Assuming today would be the last day of my trip, I set my alarm form 4:30. I got everything wrapped up in the tent, then stepped out to discover it was raining. Since I didn't want to delay my start, I got back in the tent and put on the rain suit I've been carrying but never used. This is a pretty heavy duty rain suit, so it took a while to put on. When I next stepped out of the tent, it already stopped raining. The radar on my iPhone indicated more rain was coming so I left the rain suit on, but when I got too hot I finally took it off. I started moving down the river at 6:00.
After about 6 miles I came to Lock #53. This was the second of what are called "wicket dams". Wicket dams are on a hinge at the bottom of the river. During low water, the dam rotates up to hold back the water and boats have to use the locks. However, when the water is high (like today) the dam is rotated down and all boats go over it. The water flowing over the dam creates some interesting rapids, but nothing I can't handle. My guidebook indicated a new lock and dam were being built when the book was published. It stated the new dam would be called the Olmstead Lock & Dam, being built at a cost of one billion dollars and would be the most expensive civil works project in the history of then Ohio River. It also said the project should be completed by 2010. So I crossed from the Kentucky side to the Illinois bank in preparation of entering the lock. In crossing the river, which took a long time because this is the widest part of the whole river, I became soaked. As I got closer to the dam, I saw a bunch of cranes, towboats, barges and obvious signs of construction. I didn't know what to do. I tried to call the lock-master on the cell phone, but there was no signal. I went into the lock building, which was unlocked. The large screen television was on and the office area was all lit up, but no one was around. I finally used my marine radio and got a reply from the lock master. He said to follow the channel through the marked buoys. He assured my their wasn't a dam for me to go over. I saw a towboat and barges coming down river, so I decided to wait until I could get behind them. While waiting, the lock-master drove up on his ATV to check out my situation. He said he hated to see me try to take a kayak down the middle of the river with all of the construction and towboats going back and forth. He said it would be better if I were on the Kentucky side. I told him I could do that. He didn't think I could make it because the water was so rough, but then I told him I just crossed it earlier. So, once the towboat passed I started back to the other side. Because this is the section for the wicket dam and the rapids were large, I had to backtrack up the river. But the waves created by the underwater dam were blowing up river and got me. I can handle large waves coming from the front or back of the boat, but not from the side, so I was crossing at an angle to the shore. Even though, I took several large waves over the side of the kayak completely filling the seating and cargo areas with water. I had to pull the scupper plugs to let the water drain through the bottom, but that doesn't completely drain the water. It took about a half hour to cross, but I made it.
These are other photos of the dam construction as I continued down river.
I saw the Queen of the Mississippi again today; this time going downriver.
The waves continued for the next several hours. I was soaked from head to toe. You can see in the bottom picture, the stern of the boat actually goes underwater in these larger waves.
Here is a little video showing the waves.
As I approached the end of my trip, I knew I would be going through a "gauntlet" of barges and towboats. This is called a "fleeting area" where barges are dropped off, arranged and then anchored until ready for shipment. Barges were parked along both banks, as well as in the middle of the river. I counted 24 towboats operating in this two mile area of the river. I had my marine radio on and was prepared to yell if I got in trouble, but I ended up staying out of everyone's way and had no trouble at all. The photo at the bottom was taken of this area from a bridge as I was driving home.
I knew I was getting close when I could see a bridge going over the Mississippi River on the other side of the Cario.
The only time I was surprise at arriving somewhere sooner that expected was today. The "point" was hidden by barges along the Illinois bank and I thought the end of my trip was around a bend farther in front of me. However, when I got around the last barge, there it was! You can see a little bit of a bridge going over the Mississippi on the left and a little of a bridge going over the Ohio on the right.
Closing in on the point. I made contact at 1:45.
Looking down the sidewalk that leads to the point. My kayak is pulled up right in the middle of the walkway.
I stopped at this place once before when I rode my bicycle from Cincinnati to New Orleans. I remembered the observation deck.
This is a photo taken from the observation deck. The Ohio is on the left and the Mississippi on the right. My kayak is hidden by the tree, but a little of the sidewalk is showing. The silver dish shaped object is a sculpture commemorating the 1803 Lewis & Clark expedition which stayed at this spot for five days.
I tied my kayak up on the Mississippi shoreline, then started my trek to get my Escape. It was where I left it at the Days Inn ten miles away. I wasn't sure if I was going to walk the whole way; there are no buses or taxis in Cairo. I walked through the end of the park and saw an older man walking out of a museum set up near the entrance of the park. I asked him if he was local and if he wanted to earn $25.00 to drive me to the other end of town. He said "keep your money and hop in the car". I found out he is the town historian and works at a museum downtown. He was just dropping off old photos to the Fort Defiance Park Museum. He is retired, but used to be a postman for the city. He talked my arm off as he told me about all of the buildings while he drove through town. We arrived at the hotel and I gave him $10.00, even though he didn't want anything.
It took about an hour to get everything and the kayak loaded onto the Escape. Throughout this time visitors were asking about my trip and taking pictures of me. I must have handed out ten of my cards during this time. I pulled out of the park at 4:20.
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If anyone were to ask me if this trip was worth it, I'd say "absolutely". But if you asked if I would do it again, I'd so "no"......there are other challenges to conquer!