West and Jeff checked in after paddling 30 miles today amid rain, fog and a strong headwind. They said it's been raining off and on, pretty heavy, at times. If you are monitoring their SPOT tracker, they missed their turn and had to backtrack. West said this was due to thick fog. They indicated there was some ice along the banks of the river but the flow was open without any obstacles.
They are camping on an island in the middle of the river so your tracker is in the right positon. They set their tent and shelter up to get out of the rain, were putting on dry clothes and getting ready to enjoy a hot meal.
The landscape around them is very picturesque. It's absolutely beautiful. All the houses look like little wooden gingerbread houses. There aren't any trailer homes. They have received very warm welcomes from all the people they have met, so far. They have not met anyone at this town that speaks English. They are communicating through their phrase book, pictures and pointing/gesturing.
The Epic Kayaks are extremely solid despite being loaded down with all of their supplies. At this point, they have ALL of their supplies with them. The team said other than going a little slower than they would like due to the weight of the boats, things are going well.
West took the time (and remembered) that today is mom's birthday so he gave her a call.
--Barbara
