Monday, August 15, 2011

A Hearty Welcome to Our Oriental Masters


August 15: Finally back underway! After a delicious breakfast with the Bates family, Sue drove me back to Wyanet, no relation to Tammy, where I was to resume my trek. Sue and I arrived at the towpath around nine and we learned together that I had not indeed made a mistake the other day. The sign to Wyanet pointed in the wrong direction. Or a missed a later sign pointing me north. I refuse to believe completely in being right.
Unlike the C&O and I&M canals there are no towns along the Hennepin. You have to travel a mile or two to reach the closest ones. I attribute this fact to Hennepin's short life span and lack of commercial success. Money draws people. No money draws crap and that draws flies, which tend to scare away the few people left.
With little in the way of water sources on the towpath I will have to make more sorties into civilization. Thankfully I found a better map of the canal trail at the Visitor's Center today. My future raids will now be more precise and less prone to sign-related error.
Not much to discuss today, as people were few and far between during my nineteen mile jaunt. I did observe plenty of Asian carp, which are known for their impressive hops. Like the snakehead of Maryland and pod people of the 1950s, they are an invasive species coming into an area where they don't belong and taking over. With their predatory and breeding talents these demons of Darwinism have taken over many Illinois waterways. If they develop the ability to dribble and to shoot the long range jumper the NBA might be next.

19 miles/1286 total miles

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