Couple Final Hudson Pix

TOP: Das Terminator est everywhere

2nd: Happy, Happy, Lumpy, hanging in the Hudson. Note how the water quality made my beard turn white...(to say nothing of my lower intestine)

3rd: A 3 hour tour...a 3 hour tour. We came upon this recent shipwreck near kingston...another reason not to drink and boat

4th: These boots are made for walking....proof that fashion and kayaking do not go hand-in-hand

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A fun trip....next up...Mexico-Canada bike relay! Adios Amigos, eh...

"King"ston for a day

TOP: Robin doing rolling demonstration. After about 20 minutes underwater, someone checked on her.

2nd: Paddlers approaching pull-out in Kingston

3rd: Scott leading Gary in for his final "pottie break" of the day. His yak was something like 80 feet long

4th: The last Hudson steamship in existence. Ode to a bygone era

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After 3 great days of paddling, I elected to bail out of the trip after day 4. Unfortunately, I had a big bike trip coming up, and I could really feel my leg fitness slipping away. And, the river will still be there next year.

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The 4th day turned out to be interesting however. "Only" 10 miles of paddling, with several beach stops...thankfully that is, as my colon floweth over the whole day long, and I was dying. Don't know if it was dehydration, ingesting some of that lovely hudson river water, or what, but my intestines took a beating. It became one mad dash beach to beach, intestines gurgling all the way. When you're twisting your abs all day while stroking, that just increases the joy. Not a fun way to spend a lovely day out on the water.

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As we pulled into Kingston, we got the hightlight of the trip. Just in front of Kingston lighthouse, a canoe and kayak had both capsized from the powerboat wave action. The, oh, let's just call them MORONS, didn't even have PFD's on the boat, and one of them could barely swim. The kayak was a "no hatch" one, so it basically just sunk except for the nose sticking up out of the water like the statue of liberty's arm. Our stellar guides paddled over to them and took the situation well in hand. Impressive to see professionals at their craft. The near-drowned canoeists were most grateful.

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After docking (and dumping!), Robin put on a kayak rolling demonstration for us. Very impressive, and a skill that I have yet to learn. Well, that and going fast in my kayak. On the list now!

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All in all, a great trip, I will definitely be back to complete the river (along with Lake Champlain and the Champlain canal) in my quest to kayak all the major bodies of water in the state. What little I get done the rest of this summer will probably focus on knocking off some more of the finger lakes.

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"Adios Hudson" Lumpy out

Along the Hudson

TOP: Imagine what an erection it had to be to get a house out of it

2nd: Kids baseball game monster. That's a full sized adult coaching in the front of the frame, a 12 year old in the back

3rd: Peter on beach stealing food from other people's kayaks

4th: Jack, Connie, and Scott discussing where connie would get locked in tomorrow

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I ended up only paddling for 4 days, but they were great fun. Each day brought new twists and turns, be it the weather (just missed several Tstorms), the tides (ebb means out...dooh!), the food (a cheese fondue over a caesar salad doesn't work all that well for someone lactose intollerant), or the massive diarrhea on my last day. (NOTE TO SELF: Get diarrhea on a hiking trip, not a kayak trip) It was all a good time.

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One evening Peter and I walked "up the hill" to Saugerties, a very cute little river town. We found a awesome local history bookstore, and then watched a little league baseball game. Well, that is after peter bought a half gallon of ice cream and a quart of root beer so he'd have a float at the game. The kids were amazing; these were 12 year olds, and the biggest kid on the field was probably 6'2" and 230. They were TONS better than me, and except for the fact that they knew how to win games, could probably have played for the Yankees. Well, and I don't think any of them were sleeping with Madonna yet...

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Every day as we're paddling along there would be shouts of "EAGLE"...didn't matter really if it was an eagle, a hawk, a seagull, or a woodpecker. They were all eagles to us. Night one we were invited to the Mayor's house in New Baltimore, a quaint little river town, for a cookout, homemade ice cream, and a live band. Great way to spend an evening after a tough paddle and the townsfolk could not have been more hospitable.

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The only bad story on the trip was when we were stopped to rest on a small river island. We were hanging at the beach (all 30+ kayaks of us plus the 2 BBBB kids boats), and some douchebag wheels right into the middle of our boats with his powerboat (probably that daddy bought for him). We knew he was pissed at humanity right from the start...the boat was obviously his only chance for sex, and with gas being $5/gallon, he couldn't afford to even take it out. He jumps out of his boats, walks up to our picnic table, and says "Get up, this is my table" Quote, unquote. On a public island....on state owned property...after he had just about run over our kayaks. He took some verbal abuse. Then, his douchebag friend pulled up in his cigarette boat (the REALLY loud ones) and made his own scene. In retrospect, not a great thing to do when the people running the show for us are all state employees, cops, etc. And, we had radios. I suspect he spent much of the rest of the day being checked by the local gendarmes. And, with any luck, he got BWI'd one his way back in that evening.

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"Gotta start carrying my .357 in the kayak now" Lumpy out

The BBBB kids

Again, what a great bunch of young adults! THEY should get stories in the newspaper...

A Yacking We Will Go

TOP: The kayak studs posing with their boats. That's Peter and me in the foreground unfortunately blocking them

2nd: Paddle sign

3rd: Paddlers prepping at put-in

4th: Gary in a skirt...again...we thought he was over that

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This week's adventure is the Hudson River kayak, from Albany to Manhattan in NYC. I plan to go most of the way there, stopping just after the Tappan Zee bridge due to some logistical constraints. I don't really know what to expect on this trip, as it's (a) a big trip that I didn't participate or manage the organization, and (b) it's the first > 3 day paddle I've ever done, (c) I don't know the weather patterns downstate, and (d) the Hudson is far and away the biggest river I've ever paddled.

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We got to the put-in early thursday morning, and there was some 30 odd paddlers. Not like 30 or more, but 30 really odd people :-) All types of kayaks were there...wooden, plastic, composite, kevlar, and then the real odd ones like the Hobie < http://www.hobiecat.com/kayaking/miragedrive.html> I've actually been looking into these, but hadn't seen one up close and personal. They were quite cool, and a way to get a leg workout on the water. They also take a small sail to add to the variety. I'd say the average age was about 55 or so, with the oldest being definitely in his 70's. And, way fitter and a better paddler than I am or ever will be. My ROC buddy peter is doing part of the trip with me, in his shiny new red boat.

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The trip organizer Scott was the consumate anal retentive guy...everything was planned down to the last minute, gear, food, etc. From one organizer to another, he did a really fantastic job. Our head guide was Mark, who somebody forgot to tell that the 60's were over. He had long ponytailed hair, a boat that looked like it had come from a shipwreck with duct tape and patches all over it, and cooked his own elaborate food at breaks...tofu over wheat pasta with homegrown heerbs and such. Quite the character. Connie was our token blonde, a total ditz on land, but massively qualified on the water. She actually got locked in the showers at one of the schools we showered at. I'll post the video up on UTube later...not really a blonde if you catch my drift...Guido was a big strapping young guy in a boat that weighed about a ton, Jack just sang to himself for hours on end, and Dan thought he was still a cop and kept pulling out his radar gun on the river to ticket birds.

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We also were accompanied by a great group of young adults called "building bridges building boats", who had built two big rowboats and were rowing them with us downstream back to their home in NYC. I have to say, you read about all the crap that young people do nowadays, but these kids were outstanding and a real joy to be around. Great attitudes, work ethic, and funny.

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After a few speeches by the local politicians (spitzer couldn't make it, unfortunately, much to my chagrin), we hit the water. It was a very choppy start, 1-3 foot waves and a decent headwind. If it's like this all the way, I'll be beat up pretty bad I suspect. I quickly come to the realization that unlike the local crew that I paddle with, I really suck compared to this group. They are faster, better paddlers, and way more knowledgeable. This will definitely be a learning experience for me, which is great.

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"Henry Hudson" Lumpy out

Bay-Lake-River Kayak Adventure

TOP: Peter and Lee entering lower falls of the Genesee River

2nd: Dave in his handmade wooden kayak (note paddle...a stick) in Braddocks Bay at the start

3rd: Gary nosing in towards the falls

4th: One who can "shovel it" appreciating another

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Today we did our last big kayak workout before heading off to the Hudson River kayak adventure (kayaking Albany to NYC over 10 days). It was quite windy, moderately hot, and we were scheduled to do 19 miles...across Lake Ontario and the up and down the Genesee River to the lower falls.

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The lower falls of the Genesee is an outstanding waterfall, and one that very few people ever get to see, even if you live here. It's tucked under a big auto bridge, set down in a canyon, and the only way to really see it is either to hike down (which many fisherman do) or boat it. I suspect that out of the nearly 3/4 million rochesterians, not more than 1% have ever even seen the falls.

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The day begins on a somber note. As we're watching the am news for final weather status, a story comes on that a boatload of people ran into the pier at full speed last night...killing 3, and seriously injuring 5 others. Not a fun way to die.

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The Lake was breezy with 2 footers breaking lightly over the kayak...a really fun surf to paddle in. As we come around the Charlotte pier, there are scores of people out there...many I suspect just gawkers come to check out the boating accident last night. Or maybe they had heard about us and came to cheer us on. We paddle by the ferry terminal (a cluster-f if ever there was one), and upriver...into the current and the wind.

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Around one bend the corps are dredging, with huge barges and steamshovels. Really cool to watch that being done, and more amazing than that is that they are working on a sunday morning. Must not be government workers...

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After a few hours, we stop at a river island (famous as the site where my dad was trapped as a young boy) for a food and "natural"...the island is full of fisherman and a cool little spot. Shortly further upstream we round a bend and come upon the lower falls...http://www.vintageviews.org/vv-r/river/falls.html

It's an impressive 85 foot stepwise drop, all tucked down in a canyon. The rapids are strong, and we can't get right up to it. But, even from a short distance, it is impressive. Fisherman are everywhere, and we see a few land decent size fish...carp, salmon are all thereabouts.

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Back downstream is a blast, 6 miles in under an hour, with the wind increasingly strong. As we pull out, the sky turns pitch black, and the temperature drops precipitously. 20 degrees in the course of about 5 minutes, from 86 to 66 (by car thermometer). The clouds open up, and it is a tremendous rainstorm....soooooo glad that we missed it by about 10 minutes. That would have been brutal out on the water!

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I'll be off-blog for a bit while I do my Hudson paddle. Enjoy the historical posts, and I'll be back shortly with the next Lumpy adventure!

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"Headin' to the Hudson" Lumpy out

Kayak Time!

TOP: Where I spend most of my kayaking time...sunning on the shore!
BOTTOM: Peter with "the phantom raft"
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Today Peter, Koz, Jan and I went out for a long paddle on the Genesee River...Avon to Rochester (about 20+ miles). We start early morning; the river is quiet, calm, and meandering. A lovely day for a paddle.
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At one point the river really starts meandering, looping back upon itself time and time again. We head north, south, east, and west in the space of a couple of hours.
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Peter and I round a bend, and as it customary, we wait a second to insure that Koz is with us. Seconds turn to minutes, and about 10 minutes later, I decide to head back upstream. He is polish you know, so god knows what manner of evil he has fallen into.
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As I round the corner, here is Koz with a stupid 2 man raft tied onto his kayak, and he's paddling like he had a barge tied on...which, in effect he did, since the raft was very low on air, had about 50 gallons of water in it, and was full of sticks, bug, and other assorted river scraps. It must have weighed 200 lbs.
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Koz yells out "How far is it to the finish?". Oh, only about 18 MILES!!!!!!!!!!!
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We finally talk him into ditching the raft, as the month would be over in 5 days, and he would still be pulling it home come July. Later, during a food break, it comes around a bend and drifts right by us. Thus, the "Phantom Raft"
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STORY #2:
Jan was going to start with us and go half way, but after dropping her car off midway she got a bit spooked by the distance and rapids. So, she decided she'd ride back with kathy, pick-up her car, and meet us closer to the end for a shorter paddle. As they're riding back to get her car, kathy shares the info that this is her first time ever driving the car with the trailer on, and that she can't back it up...or turn it for that manner. She can barely go forward. So, she'll drop Jan off at the corner closest to where her car was. Which was all well and good, except for the fact that the corner was OVER A MILE FROM THE CAR, in the middle of a freakin' cornfield. So jan being jan, says "thanks for the lift" and walks on down to the car. An hour later she gets back to the road, sweaty and corn-skewered.
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STORY #3:
We get to the finish, and Peter and Koz head out to pickup the trailer, while I hang out with the boats next to the launch (a man's got to do what he does best....mine is lying in the sun). As I'm waiting there, one inept boater after another hits the launch. One guy pulls in with his girlfriend (clearly a girlfriend, as a wife would have been far more emasculating), gets out of the boat, and proceed to watch it drift downstream...he never tied the boat to the dock...Me being the nice guy I am (after I finally stop laughing uncontrollably), put-in and paddle down and get the boat. I play tugboat and have to push the boat back upstream...notably, it weighed less than Koz's phantom raft.
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A fun day on the Genesee River, as I train for my Hudson River paddle. And to think, just a week ago I touched all 5 Great Lakes in 48 hours!
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"Tugboat" Lumpy out

Michigan...Bad Memories Take Over

TOP: The border crossing to get back into the US...8 cars, 1 hour. Homeland security at its bestest!

BOTTOM: No, it was a great trip. Why do you ask?

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Today we said goodbye to bob and the Apostle Islands (well, it LOOKED like a great place to kayak anyways) and headed on home. We decided to take a long W-->E shot across the Upper Peninsula (AKA "Da UP") of Michigan, then N-->S down near Detroit and cut across Canada to Buffalo. Well, there went 2 days. I really didn't realize (a) how long the UP was, (B) how boring the UP was, and (c) how much we just couldn't bring outselves to go through Detroit again.

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Detroit was the scene of our worst consulting assignment...a crappy vertical (automotive), crappy people (auto execs, except for Mike who was a great guy), and a crappy apartment (can you say advocado appliances?). In all the places we've lived, this was the only one that I didn't bike in...you took your life in your hands every time you left the house...and that was just in the apartment complex parking lot!

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It was also the scene of one of my greatest dog stories. A guy I worked with, let's call him Fred (since his name was Fred) asked me to dogsit his pooch. Turns out his pooch is some lab-bear mix, probably 150 lbs, and likes to eat. Likes to eat everything that is, including anything that was in his cupboards, his pillows, magazines, you name it, the stupid dog ate it.

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So, I go over day 1 to walk the dog (amongst my least favorite activities in all of life), and low and behold, the dog has shit everywhere. And, I mean everywhere. Probably 10 piles, in increasing size, density, and smell. And the place is a mess, as the stupid dog has chewed stuff all day long.

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I take the dog out for a walk (NOT that he could have ANYTHING left inside him at this point), then come back. Much as I want to leave the crap everywhere, I know that 3 days later it is going to stink real bad. So, I pick it all up, and because (of course...) his garbage is completely full, I shove it down the garbage disposal. Figure it chews up crap all the time anyways.

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NOTE TO SELF: DO NOT TURN ON A GARBAGE DISPOSAL FULL OF CRAP

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I spend the next 2 hours cleaning crap off of the entire kitchen.

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Anyhow, I digress. We end up making a detour to insure that we miss Detroit and bolt across Canada. Bolt, that is until we get back to the US re-entry border crossing. An hour with only 8 cars in front of us. It was ludicrous. At one point I try to get the HUNDREDS of other people in line laying on their horns...like we used to do in Boston. Kathy says I'm lucky they didn't shoot me on the spot. Absolutely ludicrous, and just one more example of the total ineptitude of Bush and his cronies. I'm a citizen trying to get back IN! Imagine how they treat the visitors.

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Anyhow, after 2 straight days of driving, thunderstorms, repressed memories of Detroit resurfacing, and crappy roads, we finally get back Home Sweet Home. A great trip, lots of great friends and sights along the way.

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Now, off to training for my next adventures!

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"Ready for my own bed" Lumpy out