Ready at Cayuga

22.5 miles

After a thunder and lightning show on Seneca last night, I was ready to launch early under cloudy skies and rode a building wind north along the shore. I was at a place where the lake widens to 5+ miles, and I was concerned that I could get pinned to the east side by weather, so I took a gulp and pushed across … at a spot where Seneca is over 600 feet deep. At 5’9”, I could just as well cash it in in 6’ of water, but there’s something about 600 …

Anyway, I passed the Naval Undersea Warfare test rig out in the middle and yelled ‘one ping … one ping only!!’ just for the hell of it. I bet I’m on file?

Jake taking a spin in the guide boat - he's a natural!

I finished ‘early’ today … just 22 or so, not a full lap, but the winds would have put me into a third day and, more importantly, on this row I find that the slower I go, the more I see, the more I learn. I spent a couple more hours with Jake, floating in the water, talking about vegetation and HABs and politics and the environment. I could have been racking up a few more miles, but access to wisdom and experience like his, and Maura’s, seems so much more meaningful.

So I’ve repositioned on the north end of another big one – Cayuga – and I’ll try to make it to Ithaca, where I’ll meet up with Chris Olney of the Finger Lakes Land Trust. He wants to paddle his kayak north with me on Saturday, which would be really educational, so I’m highly incented to drive against these prevailing south winds to meet him.

I’ve asked Paul, my gracious host here on Cayuga, if I can sequester myself with my little transistor radio tonight at 8:00 to listen to the 1/6 hearings. He said he’ll be up late and we can talk later, and I’m grateful for his hospitality.

Folks, it’s surreal to be sitting in this perfect place listening to a narrative of our grossly imperfect elected officials and their minions, but meeting and listening to the local heroes who are taking care of these lakes gives me hope. Bottom up hope.

Big row tomorrow. I’ll give it my best shot!

Who’s reading this, for goodness sake?

Love, Al