Day 198 (The first day of Summer)

Daily stats
Start: 7:30 AM - Lock E12 - Fort Hunter, NY
Finish: 3:45 PM - Lock E 14 - Canajoharie, NY
Time: 8:15 hours
Daily dist: 18 miles
Total dist: 3600+ miles
Companions: Otto
Weather: Mostly sunny with a 10-15 mph head wind
Notes: Otto’s first time paddling a loaded boat.

If you didn’t see where I mentioned him in the last couple of weeks, you may like to know who the mysterious Otto is. Otto is a friend and employee at Aqua Adventures San Diego. I met Otto and his dad when they were taking a kayak lesson with me about two and a half years ago. He was then a fourteen year old kid which in the sea kayaking world is very rare, and I was delighted to see such a young person interested in the sport. In the two years since his introduction to the sport Otto has fostered his interest in Greenland rolling while picking up well over a dozen types of Greenland Kayak rolls. In addition he has already earned his BCU 3 Star kayak skills award, and, as far as I know (at the age of 16) Otto may be the youngest Level 1 BCU Kayak Coach in the United States.

Preparing for the first day on the water.

Despite all of the time Otto has put in on kayaks over his short, but busy, two year run with the sport, he hasn’t had a chance to go kayak camping. So, why not test the waters in another facet of the sport by spending a few days with a 5000 mile multi month expedition. Being his first day kayak camping, today brought a lot of first for Otto. First time packing a boat, first time paddling a loaded boat, and the first time paddling over 15 miles in a day. All of these firsts, of course, came along with the experience of paddling in a state he’s never been to before on a body of water that has such unique things as locks to ride through. It was quite a day to say the least. I never expected less and am happy to say that after his first day Otto did quite well. It was nice to have familiar company on the water and in camp.

Our route today first took us immediately past the ruins of an aqueduct that used to carry the old Erie canal across Schoharie River. Only a few of the many stone arches that once spanned the river still remain but it is still a sight to see and makes one marvel at the skill, ingenuity, and craftsmanship of the builders of the time. After the aqueduct the canal took us west toward Lock No. 13 where we were lifted about 11 feet to the pooled up Mohawk river above.

Otto under the remains of an aqueduct that carried the old Erie canal

It was another ten miles upstream and upwind to the next lock where we planned to spend the night. After about an hour and a half of slogging into the wind we pulled over in a quiet cove to take a lunch break. Otto’s dad Larry had sent along a frozen package of sausage that are a specialty from Rochester, NY. They had already thawed and were not going to stay cold much longer so we figured we’d eat them for lunch. So we gathered up some dry wood and made a quick fire on the stone beach to cook up the sausage. It was only the second fire I’ve made on this entire trip and well worth the effort once we were enjoying the special taste treat.

Shore lunch sausage on a stick

Just after we got back on the river after lunch, we came upon a gentleman rowing a dory toward the east. As he passed I asked where he was going and he replied Manhattan. Another long distance traveler can’t go un-greeted so I paddled over and said hello. It turns out that this young man is from Ireland and is indeed on his way from Buffalo, NY across the Erie canal, down the Hudson, all the way to New York City. He had a rough go of it last week with heavy storms that destroyed his tent, but a stop at Walmart with a twenty dollar replacement got him back underway. He seemed to be in good spirits with the now glorious weather we’ve been having and was interested in learning more about the Mississippi River once he heard that I’d paddled it last winter. Apparently he’s already planning his next adventure before he’s finished with this one.

Derry Woodhouse (from Irleand) on his way to Manhattan

Otto and I ended our day at lock 14 where we were welcomed by the lockmaster, Chris. He actually had recommended that we continue on to Lock 15, not because he didn’t want us at his lock but because, as he apologized for, the water heater was broken and all we could get was a cold shower. In no real need for a shower, Otto decided that he’d rather stay here for the night than press on so we pulled out on the little mowed grass island that is wedged between the lock on one side and the dammed up Mohawk River on the other. Chris told us to make ourselves at home so we took advantage of a couple empty electrical sockets in the lock office to charge up some electronics. We then toured the facility a bit getting a closer look at the machinery that operates the doors and valves of the lock. It is really an ingenious system using gravity and control gates rather than pumps to flood and drain the lock chamber.

Otto watching a sailboat entering Lock No. 14

After checking out the facility, I subjected Otto to my cooking which tonight was Cajun red beans and rice with canned ham followed by pudding and cookies for dessert. As we washed up our dishes in the waning daylight of what was the longest day of the year fireflies began to emerge in the thousands. While I watched their twinkling green lights dancing in the trees on this warm summer evening, I couldn’t help but think back just six months ago when I was camped out alone on a cold sandbar in the Mississippi River on the first days of winter and the shortest days of the year.