Hiking, running, boat builders, and letting go

The Keene and Meyerfoff gang atop Mt. Washington on August 11th.

Eight of us conquered Mt. Washington in variable weather of sun and rain over the weekend of August 9th and 10th. My two daughters, my wife, and our four friends hiked Tuckerman Ravine Trail to Lakes of the Clouds Hut in the White Mountains. The next day we summitted Mt. Washington in the driving rain and descended via the Lion Head trail and Tuckerman.

We had oodles of GORP, many breaks (or photo opps, as we called them), and a ton of laughs along the way. All did extremely well on the Tuckerman trail, the most traversed trail to the summit, and one of the most challenging. In bunk room 3 the 8 of us did impersonations from movies during the rain and thunderstorms Sunday night.

We found the "CROO" of Lakes Hut to be in rare form complete with a Star Wars themed skit for us after breakfast. Lets just say that Princess Leigha needed a shave, and she/he was a little too fond of young Luke's light saber. The skit taught us all to fold our blankets, fluff our pillows, pick up our trash, and, of course, tip the CROO.

My girls ahead of me on the Lion Head Trail descent from Mt. Washinton in the rain.


My two daughters and I were on our own for the descent. It was 3 and a half hours of rain and pure joy as we scibbled down the wet trails. I'm convinced that either of them could run a guiding service on their own in the White Mountains. They are quite accomplished hikers.





Later that evening my family and I found Karl Meltzer's RV at a trail head in Maine about an hour from the Whites. I ran up trail, found Karl and his friend, Matt Hart, and ran the last mile of his day with him. Karl is an ultra runner who is attempting to break the Appalachian Trail speed record of 47 days. I met up with him on his 7th day of his quest. It was quite something to meet him. I have an entry on my encounter with him on the RUR blog here: http://riseuprunners.blogspot.com/2008/08/wheres-karl.html .

Karl Meltzer and I after coming off the trail; he 30 plus miles, me only one mile.


The first week we were home from the North, sad news came when word that boatbuilder Maynard Lowery was killed in an automobile accident. I've since been to his funeral and have seen or talked to all of my customers who own his boats. My heart is full of joy with hearing from these people who knew Maynard through his boats. If you had a boat build by Maynard, you came to love the man. He will be missed immensely, but his life will live on in the boats he created. Here's a piece I did on his last boat: http://runnersontrails.blogspot.com/2008/05/marathon-maynard.html

Moondance and Spray in all their glory this summer on the Chester River.

Lastly, I must say goodbye to a boat. We've found a wonderful new buyer for our family boat, Moondance. Moondance first came into my life when my father bought her in 1979 (I was 14). I was standing on the dock at Rumbley, Maryland when I first saw "My Desire" drift up to the wharf with my father at the helm. She spent several years with us until my father sold her in the mid 80's. I later re-purchased her in 1995, restored her and relaunched in 1998, and raised my girls aboard during our various adventures around the Bay. I received an email from my daughter's best friend yesterday. It reads like this:



HOW DARITH THOU SELL THY MOONDANCE
this means no more:
flank steak on Moondance
watching the fireworks on Moondance
first jump of the year into the Bay
no fun on Moondance
I am Excrushatingly disapointed in you Smichael!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
u cut me deep you cut me real deep
Masssive amounts of ears flat I GROWL in your general dirrection
MADLY,
oft
): GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
I need to go cry all by my self in my room before I start foaming at the mouth



Carita and I renamed her Moondance after our Van Morrison wedding first dance song. She'll be missed and it's a bit hard to let go.

Marathon Maynard

Robert Lednum with boatbuilder Maynard Lowery looking on as Maynard's latest boat is prepared for the first sail with new owners and me.

Maynard looks-on in the background as I instruct the new owners on how to raise the sail of "Pyewacket", a 16 foot catboat designed by Fenwick Williams and built by Maynard.

There are goals in life. Some are short-term; others are far off into the unknown. Goals are important to have. I start off this entry decribing one of my mentors, boat builder Maynard Lowery of Tilghman Island. Maynard is 88 and just completed and launched his "last boat", a 16' Catboat. "Pyewacket" is the 4th "last boat" built during his ninth decade of life. Each of these projects is a goal, providing motivation and focus, enjoyment and life. It is impressive enough for Maynard to have 70 or 100 boats to his credit over his boatbuilding career, but to be continuously productive into his 80's is a fanastic accomplishment.

I hope I can have the longevity of someone like Maynard. Equipped with a pipe and endless stories, Maynard is always ready to share. One knows a story is about to be told when the pipe-work begins: a few taps upside down; the pen-knive comes out and gently scrapes the interior of the bowl; tobacco is scouped out of the pouch, packed and then the lighting sequence begins. Friday's story was born of my own chisel-cutting-finger episode when I had to call my wife Wednesday to come take care of my bleeding hand, because I get too whoosey to deal with it myself.

Maynard's story was one of him climbing a ladder onto a metal roof top, to be high enough to lift a mast out of a boat. As he was standing there ole Bill come along and said, "hey Maynard, what are ye doin?" About that time the ladder started to slide along the roof edge making a clatter sound. It happened so quickly, that the top of the ladder hit ole Bill in the head and knocked him out cold. Maynard, stuck helplessly on the roof top, yelled for help until someone from the next door marina came over. It was Sam, who he didn't know very well. "Come over here, Sam, and help this man," Maynard called. Sam came over and saw the man's partially submerged head covered in blood. Instead of helping, he turned around and ran back to his boat, never to return to help. Another person eventually came to the rescue, Ole Bill got saved with only a few hour visit to the hospital, and Maynard got off the roof. Days later Sam was asked why he wouldn't help the wounded man, and he simply said, "I don't like blood."

I aspire to live my life in the manner which Maynard tells a story or builds a boat: well paced, thoughful, and steady. It is hard to imagine me to slow to Maynard's pace, and maybe I never will. This spring has been the biggest whirlwind of my life. Training for a triathlon is not conducive to accomplishing much else in life. Everything has been affected by my training, yet I feel I am in a learning process about my priorities, my passions, and my life. I may be running around like a chicken with its head cut off, but I am keenly aware of areas in my life that need attention. We'll see how all this plays out after June 8th, the Eagleman.

Trying to squeeze training into work and family has resulted in some creative planning days. Take Wednesday: I took bike in truck with my girls and the carpool boys to Easton, delivered all kids, parked truck at YMCA, rode bike to Oxford; put bike in client's boat, sailed/motored boat and bike to Tilghman, rode bike from Tilghman to home/Wittman, worked, cut hand, got back on bike and rode to YMCA in time for 6pm swim practice. The biking used less fuel and less man hours to accomplish getting all that done without having cars and drivers all over the county. It was a big successful day, except for cutting my hand.

Planning and gear are all part of the work involved in training for adventures.

Planning to do all that was a huge task, especially packing bags, clothes, swim gear, and equipment for all the different activities. It was fun, though. When Maynard plans to build a boat, he first makes a list of materials and collects those materials before the first piece of wood is cut. Good planning and preparation makes a good boat. Good planning, training/preparation makes a good race. There are endless parallels to how Maynard works to how an athlete performs. In my eyes, Maynard has broken the 2 hour marathon mark. I can't wait to see his list of materials for his next "last boat".