Charlie's 2008 Odyssey X

From UHHC Charlie Parmelee

After the Hugh Heward Challenge, Charlie is ready to go the rest of the way to Lake Michigan. Here is his message of April 28:

 

Hi Jim.....Dan Smith and Jim Kinney will be paddling along with us for the last days of the Ultimate Hugh Heward Challenge.....Launch time set for around 9:30-10:00 Tuesday April 29....It will be sad to see the end but we can say that it can still be done....and that it was.....218 years later....and with the world's best expedition canoe.....It was done....I have to tell you I was more than impressed with the Kruger Sea Wind and I am proud to be the owner of one.

 

I learned a lot about upstream paddling.....and with a fast current to paddle against you have a lot of time to think about it....your learn what back eddies are and where slower current might be.....places to rest before you charge up thru the next fast water.....ferrying back and forth several times to find the slower current or just to gain a few feet at a time.....to paddle up thru an area where there are no back eddies or slow current.....the closer I got to Portage Lake the faster and harder it got....and without a rudder to steer with it would have been a lot harder....

 

Having my paddling pal Doug McDougall along made the Portage Creek from Bruin Lake to Bowdish Road and portaging with wheels the 4 miles to the north end of Portage Lake Swamp at 9:00 at night much easier....pulling over....pushing thru....dragging over and wading was much easier having someone on the other side of the log jam to help pull the boats thru....let me put it this way....you really had to want to get up that river.....and with Doug along we even had a few laughs as well.....having him there to help make the decision on the Portage Lake Swamp was a relief and we were both equally disappointed to tell Jim that it was not the safe thing to do.

 

After we began our portage on wheels around the Portage Lake Swamp we were told by a local dairy farmer that it was a wise choice we made....more about that later....I want to get all the story pieces in order....

 

I will finish the trip report for you when I get home.  There are a lot of things that happened along the way.....some funny....some disappointing moments but if you put them all together a very wonderful and satisfying experience.....It has been an Honor for me to do this for you and with you Jim and I am glad to have had the chance to get to know you better. So what do you have in mind to do next?......

 

My Note: That challenge started the ball rolling for this year's bigger challenge, all the way from Detroit to Chicago.......