Summer Vacation, So Far

I can't believe how fast this summer is going by. I'll be back in school before I know it, and, as usual, before I'm ready.

After the backpacking trip, the boys and I had a week together without camps, or other obligations. At the end of the week, we departed for our family vacation at Rehoboth Beach, DE. We left on Friday, and again, stayed at the Country Inn and Suites in Dover. To the boys, this is one of the highlights. They love the novelty of staying in hotels, and the indoor pool.

We departed for Rehoboth around noon, and conveniently arrived at DFH Brewing by 1:30 for lunch. After lunch, we were able to check in.

We had a great week. I was able to race two 5Ks (results at the end), and ride and run during the week. The boys enjoyed the boardwalk, Funland and the Midway Water Park, and Tina enjoyed relaxing and reading. We all enjoyed the beach, Grottos Pizza, Dos Locos and watching the Spain v. Germany match at the Rehoboth Ale House. We extended vacation slightly by going to the Phillies game on Sunday, 7/11, where we witnessed the final game in a four game sweep of the Reds. On the way home, we stopped at Victory to celebrate the victory. On another note, I completed a brew pub hat trick in two weeks: Selinsgrove Brewing, DFH and Victory, three of my favorites, within two weeks.

Upon returning, Tina prepared for and departed on a trip to CA. The boys and I held down the fort and decided to go on a camping trip with my buddy Kyle F. and his son Jackson. We selected Twin Grove Park in Pine Grove, PA as our destination. Twin Grove is located in the Appalachian Mtns. and affords both modern amenities with close proximity to a state park and game lands. We took advantage of both by fossil hunting and hiking on Saturday morning in the parks/gamelands and swimming in the pool as well as playing at the arcade and hitting the links, okay mini links, in the afternoon. I always enjoy camping, as do the boys, and we are looking to our next outing in two weeks.

Other than hanging out at the pool, another soccer camp for Kyler, and riding/running/swimming, that's the summer so far. Soccer season is just around the corner, the Livestrong Ride is fast approaching, and the Speedwell Triathlon looms in two months.

Race Results

I successfully defended my 2nd place AG finish in the Jimmy's Grill 5K, and my 1st place AG finish in the Seashore Striders 5K. Both races set attendance records: Jimmy's was the largest 5K at the beach, and the Seashore Striders race was the largest it has been.

Jimmy's Results

Seashore Striders Results

Allegheny Front Trail, June, 2010

From June 24th to the 27th my hiking partner Andy B. and I tackled the Allegheny Front Trail located in Centre Co., PA, Northwest of State College. Our goal was to hike the whole trail, but also take advantage of the trout streams along the way. To that end, we decided to start on Rt. 504 east of Black Moshannon State Park and hike counter clockwise. We would do 8 miles the first day, 9 the second, 17 the third and 6th the fourth. The third day had to be long to maximize the fishing on Thursday and Friday. This would prove to be quite demanding. If you look at the map, you will notice that Rt. 504 provides a good point of reference as it bisects the the area we hiked in. The first two days we would be in the northern part of the loop, and the last two days in the southern part of the loop.

Day 1

We hoped to get on the trail by noon, but had to wait out a passing Thunderstorm, so we didn't get on the trail until 1:00. Our goal was to camp on Benner Run. The trail was well marked and the going was easy, however, we had to hike through alternating patches of ferns and blueberries which, despite wearing gaiters, left our boots soaking wet from the passing thunderstorm. Fortunately, the blueberries were ripe in this area, and that made up for the wet boots. The sun was coming out and there was a breeze, which also made for nice hiking conditions. We made great time on this section of trail, and arrived into Benner Run by 17:00. We set up camp, then went fishing which proved to be quite tough because of being in a Rhododendron Tunnel. After fishing, we had supper and sat around a small fire for about an hour before retiring for the evening.

Day 2

Slept in, then took our time eating breakfast, drinking coffee (backpacking tip: Starbuck's instant coffee is like drinking fresh brewed coffee; no need for filters) and packing up. Got on the trail around 10:00 and hiked down Benner Run. This was one of my favorite parts of the trail. Benner Run is scenic. Arrived at the Black Moshannon Creek around 11:00 and decided to fish for awhile and have lunch. The fishing was great. There were numerous holdover trout and the browns didn't hesitate to take my beetle pattern, or Andy's Stimulator/Green Weenie tandem. After lunch, we were on the trail by 13:00, and hiked along Black Moshannon for about a mile, before hitting our first real climb out of the valley. According to the map, we were to come to a scenic overlook, but after easy hiking on a fire road, we came to a clearing, but not much of an overlook. As we started down into the Red Moshannon, we were afforded a view of the Rt. 80 Bridge, not all that scenic. Shortly afterward, we encountered our first rattler, who coiled up on the trail and forced us off. This was the biggest one at about five feet. Later we would encounter another one in the Red Moshannon Valley.

Upon reaching the Red Moshannon, we were disappointed. Turned out that the red Moshannon was as a dead as a door nail, because of acid mine damage, which was evident by the "yellow boy" on all the rocks, and the orange tinge of the water. The trail in this section was gently rolling, and fairly easy except for the climb out of Sawdust Hollow and Panther Hollow. We arrived into Six-mile Run around 18:30. We made camp, then went fishing. I was pleasantly surprised to catch both wild brown and brook trout. I didn't catch any stocked fish here.

Day 3

This was to be our long day, and it started out well, but ended badly. The Hike out of Six-mile run was pleasant, scenic and easy. We reached Rt. 504 quickly and pushed on through another easy section of trail through a mixed pine forest. We took a break for lunch after descending back into Six-mile Run. From this point on, the hike was not enjoyable. After climbing out of Six-mile Run, we entered into a section of the forest that was devastated both by gypsy moths, and also clear-cuttings. This opening of the forest canopy allowed brush to grow up, and combined with little to no trail maintenance, made for hours of "bushwhacking." We made it to the State Park boundary around 18:00, but because we couldn't camp in the park, we had to push on 4 more miles racing the setting sun. Another challenge in this section was the insects. We had no problem with bugs on the north section, but every biting/annoying fly - deer flies, horse flies, mosquitoes and gnats - took up residence near the lake at Black Moshannon. We finally got to the east side of the park around 20:30, and found a decent camp just on the other side of the Julian Pike. Our feet were sore and we were tired, so we crashed early. During the night we were hit with a brief thunderstorm.

Day 4

We wanted to be out early, so we got on the trail by 8:00. The passing storm had everything wet, but the trail was easy going in the beginning until we got to the vista section. Again, the gypsy moths devastated this area, and the brush, which was also dripping with water, was almost impenetrable, especially where the raspberries took hold. Combined with the thick vegetation was the rockiness of the trail, and the trail designers penchant for gaining elevation only to immediately drop back down. When we came out to Rt. 504, we were quite happy to be done with the AFT. Oh, this was the vista section of the trail, and despite all the work, we were not rewarded with many stunning views, because of the haze that hadn't burned off from the storm.

Final Comments

1. We did the trail counterclockwise, and the northern part was the nicest. If we would have started on the southern part, I think we might have bailed. I won't do this trail again in its entirety, but I would do the northern half for the fishing.

2. Bring gaiters!!!!

3. Bugs were bad in the southwestern and southern part of the trail. Andy had a head net, and I wish I would have had one. The gnats, although they didn't bite, were constantly in our eyes.

4. Trail maintenance was poor in the areas devastated by gypsy moths. This would probably not be noticeable in late fall, or winter, but in summer, with all the growth, it was hard going through the brush. Also, there were three different colored markers: Orange (mostly), yellow and red. There was a very confusing section near Smays Run, because a snowmobile trail and the AFT used the same color markers.

5. The clear cuttings that the trail went through were unsightly. Markings on the trees in the southeast indicate more clear cuttings are on the way.

6. This could be an interpretive hike for environmental degradation: acid mine damage (Red Moshannon); clear-cutting; invasive species and I'm sure it won't be long until gas wells start springing up

7. Selinsgrove Brewing made everything better. We were ready to hike the AT afterwards.

Garmin Connect Tracks

Pichot Triathlon, June 2010

I wasn't planning on signing up for more than one spring triathlon, but after Gretna I wasn't happy with my performance. It wasn't bad given I had a knee injury which hampered my training, but it was not the performance I wanted to end with, so I signed up for Pinchot again. And, Pinchot has always been "beddy, beddy good to me."

Pre-race

Nothing out of the ordinary. Up at 4:30, bowl of cereal, cup of coffee, and a bathroom break, then I was out the door, and off to Pinchot. I arrived around 6:00 a.m., which gave me plenty of time for packet pick-up, set-up and a warm-up, both on the bike and running. I also had time to talk to, and to help, my buddy Dave L. who was competing in his first tri (He finished well despite cramps, way to go Dave, congrats!)

Swim

For a sprint, Pinchot's swim is long, a half mile. Also, it varies depending on who set's up the course. Last year I swam the course in under 15 minutes, so I think it was a little short. This year seemed more like a true half mile. I was relaxed in the water, and stayed with the pack for the most part, and hit T1 at 16:36, which is around 1:53 per 100 yards. I am now consistently swimming under 2:00 per 100 yards, which I'm happy about.

Bike

I'm still a little slow on the bike, but I did manage to come in under an hour for 18 miles. I held my own, but was passed by two people in my age group. One, I couldn't close the gap, the other, I maintained contact with. Time: 58:33

Run

The effort I expended to achieve a sub-1 hour bike was felt on the run. This has been my biggest problem with the lack of bike training time. I can push on the bike, but I have been having problems transitioning to the run. It takes me longer to get my legs back under me. Nonetheless, I was able to quickly catch and pass the two riders who passed me on the bike. I then opened up a gap, and was able to cruise to the finish. Time: 22:03

T1/T2

Good here: 1:21/:53

Results and Final Comments

Time: 1:39:26; 18th overall; 2nd in AG. Hardware, Woohoo!!!!!
Another great Pinchot race, thanks CF Foundation and volunteers.

Blue Monkey Soujourn, 2010

Five years ago, Brian B., Kyler and I took an overnight float down the Schuylkill River. We are now up to a record 15 sojourners this year.

We met at Port Clinton at 1:00 p.m., and left a car there and proceeded to Auburn and the put-in point. We were on the water by 2:00. This was the first year that the Enck's were self contained. Kyler was up front, Tristan was in the middle and I was in the back.

We were a little worried about water levels, but the first day's paddling went well, and I think we only scraped bottom once. Nobody spilled, and we made our first stop at the old canal locks about an hour into the paddle. Along the way we fished, and the smallies and fall fish were coming to hand pretty steadily.

After the exploration of the locks and refreshments, we proceeded to camp. I'm always a little worried that somebody is going to be there, but once again, it was empty. We unloaded gear, made camp, and then enjoyed the rest of the evening relaxing in the woods. The kids had a blast playing in the creek, fishing and shooting BB guns.

We were up fairly early the next morning, and on the water by 9:00. On the last part of the float, the low water made things a little tricky, but once again all boats came through. We shuttled cars, loaded canoes then headed to 3Cs for breakfast.

Another great Blue Monkey Sojourn.

GTN Triathlon, 2010

After having to take a DNS in April at the Hempfield Triathlon, I was ready to get the first triathlon of 2010 under my belt. I felt pretty good, and well trained, but I wasn't sure how good of biking shape I was in.

Pre-Race

I picked up my packet the evening before, so on Saturday morning I was ready to go. I arrived at the race by 6:30 a.m., and had plenty of time to warm-up, which consisted of a 4 mile ride, and about a half mile of running and form drills. I saw a lot friendly faces and enjoyed catching up with everyone. I ate a fruit bar, and had a Red Bull prior to the start.

Swim

I was in the 9th wave, which was good from the standpoint that I had plenty of time to get ready, but later, on the course, it was tough navigating around all the competitors that I caught up to. Last year, and the years before, the men started first, then the women. This seemed better to me. I'm not a world-class athlete, but I was rapidly overtaking women, and in somewhat of a dangerous manner. As for the swim itself: it was my best swim ever, and I PRd by almost a minute. The laps in the pool are starting to pay off. Time: 9:40.

Bike

Started out well, but with about 2-3 miles to go, the 3 weeks of training that I lost, because of my knee injury, became evident. I just didn't have the gas at the end. My bike time was about 1-2 minutes off, and I wasn't able to finish as strong. The ride took a lot out of me, and I felt it on the run. I did, however, manage a 19.5 mph pace.

Run

Not so bad. went under 7:00, 6:54, but, I cramped on the false flat on the run. It wasn't t the point where I had to stop, but I could feel it.

Final Results

78th overall; 11th in Age Group. I was happy. Up next, Pinchot.

SNP/Harpers Ferry 2010

Kyler and I departed last Friday for the Shenandoah National Park to the strains of AC/DC, Ozzy and Rob Zombie. Not necessarily my choice for the trip south, but Kyler was happy with the soundtrack.

The drive down was uneventful, and we made good time. We got to front Royal around 10:45 and met Andy B. for lunch. After lunch, we departed for the Old Rag Mountain parking lot to begin our hike up Nicholson Hollow.

This was Kyler's third backpacking trip, and he is definitely getting stronger. Playing soccer has been a great conditioner for him. We made good time up the trail. We only stopped once along one of the larger waterfalls on the Nicholson Hollow Trail. I got out the Tenkara rod, rigged up and caught my first brookie on the hughes with the new rod.

We arrived in camp around 2:00 and set about getting things in order. We rigged up my 16' Noah's Tarp from Kelty, which gave us a nice place to hang out. This tarp would be a little too big for a longer backpacking trip, but it was no problem hauling it in to the Hughes River, and it provides a great place to hangout, especially if rain threatens.

After camp was set-up, Kyler went down to the creek to play, and Andy and I sat around shooting the breeze. Andy then went fishing, and went down to watch Kyler build his great dam across the creek.

After supper, I got the Tenkara out again and landed about a half dozen more brook trout. We then played Uno until around dusk. We then went on a salamander hunt led by Andy B. We captured and observed five different species. After out herpetology foray, Kyler was whooped, and he went to bed.

The next day, we had breakfast, and then Kyler and I filled a daypack and headed out for an adventure. We went upstream, and fished a little, built cairns, caught and observed bugs, climbed rocks and explored a cave. basically, we just enjoyed a morning in the woods with no agenda. We met Andy on the way down the trail, and headed back to camp for lunch.

After lunch, we went downstream, and fished our way back towards camp. We then had supper, played our new favorite camp game, Uno, on the veranda, and again, Kyler was out by dark.

On Sunday, we got up had breakfast, broke camp, and hiked out, we were in the parking lot around 11:00 a.m. I decided that rather than go home on Rt. 81, we would take Rt. 340 and stop at Harper's Ferry for lunch. Wow, what a great find. If you never have been there i recommend it. We had lunch at the Secret Six Pub then explored the town, climbed to Jefferson Rock on the AT, visited the AT Conservancy, headed back into town for ice cream, then strolled along the river. We were just going to have lunch, but ended up spending the entire afternoon there.

All in all, it was a great trip. We both had fun, and it was sure great spending time with Kyler.

Hempfield Tri For Life Race Report

DNS.

Last week I aggravated a knee injury by trying to push to hard on a day my knee was asking for a rest. Consequently, I could hardly walk on Wednesday the morning after my ride. I had particular problems going up and down steps. By Thursday, I was still unable to go up, or down steps without pain, so I went to the doctor, and heard what I didn't want to hear: possible tear, no triathlon. I went for an x-ray (everything is an x-ray it seems. My insurance company won't allow an MRI before an x-ray...hello, it's a tissue problem, not bone), and began taking Naproxin. By Friday I was going up steps, and Saturday I was able to go down steps, but I wasn't going to risk further injury by racing. So, I decided to volunteer at the race.

I learned a lot about what goes into putting on a triathlon. I had the good fortune to be able to ride around with my buddy Don. A. who was the course director. We ensured road crossings had flaggers and volunteers, monitored the race, and then removed all the course signs after the last competitor went through. It was a valuable experience, and I plan to volunteer at this event in the future. In fact, I encourage all racers to volunteer at least once a year at an event. It will make you appreciate more what it entails to provide you with a great racing experience.

Great job, Hempfield Tri Club!!!