* Bicycle trip Virginia to Wisconsin:

5-28-10 thru 6-4-10 A tough 780 mile, 8 day, ride. My plan was to ride the old “Lincoln Highway”, one of the first east - west routs in the US.

Getting past the mountains of WV & MD, proved to be serious, with winding roads exceeding 3000’ at Backbone Mountain and road grades of up to 13%. Damaging the sidewall of my rear tire early on in the trip set me up for a frustrating set of flat tires, culminating in trying to hitch a ride until I stumbled onto “Cool Springs,”  an old town in WV, that was all of one large general store that sold everything, even tire repair kits.  After getting what I needed, I sat down to a grilled cheese sandwich and potato soup at an old counter set up right in the store.  “Trail Magic” at it’s best.
 
Crossing the Ohio River, was like going back in time, with horse drawn buggies and old fashioned clothing; this was Amish country. The scenery was beautiful, with rolling hills and lakes, but the roads lacked a good shoulder, which made for a rough ride. Finally, I got onto the Lincoln Highway (RT 30) at Wooster, OH. Unfortunately, this section had been converted into a freeway, forcing me to take detours when possible, and having to evade the police when on RT30.  I’ve been doing long distance cycling trips for 30 years, and this trip I noticed that McDonalds and Wal-Mart were the only stores in many of the small towns. It’s great for a cyclist because they can provide most of what you need, not so good for society, though.

Riding through Fort Wayne, IN, during rush hour was unavoidable, but as I left the city, a closed-down, old rest area was a welcoming sight for the night. After hanging all my gear to air out, a police officer snuck up on me, and to my surprise let me stay the night.  Indiana proved to be very cyclist friendly.
 
Timing was critical getting through Chicago, so when I spotted an abandoned house in Merrillville,  just outside of Gary, IN, I jumped on it. What a cool old house, I couldn’t help but wonder who had lived there and what had happened.  While camping out is fun, it’s so nice to not worry about bugs and sleep without a rock sticking in your ribs.  I was also able to tune up my bike and get it ready for what would prove to be the longest ride of the trip.
 

Summer 2010 Chesapeake Bay cruise with sons on “Serenity”.

7-27-10 thru 8-2-10 Martin (18) & Ben (16) grew up sailing the Bay, at least a week every year. This year, following the wind, we headed North to Worton Creek and Elks Neck, where the swimming was great, with no jelly fish. Exploring Beach Island, on the Susquehanna Flats was fun, and we made plans to camp there some day. Havre de Grace, MD, was our first shore leave, where we cooled off with ice cream cones, and I let the kids go off exploring this interesting town. In the meantime, I relaxed aboard Serenity, watching the Acela trains cross the old RR bridge.

Continuing South, the variable winds forced us a little too close to the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, prompting the military police to flagged us down, giving the boys a little thrill.

A nor’easter moved in sending us on a wild ride, where the boys and I alternated steering, making it to Annapolis in record pace. The Capital of MD has always been one of our favorite spots. Anchoring in Back Creek, gives you the best of both worlds, a protected refuge, but close enough to walk to the hustle and bustle of the inner harbor.

We invited my brother Hector and his family out for a day of sailing. We picked them up at Sandy Pt., on what seemed like a really calm day, but the wind picked up and Serenity was able to show what she could do. Later we went swimming at the Sandy Pt. beach, before the boy’s and I bid goodbye and sailed off into the sunset.

Baltimore was our final destination, mooring at our favorite spot on pier 5, with a birds eye view of a Heart concert, right next to us at the Pier 6 Pavilion. Spending a week 24/7 with your kids is tough, but a great way to get to know them. Thanks Boys.

Solo sailing trip to Nantucket Island MA on “Serenity”

10-6-10 thru 10-14-10 This was one of the most challenging trips I’ve ever taken. After a smooth launch from Sandy Pt., MD, I made it all the way thru the C&D canal, to Reedy Pt. on the Delaware River. This turned out to be the only stop in the entire trip. From then on, it became an eight day odyssey of cat naps, reefing and unfurling sails, as well as dealing with mother nature’s wrath.

The first gale hit on the second night, as I rounded Cape May, NJ and entered the Atlantic Ocean. With fully reefed sails, I waited until I lost sight of land before handing the helm over to the Hasler auto-helm to catch a few zee’s. Serenity had no problem riding the 6-8 foot seas as we set a NE course to Nantucket IS. With the storm subsided a small yellow breasted bird landed aboard and took a long break.

The only course I could hold was Muskeget Channel, a tricky entrance to Nantucket Sound, used mostly by local waterman. Just outside the channel the second gale hit, with winds exceeding 30 mph from the NE forcing me to veer south and run with the nor’easter. With Atlantic tropical cyclone Shary and Hurricane Paula both threatening, I decided not to push my luck, and bag the trip and head home.

The wind changed direction once again from the SW, forcing me, what turned out to be about 200 miles offshore. A little concerned, I hand sailed Serenity, as close to the wind as possible to reach Cape May. That evening the third gale hit, with winds spinning in circles at 30+ MPH. Fatigued, and not able to hold any course, all I could do was drop the sails and take refuge in the cabin until the storm finally subsided.

With the Delaware Bay in sight and my sails full of wind, I kicked back and had a well deserved drink as I rounded Cape May Pt., just as the sun was setting. The sky cleared revealing a full moon, and stars that looked close enough to touch. I decided to continue on, plotting a course just outside the channel to avoid any large ships. Riding the tide all the way back to the Chesapeake Bay, gave me a really good feeling of accomplishment as I pondered this whirlwind of a voyage.

Adirondack’s climb: Nipple Top (4620’) & Dial Mt. (4020’)

11-19-10 Saint Hubert’s lake road trail parking lot right at sunrise. Temps were in the mid 20’s and snow was falling adding to the already 3-5 inches on the ground. Reamer (Stan McCue) and I decided to do the loop, Nipple Top first via Elk Pass, then return, climbing Dial to Bear Den Mt. Other than getting turned around a bit at Indian Head, the 15 mile round trip climb was strait forward albeit quite steep in spots. Dropping our packs for the final accent of Nipple Top felt great, and reaching the top we were treated to a wonderful view from an intimate defined summit. With our sun on it’s way down, we started for Dial, where we ran into a climber doing the loop in the opposite direction. With only a large rock distinguishing Dial’s summit we almost missed it. Only 3 hours of daylight left, I had to start pushing Reamer, to avoid getting caught in the woods at night. Feelings from the year before when we lost Seth on Blackhead Mt. (Catskills), sent a chill through my spine. The descent was slow, down a steep rocky trail. The terrain changed considerably as the trail joggled over Noonmark Mt’s. shoulder, revealing a large blow down of trees. Reaching the Lake Road right at sunset was a relief as we reveled in our accomplishment. This would be our 19^th and 20^th peaks on our way to climbing the 46 high peaks in the Adirondacks.