A dream realized

Marla and I got back late last night after picking up Jonah from Dauphin Island in the Gulf of Mexico south of Mobile.  We arrived on Friday just in time to see the guys come barreling across Mobile Bay with their sail up, the tailwind shoving them through the waves and past the puzzled looks and turned heads from boats leaving the bay.  They skidded onto the sand at East End beach just past Fort Gaines, hopped into the surf, and their journey was complete.  The Saulters joined us cheering and congratulating the boys, hugging them each and trying to capture this enormous moment with cameras.

I suspect most of the parents, like me, have been insufferable lately.  At the slightest opportunity when someone asks a casual question about the trip I launch into details, stats, and glowing reports of their success.  I've checked the Spot updates endlessly, tracking their constant progress to completion of this dream.  We were confident in these men before the trip started, but also aware of how easily weather, sickness, navigation issues, or a dozen other challenges could derail plans at any time.  Job, Luke, and Jonah were blessed and fortunate.  They were also well prepared.  They handled challenges calmly and made wise decisions.  They engaged easily with supportive family and friends as well as strangers they met along the way.  They took care of each other with love.

We are immensely thankful for all the support and love these guys had from family, friends, and strangers.  The countless hours of planning and support from the Dooleys and Saulters gave the team a huge head start.  Trip advice from John Guider, paddling gear and technique from Phil Meyer, support from Fisherdale Marina, amazing river kindness from Stefan and the Foremans, and the list goes on.

They did it!!!  They are in Mobile Bay, part of the Gulf!

We are headed down tomorrow morning to meet them at Dauphin Island.

The crew managed a terrific day today: 30.4 miles at 2.7 mph!  The wind was at their back some of the time and the sail helped.  They've made it to Demopolis and the official end of the TN - Tombigbee Waterway.  Tomorrow they'll paddle on the Black Warrior river and then the Tombigbee river, headed for Mobile!  They walked into Demopolis tonight to catch dinner at a bistro; can't wait to hear about that.

About 25 miles later, the boys are solidly in Alabama and done with Mississippi!  They are camping just upstream of the Tom Bevill dam, ready to lock through first thing tomorrow morning.  We're hoping thunderstorms veer around them - there's not much in the way of permanent shelter to be found in Pirates Marina Cover where they've holed up for the night.

Almost done with Mississippi!  Hopefully tomorrow the boys will cross into Alabama.

This weekend Marla, Parker, and Dan joined John and Megan for a resupply run.  While there we helped the guys mount a mast John Dooley built from PVC pipe so they can hoist their tarp as a sail when the wind is behind them.  Job, Luke, and Jonah were thrilled at the possibility of some assistance from the weather for a change.

JD Saulters, Luke's brother, had been paddling for a couple days as the fourth man in the boat.  His shift over, Jonah's brother Parker jumped in and paddled to the lock at Smithville.  He spent the night in camp with the guys while Dan and Marla found a bed and breakfast.  The next day after locking through Parker bid they guys farewell and the Alberts returned home.

Sunday morning the guys had a nasty surprise when a houseboat came speeding by too close, swamping the boat with its waves.  They had to work the craft to shore and completely empty and bail it.  Fortunately their food and electronics remained dry and the guys handled the situation calmly and efficiently.

Updated trip summary:

Wed 05/29/2019; distance: 29.3; moving time: 10 hrs 2 min; speed: 2.9 mph

Thu 05/30/2019; distance: 29.7; moving time: 11 hrs 48 min; speed: 2.5 mph

Fri 05/31/2019; distance: 27.7; moving time: 11 hrs 38 min; speed: 2.4 mph

Sat 06/01/2019; distance: 23.5; moving time: 12 hrs 34 min; speed: 1.9 mph

Sun 06/02/2019; distance: 21.5; moving time: 10 hrs 39 min; speed: 2.0 mph

Mon 06/03/2019; distance: 23.1; moving time: 10 hrs 53 min; speed: 2.1 mph

Tue 06/04/2019; distance: 27.6; moving time: 13 hrs 2 min; speed: 2.1 mph

Wed 06/05/2019; distance: 19.1; moving time: 10 hrs 53 min; speed: 1.8 mph

Thu 06/06/2019; distance: 31.9; moving time: 16 hrs 6 min; speed: 2.0 mph

Fri 06/07/2019; distance: 9.3; moving time: 6 hrs 18 min; speed: 1.5 mph

Sat 06/08/2019; distance: 18.8; moving time: 11 hrs 55 min; speed: 1.6 mph

Sun 06/09/2019; distance: 19.3; moving time: 9 hrs 59 min; speed: 1.9 mph

Mon 06/10/2019; distance: 9.0; moving time: 7 hrs 43 min; speed: 1.2 mph

Tue 06/11/2019; distance: 0.1; moving time: 1 hrs 21 min; speed: 0.1 mph

Wed 06/12/2019; distance: 26.7; moving time: 10 hrs 5 min; speed: 2.6 mph

Thu 06/13/2019; distance: 31.0; moving time: 13 hrs 42 min; speed: 2.3 mph

Fri 06/14/2019; distance: 23.7; moving time: 12 hrs 13 min; speed: 1.9 mph

Sat 06/15/2019; distance: 21.2; moving time: 11 hrs 27 min; speed: 1.8 mph

Sun 06/16/2019; distance: 23.8; moving time: 12 hrs 3 min; speed: 2.0 mph

The boys had a great day yesterday, paddling 31 miles down the Tennessee - Tombigbee waterway n beautiful weather.  JD Saulters has jumped in as the fourth man in the boat for a couple days and is helping keep a strong pace.  They are about halfway, with around 350 miles behind them and about 360 or so remaining.  And no more upstream miles!

They did it - they've reached Pickwick Dam!  All ~190 miles of upstream paddling are done!

The boys are settled into a room at Pickwick Inn to recharge with a "zero day" of rest and recovery.  They'll enjoy air conditioning and real beds for the first time in close to two weeks.  Time to catch their breaths and get mentally ready for phase three of the adventure: the TN - Tombigbee.

Yesterday Marla, Michael, and Dan met the boys near Savannah, TN via motorboat.  We took turns paddling with them to help push through the current and wind.  Michael was the first guest paddler and made an immediate impact on their pace.  By the end of the day we'd covered around 15 miles with them, including a couple stretches of gusty tailwinds that allowed us to raise the tarp as a sail!  We also helped with the Diesel Bomber's first water rescue - we towed in a small fishing boat that had lost its prop.

Updated trip summary:

Wed 05/29/2019; distance: 29.3; moving time: 10 hrs 2 min; speed: 2.9 mph

Thu 05/30/2019; distance: 29.7; moving time: 11 hrs 48 min; speed: 2.5 mph

Fri 05/31/2019; distance: 27.7; moving time: 11 hrs 38 min; speed: 2.4 mph

Sat 06/01/2019; distance: 23.5; moving time: 12 hrs 34 min; speed: 1.9 mph

Sun 06/02/2019; distance: 21.5; moving time: 10 hrs 39 min; speed: 2.0 mph

Mon 06/03/2019; distance: 23.1; moving time: 10 hrs 53 min; speed: 2.1 mph

Tue 06/04/2019; distance: 27.6; moving time: 13 hrs 2 min; speed: 2.1 mph

Wed 06/05/2019; distance: 19.1; moving time: 10 hrs 53 min; speed: 1.8 mph

Thu 06/06/2019; distance: 31.9; moving time: 16 hrs 6 min; speed: 2.0 mph

Fri 06/07/2019; distance: 9.3; moving time: 6 hrs 18 min; speed: 1.5 mph

Sat 06/08/2019; distance: 18.8; moving time: 11 hrs 55 min; speed: 1.6 mph

Sun 06/09/2019; distance: 19.3; moving time: 9 hrs 59 min; speed: 1.9 mph

Mon 06/10/2019; distance: 9.0; moving time: 7 hrs 43 min; speed: 1.2 mph

Job, Luke, and Jonah have made it about 19 miles today against the current from TVA's water release.  They are camping on a beach in Cerro Gordo, one or two days' paddle from Pickwick and they end of they upstream struggles.

I just spoke to Jonah and the boys have finally called it a night.  After over 37 miles of paddling and over 19 hours of moving time they are ready for a break.  They are on a narrow beach not too far from Clifton, trying to tuck in for the night and get ready for some heavier rain.  They just had light rain during the night, and pretty flat water.  Jonah sounded good, though of course very tired.  He mentioned a five foot far that swam by during the night, bumping the boat like a log.  Anxious to hear more stories after they reccover.

The guys are about 27 miles in for the day and still paddling... they are trying to make a long run into (maybe through?) the night so they can make good progress towards Pickwick before storms roll in.

They took a rest break at Fisherdale Marina and found the proprietors super nice - the guys got free free pizza and t-shirts and an offer of a free place to stay, but decided to paddle on anyway...

Summary of their trip so far:

Wed 05/29/2019; distance: 29.3; moving time: 10 hrs 2 min; speed: 2.9 mph

Thu 05/30/2019; distance: 29.7; moving time: 11 hrs 48 min; speed: 2.5 mph

Fri 05/31/2019; distance: 27.7; moving time: 11 hrs 38 min; speed: 2.4 mph

Sat 06/01/2019; distance: 23.5; moving time: 12 hrs 34 min; speed: 1.9 mph

Sun 06/02/2019; distance: 21.5; moving time: 10 hrs 39 min; speed: 2.0 mph

Mon 06/03/2019; distance: 23.1; moving time: 10 hrs 53 min; speed: 2.1 mph

Tue 06/04/2019; distance: 27.6; moving time: 13 hrs 2 min; speed: 2.1 mph

Wed 06/05/2019; distance: 19.1; moving time: 10 hrs 53 min; speed: 1.8 mph

Thu 06/06/2019; distance: 26.5; moving time: 13 hrs 7 min; speed: 2.0 mph

Cool article about where the boys are right now on Kentucky Lake:
https://www.tnmagazine.org/danville-freight-elevator/

I was out of town with poor connectivity most of the weekend, but it was an eventful few days for the guys.  They've been following the news and made the difficult but wise choice to modify their route.  Instead of proceeding to the Ohio from the end of the Cumberland and Lake Barkley they started paddling up Kentucky Lake to head upstream on the Tennessee River so they can take the Tennessee-Tombigbee canal to the Tombigbee River down to the Gulf at Mobile, AL.  At this moment they are about to cross back into Tennessee at the notch on the top of the state border.

Yesterday we had our first chance to check on them in person since they started Wednesday.  A group of parents and Phil met them in Turkey Bay in the Kentucky Woodlands National Wildlife Refuge, just south of the route 68 bridge.  Dan and Marla paddled across the lake with the guys from Kenlake Marina, a terrific opportunity to watch the team in action.  We were in Phil's racing canoe, which we managed to capsize, but the guys helped us right it.  The boys are in great spirits and health.