Jeff Wunrow: Day 42 (10/24/20)

Separation Anxiety

Start: River Mile 60

Finish: River Mile 90

Day Total: 30 Miles

Segment Total: 1,037

We left our noisy camp at the base of Interstate 10 this morning at 8:00 am. We were grateful to have overcast skies, wind at our backs and much cooler temps to start the day. At this point in the trip, everything hurts, pretty much all the time. My lower back where the seat back rubs on it, my shoulders, my back and neck. I’ve gotten good at adjusting my paddling style to minimize the discomfort.

We’ve noticed that the first 10 miles goes by without much drama. Then there is the crappy middle section from mile 10-20 were it feels like no matter how hard we paddling, we aren’t going anywhere. Then, sometime after lunch we hit that 20 mile mark and the last 10 are uncomfortable but bearable.

Today after lunch we had the weirdest thing happen. I got in my boat before Jon so I could finish marking up my map and get my boat in order while he stretched his legs one more time. Once I saw Jon in his boat, I slowly started paddling while listening to an audiobook. I set a short term goal of a Bayou inlet about a mile from our lunch spot and paddled away. Just as I arrived, at the inlet, I saw a barge tow coming around a bend from the left. I headed further right to give him plenty of room. Once the barge cleared, I turned my boat upriver as usual to see were Jon was. He’s usually no more than a few hundred yards away. To my surprise, Jon was nowhere to be seen! I did a full 360 degree scan of the river but did not see him. Now I’m kicking myself for not turning around sooner. I think back to when I saw him last, just after lunch.

Now I’m thinking, oh no, what if something happened to him. We are in the middle of the Bayou with no cell coverage. I hold my place, looking up river to see if he appears around a bend. After 15 minutes I decided to start paddling back up river. Fighting the wind and the current, it took all I had to make 1 or 2 mph. I paddled almost all the way back to where we had lunch, still no Jon. Just then, a flat bottom boat came by, and I waved him down. I explained my situation and he agreed to cruise up river look for Jon. I waited in place as best I could with the wind and current. After another 15 minutes, I started slowly paddling down stream just in case Jon had somehow passed my, but I knew there was no way that had happened.

15 minutes later, I see another flat bottom boat coming up river. I wave him down and again explain my situation. The driver leans out and says “Your buddy is about a half mile down the river, are you OK?” I assured him that I was, and kept on paddling. He turned back around to tell Jon I was ok. Over an hour later, I saw Jon, way in the distance. What a relief! Once I catch up to him, over 4 miles later, I tell him “I’m So glad you’re alive!” Once we had a chance to compare notes the silliness of it all came to light.

Jon had been following my at about 100 yards, but was more in the middle of the river while I was on the right. We had both seen the upriver barge tow at approx the same time. I had gone right, he went left. When I had turned around to look for him, he was behind the barge and I couldn’t see him! All the while he saw me trying to find him, but with the wind and current he couldn’t reach me. Once we were reunited, we were never more than 10 feet away from each other. Talk about separation anxiety!

We are now deep in the Louisiana Bayou. As we hit the 28 mile mark and started looking for potential camp sites, there was nothing. We eventually came across a group of fisherman at their camp. I paddled over to inquire if there were any place for us to camp. These guys were no $hit Cajuns. I could barely understand them. The language barrier between way north and way south was pretty wide. Eventually, they offered to show us to their hunting camp, across the river and down stream a mile or so. For the first time in the entire trip, I was uneasy about these guys and their intentions. The theme of Deliverance kept playing in my head. Once we got to their hunting camp, we saw a decent place for our tents and even an old table to cook on. They left us with extra bug spray, White Claw seltzer’s and cold bottles of water. I really felt like an Ass for my crazy worries. They were just more folks on the river, helping out as best they could.

Jon and I have talked at length about this. We have encountered so many people that in a normal world would not have fallen into our “Bucket of Safety” but whom, at the first opportunity, have not only offered help, but come through above and beyond the call of duty. People are at their core good, kind and willing to help those in need. This is the prime lesson I will carry with me long after the trip is over.