whaling ship, using only the tools and techniques of the time. The local Basque fishermen are planning  to sail this replica to Newfoundland once it's completed.   ​

With the heavy xirimiri, we cut our hike short and made our way to Txulotxo, a restaurant overlooking the water where we shared appetizers of grilled calamari, a Spanish salad that brought tears to Karen's eyes as she remembered salads from when she lived in Spain, and a remarkable dish of eggs scrambled with cepes, a local mushroom delicacy which I think we call porcinis.  For mains, Koro had the mixed grill of all sorts of seafood, Karen and I had a brochette of lotte (monkfish) and prawns in a mildly spicy garlic sauce, and Christian had cod in pil-pil sauce, an unusual Basque garlic concoction.  The day's special dessert was Copa de la Casa: layers of flan and ice cream with a fruit compote (ours was peaches)  and Chantilly.  It's apparently an intermittently popular dessert in Spain.  In spite of numerous visits over the years, this is the first time we've seen (and eaten) it.  

During our superb meal, we were entertained by the fish dancing just below our window.  I'm not sure what they were, but they were 12-16" long and kept swimming with their heads out of the water, mouths open.  I ran into a school of hundreds of these some years ago surfing, but no one has yet identified these bizarre fish.  

After lunch we took a leisurely walk back to the car.  Christian decided to take the scenic route on a small road that leads from Pasaia to the top of Jaizkibel then down to Hondarribia. Unfortunately, with the xirimiri, visibility dropped to near zero as we climbed the 1800' mountain so we missed most of the spectacular views up the French coastline.

As for Pasaia, we will go back.  There's so much to discover and so many spectacular places to hike (and to eat)!

​If you liked this post, please check out my novels.

On Tuesday, we decided to take Dick Hatch, our 89-year-old neighbor, to the Hope Valley to see the fall colors.  We make this trek every year if we're in the States and have only been disappointed a few times, usually in drought years when the leaves dropped without much color change.  We were a bit concerned about this season given the major drought and the nearby fires, but ultimately weren't disappointed.  

We left our place in Pioneer mid-morning and made our way up Highway 88 past the devastation of the recent (and still active) Caldor Fire.  From the entry of the Mormon Emigrant Trail (which will remain closed through next spring) past Kirkwood and Caples Lake, the fire had reached the highway and, over the approach to Carson Spur, had crossed the highway, devastating trees and leaving normally spectacular aspen groves burnt to a crisp. Only blackened trees with no leaves and few branches remain.

​Arriving in the Hope Valley after descending Carson Pass, we were a bit disappointed to see that smoke from fires to the south had invaded the valley.  While the colors were there, it wasn't the best day for photos. 
​ ​

We made our way to Wylder's Sorenson Resort which usually has spectacular color and were a bit disappointed to find that many of the leaves had just dropped.  We hiked the property through the aspen groves and then decided lunch was in order.  Since our favorite spot, Sorenson's Cafe, is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, we took our chances with the highly recommended Cutthroat Brewery in Markleeville.  Between Sorenson's and Markleeville, we had to drive through more fire devastation, this time from the recent Tamarack Fire.  ​

​After a superb lunch, Dick wanted to show us a few things on the way back.   Our first stop was just off Highway 88/89.  We took a short trail up to Snowshoe Thompson's Cave.  Thompson stopped here on his trips and the smoke from his fires still marks the top of the 'cave'.

For those of you who haven't heard of him, John Albert Thompson was born in Norway and came to the States at age 10.  After moving west and making a small fortune during the Gold Rush,  Thompson volunteered to carry mail from Placerville, California to what is now Genoa, Nevada, a 90-mile trip each way.  This wouldn't have been particularly unusual except for the fact that he did this during the winter when the mountains were impassible.  His claim to fame was what the locals called his 'snowshoes', ten-foot long boards that he attached to his feet.  Skiing was unknown in the West at that time.

Thompson was born near Telemark, Norway and had learned to ski as a child.  For twenty years, until his death at 49 from appendicitis, Thompson made the trek two to four times a month.  There are countless tales of his heroic exploits which I'll leave to you to check out if you're interested.  

Thompson made the trip to Genoa in three days and did the return in two.  It is said he could ski downhill at over 60 miles per hour and could jump over 100 feet.  Ironically, Thompson was never paid for his mail deliveries.

Following our short hike, we continued back into the Hope Valley.  Dick had us pull over at a small parking area just past the 88/89 junction (also known as Pickett's Junction).  This is officially the entrance to the Hope Valley Wildlife Area.  We have stopped there before and walked over to the nearby Carson River to do some fly fishing (actually, this is where Karen caught her first trout on a fly rod several years ago) but had never realized that it was a recognized wildlife area.  

Dick explained that this is where Highway 89 used to leave 88 to traverse Luther Pass to reach Lake Tahoe.  We crossed a bridge over the river and walked about a half-mile until the remnants of the road started to get steep.  

In his younger days, Dick, his wife Carol, and their five kids had been guided up the old 89 and onto the Pony Express trail which he now describes as a challenging trek.  We returned home, vowing to come back to check it out.

Friday morning we awoke to rain - the first real rain of the season.  We checked the weather and decided that since the cold front was passing, we could drive through the few inches of snow at Carson Pass and do the hike.  

We pulled into the lot at 10am and stepped out into blustery 40-degree weather.  We bundled up a bit and started walking.  As we began to climb, the views were spectacular.  No more smoke and the contrast of the aspens against the freshly snow-covered peaks was breathtaking.  

Most of us have heard of the Pony Express.  I didn't realize that the 2000-mile route with 190 stations from St. Joseph, Missouri to San Francisco went through the Carson Valley but we encountered the historical trail marker about a mile up old 89.

We left old 89 and took the single-track trail upward.  About a hundred yards further, it crosses old 89 and then crosses it again about a mile further.  Ultimately they join just before old 89 intersects the new 89 at Luther Pass.  

We stepped into the large meadow at Luther Pass.  Google Maps shows it as a lake and I'm sure I've seen it full of water after wet winters, but this fall, it's a dry meadow surrounded by aspens, pines and spruce.

Beginning our return to the car, we noticed a trail going off to the right.  We followed it for half a mile or so before realizing that it would continue along the ridge until it met the road at Scott's Lake.  We often hike the trails off that road, but hadn't found this one.  It looks like a good one to explore.  Unfortunately, if we had taken it, we would have had a long walk along the highway to get back to the car.  

Instead, we retraced our route and enjoyed the scenery looking down on Hope Valley as we descended.

That night we had dinner with Dick, his daughter, and her husband.  She told us about some of those 'challenging' tours they'd taken as kids, including following the Mormon Emigrant trail and learning about Tragedy Springs and the Maiden's Grave.  It's on our list for next year assuming they reopen those parts of the National Forest after the fire damage.

​​I'm 68 and have been surfing for over 55 years.  After a short stint of competition in college, I decided I much preferred empty dawn patrol sessions in more remote spots.  As work became a necessity, I found I could usually get two hours of surfing in before heading to the office.  Surfing continued to be a basic, essential part of my life and I attribute much of my moderate success in business to the stress-relief surfing provided.  It kept me sane during insane times.

As the years went by, early injuries started to reemerge and by time I hit 50, I surfed well on days when my back was okay, and not as well with any significant back pain.  At one point,  I saw a physical therapist for an Achilles tendon injury.  He made me stand and walk, then approached from behind and hit me in the butt.  "Relax your glutes! he ordered.  The fact was that I couldn't.  No matter how much I tried, they remained rock hard, which I thought was a good thing.

"You surfers are all extenders," he stated flatly.  "We need to fix that."

Over the next couple of months, I worked on not arching my back, standing straighter, pushing my pelvis forward,  and on core strength to compensate for over-developed lower back muscles.  

Amazingly, in addition to improving my Achilles injury, my back problems disappeared.  Suddenly, I was surfing like I was twenty again.  I added the core strengthening exercises, especially plank and side plank, to my morning stretches/warm-ups, and over the next 15 years, I had zero back problems and was easily able to keep up with the young surfers in the lineup.

The Setback Injury

Then, a few years ago, on a small (shoulder-high) day - injuries always seem to happen on small days - I pulled into a backside barrel which started to close down on me.  I tried my  standard small-day-pull-through-the-back-of-the-wave but found myself slammed on a sharp rock which had fallen off the cliff the previous winter and had migrated.

The rock knocked my sacrum out of alignment which twisted my spine and compressed a disc causing a nerve impingement.  I went a month without being able to lie down or sit, and sleeping standing up didn't work.  For more on how I recovered from that injury, see How I Narrowly Avoided Back Surgery.

I was out of the water for four months, the longest I'd ever gone without surfing.  Once I could surf and had regained my paddling strength, I found I was almost always dragging my front foot on my pop-ups.  I could ride well enough, but that slowness getting up limited my critical takeoffs.

I worked hard on upper body strength doing sets of 50 pushups followed by 20 popups on the floor.  There was marginal improvement, but it wasn't like before.  I still surfed every day but...
​​

Time to Give up Surfing?

Last November, surfing up north on a super high tide with a slightly overhead swell, I got hit by backwash as I was standing up.  Perhaps if I'd had my old pop-up I would have been fine, but my dragging front foot slipped off the board and my back leg hooked onto the board as the backwash threw the board upward.  I severely tweaked my pelvis and this time I was out of the water for 3 and a half months.  

When I got back into paddling shape, with lots of push ups, my pop-ups were worse than ever.  I seriously considered giving up surfing.  For me, it was embarrassing to be in the lineup.  I was well-known and now, I'd lost my confidence.  I sucked.

Getting the Pop-up Back

I searched the internet for ways to improve your pop-up.  There are countless videos with all sorts of exercises.  I tried a bunch but had no luck.  Then I stumbled on this one by Kale Brock.

Attempting to do push ups bringing a knee inward was easy for my back leg and very difficult for my front leg.  I realized that I'd lost a lot of range of motion in my hip flexors and that this was preventing me from bringing my front leg forward properly.  I searched further and found an excellent video by Cris Mills of Surf Strength Coach.  If this video is any indication, I suspect his other training programs are worth the expense.

I did their exercises and then modified my stretching/warm-up routine to include the following:

1) Push up, bringing my foot to the opposite hand as I push up.  After only 5 of those, I go into pigeon pose (per Cris), for one minute, then pointer-dog for 1 minute and repeat on the opposite side.  I do two sets of these.
2) At the end of my stretches I do squats leaning forward to put my hands on the floor.  At first, I'd lost that flexibility, so as odd as it sounds, whenever I was on the toilet, I'd lean forward and put my hands on the floor for a minute.  After a few weeks, I could do the squats and gained a lot of flexibility in my hips.  Ultimately, I could do squat-hops, forward, back, sideways - 20 before each surf session.  

When I first started (1) above,  I couldn't bring my front foot more than half way to the opposite hand, but had no problem getting all the way to my hand with my back foot.  Two weeks later, I could touch my hand with my front foot. 

That day, I paddled out into empty waves and popped up with no problem on my first wave.  It was a small mushy day (for me, the worst conditions for popping up), but it seemed like magic.  

Since then, my confidence is coming back and I'm taking off on more critical waves.  It's great to be back!  Who would have thought that the pop-up problem had nothing to do with upper body strength?  It was all about flexibility, specifically hip flexor flexibility.  

I'm sure this won't work for everyone, but if you end up in a situation like mine, I hope you'll find this blog helpful.  

If you liked this blog, please check out my novels.

Our summer started out well with several excellent hikes in the Sierra, but with the fires, we cut back dramatically, and for those hikes we did, the pictures were worthless.  Fortunately, the air has finally cleared, at least for the moment, and the crowds have thinned, so yesterday, we did the much-travelled, but highly praised Woods Lake Loop.

Woods Lake is just past Caples Lake on Highway 88  before you get to the top of Carson Pass.   A short paved road leads you to the trailhead parking area.  As has happened with most of the parking areas around Carson Pass, the US Forest Service has turned management over to a private company.  No more free parking. 

We paid our $8 parking fee, feeling lucky to get one of the few remaining parking spots and made our way to the trailhead.  

Not far along the trail you have a choice.  You can stay to the right and go to Round Top Lake, 2.5 miles away, or turn left and go to Winnemucca Lake also 2.5 miles.  It is a loop, so either way, you'll return to the starting point.  We went right and began to climb.  

There aren't many aspens on this stretch, and we were a bit past peak color, but it was a beautiful hike around massive granite boulders, spruce trees and small creeks.  You gain 1200' in that 2.5 miles, so it is a bit of a workout.  You'll pass an abandoned ancient car chassis and will wonder how it could ever have made it up there, and you'll pass an abandoned mine.  

As the trees get shorter and fewer, you know you're getting close to the top.  And suddenly, you're on a plateau with the spectacularly green Round Top Lake on the right.  You can follow the trail to the right to Fourth of July Lake about a mile and a half away, or turn left to continue on the loop.

After admiring the lake, we continued a short distance along the loop trail to its highest point.    Looking up, you see Round Top Peak (10,381').  It's a thousand feet higher but looks like more.  There is a thin trail leading in that direction but from all accounts, the last part of the ascent is a demanding climb to get to the top of the peak.  We weren't prepared for that yesterday.  

​Instead, we decided to stop for lunch before heading down to Winnemucca Lake.  While eating, we saw several pairs of hikers making their way up from Winnemucca Lake towards Round Top Lake.  Surprisingly, we saw only one other pair on our own way up, suggesting that most people did the loop in the opposite direction, or, more likely didn't do the entire loop.  

The trail down widened substantially and was clearly much more travelled.  We considered stopping at the lake, but there were a surprising number of people at each of the spots we looked at.  We decided to just continue down.  

The rest of the hike is an easy descent - much less steep than our climb up.  It follows a creek down a wide canyon with nice views until you reach the thicker forest near Woods lake.  We didn't pass anyone on the way down.

Overall, this was a nice hike for a fall weekday.  According to Karen's GPS watch, it was just over 5.5 miles.  It took us almost exactly 3 hours including time for lunch and pictures.  We'll likely do it again in the spring (July at this elevation) for what are touted to be magnificent wildflowers.  

As you can see from the previous posts in my EV Category, we have gone all-electric.  We have a Chevy Bolt for every day use and an Audi etron for our regular trips to the snow.  But, we have to admit, the etron has become our vehicle of choice for all longer trips.  It gets much better range on the highway than the Bolt and is a great road car.  

Until this past week, our longest round-trip in the etron was just under 500 miles.  But when Karen's daughter and son-in-law decided to move back to Oregon and asked us if we could transport their plants, we were excited to try the etron out on a much longer trip and to use up some of our Electrify America credits.

​We had done this trip before a few years ago in our Chevy Bolt to see the eclipse and had over 3 hours of charging time each way.  Check out my post on that trip to get an idea of some of the  charging challenges back then (and a little bit about the eclipse).  

I should note that our etron is a Prestige.  We always drive in Efficiency Mode with max regen and with climate set to Eco.  We have 19" wheels, and since this is our 'winter' car, we have Michelin X-Ice snow tires on it.  Surprisingly, on previous Audis, these Michelins provided great mileage, even in summer, and it seems to be the case on the etron as well.

The Trip

We loaded up the car with a few hundred pounds of plants and associated pots, and left Santa Cruz at 5am to avoid the commute traffic.  We wanted to be conservative on this trip, charging to 100% as needed on the way up.  We wanted to stop every two to two and a half hours anyway for bio breaks and to get out and walk for 20-30 minutes, perfect timing while the etron was charging.  

Our first stop was Electrify America in Vacaville, 120 miles from Santa Cruz.  These stations are located in the Vacaville Outlet Mall, which might be interesting after 10am when the stores open.  We got there at 7am. Restrooms were locked.  I plugged into one of the EA chargers and saw 35 kW.  I stopped the session and tried the adjacent cable on the same station.  Sure enough, it started charging at 150 kW, but stopped in 5 minutes with a charging fault.  We had looped back during our walk to check on the charger and were glad we did.  We moved to another station and watched to ensure it would continue working.  After several minutes, we took off for a short walk and returned to a fully charged etron.  Our first leg showed 3.1 miles per kWh and our total actual charging time was 19 minutes.

Since restrooms were closed in Vacaville, we did have to make a stop at a rest area before arriving at our next charging stop at the Safeway in Anderson, California another 152 miles into the trip.  Once again, we had an issue with the EA charging station.  It looked like things were fine so we took a walk only to get a text that our ten-minute grace period had expired.  The MyAudi app didn't notify us that the charging had ended because of a station fault.  We returned to the station and started a new session on the adjacent cable.  At that point, an excited masked person approached us to talk about the etron.  He had just ordered one and had countless questions which we were happy to answer, not noticing that once again, charging had stopped.  At the end of our conversation, we finally saw the problem (again, no alert from the MyAudi app), and changed stations, charging to 100%.  Total charging time was 23 minutes, adding 50 kWh, but we were there for about 45 minutes because of our misplaced confidence in the MyAudi app.  Even at 75-80 mph, we averaged 3 mi/kWh up I-5.

I note that after leaving Vacaville, the amount of smoke in the air increased steadily.  Passing Mt. Shasta, it was impossible to see the peak through the smoke.

Our next two stops were unremarkable.  We stopped in very smoky Yreka, 104 miles from Anderson and 2200' higher, averaging 2.7 mi/kWh (impressive given the altitude gain), and added 38 kWh in 15 minutes - no problems with the EA station at the Walmart.  

Oregon

On previous trips to Oregon (it's been a few years), Oregonians seemed to be pretty rigorous about obeying the speed limits.  I assumed we should limit ourselves to 65 mph, but after being consistently passed like we were standing still, I upped our speed to 72.  Even then, for our entire drive in Oregon, I don't think I passed anything but slow trucks.  

We drove past the fire devastation between Ashland and Medford, Oregon.  In places, the fire had jumped I-5, and had totally destroyed entire housing developments. Other places nearby seemed untouched.  The smoke was significant but began to thin as we made our way past Grants Pass.  Clouds were on the increase along with a bit of a headwind.

Our next stop was the Dairy Queen in Sutherlin, Oregon  (160 miles) where we topped up to be comfortable with the remaining 108 miles to our destination in Corvallis.

Overall, the drive from Santa Cruz to Corvallis (640 miles) including stops, charging to 100% most of the time, and a few missteps took us a bit over 12 hours.  Total charging time was 75 minutes.  We averaged 2.9 mi/kWh for this half of the trip. ​

Corvallis

We spent four nights in Corvallis helping the kids unpack, profiting form the rainy days and enjoying the smoke-free air. We decided to head back on Saturday.  Since we wanted to visit our place in the mountains west of Kirkwood, we originally planned to take the eastern route down I-97, stopping to charge at Klamath Falls, an overnight in Alturas, a quick stop in Reno/Sparks for a charge and then to our place.  Alternatively, since we love the Shasta area - great hikes, fly fishing on the McCloud, and whitewater on the Trinity river, we considered just spending a couple of days there.  But given the smoke we saw on the way up, and the fact that there were no alternative charging stations between Klamath Falls and Reno, we decided to head directly to our place in the Sierra, returning down I-5 through Sacramento, then highways  16, 49, and 88.  Now that we had confidence in the etron's range in a wide variety of road conditions, we decided to be less conservative with our charging, only going to 80% unless we had a particularly long leg.  

After the 10 miles from  Corvallis to I-5, I kept us at about 72 mph for the remaining 178 miles and net  700' of elevation gain to the Walmart in Grant's Pass, our first charging stop.  Through the hill country of southern Oregon, we averaged 2.9 mi/kWh.  Since our next stop was in Yreka and we had to climb to over 4300'  we decided to take advantage of the full 150 kW to 80%, adding 52 kWh in 23 minutes - long enough to pick up something to eat at one of the many nearby restaurants.

The stop at the Walmart in Yreka was again uneventful.  We walked for 24 minutes while the etron charged to 100%.  During that leg with a 1700' altitude gain, we averaged 2.7 mi/kWh.

Final Charge

It was 165 miles from Yreka to our next stop at the Safeway in Willows.  The temperature was 94 degrees when we hit Redding and I kept it between 75 and 80 mph (usually closer to 80) down the rest of I-5.  As you can see, we averaged 3.3 mi/kWh on this stretch (with a net elevation decrease of 2500'). We stopped for 22 minutes, adding 48 kWh, resulting in a 90% charge.  We could have made it with less, but we were going into the mountains with a nearly 4000' altitude gain and 160 miles to go, so the extra 6 minutes of charging seemed like a reasonable thing to do.  

Someone on one of the Facebook etron forums  asked what consumption we saw at 75-80 mph. On the stretch from Willows to Sacramento, which is basically flat, we were seeing 2.8 mi/kWh at close to 80 mph in 94 degree temperatures with climate on Eco.  

Volcano

After dinner we made our way up to our place where we learned that PG&E was planning to shut off power later the next day for at least 24 hours.  Last time they said that, it was three days.  With temperatures forecast to be in the low 90s, we decided that we'd leave the following afternoon to return to Santa Cruz where I'd be able to surf.

We charged overnight and stopped in Volcano to deliver some masks to the restaurant.  Karen (with some limited help from me - see my post How Your Spouse can help you Make Cloth Masks) has been making masks since the beginning of the pandemic.  We've delivered over 2000 masks to hospitals, clinics, assisted living facilities, homeless shelters, and recently to restaurants, encouraging them to use washable cloth masks instead of disposable ones.  Karen has been working with  the Motherlode Mask Makers and the Santa Cruz Mask Makers, as well as a local doctor to distribute these masks.  

Leaving Volcano, we took the scenic Volcano to Sutter Creek road, stopping in Sutter Creek at The Fine Eye to buy ourselves a joint 10-year anniversary present.  Then we faced the heavy Sunday traffic back into the Bay Area.  In spite of reduced speeds, we still averaged 3.4 mi/kWh.
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Lessons Learned

First and foremost, the Audi etron is the nicest, quietest car we've ever driven.  It's not just a great EV, it's a great car.  The highway range is impressive (around town, not so much), and the charging speed is amazing, charging at 150kW up to 82%, tapering to 80kW about 90%, and only to 50kW at 100%.  

For our return trip, we only needed three stops with total charging time of 69 minutes, and we needed those stops for lunch and bio breaks anyway.  Our average mi/kWh for over 1500 miles, including driving around town in Corvallis, and slow driving in the mountains and traffic jams was 2.9 mi/kWh - 242 miles of range.

Since our trip in the Chevy Bolt three years ago, charging infrastructure has improved to the point that no one with an EV needs to worry about range on I-5.  On the other hand, there are still some glitches with charging stations (we've had them with every provider), so unfortunately, you still need to plan for alternatives in case a station might be down.  Fortunately, today, there are alternatives.  

We honestly believe that ICE vehicles are unnecessary for most of us.  Our Bolt is great for short trips (<200 miles roundtrip), and the etron is a fantastic road car for long distances.  If you're thinking  about taking the etron on a long trip, don't worry about the range.  Use Plugshare or ABetterRoutePlanner to lay out your trip.  You won't be disappointed in the etron.

If you liked this blog, please check out my novels.
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It started in March.  Karen's daughter called and said that a doctor friend at an Oregon hospital was having problems getting Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), especially masks.  Each doctor was using multiple N-95 masks on their shifts and they were desperate for any help possible since they were running short.  She suggested that cloth mask covers would extend the useful life of their N-95 masks.

Being an accomplished seamstress, Karen took a quick look at the Deaconess website and their YouTube tutorial on making masks, and got to work.  We did some research and discovered that 100% cotton flannel was the most effective material, so we went to the local fabric store and bought yards and yards of different flannel fabrics as well as all the 1/4" flat elastic they had.  Karen also placed orders for 100-yard rolls of elastic with staggered delivery times.  

Karen put together several prototypes which we tried ourselves. We gave a few to neighbors and several to an EMT who had the same issues getting PPE.   After learning that the prescribed sizes on the Deaconess site were too small for some people and too large for others, Karen modified the design to create a larger, better-fitting, easily adjustable mask.   Ultimately as more studies on materials came out, we settled on a two layer flannel + cotton combination which, while not quite as effective as an N-95 mask, has been shown to be much more effective than a surgical mask.  

To date, we have given away over 900 masks, including 225 last week alone.

Tearing Fabric is more fun than you can imagine
Since Karen is the seamstress and I'm not much good with a sewing machine, Karen asked me to do fabric cutting.  This was pretty intimidating for me as I'm not really very accurate with a pair of scissors (I can't cut straight).  Karen reassured me that this was going to be fun.  She put me to work TEARING and cutting.  And the tearing is quite rewarding, releasing pent-up frustrations after weeks of sheltering in place.

As it turns out, once you remove the selvage (the border) from most of the fabrics we bought, the width is forty inches.  Since the dimensions of our unsewn masks  are 7" x 10", the cutting/tearing becomes quite simple. 

I take several yards of flannel which is 40" wide, lay it out, and make small cuts (1/2" to 1") every seven inches.  I then start tearing.  I just rip the fabric at each of those cuts and voila, I have a bunch of 7" x 40" strips.  

Karen's initial assembly process is very similar to what's described in the Deaconess video.  
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She starts sewing mid way on a long edge, slips in the elastic strip at a 45 degree angle from the corner, sews that down, reaches in and folds the other end of the elastic strip into the adjacent corner on the short side and sews that down.  She repeats on the opposite side, leaving the middle of a longer side open so that the mask can be reversed.  

To break up the monotony and improve efficiency, Karen will do this for a couple dozen masks.  Then, perhaps while continuing whatever Netflix, CBS All Access, or Prime series we're following at the moment, she'll take a still-inverted mask with straps inside, reverses it, and pins 3 pleats across the mask, using 6 pins.  By the end of a show, she has a stack of masks ready to finish.

To finish, Karen takes the stack of pinned masks and sews around twice.  This reinforces the integrity of the masks and the elastic straps.  Next, Karen folds the mask in half, and sews a line from a quarter inch from the fold to the folded edge (about an inch).  This creates a pleat over the nose which makes the mask fit better without adding more complex and less durable metal strips over the bridge of the nose - she made several of those using metal strips from coffee bags but after many washings, they need to be resewn. 

Finally, to make the mask adjustable, Karen ties a slip knot into each of the straps enabling the wearer to tighten or loosen the mask simply by pulling the elastic though the slip knot.  

Sewing and pinning time for Karen averages out to less than 5 minutes per mask.  Cutting time for masks and elastic is less than two minutes, so we're looking at a total of less than 7 minutes per mask.​

Okay, I admit it.  It was fun and I felt like I was helping.  But then came the ties.  

When we ran out of elastic, we had to make ties.  

The cutting and tearing was more challenging as we created one-inch strips 48" long.  The calculations on how to cut/tear the strips depends on the dimensions of the fabric if you want to optimize fabric use for ties and masks.

Once we had strips, I had to iron the strips.  Okay, not too bad.  Then, I had to fold the 48" length from one edge to the middle, ironing as I went.  Did I say that I'm not very good at small detailed tasks, especially those with a hot iron? 

​Next, I had to fold the other edge over the first and iron it down for the entire length.  In general, it took me about two minutes for each strip which would produce three 16-inch ties.  In other words, for 3 masks I was looking at four minutes - just for the ties.  Note that this is compared to 30 seconds for three masks with elastic straps.

Karen then zigzagged the ties.  That took time and the assembly was more complicated.  We estimate that a mask with ties takes almost two and a half times as long - 18 minutes versus less than 7 minutes. 

Fortunately, more elastic arrived and we ultimately went back to elastic.  Also, as our medical professionals told us, masks with elastic are much easier to take on and off.  And time counts.
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At first, we were just filling requests from family and friends.  Next,  Karen shipped to some of the places listed on the Deaconess site.  Since then, we've provided masks to nursing homes, hospitals, behavioral health centers, homeless shelters, doctors' offices and clinics, restaurants,  and more.  Karen has worked hard to develop local distribution networks and they seem to be able to take all we can make, and they need more.  

Yesterday we bought lots more fabric.  We're slowing the pace a little, but Karen is still looking at making 25 or more per day.  We'll should pass 1000 masks shipped and donated within a week.  
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Give it a shot.  The sewing isn't terribly complicated, and if you can get your spouse to help, you'll have a fun project you can do together.  And, you'll make a difference.

​If you've looked at blog posts in my EV category, you know that Karen and I are big fans of electric vehicles.  We bought our first all-electric car in 2013, and fell in love with the Chevy Bolt that we leased at the end of 2016.  It became our primary car as we learned that EVs are ready for long trips as well as short ones - we regularly drove it on trips over 350 miles in a day, took it to the mountains, and even on a 1200 mile trip to Oregon for the eclipse.  However, the one place we didn't take the Bolt was to the snow.  For that we kept our reliable Audi Allroad.  

As I mentioned in my post on the Paris Auto Show, we started looking for an all-electric small SUV.  The Audi etron looked very promising, but when the EPA came out with a rating of 204 miles, we had doubts we could make the 175-mile trip to the mountains (which includes a 3500' altitude gain) without stopping to charge.  As we discovered after a 4-day test drive, this didn't appear to be a real problem.  It looked like the EPA severely underestimated the range of the Audi etron so we put one back on order.   

Taking our etron home
Our last three weeks in France saw non-stop major named storms with more rain in days than the region normally sees all year.  Our French friends asked us if we could take the rain back to California with us and our friends here in California asked us if we could bring the rain back from France.  We promised to do our best.

True to our word, the rain stopped in France the day after we left and it started in California the day after we returned.  We raced over rainy highway 17 to Steven's Creek Audi where Cassandra Crawford had our Galaxy Blue etron waiting for us.  We had ordered 19-inch wheels to maximize range of the car.  

As papers were signed, we saw the rain increasing, and our first experience in our etron was trying to make it back over sinuous highway 17 in nearly zero visibility rain and wind with tremendous amounts of water on the road.  As we later learned, bombogenesis had turned the first major storm of the season into an epic one with hurricane force winds and rain.  The etron, with its all-season tires got us home safely.

Before heading into the Sierra, we wanted to put snow tires on the etron.  With the Allroad, I had discovered that Michelin X-Ice tires not only handled snow well, but actually gave us better mileage than the tires we used in the summer.  Ultimately, we kept them on all year.  I ordered the Michelins and two days later put them on the Audi.  We drove our Bolt around town that weekend, planning to take our etron on its first trip to the snow on Monday.  

The Scare

The next morning we woke up early and raced up to Kirkwood.  I guess I can say we raced, but with chain controls much of the way, it took us about an hour.  It's 40 miles and we averaged 1.6 mi/kWh, using 30% of the battery charge.  The etron with its new Michelin shoes handled the snow as an Audi should. 

I had purchased a TeslaTap from evseadapters.com.  We plugged into the Tesla charging station (a destination charger, not a Supercharger), and were pleased to see the etron charging at 9.6 kW.  

Three hours later, our 'warm-up-day' skiing done and the etron fully charged, we headed back down to our place.  Amazingly, we only used 3% of the battery for the 40 miles.  

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350 Miles of range in an etron?

After several days of great skiing and trips up and down the mountain in the etron, we charged fully and headed back to Santa Cruz.  Since we drove back at night, there was little traffic.  The first 30 miles are mostly downhill and the speed limit is 55 MPH.  But the vast majority of the trip was open freeway at 75 MPH.  

The photo above shows the etron with over 350 miles of range (the 38 miles driven to that point and the guess-o-meter showing 313 miles.  Clearly, that's not realistic, but upon arriving in Santa Cruz, after 175 miles, we had 40% of the battery remaining.  And while 30 miles was downhill, it's still pretty impressive that we saw the equivalent of 292 miles of range.  

We made a second trip to the mountains this past week and saw similar results.  I note that we didn't stop to charge and made it to our place with 20% of the battery left.  And now, after driving the etron for over 3 weeks with 1600 miles on it, our average consumption is over 2.8 mi/kWh.  That means that in mixed, mostly highway driving, we're seeing over 234 miles of range, average.  This includes a fair amount of cold weather driving (mornings at Kirkwood were as cold as 13 degrees Fahrenheit (-10 Celsius)). 

I attribute this to the fact that we are experienced EV drivers who know how to optimize regen.  We drive in efficiency mode with max regen all the time.  I'm sure the 19 inch wheels help too.  

Weirdly, unlike other EVs, we get better range on the highway than around town.  We're generally seeing 2.6 mi/kWh around town but 2.9 mi/kWh on the highway.

What don't we like about the etron?

The etron is an amazing car - not just an amazing EV, it's a truly impressive vehicle of any kind.  It's almost eerily quiet and smooth and has every appointment you can imagine - definitely a luxury vehicle.  So what don't we like about the etron?

Well, it's a bit large for us.  But we'll live with the extra space until we find a smaller AWD EV with similar range and handling.  Our issues are minor.  While the middle of the back seat folds down to allow skis to pass through, there is no sack as there used to be in previous Audis.  We bought one.  The glove box could be a bit larger.  Also, the timed charging is not the best.  With the Bolt, we put in the location, tell it what hours are best for charging, and if we plug it in, it waits until those low-cost times.  It gives us the option to charge as soon as possible (within the ideal window, or as late as possible).  With the Audi, it's more complicated and doesn't include the 'as soon as possible' option.  If weather changes or there's an outage, you can end up with a car that's not fully charged.  And don't forget to explicitly set the timer.  With the Bolt, it knows automatically.  I just plug it in.  Hopefully Audi will figure out how to be competitive with Chevy on that front.

And, the etron has a clever mechanism to give you the speed limit by reading road signs.  Unfortunately, we have truck speed signs nearby limiting their speed to 35 MPH.  I get warnings if I go over 35 MPH.  This occurs often and I find it annoying.  I like the idea of a speed warning when I'm 10 MPH over the limit, but if it can't accurately determine the limit, it becomes a bit of a pain.  Truck and school zones are the worst but it also sometimes misses signs if there's a vehicle between the etron and the sign.  Supposedly it coordinates with the NAV system but I haven't seen that.

The only other thing missing for me is the lack of a heated steering wheel.  This is our winter vehicle and I really miss a heated steering wheel on cold mornings.  Even our Bolt has one.  Yes, you can preheat the car, but when you get out of the ocean after a cold surf session, or finish skiing with freezing hands, wrapping your hands around a warm steering wheel is heaven.  Yeah, I'm a wimp!

So as you can see, we love our new SKI-TRON.  It's a bit more car than we need, but it's hard to complain about an EV that performs like this.  For us it is the ultimate ski vehicle.  Even the mountain gave us a thumbs up on the etron's first day at Kirkwood.

Check out my next blog on the etron: Oregon and Back - 1500 miles in our Audi etron
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​And, if you liked this blog, please check out my novels.

Most of our visitors to the Pays Basque come to see the spectacular coastline.  They spend time in our little village of Guethary, explore San Jean de Luz, Biarritz, and Bayonne, and do some hiking in the Pyrenees.  Before they leave, we always recommend that they take a drive along the  beautiful Nive River through the foothills of the Pyrenees to Saint Jean Pied de Port, about an hour away.  

This drive epitomizes the old saying that "It's not about the destination; it's about the journey." 

Taking D932 and D918, you'll pass through numerous Basque villages worth visiting.  The most well-known are probably  Espelette, Cambo Les Bains, Itxassou, Louhossoa, and Bidarray, but there are many others where you can spend an hour or two visiting the local churches,  tasting the local  cheeses, honey, sausages, and other artisanal products.

Since it had been a few years since we'd done the drive ourselves, Karen and I decided to revisit the area.  Our first stop was Espelette.

The village of Espelette is world renown for its peppers.  In our part of the Basque region, you find Espelette peppers in most dishes.  The peppers are dried and ground and have a rich flavor that complements most seafood, vegetables and meats.  The spice is not terribly hot until you heat it or add garlic, which we often do.  While the French tend to avoid spicy (hot) foods, in small quantities, Espelette pepper seems to be acceptable to their palettes.  

The village of Espelette sits atop a hill with views of the Pyrenees.  In the fall, most of the buildings in the village itself and all of the nearby farmhouses are covered with Espelette peppers, hung to dry.  You can buy the ground pepper itself, or sample countless products ranging from spiced wines to spiced ice cream.  In late October, thousands of people from all over the world descend on Espelette for the Fete du Piment d'Espelette - Espelette Pepper festival.   With limited access and parking, we tend to avoid the Fete, but Espelette is a great place to visit the rest of the year.

Cambo les Bains is world-famous for its thermal baths and therapies for a variety of muscular skeletal and respiratory ailments.  It's the largest village along our route and aside from the baths is known as the home of Edmond Rostand, the author of Cyrano de Bergerac.  His home, the Villa Amaga, is a national heritage site with museum and spectacular gardens.   There are excellent cafes and restaurants in the main part of the village.  

Roland was Charlamagne's nephew and comanded a force charged with protecting the Franks from the Bretons.  Later in his career, in 778 AD, he led an army into Spain conquering countless villages.  However, he met his death at the Pas de Roland where Basques ambushed the Franks in this narrow gorge carved by the Nive River.  Several legends try to explain the creation of the arch.  Most claim that Roland himself carved it with his sword to escape the Basque attacks.  But the Pas de Roland is recognized by the Basques as proof of their resilience against invading armies.

In my previous post Ainhoa et La Chapelle d’Aubépine – a spectacular hike in the Pyrenees,
I mentioned the GR10, the 538-mile trail from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean.  If you continued on the trail from La Chapelle d'Aubepine, you'd reach Itxassou, one of many stops along the GR10.      

Leaving Itxassou and continuing on the D918, you'll pass Bidarray, which is known for its white water rafting on the Nive River, and Louhosoa, a cute village with countless places to try local cheeses, the Biscuiterie Basque, where you can sample Basque baked goods, and the church with its amazing acoustics - perfect to hear Basque songs during a Mass.

From here, the D918 runs very close to the river.  You can stop and picnic at several spots.  Ultimately, you'll come to Saint Jean Pied de Port.  Arriving, it doesn't look like much.  You should park and make your way into the walled city.  ​​
        

Saint Jean Pied de Port is best known as one of the main stops on the Camino de Santiago de Campostela - the Way of Saint James.  Most of the French routes for this pilgrimage pass through Saint Jean Pied de Port and as you walk through the cobblestone streets, you'll see numerous hostels where pilgrims can spend the night at no charge if they have a credencial - a pilgrim's passport.  Saint Jean Pied de Port is also the most popular starting point for the pilgrimage.  It's a bit over 500 miles to Santiago de Campostela in Galicia, Spain.  People have been doing this pilgrimage since the 8th century and now, thousands of pilgrims and non-pilgrims hike the trail as a physical, mental and spiritual challenge.  

The medieval city of Saint Jean Pied de Port is dominated by the Citadel.  Once a fortress designed to spot invading Spanish armies, it's now a school.

In the past, Karen and I have climbed up the hill to the Citadel and then returned via a narrow path with very steep steps on the south side of the Citadel.  

Since we'd been to the Citadel several times before, we decided to walk around the back of the edifice before descending back to the city.
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As we were about to take the rugged steps down on the south side, we spotted a single-track trail on the left that seemed to head east above the river.  We followed the trail and were pleased to find that it ultimately came down to the river a mile or so above the main part of Saint Jean Pied de Port.  We followed the river back, stopping regularly to admire the views, look for trout in the river, and marvel at the hatch of thousands of water spiders.  

Back in the village, we found a small creperie and took a table overlooking the Nive.  After a leisurely late lunch, where we reflected on our enjoyable hike and reviewed our photos, we made our way back to Guethary just as the rain began.  

If you're in the Basque region, take a day and explore these inland villages.  You won't be disappointed.

After a week of spectacular fall weather with temperatures in the mid to upper 70s, the beginning of November began with a rainy forecast - for at least a week.  Seeing a brief break before heavy precipitation began, Karen and I decided to see if we could sneak in a hike before returning to shelter from the incoming storm at our place in Guethary.

Our friend Dominique Pasquier Biansan had recently posted Sebastien Carnet's spectacular sunset picture above, taken from La Chapelle d’Aubépine near the small Basque village of Ainhoa about 35 minutes from here.   In spite of all the hiking we've done in the Pyrenees, and although we've come across prehistoric cromlechs, dolmen, and megaliths out in the middle of nowhere (see my post Pays Basque: Sare, Zugarramurdi,  (witches!) and a Hike into Prehistory), we had yet to come across Basque steles - ancient burial markers found along trails in the mountains.  We decided to brave a few residual showers and make our way to the chapel.

We parked in Ainhoa, which sits right on the Spanish border.  The village is well known as a stop for pilgrims on on the Santiago de Campostella or the Way of Saint James.  It's also a stop for those hiking the GR-10 - the 538-mile trail that runs from Hendaye on the Atlantic, through the Pyrenees to the Mediterranean:  157,000 vertical feet of climb in what, for most, is a two-month hike.   

Heading out of the village, we started up a paved road which soon turned to dirt - no motor vehicles allowed.  After the first turn, we read the warning sign about Betizu - wild cattle that roam this section of the Pyrenees - in a nutshell, avoid them if at all possible.  Fortunately, we didn't see any on this hike (we'd seen them on others and they were pretty aggressive), but we did pass a few groups of Pottuk - small semi-wild horses also native to the Pyrennes.  

We continued up the steep road/trail and were stunned by the beauty in spite of the numerous showers limiting our views. 
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And, over the course of our 50-minute hike to the chapel, each turn revealed even more amazing vistas. 

​After climbing about 1000 vertical feet, we were a bit disappointed by the chapel itself.  It was built on a site where a shepherd saw the Virgin Mary who appeared above a hawthorn bush (aubépine in French).  It was closed today.  Perhaps the inside is impressive, but my photos of the exterior weren't worth posting.   Then again, it wasn't the chapel we'd come to see.  It was the steles and the views from the top.  
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While many of the steles are reproductions, several are originals, dating from the early 1600s.  They are intricately carved on both sides unlike headstones we see in the States.  On the originals, most of the designs remain, but nearly 400 years of exposure to the elements has made the text illegible. 
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The showers stopped, and our photos improved.  We considered continuing on the GR10 a bit further.  Past the chapel, it turns into a single track trail and there's a loop back to Ainhoa, which would make a nice 6-mile hike.  However, given the incoming weather and our limited experience with the area, we decided to be conservative and head back down the way we came.  

This, like most parts of the GR-10 is well worth the hike.  We're looking forward to longer forays into this area once the weather improves.

It was a beautiful swell from the southern hemisphere and Southern California was seeing double-overhead waves.  My friend Tom and I raced to a secret spot north of Los Angeles where we, along with a few others, caught some of the best waves of our young lives.  We were both 19.  At sunset, Tom went in and I waited for one more.  As expected, it was perfection.  A nice stand-up barrel after takeoff and then a long workable wall that would take me to the beach.

I knew that my wave would meet an outgoing wave from the steep beach and I expected a huge vertical exit.  What I didn't expect was the hyperextension and dramatic compression that would crush two discs (between L5 and S1 and L4 and L5), and would leave me nearly paralyzed on the beach.  Tom carried me to the car and it was six months before I could touch my knees and nearly a year before I was back to surfing.

Over the next forty years, I had intermittent back problems some of which would sideline me for weeks at a time.  I saw doctors and chiropractors and got temporary relief, but invariably would have flare ups a few times a year.  The quality of my surfing was dependent on the condition of my back.  When I had no pain, I surfed well.  Otherwise, I was slow to get up and conservative in my drives down the line and off the lip.  

When there was no surf, I went trail running if my back permitted.  At some point, I developed Achilles tendinitis and saw Jeff Moreno at Precision Physical Therapy.  He put me through some tests, watched me walk, and declared that like most surfers he worked with, I was an 'Extender'.  I had spent most of my life arching my back while paddling, had over-developed back muscles and under-developed core strength.  My posture was bad, I sat and stood incorrectly, and I was a mess.  

Trusting his judgement, I started developing core strength, corrected my posture, and was diligent in not 'extending'.  I later discovered that Kelly Slater had put out a video on core strength for surfing and added those exercises and paddling techniques to those prescribed by Jeff.  

Six months later, my back pain was gone.  Over the next seven years I had zero back pain.  No flare ups.  When my fellow surfers complained about back issues, I talked up core strength.  I was finally done with back pain and back to surfing at full capacity.

The Accident
Like most surfers, I've had my share of accidents: a fin into the thigh when a barrel collapsed on me at Wind'n'Sea in San Diego, stitches from run-ins with boards (not always mine) and encounters with rocks and reefs, and a torn MCL, which I rehabbed (see How I Rehabbed my MCL Tear).   So, I wasn't surprised when I hit the bottom at the Lane ten weeks ago.  Unfortunately, what is normally just a bounce off the bottom was much worse this year because of the portions of the cliff that fell in last winter.  Sharp rocks have accumulated in front of the point.  

I managed to finish the surf session after recovering for ten minutes, but the next day, I could hardly move.  I had hit my sacrum on a rock.  There was significant bruising and my back was twisted.  After a couple of osteopathic treatments (see another post on Why I Believe in Osteopathy) and a great massage with a 'Q-L Release' from Rochelle at Joy of Movement, I was on the mend.  Surfing wasn't a problem and I was dancing, hiking, and playing disc golf. 

I knew I was only at maybe 80% recovered but hey, why limit myself?  Of course I did something stupid and it was game-over.
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I woke up the next day in extreme pain.  I couldn't walk more than a few feet, couldn't stand, couldn't sit, and couldn't lie down.  Most of the pain was down the front of my thigh, and my knee was hypersensitive.  Over the next week, the pain increased each day.  I tried to sleep standing up but that didn't work.  The doctors gave me anti-inflammatory shots, morphine, and hydrocodone, but nothing stopped the pain.  After another week with continued degradation, my osteopath recommended surgery.  The docs at PAMF scheduled an MRI (the most painful experience of my life - even after a big morphine injection) and the surgeon diagnosed a herniated disc with nerve impingement between L3 and L4.  

Never having had any kind of surgery, the prospect was terrifying, but I knew I couldn't live in that state.  

I met with the surgeon who described the 'minimally invasive' microdiscectomy.  It did require general anesthesia.  He would make a 3 cm incision, shave the bone and the disc and free the nerve.  Aside from recovering from the incision, I should be pain-free immediately after the surgery.  Complications were rare.   In the meantime, the surgeon prescribed Gabapentin to calm the nerve pain.  

Doing the research, it appeared that the only real risk arose if you needed another surgery.  The additional scar tissue could complicate subsequent surgeries.  The one thing that concerned me was that studies showed that after two years, patients who avoided surgery had the same outcome as those who had the surgery.  It looked like aside from the risks of that scarring, the surgery provided a faster way to get pain-free but that alternative treatments could be as effective.

I scheduled the surgery, did all the pre-clearance testing, and two days later - three days before the surgery - I was feeling a bit better.  I still couldn't walk or lie down, but I could sit.  I was able to get a partial night's sleep - my first in weeks - sitting up. ​  As the surgeon explained, this was the result of the Gabapentin.  And that was as good as it got.  At least I could sleep a bit.

The Miracle Machine
Hearing about my impending surgery, a friend who had gone through multiple back surgeries contacted me.  Several months ago, he was about to undergo yet another surgery (he'd been suffering back pain since a car accident when he was a teenager), when someone suggested he contact Dr. Bernstein at Santa Cruz Osteopathic.  After a few weeks of treatments on a spinal decompression machine, he said that he had now gone six months without pain and without medication for the first time in his life (actually, since his accident decades before). 

I did the research and discovered that MDs and DOs had a 90-100% success rate with the decompression machine while chiropractors had success rates between 50% and 60%.  This was attributed to the DOs and MDs being more experienced doctors who could accurately read an MRI and better target the focus of the  machine, as well as the fact that they could better identify patients who wouldn't benefit from the treatment.  They also can prescribe medication like the Gabapentin.  

I spoke with the surgeon and we agreed to postpone the surgery to see if this would work.  

I met with Dr. Richard Bernstein who reviewed my MRI and pointed out my original injury with degradation of my vertebrae from S1 through L4 and the nerve impingement between L3 and L4.  He said I was a good candidate for SpineMed treatment. It would give me the spacing necessary to relieve the nerve pain and would stimulate blood flow to the damaged disc and to the previously degraded vertebrae.  The treatment wasn't covered by insurance and would require 20-25 sessions.  He suggested two 30-minute sessions a day.  

Because I still couldn't lie down without major pain, the first sessions were difficult.  I had a hard time not moving.  I was constantly trying to relieve the pain.   I suspect I reduced the efficacy of the machine because I couldn't lie still.  By the 10th session, I could lie with legs elevated and minimal adjustments.  By the 19th session, I could lie there comfortably, and afterwards, could sit and stand, and walk short distances pain free.  

Dr. Bernstein suggested I continue for a few more sessions - one a day for the next week.  

Two days later, I was walking well.  I also started physical therapy at Precision. I took Precision's Spine Dynamics class, and  continued massage with Rochelle.  For the first time in over two months, I had zero pain.  I tentatively began increasing my walking distance and now, a week after my last treatment on the SpineMed machine, I'm up to 3 miles a day at a rapid pace.  Yesterday, I took my new board  (which I ordered just before my accident), and paddled for 20 minutes - again with no pain.  

My physical therapist is cautioning a slow return to full activity.  I have lots of exercises to do, but she thinks I'll be surfing in two weeks.  In the meantime, I can stand-up paddle, hike, and start dancing again.  I still have some residual hypersensitivity around my knee (about 10% of what it was), but Dr. Bernstein and the physical therapist believe that as the nerve heals, that will disappear.

If you're considering back surgery because of lumbar disc problems, see if you can find a doctor (MD or DO) who has a SpineMed machine.  In Santa Cruz, definitely have a talk with Dr. Bernstein.  

After doing this treatment and a lot more research, I honestly believe that this is a great alternative to surgery for most lumbar problems and that surgery should really be a last resort.

If you liked this blog, please check out my novels.

Stroke.  Stroke.  Stroke.  Breathe right side.  

Stroke.  Stroke.  Stroke.  Breathe left side.  

Stroke.  Stroke. Stroke.

Mark Hamilton was swimming nude in Monterey Bay.  He’d left his clothes above the high tide line on Natural Bridges beach, gazed at the lights of Monterey and Pacific Grove across the Bay, and started swimming.   Having surfed almost every day over the past forty plus years, this seemed like an appropriate way to end his life.    

The water was a chilly 55 degrees.  He’d worn his surfing ear plugs and triathlon swim cap to eliminate the discomfort he felt in his ears when swimming in cold water.  Although this was a suicide, he wanted it to be painless.  In fact, he was relying on what he’d discovered years before when training for his first triathlon – he loved to swim.  It wasn’t just something you did when you lost your board, it was meditative.  Your body and breathing got into a rhythm and you could just empty your mind.  You could forget the pressures of the day and the sins of your life.  

Stroke.  Stroke.  Stroke.  Breathe right side.
  
If all went as planned, he’d last an hour, maybe a bit more.  But in an hour, he’d be well out to sea.  The tide was dropping so it would help him along.  He’d probably be two miles from shore.

Mark had studied the effects of hypothermia when he’d worked as a beach lifeguard during college, and revisited them the week before.  It usually took at least twenty to thirty minutes for the first effects to set in.  Once your body temperature drops below ninety-five degrees, you start to lose coordination. In an hour or so, he’d be so exhausted that he’d lose consciousness.  Then he’d drown.  His lifeless body would sink and maybe he’d be lunch for a passing shark.  He certainly hoped he wouldn’t wash up on a local beach and frighten some poor child.  No.  He would be far enough from shore that his body would never be found.

Stroke.  Stroke.  Stroke.  Breathe left side.   

And the swimming should help speed the process.  He’d burn much more energy swimming than just floating.  Exhaustion should overcome him soon. 
​ 
Mark paused in his swim.  He looked back at lights from the homes on West Cliff Drive, then east at the Wharf, the Boardwalk, the East Side and the power plant at Moss Landing.  It looked like he’d been swimming pretty straight.  

Rising up on a passing swell, he looked south and could still make out the lights of Monterey and Pacific Grove some twenty five miles away.  Mark double checked the position of the soon to be setting moon on his right side and began swimming again.  He knew this was the right thing to do. 

Stroke.  Stroke.  Stroke.  Breathe right side.​

Hey.  I'm an extreme sports kind of guy.  As you can see from the photos above and in my Picture Gallery, I love surfing, skiing, kayaking whitewater, hang gliding, and more - individual sports that force me to hone my skills and my body so that I can experience the best Mother Nature has to offer.  So how is it that I took up disc golf?

It all started with Karen's son Victor.  He had learned disc golf through a friend in college and thought it would be fun to get his mom to play.  Karen joined him and they started playing fairly regularly.  

For those of you who don't know, disc golf is very similar to golf.  The rules are essentially identical, except that instead of using a club to hit a ball down a well-tended fairway hoping to put it in a hole a few to several hundred yards away, in disc golf, you throw Frisbee-like discs with the objective of putting one in a basket a few to several hundred feet away somewhere in a forest, in the mountains - out in nature.  

Each 'hole' has a par just like golf.  There's a tee pad from which you make your first throw.  Your next throws are played from where the previous one landed.  Just like ball golf.  There are hundreds of types of discs which fall into basic categories of driver - long range, mid-range, and putters/approach discs.  Some fly straight, some turn left, some right, some are good in wind, some are better downhill - you get the idea.   They're not standard Frisbees.
​

Anyway, Karen and Victor tried to convince me that I should play with them.  Although I claimed that disc golf didn't fit my concept of sport and that my sports required too much time to take up another hobby, truth be told, I knew I would be terrible at it.

You see, at the University, while my friends were on the beach throwing Frisbees and doing all sorts of tricks, or playing Ultimate Frisbee (like American football with Frisbees), I was in the water surfing.  I'd never learned how to throw a Frisbee with any consistency.  And why  should I start now?

But with Karen and Victor spending more and more time playing, I ultimately caved and joined them.  Guess what?  I sucked.  I was truly terrible.  Victor did his best to help me and I slowly gained a basic competence, but as I watched other players throw and score par or under par, I knew I was light-years away from being any good at disc golf.

For the next year, Karen consistently beat me.  At times, I would back off - certain throws hurt my shoulder and I didn't want to risk my surfing or other sports for disc golf.  ​

But then, for my birthday, Victor and other family members gave me a lesson package with Jack Trageser's School of Disc Golf.  

Jack played a round with me, then filmed me throwing, then started the lessons, showing me how to throw further and more accurately without hurting myself.  A few weeks later, I was not only beating Karen, I started beating Victor consistently.  I think that was a bit hard on him so for his next birthday, I gave him a lesson package and now, we play at pretty much the same level - just a bit over par on most difficult courses.  

But that's just the beginning of the story.  The magic thing about disc golf is that anyone can play.  It's free - just buy a driver and a putter ($5 used, $15 new) and you can play at thousands of courses around the world.  And even if you're not very good, it's a great excuse to get out for a hike in nature with a game to motivate you.  And, while ball golfers will tell you about the sound of the ball dropping into the cup, it doesn't compare to the ringing of the chains as your disc flies into the basket.

It's a sport that is easy to play and incredibly hard to master.  ​

It's also addictive.

A friend of mine had a major car accident when he was younger and was limited in his physical activity.  He put on weight and had a heart attack in his early 40s.  The doctors recommended exercise, but going to the gym and working out just wasn't something he could keep up with.  I invited him and his wife to join us for a round of disc golf.  It turned out that he was one of those people who threw discs on the beach in college.  He was a natural.  The walking was challenging, particularly on hilly courses, but he was motivated.  He started out only able to play a few holes, but quickly progressed to playing physically challenging courses.  He dropped weight and for the first time in years, got into decent physical shape.  

Those of you who have read my blog posts know that Karen and I spend a lot of time in France.  Of course, we had to play disc golf there but there were no permanent courses in our area.  We decided to bring a luggable basket with us and play our own, makeshift courses while in France so we didn't lose our skills.  We discovered there was a small disc golf club in the region and they welcomed us enthusiastically.  

We introduced Karen's friend Martine to the sport. Martine is a physical trainer who immediately became addicted and who recognized the theraputic value of the sport for her sedentary clients.  Within a year, the tiny club had more than tripled in membership and most of the new members were women.  I suspect that in the Basque Region of France, there are more women disc golfers than men.  

Disc golf in France has been challenging because there is so much regulation on sports and sport training.  Fortunately, Martine and others have made great headway and there are now permanent courses popping up in the Southwest of France.  
​

So yeah, I have to admit it.  I love disc golf.  Karen and I play wherever we go.  Our favorite courses are in the mountains and the redwoods.  It's a great hike and a lot of fun.  It's as easy or as challenging as you want to make it - a great sport for the whole family.  And, it's supplanting ball golf.  It's estimated that there are two million people playing disc golf.  While ball golf courses are closing because of ecological and economic reasons, multiple disc golf courses are opening every week.  

If you'd like to know more about the history and evolution (or revolution) of disc golf, I highly recommend Jack Trageser's The Disc Golf Revolution under his pen/nickname, Jack Tupp.  It's a fascinating account of how disc golf got to be what it is today.  It also has a great introduction to the sport and how to play.

If you haven't played disc golf, give it a try.  It's a great excuse to go hiking!

If, like me, you're not a boater, you probably think the Santa Cruz Harbor Patrol is only purposed with maintaining order in the harbor and helping boaters in distress in and near the harbor itself.  You may have seen Dan Coyro's picture at left of the Harbor Patrol boat towing a capsized boat after the 2011 tsunami that wreaked havoc on our small harbor.  Although I spend a huge amount of time in the ocean, I have to admit, I certainly never gave the Harbor Patrol much thought.  

But then, as I started working on my next novel, currently titled The Swimmer (you can check out the beginning in my Work in Progress section), I knew I needed to do some research on ocean rescues.  My scenario is very dramatic and I thought the chances of my swimmer being rescued were nil but I needed to describe an attempted rescue in the book.

I met briefly with one of the members of the Santa Cruz Fire Department's Marine Rescue Unit, thinking these were the people who would attempt such a rescue.  Over the years, I'd seen them doing physically demanding training exercises at night along West Cliff Drive.  

I was hoping to understand how they'd attempt a rescue of a swimmer trying to commit suicide in Monterey Bay at night, expecting lots of information about their jet skis, search patterns, rescue swimmers, etc.  And while they have all that, apparently, if we're looking at a rescue more than a couple hundred yards offshore, especially at night,  it would be the Harbor Patrol that would pursue the rescue, possibly in coordination with the Coast Guard.  I was told that the Harbor Patrol boat had all sorts of cool high tech equipment including thermal imaging, side sonar, sophisticated radar and more, and that I should contact the Harbormaster to find out how they approached ocean rescues.

I spoke with Latisha Marshall, the Harbormaster, and she gave my contact information to Blake Anderson, the assistant Harbormaster.  Blake would meet with me to explain rescue strategies and show me their rescue boat.  

I sent Blake a link to my scenario and when I arrived, he greeted me and introduced me to Latisha.  Blake was more than prepared to answer my questions.    I laid out my scenario and apologized, saying I understood that the likelihood of saving my swimmer was just about zero.  But Blake interrupted me and said he wasn't so sure.  Over the next thirty minutes he told me about some remarkable rescues.  One was led by Don Kinneman (Senior Deputy Harbormaster) and was later recounted by Santa Cruz's resident ocean science guru, Gary Griggs.  Griggs writes a not-to-be-missed biweekly column for the Santa Cruz Sentinel titled Our Ocean Backyard.  

Griggs describes ocean disasters, impacts of climate change, pollution, and much more.  You can find archives of his articles here.

In the early 70s, Griggs did a study of ocean currents in Monterey Bay.  He dropped floats containing postcards at various points along the coast and followed where they were found.  Ironically, in the summer of 1972, I found one of the floats in the rocks on the south end of Four-Mile Beach.  Grigg's current research would play a significant role the first story.

Amazing Rescues
In one of the rescues, Don Kinneman led the search for two brothers whose Hobie Cat had capsized.  Two very distressed women had entered the Harbor office just before dark.  The first was the wife of one brother and the second was the fiance of the other brother.  The brothers were supposed to have returned hours before.  Don put together a crew and  following the lead of the Coast Guard, searched southeast of the last known position (accounting for drift from the northwest winds).  But after hours of searching they were forced to return to the harbor about midnight.

Frustrated with their lack of success, Don didn't give up.  Having studied Gary Griggs' results on currents in the Monterey Bay, he pulled out charts, and plotted where the currents might have taken the brothers.  Don, and Cary Smith, another Harbor Patrol Officer, went back out and after starting a sweep search in the projected area, found one brother clinging to the side of the overturned boat 10 miles offshore.  He was hypothermic and likely near death so they raced back to shore and then returned to search for the other brother.   A mile further out, on a pitch-black night, they rescued the other brother.  If you think about the vastness of the Monterey Bay and the odds of finding a swimmer 11 miles out, this is truly miraculous - or beyond miracles, perhaps Don Kinneman is a rescue force to be reckoned with!

Gary Griggs gives us a nice footnote to the story that Blake didn't relate.  Don, and Cary were invited to the brother's wedding a few weeks later.  For his first toast, the groom raised his glass to Don and Cary without whose help, the wedding would have never happened.  

As Blake finished this story, which clearly reset my expectations about my swimmer's rescue, Laticia jumped in.  "Why don't you tell Steve about that rescue where you were awarded the Rescue Professional Hero Award?" she suggested.  

Modest Blake reluctantly agreed to tell the story.  

He was on duty one evening and heard what seemed to be static on the radio.  The operator had concluded that it was just static.  Somehow, Blake thought he heard something else.  At first it was 'mile buoy' and then 'water'.  Since no one else heard this, Blake went on instinct.  He found a crew member and they motored out to the mile buoy - just in case his hunch was right.  Not far beyond the buoy, they found an overturned Hobie Cat.  They continued their sweeping search and located the victim another quarter mile away.  Once again, this was another successful rescue in what I thought of as a near impossible situation.

The Harbor Patrol Boat

Moving back to my scenario, I asked Blake to take me through the entire process from the time a 911 call is placed.  He explained how they would be alerted and that once the Fire Department confirmed a rescue was needed, they'd contact the Coast Guard and would begin the search. Blake described the complex process of coordinating the searches (you'll find a dramatized account in my novel).  He then suggested he take me out on the boat.

Today, the Harbor Patrol Rescue Boat is a 21-year-old 28' RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) with twin 250 HP Yamaha outboards.  The 'cabin' is tricked out with  two displays which show charts, side-sonar imaging (looking at the bottom up to 40' down), thermal imaging, radar images, and much more.  They have a camera where they can record interactions with boats or rescues.  The boat has a top speed of almost 50 knots (nearly 58 mph), so it can get to distress situations remarkably fast.  The soft sides make it easier to come alongside other boats and to bring victims on board.

The Harbormaster staff includes 4 deputies who are 'offshore certified'.  As Latisha and Blake explained to me, this is a rigorous training and certification program where part of the final exam is done in the boat at night with blacked-out windows.  The candidate must show navigation and rescue skills using only instruments.  

I put on a PFD and Blake led us slowly out of the Harbor.  One screen showed the thermal imaging while the other used the side-sonar to show the bottom of the harbor entrance.  We headed toward the wharf, my eyes jumping back and forth between the thermal imaging and the windows.  A few hundred yards into our trip, I saw a kelp bed ahead of us, just offshore from the Boardwalk.  It looked like any other kelp bed.  But on the thermal image, I spotted 6 white balls moving around.  As we got closer, I could see that this was a family of sea otters - well hidden in the kelp, but visible through thermal imaging.  

On our way out to the mile buoy, we passed some swimming sea lions.  Again, I would never have seen them visually but the thermal imaging clearly saw their heads as they periodically rose above the water. 

Several hundred yards from the buoy, I could see the buoy on the thermal imaging screen.  I was a bit surprised, but Blake explained that the system spotted temperature differences and the buoy was warmer than the ocean.  Several large white objects were moving on the buoy - sea lions.  I realized just how powerful this imaging tool was.  And apparently, the Coast Guard boats and helicopters are similarly equipped.

On our way back to the harbor, Blake talked about other work he and the Harbor Patrol had undertaken.  Over the last few years, they've become instrumental in cliff rescues.  As most of us know, not only do people fall off cliffs into the ocean or get knocked off by unexpected waves, far too many beach walkers fail to pay attention to the tides.  Incoming tides have trapped many on virtually inaccessible cliff faces and in caves.  

While it's the Fire Department's cliff rescue and marine rescue teams that usually perform the actual rescues themselves, they need to locate the victims first.  With high cliffs or high wave conditions, this can be nearly impossible.  But once again, it's the Harbor Patrol and their thermal imaging to the rescue.  They can locate people and help guide the rescue teams to the victims.

Blake also talked about the Harbor Patrol's recent involvement with law enforcement.  I won't go into detail here, but they now do training for police departments, SWAT teams, and Federal agencies.  

As you can see, I was impressed.    Between 2015 and 2018, the Harbor Patrol saved over 217 lives.  I never suspected that the Harbor Patrol was so critical to the safety of our ocean-loving community.  And I wondered why.  Why didn't I know this?  How is it I could have underestimated their contribution?  I hope that this blog and my accounts to surfing buddies and friends will help get the Harbor Patrol more recognition.

The good news is that the Harbor Master recently received a Federal grant that will allow them to replace the aging Harbor Patrol Boat with a new $550,000 craft so that they can be even more effective.  

If you see the Harbor Patrol while surfing, boating, kayaking, stand-up paddling, or during other ocean activities, give them a wave.  And if there's an issue on the ballot that involves funding for the Harbormaster or Harbor Patrol, give it due consideration.  This team might one day save your life or the life of someone you love.
​

This post is intended for those of you contemplating hip replacement or those of you who might be caring for someone who's going to have hip replacement surgery.  I'm hoping to set your expectations for the recovery.

Many of you know the story of My Miraculous Wife - the blog post I did several years ago where Karen made an amazing recovery from major hip problems to actually do the Big Sur 21-mile race.

A few years went by and we were back to our active lifestyle, dancing Salsa and Swing, hiking, surfing, stand-up paddling, kayaking - you get the idea.  

But then, Karen started having hip problems again.  Our dance sessions and hikes got shorter and finally stopped.  Walking was limited and even sitting was painful.  This time, Karen's orthopedist showed us the arthritis in her left hip.  Parts of her hip were bone-on-bone, and the best spacing was less than a millimeter where there should have been four millimeters.  A very painful cortisone shot did nothing to help.  Hip replacement surgery was the only viable option.  

A few of my surfing buddies had recently had hip replacements and were now surfing as well as they did before the surgery.  Other friends had had the procedure and raved about the results.  We were hopeful.

We discussed their surgeries and recoveries with all of the people we knew, then contacted the doctors and asked for patient referrals.  It quickly became clear that the anterior (front) approach had the best recovery times and the fewest complications.  We decided to go with Dr. Nicholas Mast of SFHips in San Francisco.  Although that would require a longer drive, from what we could see, his patients had the best recoveries.  We met with Dr. Mast and his staff and got briefed on pre-op procedures and post-op plans.  We scheduled the surgery for early April in Novato (the earliest available appointment).  

Weirdly, the one physical activity that Karen could still do was downhill skiing.  She couldn't walk well (I had to carry her skis to the slopes), but boy could she ski.  The week of skiing before the surgery helped her get stronger (she had gotten pretty weak in the preceding months), and likely aided her recovery.
​

Overview of the Procedure
Your hip consists of a ball joint at the top of your femur (femoral head) that moves in the hip socket (acetabulum) which is part of your pelvis.  The socket and the femoral head are covered in cartilage which helps lubricate the joint.  

With an arthritic hip like the one in the photo at the top of this blog, the hip joint has deteriorated.  The cartilage has worn away, lubrication is gone, and bone spurs develop.  Movement becomes restricted and painful.

In the anterior approach hip replacement, a 3-4 inch incision is made in the front of the upper thigh.  The thigh muscles are pulled away from the joint and the femoral head is removed.  The hip socket is resurfaced to make it smooth and an acetabular cup is installed along with a lining.  A ridged spike-like prosthesis with a titanium ball on top is inserted into the femur.  Clamps holding muscles are removed and the muscles go back into place.  The thigh is stitched up with dissolvable sutures and a sealed bandage is applied.  

Hip replacement is one of the most successful major surgeries performed today.  Nearly all patients report getting their lives back.  

The Surgery and Time in the Hospital
We spent the night in Novato and made our way to the hospital.  Surgery was scheduled for 10:30am but pre-op began two hours earlier.  We met with Dr. Mast and with the anesthesiologist.  Dr. Mast was personable and reassuring and talked about recovery times of his patients who often were walking over a mile within a week.  He told us about one patient who went to dinner and a movie with his wife the day after surgery.  This was very encouraging!

At 10:30, they wheeled Karen into surgery.  About 11am, Dr. Mast came into the waiting room and spoke with a woman waiting for her husband who was now in recovery.  He said that her husband could go home that afternoon.  Then he turned to me and said that Karen was next. 

Just over thirty minutes later, he was back and said that everything went perfectly.  Karen would be headed to recovery and would probably be there about an hour.  He said that since she wouldn't be out of recovery before noon, she would be staying the night.  That was exactly what we expected.  

Unfortunately, Karen was in recovery two and a half hours and once in her room, she continued to have numbness in her legs, so she wouldn't be getting up to walk yet.  Apparently, people recover from anesthesia differently.  However, once the numbness subsided, Karen did walk - with a walker - but she easily (from my perspective) covered the 150 feet required for discharge.  Pain medication (we had chosen Tramadol) kept her comfortable and surprisingly, not at all loopy and it didn't upset her stomach.  

The next morning, we had a visit from the occupational therapist who showed Karen how to get on and off the toilet, get into and out of the shower, and some clever tricks for getting dressed.  A bit later, the physical therapist came by and invited Karen to walk to the physical therapy room about 500 feet away.  He and many of the nurses commented on how amazing Dr. Mast's results were.  No other surgeons compared.  The physical therapist showed Karen how to get in and out of bed and how to climb stairs using a cane.  We walked back to her room and prepared for discharge.  Basic instructions were:

- No restrictions on movements other than no lunges.
- No baths, swimming, or hot tubs for 4 weeks - showers are okay.
- For the first week, walk five minutes every hour.
- Wear TED stockings (Thrombo-Embolic-Deterrent) stockings to prevent blood clots
- Taper pain medication as appropriate. 
- Take an anti-inflammatory (Celebrex) for 30 days, and aspirin for ten days. 
- Use ice consistently to reduce pain and swelling. 
- Start physical therapy two weeks after surgery.
- Remove the bandage after 4 weeks.  
- No driving until she stops the Tramadol.
- No risky physical activities which could involve falls for 3 months. 
- Follow the instructions for exercises from the PeerWell application.   

Home Care
We made the lengthy drive home, stopping every hour so that Karen could walk for five minutes.  Once home, Karen had no problem climbing the stairs (using the cane and handrail) to the second floor of our house, home to our living room, kitchen, dining room, and bedroom.  

Karen was exhausted, so after dinner she spent the evening in bed, getting up to walk every hour.  The only significant pain she had was in and around her left knee which was hugely swollen.  With the anterior approach, no muscles are cut.  Instead, there is a 4-inch incision in the skin and the muscles and ligaments are pulled away from the hip so that the surgery can proceed.  This places major strain on the knee attachments.  

We set up a mattress in the living room in front of the television so that Karen could watch TV when bored.  

At this point, and for some time to come, I needed to be present to help Karen get into and out of the shower, get dressed, and to supply her with ice packs.  I also provided massage of her thigh, knee, and lower leg multiple times a day.  

Over the next few days, Karen did as the PeerWell application instructed with exercises and meditations.  In addition to a guided recovery, PeerWell tracked her progress and reported back to Dr. Mast's office.  Remembering Dr. Mast's words about the patients with amazingly fast recoveries, Karen increased her walks of five minutes an hour to ten minutes, then to more.  However, it seemed the swelling and pain in her knee increased.  She had expected to stop pain medication (others had done so at this point), but it wasn't possible.  

We called Abigail, one of Dr. Mast's PAs (physician assistants), and she said that for the first week, Karen should really be reclined or lying down fully, except for the five minute walks.  And, she emphasized keeping the walks to five minutes.  As we later discovered, this is what the patients with the best recoveries had done.  Dr Mast is a great surgeon, and as you'll see, Karen's recovery was remarkable, but Dr. Mast may be a bit over-enthusiastic about the pace of recovery for some patients.  ​

For the next few days, Karen remained prone most of the time, doing the five minute walks.  She could sit to eat, but needed to keep her leg elevated without too much bending at the hip.  After day 7, she began increasing her walking time, very much aware not to increase too much too fast.  

Pace of Recovery
On day 9 after surgery, I came down from my office to find Karen grinning from ear to ear.  She asked me to watch and then proceeded to walk the length of our hallway without her walker.  I was very impressed.  She still used the walker to get on and off the toilet that day, but by day 10, the walker was history. And, so was the pain medication.  Karen had begun tapering after a week (the setback from too much walking early on probably delayed that), but by day 10, she was done.  However, we still iced after walks and before bed.  

On day 11, Karen went downstairs for the first time using a cane and we went for a walk outside.  After 10 days cooped up inside, Karen was ecstatic to be out and about.  We walked to the end of the block and back several times that day.  Karen used walking sticks (we'd bought them for hiking some years before).  These are a better than a cane for walking as they allow for a more natural, even gait.

At two weeks, Karen had her first physical therapy appointment.  After testing, the focus was on range of motion.  Karen couldn't put on her TED stocking, socks, or tie her shoes by herself.  The physical therapist gave her exercises and thereafter, Karen just used Peerwell for meditations and progress tracking.   She also made a remarkable discovery - if she pulled the TED stockings over her knee, it greatly reduced knee pain and swelling - we should have done that from the beginning.  Since her surgery was on her left side and since we have a car with an automatic transmission, Karen was able to drive.  She was a bit nervous - an accident or sudden stop might be painful, but she was pleased to have more freedom of movement.

On day 15, Karen stopped using the cane going up stairs.

On day 17, she could walk downstairs with alternating steps.

On day 18, she could walk upstairs with alternating steps.  At this point, we were doing several 20 minute walks a day on flat sidewalks - adding up to over 3 miles.  Karen was cautiously increasing her distance every other day.  

At three weeks, we went for a hike in Ano Nuevo.  The total distance was almost two miles with a massage break at the halfway point.  The uneven surfaces were much more challenging and tiring than walking on flat sidewalks.   She took the next day off to recover.

At four weeks, the bandage came off and we did a wound inspection via video conference with Abigail, Dr. Mast's PA.  Everything looked great.  At this point, the Physical Therapist showed us how to start massaging the scar.  We also started doing tougher hikes with more elevation and Karen started doing short rides on a recumbent stationary bike.  

At five weeks, Karen could tie her shoes but with difficulty.  

6 Weeks and beyond
At 6 weeks, we started doing more significant hikes and Karen tried disc golf - this involves a dramatic twisting of the body with substantial pressure on the hips and a lot of walking.  We also cautiously restarted our Salsa dancing at Salsa by the Sea at the base of the Santa Cruz Wharf.  

At 9 weeks, Karen began doing daily yoga sessions (via videos)  in addition to the physical therapy exercises and  regular treadmill and stationary bike workouts.  Her flexibility increased steadily.  For all intents and purposes, Karen was back to where she was a year before the surgery - actually, better!

12 Weeks - All Clear!
After 12 weeks, Karen started biking.  We're also very confident about some more difficult hikes - falling is no longer a major risk to the prosthesis.  We're dancing regularly at full speed with dramatic moves and fast turns,  and are back to our previous active lifestyle.  Karen continues to work on getting stronger and on increasing her flexibility. 

This past week we played disc golf at Kirkwood Ski Resort.  The course is physically demanding, even if you're in great shape.  We played the entire course complete with significant climbs at altitude, scrambling over rocks and cascading creeks, and making challenging throws on one of the most difficult courses we've played.  Next week, we'll be doing more disc golf there, then cooling off by kayaking and stand-up paddling on nearby Silver Lake.  

It's great to have our old  life back again!

Lessons Learned
First, Karen believes, and I agree, that she waited too long for the surgery.  Constant struggles with pain as our active lifestyle declined could have been avoided with an earlier surgery.

Choose the best surgeon and talk to his/her patients about their experiences and recoveries.  If Karen needs another hip replacement, or if I do, we'll go to Dr. Mast again.  

Don't be in a rush to get off the pain meds.  There's no competition with other patients who may have told you they were done with meds after two days.

Last, and most important, be patient with the recovery.  Go slowly and you'll get there faster.  

I have to admit it.  Even after the testimonies of my friends, I was worried about the hip replacement for Karen.  It's a major surgery!  But with an excellent surgeon, great support staff and physical therapist, and Karen's amazing work ethic and never give up attitude, My Miraculous Wife has done it again!

If you liked this blog, please check out my novels.
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Okay.  The title was meant to get your attention.  Clearly the EPA tests showed 204 miles.  However, as an experienced EV driver, I'd like to show you how terribly misleading this number is for the Audi etron.   For most drivers, in most conditions, assuming you care about the range of the etron, you'll do much better than the EPA rating of 204 miles.

In this blog, I'll be doing quite a few comparisons to our Chevy Bolt.  These are not intended to be comparisons of the vehicles themselves, but of the performance and range with respect to their EPA ratings on routes we've traveled literally dozens of times.

Our story begins with my previous post comparing the Audi etron to the Jaguar I-Pace.  After reading it, the GM of Audi Steven's Creek in San Jose, asked Cassandra Crawford, his head of fleet and internet sales, to offer us an etron for a more extensive test drive.  We picked up the etron on Friday afternoon, drove to our place in the Sierra Nevada, put it through its paces in the mountains, and returned the car on Monday afternoon.  

Before I get into range discussion, let me just say that this is the quietest car we've ever driven and is a joy to drive.  

For experienced EV drivers, range is important for the following reasons:

1) We need to do our regular commutes without having to stop to charge.
2) On long trips, we don't want to have to spend hours waiting to charge.

We recognize that for most EVs, highway range is much worse than city range.  For our Bolt, rated at 238 combined miles per the EPA, we see nearly 300 miles of range around town, but only about 210 miles on the highway at 65-75 mph, substantially less with a headwind.  

When we heard about the 204-mile range, we cancelled our order for an etron.  What kind of range would we get on the highway?  And what about our trips to the mountains, our primary motivation for an AWD SUV?  We 'commute' to our place in the mountains a few times a month and at least weekly during ski season.  It's 175 miles with nearly a 4000' altitude gain.  Our Bolt makes it with between 15% and 20% of the battery left and an average miles/kWh of about 3.5: an effective range of 210 miles. 

If the Bolt loses roughly 12 percent of its EPA range on this trip, and the etron lost 12% of it's 204 miles, it would be far too close in the etron, right?
​

Whether in a gas-powered car or an EV, we all drive differently depending on the conditions and our motivation for being on the road.  In a hurry or want to race?  You probably don't care too much about your gas mileage or EV range.  Want to reduce costs and stops? You probably drive more efficiently.

There has been a lot of debate about driving an EV with max regen.  Many drivers argue that the excessive regen braking is not as efficient because you're always having to make up for slowing by accelerating.  Others say that coasting is better.  But the bottom line is that per the Bolt EV forum (and the Bolt has the strongest regen of any EV we've seen with true single pedal driving), at least 90% of Bolt drivers agree that they get their best range in L mode (max regen) - all the time. 

While this may sound counter-intuitive.  The fact is that once you're experienced with max regen, you use your accelerator pedal efficiently.  You can slow the vehicle, let it coast, or accelerate just by applying the right amount of pressure.  It may sound complicated, but it's not.  It becomes second nature after you've driven a bit.  

So, although Audi claims that their 'Automatic' mode will determine the most effective regen by coasting at the right time, I have my doubts.  We didn't get to test that feature and there is a lot of magic in the etron, so it's possible, but I wanted to compare apples to apples, so we drove the etron in Efficiency mode with max regen all the time.  

For those of you concerned about 'Efficiency mode', don't be.  As we've seen with most EVs, there's more than enough power to spare.  EVs accelerate onto the freeway effortlessly and pass on two-lane roads pinning the passengers to the seats - even in 'efficiency' mode.
​

We left the Audi dealer about noon.  Temps were in the mid 80s, upper 80s across the Central Valley and we hit thunderstorms in the mountains.  With the very warm temperatures, air conditioning was a must.

The first thing we noticed, which worried us quite a bit, was that our efficiency on the surface streets getting to the freeway, on the Mission Street connector to 680, and in traffic jams was much lower than we expected, right about 2.2 miles/kWh.  At that rate, with a 4000' altitude gain on this trip, even the 140 miles might be tight.  

The weird thing was that we seemed to get better range on the freeway at 70-75 mph.  We finished the trip of 140 miles with an average of 2.5 mi/kWh, 56 miles on the guessometer, and 32% of the battery left.  This works out to roughly 205 miles of range.  Remember, our Bolt has an effective range on this trip of 210 miles.  Not too bad!

Saturday, Karen took the wheel and we traveled down to Valley Springs (mostly 55 mph speed limit)  for a round of disc golf, and visited Volcano on our way back up.  Karen had a difficult time keeping the etron anywhere near the speed limit and loved the smoothness, silence, and handling.  We covered 86 miles and had 62% of the battery left, effectively 226 miles.

Sunday, we drove up to Kirkwood on highway 88.  It's 39 miles and we have to cross Carson Pass at 7990 feet.  The net altitude gain to Kirkwood is 4500 feet.  Speed limit is 55 and you can comfortably drive 60 except for a couple of miles over Carson Spur.  The etron averaged 1.7 miles/kWh.  I note that the Bolt only averages 2.2 miles/kWh on this stretch.

Returning, the etron only used 3% of the battery for the 39 miles, and averaged 2.8 miles/kWh for the 78 mile round trip with 77% of the battery remaining.  For the Bolt, we average 4.0 mile/kWh on this stretch or 240 miles - very close to the EPA 238.  The etron's range on this trip works out to 234 miles.

We headed home late Monday morning.  The picture of the console at the top of this post was taken as we hit the flats 26 miles into our trip.  Much of that 26 miles was downhill and you can see that the total range - guessomenter + miles driver - was 303 miles.  Of course the next 117 miles, mostly at 70-75 mph reduced that a bit, and we arrived at the dealer after 143 miles (we stayed on 680 to 280) with 116 miles on the guessometer (a 259 mile range).  We averaged 2.8 miles per kWh.  On this same stretch, the Bolt averages 4.2 miles per kWh or about 5% beyond its EPA rating.  So multiplying the 2.8 miles/kWh times the 83.6 kWh available in the etron and reducing it by 5%, we have a range of 222 miles - almost all of it highway.
​

We scratched our heads about how the EPA rating could be so wrong.  With 85-90 degree temperatures, we had climate on (except for the trip to Kirkwood where it was cool).  We drove mostly highway speeds which is generally a worst case scenario for an EV.  And yet, our best guess for the etron highway range is over 220 miles. 

We looked at the Monroney Sticker (the sales sticker) and got one clue.  According to the EPA, the miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) for the highway is 73 and for the city, it's 74 with a combined rating of 74.  Every other EV has a dramatic difference between the City and Highway EPA ratings.  For example, the Bolt has 128 City and only 110 Highway.  

This means that unlike most EVs, the etron gets almost the same range on the highway as around town.  What would you say to an EPA rating of over 200 miles highway?  

We suspect that the highway/city thing is due to the weight of the etron.  At over 5600 pounds, it takes a lot of energy to get it moving (hence the low City figure).  On the other hand, once moving, and especially downhill, the momentum and reasonably low coefficient of drag, improve its Highway numbers.  The weight probably explains the remarkable numbers for our downhill stretch from Kirkwood - a lot of regen!

We also suspect that the EPA tests were done in 'Automatic' mode.  Perhaps our driving in 'Efficiency' mode with max regen made the difference.  

In any case, for our purposes, the Audi etron has a combined (actually highway) range of over 220 miles. It's extremely efficient downhill - probably more so than the Bolt, and doesn't seem to lose much range at 75+ mph. Combine that with the fact that the etron charges faster than any car currently on the market,  and it also makes sense for longer trips.  Plus, as I mentioned, Karen and I find this to be the nicest car we've ever driven. 

Originally, our plan was to replace our Audi Allroad with an EV SUV to get us to the snow in the winter.  Our Bolt is our primary vehicle and the Audi is really just for the snow.  But this car is such a pleasure to drive, we'll probably take it on all road trips.  
​

The etron we drove was a Prestige with 21-inch wheels.  The one we ordered will have 19-inch wheels.  From what I've read, the smaller wheel size should increase the etron's range by  5%-15%.  That would put it within reach of our Bolt - not bad for a true luxury SUV.

If you've been afraid of the etron because of the EPA rating, don't be.  I think you'll be more than impressed with its range in real driving conditions!

Check out my next blog on the etron: Our Remarkable Audi Ski-tron.

And, if you liked this blog, please check out my novels.
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If you've read posts in my EV category, you know that we're big fans of EVs.  Our first EV was a Ford Focus Electric which we leased in 2013.  It was limited but functional for short trips.  In late 2016, we leased a Chevy Bolt and couldn't be happier.  It has become our primary vehicle and we take it on several trips over 350 miles every month as well as 200-mile trips around the Bay Area.  We even did a 1200-mile trip to Oregon for the eclipse.  However, we don't take it to the mountains in the winter, preferring our Audi Allroad with its AWD and sure-footed handling in snow and ice.  But after our Bolt experience, we want to go all-electric.  No more gas for us!

I've been an Audi fan for years and after seeing the etron at the Paris Auto Show and comparing it with the Jaguar I-Pace, and the Mercedes EQC (exterior and interior), we placed an etron on order thinking we'd receive it in January or February.   But with the delays on delivery and the shocking EPA rating of 204 miles, we cancelled our order.  

We joined forums for most of the EVs out there to follow their progress.  Initial deliveries of the I-Pace revealed numerous problems, particularly with the Infotainment/MMI - sometimes causing the car to just stop.  We started to despair that we'd be waiting at least another year for a better electric SUV.  

Before continuing, I should note that I have great admiration for Elon Musk and Tesla and believe that without them, the auto industry wouldn't be moving ahead so aggressively with EVs.  Unfortunately, the cars just don't fit our active outdoor lifestyle (and wouldn't survive some of the places we park).  Carrying bikes, kayaks, surfboards, etc. on a Model S or a Model 3 is somewhat impractical, and quite frankly, I really don't like the looks of the Model X.  On the other hand, the charging network is what makes Tesla the leader - at least until recently.

With the Bolt, we've learned quite a bit about EVs, so we have pretty strong expectations for new EVs, and especially a high-end 'luxury' SUV with all-wheel drive:

- Range: we have a place in the mountains that's 175 miles away at 4000' elevation.  We need to be able to make it there without stopping to charge along the way.

- Sports equipment: as mentioned above, we need room to carry our toys.

- Room for a spare tire:  Driving over Altamont Pass the weekend before our 1200-mile trip to the eclipse, our Bolt narrowly avoided a sharp piece of metal in the road.  Not so for several cars on the side of the road with blown-out tires in 110-degree heat.  We decided that since we are often in remote areas, we didn't want to be without a spare.  Fortunately, the Bolt has space under the back cover where we now carry a slightly deflated full-sized spare, our universal EVSE, extra extension cables, and a few toys.  

- NAV and a good Infotainment/MMI: the Bolt lacks a navigation system and we often have problems with Android Auto, particularly in remote areas (where we often find ourselves).

- Fast charging:  When we do our regular 350+ mile trips in a day, we need to charge.  Because the Bolt and all current EVs have a dramatic taper in their charging rates (e.g. the Bolt charges at a max of 45 kW up to 60% then drops to 34 kW up to 80%, then to 16 kW to 90%, then rapidly down to 6 kW or less as it nears 100%),  a typical charge from 20% to 100% takes over an hour and a half on a 50 kW charging station (though on most long trips, you can stop charging at 80% and stop more often).  Even the Teslas have dramatic taper as state of charge (SOC - percentage of battery charge) increases.  We need better for longer trips.

- Handling: Most newer EVs have excellent handling due to the low center of gravity.  We do a lot of mountain roads and expect a nimble vehicle. 
​
- Comfort and quiet:  If we're going to pay for luxury, we expect luxury.  

- Single-pedal driving:  While not a hard requirement, we love the single-pedal driving of the Bolt.  Put it in max regen (L mode), and you can almost never use the brakes.  It's also an indicator of strong battery regeneration.  On the Bolt, L mode slows the car at negative .3g and with the paddle gets almost negative .4g, strongly recharging the battery as you slow or go downhill. 
  

​As spring arrived so did the first etrons, along with software fixes for the I-Pace.  Suddenly I-Pace owners were raving about their cars.  Audi of Steven's Creek had an etron to test drive so we made an appointment there and with the Jaguar dealer down the street.  ​

The Audi etron

Our first impression of the etron was that it was much larger than what we remembered seeing in Paris - probably more car than we needed.  Eric, the knowledgeable sales assistant took us through all the features of the etron.  We were impressed by the interior room and especially the fact that it had a spare tire.  As in many of my former Audis, skis can pass through the back seat, still leaving room for passengers.  This etron was a loaded Prestige with 21-inch wheels.

Once seated inside, what immediately struck us was the silence.  Noisy Steven's Creek Boulevard could not be heard - at all.  This would prove to be the case on our test drive - the car is eerily quiet on the inside.  No question, the interior is what you'd expect in a luxury car.

Eric took us through the sophisticated Infotainment/MMI system which includes a separate screen where you can hand-write commands.  Overall, it was intuitive and easy to use.  Wanting to test the regen in search of the elusive single-pedal driving, I put the etron in economy mode and set it to max regen.  

Starting on city and neighborhood streets, we quickly discovered that single-pedal driving is not possible.  However, the big surprise was that when touching the brakes, the regen increased substantially.  Eric explained that the brake pedal is similar to the paddles on the Bolt up until it reaches negative .3g at which point the friction brakes kick in.  This is identical regen to the Bolt without using the paddle, so while it's not single pedal, the regen is strong.  

We were also surprised by the handling.  For such a large, heavy vehicle, the etron cornered well and hugged the road on tight fast turns.  Still, consumption was nothing like the Bolt.  While we typically see almost 5 miles/kWh with the Bolt around town, the Audi was averaging a bit over 3 miles/kWh.  

Moving onto the highway, we went 8 miles at a steady 70 mph.  Here's where we got our biggest surprise.  The etron averaged 2.8 miles/kWh.  That would result in over 230 miles of range at 70 mph?  With 21-inch wheels?  This was not even close to the EPA combined rating of 204 miles.  More on that shortly.

As I mentioned before, even at highway speeds on a rough concrete surface, the etron was silent and the ride was smooth.  We were impressed.  Still, it was much more car than we needed.

The Jaguar I-Pace
Thanking Eric, we made our way down the street to the Land Rover/Jaguar dealer excited to drive the I-Pace.  The experienced salesperson explained that the I-Pace was a big seller - they couldn't keep them in stock.  We inspected the exterior and admired its sleek good looks.  Its size was also more in line with what we're looking for - a small SUV. 

When we opened the rear hatch, we discovered a spare tire.  It took up most of the cargo space and the salesperson explained that there was no room for a spare in under the back cover.  As for interior room, the back seat was tight.  With Karen in the driver's seat, I had little legroom in the back.  

Ready for our test drive, we asked to set the I-Pace up for max regen.  Neither I nor the salesperson could figure out how to do it.  Additional personnel couldn't help.  After nearly ten minutes of navigating complex screens that didn't seem to make sense and which seemed to arbitrarily erase previous settings, we finally found it.  And we were off.

On the city/neighborhood streets, we found that the I-Pace handled better than the Audi.  It's smaller, lighter, and more nimble.  As expected from the 234-mile EPA rating, the I-Pace showed nearly 3.5 miles/kWh - more efficient than the Audi.  As for single-pedal driving, it's close.  The I-Pace regen slows the car aggressively until it reaches about 3 or 4 miles per hour.  At that point, you need to apply the friction brakes to fully stop.  I think single-pedal could be possible with some practice, anticipating a bit more coasting run out before stopping.

We moved onto the freeway, taking exactly the same route we did with the etron.  Acceleration down the on ramp was strong, probably better than the etron (per the statistics), but for us a difference of 1 second in a 0-60 acceleration is not terribly important.  What we did notice upon getting up to 70 mph, was the interior noise.  Plus, the ride was rough.  It felt very much like our Bolt.  Even worse for me, and this is largely a personal preference, with such a small rear window and tiny rear side windows, visibility was an issue.  I like being able to see all vehicles around me.  

We exited the freeway and to my surprise, the consumption showed 2.7 miles per kWh - worse than the Audi.  

We left the dealership a bit disappointed with the I-Pace.
​

We raced over Highway 17 in our Bolt in time to beat the commute traffic.  Although from what I've written so far, it may sound like the choice was obvious, for us, the I-Pace was more our size, supposedly had better range, and was clearly more efficient.  The Audi was a lot of car.

With deliveries of etrons accelerating, we followed forums and collected a lot of information.  

Here's where we ended up with our criteria:

- Range: the I-Pace has better range around town but doesn't do as well on the highway.  Our test was short and there wasn't a huge difference, but several comparison tests have shown this to be true.  Also, several drivers in the US and Europe have confirmed that they're seeing much better than the EPA number for the Audi.  Even abetterrouteplanner.com shows that we can make our 175-mile trip with 4000' altitude gain in the etron with 15% of the battery to spare.  And then there's the charging speed - see below.

- Sports equipment: the etron, being much larger, is the clear winner, especially if skiing is the main reason for an AWD SUV.  

- Room for a Spare Tire: the etron has it, the Jaguar does not.  With the amount of time we spend in remote places with no cell service, that spare is a must.

- Nav and Infotainment/MMI:  the etron is the hands-down winner.  I loved the heads-up display, the easy configuration, and the infotainment system.  The I-Pace system was confusing.  I'm sure you could get used to it, but head-to-head, it just doesn't compare.

- Fast Charging: this is where Audi surpasses all other EVs, even Tesla.  Charging at 150 kW, with a taper to 100 kW at 85% SOC and ultimately 50 kW as you approach 100%, the Audi charges faster than anything on the market, even Teslas with the new 250 kW  superchargers (they taper much faster).  With Electrify America installing 350 kW stations, very long distance trips in the Audi can be done almost as fast as in a gas-powered car.   According to some Tesla owners who have been testing the etron, even with substantially less range, on long trips, the etron and a Model X 100D extended will reach their destinations at the same time because of the Audi's faster charging.  With upcoming vehicles like the Porsche Taycan and Cross Turismo, soon, EVs will charge as fast as a gas fill up. ​

- Handling: the I-Pace has it. It's lighter and more nimble and is more in line with what we were hoping for.

- Comfort and quiet: The Audi etron is a true luxury car.  It has plenty of interior room and will comfortably seat our tall son-in-law and his wife in the backseat along with 4 sets of skis and equipment for our trips to the snow.  The I-Pace, not so much.  Worse, the panoramic sunroof in the I-Pace had no option to reduce the amount of sunlight.  Even with climate, the car was hot and at certain angles, too much glare.  We had to go to max climate to get comfortable.  I suspect this would be a significant range killer on the I-Pace.  

- Single-Pedal Driving: the I-Pace comes the closest.  

When we saw the announcement of the Audi Q4, coming in late 2020 or early 2021, we seriously considered waiting.  Ultimately though, after becoming convinced that the etron had sufficient range for our usual ski trips, and would do as well as a high-end Tesla on a long trip, we decided to put in our order for an Audi etron, going all-electric now and planning to trade in the etron for a Q4 or other smaller SUV when they become available.   

I'll be doing more posts on EVs as these emerge, and will keep you up to date on our experiences with the etron once we receive it.  In the meantime, don't hesitate to ask for more details about this decision or about EVs in general.

Also, since this post, we got to put an etron through its paces.  Check out my subsequent blog: Audi etron EPA 204 miles - Debunked!

As most of you know, particularly if you've read any of the posts in my Electric Vehicles (EVs) Category, Karen and I have become true believers.  After a less than wonderful experience with our Ford Focus Electric, we have been completely seduced by the power and practicality of the Chevy Bolt.  It has become our primary car.  Our other car, an Audi Allroad, has been collecting dust since the end of ski season. 

We use the Bolt for all of our non-ski trips; we do several trips over 350 miles each month; and we did a 1200-mile trip to see the eclipse in Oregon.  Even these longer distance trips are no problem for the Bolt. 

In fact, we're so convinced about electric, that we don't want to drive anything else.  We've been waiting for something to replace the Audi.  Sure, there's the Tesla Model X, but aside from the fact that I don't like the looks, and don't see it as matching our outdoorsy lifestyle, I really don't like the price.   

So when Audi announced their upcoming e-Tron Quattro, we were intrigued.  We put in a placeholder deposit, hoping to get our hands on one before fully committing.

Audi generously invited us to their gala announcement in San Francisco, but since we were planning to be in France, we gave the tickets to some friends who are now thinking about electric.

But, being in France, we had the opportunity to go to the Paris Auto Show.  So, in addition to being able to see the Audi e-Tron, we also were able to get a look at many of the new electric models and concept cars from manufacturers around the world. 

​Noticeably absent were GM, VW (and their upcoming ID line of electric vehicles), and Volvo (with their XC40 SUV).  And while Porsche was there, we were very disappointed not to be able to see their Mission E Cross Turismo, complete with drone.  Watch for it in the video!

Our goal was to determine if there was something better than the Audi that might be worth waiting for.

But before getting into practical EVs that we'll see in the next year or two, I have to say the concepts were remarkable.

Concept Cars

By far, the car getting the most attention from the French attendees was the Peugeot E-Legend, pictured above.  It's apparently a throwback to the much-beloved Peugeot 504 built in 1969.  As of the first public day of the show, nearly 20,000 visitors had promised to buy one if Peugeot produced it.  With over 350 miles of range, super fast charging,  ridiculous acceleration, and unique styling, Peugeot thinks that this EV represents the Peugeot philosophy - it's not just a great EV, it's a great car.

Most futuristic at the show was Renault.  While known for their compact Zoe EV, Renault clearly has some interesting ideas:

​Of course there were supercar concepts too:

Of these, as far as I know, only the Audi has actually seen the light of day.  Range is 310 miles, 95kWh battery with 350kW charging capability and 0-60 in just over 2 seconds.

Practical (soon-to-be-available) EVs

Hyundai

Hyundai showed off their new Kona.  It brags over 290 miles of range with fast charging up to 100 kW.  It reminded us of our Bolt in terms of shape and interior, but it does come with a very nice Nav system (which we really miss on the Bolt).

Kia

Kia had several of their new Niro EVs on display.  They apparently share much of Hyundai's technology and while there are differences in styling and the interiors, the capabilities of the cars and their batteries are almost identical.    

Renault Zoe

We also looked at the new Renault Zoe with its 40 kWh battery, a dramatic improvement over the 25 kWh battery sold until recently.  It's the most popular EV in Europe and Renault has sold about 100,000 of them.  Interestingly, several of the models on display had advertisements for driving services in Paris.  One even offered rentals of the Zoe.  We'd looking forward to being able to rent an electric car on future trips to Europe.  Still, the Zoe's 150-mile range doesn't compare to the Bolt, Niro, or Kona.  It's max charging rate is 44 kW and that only occurs in a very narrow window of its SOC (State of Charge) - up to about 45% charge.  After that it quickly drops off to 20 kW.  Still, at about 20,000 euros fully loaded, it's a great first EV.

Smart ForTwo Electric Drive (ED)

Other than the picture below and a quick look at the specs, we didn't spend any time with Mercedes' Smart ForTwo.  With a range of just 58 miles and a price over $25,000, it just doesn't seem worth it.  But they were kind of cute, it comes in a Cabriolet model (the only EV convertible I know of), and I heard a comment that the Smart ForTwo has the best turning radius of any car on the market.  So, it's very easy to park.  We'll pass.

The Jaguar goes from 0-60 in 4.5 seconds, the Porsche in 3.5 seconds, and the others in about 5 seconds.   This kind of acceleration is more than we need in an SUV and I have to wonder about all that torque in snowy conditions.  

All of the cars have sophisticated battery management systems which will preserve battery life and which should help with charging rates in low temperatures.  Audi claims theirs is the best, but we'll know more when the cars are actually on the road in the snow.

Mercedes EQC

Karen loved the seats.  She thought they were the most comfortable of any car she'd ever been in.  For me, the cockpit was a bit claustrophobic.  It didn't feel open and spacious and the tech was a bit run-of-the-mill. Its exterior was nothing special.  The EQC also felt big - like a full-sized SUV.  But looking at its actual dimensions, it's not much bigger than its competition.  Unfortunately, as experienced distance travelers in an EV, the lower charge rates are a concern.  Still, it may be worth a test drive to check out the handling.

BMW iX3

I think we were most disappointed by the BMW iX3.  It was set aside from the other BMWs and was not accessible to visitors.  I asked several questions and was told that in two years the car would have the latest - the latest fast charging, the latest battery management, the latest range estimates.  In other words, the salespeople had no idea about the specifications.  I suspect they were focused on the new 3-series models which had a lot of interest, and just weren't prepared to talk about EVs.  It's unlikely we'll look any further at BMW EVs.

Jaguar i-Pace

Jaguar had several i-Paces on display, some in dramatic colors.  The car looks impressive.  The only real negatives were the room in the back seat, and the less than state-of-the-art charging speeds.  Jaguar is offering test drives of the i-Pace in southern France next week, so with luck, we'll get to try one out.  I'll update this blog if we do. 

Porsche Mission E Turismo

I have to say that we're completely intrigued by the Mission E Turismo.  From all reports, there will be a 2019 model and after seeing the video and looking at the specs, it might be worth waiting for.  We spoke with the Porsche rep and he explained that since they showed it at a previous show, they didn't have it in Paris.  He had no updates on availability.  We'll have to wait and see, but this seems to be a dream car, even if it doesn't actually ship with the drone (see the video).

 
Audi e-Tron

The Audi e-Tron was the main reason we detoured to the Paris Auto Show.  It did not disappoint!

The interior was impressive as was the tech.  I loved the Nav and the fact that I could get a full Nav screen with directions right in front of me as the driver.  There's even a supplemental screen where you can hand-write commands with your finger.  The backseat was spacious though since they added a control panel for climate, the seating in the middle is limited.  5 passengers will only fit if the one in the middle is either small, or ready to straddle the console.  Aside from that and the fact that it is unlikely that you can fit a spare tire in the back, the car is amazing.  The European model has cameras instead of side-view mirrors.  Not sure if that will get approved in the States before its launch.  The interior is roomy, but the car feels more sleek than its competitors (except, perhaps, for the elusive Porsche).  It has variable air suspension that adapts based on speed and even has charging ports on both sides of the car (fast charging on the driver side).  Coefficient of drag is second only to the Tesla Model S.  Like many of the earlier Audis, you can drop the middle of the back seat to slip your skis through.  

Cassandra Crawford from Steven's Creek Audi tells us we'll see the e-Tron by April.  In Europe, dealers will be getting theirs in January and first deliveries will start in February.  While we wait, we'll check out the alternatives.  But at this point, unless Porsche announces a 2019 delivery of the Mission E Cross Turismo at a reasonable price or one of the others surprises us, we'll enthusiastically lease the Audi e-Tron.

As many of you know, especially if you've looked through my France Category, we have a small apartment in an old Basque house in the little village of Guethary, France.  

We usually come here twice a year, once in the spring and again in the fall.  We try to avoid the summer when tens of thousands of French and other European tourists descend on this little fishing village of just 1,000 people.  

Guethary is located on the Atlantic just a few kilometers from the Spanish border at the foot of the Pyrenees.  The village and the surrounding Basque Country (or Pays Basque in French) have become the surf capital of Europe.  And for most of the year, the surf is even more crowded than in California.  

Still, there is much to do here other than surfing.  Water sports abound and include stand-up paddling, white water kayaking, kite surfing, wind surfing, diving, catamaran racing, and many more, but there's also the amazing food, which is a mix of French, country French, Basque, Spanish, and seafood.

Hiking in the Pyrenees and along the rugged coastline is spectacular, and you'll also find golfing, sailing, disc golf, and countless outdoor activities. 

The area is rich in history and even prehistory (see my post about a hike into prehistory). And the Basque culture is fascinating.   The excellent regional wines rival those of Bordeaux to the north, and ah, did I mention the food?  

But in spite of enjoying most of what the area has to offer over the past several years, we were surprised to discover that our little village is now doing a Soap Box Derby every year.  The first derby was two years ago and the organizers tried to duplicate the U.S. version with similar rules.  There weren't many entrants that year and publicity was limited.  We heard about it after the fact.  Last year it rained, making the somewhat steep course with two significant curves a bit  dangerous.  But this year?  Well,  this year was exceptional.  

The race was to start at 2 pm, but the festivities began at 10:30 am.  We made our way to the fronton.  In the Basque Country, every village has a Pelote Basque (or Jai Alai) court in the center of town called the fronton.  Most are adjacent to the town hall.  In addition to the dramatic sport of jai alai, these huge courts serve as places for farmers' markets, community shows and exhibitions, and celebrations.  

The village and its merchants had set up a bouncy castle along with a miniature driving course for little kids.  Several three-year-olds were trying to navigate tiny electric vehicles around the cones with very little success.  Parents tried vainly to get their kids to turn the cars, but in general this just resulted in slow-motion collisions and smashed (parents') toes. 

There was an exhibit of electric vehicles (cars, scooters, bikes, and skateboards), and of course a large concession area for food and wine.  

 
The roads through the village were closed to traffic and barriers kept pedestrians and spectators off the streets.  Village workers set up inflatable barriers on the curves to protect both the spectators and the drivers from injury during potential crashes.  We noticed that they had also attached high quality speakers to the lamp posts along the course.  

The course itself starts about 200 yards above the fronton, continues down a very gentle slope to the first curve, then down a much steeper slope to a very tight curve, with the finish line a few hundred feet beyond.

I suspect they eased the rules somewhat this year.  Although there were safety and brake checks, since a few of the 'soap boxes' were three-wheelers, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have met international standards for official soap box derby races.  And in this case, it wasn't all about the speed of the 'cars'.

Instead, prizes were awarded for most ecological, best decoration, loudest, most crowd pleasing, best costume for the drivers, and of course the fastest car. Here are a few of the racers:

Before the race started, Karen and I made our way to the last curve so that we could see the steep descent, the treacherous turn and the finish.  A DJ and an announcer joked around as they played an eclectic mix of rock tunes and eventually got down to calling the race.  Most of the racers were adults though there was one group of teen-aged boys (15 years old) and a single girls team who piloted the Eco racer.  One of the cars that did well in last year's race died on the speed bump on the steep hill and had to be towed away.  But the rest ran the course several times.  

After crossing the finish line, ATVs towed the racers back up to the starting line.  

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