DAY 71 TenaCity to WindyCity Runyak

TenaCity to WindyCity Runyak

May 11, 2021

Flint to Chicago DAY 71

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I began this day with a 5 mile run along the beach from Millers Beach to the launch at Portage Lakefront, terminus of DAY 70. All the while, seeing that the water I'd be soon kayaking from was near perfect. 

                                     You can't ask for better paddle conditions on the Great Lakes

             One of the many beaches at the southern end of Lake Michigan between steel mills

Beaching at Miller Beach ending the morning leg of runyaking. With hourly parking and not knowing how long my van would be left, the van was parked a quarter mile away. We had food and beer onboard so never did go to the van, just ate at a picnic table.

The afternoon leg was much longer. This wall at the southern end of Lake Michigan was nearly 2 miles long. At the far end we still had to paddle a half mile away from shore to a navigate past a breakwall of USS Steel

                                                                 USS Steel light in Gary IN

At times the water flattened to a glasslike surface. The temps in the afternoon kept rising (reaching 90) and it got foggy, it got so bad we could not see any landmarks. Might I say it was 3:00 pm? When a landmark did emerge from the fog, it was too late, we paddled an extra half mile than we would have on a clear day. Our landing was Jeorse Beach in East Chicago, IN (located south of Chicago, must have been named by someone directionally challenged). It was next to a huge casino complex, Ameristar. 

Jeorse Beach landing

                                                                     BPP Kate Farris

                Jeorse Beach in East Chicago, IN has been closed since 2019 due to erosion and just recently got funds to restore. We saw the construction equipment but no workers. 

 

                                                                            TaDa!

It would be rough run getting back to where my van was, near Miller Beach. It was nearly 13 miles away. I was dreading it even before we landed. My body did not have enough gas in its tank to go that distance. I decided to break it up, do 6 miles from Jeorse Beach, to somewhere in Gary, get up in the morning finish the runyak with a 7 miler before heading home.  

Before starting the run Kate pointed out that I could save about a mile if I climbed over an 8 foot fence and cross a railyard. Had my legs been fresh I'd have ignored her, but as it were, it was too tempting. I climbed. I made it to the top easy enough, but ended up falling to the ground on the other side. 

                                                        The white line cuts off a mile

The landing on crushed rock hurt like hell. I ended up with some rail'road rash' on my shin.

I then had to get play Frogger, although no cars were moving, I had to  climb over a coupling, then  weave around boxcars and a dozen railroad tracks just to reach the road I'd be running.

                                                                        made it to the road

Relying opon sketchy gps to get me to Gary did not go well. I got lost. Eventually I found a way with the help of Kate, who found me. As soon as my Garmin Forerunner said I'd ran 6 miles I stopped. I called Kate and she picked me up. We then drove back, got my van at Miller Beach, and headed to a brewery for beer and dinner. 

We camped in our vehicles that night at a McDonald's in Gary. It was a very hot day for May. Daytime temperature reached 90 and the humidity was 84%, so it felt like 113 degrees. Granted, it was not that hot at night, but much sleep was lost. I ended up opening my sliding doors. It seemed we were in a high crime area of Gary and I was taking a risk. Kate managed to sweat through the night with windows up in her Suburban.  

The morning 7 mile run from Gary to Millers Beach had to be without Garmin gps and stopwatch. It was dead when I awoke in the morning. I did still have some cell phone battery left, so I did have Google Map navigation. When arriving back at my van I'd legs had put in 18 miles in 24 hours. 

From Jeorse Beach our DAY 71 landing, I am only two more runyak DAYs away from completing the TenaCity to WindyCity expedition. 👍