A blog post from Al near the end of the Trent-Severn

Lock #8 – Percy Reach

25.9 miles today – 11 locks

                  

Yesterday’s monster day (45 miles ending at about 10 pm) came about because I’d been listening to weather reports for today, and a strong adverse wind was predicted … an event that would make rowing 20 miles on Rice Lake a real bear. So … with 28 miles on the odo at 5:30, and smooth rowing yesterday evening, I plodded on … and I’m glad I did! The winds were very strong today, but I was on a narrow stretch of water and was not exposed. Whew!!

Today … only 25.9 miles, but 11 locks and a lot of company.  I crossed the 200-mile mark fourteen miles ago, and I’m still rowing.

Highlights today?

First, getting up. I fell into my tent last night utterly exhausted and was surprised at how ‘normal’ I felt this morning. An Aleve might have helped?

Super windy all day … maybe three of my six hours underway delivered a tail-wind – blessed free speed!

Also, no lunch … and more Stagg Chili Classique for dinner; the diet has not been good.

But I met a dog named Tia that looked like Timmy, Steve and Mike who tossed me two cold Pabsts, a lock keeper named Hailey who puts Lake George as her #1 place even while she lives in this paradise, and Clem, my 73-year-old neighbor tonight, who is on his first voyage on his new boat – now his only home, after losing his wife this winter. ‘She hated water, so she hated boats,’ said Clem. We’re going to have a drink later on his boat.

I’ll miss the sociability of lock life after tomorrow. It’ll be just me, myself, and I once I hit the Big Waters tomorrow afternoon, and whatever characters I meet will be marina types or the strangers in the parks where I may camp. The locks are lovely, safe, and inhabited by fellow travelers, each of whom has a story to tell.

I’d better find a shower soon.

And some healthy food.

Lots of greens along the canal

But I’m ‘on schedule’ - about 30 miles per day - everything’s working, and the blisters have formed, popped, and hardened right on schedule.

And the sunset tonight is exquisite … a long golden arc across the water to the trees, all dancing in the breeze.

I’m a lucky dude. Very lucky.