The Plan, part 2

So running the numbers and looking more at the map, it’s 36 miles from the Lake Tear of the Clouds to the place where we will meet the guide from the Outfitter. The first 8.5 miles will be from the Source, Lake Tear of the Clouds to Henderson Lake, which is where we will start paddling. We think that it will be almost impossible to be in our rafts the first 8 miles as the water level is low and the river is barely a creek there. Our plan is to be on the trail to Lake Tear of the Clouds by late morning so that we can can hike the 8.5 miles and hopefully get back to Lake Henderson or thereabouts before sundown. That would leave us 28 miles for the following two days. Depending on weather conditions and other variables, we should be able to paddle that in two days. The plan is to raft with the local guide for 18 miles (measured in accurate detailed map) to where we meet Taylor's parents Sunday afternoon, May 28. We will have gone 54 miles by then. And we will have 261 left. If we want to get to NYC by late evening of the 7th or early the 8th of June that gives us 10 days to complete the journey. That’s 26 miles a day. Looking at the map and the specifics of the river, the first 108 miles will bring us good currents almost the whole time so we should be able to go relatively fast. The last part of the river, when it becomes an estuary, we will have to deal with dams which will slow things down but give us an opportunity to get out of the boat, stretch our legs, get some food, rest. Then the last 153 miles, our journey will have to be dictated by tides, which could really slow us down. But we are hoping we can get there with some time to spare and we can finish our crazy adventure in style! 


Breakdown:

8.5 mile hike up

8 mile hike down along creek

28 miles - inflatable packraft (hopefully)

18 miles - whitewater raft - local outfitter's 

65 mile easy - canoe

43 miles with 9 short portages

153 miles tidal estuary

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