Triathlon season is here! (Part 2 of 2)

The Wally Man Triathlon: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Before the Wally Man triathlon, the race directors had only participated in races of various types. From a racer’s point of view, it is clear that there’s lots of organizing and coordinating to be done. Things such as road closures; water stops; staging area; lifeguarding; pre and post race festivities; awards; timing services, etc. With their racing experience, the trio thought they were well equipped to start an event of their own. However, as Matt, Jarrett and Jesse discovered, there are many behind-the-scenes things that need to be organized, including sponsorships; township permitting; volunteer coordination; numerous meetings; USAT certifications; course permitting/marking; marketing; community outreach; website and graphic design, and more! They would never admit to biting off more than they could chew, but here are a few of their trials and tribulations: 

Summer Storm: Hail

There's a saying attributed to Mark Twain: "If you don't like the weather in New England, just wait a few minutes." Yesterday afternoon was no exception. 

In the late afternoon, the clouds began to assemble, rolling in from the west. The sun still managed to peak through the few remaining patches of blue sky. The western sky darkened and a distant rumble of thunder was heard, but above us there was no sign of the stormy weather. 

The sun was sinking low; its golden light covered the lake and reflected off the surface of the water, illuminating the eastern shore with its warm glow. 

It began to rain, lightly at first. The drizzle quickly turned into a downpour. The rain drummed steadily on the roof. And then it grew louder, more of a distinct ping-ping sound than the constant muted rhythms of the rain. Hail plummeted down; large chunks of ice the size of dimes bounced off the dock below, scattering in every direction. 

All the while, the sun still shone. 

A Quiet Moment

A loon slips below the surface of Heart Lake.

I watch the ripples he left behind fade back into unbroken surface. I am reclining in the curve of a cedar branch overhanging the water, cooling off after a hike. The bark is still warm enough from the afternoon sun to envelope me in the sweet perfume of juniper in the still air. Here at the base of the mountain painted trillium dots the forest floor, but up on the summit we found them still wrapped up in their buds, contentedly unaware of the strength of the season below them. The peak, now reflected in the water below me, prefers to wait for true summer to display her colors. My gaze wanders between these two worlds, both caught in the spell that is the seasons, both on the brink of some undeniable change.

The loon surfaces.

Give it a tri! (Part 1 of 2)

This past week, I got in the pool and swam. I also took my bike off its roller in the basement, pumped up my tires, and got out for the first ride of the season. Folks, this is very good news considering I'm signed up for a triathlon and it's in less than a month. I have called myself a runner since sophomore year of high school, when I joined the cross country team and was instantly hooked. An event like a triathlon offers me a new challenge and gets me out of my comfort zone.

This is not a pool; this is the ocean.

Azure: The Magic Mountain

Last Saturday I began my foray into the Adirondack Mountains with a short but sweet hike up Azure Mountain. Azure sits in the northern part of the park where the mountains glide into the foothills, and holds a special place in my heart. A friend once referred to it as 'Magic Mountain' because you can hike it, ski it, rock or ice climb it, love it...the list goes on. It's where I learned how to ice climb, but I had yet to actually hike to the summit and climb the 93-year-old fire tower that sits up there, and so it felt like the perfect place to kick off the summer.

The trail head lies at the end of Blue Mountain Road in Waverly. We parked next a pile of fist-sized rocks bearing a sign urging hikers to take a few to the top to help fight erosion. For a mountain that gives so much it was an easy decision to stuff some rocks into our backpack and pockets. It was really the least we could do to give back. 

Evan fighting erosion at the summit

The High Peaks from the Azure Mountain Fire Tower 

The trail is exactly a mile up, gaining just under 1,000 feet of elevation and topping off at a summit of 2,518 feet (give or take a handful of rocks). It was warm in the woods, and a torrent of spring melt water was still running down the trail, enough of it to be audible on the steep parts. Where the trees thinned a cool breeze kept the hike at a perfect temperature. There is a large boulder pile of almost perfectly rectangular blocks sitting off the trail about half way up, and we indulged in some scrambling. At the summit the mountain opens up to a perfect view of the high peaks, and from the fire tower the view is a completely unobstructed 360-view of upstate New York. We turned our gaze from Marcy to the St. Lawrence River Valley and into Canada and back again, and it struck me how happy I was to be back in the good ol' North Country.

Sneaky Woodpeckers

Critters caught on film

Treading Lightly

Avalanche Pass, ADK

As MontAnia mentioned, this weekend marks my move to the captivating Adirondack State Park. I will be working for The Wild Center as a canoe guide/naturalist, and I've been excited about the move for a while now. The Adirondack mountains are my favorite playground and a wonderful example of the delicate balance between wild and settled areas. For those of you that do not know, the Adirondack State Park, which is larger in area than the state of Massachusetts, is a mix of public and private lands, a working harmony that has been evolving for over a hundred years. If you can do it outside you can do it in the Adirondacks, and visions of adventure have been dancing in my head for weeks on end. I invite you all to come visit.

Now, I have packed up and moved my life a couple of times, and I try to pack light, but this time I decided to take on a special challenge. I had read once about a minimalist who lives with only 100 personal objects in his possession. 100 sounds like a lot of stuff at first, but that includes clothes, technology, books, jewelry, even his wallet. He did not count items he shares with his family-forks, TV, bed, etc. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to take on that challenge for myself this summer.

Signs of Spring

These photos are from an afternoon hike with my Dad at the Pound Ridge Ward Reservation from a few weeks ago. Life has been a bit busy lately (in the best of ways) so although I am just posting them now I think we all still have spring on the mind anyway. It's a rainy day in the North Country for me today, and looking back at an afternoon of sun is a welcome sight. Enjoy!

To the mountains for Mother's Day

I'm not sure what most people do for Mother's Day. I usually just get my mom some flowers and chocolate. This year, however, I thought outside the box. A few weeks ago, I casually floated the idea of a Mother's Day hike. No one seemed to object. With this past Sunday forecasted to be gorgeous, the parents and I thought we might as well get outside and enjoy it. 

Lunch break on the ledges of Burnt Meadow mountain.

Weekend Wanderings: Madame Sherri Forest

Earlier this week, I had suggested to my boyfriend that we go hiking this weekend with his dad as a belated birthday present. I had picked out a small hike (~3 miles) in western New Hampshire and having never done it before, I was very excited to explore a new area. Well, explore we did!

Madame Sherri's Castle Ruins

For starters, there are the ruins of a burnt down castle that once belonged to an eccentric Parisian lady with its massive staircase to nowhere. The foundation is still there, along with some large pillars, the fireplace and several more (though not quite as impressive) staircases.