The photos of the last couple of days, giving a sense of scale, are instructive and daunting! The immensity of the River, especially compared to the earliest days of your journey, and the size of the barges - oi! It must have felt vaguely gratifying to float past those hulks that were stuck! Stay safe!
Gratifying I suppose, yes, but also empathy that their job is a whole lot harder too in this low water. I’ve seen quite a few of these barges run aground and it’s not pretty. Everyone has to stop what their doing and address it. It’s an all-hands-on-deck moment and every tow in the area who’s free will lend a hand, even if their not from the same company. Reminiscent of strangers pushing each others’ cars out of thick snow banks on snowy days in MN!
The snowstorm is a helpful analogy. I imagine it’s arduous, perilous, and very frustrating to actually get stuck. I suppose the bottom shifts a bit, and with low water levels must be a constant concern. How do you know exactly where there’s not enough clearance? What a learning experience - every day a slightly different set of circumstances to navigate! It’s been a fascinating read!!
The photos of the last couple of days, giving a sense of scale, are instructive and daunting! The immensity of the River, especially compared to the earliest days of your journey, and the size of the barges - oi! It must have felt vaguely gratifying to float past those hulks that were stuck! Stay safe!
Gratifying I suppose, yes, but also empathy that their job is a whole lot harder too in this low water. I’ve seen quite a few of these barges run aground and it’s not pretty. Everyone has to stop what their doing and address it. It’s an all-hands-on-deck moment and every tow in the area who’s free will lend a hand, even if their not from the same company. Reminiscent of strangers pushing each others’ cars out of thick snow banks on snowy days in MN!
The snowstorm is a helpful analogy. I imagine it’s arduous, perilous, and very frustrating to actually get stuck. I suppose the bottom shifts a bit, and with low water levels must be a constant concern. How do you know exactly where there’s not enough clearance? What a learning experience - every day a slightly different set of circumstances to navigate! It’s been a fascinating read!!
But I’m still glad you’re floating…
It looks like you are holding up a kayak paddle in one of the photos. Have you switched from a canoe paddle to a kayaking one?
Keep up the great posts! It is vicarious fun to be on your epic journey with you.