More Kenduskeag 2013, boat 17

A very candid set of shots of Marc, Andrew and I going over six mile falls, taken by Whittling Fog Photography.  Note the look of abject terror on our faces.

   

Our faces recover some outward signs of hope as we bounce back up... though not as high as we might like!

Having survived the infamous six mile falls, we were in high spirits, if low energy, coming into the second deadly swamping zone, called "shopping cart."  Here is a series of shots, taken by Justin Russell, which shows our downfall, in perfect clarity.  

Step One:

We enter shopping cart having just taken on a lot of water, but with no time to bail.

  

Step Two:

Apparently the stern submerges first.  I had no idea from the bow.  You can see I'm still hopeful while Andy, astern, knows what's coming all too well.

Step Three:

We begin to capsize.

Step Four:

It is done.  Marc is entirely underwater, and we face a chilly last mile or two to the warming tent.

The blessed warming tent.

Thanks to the photographers for posting the shots.  They are gorgeous images. 

I am happy to post them with their logos emblazoned!

The Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race 2013

Andy, Marc and I braved the Kenduskeag this year, placing a surprising 11th in the open class (3:43:01 for a sixteen mile, two portage white water journey).  Not bad.  There were only 23 boats to finish at all in the open class, so we were squarely in the middle.  Actually, it is surprising how middling we truly were.  We finished an hour after the first boat (with 6 paddlers!), and an hour before the 23rd and final boat.  Just what we were aiming for, really.

 It was fantastic and exhilarating and grueling all at once.

 The kids on the daddy-watching tour.

  The first mandatory portage (and thank goodness - a needed break, and the falls we avoid would have killed us all).

Looking stellar!  Thank goodness for the costume.

The about-half-way point. 

Race finished, we dragged the canoe up the final slope (Andrew sustaining the only injury of the journey at the very end) we collapsed into family, dry clothes, and chowder in the warming tent.

Update: See some local news coverage with our boat at minute 2:10 of this video!
Update: The official race results.

Keys

Eeyore's house

Bits of AZ

Arizona!

Chapter 1

SWIMMING

Reid swam with a floaty belt for the first time--this, oddly enough, was the same pool where Liam first swam independently at the same age.

Liam is an absolute fish--most of his self-made strokes are named after jet airplanes.

Chapter 2

HAUTE CUISINE

Sour oranges!

Cajun food truck at the Phoenix Farmers Market

THEY HAVE SUGAR CEREAL IN ARIZONA!!! Pity it's not available in Maine.

Honoring our CA culinary roots

International grocery store

Chapter 3

HIKING

Hole in the Rock at Papago Park

Mom and Dad and Liam with his jet

We went on an amazing hike, recommended to us by our friend and former AZ resident--Jenny Shrum. This is Peralta Trail, east of Phoenix.

The gentleman at the trail head

The trail followed a mostly-dry stream bed.

Reid ran-hiked at least a mile.

Saguaros everywhere!

Elephant-shaped saguaro

Teddy Bear Chola, too

Ma and Pa

Chapter 4

BOTANICAL GARDENS

We spent a morning at Phoenix's amazing Botanical Gardens and actually saw a roadrunner (not pictured).

Woodpecker.

Chapter 5

CHEZ WRIGHT

Dad and I visited Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright's summer work space and home. It was a great tour.

This statement really summed up what I experienced of Wright's philosophy in the buildings we saw.  It reminded me of how I feel our about our home in Maine.

Wright featured a number of petroglyphs around his compound, including this one.

Chapter 6

THE PHOENIX ZOO

Finally, we got to visit our Spokane friend, Katie, where she is a zookeeper in charge of large carnivores. She introduced us to her two jaguars.

And to this Andean bear, Riz, whom we got to feed apples.

And of course we HAD to see the komodo dragons as they feature centrally in our family's (or at least the junior members') pretend play.

Liam's starting to read and he was thrilled when he parsed these words.

The baby komodos!!