For the February Sunset Race, number 62, I was the only participant. Its hard to carry the torch for an event that isn’t well attended by the public. You might ask why I do it on a dangerously cold dark night. You could say its for the tradition of the event. While that is a … Continue reading “One Is the Loneliest Number – 2/13/2014”
This is a guest post by Jo Newbold, originally posted at Rivermiles.com. Its about a 40 mile paddle from Washington Missouri to St. Charles Missouri on the Missouri River. ======================================================================================================== Beautiful, Beautiful day. Not too hot. No wind. 80% chance of rain…but not a cloud in sight. Morning paddle gives Hogan, Cyndie and I the … Continue reading “What Could Go Wrong – 5/26/2014”
I got a dry suit (Wikipedia) for Christmas from my parents. I do enough cold water paddling that I should have better equipment to keep me safe. All of my flipping in my boat happen during cold water times. I was worried when I first got the suit that it was broke. I had a … Continue reading “Dry Suit – 1/6/2014”
The 60th Sunset Race on the Meramec (5 years) took place in December. I decided to celebrate by taking the day off work to be on the river all day. This was a very cold day. When I got to the river, I had to break ice at the bottom of the ramp to get … Continue reading “60th Sunset Race – 12/11/2013”
We had several SUP (Stand Up Paddlers) with us for the race this month. They didn’t present any competition as they are not as fast as a traditional boat, but its nice having additional people out there sharing the water. JoJo and I were the only boat out there for the race, but we paddled … Continue reading “58th Sunset Race – 10/10/2013”
Danelle decided to race in this annual event. She took “Breakdown” our unreliable Hobie Adventure kayak. We met JoJo at the St. Charles takeout and loaded her boat, then headed the 20 some miles upstream to the Klondike ramp for the start of the short race. There was quite a turnout for the 20 mile … Continue reading “Race for the Rivers – 8/24/2013”
If you read my report on the 2013 MR340 race, you would know that my boat broke. More specifically, the Hobie Mirage drive. I finally got the drive back from the dealer I purchased it from. Here is a close up of the $6 pulley that failed, basically ending my race. The image below demonstrates … Continue reading “Broken Pulley on Hobie Mirage Drive – 8/17/2013”
Another fantastic Sunset Race. I was the only person that showed up to race, but I don’t mind having the river to myself. On the plus side, there was nobody there to watch me fall in the mud. The first fall was starting the race and I slipped before I got into the boat. However, … Continue reading “56th Sunset Race – 8/8/2013”
My brother Henry has spent the wee with us. He was going to be my ground support for the MR340 race the following week. I promised him I would get him out on the water to experience the pedal powered kayak I was using for the race. So I took Corvin, Henry, and myself out … Continue reading “Simpson Lake – 7/20/2013”
I scheduled a final training paddle before the MR340. I decided it would be from St. Charles (Blanchette) to the Arch Riverfront. My plan had me getting a paddler with experience to join us. There is a general and well founded fear of the Chain of Rocks. I had scouted the Chain of Rocks the … Continue reading “Paddle to the Arch – 7/14/2013”