Day 40 (adjusting to open water) 01/14/2010
Don’t miss the day 39 post below. I thought it had posted last night but with the sketchy internet connection I had apparently it didn’t. Yesterday’s run down the Intracoastal was a sort of kayaking purgatory for me. Not the river and still not quite the ocean. Today was different. A half hour after I left camp I turned a corner and was greeted by one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen. Sunrise on the Gulf of Mexico. Perhaps not the best sunrise ever, but after a month on the water it was a sight I will never ever forget.  Sunrise on the Gulf of Mexico This first full day of open water paddling proved to be a day of adjustment for me. Without shore close to me on either side the passage of distance takes on a whole new relevance. The headland I’m aiming toward may take hours to get to and with the nearest shore over a mile away it sometimes doesn’t seem like I’m moving at all. I’ve adapted a version of my friend Duane Strosaker’s method for long channel crossings. Rather than paddle to a location… I paddle to the clock. What I mean is that my destination is the next break 45 minutes away not the point of land two and a half hours away. To keep my sanity I need the mini goals to chase even if it’s another swallow of water and mouthful of GORP. The regular breaks also mean that I do stay fed, hydrated, and stretched out. I find that if you just grind out until you get tired or thirsty you’ve started to dig yourself into a hole that’s hard to get out of. I believe on an endeavor like this you need to drink and eat before you get hungry or thirsty. Another thing I’m adjusting to is human shore development. On yesterday’s blog I mentioned how people were a new thing that I hadn’t seen much of on the river. While it’s a delight to see folks on the water, their houses and condos lining every inch of shore line made finding a camp spot a bit challenging. Melissa from South Coast Paddling Company in Ocean Springsi called around an recommended a spot just outside of Bay of St. Louis. I arrived here very early but because the next possible camp site is a full day of paddling further down the coast I had to pull off the water a bit earlier than normal. I could have opted to take the off shore route from island to island but I want to visit Melissa and her shop tomorrow, as well as other people in the area, so I opted for the mainland route. I’m not complaining though, this spot is nice. It’s situated on a bit of land that had been occupied by a home until hurricane Katrina swept it bare. Tomorrow I’ll be heading on into Biloxi to check in with Melissa.  A nice beach side camp  Ruins where a house once stood CommentsDave F 01/14/2010 11:14:04 pm Jake-Like the Greeks in the Anabasis. "The sea, the sea." Dave Diederich 01/15/2010 7:44:55 am Congratulations on reaching the gulf. I wish I was there too. Paddle on! lyn stachovak 01/15/2010 8:21:27 am Good morning Jake. Back in good old Mississippi huh? Maybe this part of the state is better - it could hardly be worse. Bill Strickland 01/15/2010 11:07:42 am Jake, Stan Graves 01/15/2010 11:35:58 am Jake, you are our breath of spring! We read your blog and wish we were with you instead of working! We look forward to your visit to the St Johns River on the other side of FL!!! Stay safe and enjoy every sunrise. Great picture. Museman 01/15/2010 12:33:18 pm Jake, another mile stone passed buddy! Your campsite looked pretty nice too. Kinda sad that it was a ruin of sorts...John and I are following your blog day by day and it gives us somthing to talk about while on our paddling runs in SD. Jan Kleck 01/15/2010 1:24:38 pm Since I am a mother, I think like other mothers - your mother for instance. What's next to worry about - at the same time we also agree - have fun! Enjoy those beautiful sunrises - and sunsets - for the rest of your life - on and off the water! Even I - a non-camper - liked those campsites! Happy days to all your blogger friends - you and they are lucky! Mic Breedlove 01/15/2010 4:41:19 pm Jake it is good to see that you are back on salt water. I hope to hook up with you on the south side of Florida. Be safe Dad 01/15/2010 5:59:51 pm Hi Jake, Steven Krause 01/16/2010 9:00:26 am That "sunrise on the Gulf of Mexico" photo looks suitable for one of the local TV weathermen to use on their submitted weather photos, especially if they knew a kayaker from Monroe Street took the photo. Cousin Alice 01/16/2010 10:22:56 am Hey Jake! This part of your trip sounds so nice..... beautiful pic of the sunrise. I'm glad you got to have a great time in New Orleans. The architecture is amazing. (So was the food if I remember correctly!) Leave a Reply | Best of the Blog
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