DAY 70 TenaCity to WindyCity Runyak

TenaCity to WindyCity Runyak

Oct 27 and May 2, 2021

Flint to Chicago DAY 70

ALL PHOTOS AND IMAGES WILL ENLARGE WHEN  CLICKED

A very disappointing day. Drove 4 hours to find waves were coming in that were too big to launch. In the summer we might have made it but the only way to launch without cockpits filling would b to wade out into the water androllinto the kayak. With water this cold we'd never warm up and we'd likely experience hypothermia. Seeing the waves at dawn I did the 12 mile run hoping things would calm down closer to noon. 
Midway through the run I decided to get off US 12 highway and use a Calumet Trail, which parallels the South Shore Railroad tracks and NiSource power lines. It was a mistake, the trail was under water at intervals and the further I ran the dry intervals were getting more seldom. At about 3 miles, and with cold wet feet, I saw a way to get back on US 12 and I took it. Back on the road I still had 3 miles to run, my feet were freezing from running though all the water. 
When I did Calumet Trail research for this write-up I read,
"The trail can be impassible (i.e. wet shoes) due to standing water along much of the trail that can be 4-6" deep in spots."
Thank goodness I only found the water up to 2 feet deep. Had I not abandoned the trail I believe it would progressively gotten worse. I viewed the trail where I would have exited and it was worse there.




 THESE FOLLOWING PHOTOS ARE FROM MAY 11, 2022, THE PADDLE SEGMENT


                                            Chicago our destination can be seen
                                                 Launching from Beverly Shores IN





                                     What I looked like from getting too much sun on my face





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