Two -Lock Day

We only had 23 miles to travel to Joe Wheeler State Park on Friday, but that involved going through two locks. The first was the Wilson Lock and Dam. The dam is 137 feet high and the oldest on the Tennessee River, with construction beginning in 1918 and ending in 1925. The lock we would use was a newer on, built in the 1950's. 

As Don brings the boat close to the lock wall, I throw a line over a floating bollard and slide it under the middle cleat on the side of the boat which gives me extra leverage. If all goes well, this bollard, with us attached, will float up as the water pours into the lock chamber. We don't tie the line to the boat in case the bollard stops sliding. We have large fenders on the side to protect the hull, but sometimes we use the boat hook to push the bow or stern off the rough wall to keep the boat straight.

 These large looper boats look rather small in Wilson Lock! It is the highest lift lock east of the Rocky Mountains, and raised us 93 feet. The back gate is just closing, and we are ready for the sometimes turbulent ride up to the top of the wall.

We were at the front of the lock, and I was getting wet from the wind-swept mist from this pretty waterfall...a leak???...in the front gate. 

As we left the lock we had a good view of the arches on the 137 foot high dam, which was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966.

We went from one extreme to another with the next dam, the Joe Wheeler dam, which is only 72 feet high, the lowest on the Tennessee. But the history of Joe Wheeler himself is interesting. He was a West Point graduate and a general in the Confederate Army, as well as a leader of U.S. volunteers in the Spanish-American War. According to our Fred Myers book, he fought in more than 500 skirmishes, commanded in 127 battles, had 36 staff officers wounded at his side, and had 16 horses shot from underneath him!!!! He was elected to Congress in 1880, died in 1906, and is buried in Arlington Cemetery. His daughter sold the family property to the TVA with the stipulation that everything be named after her father! Hence, Joe Wheeler Lock and Dam, and Joe Wheeler State Park, our destination today. She must have always won the "my daddy's better than your daddy" discussions!

 Joyce on Carried Away took this picture of Snow Cat and the "Captain" in Joe Wheeler lock. You can see the channel that guides the floating bollard up. And where is the "Admiral", you ask????? She is working hard holding the line on the far side of the boat!