Bonked

First, just to let everyone know that my connection from here on out will be sporadic, if at all. I think I'll be able to connect somewhere, but I'm just not sure where. So, if you don't see a post for a couple days, don't worry. My wife Susan says she'll give me 2 days, but if she hadn't heard from my by the 3rd day, she's sending someone after me. Seriously, no worries, it's just Verizon doesn't have great service south of here. Not sure anyone will, but keeping my fingers crossed.
Second thing before I write about the last couple days. Previously I mentioned that Tuesday was a smooth day with the locks, and it was, sort of. Looking back, there are a couple little stories I had wanted to relate. Yes, the first lock was a breeze. I called about 15 minutes out. The lockmaster opened the doors and in I went. Smooth.
The second lock had a little wait while I waited for a barge to clear. All the locks have 2 walls on either side, a long wall and a short wall. The lockmaster asked me to wait outside the long wall while the barge/tug cleared. No problem. I just tied off on a small piece of pipe and waited. About 5 minutes later I hear the big diesel motors of the tug crank up and the swoosh of the barge starting to move through. At this point, I'm thinking this is pretty cool. The sounds are loud and powerful. I can feel the vibration of the motors and ships through the 6 foot thick concrete wall. Powerful forces in action here. Well, I'm sitting there in awe when all of sudden "WHAM"!! The sound is even with me on the other side of the wall. The barge is banging along the wall. Again, "WHAM"! At this point, cool changed to uh oh. I look up at the wall I'm tied to and actually see the wall move as the barge slams into it. Needless to say, I untie and back off. I hear over the radio, the lockmaster talking to the tug telling him that there's a akayak tucked behind the wall and out of the way. Believe me, I'm out of the way a lot farther than I was. No problem. As I peer around the corner of the wall, I see the tug, pushing the barges sideways out into the channel. Whether it was wind, or current, the tug was trying to get them turned back and seemingly started the turn a little too early. The power was incredible. A littel sidenote - yesterday, I was at the marina and struck up a conversation with a tug operator. He told me that a full barge weighs in at 15,000 tons. Unbelievable!
The last lock of the day was smooth too, but required a little extra work to make it so. I was tired and had covered about 25 miles to this point. I radiod the lock to tell them I was 15 to 20 minutes out. He comes back with "can't you get here any sooner?" I stared at the radio alittle perturbed. I told him I was in a kayak and he could probably get a visual on me from where he was. The lock was in sight, but a little over a mile away. He comes back and says, "well, I'll go ahead and drop the pool, I've got a barge coming up river and once I get him through we'll get you down." "NOOO", I thought. I quickly radiod back, I can hurry it up if you'll wait...please. Gratefully, he said he'd hold em open if I could hurry. Man, I took off. Looked at my watch and made it to the lock at 11 minutes. At any moment II was pulling at close to 5 mph, after a long day already, but made it. I think I must be getting into a little bit of paddling shape now.
Ok, back to the present. Actually yesterday and the Bonk. So far the days have been pretty much the same. I leave early and paddle moderately hard until the afternoon. If I can make 20 miles at around noon, I'm feeling pretty good. Later, I'll either find a spot to rest while the suns at it's height,or cruise the best I can at a slower pace and take smaller stops. I've felt pretty good energy wise through out the trip. No dehydration issues. No food issues. I've been thirsty and hungry, but nothing to where the body just stops. Until yesterday. Yesterday I bonked. I was a little strange too. I started out having a great morning of paddling easily and making decent time. The shoreline was interesting and the morning cooler than ithad been. I was passing near Columbus, MS and the Air Force base there. What looked like some T-38's with some flight school pilots were flying around. My dad flew T-38's during his flight training days and it made me think about him. Actually growing up on AF bases, the sound was very familiar, but I was never good a telling what kindof planes were flying around. Anyway, a good day all around.
About 11 am, I was starting to get hungry so I ate some gorp. Its a staple I eat throughout the day. I drank some water with it and started to go again. Well, I was still hungry so I stopped and made some ham salad and ate it on a couple tortillas. At that point, I lost all energy and started feeling very weak. I couldn't have gone further if I wanted to. Thankfully, I found a good, shady spot with trees overhanging, a nice gravel beach and a coolingbreeze blowing through. I slept for close to 2 hours. I woke up, ate alittle more and drank some water and off I went feeling pretty good, but taking it easy. Much better.Not sure if I bonked due to food, water, or a combination of the last 3 days energy expenditure. My guess is a probabaly all three. I had put in 3 hard days with the 38 miles the day before taking a final toll. Either way, when you bonk...you bonk and have to recoup before you go on.
At about the 18 mile mark,I was passing some women and kids beached with a boat and a jetski. They were out having a great day off with their kids and friends. As I was paddling by, they yelled to me to come over so over I went. They asked all the usual questions, gaveme a piece of the Colonel's best Fried Chicken and a cold bottle of water. Happy Happy Happy. Nice women too. Dawn, works for the State's School of Math and Science. There was also a school nurse, a landscaper and another working to be a teacher. It was great to just to sit there for 30 minutes and talk with them. They pointed me to the marina I was heading to and said it was a great place. Seems the burgers are great and the owners, Clif Yarborough and Rita are also first class. I pulled into the marina around 5 pm after only 22 miles. Don't think I wanted more either. The Waverly Marina is a cool little place tucked back in a cove away from the river channel. The first thing you see when you pull up is a vine covered Tiki Bar and restaraunt with cieling fans whirling and plenty of bar stools. All was true about Waverly. Clif and Rita let me sleep under the fans and recharge all my electronics. They also let me shower. Now, showers have been an unexpected treasure. This one was even better. A couple of Pittsburgh guys were bringing a boat up from Mobile to Pittsburgh. They were kind enough to let me have a razor so off went beard etc. Off it went partly due to the scrathy nature of it, but I have to admit, the grey/white was starting to outnumber the darker colors in it. Of course the main reason was the scratchyness.
Falling asleep at 9:30 was a wonderful feeling.
Today was one of the better days all around. First, made it through Stinson Lock. It was funny, they knew I was coming. Evidently, they faxed the lock yesterday to be on the look out for me. Also, when I pulled into the marina tonight, the owner looked at me and said, oh, your that kayaker. Evidently he's on the Tenn-Tomm Association and they emailed everyone that I was out there. Nice to know they are looking out for me too. Thirty-two miles and felt great. The first 20 was easy...the last 10 slow and hot. Again, met a family with kids getting ready for the 4th. They offered me a sandwich...I said no thanks, I'm ok. They offered again with more insistence and said I could take it to go. So, Ok, I took it. They threw in a yorgurt and a cold coke. Hard to refuse when people want to help out. The sandwiches were great. White bread, roast beef with mayo. The mayo and beef were cold, as was the coke. Ahhhhhhh. The yorgurt was a plus.
The river today was remote and one of the more scenic paddles. The banks were interspersed with small bluffs of clay and sand. Beaches of sand, or pea-size, redish brown gravel lined the shore. Not many houses, or industry through out the morning. Only 1 barge passed as well. Barges are great.They are very corteous as they pass. Hardly any wake by any of them. On the other hand, bass boats fly by without any regard. The big cruisers are mostly good to me. Most slow down as they pass, but a few go by and throw up a wake that I could do cartwheels on if I was in the right boat.
Also saw another bald eagle this morning. It flew off just as I turned and I saw the white tail. It decided to land in a tree about a hundred yards away. Managed a couple shots of it perched up,but the zoom has it's limits. Oh, Dawn and the girls from the day before say I'm definitely in gator country now. Being from Louisiana and having some experience paddling around them, I'm not worried,but will be careful. Mostly they will be in the backwaters and sloughs and not in the main channel. i looked hard today but didn't see any. I've seen many water snakes also, but no cottonmouths, or anything else like that.
Tonight, dinner of mac and cheese with little smokies and pudding. Haven't made it yet, but soon. Btw, most common questions so far? How do you go through the locks? Same as everyone else I tell them. Second most asked...how's your rear end? Doesn't it get sore? It's fine. The boat is very comfortable, but I also stop every few hours to stretch the legs. today, I was finished at 4, so only 11 hours in the boat today. I'll be getting up early to go through the locks at Aliceville, AL. Yep, I'm backin Alabama tonight with 300 miles to go and 10 days to get there.
Thanks to all for the comments on FB. I read them when I do email, but haven't had time,or connection to get on and do much else. They mean a lot and I really enjoy reading what all of you have to say about the journey, the writing and the project. kept expecting the doors to start swinging shut. If so, that would have meant another hour wait. I did not want to wait.