Day 4- the Home Stretch

After successfully negotiating the hazard that swamped and pinned us in the Marathon (we got there just before dark; all part of the plan) we took another hour-and-a-half nap just past the Victoria park/checkpoint. The rest of the night was uneventful, except for a very large alligator gar that jumped up and hit the boat broadside, just at the gunwales. Another few inches and that sucker would have been in the boat!
This last section included some very cool bridges... and some very big log jams. These were the kind that were not sitting on the banks majestically, or cluttering bridge piles with only a four foot channel by which to slip through. No- these were the ones we'd been warned about, the ones we could see on Google Earth. The ones where people have marked takes outs, because these ones spanned the width of the river, and went on for 1/4 mile or more. Now it was getting interesting again. The four of us had to think, reconnoiter, and use muscles we hadn't used in a few days to lift 8-10 feet up a bank, carry, and drag the boat around. We were lucky to hit them during the day.
Passing them made us feel invigorated, and conjured images of African or Amazon safaris. If we threw some more coal into our steamers, we may make the bay before nightfall, and have the advantage of a daylight navigation. We hit the Salt Water Barrier (last checkpoint!) and unloaded all of our unneeded gear and uneaten food to make us as light as possible. The wind was calming down, and everything seemed to be in our favor.
Pic: extraneous gear.