As has been our custom for many years now, Andrew and I drove up to Willsboro for the Memorial Day weekend, leaving Friday and returning Monday. While any visit up there is worth the time and effort regardless of any other purpose, our main excuse for this trip was to again participate in the annual Patch Sprint fundraiser for the Adirondack Scholarship Foundation. The Foundation provides tuition support for children, who might otherwise be unable to afford it, to go to summer camp at Pok-O-MacCready Camps, where Andrew and I spent many enjoyable summers as kids.
Seymour stretches out before the race assisted by trainer Dr. J. Rayburn
The event itself, held on Saturday, is a road and trail foot race that passes over three mountains (Bear, Rattlesnake and Sugarloaf) and ends at the top of a fourth (Pok-O-Moonshine), a little over 12 miles in total distance. Don’t get any crazy ideas–neither Andrew nor I actually raced! Besides donating to the event, we acted as informal event volunteers and ground crew for John Rayburn. Excuse me—I meant to say for Seymour T. Bear who races with the assistance of his trainer, Dr. J. Rayburn.
This year the weather was unusually hot for so early in the season, so many runners dropped out along the way—even more than in 2013 when it was so cold there were snow flurries on top of Poko! (Weather in the Adirondacks is definitely a movable feast—if you don’t like it, wait a minute.) Seymour, urged on by Doctor Johnny, finished the race albeit well over his personal best time.
The next trip up north will be for a sadder occasion: to inter Molly’s ashes at Flat Rock. That takes place in late June, and then we may go up again a couple weeks later for Great Aunt Frisky’s memorial service.
