Defiant Dave

Hope Town cruising friends David and Catherine (S/V Solitaire I) came from their home in Montreal down to Ticonderoga to visit us. Our tour of the area would not be complete without a trip up Mt. Defiance to see the spectacular view of the beginning of Lake Champlain and Ft. Ticonderoga. What a feat it was for Dave to conquer the steep path up the hill from the parking area to the summit overlook. With the helping hand of David to guide him, he made it without his cane (in fact he hasn't used his cane in 4 days!). Looking out over the waterway was well worth the effort.

Going back down the hill is even more scary though, and the two Davids held onto each other tightly. We had met some fellow motorcycle riders while at the overlook, and one of these kind gentlemen asked Dave if he wanted assistance on his other side and helped him get back down. What an accomplishment!

As we got in our truck to leave, the motorcyclist walked over to us and started opening up his wallet. He explained that he usually only does this for kids, but after hearing about Dave's accident, he knew Dave deserved this....and handed him a lucky $2 bill. Once again the generosity of others brought tears to our eyes, and I told him we were going to frame it.

Back in the valley we scrutinized Dandy, our Abaco Dinghy wooden boat project. We're trying to decide whether or not it should go back to Hope Town.

Then it was time to celebrate the day by exploring the northern end of Lake George in our skiff. Now here are some happy mariners that were glad to be back on the water!

Thank you David and Catherine for everything and we're so glad you got to witness another one of Dave's firsts...defying the odds and making it to the summit.