Funny, todd! Need a key boat!

Seriously, I would predict traffic jams if lots of water traffic, but would the jams at the locks be worse than the jams on the roads? Interesting scenario.........

Would the locks be working after an EMP event?? I don't think so!

Would Uncle Sam leave the lock areas unguarded so that small boaters could portage their boats and gear around the locks? I don't think so!

Is waterway travel a viable option? Yes, until you reach the first lock on that waterway!

Is my small boat large enough to hold the crew, water, food, and BoB's to float safely down a river? No!

Is my small boat small enough to portage a significant distance to get around a lock's secured area? Probably not (considering the terrain around most locks)!

Is the crew numerous enough, well armed sufficiently to guard supplies, portage the boat, then the supplies, while securing both ends of the portage route? No!

Viable option: Depends on your level of desperation, short term threats, odds of success - if you have knowledge of actual and potential threats, crew cohesion (usually a couple of levels above a Chinese Fire Drill), how distant is it to the first "parting of ways" as some crew depart to go to those areas east or west of the Mississippi River.

I think I'll take my chances overland where I am certainly going to be able to develope more options.

I was unaware an EMP could be an accidental man made disaster.

After re-reading the new "rules" It appears the scope of this forum may prevent this topic to continue if it involves EMP, nukes, etc... or am I mistaken?

(Nothing against you wildman800, I don't want to see this topic closed, moved or deleted though. )


-Todd

I don't think an EMP event would be accidental. Nothing short of an EMP event, IMO, would necessitate my having to leave the boat.

Discussing the Topic Question does not require discussing the source or causes of such a result. Straying off the topic into gray and then forbidden areas is what gets many Topics locked up, IMHO!

I am looking for info concerning a transit from the Ohio River Valley (above Cairo, Il to the Pittsburgh, Pa area), southward to Nashville, Tn; where I am planning to pick up The Natchez Trace to Natchez, Ms.

I have received that info concerning the Pittsburgh, Pa area, of which I know very little. I appreciate and thank the contributor's time and efforts!

I am also looking for other similar trails that may exist through the Ky, WV, and Tennessee areas. I am also looking for local information concerning the inhabitants attitudes, customs, and courtesies.

Well said

Have you played around with google maps and yahoo maps? They now let you drag the 'default' path onto other areas thus creating new routes? May be useful in finding ways-around where you "get to land" ?

That is a good place to start to find routes, but is no substitute for local specific knowledge. A route may look good, but in fact be blocked.

A trivial example. My home street, on the maps, shows it connects with another street, producing a quick short cut. Its on the county maps as a county road. Only the county got it wrong, and about 300 yards of that road is private, and the farmer who owns it didn't like the traffic across his land, so he dropped a massive tree across the road, totally blocking it. People yelled. Farmer's response: my land, my road my tree.

My point is, without such up close local knowledge, what looks good on paper or even a satellite photo, may not work.

Someone once said "the map is not the territory." Something to keep in mind.

Regardless of the causation, I would expect any group to dwindle as each member passed the area or approach to his home area.

At the same time, one might also expect some of the core group to stay together with the persons experienced with the area.

Example, In Oklahoma or Texas, I would be comfortable with my surroundings. If out on the rivers mentioned up this thread, I would be sticking with someone with the knowledge of said rivers and traveling on them. Tis all unique, and one hell of a long walk.

Google Earth is a fun tool also. It's biggest problem is that the more rural areas are not always updated sat photos, so you get no detail at all...

You can go to the USGS and download high res images. Quite time consuming though. I did my parents farm and can count the trees.

Reading through this thread, I'd say that is what Wildman is looking for, some hands on local info from people who know the area.