90-Miler paddlers, check in!

-- Last Updated: Sep-08-08 5:37 PM EST --

I was in the middle of nowhere Pennsylvania, minding my own business, on my way to the Adirondack's 90-Miler with a canoe on the top of the van, when out of the gas station comes a man to ask me, "Are you ladyjustice from P-net?" He was from North Carolina and on the way to the race too!

Small world, p-netters are everywhere! Wish I would have thought to post here ahead of time so we all could meet up and say HI. Next year we'll do it!

So who all was at the 90? Are you all recovering today? Sun, rain, mist, fog, heat, wind and more wind, cold, I think we had about everything but hail.

I had a blast!

Susan
www.pennkayaker.com/ladyjustice

Was that Jack you talked to?
From NC with a Boston accent.

i was there in a war canoe
I was part of the eight-person Campmor Red war canoe. Tip for next year: don’t try to take shortcuts in a war canoe. Nine inches of draft and shallow rocks don’t go together.



– Mark

hi!

– Last Updated: Sep-09-08 5:07 PM EST –

we met you at the start on day 1, although I didnt identify myself as Darkstar. We talked a bit about our boat setup. We were paddling the Grasse River boat that was behind yours on the grass a bit.

I got to meet Baldpaddler on day 3 and at the campground the day after...missed all you others
What a race, eh?

Wasn’t me !
probably Bald Paddler.



We Just got back a few hours ago.



We raced in the C-4 Stock- mixed class, (wave eight).

-Boat number 215 - “the Southern Connection”



We didn’t place, but still did a lot better then I expected



some thoughts and ramblings:



I’ll never paddle stern paddler in a C-4 again as long as I live!

My crew hates me. My wife(bow paddler) hates me. My daughter (second seat) hates me, and Red Cross Randy(3rd seat hates me).



Thank goodness Red Cross Randy’s lovely wife Pat who was the best pit crew that any team could ever ask for wasn’t paddling, or she would hate me too.



My wife claimed on the first day that I kept her on one side for 92 strokes one time before I finally hutted her over. I was planning on seeing if I could have her break her record on day two, but figured it might end up in divorce.



Randy is my hero for keeping us going up that miserable carry around Raquette Falls!



I love the racing, but this old bod with a bone on bone knee can’t take those “Mt Washington goat path” carries!



I have done numerous triathalons, marathons, and hundred mile bike rides that ended on 6000 foot mountains, but the ninty miler (this my third) has to be the most exciting and challenging event I have ever done.



When the official “go” is yelled, it is at race pace without a let up, except for the carries for the next three days.



My daughter (her first 90 miler) says it was the most exciting thing she has ever done in her life







We stayed over an extra day and did some more paddling at Fish Creek Pond with Randy and Bald Paddler guiding us off into some wilderness areas.



That place is God’s Land!



Hopefully I’ll be back again next year.

As a matter of fact I’m ready now!



Cheers,

jackL








That was me!
RedcrossRandy, his lovely wife Pat and my Bride( of 30 years) were just pulling in and trying to figure out the writing on your boat. Then it hit me and I introduced my self. not to mention the all the times we passed each other in the race.



Charlie

baldpaddler
it was GREAT to meet you over the weekend. sorry I didn’t catch back up with you guys later on monday. My Dad(pit crew) was a lil worn(I guess that pit support is tough stuff!) and wanted to hit the high road outta town so we packed up and headed out after breakfast. where did you guys end up paddling?

Blog
I blogged you Charlie, LOL! :slight_smile: It was very nice to meet you!



My race report is up, at www.pennkayaker.com/ladyjustice



Susan


we were in c3- culture SHOCK
Day one was great to have about 20 mph wind at our back across 4th lake. Seemed like 10 miles of 20 mph wind at our back. Actually we were all over every waterway because we had no clue of how to paddle kevlar minn C3. The boat owner declared himself the boss and heard the front 2 guys always paddle on same side and back paddler rudders and does not paddle much. That did not work and 2nd day we tried different stuff. We had dark red trailblazer to move trailer. We were touring class boat 51 and I wear wide rimmed white golf hat first 2 days. I wear dark blue plat pack on my back.



Too busy for more than 3hours of practice and my brother and his neighbor had never been in a real canoe race. Neither had I but did 90 twice in t-bolt, without pitcrew. Thursday night the priority was to find a bar with big TV and get hammered becuase it was first game of year for THE GIANTS. Practice is cheating was the phrase that really pushed all my buttons.



For me racing is a religion. Perfect practice produces perfect performance. We practiced to zig zig all over and crash into people. But in the front I had the power to bow rudder away from boats who really belonged there. People who had trained. We rarely crashed into people but from behind I was constantly being yelled out to sweep instead of rudder to hurry up and pass that guideboat in browns tract.



All winter I do paddle til I puke and GO GO GO workouts on concept 2 rower. Can do 10k in 44 or 45 minutes. It is culture shock for me to hear “We don’t need to practice. We have to do the 90 miles so we will figure it out.”



I mellowed and love my brother for what we shared together. We took frequent swim and food breaks but I really pulled my back trying to muscle sweep the 20 ft boat around sharp corners in browns tract right angle swamp.



We did it and it is on our bucket list. You can learn from experience or experienced people. Maybe next year with 12 and 14 year old nephews in 2nd seat beside each other. Me in front and 2 brothers in back.



I live 7 miles from www.yukonkerry.com who did yukon 460 twice. Do you know how much all summer I wanted us 3 to do a training session with him? "No problem. We Will be fine. " practice is cheating.



So we did it and my high pain tolerance, horse linament and lots of advil helped us finish. I shut my mouth and we survived. My lovely wife Barb was right. Doing the race with those who do not race was tough but they have the race bug and expect next year they might want tot train 30 hours instead of 3.



However, it would mean a lot to me to bow paddle a C4 thru 90 miles with 2 teen nephews. The next generation. Mellow Dave. Do it in a rec mode. Swim and bring munchies for the kids who might want to stop at the carries and catch frogs. “Like drinking $1,000 a bottle Crystal from plastic cup and foie gras on paper plate.”

Practice or not practice
Ah, to practice or not practice, that is the question, LOL!



Last year I did it in a Simon River Sports Laser K-1, trained hard and raced it. This year I did it in the Old Town Penobscot, trained little and still finished.



Having now done both, there are definite and distinct merits to doing it both ways. Luckily, it’s a race that can be done both ways. That’s the beauty of the 90!



Susan

www.pennkayaker.com/ladyjustice

It’s all learning Dave !
We took Browns tract beautifully with our wonderful bow paddler, (my wife) doing perfect cross bow rudders while the other three of us shared the power on the opposite side.

Prior to the race we parcticed, practiced and practiced some more.

Now if we were only a bit younger and had some more speed we would have been up with the swifties.

Last year she and I won the C-2 Stock mixed Vetersans Class.

This year we had the distinction of 125th overall out of 250 paddlers. half good and half bad I guess.



I just threw out to her a little while ago the thought of the two of us doing the C-2 mixed racing class next year. (If only we could guess about the waves on those big open lakes)



I saw several Efts come flying by and those two K-2 Bullitts who seemed to stay together for all three days.



The upcoming Lumber River 40 miler, and the Suwannnee River 52 miler should be a piece of cake in our cruiser if we can just maintain our fitness.



cheers,

JackL

congratulations to us- we did it!
My 12 and 13 year old nephews are fired up to do the race next year. Will try to buy 90 miler t-shirts for them to keep them interested. They are too big to sit side by side so it will be 2nd and 3rd seat for them with me in front and their dad(my bro) in back.



So I guess that means 1st and 3rd seat paddle on right while 2nd and 4th paddle on left? My bro and I weigh 220# and the boys weigh 135 and 145 and are excellent athletes.



Any tips on how to do this race with nice young guys? Do not want to burn them out. Good luck with upcoming races!


Tips ? – yes !
If your in front, you better practice “cross bow rudders” or you’ll neve makke it through Browns Tract with out crashing into the pond lillys on one side or the other.



cheers,

jackL

thank you Jack
It does bother me a little that I might never do the 90 in my www.vandusenracingboats.com mohican 21 ft of 7mph or 8 mph. Will still do other races in ski but I am excited about young people getting the bug to race. Yukon kerry newell had many fresh air kids in his war canoe who had never seen a river

90
my 21 st 90!!!



cant wait for 22 and hope for the wind like day one was!!!



mostly done c 1 but have done c4, stock ,pro all fun. olny thing better is when the sun is out and clear love the mts down long lake and all of day 3

There must be only a handful that have
done that many !



If nothing else, it keeps the blood pumping and makes a person proud of what they can do for themselves.



congrats,



Cheers,

jackL

If it wasn’t for paddler 98
I would have had a much harder time. Jim lent me a paddle that was perfect for Browns tract. Never thought about much except Zavs, but that BlackBart was perfect forthe malaria germ we know as Browns tract.

thannkks again Jim

21 90s!
21 90’s! Wow, I can only imagine doing that many. Congratulations! Ken Gerg was on his 21st 90 this year too. Very impressive!!



Susan

www.pennkayaker.com/ladyjustice

Pitting is just as much fun as racing
Raced twice with Baldpaddler in Big Blue C-2. Joined the LaMarres this year in The Southern Connection C-4, but was Jack & Nanci’s pit crew last year when they won their class. Being a Pit crew member is every bit as fun as the racing, only more relaxed. Lots more time to check out the beautiful countryside and paddle around Fish Creek Ponds.

what kind of paddle?
Since I know nothing about canoeing, I bought a 51in from zav and sat in front of c3.