McHenry County Blog

Specks way out in the lake turn into people when if you watched the Greater Chicago Juniors Rowing Championships at the Crystal Lake Park District’s Main Beach yesterday.

Before I show you a series of photos of a beach view look at the Women’s Varsity 8 Race, let me observe that this type of even cries for a hot air balloon anchored over the lake with a camera whose views are broadcast to a big screen on the Main Beach.

Now, that would be exciting.

Combine it with cameras from Gate 21, 13, 7 and 3 and it would be really worth watching.  Any photo may be enlarged by clicking on it.

The race is probably passing Gate 21 here.

The skiffs don't get large quickly.

Could specators tell who was ahead from the beach?

Getting closer, but still too far for identification for most people.

Closer they come. Are they at Gate 13 yet?

The spots are getting bigger.

Halfway home?

A bird entered the picture here.

Those viewing the race could identifiy where their friends were by now.

Swallows were eating lunch in the foreground.

Later photos show there were more than three entrants, but that's all that can be seen here.

There was loud cheering next to me when I took this picture.

And the leaders approach the finish line.

The rowers are coming into focus.

Estimate the speed from the wake of the chase boat.

Which team will win?

Looks as if the race is over. The oars of the skiff on the left are being feathered.

At the left side of the image one can see another skiff coming into view.

A wider view shows there was still another boat (seen at the right) in the race.

I discovered that the winners of the Women’s 8 Varsity race was the Lincoln Park Juniors.

The Lincoln Park Juniors won the Women's 8 Varsity race.

Here's a better view of the first two rowers on the Lincoln Park Juniors team.

Spots three and four of the Lincoln Park Juniors Varsity 8 are highlighted here.

The camera focused on spots five and six of the Lincoln Park Juniors Varsity 8 Women's team in this photo.

The seventh and eighth members of the Lincoln Park Juniors Women's Varsity 8 can be seen here.

The tents were up last night for a number of the clubs competing in the Greater Chicago Junior Rowing Championships.

Crystal Lake was calm on the morning of the regatta.

This morning about 7:15, Crystal Lake was calm and morning sprinkles had ended.

Team members were unloading their skiffs.

The rowers were unloading their boats that early.

These girls were carrying their boat after 8:30.

The process continued until after nine although some were still being prepared as the heats were beginning.

As one fireman opened the gate, a blinking arrow helpfully pointed to the entrance.

Crystal Lake Fire Department arrived, just in case they might be needed.

The Crystal Lake Park District was formed in 1911.

With the home team advantage, the Crystal Lake Rowing Club set up its tents closest to the entrance.

Tents were to the left as one entered the Main Beach gate. Crystal Lake’s were first.

Tents were on both sides of the gravel path into the park.

Others stretched toward the lake’s outlet as far as the second set of swings.

Some of the competitors younger siblings were enjoying the preliminary show put on by a water skier.

Unfortunately, the big raft used to launch fireworks and the floating fishing pier were prohibited viewing spots.

Yellow cautiion tape blocked entrance to the rafts.

Young men were preparing for the start of the first heats.

The skiffs are launched at the Main Beach, they are rowed to the West End, where the races begin.

Row to the West End along the North Shore, the woman points.

As I left, the Chicago Training Center Rowing team was preparing their skiffs for the competition.

A Chicago team prepares for their races.

The Main Beach parking lot was full before nine.

A Crystal Lake Jaycee directed people to parking spaces.

The axillary one across the street to the west was almost full when I left at 9:15.

Parking was at a premium for the Turnberry Garden Club's flower sale.

Across the street was the annual Turnberry Garden Club flower sale.

Good seats for the regatta can be found at the Gate 3, Gate 7 and Gate 13 beaches on the South side of Crystal Lake. There is no parking available for non-residents, but the location you see is only about 6/10 of a mile from the Main Beach.

Crystal Lake’s Main Beach is the place to be this afternoon.

I saw this banner tied to the gate of Main Beach as I was coming home from church.

The man at the parking lot said that the Crystal Lake Rowing Club is going to be introducing people to the sport this afternoon.

I don’t know if that means verbal introduction or actual sitting in a skiff.

A tent is already up way down by toward the outlet.

I stopped and asked what time and heard,
Three

So, if you are interested, drop by.

It’s a lot calmer than when the interstate high school tournament.

Yesterday about 7:20 I drove on Lakewood’s South Shore Drive to Andy’s Family Restaurant for my Walk to Emmaus reunion group.

I saw women practicing rowing on the quiet waters off of Beach 7.

Off Gate 3 Beach were two fishermen casting.

Two reasons besides the water itself I like living near Crystal Lake.

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Men’s and women’s Walks to Emmaus are coming up. There are basically short courses in Christianity. They run from Thursday night to late Sunday afternoon.

In Barrington a Men’s Walk will be held June 11-14 and a Women’s Walk June 18-21.

In Plano there will be a Men’s Walk from Sept. 17-20, followed by a Women’s Walk from October 1-4.

Drop me a line, if you are interested. The email button is on the lower right hand side of the page.

Other articles about Walks to Emmaus:

From ”Head to Heart”

When God’s Messenger Came To My Door (As a Carpenter, No Less)

Of Jonah and God

Weekend at Resurrection Center

The Carpenter’s Helpers

“Detention for Jesus” – Making High School Kids Strong for Christ

Hannah Beardsley Middle School Principal Ron Ludwig Reaches Out to Fellow Christians to Help Crystal Lake Kids

Message of the Day – A “De Colores” Bumper Sticker

It’s a wonderful day to be alive.

And, what a difference a week makes.

Last Saturday was truly a miserable day!

But the rowers still held their regatta on a choppy and often wet Crystal Lake.

It was so bad, spectators needed umbrellas.

This Saturday was so different.

It was a beautiful, sunny, warm enough day.

The Tri-County Pregnancy and Parenting Center, whose Crystal Lake office is on the same street as McDonald’s, held its annual Hike for Life.

It started at the Crystal Lake Park District’s Main Beach.

A sign pointed the way down Dole Avenue from Mister A’s at Route 14.

I noticed that a sponsor was Fuhler Real Estate.

People were registering at a big tent at the Main Beach.

And buying tee shirts.

I got several that will be featured on “Message of the Day.”

There were a lot of young people.

And families.

Kids were having their faces painted.

And, did I mention there were families?

I decided to follow the route to get some pictures of hikers.

Following the signs past the Wedgewood Garden Club plant sale at the Dole Mansion, I found a man signing up people to pray for the center.

Next there was a water guy.

He had a L-O-T of water bottles.

He was on Sunset about midway on the route.

The hikers went west on Broadway, up Sunset and came back along South Shore Drive.

There were bright vested guys to ease folks’ way across our neighborhood’s busy Lake Avenue.

There were 6,500 vehicles a day the last time I asked.

When I got to Gate 13, there was a table where Board Chairman Joe Edwards was trying to sign up people for the new web site.

I decided to park.

And chat.

And take some photos.

There was a family of bikers.

A big family.

I count nine in the picture.

I thought this was a hike.

But obviously other modes of locomotion are allowed.

And, you know what?

Rowers were out practicing their sport on a day I bet they wished they had been lucky enough to pick.

There was an eight-person boat with accompanying instructors in an outboard.

I also saw a two-woman skiff.

One man had a little boy whom he was walking beside, teaching him how to ride. You can see them in the distance in the photo below. And the shadows tell you that the sun way out.

Edwards told me there were about 80 signed up when he checked for me about 10.

All photos can be enlarged by clicking on them.

It’s a wonderful day to be alive.

And, what a difference a week makes.

Last Saturday was truly a miserable day!

But the rowers still held their regatta on a choppy and often wet Crystal Lake.

It was so bad, spectators needed umbrellas.

This Saturday was so different.

It was a beautiful, sunny, warm enough day.

The Tri-County Pregnancy and Parenting Center, whose Crystal Lake office is on the same street as McDonald’s, held its annual Hike for Life.

It started at the Crystal Lake Park District’s Main Beach.

A sign pointed the way down Dole Avenue from Mister A’s at Route 14.

I noticed that a sponsor was Fuhler Real Estate.

People were registering at a big tent at the Main Beach.

And buying tee shirts.

I got several that will be featured on “Message of the Day.”

There were a lot of young people.

And families.

Kids were having their faces painted.

And, did I mention there were families?

I decided to follow the route to get some pictures of hikers.

Following the signs past the Wedgewood Garden Club plant sale at the Dole Mansion, I found a man signing up people to pray for the center.

Next there was a water guy.

He had a L-O-T of water bottles.

He was on Sunset about midway on the route.

The hikers went west on Broadway, up Sunset and came back along South Shore Drive.

There were bright vested guys to ease folks’ way across our neighborhood’s busy Lake Avenue.

There were 6,500 vehicles a day the last time I asked.

When I got to Gate 13, there was a table where Board Chairman Joe Edwards was trying to sign up people for the new web site.

I decided to park.

And chat.

And take some photos.

There was a family of bikers.

A big family.

I count nine in the picture.

I thought this was a hike.

But obviously other modes of locomotion are allowed.

And, you know what?

Rowers were out practicing their sport on a day I bet they wished they had been lucky enough to pick.

There was an eight-person boat with accompanying instructors in an outboard.

I also saw a two-woman skiff.

One man had a little boy whom he was walking beside, teaching him how to ride. You can see them in the distance in the photo below. And the shadows tell you that the sun way out.

Edwards told me there were about 80 signed up when he checked for me about 10.

All photos can be enlarged by clicking on them.

With this post, McHenry County Blog will begin an intermittent series on things seen on Crystal Lake, the lake.What looks like a crew of novice rowers was out on the lake Tuesday night.

They had an accompanying motor boat with what I assume were coaches.

Most in the skiff were women, but men were at the front and back.

Needless to say, it was a no-wake night.

With this post, McHenry County Blog will begin an intermittent series on things seen on Crystal Lake, the lake.What looks like a crew of novice rowers was out on the lake Tuesday night.

They had an accompanying motor boat with what I assume were coaches.

Most in the skiff were women, but men were at the front and back.

Needless to say, it was a no-wake night.