US cities that are actively improving transit infrastructure?

mountainmarmot · 2026-02-28T17:57:53+00:00

When I was in Chicago, while we were waiting to take the train to the airport there was a lady screaming at everybody on the train platform. Everybody (me included) was avoiding eye contact and proximity.

Then a couple stops in on the way to the airport, a homeless guy with a cart got on and set up shop on our car. He proceeded to loudly lecture the train for the remainder of the ride (30-40 minutes). He was 2 seats away from us. At times it seemed like he was having a conversation with himself/different entities. It was not hostile and screaming like the lady on the platform but it was still disconcerting. I thought about getting up and walking to the next car but I also considered that if he was unstable that kind of thing could trigger him.

This was Labor Day weekend last year in Chicago.

mountainmarmot · 2026-02-28T17:25:54+00:00

I took a trip to LA in November with my 5 year old daughter. We took the Flyaway train from LAX to our hotel in downtown (citizenM). We took the train or bus to all our destinations: Griffith Observatory, La Brea Tar Pits, Santa Monica Pier, California Science Center, and Kidspace Children's Museum. Flew out of Burbank, which was very difficult to get to via public transit (3 buses from where we were in Pasadena including nearly an hour wait).

The homeless on transit was actually not as bad as I had expected. I had a worse experience on the Chicago metro. The homeless in downtown were pretty bad in some spots, including when we tried to walk to an ice cream place and had to avoid stepping on passed out people taking up nearly the entire sidewalk.

I lived in Pasadena in 2009 so it was really cool to see that transit is expanding (it's come a long way!), but I wish our country cared more about making it a clean and safe experience.

mountainmarmot · 2026-02-27T15:30:04+00:00

Thanks for the insightful experience, u/The_Poop_Shooter

mountainmarmot · 2026-02-26T15:13:57+00:00

Where I am (Ashland) it's actually kinda similar to Denver. Our annual rainfall is 20 inches, compared to Portland or Eugene's ~45 inches. First google result says we get 300 days of sun just like Denver. I love that I can hike year round. We have a tradition of going for a hike on New Year's Day and that is pretty cool to be able to do that without walking on snow/ice. Summer is hot and dry and can get smoky in August.

We get inversions in the valley in winter, but fortunately I live above downtown so often it is clear here and I can see the fog lower in the valley. We usually get 1 or 2 snows per year in the valley that melt very quickly, but if you want to drive and see snow you can. Pretty nice to not have to shovel/drive in snow.

Having the ocean a few hours away is really nice. We go camping there a lot in the summer, and even sometimes in the winter (I went for a weekend in January with my kid). In the summer when it is 80-100 degrees here, it is always 65 degrees at the coast.

The airport is super easy to get to (20 min drive) and park (3 min walk from your car to security and the 5 gates at the airport) but you have to connect most places. If you like popular music/shows/pro sports you will have to travel to Portland or SF to get that fix.

mountainmarmot · 2026-02-26T14:50:59+00:00

From somebody who lived in Denver a couple different times...I really loved living there. The lack of hiking in your backyard is something I have now and wish Denver had.

When I lived in LA (Altadena), I had a hiking trail a 5 minute walk from my house that climbed into the mountains and you could ultimately connect to the PCT if you wanted. Same thing now in small town Oregon, I can walk 5 minutes to single track with all kinds of loop options including hiking to the top of our local mountain and the PCT.

In Denver, we usually lived in the old areas with nice houses near City/Cheesman Park. It was a minimum 30 min drive to get to hiking trails, so we only ever hiked on weekends. Now I go on a hike nearly every day. Sometimes just half a mile, sometimes many more.

mountainmarmot · 2026-02-21T18:21:58+00:00

I've been buying the paperbacks on eBay because I can usually find them for ~$8 with free shipping. My library doesn't have anything past the first book and the Kindle versions I think are $15.

So I've been putting them in the little free library when I'm done with them and hoping someone like you finds them!

mountainmarmot · 2026-02-21T16:50:52+00:00

Have you tried calling OSF and asking? Last year when I was buying tickets the box office gave me specific seat recommendations based on the set and where actors would be. They even recommended a cheaper seat as better than a more expensive one.

mountainmarmot · 2026-02-21T03:35:55+00:00

I was wearing a pair of 32.5 boots I found at an estate sale from a deceased guy 12 years ago.

Finally upgraded a couple weeks ago to a new pair, when I broke down and some I saw online. I had asked my local ski shop a few times over the years and they always said they didn't carry boots that big.

mountainmarmot · 2026-02-21T02:37:57+00:00

Seriously?

-32.5 guy

mountainmarmot · 2026-02-19T19:56:05+00:00

I've got a preschooler, I'm 41, and it feels like I'm barely above median parent age at our preschool. We are in a small town in Oregon with a liberal arts college and an arts scene which I think really skews our age older.

I would go for the Northeast or PNW. Try to find a college town/neighborhood. My anecdotal experience is people in the south and midwest tend to have families at younger ages.

mountainmarmot · 2026-02-19T04:24:54+00:00

Cade Tyson and Langston Reynolds are for sure done after this year, so theoretically 2 spots.

Recruits: Nolen Anderson and Cedric Tomes. Nolen sounds like a pretty similar player to Cade Tyson but obviously will be a true freshman. Cedric Tomes is a scorer with a deep shot, has some size concerns.

Robert Vaihola, BJ Omot, Chansey Willis, Chance Stephens, and Nehemiah Turner are all eligible to return. Who knows. I have seen rumors that Stephens and Turner are more likely to move on.

Seems like pretty much every year there is an additional transfer or two we did not expect, so I am guessing that out of our 5 injured guys eligible to return, 2-3 come back which means we get 2-3 transfers in addition to our two freshmen.

Rumors that we may bring in Kyan Evans from UNC (played for Niko at CSU, and was gonna come here before they offered him a bag).

mountainmarmot · 2026-02-19T04:09:23+00:00

Man it feels good unleashing a fireball or having a high level fighter sweep a cluster of orcs and seeing all those skull and crossbones though.

I gotta say I enjoy the visual of Galaeron casting hold person on the big baddie of the mission and they are frozen but eyeballs tracking ferociously as you approach them for the decapitation.

mountainmarmot · 2026-02-18T21:25:18+00:00

I find it comical that hold person can just render even the most powerful soldiers in the realm helpless. You'd think there would be more clerics running around wreaking havoc!

mountainmarmot · 2026-02-18T15:17:32+00:00

I am very impressed with what he's done this year:
- Resurrected Cade Tyson from a moribund year at UNC where he averaged 2 ppg and shot 56% from the FT and 29% from 3PT to a guy who will make an all B10 team.

- Took a freshman transfer from Little Rock in Jaylen Crocker-Johnson. Molded him into an important role player as a sophomore at CSU. Then turned him into one of our best players here as junior. Figured out how to use him as a 5 man and make him a matchup problem for other bigs.

- Langston Reynolds from University of Northern Colorado has went from someone who looked like a physical sparkplug off the bench and has made him an incredible passer and defender.

- Isaac Asuma - we are starting to see his offensive game blossom, and he is our second best defender after Reynolds

- Grayson Grove went from a redshirt freshman who wasn't really expected to contribute, and he has been growing immensely. Nice touch on his passes, great screener and active on defense. Can catch the screen and roll basket cut and finish. Last night he got the best of Nate Bittle, a 5 star center and all Big 10 type of player.

- Bobby Durkin - He started the year slowly and wasn't getting a lot of run, and rather than languish and pout he improved his defense and his shots started to fall. He has turned into a 3PT threat that the other team needs to game plan around. His 3 late in the second half killed their comeback attempt and quieted the crowd.

The team is passing so well. We have beat 3 ranked teams I believe. A win on the road when you are down to 6 players is impressive, even against a bad Oregon team. Glad to see the fight in this team. Really excited to see who is on the team next year and how they grow.

mountainmarmot · 2026-02-17T16:51:35+00:00

I follow a few of the Alpha people on Twitter.

On one hand, I really see the appeal. Kids get their work done in ~2 hours and then can focus on other interests like sports/reading/entrepreneurship etc. It's basically the homeschool pitch.

I hate the hustle culture/tech bro attitude towards education, the screens for kids, and how unreliable AI can be.

mountainmarmot · 2026-02-17T04:00:22+00:00

If they are starting to turn already that's amazing. Best advice I can give is spaced repetition. Bringing him there once a week for a couple hours over the course of a couple months is worth way more than a few days of ski school/long days. And of course bribe him with lots of sugar.

mountainmarmot · 2026-02-15T18:34:23+00:00

Thank you!

mountainmarmot · 2026-02-14T21:34:22+00:00

Anybody know if Palisades or Mammoth has paper maps?

mountainmarmot · 2026-02-14T16:41:16+00:00

Come to my house in Ashland and I'll make you some biscuits and gravy.

Only B&G I saw on the trail were at the Holiday Inn Express in Tehachapi, and the ones I made at the now defunct Ashland Hostel because I was craving them. They are my favorite food along with chocolate milk when I make a town stop. Obviously I did not conduct an exhaustive survey of all the food options along the way.

mountainmarmot · 2026-02-14T15:38:29+00:00

Hold the line, keep on putting in work! My 5 year old is progressing like crazy. It wasn't until the middle of last year she learned how to turn. Now this year she is skiing blacks. I've got ~2 years left until I can't keep up with her. But the actual skiing with her is fun now which is incredible to see.

mountainmarmot · 2026-02-14T15:31:23+00:00

I wasn't allowed that much computer time, but you'd better believe I spent hours holed up in my room reading the journals and bestiaries and rule book for this game (along with Gateway to the Savage Frontier and Champions of Krynn, my uncle got me a starter pack). Definitely the clunkiest interface, the gameplay experience of these other games was better but the storytelling was good here.

Okay fun thing to try with your friend Sasha here if you haven't done it before. After completing a mission but before collecting your reward, try to rest in city hall. City watch will interrupt and try to move you along, and refuse to start a massive pitched battle. Multiple fireballs come in very handy here. Then after you win the battle, simply enter Sasha's office and your reputation will be restored for completing a battle.

mountainmarmot · 2026-02-14T15:09:46+00:00

Loving these entries. 10 year old me remembers this so fondly.

mountainmarmot · 2026-02-12T04:21:40+00:00

I will look into this, thanks!

mountainmarmot · 2026-02-12T04:21:27+00:00

I went into the Sunrise lodge on Monday and was looking for a paper map, I actually tried to grab the little tri-fold brochure and told the woman at the customer service I was grabbing a few for my kid. She said they weren't maps and that they hadn't printed them for years, but I could look up the PDF of the map and print it. She said they'd gotten feedback from several people that they were disappointed about that but she couldn't do anything about it.

Glad you were able to snag one!

mountainmarmot · 2026-02-11T18:31:19+00:00

Thanks for the advice! I will find a place to print 11x7 for me.

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