De-Stress Outdoors

Ohio River

Slim Island Towhead (837) to Mount Vernon, IN (Mile 829)

October 2015

Upon arrival at the Mount Vernon, Indiana Boat Ramp on this cold, windy day I was greeted with 2 words: "You're crazy". It did turn out to be an interesting day weather-wise. I'd actually see a tornado forming behind me later in the day (photo further below). Yet, as I walked my boat down to the water I didn't think it looked too terribly daunting. Surely I could at least try things out... I could always just come back early if things went awry.

Originally my intention had been to paddle upstream from Mount Vernon toward Henderson, Kentukcy, yet when I gazed in that direction it looked quite intimidating. You see, the area around the Mount Vernon Towhead (an island that's visible from the ramp) was among the most congested areas I'd ever seen on a river. Barges looked to be moored all the way around the island and along both the shorelines as well, with what seemed to be 1/2 dozen push boats moving in different directions (below is a scene). I decided to head downriver instead! The wind was fairly strong and I'd be paddlig against it to start, but it would be at my back for the return trip later in the day when I was more fatigued.

I'll take you on down to the Slim Island Towhead at mile 837 now as I narrate upriver toward Mount Vernon (I've done this - narrated in an upriver fashion - in all my other Ohio River journals). A towhead, for those unfamiliar, is similar to an island but perhaps less permanent in it's formation. What I mean is, these are sometimes considered more akin to sand bars or alluvial deposits than islands. The photo below was taken at the tip of this one looking upriver. It's about 1/3 of a mile in length and perhaps about a full mile in circumnavigation.

I'd note someting here. If you look at a satellite map of this area you'll find that you're amid a sea of farmland that stretches for miles all around you. It's simply wonderful! Also noteworthy is that, between this Slim Island Towhead and Slim Island itself which begins another mile ahead, there's a third island that's not on the charts. It's so well over to the right side in Kentucky as to make the channel almost unnavigable, but it's there and it's quite pleasant to paddle through if you're able. The first photo below shows the downriver entrance, the second shows the channel and the third shows the upriver tip looking ahead at Slim Island.

Speaking of Slim Island, it comes next and it's much larger than the other two at about 3 1/2 miles long. It was here, and on the Kentucky side, that I stopped to take quite a few photos of the terrain. The Indiana side was just as interesting with similar scenes. I could have chosen that side as well, but this was the first time I'd paddled this far south on the Ohio and I was seeing some scenes and some varieties of plants that I hadn't recalled seeing before. The differening landscapes were very interesting and I also liked the formations in the land itself.

It was after this that the skies began to get quite dark, and at one point I turned around to see what looked like a tornado beginning to form as per the photo below! Surprisingly, I found that I wasn't as scared as one might think. I knew that if I died I'd do so while doing what I love. Besides, I've got blind trust in the Creator. All my chips are pushed into the center of the table in that regard, so if I died I'd so with it being part of the plan.

Still... I did paddle a little faster. :) I'd rather avoid pain if I can.

The photos from here on out will be ones that I took at the beginning of the day as they're clearer (although as you can see from the photo below the shutter of my camera was acting up). At this point I'm at the upriver tip of Slim Island and this is where Mulzer Crushed Stone has an operation on the Indiana side as per the photo below. I couldn't catch either a name or a logo on the vessel below, but this Mulzer operation ushers in a nearly unbroken string of businesses on this same side all the way up to Mount Vernon. In that way the area is very similar to Evansville, a larger town further upriver.

Believe it or not, there's another towhead here at the upriver tip of Slim Island, making for 4 islands in fairly rapid succession. This one is well skewed toward Indiana, such that if you're paddling on the Kentucky side of the channel around Slim Island you might just miss it. It's simply called "Towhead Island" and it almost looks like the hedge on someone's front lawn if you look at the first photo below...

With about 2 miles to go before you reach Mount Vernon, you'll have all those businesses I mentioned. A large Sabic operation looks to come first and it's quite large. The company is actually headquartered in Saudi Arabia and it looks like they produce just about everything from plastics to petrochemicals, to agri-nutrients. Next comes CF Industries which is an ammonia producer, followed by BWX Technologies (formerly Babcock and Wilcox) which traces it's history way back to the 1850's. They're in the nuclear field.

Marathon Petroleum is also here and they're well known. In fact, you'll see a lot of their push boats on the water, both here and elsewhere. Next comes an ADM grain operation. ADM (a.k.a. Archer Daniels Midland) actually began in 1902 as a linseed crushing business as per their web link. They're now a well known (and massive) agricultural company with operations all over the United States. All of these businesses have a shoreline presence here as per the photo below which shows them in reverse order looking downstream.

Meanwhile, and even closer to Mount Vernon, lies a river dock and terminal complex run by the Countrymark oil refinery that's located here. This is followed by the headquarters of the Evansville Western Railway and finally comes the Mount Vernon Water Works before you reach the boat ramp at mile 829 - whew - lotsa stuff! What's on the other side of the river? Nothing but good, old fashioined, peaceful farmland! Certainly a study in contrasts out here!

DIRECTIONS:

The ramp is located within Sherburne Park which lies directly along the riverfont at the end of Main Street in Mount Vernon.