The race is ON!!! Hogan, Mike and I are confirmed with a half dozen phone calls from other maybe-ers.  The river had been parking-lot level with major chunks of someone's backyard floating in it a few days ago.  But now it was clear of debris and still moving at a good clip.  

NEW INFO:

The finish line has been moved to Greentree Park.  This adds another 2.5 miles onto the race to make it the 10 miles we thought it was in the first place.  Joe's internal GPS swore it was 10 miles to Highway 141 but the cop that our shuttle bunny encountered at the 141 finishline pretty much convinced us that Greentree Park was a better 10 mile course.  I don't know how it is robberies, rapes and murders can possibly occur in this town when the cops are so on top of things that they have time to hassle nice little kayaker people at river accesses.  

April's Sunset Race left me in awe of a new friend I met on this race.  Hogan H. knew the weather was poopy and he still wanted to do it.  Spitting rain and 45 degrees, he just wanted to be on the night water as bad as I did.  It is so hard to find people like this!  Vince S.  also had no qualms about the brutal nature of this night.  With Passover and Easter both affecting people's lives this day, we were low on competition but I finished this race with a new perspective on life.  

Hogan had no C2 partner so I opted to run with him in his 36 inch wide 70 pound canoe.  Driving rain and fierce winds pounded the boat.  I felt like the crew headed out on a three hour tour in the SS Minnow. My paddle stroke was mute.  The boat was so wide I had to move my butt over to the side I was paddling on to get a good bite out of the water.  My body was mangled by 2 miles into the race.   Vince won the race...need I say more?

Actually, I will say more!  If Hogan and his brother can drive this baby barge down 340 miles of river then you might think I would be able to drive my 23 pound carbon fiber custom built Rob Roy down the same 340 miles.  Right???  I crapped out around 74 miles into the 2008 MR340.  What did I do wrong?  Or, what did Hogan do right?  Gumption.  That is the word I am choosing.  Hogan has gumption and an incredibly positive attitude.  Every time he came to a checkpoint on the MR340 he would tell himself, "We'll just make it to the next checkpoint then quit."  A little nap and a little Ibuprofen and the team was golden again.  Hogan, thanks for teaching me about Gumption. See you tomorrow evening

JoJo

Of coarse!  The race is on.  Hogan, I can't call you cuz my phone, and all it's contacts, went kaput Sunday.  I couldn't email you either cuz my DSL went kaput Saturday night.  Do you think technology is trying to tell me something?  Like, "Go Paddle, JoJo."

See you at Sherman Beach at 7.  Do you have a shuttle bunny?  Larry might have one if needed but she will need notice. 

I am so looking forward to this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sunset Race June '08
10 mile race on the Meramec River
meet at Sherman Beach at 7pm
Shuttle Bunny leaves Greentree Acess at 7:45ish
2$ entry fee, winner takes all
Beer and burgers afterwards at PJ's Wing Bar.

The September Sunset race is coming up on the 10th!  We'll meet at Sherman Beach at 6:30. 

I am excited for this race because I bought a new boat!  In 10 years of whitewater and 1 year of flatwater I have only been in a dozen boats or so.  I searched Craigslist and found a dream boat that fills a niche I had been eager to fill.  It is a solo race canoe that I can take down Ozark streams with my gear for a weekender.  It's made of Kevlar and weighs 45 pounds.  Yes, Charlie, I will be needing another single blade paddle for this one.

Ever since I began training for this year's 340 I have discovered just how awesome single-blading is.  The stroke is a power stroke, giving thrust in a forward manner.  Wing blades (the most efficient double-blade) use a sweep stroke to create forward thrust.  This nets an efficient paddling experience, BUT does not yield as much thrust per stroke as a single blade stroke does.  The wider your boat, the less forward thrust the wing blade is able to create and the more turning thrust you get (which is countered by your rudder, which is, in turn, DRAG . ) Single-blading also gives your middle back a stretch when the paddle hits the water (Action)it pulls your body forward (equal and opposite reaction) acting as a back band minus the chaffing!  Your calluses and arm muscles also get a break from double blading. 

So this brings me to the anxiety of the Sunset Race in a new boat with a single blade.  GOD HELP ME! Last month's race brought out a truly "Blond" moment for me.  That is...a moment when you are glad that no one else can read your thoughts...because they were not very impressive. 

This occurred just as I entered the famous "141 riffle".  Hogan and Danielle paddle their "Old Faithful" plastic boat due to technical difficulties expereinced during the 340 on the new boat.  I had no intent on speeding through this race since it was less than a week after the 340 and it would be another 10 days before I felt energy flow back into my body.  I single-bladed the whole race, sharing 340 stories with them the whole way.

Three other boaters had shown for the race.  Jason, who I had met at Creve Coeur Lake, and a father/son team.  All of them had built their cedar strip boats.  None had run this section of the Meramec.  None knew of the rock in the middle of the riffle. They were long gone before I could advise them of it.   It was not until I crossed the first  wave that I realized IONLYHAVEHALFAPADDLE!  You would think I would have realaized this sooner.

Find an eddy!  Find an eddy!  Find an eddy!  Find an eddy!  That was easier said than done since the moon wasn't out.  I know where the eddy is...I just don't know where the rock is.  To heck with the rock, I still have another wave and eddy to introduce to my blade and all I can think is "Which side of the boat should I have it on?" 

My heart is beating as I exit the eddy toward the channeled water that will push me toward the rock.  I plan on paddling hard to cross the... "Yeeeiiiiiiiii."  Obviously I still had not decided on which side to put the paddle in yet.  I bobble in the riffle and my boat swings gently into the downstream eddy buying me time to determine where the stupid rock is. 

Shady 69 had mentioned an encounter with the rock last month.  I had clipped it with my paddle the month before that.  With low water levels that puppy has got to be near the surface.  I head toward the bridge pillar to avoid the rock...at least I can SEE the bridge pillar.  I am comfortably clear...just in time to hear WHHHUUMP, "Yeeeow!"  Hogan's plastic boat hits the rock dead on!  They are fine and the boat continues to float. 

The location of the rock is: 40 feet upstream and 10 feet toward river left of the right hand bridge pillar. I went back the next week to scout the rock during daylight and discovered the rock does not disturb the surface of the water at all...cannot be seen.  But it will takeout any race boat that happens upon it.  The fine shreds of plastic coating it may provide some cushion.

I soooo can't wait for the 10th.

JoJo
314-49-triple7-49
2 dollars entry fee, winner takes all
shuttle bunny needed
beer and burgers at TS's afterwards!

Are people using lights and such? I was going to bring my C2 and my 10 year old son to paddle. He's a fine paddler, and we're training for the Chicago River Flatwater Classic, but he's never been out at night, so having him in the bow looking for obstructions might be tricky... Any thoughts?

james

Hey Hogan!  How's that tennis elbow?  Larry tells me there sure is one big rock in the middle of the 141 riffle that needs to meet your boat head on a few more times.  I'm sure the boat will win and the rock will pulverize.

Last month I was hoping Larry would try out the Surfski on the Sunset Race.  It's a good thing he heard me whining about the Rock from Hell and took tupperware instead...cuz he hit the Rock from Hell head on at warp speed. 

Jonathan had already shuttled his car so when we ran shuttle he took off and ran the river.  I never heard how that turned out but Mr. WaterSafariGuy can probably handle hisself okay.

I had my own issues as I worked my Sawyer down the river.  I over reacted at the thought of anything solid touching my gelcoat and did a full 360 on the eddyline above the rock.  It wasn't a graceful 360, either.  It was a spin, stall, paddle, backpaddle, turn, change mind, backpaddle, wait for competition to blow by, paddle, lean then brace.  I left that rock so much space a barge could've fit in between us. 

James and his son, Taylor, seemed to work the rapid like they had no idea the rock was there.  I hoped for the best as they went by.  Their path might be headed toward the rock.  They obviously missed it but I was wrapped up in my own drama and didn't see where they went.

Now that I have terrified everyone about one 8 square foot section of the river I think you should know the rock is really easy to miss and you should come boat with us Thursday evening at 6.

Congratualtions, Vince, for winning the September Sunset Race!

Sunset Race Series
Thursday Oct 8, 2009
Sherman Beach to Greentree
meet at Sherman Beach at 6 for shuttle
2 dollar entry fee
Winner takes all
Shuttle bunny needed
No rules, just pure chaos!

Jo
314-49-triple7-49

Real funny, Mother Nature!   Two weeks ago we postponed the Sunset Race because of thunderstorms....and I am so glad we did.  This week has been lovely...right up to the new Sunset Race date.   

With 100% chance of nastiness forecast for tomorrow evening I am thinking I will go to the start line and we will either start the race or we will start our cars and head to the beer and wing joint that we like. 
(TJ's on Vance Road west of hwy 141)

Meet at Sherman Beach at 5:30 pm for shuttle
Shuttle bunnies needed!
Call JoJo for info 314-49-triple7-49

I'm ready!

Hogan

JoJo, are we doing the race tomorrow? Supposed to get cold this evening. Do you think the state of the water may change to "chunky"?

Hey JoJo, great plan for this evening's race! Wondering if anyone has had a visual of the riv yet today? I don't know how long it has to be cold before the slow spots start freezing over, but wondering if we maybe have hit that threshold. Maybe we'll just find out at 5:30!

The race is on!  The river is flowing fine in view of the 141 Bridge.  Ice has built up along the shore but that's not a problem...unless you want to get to shore.  Last month was 27 degrees and so hot I was sweating.  I actually had a little anxiety attack when I realized I had left the Start Line without fuel or water.  Now I was chasing Joe "Rocket Ship" Sartori upstream and my mouth felt like the Sahara Desert and I had no food....never let me get hungry...it is an ugly scene!  I actually eyed the river water-probably would chugged  couple of gulps if it hadn't meant sticking my hand in the cold water.  Yaknow-that's a bad idea.  The toxins/pollutants/micro organizms living in this water would just end up living in my body. 

So Sartori smoked me like never before.  I don't know what got into him..normally I can hang tight, but this was no contest.  Hogan and Jason paddle up till I passed them on the flip side then they reversed course.  Wise call.  The ranger at the park told us we were crazy and illegal...but he did tell us something useful, too.  How to get a 3 dollar permit to be legal.  So Hogan has made that happen and Joe has made custom ribbons happen!  Thanks, Guys.

Sunset Race Series
2nd Thursday of every month
(except solid or electrically charged water)
Greentree to Greentree via the 141 bridge this month
Meet at 5:30
Beer and wings at TJ's afterward...no shuttle bunnies needed this month!

Love y'all

JoJo