The Longest Row

Taking a one day break from chronicling Daughter#2's ride from Washington to Pittsburgh. I'll finish it up tomorrow where i can borrow some pictures of the ride from Cumberland to Pittsburgh via The Great Allegheny Passage. i will say that they did make it - all 4 of them and they had a great time. Details to follow including dinner at a microbrewery in an old Catholic Church in Pittsburgh.

Hope everyone has a great 4th with plenty of celebrating and bbqing and adult beverages, if you are of age, of course. My weekend was without explosions and sparkly things. Its just not the same if you don't have kids around. While Washington DC has a fantastic fireworks show, the thought of watching it with 400,000 of my closest friends and then getting home at a reasonable hour sort of sucks the fun right out of it. The only local fireworks show, is at the local minor league stadium and we just waited to late to get tickets to the game. We went last year and settled for grandstand seating, which was a nightmare and I swore I would never do that again. No reserved seating was available so we didn't go. Our loss.

I did do a lot of rowing however. I rowed for five days straight. Ok for out of five with one night I coxed. It turns out I'm doing a lot of coxing this year. In the past we relied heavily on high school coxswains/rowers to cox for our club. Unfortunately, this year we had a change of procedures and we can no longer provide assistance for the coxswains through their booster clubs. Without the incentive its hard to get them to donate their time especially when we row at 7:00AM on weekends. So we've had to rely on rowers as coxswains as we are short of adult and high school coxswains to fill all our boats. because I'm one of the smallest of the men, and I have coxswain experience, I get drafted to fill in a lot. For the most part, I haven't minded filling in, just so it doesn't become to frequent. The fact that I can go across the Occoquan and row on my own makes it a bit easier for me to volunteer. So its all good so far.

This weekend our first two races are on tap. On Saturday we travel up to DC for the Capital Sprints hosted by Capital Rowing Club on the Anacostia River (ugh). Sunday is the initial Occoquan Masters Sprints on the Occoquan hosted by Occoquan Boat Club. I'm not a big fan of sprint racing, but it's part of the deal so I go. I don't feel like we're really ready to race. We haven't even practiced any starts yet. I guess it all about competing and not necessarily winning. Just hope the weather is good.

On Sunday I completed the longest row I've ever attempted in a single. I rowed a total of 14 miles. It was a combination of things that led to a perfect row. I didn't start out with the idea of rowing 14 miles. In fact, after rowing just 3/4 of a mile, I had to row into the cove for Oxford Boathouse (I started out at Sandy Run) and dock to adjust my foot stretchers as I couldn't fully extend my legs at the finish. After making the adjustment (twice), I was ready to go. The weather was overcast, but no rain. The temperature was mild and neither too warm or too cold. There was no wind and as a result the water was smooth and flat. There were more fisherman out then I would have liked (there was a fishing tournament supposedly). Nothing against fishermen as they have as much right to the water as anyone, but if you're out to fish then fish. Don't be moving from place to place every 5 minutes and creating big wakes and generally annoying everyone. So some fishermen not withstanding, I began my row. The longer I rowed the better it felt. I was relaxed, getting good fast run out of the boat with each stroke. When I got to Ryan's Dam (4 miles), I just kept going. When I got to the next point where I normally turn around (5 1/2 miles), I still felt good so I decided to go for the 6 mile mark. When I got there, I decided I would go on to the next big landmark, which is where Bull Run (yes that Bull Run) joins the Occoquan. This is 7 miles from Sandy Run. I felt a sense of accomplishment at having reached that point on the river. After taking a break, I headed home. At this point I had torn one blister on my right hand and I knew more blisters were to come. I made another stop at Ryan's Dam on the way back for another water break and ran into some former teammates out in an 8+. We had several guys break away from the Club this year due to some personal conflicts and they now go out and row by themselves. Everyone is till friendly and all, but it would be good to have them back. I headed out while they took a break and spun their boat. In my own mind, I decided to see how long I could go and hold them off until they caught up with me. I had about a 1/2 mile lead when they started off behind me. I managed to stay ahead for for a mile and a half and they finally caught me at Jacob's Rock. At that point I was pretty bushed. I had already rowed 12 miles including a hard row/ sprint over the last mile and 1/2. I finished the last two miles at a pretty leisurely pace. Remarkably I was not too stiff getting out of my boat at the end of the row. All and all it was a fun row. I'm not sure I would do it again anytime soon because it's so hard on my hands. As I type I have bandaids on three fingers and I'm not sure how the hands will hold up at tonight's practice. Now sweep rowing places the strain on my hands at different places, so hopefully it will work out. Sculling is definitely out though. Maybe I'll cox.

Tales From the Trail - Day 4

On Day 4 (Wednesday), the intrepid band of bikers completed the 185 miles from Georgetown to Cumberland, MD along the C&O Canal Trail. The final leg to Cumberland was the longest leg to date at 63 miles. It was also not without its problems. The first real ones since they started off on Sunday. One of the riders (not daughter#2) got three flats. One in the back tire and two in the front tire. They managed to patch them up enough to finish the ride. The girl in question, however, did discover she had the wrong size tubes for her tires so they couldn't replace the tubes. In addition, the final 15 minutes on the trail, as they were coming into Cumberland, it started to rain soaking them all. Before going to their hotel, they stopped at a bike shop to replace the patched tubes. The rain had lowered the outside temperature to the 60s and inside the air conditioned bike shop it felt even colder to the soaking wet bikers. Hot showers all around were in order once they reached the hotel.


However beginning their trip on Day 4 from Hancock, MD, one of the first sites was an old cement works.




They also biked through Little Orleans, the last easy access to the trail by car until Cumberland due to the mountainous terrain. This is Bill's Bar in Little Orleans, which apparently has burned down.





At Mile marker 155 is the Paw Paw tunnel. They rode through it rather then dismounting and walking through it (as recommended). Daughter#2 said it was cold and dark.



This section of the rail has a lot of abandoned track, most from the Western Maryland Railroad. This trestle bridge is a Mile Marker 156.



Just a view of the canal and trail around Mile Marker 166. That's Lock #69 in the foreground.

This bench and tree is at about Mile Marker 178. I put it on for The Son in Law who deals with trees all the time as part of his job. The plaque next to the bench reads: This tree is the most outstanding Swamp White Oak specimen known in the State of Maryland. It is listed as a Maryland State record in the Maryland Big Tree Champion program. In 1991, the tree was 16 feet, 2 inches in circumference 4 feet above the ground. The tree was 82 feet high with a spread of 84 feet.

As they got closer to Cumberland, the signs of civilization begin to appear - at Mile Marker 182, a sewage treatment plant.

The very last Mile Marker at Cumberland.

The very end of the C&O Canal Trail is at the Cumberland Visitor Center. This statue is outside the Visitor Center.

Congratulations to Daughter#2 and the girls with her for finishing the trail. Halfway done. Day 5 starts The Great Allegheny Passage.

Tales From the Trail - Day 3

Day 3 (Tuesday) found our group of riders traveling from Shepherdstown,WVA (Mile Marker 72) to Hancock MD (Mile Marker 124), a distance of forty (40) miles. Again the weather gods smiled on them with a sunny day and temperatures in the high 70s to low 80s. This leg saw the first minor cracks in the group. One rider had a funny noise coming from her bike and another is experiencing a sore knee. Luckily Hancock has a bike shop for the first problem and a pharmacy for the second. The girl with the problematic knee will test it out on the ride from Hancock to the end of the C&O Canal Trail today to see if it will hold out or force her to drop out.

During the ride on Day 3 the group passed Barrons Store and Museum. This is the country store from which Ann and I rescued Daughter#2 and a friend who were riding the C&O Trail from Cumberland to Georgetown before thunderstorms drowned them out back in May. The couple who own the store gave them shelter (the store was technically closed) and gave them some tea to warm them up until we could get there. You can read about it here. I hope they stopped to say hello.

Along the canal at various places are feeder dams for the locks. That is WVA on the far bank and the building actually houses a working electric generator. As a reminder, these pictures (and most of the facts) come from the Virtual Tour of the C&O Canal Trail at McMullens.org.

As beautiful as the Trail is, it has been ravaged by storms over the years, which have taken their toll. This is what greets travels at Mile Marker 86.

The Trail here has been completely washed away. I don't believe there are any plans to try and restore it. Travelers are rerouted via a detour around this section.

After returning to the Trail, the group got to see this old Mill complete with a paddle wheel. It's known as McMahon's Mill.

A common companion to the C&O Canal are various railroads. Once a upon a time the Canal and railroads were competitors. The railroads were the overall winner, but along the trail are remnants of abandon tracks and bridges. This bridge was used to raise the tracks over the canal. It was replaced with the truss bridge in the background, which is still in use.

The group did not pull off the trail for lunch as they had the day before in Harper's Ferry. Instead they brought along lunch and ate on the Trail, which according to Daughter#2 consisted of bagel and hummus. Doesn't sound all that great for lunch but they also had some power bars and what not to sustain them. Another view of the Trail somewhere between Mile Marker 100 and 106. What a way to spend a day.

According to Daughter#2, the highlight of this leg was visiting Fort Frederick (Mile Marker 112). Built in 1756, its original purpose was to protect the area and settlers during the French and Indian War. The Fort has been restored to its original appearance and future plans call for re building the Officer Quarters. The barracks are already rebuilt and often staffed by re-enacters. I assume that's primarily on weekends and holidays. Daughter#2 didn't mention seeing any.

After Fort Frederick, our weary band of bikers arrived in Hancock, MD. Daughter#2's biggest complaint so far is getting off the Trail. Every exit requires a steep climb on already exhausted legs. Hancock does have a bike shop that I assume caters mostly to Trail riders.

The Group had marked out the Hancock Town Tavern as a possible eating place for diner, but I forgot to ask Daughter#2 if it fact they ate there. Their resting place was Americas Best Value Inn in Hancock. It did not rate high on her list.

Tomorrow they bike the last 63 miles of the C&O Canal Trail and finish up in Cumberland, MD. There they will pick up the Cumberland and Pittsburgh Trail - The Great Allegheny Passage.

Tales Fram The Trail - Day 2

Day 2 of the ride from Washington to Pittsburgh started with the group (Daughter#2 included) headed back to Whites Ferry to cross the Potomac and hook back up with the C&O Canal Trail. They found out from the hotel that they have a shuttle to the ferry so that saved them about 5 to 6 miles of biking, particularly along busy Rt 15. They had a great day for biking. Sunny and in the 70s. Little wind. Daughter#2 called in to let me know that they are averaging between 11 to 13 mph and stopping every 8 miles or so for breaks or if they come across a point of interest. To get a feel for the trail, I added this picture from mile marker 41 and includes Lock 27. I should add that all pictures are from the McMullen C&O Canal Virtual Tour. If you visit their site you can see many more pictures of the canal.

Further along is the Monocacy Aqueduct. It has 7 arches is just over 500 feet long and is one of 11 aqueducts along the canal.

Another view of the trail at the remains of the Noland's Ferry Bridge. I have to admit the trail is a lot flatter than I would have imagined and while not paved looks like an easy ride. It also looks like an incredibly beautiful ride.

The Potomac has relatively few bridge crossings considering it flows through a major metropolitan area. The only crossing up river from Washington until you reach Harper's Ferry is at Point of Rocks. This is the train station in the town.

Leaving Point of Rocks and passing Brunswick, MD, the C&O hooks up with the Appalachian Trail, which is kind of interesting in my opinion. Daughter#2's group stopped in Harper's Ferry for lunch. They dined at the Cannonball Deli. You can read a review of the deli here. A very positive review. As a number of the group are vegetarians, sometimes finding a suitable place can be a challenge. Luckily, considerable research had been done prior to their leaving so they had an idea where at least one vegetarian restaurant was available at each stopover (less one stopover, which will be discussed later in the week). The original idea was to do some sight seeing in Harper's Ferry, but after eating, they decided to save their strength and by pass the sightseeing. Below is the bridge crossing into Harper's Ferry.

Leaving Harper's Ferry, the group passed the Antietam Aqueduct, which crosses Antietam Creek. This Aqueduct though somewhat similar looking too, should not be confused with Burnside's Bridge, which is part of the Antietam Battlefield. This Aqueduct is downriver from the battlefield itself. They won't pass Sharpsburg and the battlefield until tomorrow.

Their stop at the end of Day 2 was Shepherdstown, WVA. This is the bridge into town.

Dinner was at the Blue Moon Cafe. Daughter#2 had some sort of salad with Bruschetta. Not my choice, but then I'm not vegetarian. So far the trip seems to be going well and well worth the time and effort.

Tales From the Trails Day 1

As I sit down and write Daughter#2 is on a ridiculously long bike ride with three companions. Daughter#2 is riding from Washington DC to Pittsburgh. A distance of 33o miles over seven days. They started off yesterday from Georgetown and will ride the C&O Canal Trail to Cumberland, MD. At Cumberland they will transfer to the Cumberland and Pittsburgh Trail that will take them on to Pittsburgh. Overall the route is known as The Great Allegheny Passage.

Day 1 was a 40 mile ride starting in Georgetown in DC to Leesburg, VA. This leg totals 40 miles. The day was overcast with temperatures in the high 60s to low 70s. There were widely scattered light showers. Now technically Leesburg is not on the C&O Canal, but they do need a place to sleep overnight and Leesburg was the choice. The highlights of this leg was riding by Great Falls.

In order to cross the Potomac to get from the C&O Canal Trail in MD to Leesburg in Virginia, they took Whites Ferry.

From the ferry it was about a 5 mile ride into Leesburg with a very short portion being on the W&OD Trail. They shared a room at the Comfort Inn Suites. I haven't gotten a report yet on where they went to eat for dinner. So far everyone has kept up, which I know was a concern for Daughter#2. We'll see how the rest of the trip goes in that regard.

Day 2 will have them riding from Leesburg to Sheperdstown, WVA with a mid day stop at Harper's Ferry, WVA. I'll get details on this leg and post about it tomorrow.

Father's Day

I hope all the Dads out there had a great Father's Day. Having grown children, two of which do not live close by, my Father's Day was pretty low key. A card and call from Daughter#1, a call from Daughter32 as she and The Son In Law and their dog/child Gracie headed to the Shenandoah National Park. Apparently yesterday was get into your National Park free day and they were taking advantage of it. I also received a text from The Son around 9:30. I guess better late than never. Ann also gave me a card and other...ummm..gifts. Since it was my day, I decided to go for a row. The plan was to complete Concept2's Summer Solstice row, which consisted of rowing (or erging) 21,000 meters. That's just over 13 miles. The plan was to row up river to where Bull Run enters the Occoquan. The forecast called for partly sunny, but winds 15 to 20 mph. I was hoping by going early (7:30), all would be calm and I could beat the wind. Unfortunately that was not the case. The water around Sandy Run was fine, but shortly after rounding the first bend the wind hit and the water was pretty choppy. I gave it a try for 3 miles and it kept getting worse. I decided rather then fight the conditions, I'd just call it a day. I rowed back and actually past sandy Run toward the race course as the water around Sandy Run was actually pretty good. I ended up rowing a total of 8 miles for the day, but it wasn't all that much fun. Ann and I finished of the day by grilling some ribs. Overall not a bad Father's day. Pretty quiet actually.

I did call my own Dad and sent him an ecard. He lives in the Orlando area so I don't get to see him that often. This year being a bit of an anomaly as I visited him in February for his 80th birthday and I also saw him at the end of May for Daughter#1's wedding. He looks great for 80 and is generally in pretty good health not withstanding ongoing problems with a pinched nerve in his back that forced him to give up golf and makes it difficult for him to walk any distance. But we caught up on what each of us was doing. I was interested in hearing about his time after the wedding. He and my sister drove up to Gouverneur, NY where my Mom is buried. Its the 25th anniversary of her passing from cancer. It's where she grew up. For a time my Dad and Mom owned a small cabin on Sylvia Lake, just outside Gouverneur. My sister took a bunch of pictures and it was nice to see. We actually vacationed on Sylvia lake when the twins were 3 so that was about 24 years ago. The lake is pretty and the water is so clear. It's also freezing, but it is upstate NY after all. After Gouverneur, he traveled to Rutland, VT and then on to Hartford, CT. Some old friends of the family from when we lived in NJ now live in Hartford. Our two families were pretty close. They had kids our age and we pretty much grew up together. I know he enjoyed the visit. So Dad is doing well I'm hoping to visit him in Florida later this summer and also get some beach time. Hope you all got to spend some time with your Dads and hope yours is as special as mine.

Thunderstorms and Tweaking Meds

Its has been an interesting week, weatherwize, as every afternoon seems to bring thunderstorms and torrential rain. Now thunderstorms here in Virginia are not that unheard of during our hot humid summers, but the ones this week seem to have gone above and beyond. Needless to say, it has played havoc with my rowing schedule. Our safety rule states that no launching of boats until at least 15 minutes has passed since the last sound of thunder (or visible lightening but its hard to have one without the other). I didn't row on Tuesday, although that was more due to a family issue then the weather. Last night (Thursday), the storms came and dumped a few inches of rain on us, but luckily cleared before practice. The bad weather did have me running late to practice though and our coach had already assigned seats and I had the choice of riding in his launch or going to Sandy Run to row on my own. A third alternative emerged when I talked a fellow rower, who originally decided to sit out a practice, to come row a double. He has limited experience sculling, but unlike most of the men (or women for that matter) in my club, he actually rowed in college (Naval Academy) and is probably the strongest rower we have. I let him row the stroke seat and I rowed bow. Like on Saturday, we rowed up to Ryan's Dam (actually just beyond) and manged to get in a 7 mile row. We even raced the Men's 4 from Fountainhead Park up to the Dam. We actually held them off for the most part until I caught a semi-crab, which brought us almost to a complete stop. Considering my stroke had wanted an easy row so as not to aggravate a sore shoulder, we decided that was enough racing for one night. Going back we passed out fitness rowers and out novices so I suppose that means the double was moving pretty well. Turned out to be a good row overall. I had to agree with my stroke when he commented that the Occoquan was the most beautilful piece ofw water he's rowed on.

Today I had a follow up visit with my Doctor. He's been trying to fine tune my blood pressure medicine. I think we are getting pretty close to where he wants me to be, but he did tweak it a bit more. The medicine he increased slightly this time has a known side effect of making some people dizzy so I'm suppose to be aware of that. I can't imagine that being to good for my balance on my bike or when I'm out rowing. Hopefully that side effect won't rear its ugly head.

Enjoy the weekend!