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Day 26 (A New Years Eve that started in the fog)

12/31/2009

14 Comments

 
Daily stats
Start: 6:40 AM- Outside Greenville MS
Finish: 1:40 PM - On the river
Time: 7:00
Daily dist: 50 miles
Total dist: miles
Companions: None
Weather: Very thick fog delayed launch and slowed progress all morning. Things cleared and became very nice in the afternoon.

HAPPY NEW YEARS EVERYONE!
.

Hey guess what… It’s raining. I think this is three nights in a row that I’ve had rain. I can’t complain though I pulled off the river early today to take advantage of sunshine and warm temps in order to spread out and get things dry. It felt good to get the dampness out of everything after yesterdays all day rain. This rain tonight is supposed to pass through by morning followed by a cold front that should bring dry conditions for the next several days. A dry cold front is good news to me, I’ll take cold and dry over warm and rainy any time.
I was prepped and ready to go nice and early this morning but a very heavy fog delayed my launch until I could at least see the fog rather than just bottomless darkness. When I finally did launch I had to navigate by staying within a hundred feet of shore to be sure I wasn’t drifting into the main channel. All was going well until I came to the inside of a bend and the shore line moved a half mile from the edge of the channel and a gauntlet of wing dams (at unknown depths) transected my course. The water is up fairly high but after running into a wing dam last week I’m a little gun shy.
Picture
Very thick fog this morning
Thankfully the first inside bend put me into an old cutoff channel which ran behind all the wing dams and far from any barge traffic. After about three miles of stress free travel the channel deposited me back into the main river channel. Still I was able to continue on by again following the shore line. After an hour of following the long route along the outside of every bend the fog lifted enough to allow me to see both sides of the river. I was lured away from shore in search of the buoy lines I like to follow then the wind shifted and in a matter of seconds a foggy trap closed in leaving me in mid channel with zero visibility. For the first time in this trip I fired up my GPS and along with a compass I did fly by wire navigation to follow the flooded edge of a towhead which put me safely at the edge of the channel and beyond the reach of wing dams jutting out from shore. I couldn’t see anything around me and had to put my trust in the GPS reinforced every so often by the sight of a buoy straining against its anchor chain on the edge of the channel.
The thick fog persisted until 10:30 when I was finally able to see both sides of the channel and far enough ahead to know what kind of barge traffic was on the river. Finally I was able to get up to speed and put on some miles. A gentle tail wind helped smooth out the river and I set a brisk pace to try to make up for the slow start.
Picture
The perfect sand beach for New Years Eve camp
My plan was to put in about 50 miles (shorter than I have been doing) and pull off the water early to have time to dry out. As I rounded the last bend I eyed a likely towhead in search of a nice sand bar to camp on and was rewarded by a perfect sunny, dry, and accessible spot… The perfect New Years Eve camp.

14 Comments
Elmore link
12/31/2009 11:39:53 am

Happy New Year, Jake. We're impressed with the way you're knocking out the miles! Be sure to stop and look around a little, too.

Reply
Aaron Stachovak
12/31/2009 12:23:02 pm

Happy New Year! keep on truckin -

Reply
Tvan
12/31/2009 12:28:16 pm

Hang in there Jake, you'll be in warmer waters in about a week. From then on, it will be smooth sailing. There are alot of people thinking about you tonight, camping out on that sand bar on New Years eve. Keep your spirits up. Your not alone. We're all watching!

Reply
Luke Stachovak
12/31/2009 02:24:24 pm

Happy New Year Jake! We were all thinking of you when midnight came.

Reply
pa
12/31/2009 10:23:44 pm

Happy New Year Jake. Will be going fishing shortly with Jeff.As Luke said we all were thinking of you at midnight.Hope your evening was dry and comfortable.Love ya , Dad

Reply
Jenny
1/1/2010 12:24:04 am

Happy New Year Jake !!

Reply
lyn stachovak
1/1/2010 12:27:36 am

Happy New Year Jake. Hope the rain has let up and you have smooth sailing for a couple of days. It can only get warmer from now on... Unlike us??? Cold today, but Dad and Jeff went fishing. Instead of doing a Christmas Day fish - Dad's doing a New Years Day fish. Love you and take care of yourself.

Mom

Reply
Ann Daley
1/1/2010 12:59:42 am

Happy New Year, Jake! I hope soon you'll have warm and dry conditions for your journey.

Reply
Pat Wheeler
1/1/2010 05:32:52 am

Jake, be sure you eat some black eyed peas and cornbread for good luck! You're in the south now. (Vicksburg is about as southern as you can get.
Pat

Reply
Aaron Stachovak
1/1/2010 09:53:09 am

While I was talking with Jake on the phone tonight he asked a woman in the laundromat if she was "fixin" to close up soon. I would say he is partaking in the southern experience quite well. After our conversation he was fixin to walk 5 plus miles back to the river via a McDonalds. McDonalds - I wonder what Freya Hoffmeister would say about that? :)

Sounds like he is thinking of new ways of securing his gear when he makes supply trips into towns. I hope that works out for him!

Reply
Mike Stephen
1/1/2010 11:09:20 am

Keep it going Jake.. I check in every few days.. but I did think of you last night.. Living through your adventure...

Reply
Lynn
1/1/2010 12:45:02 pm

Happy New Years! Yo Jake, sounds like a really interesting process dodging these barges...glad you found a channel. Hope your evening is warm !!! It wounds like you moving pretty fast...or is that just an imagination..doing 50 miles or 60 seems like you catching up with yourself? No? Have a great morning on Sunday!

Reply
Thom
1/1/2010 01:01:55 pm

Happy New Years Jake and congratulations with your progress.

Reply
Jan Kleck
1/1/2010 07:58:59 pm

Happy New Years to you Jake. Just came back from Ohio and many people had many questions about what you are doing and all expressed concern and awe wishing you the best - as we do. Progress is certainly being made. Be safe.

Reply



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