The AC in the van went out while I was still in the driveway. I have a HEAVY chest cough and Ben is just getting over a similar funk. My energy level is about 3 out of 10. Then Matt called from the doctor's office to say they figured out why his back hurts-he's fractured it. There's a meeting Monday to discuss what to do about it and how much it will cost.
We parked at the Devils Step Boat Launch/Day Use Area.
We arrived and Ben got sunscreen in his eyes. Then he tried really hard to pull off his toenail on a rock. Alex had a paddle that looked like squirrels had eaten 1/3 of one blade. He had a splinter in his foot that my tweezers were useless against. There were terrified feral kittens in the weeds that we could not catch. It was a REALLY WEIRD, really off feeling day. It was hot, too. Heat index in the triple digits.
There was an info kiosk, but no way to sign in, as it states is required to use the blueway.
So, we launched our boats. We went over to Devil's Step Island and paddled around it then back to the van to get first aid, then back to the island to try to find the cemetery. It's very easy to find, it's right next to the campsite. The campsite smelled like someone had used diesel fuel to try to get wood burning and the smaller trees all around the site were chopped about belly-button high. It looked awful between the piles of partially melted trash in the fire pit and the hacked up trees. Not where I would want to set up even if it is next to a cemetery.
The cemetery was pretty beaten up. The fence around it had been hit by trees over the years and at least 2 graves had collapsed. There were 3-4 stones that were still readable.
After we got back in the boats, we headed across toward Maple Bend island. It was rough going in the heat and we pulled off to have a snack and drink. We discussed going for a swim, but the water is VERY warm, it was not refreshing. We made the last push to the island and checked out that campsite. It was in the sun, slanted red clay tent platform, just as trashed as the first site and it smelled like everyone who had ever camped there had peed in the same spot. The smell was overwhelming! It was like goat pee.
We got back in the boats and went over to Goose Island, but none of us even wanted to see the campsite, we just wanted to get back to the parking area.
As the day went on, more and more boats were on the water. The wakes from them made for HARD paddling, there was lots of stopping to swing our boats into the waves to keep from tipping, then paddling hard to get some distance before the next boat. One guy was just doing circles, coming back over and over to turn at the last minute before hitting one of us. I BET HE DRIVES A TRUCK.
So, keeping in mind it was not the best day to begin with to head out to melt in a plastic tub on some bathwater, I still have to say the blueway is was not worth it. The total disregard from the other boaters, the damage and disgusting state of the campsites we did see plus the fact that the water is likely teeming with all kinds of horrors because it's basically a giant, overheated pond all combine to keep this off my list for the summer.
First, Ben has some confusion about how to kayak.
All of the banks are badly eroded and nearly all are mostly rock ledge. There's not much shore, at least in this part of the lake. It drops off quickly.
You can't paddle right smack next to each other.
There are 3 more islands with camping to check out. They are closer to the state park, so maybe a little less manky? There are also two "non-motorized boats only" launches near Estill Springs, so I want to check those out in hopes that there is at least a small section of the lake that isn't overrun with fast boats.
For now, the van is at the shop. We had hoped Matt's $150 battery Monday was it for the month, but no. My van is unwilling to let another vehicle hog the budget. My voice is gone, Ben feels so rotten he's actually skipping band.
Update: It was a fuse. Which might be a fluke or it might be the compressor going out.
I'm going to have a few days of downtime. I have the house clean and the yard mowed, so I am declaring this a holiday weekend and we are not going to do anything that does not involve being in front of a van or at least neck-deep in cool water.
