LONGEST DAY - June 22nd & 23rd to Smithland Locks
Started this day at 4:30 in the morning. I wanted to get a head start today because of cutting yesterday a little short. Although, I'm glad I spent the night at the marina and again, made new friends.
The day started out great, making it to Evansville, IN before noon. The plan was to go over to the KY side and get out of the water in Henderson, KY, but those plans were quickly aborted because there was no landing! The Henderson landing was all the way around the loop I was trying to avoid by biking through Henderson a few miles and saving a bunch of miles paddling.
So, back to the Evansville side and to a broken down landing just under the bridge connecting Evansville and Henderson.
Got all set up to start the bike portage, but to my surprise when I got to the top of the boat ramp I was in the middle of a soybean field. Well, there was a dirt tractor road going through the middle of it so I figured that was my best bet. Finally did make it to a paved road and worked my way to the highway leading to Henderson. The highway started out with a nice shoulder and I went right by a weigh station with about 4 highway patrol cars sitting at it. I figured one of three things could happen as they were watching me wide-eyed going by: 1. The shoulder was safe enough to go over the bridge. 2. They would come and stop me and not allow me to go over, or 3. They'd be nice enough to escort me across. None of the three! Shoulder narrowed and I rode across with cars and trucks within a short arm's reach away passing me. Made it!
Once in Henderson I asked for the best way to get back to the river. A older timer told me if it were him he'd go a back road about 15 miles and get back in past all the loops. Sounded good to me so that is what I did.
Now back in the water in mid afternoon. I worked my way down to the Uniontown locks figuring if I could paddle until 9:00 I'd be able to make it to the Smithland locks tomorrow where Bob Maxwell would pick me up. Always in the back of my mind was homecooked crappie and buffalo steaks and a level bed for a couple of days!!! Just enough to make me want to get there as quick as I could.
Well, around 6:30 I could see a big front moving in. A couple in a pleasure boat stopped and told me severe storms were on their way. (Glad they told me for I lost my radio a couple of days ago!) So, I found a great place to make camp, even level for a change. Just as I got myself all tucked in the storm hit. Good winds, lightning and a fair amount of rain.
While it was raining I called Bob Maxwell to get his report on what the weather was doing in the Paducah area. He said that I must be getting the rain they just had and everything looked good after it passed which should be about half an hour.
Sure enough, in about half hour it was clear again so I had supper, walked around a little and settled in for the evening.
Then about 10:30 all hell broke loose. Lightning, rain and could hear strong winds coming. I looked out and it was very eerie, like tornado weather. So I quickly called Bob again and he said everything was great there, but he'd check the weather channel and see what was in my area. Meanwhile, while waiting for him to call back I had to go retrieve my tent that blew off into some bushes. Re-set the tent up and Bob called. He said I was right in the middle of a severe straight wind storm. That was nice to hear! Well, I crawled back into a very wet tent and sleeping bag and just waited it out. Finally, sometime around 11:30 it was over and I was very happy except for everything being totally wet. I tried to make do the best I could, but said the heck with it, I'm packing up and going!
So, one day turned into two, with a night of paddling!
At about 9:00 the next morning I finally pulled over and took a good 45 minute nap. Took another at around2:00! Good thing in this experience is that I was on track to make it to Smithland today, which I probably would not have made if I started in the morning because I was further up stream than I figured the night before. Also, had a good breeze at my back for the first time in a long time. As I looked over to shore it looked like I was going twice as fast as previous days.
Finally made it to Smithland in the late afternoon. Called Bob and he'd said he'd be there in about 45 minutes. I got everything up onto the landing and went back down to the river and lay in the water thinking, why do I always have to push myself to get somewhere? I could have just as well gotten here tomorrow without killing myself! Just not my way I guess,,, but after all,,, crappie and buffalo steak and a level bed sound awful good tonight!
The day started out great, making it to Evansville, IN before noon. The plan was to go over to the KY side and get out of the water in Henderson, KY, but those plans were quickly aborted because there was no landing! The Henderson landing was all the way around the loop I was trying to avoid by biking through Henderson a few miles and saving a bunch of miles paddling.
So, back to the Evansville side and to a broken down landing just under the bridge connecting Evansville and Henderson.
Got all set up to start the bike portage, but to my surprise when I got to the top of the boat ramp I was in the middle of a soybean field. Well, there was a dirt tractor road going through the middle of it so I figured that was my best bet. Finally did make it to a paved road and worked my way to the highway leading to Henderson. The highway started out with a nice shoulder and I went right by a weigh station with about 4 highway patrol cars sitting at it. I figured one of three things could happen as they were watching me wide-eyed going by: 1. The shoulder was safe enough to go over the bridge. 2. They would come and stop me and not allow me to go over, or 3. They'd be nice enough to escort me across. None of the three! Shoulder narrowed and I rode across with cars and trucks within a short arm's reach away passing me. Made it!
Once in Henderson I asked for the best way to get back to the river. A older timer told me if it were him he'd go a back road about 15 miles and get back in past all the loops. Sounded good to me so that is what I did.
Now back in the water in mid afternoon. I worked my way down to the Uniontown locks figuring if I could paddle until 9:00 I'd be able to make it to the Smithland locks tomorrow where Bob Maxwell would pick me up. Always in the back of my mind was homecooked crappie and buffalo steaks and a level bed for a couple of days!!! Just enough to make me want to get there as quick as I could.
Well, around 6:30 I could see a big front moving in. A couple in a pleasure boat stopped and told me severe storms were on their way. (Glad they told me for I lost my radio a couple of days ago!) So, I found a great place to make camp, even level for a change. Just as I got myself all tucked in the storm hit. Good winds, lightning and a fair amount of rain.
While it was raining I called Bob Maxwell to get his report on what the weather was doing in the Paducah area. He said that I must be getting the rain they just had and everything looked good after it passed which should be about half an hour.
Sure enough, in about half hour it was clear again so I had supper, walked around a little and settled in for the evening.
Then about 10:30 all hell broke loose. Lightning, rain and could hear strong winds coming. I looked out and it was very eerie, like tornado weather. So I quickly called Bob again and he said everything was great there, but he'd check the weather channel and see what was in my area. Meanwhile, while waiting for him to call back I had to go retrieve my tent that blew off into some bushes. Re-set the tent up and Bob called. He said I was right in the middle of a severe straight wind storm. That was nice to hear! Well, I crawled back into a very wet tent and sleeping bag and just waited it out. Finally, sometime around 11:30 it was over and I was very happy except for everything being totally wet. I tried to make do the best I could, but said the heck with it, I'm packing up and going!
So, one day turned into two, with a night of paddling!
At about 9:00 the next morning I finally pulled over and took a good 45 minute nap. Took another at around2:00! Good thing in this experience is that I was on track to make it to Smithland today, which I probably would not have made if I started in the morning because I was further up stream than I figured the night before. Also, had a good breeze at my back for the first time in a long time. As I looked over to shore it looked like I was going twice as fast as previous days.
Finally made it to Smithland in the late afternoon. Called Bob and he'd said he'd be there in about 45 minutes. I got everything up onto the landing and went back down to the river and lay in the water thinking, why do I always have to push myself to get somewhere? I could have just as well gotten here tomorrow without killing myself! Just not my way I guess,,, but after all,,, crappie and buffalo steak and a level bed sound awful good tonight!
posted by Coach at 7:53 AM
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