DAY 30 TenaCity to WindyCity Jul 5, 2019

TenaCity to WindyCity Runyak

July 5, 2019

Flint to Chicago DAY 30

CLICK ON MAP AND PHOTOS TO ENLARGE

I had a tough decision to make today. I had a 3 mile portage before I reaching McMasters Bridge and to begin paddling. The past two drag portages ended with holes in the bottom of Green Snake. Fearing the same would happen today I did not want to launch with possible holes in the boat. The smart thing was to use one kayak for the portage and switch to another before paddling. That would mean bring Swifty out of retirement. He is the lighter of the two, so I chose to try and carry instead of dragging. I was not sure I could carry him all the way so the plan to switch kayaks before launching stayed in place. The 2.9 mile carry portage was a piece of cake compared to the previous drag portages. 

 Me carrying Swiftee. We averaged under 19 min/mi, much faster that the drag portages.
Now that Swiftee is out of retirement, I suppose I should paddle with him also. Using two boats it seems, in my weird mind, I'm breaking runyaking rules. It shouldn't, for runyaking is my creation and I make up the rules.

 While carrying Swiftee I came upon a dead porcupine, looking quite alive, in the road. To prevent cars from flattening him I kicked him to the roadside. After, when carrying the kayak over my head, I looked down at my shoes. There were a dozen or so quills stuck to my Nikes. 

 Kate Ferris did the paddle with me after the portage was complete. We managed to launch before 8:00 am.

We weren't but a half mile paddling and I told her I was ready to turn around and go back. I was finding the current too hard to paddle against, and I, just completing an easy portage, figured it was easier of the two modes. Kate wanted to try going a little further. I relented and continue to battle the current. 

 It was the 5th of July. At 9:00 am the cleanup for the previous night activities had not yet begun.

 It took nearly 3 hours to advance 3.5 miles. I arrived at Conner's Flat Landing and waited quite a while before Kate arrived. We agreed a mile back this would be our turn around for the day. After looking upstream from the Conner landing the river looked slow in movement.
We decided to rest a few minutes, take a bathroom break, then decide whether to paddle on.
 After hitting the bathroom, the more I looked at the river I was not ready to give up for the day. 

Once restarting we were able to move up river much faster. I was now very glad Kate talked me out of portaging instead. I'm thinking Conners Flat gets its named because the river does not drop in elevation, which causes slow moving current.

  

 We made it to the confluence of the Main and South Branches of the AuSable at 12:30 pm. Above photo: looking up the South Branch. Below: looking up the Main.

Photo below is looking at the Main Branch downstream

I was told by a riparian near Mio that here at the confluence is where the current accelerates. At the fork it is faster than in Conners Flat area.  His statement did not seem true, We'd just seen it slower.. But still, the confluence area was not nearly as bad as in the morning.  

Log cabin in the woods.

Kate Farris: I took this picture while paddling back downstream. There was no time for photography while paddling upstream.

Yes beer lovers, I drank it! The Michigan Beer Snob, paddling against the flow on the AuSable for more than five mile (never drink beer when battling currents) my water and Gatorade long gone, I needed hydration badly. When turned around and going with the flow, I saw some riparians along the bank. I asked if they had any surplus beer they could donate to the needy. This is what they gave me. I thanked them! At the time what I really needed was water and that what they gave me. You can tell how happy I was by the smile om my face.

What a delightful trip it was going back to the van at McMasters Bridge compared to away from it. Paddle speed up river was 40 min/mi, coming back it was 13 min/mi. Makes me look forward to paddling the Manistee even more, thinking it will also be under 15 min/mi.

Paddling for 5 hours I was caked with salty sweat, time to cool off and clean up, and water was cold! 

When finished for the day my right shoulder and elbow were killing me. I immediately took Ibuprofen.

Hope it isn't going to nag me the rest of the way to Grayling, which now is about 20 miles away, or 3 more trips.