90 Miles Though The Adirondacks

I have been competing in kayaking for about 4 years know and have done many of races, and since I started racing I have heard of this race The Adirondack 90 Miler . It is a race over the old trials though chain of lakes in Adirondacks used by early settlers in the area. If you haven`t ever been to Adirondacks you should visit, it is one of the most scenic areas in US. and is not that far away 5-6 hrs away from Towanada,Pa. So when I heard you could go there see the country side and compete that was all I needed . Getting in this race is not easy they only allow 250 boats and the people that have done it in past are automatically in then they chose from others from where you are located and class of boat. So I called a friend Leon “Doc”Mosher who I had met from doing local races and told him he needed to get his email in for the race and to my surprise he said he would . He hadn`t been training but we had two months before race and there was time. I was training but not for this distance but thought I could manage. I also recruited my brother (John)and father (Brian) to be our pit crew bring water ,food and truck to finish. The two months flew by and we are on are way.

Day One

Old Forge to Blue Mountain Lake (35 miles with 3.5 miles of carries)

Today would be longest of 3 days, Doc and I talked and there was a few things we didn`t want to do on this day: One don`t get racy! Two pace yourself ! And three and most important don`t get dehydrated !!! We would be the last of 11 waves of starts, one hour behind first start. Which meant there would be 240 canoes, kayaks and guide boats in front of us. BAG WE ARE OFF! After about 30 minutes or so I am feeling good and I am out in front enjoying the beauty of this area and began to think. Was I going to hard ? For it was going to be a long day. So I look back only to find out that I had been towing 3 other kayaks, they were drafting of me so I decide to pull up and went to back of train. We did turns at front for a while, this is part of racing but for me it always seems like someone does not do there turn or paddle very hard when it`s there turn and this was no different. So I decided to put in a bigger effort and lose the others only to have them pass me on carry. My( Surf-ski) kayak wasn`t heavy 23lbs unloaded but it is long 21ft getting it though trees on some of trails would be challenging. Doc decided to use wheels for his kayak which was heavier and longer than mine, but if you use wheels you have to have them on you boat the entire race and certainly would take more time to put on. But Doc`s rig probably weighed over 40lbs. loaded and he only weighs about 140 lbs. soaking wet so wheels made sense for him. After second long carry we put in at Brown`s Track a 3 mile narrow channel switch backing between two of the lakes . I had seen pictures of this and been looking forward to this for years and it did not disappoint me I passed a lot of boats and may have been my undoing, I had`t been drinking or eating in whole time in channel. You go under a small bridge at end of channel and then cross another lake. The wind was blowing quite hard and there were white caps on water, I have`t had my kayak on this kind of water but that was what it was made for and was quite a lot of fun at first, then I noticed I was getting quite tired I drank only to find out I was out of water 7 miles from finish no more pits stops this was not good . I went from racing to surviving, many people I had passed earlier passed me back .And it was all I could do just to finish the day. I have raced a lot but never remember putting myself out this much in any race, and limped to the finish. It was then that realized I had done all those things we didn`t want to at beginning of day . Doc finished there was no expression on his face which said it all for us...

Day Two

Long Lake then down Raquette River (30miles with one carry 1.25miles)

We woke up I was alittle sore but not as bad as I thought it would be considering that night at camp it looked liked something out of a night of living dead movie (Doc and I walking funny and making weird noises) We check the standings on board Doc was 6^th and to my surprise I was second, but 11 minutes back in most races would be insurmountable but this was no ordinary race so my plan was to go out easy see how I feel. And then if I felt good then go and try and make up time. We start and it looked the same as day before I was pulling the train off the start, but I did shorter turns at front but my competition wasn`t pulling that hard at all, so I decided to put in a couple of hard efforts and managed to get them of the back and kept it going to end of Long Lake. Then I looked back and saw nothing but canoes behind . Then we would proceed down the Raquette River there is alittle current and river racing is what I do more of, so this was good for me and I wanted to get time before carry because I knew my competition would be faster on the portage. And everyone talked about this carry as being the hardest of all and they were not kidding, a steep, narrow, rocky and root infested single track around Raquette Falls. By the end of carry I was shifting my kayak from shoulder to shoulder every 15 seconds, compared to a minute or more before. I was really glad to see the river after that carry and continued down the river. Our kayaks being some of the faster boats and starting last you get to pass a lot of people during the day and talk for a few seconds as you go by. I purchased a new Ski this year (Epic V-12) it is a good looking ski and is the most comfortable of all kayaks I’ve had, and being a dealer I wanted to race one of Epics boats. I must have heard nice kayak hundred times before end of race and did a good service to Epic for promoting their new ski. I finished the day feeling good that I did all I could do to bring me up to first. My brother thought I might be in the lead by a few minutes. And Doc looked strong at finish. It was a good day!!!

Day Three though Saranac lakes (25 miles three carries 1/4 mile)

We woke up day three feeling a lot better about the race with only one day left and it is the shortest of three .After checking the board we both jumped up in standings I am first by 9 minutes and Doc is fifth. I decided to go lite one 70 oz. camel-bak of water it should be enough and less weight I could be faster. I decide to start hard so they can`t draft then take it easy to finish. In crossing the first lake I pass these huge boulder like islands with large evergreen trees and these huge cabins on them. We pass one of these islands quite close and notice there are people out on this large deck that goes out over water about 20 feet up. They say nice kayak, and I reply “nice house”. They all have either large boats or float planes to get to these places, it`s hard to describe the beauty of these homes it`s something you just have to see to appreciate. The day goes by much the same as last until I put my foot put out to avoid a rock and not knowing I just disconnected my water hose from my pak. I go to take a drink and nothing not even a drop it seems it created a syphon, when I disconnected the hose and syphoned all the water out, again 6 miles out no water and no water stops left .(NOT AGAIN) This time I even ask a couple of boats if they have water but none did . I felt things going away people started passing me I would ask people how far 5miles ,3 miles, 1mile to finish ok I can hang for that long. A motor boat goes by and I manage to get on the wake and ride a few yards it felt great I could stop paddling and still gain some ground, I turn the corner, and there it is the two big orange buoys I had been looking for 200 yards to go.And to my surprise my competition had not passed me yet. It was about that time I hear this war canoe in back of me and there steersman yell out ok lets pass this kayak and then you hear there cadence pick up allot , I am not sure what it was the fact he yelled that out right at finish in front of the huge crowd or just the competitive side of me but I find myself in a sprint to the finish. And it seemed to breath some life back in me and I did manage to stay ahead of them. They announce your name and where your from as you pass the finish line which was good feeling. I felt like a huge weight just lifted off me... Out of all the races I done this one is the best to date , to totally blow up the first day, then to come from behind to take first then to only blow on the third and finish was a good thing and to somehow hold on to first well that was awesome feeling. Doc finished the day in 5^th which was great for the amount of training he had and I am sure he felt same as I did. Someone ounce told me when things got tough it was God reminding you that your alive, Well that was about as much living as I could handle for three days... About then my Dad looks at me and says, “next year you have to try and get fastest time” , I looked at him said “next year”! I am never doing this race again!!! A few weeks have gone by now and I think maybe, funny how that works...