Pay No Mind, the Rogue's session notes.

"There is a Taoist saying: The way to do is to be. I've come to believe that surfing is as deep and meaningful as one wants to make it. At the same time, surfing is as shallow and light as pure fun can be." - Gerry Lopez
Cruisin' the final frontside of the night. Pure fun. 66th Street and Holiday's, 6/25/2020. 

   It's good to get wet. This time of year provides ample opportunity. Just a matter of taking advantage. This week I did. Early on, got in some paddleboard time again...winds had picked up on my way home from work. Did a quick check. Water had a slight wind texture with the occasional passing boat wake. Dropped in. Headed out. Still wanted the core work so I stayed to the river more than in the past, but still explored a couple more of the Pines canals. Knew it would be glassy in the canals. Skeeters were biting if I got close to any of the wetland areas. Literally forces the whole social distancing thing. Peaceful though. Hard to beat a sunset on the water.

Sunset on Shell Gut Point, 6/24/2020.

   Hard to beat surfing at sunset along the Right Coast. Later in the week, watching the surf report, it looked like it was going to be low tide, ankle high, and mush. Not so much. Light winds outta the southeast, but being a little shifty eastward, they kept the mayflies away. Water was warm now. just under the mid-70sF. Still wearin' a rubber top. After the first couple rides, I probably coulda' done without. Being a bit of a puss during this sesh...but I'll get over by next time. Semi-clean swell that didn't roll over...just kinda broke into a slushie. No matter. Sets were coming in three to four atta time. Seemed like I could get' em in one after another...backsides here and there. Slow moving, relaxing front runners. Got there about 6:30pm... out until near 8:30pm. By this time, the winds had shifted northeast. Cooler- that was my sign to wrap it. Fun night. Glad I didn't pay no mind to to the report. Classic "gotta go to know" evening. Friday got here, the Wife and I were back out on the boat. Weather Channel showed winds until sunset. We went anyway. Dropping in at the ramp late in the day, we headed all the way out past Assateague's Verrazano Bridge towards South Point and Newport Bay. On the way back we did a few drifts through the bay. Couple crabs. No fish. Fishin' has not gone well this year, but we keep trying. Turned out to be a spectacular day on the water, so we payed no mind to the lack of bites. Great way to start a weekend. Time outta the water helps one to appreciate time on, or in the Big Blue. Summer getting started. Pay no mind to the reports. Gotta go to know.

    Summer brews are now inhabiting the 'frig. Grateful Dead music used to inhabit my college summer apartment back in the day. Dogfish Head payed homage to their American Beauty album with Hazy Ripple IPA. Dogfish Head is usually a top shelf brew, but this Beauty hit a tad on the sweet side. Poured a hazy (namesake) orange with a big, 2-finger plus, foamy white head. Smelled of orange citrus, sweet malt, and peppery spice. Tastes of lemongrass, papaya, mango...tropical fruits...and herbal hops (of course...it's Grateful Dead...it had to be herbal). Some graininess in the finish. Bitter...more so than the 35 IBUs dictated. Dry. Finished better than it started. At 7% alcohol, you could go psychodelic on a few of these. Rated a B.

   Not sure if the next up IPA could be considered local or not. Cape May Brewing is located right across the mouth of the Delaware Bay. My first of any of their beers, Cape May IPA poured a dark amber with a 2-finger, egg-shell colored head. Aromas of grapefruit zest, floral hops, and malt in the background. Lacing was thick and sticky covering the rim after the first sip. At 6.3%, it had no overpowering alcohol affects, going down very smooth. Flavors of mango and citrus on the front end, with the sweet bready malts balancing the taste. More of the 63 IBUs worth of earthy bitterness in the finish. My sixer did not last long. Rated a B+/A-.

The world looks better through a cool pair of shades

With some beer on a boat on a Saturday

-Ashton Shepherd

Or a Friday...the OC's commercial harbor and
marina, 6/26/2020.

Be Humble, the Rogue's session notes.

"Life is ten percent what happens to me, and ninety percent of how I react to it."  -John C. Maxwell
Peak already folded- at high tide, paddling into the shoulder, forcing the wave, usually meant missing the ride.
Holidays and 66th, 6/18/2020.

   Looking forward to getting out again. Hadn't been paddleboarding, or on the boat all week. Missed being on the water. Surf report was calling waist high, with semi-clean conditions. Not what I faced. Waist, maybe. Less than that for most of the session. Onshore to southeast winds, high tide...all made for swell that peaked and lost power. If I wasn't on 'em as they folded, forget it. Disappointing outing to say the least. But, I beat myself up afterwards. For the resulting bad attitude. Being aloof in the water. Not appreciating all that I had and what went with it...including these opportunities in the Atlantic. In college when rushing my fraternity, I remember a Brother always telling me, "know when to go humble."

When the surf is rough and I'm taking it on the head, frustrated trying to get to the lineup much less get a ride, be humble. When the surf is mushy, choppy, or otherwise lacking, be humble. Appreciate this life that I have. Attitude of gratitude.                               
   Gratitude...for the a cold one. Rogue Ales, of Oregon prominence brews a refreshing Honey Kolsch. Raising their own bees and cultivating the honey on their farms, this Kolsch was a perfect transition beer from the chill of the off-season to the warmth of the late spring. Pour had a light haze that became clear honey-gold with a fast dissolving, finger-plus, foamy, white head. Mild aromas, some grains and sweet fruit. Maybe a hint of honey. The taste was dryer than I expected. Malts, some wheat and grain, biscuity. Lightly sweet in the finish, but the 26 IBUs of floral hops dominated. It's a Kolsch. They have never stood out. Regardless...at 5.2%, a refreshing beer to grill with. Rated a B-.

   Another Michigan choice, this one from Saginaw Bay's Mt. Pleasant, MI. Mountain Town Brewing's Train Wreck...which is what this session felt like with the poor position and lack of rides. An Imperial Amber at 8.2% ABV that poured a bright reddish-amber. Finger-thick, white head. Thin lacing. Maple sweetness, pecans, and herbal hops in the nose. Some aromas of booze that translated into the taste as well. Strong enough to overcome the sweet maple tones. The bitterness of the hops tended to dry out the finish. It did have enough malt backbone to provide some level of balance. I have to admit, I've had to work through the six. Rated a C+/B-.

"When I drink water, it has to filtered

through a brewery first."

-Grampa Gustafson

Checking The Periph, the Rogue's session notes.

Locking on to that groove during an otherwise blown out evening makes it worth every effort.
Forgetting the fins, and finding the Stoke, 47th Street break. 6/10/2020.

   Surf report called out clean and waist high. Reality brought out ESE near on-shore winds that blew out most of the rollers. Waist was hard to find. A strong northerly current made for a fairly brisk drift. Added several hikes back down the beach to the exercise routine. Plenty of paddling up current in a lame attempt to keep position in the lineup. At least prolonged the drag. Water warming now; about 71-72F. Trunkin' it with a rubber top. There were enough opportunities to keep me out until dusk. The proverbial feeding time. And by myself. With fin-forming chop sweeping across my sightline, always checking the periph' for any gliding dorsal. Saw none. Felt none. Next walk south...I went out again.
   A refreshing hazy Pale to close the evening. Third Wave Brewing's Hazy Days. Clean, refreshing, bitter finish. At 25 IBUs, the light hops balanced the hint of malt sweetness up front. Poured a hazy, amber-tinted gold with a near finger high, fizzy white head. Thin, fast disappearing lacing. Tons of orange, and grapefruit citrus in the aroma. Juicy squeeze of more orange, some lemon, and the tell-tale mango-grapefruit in every swig. At 6% ABV, a couple relaxed the mind...and the nerves. Finished the session off right. Gave it a B+ rating. 

"I discovered I scream the same

way whether I'm about to be

devoured by a Great White shark

or if a piece of seaweed touches

my foot."               -Axl Rose

Build The Stoke, the Rogue's session notes.

"Like walking on water, only better." -Anon.
First canal to the left. Lookout Point and Moonshell, 6/6/2020.

   Flat surf along the shoreline over the last couple days. Equated to a warm, somewhat calm day on the bay. Pretty sure there were no rides to be had. Time to put that idle SUP to good use. With COVID keeping the gym closed, I had been committed to doing something, anything, every day. Well, most days. Surf, run, some mini cross-fit, bike. And there it was, too tall to stand up in the board rack of the garage, leaning on it's side against the shelves. A log to satisfy the need to be on the water. Casted the doubts of "what's next", and headed out on the "stand-up." Did a Saturday and the next Monday on the local 'Pines canals, the last being a post work stress relief sesh complete with a classic Eastern Sho' sunset. Works the calves, ankles, feet. Some shoulders and arms. Took it easy though. Focused on balance. Felt like a decent workout. Maybe rougher water. Push for speed. Avoid the gnats. Not real intense. More of a nice, unwinding workout. Builds the stoke. Gets to the core of what ails ya.

   Speaking of ales, a nice post-SUP IPA was the spicy Live Wire IPA from Roak Brewing outta Royal Oak, Michigan. Amber-gold pour with about a finger or so frothy, off-white head. Hoppy dankness with some pine and grapefruit in the smell. Some maltiness in the background. Tastes of mango and citrus, the resinous pine up front. Nice touch of malt sweetness in the back. Did not feel strong. And went down amazingly smooth. 72 IBUs of clean, perfectly bitter, hoppiness in the finish. Too smooth for the 7.5% alcohol content. Rated an A. Dangerous.

"Gym? I thought you said

pizza and beer."

-Restaurant sign

Grabbed RaR Brewing's brown ale in a mixed six about a month or so ago. The Mid-shore's brewery's conditioned their Spring seasonal in Rise-Up medium roast coffee beans to brew Bucktown Brown. Incredibly silky and smooth both pour and taste. Opaque dark brown with a finger-plus tan head. Sticky lacing. Aromas of roasted coffee, milk chocolate, and brown sugar. Upon first swig, the chocolate is much more bitter-sweet. The taste of coffee is more burnt. Flavors of nut bread. Earthy hops, dark fruit, and malty caramel round it out. Rated this edition an A. Wow, need to SUP more often.

Start the week. Lose the stress. Shell Gut Point, Pines Swim & Racquet Club, 6/8/2020.

Trouble With The Curve, the Rogue's session notes.

"When a spark ignites that tiny little fire and you decide that it's time to get back out there, you're gonna find that you're out of surf shape, that your timing is a little off, and that you might struggle a little getting to your feet, often clambering. This is normal, and part of the whole process. " -Craig Jarvis
Pushing to get ahead...most of the evening. Holidays and 66th Street, 6/3/2020.

   Water was already into the upper 60's. Getting warmer, but I wasn't feelin' it. Even in a spring shortie, my legs and arms were freezing. Not getting in at all during most of the Spring left me very thin skinned. But, had the heightened sensitivity to the Atlantic's salt. Just filled my head. Missed being in the water. Warm winds outta of the south helped with the chill. Thigh high front-sides, kinda flat breakin'. Tried to get ahead of the curve early. Had some troubles. Searched for position. Took a while to find a groove. Stoked when I did. Off season rust sucks. By the end of the sesh the winds had shifted east and the swell started getting chunky. Last ride was the most gratifying. Most likely 'cause it was the longest. Called it a day. Glad the beaches are open again. Plan to take advantage. TIme to get wet!
   Lewes, DE, sits on the corner of the mouth of the Delaware River and the home to Crooked Hammock Brewery. A Session IPA that fit the evening's session quite conveniently. Easy drinkin' at 4.5%, Beach Escape poured an airy amber with a near 2-finger foamy white head. Thin lacing that disappeared a fast as that last ride. Aromas of tangerine with notes of grassy pine. Tastes burst with hoppiness at 42 IBUs. Light grapefruit, and the continued shine of citrus. Finished clean, but a little weak. Sessions are always challenged to avoid that "lite" feeling. Could definitely throw back a couple or three of these. Rated a B/B-.

"To me craft beer is 100% passion- plus

science, chemistry, experimentation, crazy,

love, delicious, bravery, and happy."

-Michael Bepko, Whole Foods