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Matt Simerson

@matt.simerson.net

48 followers 21 following 49 posts

Avid hiker, backpacker, backcountry skier, alpine tourer, nordic/XC skier, software engineering background, clean energy enthusiast

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Matt Simerson @matt.simerson.net · 16h

Fall foliage and early morning mist on the Manistee River

Mist on the Manistee River with fall foliage in peak color

Matt Simerson @matt.simerson.net · 16h

Chicory flower

Chicory flower, sky blue petals

Matt Simerson @matt.simerson.net · 10d

Doubtful Lake, above Cascade Pass on the Sahale Arm. The cloud cover lifted momentarily to show off the autumn colors.

Photo of Doubtful Lake, from above on Sahale Arm, with autumn colors.

Matt Simerson @matt.simerson.net · Sep 6

Aye, we were thinking to ourselves before we left about how lucky we were this year with the fire season. The lightning storm that ignited all these fires started them on the day we hit the trail.

Matt Simerson @matt.simerson.net · Sep 6

No worries, we're WA natives, so we can go back and finish Section I next year instead. Trail closures is now a normal part of the PCT experience.

Matt Simerson @matt.simerson.net · Sep 6

Sure was! We awoke on Day 5 of PCT Section H (in Goat Rocks Wilderness) to smoke filled air. There was nothing to do but keep hiking North towards White Pass where we could get off the trail.

Matt Simerson @matt.simerson.net · Sep 6

The cattle fencing ladder-and-trellis is working splendidly. While off hiking Section H of the PCT, the green beans grew into over drive.

Green beans, hanging from a climbing wall and trellis made from hand bent cattle fencing.

Matt Simerson @matt.simerson.net · Sep 6

The Goat Rocks Wilderness is a stunningly beautiful place. Having it filled with smoke made it much less enjoyable. Because much of the traverse through Goat Rocks was at 7,000', the views were long, expansive, and smoky.

Matt Simerson @matt.simerson.net · Sep 6

For 8 more seconds. Her phone is at the ready!

Matt Simerson @matt.simerson.net · Sep 6

The Pyrocumulus cloud over the Wildcat fire, which filled the area with smoke and knocked us off the PCT this week. Taken from Goat Rocks, a handful of miles South on the PCT from White Pass.

A Pyrocumulus cloud over the Wildcat fire

Matt Simerson @matt.simerson.net · Sep 6

Wildcat fire, taken from the South on the PCT in Goat Rocks, a ways below White Pass

Matt Simerson @matt.simerson.net · Sep 5

Major +1 to the Povidone Iodione 10%, among the most used items. An improvement for the list: 1-2' of leukotape, the best for managing blisters. Same as with some duct/gorilla tape: don't carry a roll, just wrap some around something useful you're carrying anyway. (ski pole, water bottle, etc..)

Matt Simerson @matt.simerson.net · Jul 16

Matt Simerson @matt.simerson.net · Jul 14

I'm curious, what are your TOU prices like in greater Chicagoland? I'm in Seattle and we're *just* now rolling out TOU as an option. Doesn't affect me, I'm ineligible because of solar and net metering. I think you can see my "all electric" usage here: egauge46354.egaug.es/68388/classi...

eGauge whole-house and solar Energy Monitor

egauge46354.egaug.es

Matt Simerson @matt.simerson.net · Jul 14

It's somewhat addicting, because you realize that if you buy an electric car, you buy electrons with money in your right hand and put the money in your left pocket.

Matt Simerson @matt.simerson.net · Jul 14

Or as you deploy solar. The cost of solar isn't linear, the first kW is expensive (sales cost, install, permits, etc) and every kW after gets cheaper. The more electrons you use, the faster the array pays you back. Tossing out all the gas appliances at once is part of how I got a 5 year ROI

Matt Simerson @matt.simerson.net · Jul 14

Hydronics is great in cold weather climates. Air to water heat pumps. Some of the units are combined so one unit does domestic hot water and your hydronic heating.

Matt Simerson @matt.simerson.net · Jul 13

My key to fast solar payback was to electrify everything. Gas furnace to heat pumps. Heat pump water heater. Induction cooktop. BEV in the driveway. No more gas & oil for car, no nat. gas bill, and no CO2 sources. Also, I produce more than I consume, so my total energy bill is $10/mo. #worthIt

Matt Simerson @matt.simerson.net · Jul 13

East & West works well enough, that's how my panels are. I had my 9.6 kW array put on in 2016. It paid for itself by 2021. In '24 tore off panels and roof, DIYed a new metal roof, put the array back down with fancy no-penetration clamps, and added 2.4 kW more panels.

Matt Simerson @matt.simerson.net · Jul 13

Yep, in areas with ToU pricing and low solar penetration (most of the Midwest), midday prices are higher, providing a higher ROI for solar self consumption, esp in summer. Out here on the Best coast, midday is cheap b/c CA produces more solar than they can use or store.

Matt Simerson @matt.simerson.net · Jul 13

Maybe don't? I just cleaned my pollen coated 11 kW array. The daily difference is 68 kWH dirty and 71 kWh clean, so about $0.40/day and maybe $100 worth of production over a year. Let the rain clean them.

Matt Simerson @matt.simerson.net · Jul 12

Yep, that's the part about being the worst intern...it doesn't seem to know what it doesn't know, so like a human in such cases, it runs confidently ahead.

Matt Simerson @matt.simerson.net · Jul 12

I'm a recalcitrant user and my long-adopted hot take is, "the best and worst intern I've ever had." As a programmer and OSS maintainer, I'm used to reviewing code. Debugging code from AI is little different than from humans. Experts can identify and fix the errors easily enough.

danceswithcrows @crow202.com · Jul 11

The error rates on neural-network-generated text are far too high for production usage in *anything* right now. The main use case that actually works properly is generating silly comedy, as seen on aiweirdness.com . Neural nets in law, science, or programming? That's a straight NOPE.

Matt Simerson @matt.simerson.net · Jul 12

We hiked past someone's prized spot for green therapy.

A fire ring in the foreground and Mount Rainier in the background

Matt Simerson @matt.simerson.net · Jul 12

A couple day ago I climbed onto the roof and cleaned my solar panels. Today was the first mostly sunny day since and I produced 3 kWh extra, or about $0.45.