Thursday, March 19, 2009

Charlie's 2008 Odyssey VIII

My message of April 22nd:
 
9:15 AM Tuesday. Charlie is finished with the upstream part of his cross-Peninsula paddle!  He and Doug have pulled out of Portage Creek and mounted their canoes on wheels in preparation for crossing the portage. They have 3 or 4 miles of walking to do before they have to start wading in the marsh.  Once they get to the marsh (Portage Lake Swamp, part of the Waterloo State Recreation Area) they are in the Grand River Watershed.  The marsh is the headwater of the Portage River which joins the Grand not far north of Jackson Prison.
 
Second message, same day:
 
Noon Tuesday. A call from Charlie. They walked across the portage and attempted to wade the marsh but it has proved too dangerous.  They are pulling out and will go around by road until they find floatable water. He was quite disappointed but I told him I would give him full credit for the marsh since he walked across it on the ice last winter.
 
My message of April 23rd:
 
9:30 AM Wednesday. Charlie and Doug just put their canoes in the Portage River at Moeckel Road. They expect to make the Grand today.
 
Another message on Wednesday::
 
4:15 PM Wednesday.  Charlie called. They were at the confluence of the Portage and the Grand turning north to head down the Grand. They will probably pull out at US127. Charlie needs a bath. You will remember that Charlie started upstream on the Huron in the snow on March 28, the same day Hugh did in 1790. He entered the Grand one day later than Hugh. The weather is better.

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