You Can't Get There From Here

The forecast was for good weather yesterday and today, so I gave up my life of gluttony on Whidbey Island and set out for home. Yesterday brought me to Meadowdale Park, my 100th campsite of the journey.

Today I set out at sunrise for the long paddle to Seattle. Fog rolled in as I started south, which made passing the busy Edmonds ferry terminal a bit tricky. I could barely see the ferry at times and was concerned it might pull away from the terminal right as I passed behind it. In the end, I snuck under the pier rather than risk passing behind the ferry.

In the afternoon I reached the Chittendon Locks, where I would transition from salt- to freshwater. The signboard indicated that the small lock was out of order so I headed for the large lock, not normally used by kayaks. As I approached, a disembodied voice announced over the loudspeaker that no kayak would be allowed in the large lock and that the small lock was expected to reopen on October 23, four days from now. After traveling 1100 nautical miles, I wasn't eager to wait four days to paddle the final 5.

The lock attendants confirmed that there was no way they were letting me through, and suggested I carry my gear up to the road and past the lock and put back in somewhere beyond the lock, although they weren't exactly sure where I might be able to do that. I was about to start scouting a route when I got a better idea. I paddled out to where boats wait to transit the locks, approached the smallest sailboat and asked if they'd be willing to tow my kayak through the locks. The lock doesn't allow kayakers, but it does allow dinghies towed by yachts. With me aboard the sailboat and my kayak in tow, we transited the lock with no problems and I was able to resume paddling on the other side.