TenaCity to WindyCity Day 28, Jun 17, 2019

TenaCity to WindyCity Runyak
June 17, 2019

Flint to Chicago DAY 28
 CLICK ON ALL PHOTOS AND MAPS TO ENLARGE
I only planned to run and portage today so figured paddler Kate would not want to go.
My mistake. She said she'd like to do a "with the flow" paddle while I ran and portaged.
Red Sky Skies at Morning Sailor's Warning. Why take any chances, one further excuse for Riley 'Son-of-a-Sailor' McGlinchey not to try to paddling upriver today. We saw this sunrise on M33 near Rose City on our way north. 
This video footage was at McMasters Bridge, nowhere that I'd be runyaking today, but where I dropped Kate off for the downriver paddle. I can only hope someday I will arrive here by Green Snake. 

 This is the landing that I could not reach last week because of fast current and where I started my portaging of the Green Snake today
 A view downriver from the launch to where I had to get out and portage. Taken after my run. I missed a turn and ran and extra mile. The run was ended up being 8.4 miles. According to runyak rules only 7.4 miles will be added to the total runyak distance.
Photo taken on Randall Rd
This time before the kayak drag I had brought and drank Gatorade, so I did not rely on beer as the last time. 
 The portage was a real physical drain. The first mile I carried the Snake over my head. The plan was to see if carrying was faster than dragging. After the mile my head was bent out of shape from the load upon it. For the 6 miles thereafter it was hard to hold my head up. While dragging, for relief, I'd prop my head up with a fist under the chin, and elbow in the gut. At 3.1 mile I arrived at Parmalee Bridge to find Kate waiting for me. I was pooped then but still had another 4 miles to go. She said she would continue paddling to the launch where I'd begun. I drank my last bottle of water and dragged onward. 
The first mile carrying the boat over my head, my pace was under 19 min/mi. in the end it was over 24 min/mi. So carrying over the head was faster but more difficult.
The sight of my van was all I needed, I'd had enough. I dropped the Snake and staggered for a minute. All the while trying to stand up straight after being slumped over for so long during the drag. The above photo is where I stopped and will start next time. Normally I'd have carried or dragged the kayak to the van. This time being so exhausted, I wasn't going to move it one inch further than I had to. I backed the van up, even though it was less than 50 feet away, before tossing it inside.

Please, please O Man River, slow down next time and let me paddle.

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