Apalachee River to Causeway 2005 LXV
Sunday, September 11, 2005 brint.adams@us.army.mil
After spending eight incredible and surreal days working in a Hattiesburg, MS Red Cross disaster relief shelter followed by a trip to Atlanta for a nephew's wedding and family reunion, it was great to finally get back home and out on the water once again.
I arrived at the Riverdoc's launch area at 6:00 PM under beautifully clear skies with a light southerly breeze and 85 degrees. The water level was at low tide and just starting to rise as I eased out into Pass Picada. A Kingfisher skimmed the water in front of me, while a White Ibis lazily walked along a tiny island right in front of me.
Drifter's Lounge was open and serving a few die-hard regulars, while the restaurants were all quiet and dark in the post-Katrina cleanup and rebuilding stage. A little further down the pass, a large gator crossed slowly in front of me. As I passed within about fifteen feet of him, he turned and looked warily at me. At the end of the pass, where it enters the Apalachee River, three young fishermen were hanging out and acknowledged my sprint to the turnaround. I reached the turn in 7:55, turned and looked straight into the sun, now just above the horizon. I pulled the bill of my hat down as low as I could and took off again. The gator was still out in the middle of the pass waiting for me and this time as I passed, he appeared to come towards me. For a moment, I thought he was going to follow along behind me like a puppy dog. But, I was too fast and he stopped where he was. I passed the parking lot in 15:11 and continued west.
As I approached the Causeway by the drainage culverts, a couple of vehicles honked as they passed, although I didn't recognize who the drivers were. I pushed on to the Interstate bridges, hitting the turn in 32:34, as the sun settled below the Mobile downtown skyline, leaving just an orange glow. The return paddle felt good as the temperature dropped a few degrees. So, I dug in and sprinted the last half mile, while daylight faded into darkness. I arrived at the launch area in a total of 50:23, which was satisfying to see that I had not really lost any overall speed or endurance following the ten day layoff. Maybe a little time off from training is a good thing now and then.
It was also satisfying to get back out and experience the peace and tranquility of the delta and take a little time to reflect on the significance of the anniversary of this day.
After spending eight incredible and surreal days working in a Hattiesburg, MS Red Cross disaster relief shelter followed by a trip to Atlanta for a nephew's wedding and family reunion, it was great to finally get back home and out on the water once again.
I arrived at the Riverdoc's launch area at 6:00 PM under beautifully clear skies with a light southerly breeze and 85 degrees. The water level was at low tide and just starting to rise as I eased out into Pass Picada. A Kingfisher skimmed the water in front of me, while a White Ibis lazily walked along a tiny island right in front of me.
Drifter's Lounge was open and serving a few die-hard regulars, while the restaurants were all quiet and dark in the post-Katrina cleanup and rebuilding stage. A little further down the pass, a large gator crossed slowly in front of me. As I passed within about fifteen feet of him, he turned and looked warily at me. At the end of the pass, where it enters the Apalachee River, three young fishermen were hanging out and acknowledged my sprint to the turnaround. I reached the turn in 7:55, turned and looked straight into the sun, now just above the horizon. I pulled the bill of my hat down as low as I could and took off again. The gator was still out in the middle of the pass waiting for me and this time as I passed, he appeared to come towards me. For a moment, I thought he was going to follow along behind me like a puppy dog. But, I was too fast and he stopped where he was. I passed the parking lot in 15:11 and continued west.
As I approached the Causeway by the drainage culverts, a couple of vehicles honked as they passed, although I didn't recognize who the drivers were. I pushed on to the Interstate bridges, hitting the turn in 32:34, as the sun settled below the Mobile downtown skyline, leaving just an orange glow. The return paddle felt good as the temperature dropped a few degrees. So, I dug in and sprinted the last half mile, while daylight faded into darkness. I arrived at the launch area in a total of 50:23, which was satisfying to see that I had not really lost any overall speed or endurance following the ten day layoff. Maybe a little time off from training is a good thing now and then.
It was also satisfying to get back out and experience the peace and tranquility of the delta and take a little time to reflect on the significance of the anniversary of this day.
posted by brint @ 10:32 PM
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