FUTRE TRIPS?

I said right at the outset of this trip that it was to see whether I had another solo long distance paddle in me and whether at the end I had got them out of my system,

I think the answer to both questions is a qualified yes.. While I didn't make it to Chicago or even my revised destination of Detroit, I did cover nearly 1500 kilometres in some of the toughest paddling conditions I have ever encountered. .The Mississippi River was a doddle compared with this trip. What made the river hard was the unrelenting heat which was just about the only weather condition I didn't encounter on this trip. I didn't have one day off the river due to the weather. On this trip I had 6 days in the first 2 to 3 weeks. I had storms, extreme thunderstorms (I have never seen so much purple on the Doppler weather radar on the TV),strong winds, heavy rain  tidal currents and river currents. Friends had commented beforehand that I was going uphill and that I should have started in Chicago. I was aware of all this but the bottom line was that my boat was in NY. Besides I knew of two kayakers who had done what I was proposing one of them on a sit on kayak.. The elements were against me right from the date of the start. The Hudson River is a tidal estuary and one would normally choose a start date to take best advantage of the tides. I didn't have that luxury. On the day I started low tide was around 11.00am and of course this got later day by day and as I moved up the river until it got tot the stage where for the first 6 hours of the day I was paddling against the tide. Then when I got up to Albany the estuary became river and the tide is joined by river current reinforced by the heavy rain over the preceding Memorial Day.

The first portion of the Erie Canal is actually the Mohawk River so there is some slight current even in normal conditions. When the extreme thunderstorm hit the canal water level rose 3 feet in a matter of hours and some 10 locks were closed for varying periods.

When I made it on to Lake Erie there were several days when the conditions were so bad I was the only boat on the water. People I met at various marinas were amazed when I turned up and even more so when they heard where I had started the day (of course none of them knew anything about a kayak's ability to handle rough conditions---or mine for that matter although there were a couple of occasions when I wondered whether I had just made the worst decision of my life) ( I can't speak highly enough about my boat-it is so well made and handled everything superbly--I even found out it surfs well when I was spun around by a wave and picked up by the next one for hair raising but mercifully brief ride).I basically spent every day on the lake in the surf zone, ending up soaking wet and exhausted.

As for future trips, I don't think there will be any more but I have learned never to say never. I did jokingly say to my son in law that the next trip would be on the Snake river in Idaho which is just about as far away from NY as it is possible to get and that I expected him to come and pick me up. For the moment , I still have the boat .It is at the Inwood Canoe Club and next w/e will be taken to the families holiday home near Rhinebeck for storage

 

 

 

 

 

THE END OF THE JOURNEY

As some of you are now aware I have called a stop to my paddle After having to deal with several issues, culminating in breaking my glasses, I decided it wouldn't be sensible to push on just for the sake of reaching some completely arbitrary objective. Although sad I feel comfortable with the decision several days later and content with what I achieved. There was some irony in the fact that while the weather conditions were a factor in my decision, on my last paddling day they were as near as perfect as could be with not a breath of wind or any swell and sunny conditions. I could easily have made my 50k target that I had not been able to attain consistently previously.

My last day saw me paddle 20 k to  Geneva State Park Marina which is just short of Cleveland. I was prepared to paddle another 300  the next day to Fairport which was the last marina b/4 Cleveland and be retrieved from there. There was a small restaurant in the marina shop and  I had a nice bacon and egg brunch to supplement my oatmeal breakfast of a few hours earlier. I spent the rest of the day reading 2 of the terrible cheap books I had purchased a few days earlier and  resting on the park benches. I had been advised by the marina manager that while he had no problems with me putting my tent up for the night ,there was in fact a no camping allowed policy. He suggested a nice sandy beach on the approach to the marina which I had also picked as my plan B option.. I prefer not to camp on sand as it is hard to get  a good purchase for tent pegs and is hard to sleep on (I don't use any form of mattress).I adjourned to the beach around 7.00pm and lay on my ground sheet ,not wanting to attract too much attention by putting the tent up before it got dark. The phone rang. It was my son in law saying he was on his way (a day early) and was about 350k away. I estimated his time of arrival at midnight so continued lying on the sand in the setting sun until dark. I then packed up, paddled back tot the boat ramp, and unpacked everything in anticipation of Matthew's arrival. Although I was warmly dressed with a merino underlay it soon got quite could so I slipped into my sleeping bag. I was  sitting at the table with my head in my arms completely enclosed in and motionless in the sleeping bag when a passing young man decided to investigate the pile of dry bags. He just about had a heart attack when I sat up at his approach.

Matthew arrived just after midnight  and we  quickly loaded the boat and gear and checked into a Motel 6 he had seen out on the I 90. We were on the road again by 6.30 am for the long drive back to NY. It is a distance of at least 650k each way. (think Auckland to Wellington).I tell Matthew he is my favourite son in law (I only have one) but that he shouldn't rest on his laurels as there may be some competition one day and he might have to lift his game

Ohio!

Greg spent last night in the town of Conneaut, Ohio. He was only able to kayak until 10.30am due to increasingly strong winds. However he still covered some 30km as he was on the water before 6am! He came ashore at a boat club, and was fortunate to meet the Commodore and his wife, who allowed him access to the clubhouse for the evening. Of note, Greg was also given a membership pass allowing him entry to any other boat clubs on the lake - this should come in handy over the coming weeks! He was also taken to a local library to replenish his reading material - for 10c each he now has a new collection of novels to enjoy.
 
Today the goal is to reach Fairport, Ohio.

On the Lake

Greg has spent the past two days paddling along the shores of Lake Erie, and tonight is near Dunkirk. He was lucky to be taken in by two men who waved to him from the shore, and is staying in their lovely house, enjoying such luxuries as a bed and warm shower. The previous day was quite heavy going, with his boat at times being spun around by the waves. In contrast today has been a relatively easy paddle. There are many cliffs along the shore in this part of the lake, some as high as 100 feet, and many rocky beaches - not particularly suitable for camping! Greg is aiming to reach the town of Erie tomorrow, assuming the current and weather are in his favour.

He Remembered to Turn Left!

And consequently did _not_ go over the Niagara Falls!

Greg is staying tonight outside Buffalo. He has already had Border Control pay him a visit this evening, they insisted on taking a look in his tent even though he said there was no one else there. At least he knows his campsite is very secure. Based in part on this experience, Greg has decided to stick to the American side of the lake for ease of kayaking. He hopes to find small beaches at which he can stop periodically, and is looking forward to kayaking unencumbered by having to wait for locks to open.

Medina NY

Greg has arrived at the town of Medina, NY and has pitched his tent next to several other kayakers he met on the river. Last night his sleep was interrupted by a carnival next door - although it had closed in the early evening, several large trucks returned to finish cleaning up around 11.30pm! Here's hoping tonight's campsite will be more peaceful. Greg kayaked through Rochester, NY today, where the canal became a deep, concrete lined canyon, and tomorrow is aiming to reach Tonawanda, NY. Once he gets to Buffalo, he will make inquiries about crossing from the USA to Canada by kayak. In some cases, it may be easier to kayak along the Canadian side of the lake, but he wants to make sure he can get back OK!

The weather improves..

Greg paddled through light rain yesterday, which he described as 'perfect kayaking weather'. It is certainly an improvement from recent days. He spent last night in the town of Macedon, and was fortunate to be invited to sleep on a canal boat moored nearby. Today he aims to reach the outskirts of Rochester, NY, and I expect to be able to update on his progress by tomorrow.

Slow progress

Tonight Greg is in Lyons in upstate New York.

He is camped behind a fire-station and is being helped by a number of local people .

This trip has been slower than the last . Greg compared it to paddling up the Waikato River every day from the sea to Huntly. Weather and tides are usually against him. Nevertheless he sounds very cheerful, possibly because he had the chance to visit a supermarket today. And Walmart!

Waiting..

Greg is has spent the day at Sylvan Beach, on the shores of Lake Oneida. The wind has been too strong for him to attempt any kayaking. Having read both his books, he hopes to make some progress tomorrow. I am also happy to report that Greg located his VHF radio, lying in the grass at one of his previous stops.