portfolio > gone on the river

day 7
day 7
June 05, 2022

Measurement at Crazy James' Point: turbidity >61cm

I'm tired, so this might be shorter. I woke up around 8:30, later than planned as always. Got out of the site quickly, bullied out by bugs. Ate breakfast on the boat (overnight oats with rye, raisins, cherries and peanut butter. Very good). The plan was to try to do 25 miles today. I succeeded, having reached Schoolcraft State Park. It wasn't the most interesting or pleasant day. Lots of paddling, not a lot of current in the river. It's starting to do these strange turbulent roiling areas, mostly on the inside of a turn, which do unpredictable things to the boat.

Saw a lot of herons today, and a beaver slide off of the bank into the water, then swim away under the boat. More trumpeter swans, many many more red wing blackbirds. A number of ducks, including those merganser types. Oh, and an otter splashed into the water and then did that thing where they rise out of the water and hiss a bit, as I was going under a bridge (the Hwy 2 bridge, I think).

Schoolcraft is eerily quiet, like postapocalyptic. There's almost no one here. Absolutely inundated with mosquitos, of course, like everywhere else. Maybe that helps explain it?

Tomorrow I'm heading into Grand Rapids