DAY 49 TenaCity to WindyCity Runyak August 25, 2020



                                TenaCity to WindyCity Runyak

August 25, 2020

Flint to Chicago DAY 49

ALL PHOTOS AND IMAGES WILL ENLARGE WHEN CLICKED


I woke up earlier than I wanted in the Ludington McDonalds parking lot. I laid stirring for some time and figure I should do something. That plan meant running in the dark. I found my headlamp and reflective vest. I had to let Kate know my plan of getting in the run earlier. I did just that but was hesitant knowing I'd have to wake her from her sleep in her Suburban yards away from my Town and Country. 
I then got hot water from the drive-thru and made Starbucks Via instant coffee. Yes, Via  is a better option than McDonalds coffee, at least to my tongue. Don't knock Via until you tried it. It's not your dad's instant coffee. When I arrived on foot at the launch Kate and Suburban was there. During my run she called and said she left McDs and would catch her last set of Zzzs at West Bend M-116. 
I arrived about 8:30 am and was hoping the kayaks would be prepped and on the beach ready to launch. Kate was still sleeping, I had to wake her up. Silly me to think she wouldn't be.
Launch for DAY 49 West Bend M166 taken the evening before. When we launched it was much calmer
Wow! Will probably never see Lake Michigan this calm again all the way to Chicago.


Kate launching. Launch time was 9:00 am on the mark.
Paddling toward Ludington, 3 miles south, we were surprised to see the SS Badger pulling out of the harbor and heading to Manitowac WI.


Water looking like warped glass. Last time I paddled on this calm of water was on DAY 7. Only Dan Rice was with me that day as we pulled out of the Saginaw River and into Saginaw Bay. From Day 1 to Day 7 the numbers of paddlers had dwindled from 25 to 2. Four is the highest number I've had with me since.
My trusty sidekick Kate
Beach House at Ludington State Park beach
Ludington Breakwater Lighthouse

Buttersville Park Beach. Not the best landing with a steep 15 foot climb from the beach. Good thing is we did not haul the kayaks up. We found a place to cable and lock the boats until our afternoon segment. I was ready to end the day, it have been over a 16 mile runyak already. Kate talked me into paddling on to the next available landing, Summit Park Beach, a 3 mile paddle. My nixed the idea for it meant another 6 mile run. My legs, and my aching back, were not going to let me do that. 
She made sense paddlingwise for we had to get around a huge power plant that netted bouys that extended a half mile out from the shore. On a rougher day it would be trecherous. 
I had to agree with her. We did it but it complicated my runyaking running rules. I'd have to make up the 6 mile gap up before our DAY 50 launch. She seemed to think once at Summit Park I'd change me mind and do the run. Ha! She had no idea how worn out my legs and back were.
The black spot on the calm water shows the how far from shore we'd have to paddle to get around the power plant. We aimed our kayaks toward the spot which turned to be a boat doing maintenance work on the plant's water intake from the lake. 
The water is now not as calm. It continued to get choppier as we circumnavigated the power plant bouys. This is still nice Great Lakes paddle conditions.
High dune bluffs near the power plant.
Elevated boat of the Under Water Construction Corp. We were unsure the the project was.


Bouy netting that prevented entry into a danger zone of the power plant. We talked to plant security the day before hoping we might get permission to cut across the buoys. No way he said, we could get sucked into an intake whirlpool. Good enough reason, I did not argue.
Photo of the power plant intake area.
Debarkation point of DAY 49, Summit Park Beach 
Above the beach at Summit Park.
872 mile runyaked in 49 days 
402 run
470 yaked

Sept 4th I traveled back to Summit Park and ran the 6.2 mile back to Buttersville Park that I did not do on DAY 49. No way I could have paddled check out the surf hitting the shoreline in this video. 



Phot of Butterville Park Sept 4th when returned for make-up run.



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