Greetings, Gentle Reader, 4/26/09
Those few of you who have been following my rowing adventures will, in this note, identify a disturbing trend. "The Big Row" of ‘06, from Troy, NY, to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, entailed 450 miles of effort. Last summer’s rhetorically named "Can Al Row the Erie Canal?" totaled 350. So, connecting the numeric dots, it should come as no surprise that this summer’s exercise, "Mr. Frei Rows to Washington," will be a relative 250 (or so) mile sprint from Baltimore to the heart of our nation’s capitol.
Some may opine that this trend is a function of advancing age. Others may say, "Hey, 250 is still no paddle around a pond…especially when so much of it will be upwind and upstream." Still others may detect a more sinister motive: the mileage trajectory means that by my 60th birthday, I may simply wade into water up to my knees, pump my fists in celebration, and call it a day. Sweet.
Either way, it is what it is, and I hope that you’ll again join via this blog before, during, and after this summer’s journey. The "before" part is now, of course, and it will be coming at you in a series of reflections that may or may not have anything to do with the row itself.
Sure, I already have people to thank…(Kathy for the blog assistance, Peg for the patience and encouragement, for starters), charts to peruse, weights to lift, a boat to tune, and sixty two eighth graders to nudge on to high school (as if they need nudging from me!), and all of this will unfold in the weeks to come. Yet it won’t be protracted; I expect to push off in mid-June, my earliest start yet.
Gentle reader, are you aboard for one more trip?
Hugs,
Mr, Frei
About Me
- Mr. Frei
- Baltimore MD and Cleverdale, NY, United States
- I'm a 70-year-old retired English teacher who lives in Baltimore from November-March and, ideally, at Lake George from April-October in a camp that's been in our family since the 30's. When I turned 55 my mom gave me an Adirondack Guideboat, and I finished that summer rowing it from Troy, NY to Baltimore (452 miles, 17 days). That experience whetted my appetite (and some confidence) to do more. Since then, I've enjoyed adventures such as Lake George to Baie St Paul (the St Lawrence), Lake Huron to Lake George (698 miles!), Kingston, Ontario to Lake George via Ottawa....and others. Last summer I rowed from LG to Keuka Lake and fell in love with Keuka, Hammondsport, and the history of what that wonderful community has done to protect its lake. What I've learned is that if you can keep yourself in the seat for 9-10 hours and just keep the oars moving, you can cover significant distances with calm and attention to detail. And...if you trust that others have a hospitable inclination or are at least permissive about allowing an old guy to camp out for a night, one can meet some great people along the way....and I sure have!
Subscribe Now: standardSmall
The Big Row
Click the photo to order a copy!
Subscribe To
Posts
All Comments
