Finish: 4:30 PM - 30 miles above Natchez MS
Time: 5:00
Daily dist: 45 miles
Total dist: ? miles
Companions: None
Weather: Clear with brisk north wind - cold
Notes: Got a late start after charging up in Vicksburg
I managed to keep up with a downstream running tow full of coal for the entire day. The heavily loaded tows go down stream very cautiously. So on two occasions (yesterday and today) I ended up keeping up with a tow for hours. Toward the end of the evening today some of the crew of the tow I’d been chasing were standing along the railing of the wheel house watching me. I can’t imagine they see kayaks keeping up very often.
I didn’t necessarily want to be on the water until 4:30 but the high water is making finding good camp sights a bit challenging. I passed by an island flanked by large sand bars at about 2:30 but I wanted to get at least another hour in before calling it a day. As luck would have it no really decent spots came within that hour so I checked the map for a likely spot and went for it. There wasn’t much sand left above water on this island but it’s just enough and really not a bad spot at all. A bit exposed to the wind but not bad.
By the time I landed I was too tired to think about things any more so I just ate dinner and went to bed. Tomorrow will be a new day.