Training Log Archive: CleverSky

Pawtuckaway Camping Weekend Red. Started three minutes after Jeff Saeger, and was feeling pretty clever when I just about caught him at #1 even after badly botching my route out of the campground. That didn't last long, though, as I lost contact on the way to #2, and when I hit the trail, I was thinking that I was at the tip of Mymeeba Pond, but it was really Linear Pond. When I figured that out, I then thrashed around the little ponds in the vicinity of the control for a while, and probably lost at least 15 minutes on the leg. Took a really wussy trail route to #5, and flailed aroiund at #9 for a while. Spiked the feature I had circled at #9, but I had circled the wrong one and had to think about where else to look. Peter Andersen (on Green) caught me on the wy to #8, but it took me a while to recognize him. A little sloppy on #13, and Peter and I both blew #14. A pretty pathetic performance from me.

Pawtuckaway Sprint Relay, teamed with Charlie, second leg. Dave Yee and I were trash talking while we waited for Charlie andBarb to come in, each saying that the other's partner would be first. They actually arrived at almost the same time.

Forked courses, so I didn't see much of Dave until near the end, when we both got way left heading for #8.

Fourth leg, off in the mass start with Jeff Saeger, Dave Yee, Phil Bricker, Ken Walker Sr. (I think), Evalin Brautigam, and I think maybe somebody else. Slow start, several of us botched #2 and #3, and for a lot of the course Jeff was just ahead, while Dave and Phil were close behind. A little wide to thre right on #9, no other real issues.

And then after getting myself thoroughly tired, I want out for WHNO for the first time, using the hatlamp. Shamelessly following on the way to #1, had to navigate a little on the way to #2, and then I was on my own.I wasn't far behind Alar and somebody else on the way to #3, but they went wading through a marsh and I opted to go around it. Lost time on #3 because \I was thinking I was near a pond, and couldn't see the small marsh on the map that was where I really was. Got caught in green for a long time really close to #5, and saw Ken Sr. there. David Ross overtook me halfway to #6, and I lost a bunch of time trying t figure out exactly where I was on the trail before attacking into the woods. Got depressed when I saw how far 7, 8, and 9 were, but headed for 7 anyway. The west side on the stream turned out to be quite think, and slow going. Leaving there, I hit the trail, and as I headed down it to get a good attack point for #8, I decided that I liked the trail a lot and skipped 8 and 9. Got turned around on my approach to #10 and lost some time, but then 11 wasn't too bad, and on 12I just went on a bearing and pretty much nailed it.

Next to last one in, but although there were a number of folks who went to all 12 (including David, who came in a few minutes after me), the next tier was 9 controls, so getting #7 gave me 10 controls, and out me ahead of them. I ended up exhausted, the bottoms of my feet hurt, I had no Excedrin with me, and I was certain I would not go out in the woods the next day. I did not sleep well.

Arrival of my "exchange student", mapper Marcello Pradel, who will be staying for a couple of months while he works on Townsend. Had just enough time to say hi and give him a key before heading off to Pawtuckaway.

Six or seven more lighthouses on the way home. Plus PEI's biggest tree, which is right next to one of them. My big oak could give that elm a run for its money, but you gotta give it credit, what with being an elm and all.

Ferry ride back that was less rough than the way out, then saw six or seven more lighthouses on PEI. Also stopped by the Peakes orienteering map, where we would have considered going out to look for an ancient control location or some 36-year-old pig skeletons, but it was raining too hard for that sort of nonsense. It did look like it was probably thick. PEI didn't seem to have much alluring orienteering terrain, but the Magdalenes had a section of dunes that looked like it might be terrific.

Nancy and I hiked out to Boudreau Island and back. Time includes a stop for a snack and some exploring of some cool little caves down at the water's edge. Nancy was disappointed that the section out at the end, where the guidebook spoke of rope-assisted climbs, has appparently eroded into the sea.

In the evening, there was a trip to visit a local lobster fisherman in his workshop, where he showed how he builds traps and explained all about the fishery. Fortunately, there was another audience member who was willing to do some translation for us, because this guy really had an accent and spoke very quickly, so we were barely able to understand any of what he was saying. Although three days up there really did improve my French skills a bit.

After a walking tour of the harbor from Lucie, Nancy and I hiked back to La Salicorne on the lagoon side.