Sailing

But first - what aid station crews do while waiting for runners:



Taken after the Voyageur Ultra runners went through the Jay Cooke aid station in the morning and a few hours before they would be coming back through on their way to Carlton.

Not seen in this picture is the sock that I started yesterday. I made a mad dash to Yarn Harbor on Friday to get some sock yarn as the only knitting I had on hand were the bird mittens. Charted knitting is way too complicated for carrying along to a race (why yes, this does mean that both the bobble-cable hat and the baby surprise are done). Yarn: Trekking XXL. Color 108. Apparently I was working on socks last year too, as Eunice, the head ranger remembered that about me ;-> Got the sock cast on and a few inches knit during my time there. The best way to ensure a runner would come along in the afternoon was to sit down and pick up my knitting.

I managed to get a run in while hanging out. Only 45 minutes, but gave me a sense of how warm it already was at 9:00 am. Porter joined me around 11:00 am and was there to greet runners and their crew for the rest of the day. He is learning that hanging out at races is a good thing. Lots of attention and food. He especially liked the watermelon rinds.

What (some) aid station workers do the day after a race. Check out the horizon line...



We were heeled over at about 25 - 30 degrees. Going around 5 - 6 knots at the time. A few miles out on Lake Superior. Apparently this is nothing, and the real fun starts when the rail is in the water! (if you look closely at the picture you can see that there is cell coverage out on the Lake - teenagers!)

Some of the scenery:



You may - or may not - be able to make out the name of the ship if you click on the picture. If not, it is the Paul Tregurtha. A Laker (meaning it is too large to leave the Great Lakes - can't fit through the St. Lawrence Seaway canals. Different then a Saltie, which is an ocean-going vessel. If you live in Duluth, you learn the difference early in life ;-> ). The Tregurtha is a regular visitor to the Twin Ports. It was anchored pretty far out on the Lake. We were much closer to it then this picture shows. Close enough to see - and wave to - a person on the upper deck on the back of the boat. Looked like they had a passenger (wasn't dressed like crew). Shortly after we passed by the ship started up and headed into shore.

If you were in Canal Park or on Park Point today and got bridged around 1:30 and/or 4:30 pm.... Sorry, that was us. But, in all fairness we were not the only sailboat out there.

To all the Voyageur runners: GOOD JOB!! Impressive effort on a warm and humid day. It was great to see you all and to meet one of the people who's blog I read regularly.