That Damn Dreaded Dresden Dam
Runyak DAY 198 of connecting Statue of Liberty and Gateway Arch
The long winter hiatus between runyak season 14 and 15 is over. I left my Thetford Twp. home 3:30 AM and drove four and a half hours to Channahon Twp in Illinois. The drive ended at 7:00 AM where runyak DAY 197 ended, back in November, at McKinley Woods Forest Preserve of Will County. It was an hour earlier than I planned. I had told my BPP Kate that we’d meet at 8:00 AM. The stupid runyaker forgot about the time zone change.
DAY 198 runyak would be 18.9 miles, that included running 9.7 miles and paddling 9.3 miles. I decided to break the run into two parts. That is getting to be quite the habit. Now in my 70’s it is wiser not to try 10 miles a day, back to back, to back, to back.
The ideal runyak day has always been, a 10 mile run, then a 10 mile paddle (which has never happened). So, unless I’m feeling especially spry, presently the ideal runyak is 5 mile run, 10 mile paddle, 5 mile run. The 4-day ideal trip goal still is 80 runyak miles.
After the prepping the kayaks, I drove to where I’d begin running. Kate, drove her Suburban to where our paddle would end, William Stratton State Park in Morris IL. She biked the 9.6 miles back and I ran 4.4 back to the McKinley Woods launch and we soon began paddling.
The launch at the southern tip of the Des Plaines River actually was a relaunch. Last November we launch the same place and just paddled to the start of the Illinois River (Des Plaines and Kankakee rivers confluence) then returned. It was a little over a mile. After today’s relaunch, and after finding the November turnaround point, I started my Garmin gps watch. It now seems silly, but my goal was to start the 2023 season on the Illinois. From there only two rivers would be left to reach the Gateway Arch on the Mississippi.
Less than two miles from the headwaters of the Illinois is the Dresden Lock and Dam. It’s the first of five locks on the Illinois River that we’ll need to navigate. We called the lockmaster to try and set up a time to be locked down. We found out their was construction at the site and there could be quite the wait. Another call was made to a reporter from a radio station WCSJ, Tina Morrison. I’d previously been in contact with her from Michigan. She wanted to be at the lock and interview me. The call was to give an e.t.a. of or Dresden arrival.
The second call to the lockmaster was made when we neared the lock. He said because of construction we could not be locked, we’d have to portaged, and they could help. We landed at a launch and were met by a crew in a pick-up. They wanted to haul the kayaks a mile to the far end of the lock and help us relaunch there.
Well, that was not going to work for me. I told them, “Here’s the problem, from the Statue of Liberty to here, the kayak and I have never had any assistance, and no wheels of any sort have helped us.” They seemed to ‘get it.’ Partially because they’d been told about my adventure by Tina, the reporter who was now at the lock control station
We were told that the other option was to paddle across the river and self portage around the dam. Just a short portage we were told. I knew that was what I had to do, but gave my partner the option of being personally portaged. She declined and we paddled to the opposite side of the river.
Arriving there we saw it was not an easy exit. Kate’s choice was to plow threw a catch-all collection of garbage, and mine was a hundred feet upstream where I found a log and a steep 8 ft. embankment.
Once kayaks were on the dam embankment, we scoped out where the lock crewman told us it would be a easy reentry. It wasn’t. Water was roiling beyond the dam. It would be a quarter-mile portage to get to water calm enough to relaunch.
I emptied Swiftee’s contents into Kate’s. We’d share the load of portaging her boat, as I alone would carry Swiftee solo (video). The portage was a leapfrog maneuver of about five jumps. We carried the heavy kayak a hundred yards, until I was exhausted, then I’d carry the empty Swiftee up from the rear. It was a very rocky portage and filled with wood debris. At one point we had to carry the boats across a tiny creek balancing on rocks.
Toward the end of the portage I was dog-tired and tripped over rocks. I was carrying the stern end of Kates laden kayak, and not seeing where I was stepping. I did a face plant on the rocks. It was a scary moment. I laid calmly a few seconds taking inventory. I was only slightly bleeding. When upright, and ready to go again I told my partner, “Let this old man in the front, I need to see where the hell I’m going.”
Once we relaunched the rest of the day was a piece of cake. It was much easier paddling below the dam than above. Above the dam, wind was in our faces, and water was choppy. Once below, all problems disappeared. During the remainder of the paddle, (about 7.5 miles) we saw very little barge traffic, and it was appreciated. Barges were a big concern when we considered an April trip. We now could see that the mental visions of barge’s wakes flipping us into cold Illinois probably wouldn’t materialize.
When on shore again it was after 4:00 pm, and I still and over five miles back to my van. All of today’s running, 9.7 miles, were run on the I&M Canal Trail. The plan is to use it the following three days when it offers the shortest route. For the most part it is a two-track, sometimes single-track of crushed limestone. Kate, on bike and I on foot, love it. We’ll hate to see it end. It sure beats running on roads.
It always runs parallels the canal, which sometimes can be mile or so from the Illinois River. More than once when running I thought about the mules and mule tenders of the 18th Century, whose footsteps I was following .
The canal is celebrating its 175 anniversary this year. Chicago’s growth to become America’s 2nd City is directly linked to the I&M, just as the Erie canal can take credit for New York’s becoming the Empire City and Empire State. I wish I could paddle the I&M, if only for a short distance as I did the entire Erie Canal, but the I&M Canal is unnavigable today.
After the run, and DAY 198 was completed, we made a dinner plan in downtown Morris, IL. I texted Tina, the WCSJ reporter and apologized. I hinted she could meet us at Carson Tap House, our dinner spot. It didn’t happen. Kate and I spent the night in our vehicles at a TA Travel Center off I-80 that passes through Morris on its northside.
Overall it would have been a fantastic day had there not been construction at the Dresden Lock, and we were allowed to be locked down. Everything that went wrong on DAY 198 was because of it. When lying in my sleeping bag inside my van, I touched my forehead. It was mighty sore and still damp.
Yet another entertaining read. Hey to Kate!