2012/04/20

The Kennewick-Man Expedition, DAY 19


Although I wanted to start paddling the kayak and to begin the long journey from the exact point where Kennewick Man was discovered, I was hard put to find a measure to do, since I had not been able to paddle upstream from my tent to there against strong current. But, thanks to a support from Phillip, I could carry the kayak to there by his van.



I lowered a paddle into water, and then started paddling quietly. There was no wind. Cloud covered all over the sky. It was not hot and not cold, was moderate weather. Goose had a few children in tow peacefully in the park along shore.

After paddling downstream around twenty minutes, the place Kennewick Man was discovered came within sight. Its location was able to be clearly distinguished by a contrast between, a young and short in height and equal age shrub which grew there after cutting of trees about fifty meters width when Kennewick Man had been dug up, and thickets of both sides. When I approached a shore, same size boulders, which U.S. Army Corps of Engineers owner of the land dropped and covered all over from their helicopter to cover the dig site, spread out on bottom of water. Stakes driven into the ground at regular intervals stuck out from a gentle slope, where was covered by shrub and extended down to a river bed.

The long journey starts from here. I was overwhelmed by emotion when I felt so. “The journey of Ryota Yamada starts from right here right now!”, I yelled toward the river.

Although there was just small rain felt good along the way, I paddled on the peaceful river without any accident, and then I arrived the tent.