October 2

Today was a long day. We put over 56 miles behind us in the eleven hours we traveled. Because there is a severe drought in this area, there is a need to conserve water. This is the highest part of the canal. To keep water levels stable in this summit area, there are resevoir lakes feeding into the canal. These lakes are scores of feet lower than they should be. Accordingly, the locks are only opening on the hour for boats headed east and on the half hour for those headed west. This results in fewer "spillings" of the locks and less water to be used from the resevoirs. But it also delays us as we arrive too late at a lock and have to wait until the top of the hour. The lockmasters have been good and a few have bent the rules to help us. The lock at Little Falls is the highest lift on the canal and one of the highest in the world. Here we see Eagle's Wings waiting for the lift gate on the east end of the lock to be raised. Outside the lock we saw this large tour boat waiting to come in and lifted. Tonight we have stopped at a Terminal Wall at Fonda between locks thirteen and twelve. Tomorrow will be another long day if we are to reach our goal of the end of the canal at Waterford.