Two things I was a little worried about on the trip got taken care of today. Not spending any time in Kentucky (it only makes up about 50 miles of the river) and not having a whole lot of hardship to push through.
We capsized. When we set up camp last night we pulled into the channel side of the island. Without even thinking about it, we set back out this morning on the channel side. It usually isn't a big deal to paddle in a channel briefly. The only downside is the wing dams that try to direct water into the main channel. This particular wing dam in this channel created a weird rapid. It came together in a "V" shape and usually the tip of the "V," or the tongue, is the best place to hit the rapid safely. Is this instance, however, the right side was pushing really hard to the left and the left side was curling and crashing. As we approached the tongue we were being pushed hard to the left which amplified the effect of the wave hitting us on our left side. We tilted slightly to the right and the quick current coming from that direction swept the bottom of the boat out from under us. As soon as I came up I grabbed the canoe and could see my rain jacket floating in a swirl. I wanted to swim for it, but I didn't want to let go of the canoe. Also, my lifejacket was up near my nose. I forgot to clip it when I got in the boat. Adding to this confusion was the fact that Anders wasn't above water yet. I yelled for him and an image of me taking off my lifejacket and having to dive for him flashed through my mind. After what seemed like 30 seconds but was probably more like 3, he popped up, gasping for air. He had hit his head on the canoe on his first attempt to surface and it took him a second to come back up again. I finally managed to clip my lifejacket while Anders regained his composure.
We flipped the boat right side up and tried to swim it to shore. This wasn't going to work. I squirmed in to the back of the canoe and began slowly paddling to shore. The entire back half was under water. It's amazing that it still was floating. I had been told it would, but it was still crazy to experience. We got to shore and began unloading our gear to dry it off and flip the canoe. We then surveyed the situation. We lost some sunscreen, two water jugs, both our hats, both of our rain jackets, and Anders' sunglasses (Although mine were on my face they somehow managed to stay on). I was pretty bummed about the hat and rain jacket, but overall it wasn't too bad. The camera was soaked as well so we put it in some rice. It would be a huge bummer if that doesn't work. My pride was hurt a little bit. I really wanted to make the entire trip without capsizing. But the fact that we lost so little and so quickly remedied the situation felt really good.
We set back out and quickly met the confluence of the Ohio River. We quickly paddled over to the Kentucky shore to refill and buy more water as well as sunglasses for Anders. We talked to some shipping yard workers and Anders asked if there was a Wal-Mart nearby. They replied, "You must not know where you are. This is Wickliffe." Apparently Wickliffe is small. They told us of a Dollar General store in town and we started walking towards it. We again had to ask where it was after the original time estimation had elapsed and we still couldn't see it. The gentlemen we asked looked at us funny for a second, judging our Northern accents we believed, and then directed us up the street. We finally found the store, bought our needed supplies as well as headbands to substitute for hats and made our way back to the boat. On our way back, we saw a nice diner. Having gone through such a traumatic experience we decided we deserved a good, hardy meal. It was called the Hillbilly Café and if you ever find yourself in Wickliffe, KY I strongly suggest you go there and order the Hillbilly Omelet. While deciding what to order, I asked our server what was on it. She said so many words that I stopped listening. When she was finally done I gladly ordered it. It was delicious. Very possibly the best omelet of my life.
By the time we got back to paddling it was about 11:30. We took off the water at 6:00 because we thought our stuff would need time to dry. Turns out we packed even better than we thought! Anders' clothes were a tiny bit wet, but the tent and everything else was pretty dry.
Only 48 miles today. Hopefully we'll make up some mileage tomorrow.
The camera still works!
Friday, September 19, 2014
Day 39: Carp-pedo
We should really think about carrying more water. We're already running low again after just two days. We're also probably pretty close to running out of propane. We stopped in Cape Gerardeau around noon with the hope of securing these two necessities. It was very neat town with a lot of shops just behind the levee. It would be cool to visit sometime. We ended up getting water, groceries, and Subway (Yaaaaaayyyyy, non-canned food!) but couldn't find propane.
Around 4:00 P.M. we made for an island to take a quick break. As it got more shallow we started seeing carp swimming all over the place. They made bumps of water the way a torpedo does as it travels towards it's target. Apparently, we were the target of one of the carp as it slammed head first into the side of our canoe. There was a loud thud, we tilted to the side, water sprayed up into the canoe, and then it was over. It was crazy to see.
We covered 78 miles and pulled into camp around 8:00 P.M. My body is feeling pretty rough.
Around 4:00 P.M. we made for an island to take a quick break. As it got more shallow we started seeing carp swimming all over the place. They made bumps of water the way a torpedo does as it travels towards it's target. Apparently, we were the target of one of the carp as it slammed head first into the side of our canoe. There was a loud thud, we tilted to the side, water sprayed up into the canoe, and then it was over. It was crazy to see.
We covered 78 miles and pulled into camp around 8:00 P.M. My body is feeling pretty rough.
Day 38: Happy Birthday, Shannon!
July 9th. My sister turned 28 today. She's old. Love you Shannon!
We woke up and filled all of our water which was very necessary. On the water by 6:45 and didn't get out until 10:45. There really wasn't anywhere to stop. The river is pretty barren in this stretch except for barges which have gotten bigger (7 long X 3 wide). I'm sure they will continue to get even bigger. When the waves hit us as we go over wing dams it can get pretty scary. Huge boils pop up and look like they could sink us. We have yet to hit one, luckily.
The wind never picked up and we had a very successful day mile wise. We estimate we kept about an 8 mile per hour pace, covering 77 miles. We would have gotten even further, but we took a long lunch on a sand bar. I even got a nap in! It felt amazing to just lie there and take in the sun.
We woke up and filled all of our water which was very necessary. On the water by 6:45 and didn't get out until 10:45. There really wasn't anywhere to stop. The river is pretty barren in this stretch except for barges which have gotten bigger (7 long X 3 wide). I'm sure they will continue to get even bigger. When the waves hit us as we go over wing dams it can get pretty scary. Huge boils pop up and look like they could sink us. We have yet to hit one, luckily.
The wind never picked up and we had a very successful day mile wise. We estimate we kept about an 8 mile per hour pace, covering 77 miles. We would have gotten even further, but we took a long lunch on a sand bar. I even got a nap in! It felt amazing to just lie there and take in the sun.
Day 37: The Arch
While we were packing up in the morning a man yelled to us from his boat if we wanted coffee. Having weathered the storm the night before I accepted gratefully. We paddled over to his slip and ended up chatting for about a half hour. His name was Russell and the boat he was staying on was his friend Shawn's. Shawn and his daughter showed up shortly after we arrived. He grew up in Mississippi and said we would love it down South. Hopefully he's right. It was apparent that Russell was living on the boat (which didn't currently work). He didn't take very good care of it, but it looked very peaceful and I bet it was a lot easier to sleep in than a tent last night.
We locked through the Alton Dam and chatted with the lock workers. They told us to take the chain of rocks which would bypass the last lock, 27. It is only navigable in high water, which it is, and wouldn't have any barge traffic. As we didn't have any maps of the area we relied on our phones. We should have known better. There was a channel on the East side of the river labeled "Chain of Rocks Channel" which I decided was what the lock workers were talking about. Turns out, that's the channel that boats take to avoid the chain of rocks. So, rather than staying in the current and avoiding barge traffic we were paddling in dead water with all the normal barge traffic of a busy city. It was only mildly frustrating until it took us 20 minutes to lock through lock 27.
We pulled up to the Arch in St. Louis around 2:00 P.M. and got out to see the sites and find a restroom. We were also hoping for something quick to eat, but the St. Louis riverfront is severely lacking. There was a helicopter tour launch pad, two small food vendors, and the Arch. Otherwise it was just a lot of industry. We spent about an hour walking around the Arch, finding restrooms, and taking a lot of pictures. I really thought the Arch was cool. It was extremely difficult to get the whole thing in one picture. Anders was not very impressed though.
The rest of the day was pretty tough. Moderate winds, high waves, and lots of barges. We skipped lunch and also ran out of water so neither of us was feeling too great. Adding to this was the fact that there really wasn't anywhere to stop and camp. When we finally found a possible site, a pump station, we jumped out and quickly asked if we could stay there. The man agreed and told us where we could get water. He even allowed us to use the restroom at the pump station. It was a relief to find a solid site with facilities.
Ohhhh... I would paddle 1,150 miles
And I would paddle 1,150 more
Just to be the man that paddled 2,300 miles to wind up at your door
Dahda da duh duh!
Dahda da duh duh!
...We're about halfway done! I know the Arch was built to symbolize Westward expansion, but I like to think it was put in St. Louis to tell river travelers they were at the midway point. We're at the top of the Arch. It's all downhill from here. Is that a good or bad thing?
We locked through the Alton Dam and chatted with the lock workers. They told us to take the chain of rocks which would bypass the last lock, 27. It is only navigable in high water, which it is, and wouldn't have any barge traffic. As we didn't have any maps of the area we relied on our phones. We should have known better. There was a channel on the East side of the river labeled "Chain of Rocks Channel" which I decided was what the lock workers were talking about. Turns out, that's the channel that boats take to avoid the chain of rocks. So, rather than staying in the current and avoiding barge traffic we were paddling in dead water with all the normal barge traffic of a busy city. It was only mildly frustrating until it took us 20 minutes to lock through lock 27.
We pulled up to the Arch in St. Louis around 2:00 P.M. and got out to see the sites and find a restroom. We were also hoping for something quick to eat, but the St. Louis riverfront is severely lacking. There was a helicopter tour launch pad, two small food vendors, and the Arch. Otherwise it was just a lot of industry. We spent about an hour walking around the Arch, finding restrooms, and taking a lot of pictures. I really thought the Arch was cool. It was extremely difficult to get the whole thing in one picture. Anders was not very impressed though.
The rest of the day was pretty tough. Moderate winds, high waves, and lots of barges. We skipped lunch and also ran out of water so neither of us was feeling too great. Adding to this was the fact that there really wasn't anywhere to stop and camp. When we finally found a possible site, a pump station, we jumped out and quickly asked if we could stay there. The man agreed and told us where we could get water. He even allowed us to use the restroom at the pump station. It was a relief to find a solid site with facilities.
Ohhhh... I would paddle 1,150 miles
And I would paddle 1,150 more
Just to be the man that paddled 2,300 miles to wind up at your door
Dahda da duh duh!
Dahda da duh duh!
...We're about halfway done! I know the Arch was built to symbolize Westward expansion, but I like to think it was put in St. Louis to tell river travelers they were at the midway point. We're at the top of the Arch. It's all downhill from here. Is that a good or bad thing?
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