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Day 280 (The loop is complete)

9/11/2010

42 Comments

 
Daily Stats
Start: 7:30 AM - MM 232
Finish 10:00 AM - MM 218 Grafton Illinois 
Time: 2:30 hours
Daily dist: 14 miles
Total dist: 5740 miles
Companions: Jason Cummings
Weather: Overcast, low 70’s, SE wind 5-10 mph
Notes: Yeee ha!
It was about a year ago that I was in San Diego nervously trying to get my head around all the logistics for a trip I’d dreamt about for years. The mere fact that the idea of the trip had morphed into very real planning seemed like a dream itself. My mind was in a fog of what-ifs and unknowns as well as the sadness that comes with leaving friends behind when you head off in a new direction in life. I’d been kayak camping before, but only for a week or so, and never on something of this magnitude. Five thousand miles seemed like an almost insurmountable mountain to climb. It would be at least two hundred days of paddling to figure out. The obstacles, campsites, water stops, re-supply points… It was too much to take in all at once, so I decided not to. Instead I started out with a broad view of where the trip would take me. Then I took it one month, one week, one day, one hour, one minute, and finally one stroke at a time.

That’s how I did it
 5740 miles… one stroke at a time.


In the planning stage I realized how, instead of vanishing into the wilderness, this trip would encircle the core of our country passing along the edges of some of our most populated cities. With the proximity to civilization, I realized that this trip could be shared with others all along the way. I thought that, if people could follow along, this trip might serve as a reminder of what adventures await us close to home. I also believed that this trip (accessible - in parts - to almost everyone) could motivate people to get out and explore their local waters on their own. For those reasons I decided this was a trip that should be shared.

So it was that I brought along ten pounds of computer, charger, spare batteries and cords. So it was, as well, that on so many nights when I was tired and sore and so desperately just wanted to get to bed, that I stayed up and fought my heavy eye lids to get the blog post up for that day. I knew the daily reports and computer could put me in touch with people along the way. But I never could have anticipated how many people would answer my call to share in this adventure with me. It was a tremendous effort to keep the blog going day after day. But for every person that opened their home to me, joined me on the water, sent a word of encouragement via. E-mail, or told me they were enjoying following along, it was all worth it.

Two hundred eighty days and 5740 miles since it began on a crisp early winter day last December, I have shared a daily account of this trip and my life. With a bumpy start, and many ups and downs, it has been an experience of a lifetime. I am so glad I could bring you along for the ride. Today I am pleased to report that I have paddled the last stroke into Grafton Illinois.

The loop is complete.

It is done.


42 Comments

Day 279

9/10/2010

14 Comments

 
Daily Stats
Start: 7:30 AM - MM 267
Finish 2:00 PM - MM 232
Time: 6:30 hours
Daily dist: 35 miles
Lock 25: 11:30-12:30 - 1:00 actually locked through this time
Total dist: 5400+
Companions: Jason caught up with me in camp
Weather: Overcast with a little drizzle/mist, low 70’s, SE wind 5-10 mph
Notes: Last full day on the water - I am excited to see the finish line in Grafton
To say I’m excited to see the finish line in Grafton is an understatement. I am VERY excited. It struck me as I pulled out of Lock 25 today that, with only 23 miles to go to Grafton, the time it will take to get there can be measured in hours instead of the months used in the beginning of this trip. By 2:00 when I pulled off the water I’d already come 35 miles and Grafton waited a tantalizingly short 14 miles downstream. It wouldn’t have taken long to grind out those last few miles but I had bigger plans.

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Last lock and only 23 miles to go
Last December when I put in on the Mississippi for the first time I was joined by Jason Cummings. He had paddled up from Portage Des Sioux, MO and escorted me for my first five miles on the way back down to his put-in. As he put it a “Portage to Portage” trip of his own. A few weeks ago Jason e-mailed and asked if I was going to close up the gap in the trip. Of course I was, so we made plans for him to join me in camp the last night and paddle together on the final leg back into Grafton. It just seems right to have the same person that joined me on the first day out of Grafton to also join me for the last day back into town.
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Jason approaching camp
Jason had to work all day (somebody has to work after all) so he didn’t get on the water until the early evening. By then I had camp set up and fire wood gathered for what would be only the second campfire I built on this entire trip. At about 5:30 Jason called to double check what island I was on before he committed to heading downstream on what he thought was the correct channel. Having to paddle upstream to correct the mistake of going down the wrong channel would have taken a gargantuan amount of effort in the rapidly fading daylight. I lit the fire to try to create some smoke to mark where I was but amazingly the soaking wet wood burned so hot it didn’t create any smoke (it may have had something to do with the pint of camp fuel I used). Thankfully Jason could smell the fire which was just enough to assure him that he was on the right track.
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With a half hour of daylight to spare Jason glided into camp for what he informed me would be his first kayak camping experience. Coming fully prepared with a tent, marshmallows and smores fixings, a few beers, and a cold Coke for me, I think he’s already got kayak camping all figured out.

This last night has me it bit in a daze. I’m excited to be on the cusp of completing the loop, and at the same time a bit melancholy knowing that this is the end of it all. Looking at my food bags almost empty and not being the least bit concerned is strange. My batteries are getting a bit low, and that’s no big deal. I have more water than I need and may actually dump the extra to lighten the load. It‘s odd to think that all my gear (a little thread bare and faded) that has served me so well can finally rest when I reach the boat ramp in Grafton tomorrow.

After digging out the one 8.5”x11” map that I’ll need for the day, planning for tomorrow’s paddle took about two minutes. There are no locks, no long crossings, no big winds, no logistical hurdles at all between here and the finish line, just point my kayak down stream and go.

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Last camp.
14 Comments

Day 278

9/9/2010

4 Comments

 
                            Check out full day 277 post below
Daily Stats

Start:        6:45 AM - MM 301 - 8 miles south of Hannibal, MO
Finish        12:45 PM - MM 267
Time:        6:00 hours
Daily dist:    34 miles
Lock 24:    11:15-11:30 Portaged lock and dam
Total dist:    5400+   
Companions:    None
Weather:    Mostly cloudy to overcast, 70’s, SE wind 5-10 mph
Notes:        Showers threatened all day but it only rained an hour or so.
After a week and a half with apparently nothing to haul, the barge industry is back in action.  Over the last two days I’ve seen more barge traffic than I had seen in the ten days prior.  This traffic is resulting in bottlenecks at every lock.  When I reached Lock 24 today (Lord knows what happened to Lock 23) two barges were waiting to lock through downstream while an upstream barge was already re-assembling himself after locking through.  It didn’t matter to me because once again I was able to slide the Ikkuma, fully loaded, over the dry spillway on the far end of the dam.  It took a little doing to round up the logs and sticks required to act as bumpers over the rocky embankment, but I was up, over, and back in the water in just fifteen minutes, faster than it takes to lock through even without a waiting line. 
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The weather man had been talking about a lot of rain on its way from the disintegrating hurricane that rolled into the Gulf last week.  The sky was cloudy but thankfully, so far, all I’ve seen is a couple short showers.  In fact the entire afternoon was dry and beautiful with a hint of sunshine even popping out just before sunset. 

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Not really sure why Jake wanted this pictrue in here... Any suggestions?
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With a little more time at the end of the day’s paddling than I’m used to I was able to go for a walk along shore where I’m camped.  I could only go about 100 yds in either direction until the sand ran out and became sticky mud, but along the way I did find an interesting animal tooth (looks like a molar from something big).  I also took the time to clean up my kayak a bit.  Weeks in tannic rivers had yellowed the normally bright white hull.  The other day I had pulled the Ikkuma up on a mud beach for a break and before I launched I rubbed the sticky mud off the hull.  In so doing I discovered that I’d rubbed some of the yellowing off the hull.  Figuring it couldn’t hurt, today I rolled the Ikkuma up on its side and polished out the entire hull with Mississippi River mud.  Incredibly the mud and a little elbow grease did a great job in making the kayak look presentable again.  It seems like a silly thing to polish a boat in the midst of a 5000 mile trip, but wouldn’t it be a shame to come across the final finish line with a dirty boat.

4 Comments

Day 277

9/8/2010

1 Comment

 
Jake is out of cell coverage again so he phoned in a report.  He had a great day of paddling and is enjoying what will probably be the last rain free campsite of the trip.  He also able to portage the last two locks avoiding a lot of barge traffic today. 
1 Comment

Day 277 (Full Blog)

9/8/2010

0 Comments

 
Daily Stats
Start:        10:30 AM - MM 327 Quincy, IL
Finish        3:00 PM - MM 301 - 8 miles south of Hannibal, MO
Time:        4:30 hours
Daily dist:    26 miles
Lock 21:    10:45-11:00 Portaged lock and dam
Lock 22:    2:30-2:45 Portaged lock and dam
Total dist:    5400+   
Companions:    None
Weather:    Clear blue skies, 70’s, calm winds
Notes:        Luck allowed me to avoid long waits by portaging two dams
Today was one of those wonderful late summer days where the weather was warm, clear, and dry.  I’m enjoying it for all it’s worth as I carefully watch a weather system move in from the south, a remnant of the hurricane that spun into the Gulf of Mexico last week.  The weather man says it’s going to be a wet end to the week, but for now I’m loving life.
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With a great breakfast with the Strosakers to start the day I was on the water by 10:30 and right from the put-in I could see that there was a lot of traffic at Lock 21 just down stream.  With one barge in the lock, another waiting upstream, and a third waiting downstream it could take all day to wait a turn to lock through.  Thankfully this lock is a bit different than all the rest I’d seen upstream.  On the far side of the dam, opposite the lock chamber, is a concrete spillway.  Right now it’s lying about six inches above the water holding back the river above, but at flood stage it would allow water to flow freely over the top.  This structure is flat topped and smooth much like a road and about as wide.  It was easy business to slide the Ikkuma out onto the dam then across and down a short slope to the other side.  Instead of hours of waiting it took mere minutes and I was on my way.  The only thing I missed was the opportunity to have my picture taken in a lock by David and Esther who had driven down to see me lock through.  I did paddle back across to thank them once again for their hospitality, I guess we’ll have to get a picture next time.

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A few hours of paddling brought me to and past Hannibal Missouri which we drove down to visit yesterday.  Only eight miles further I came to Lock 22 which was just as busy as the one above.  Thank heavens this dam was constructed much like the one above and I, once again, was able to jump across in fifteen minutes.  Just a few hundred yards below the lock I found a great camp spot high above the water with cool shade trees and a great view of the river and hills on the far shore.  I timed how long it took the barge that was in line in front of me to get through the lock and was very grateful to have been able to portage saving myself three hours of waiting above. 
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All of this barge traffic is a bit of a surprise after a week of seeing very few.  With only 83 miles and two locks to go and three days to reach Grafton I can handle some waiting.  But if the locks continue to be of the same design I’ll be happy to keep sliding over the spillways and continuing on my way.       
0 Comments

Day 276

9/7/2010

4 Comments

 
Daily Stats
Start: 6:15 AM - MM 361 IA/MO border mouth of Des Moines River
Finish 12:00 PM - MM 327 Quincy, IL
Time: 5:45 hours
Daily dist: 34 miles
Lock 20: 9:15-9:45
Total dist: 5400+
Companions: None
Weather: Clear blue skies, 70’s, W wind 10+
Notes: A great day on the water
Admittedly worn out from pulling into the wind all day yesterday, I was grateful to have a comparatively short and much easier go of it today. In addition I ended the day not on a sand blasted river bar like yesterday, but instead at the home of the father and step-mom of my good friend Duane.

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Approaching Quincy, IL on the river
Last fall when I was driving back to Wisconsin from San Diego I had a bunch of kayaks to deliver along the way. [It’s rare for any of my paddling friends to do a cross country drive without at least one extra boat to deliver somewhere]. One of those deliveries was right here in Quincy Illinois for Duane. The boat I was delivering was his home made “mini me” kayak he wanted to keep at his father’s house so he could have something to paddle when he comes to visit (which isn’t nearly often enough Duane). Duane’s parents, David and Esther, were not home but I did meet their next door neighbor who let me into the Strosaker’s garage. Becky was very interested in the trip I was about to embark on and she made sure I added her contact information to the Strosaker’s just in case I should need help when I was passing through Quincy. With very few contacts on the Upper Mississippi at that time, on what I knew would be a very cold run down the river, their offer as a potential source of help was a treasure.

As it turned out winter shut me out long before Quincy and my re-start was below, so I never did need Becky’s number. As I came in to town on a very beautiful day with sublime weather the stopover was much more social than logistical, yet (as you know) I always appreciate a comfy bed and home cooked meal. Ahead of schedule, due to the river pushing me incredibly fast, I arrived at the boat launch at noon less than six hours after starting out 34 miles above. David knows this river well and figured I’d be moving faster than I expected and he and Esther were there right on time to pick me up. Once the Ikkuma was emptied of gear and loaded on their van, David whisked me back to their house where I got cleaned up before we headed down to Hannibal Missouri.

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David and Esther at Lovers Leap
Hannibal is a little river town who’s claim to fame is being the childhood home of Mark Twain. We started our tour of town with a stop at “Lover’s Leap” which provided a panoramic view of town as well as the river valley. From there we made our way to the Mark Twain Cave where I enjoyed a walk through the famous cave that appeared in the Adventures of Huckleberry Fin.

From the cave we made our way downtown where we saw Mark Twain’s childhood home and the famous white fence. Capitalizing on it’s Mark Twain connection a short walk down Main Street in Hannibal also allowed me to see; The Mark Twain ice cream parlor, The Mark Twain bookstore, The Twain Pub, The Mark Twain diner, The Mark Twain drycleaner… I think I even saw a Mark Twain septic pump drive by. It was a neat little town and one worth visiting if you get the chance, especially the cave.

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The Mark Twain Cave
4 Comments

Day 275

9/6/2010

3 Comments

 
Daily Stats
Start: 6:00 AM - MM 409 Burlington, IA
Finish 5:00 PM - MM 361 IA/MO border mouth of Des Moines River
Time: 11:00 hours
Daily dist: 48 miles
Lock 19: 3:40-4:20
Total dist: 5400+
Companions: None
Weather: Storms in AM then clear, 70’s, S wind 20+ (headwind)
Notes: A long hard day paddling into the wind.
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Sloppy wet and slow going with headwinds pushing against the current.
The wind was blowing out of the south at well over 20mph… South being, of course, the very direction I was headed… That’s all I’m going to say about that.


The day was a bit of a slog but not without highlights. Shortly after getting on the water this morning I passed through Burlington, IA. At one of the loading docks was the Living Lands and Waters barge. Living Lands and Waters is the organization started by Chad Pregracke, the parents of whom I stayed with last week. The organization has done a lot to clean up the Mississippi River, as well as others. The barge is their base of operations where they store the trash they’ve collected until they can off load it to the landfill.

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The Living Lands and Waters barge near Burlington
A bit further on form Burlington I had to take a forced break to wait out a storm. The front actually slowed the wind for a while, and as much as I wanted to stay on the water and take advantage of the lull, there was a lot of lighting associated with the storm so I thought it wise to wait it out. While watching the storm pass I was treated to some amazing cloud formations.

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You should have seen these clouds rolling and spinning in the sky
What was my destination for most of the day ended up being one of the most remarkable things I saw. Lock 19 I was told is a behemoth but nothing could have prepared me for the true enormity of the lock. Designed to allow tows consisting of three barges wide and five long with a tow boat behind to lock through in one pass. To accommodate that size tow the chamber is well over 1200 feet long and 120 feet wide. To add to the experience of being alone in a lock chamber that it took me ten minutes to paddle end to end, was the fact that it also lowered me over 40 feet. By the time the huge gates swung open to the lower river level the lock chamber looked like an empty blimp hanger. It was HUGE!

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Lock 19 the Grand Daddy of the Mississippi locks
3 Comments

Day 274

9/5/2010

4 Comments

 
Daily Stats
Start: 1:00 PM - MM 433 New Boston, IL
Finish 6:00 PM - MM 409 Burlington, IA
Time: 5:00 hours
Daily dist: 24 miles
Lock 18: 5:15-5:45
Total dist: 5400+
Companions: Joe and Joe for the first two miles from their cabin back to the river
Weather: Mostly clear, 70’s, S wind 15+ (headwind)
Notes: Left Jo’s cabin at 11:15 for paddle to main channel
As of yesterday I had paddled ten days I a row. They weren’t all long days but it felt good to sleep in a bit this morning just the same. After a nice breakfast prepared by Jo the three of us (Joe, Jo, and me) launched off the beach by their cabin and paddled together back out Sturgeon Bay to the main channel in New Boston. There we said our goodbyes and I turned my kayak into the wind and started south.

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Jo and Joe at the boat launch in New Boston
After parting ways with the Joes, it was a fairly uneventful day aside from the choppy water from the strong wind blowing straight upstream. The later than normal start didn’t give me a lot of time before dark which didn’t matter because with the wind blowing like it was I didn’t want to slog it out any longer than I had anyway. The campsite I ended up in is on a beautiful point of land on the downstream end of an island that I’d bet was under water little more than a week ago. In fact I’ve noticed the river dropping significantly over the last six days I’ve been on it. Hopefully this trend will reveal even more dry land  like I found tonight and make the daily chore of finding accessible, campable, camp spots a lot easier.

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Sunset in camp tonight
4 Comments

Day 273 (still closing up the gap)

9/4/2010

1 Comment

 
Daily Stats
Start: 7:00 AM - MM 463 Fairport, IA
Finish 1:45 PM - MM 433 New Boston, IL
Time: 6:45 hours
Daily dist: 32 miles
Lock 16: 8:00-8:30
Lock 17: 11:45-Noon
Total dist: 5400+
Companions: Joe and Joe for the last two miles to their cabin
Weather: Mostly clear, 70’s, NW wind 10+ (tailwind)
Notes: New Boston by 12:45 then paddled up to Joes’ cabin on Sturgeon Bay
There was no wind to be complained about today. Right at Muscatine, IA the river took a sharp bend to the south putting the brisk northwest wind at my back. With a helping push and temperatures low enough to almost require a jacket I hardly broke a sweat as I headed downstream toward New Boston, IL.

Along the way I passed through two locks at the first (Lock 16) I learned a bit of the lingo used by the barge industry. When I radioed the lockmaster an requested lockage he told me to hold tight on his “river wall” because a “side by one” was locking through on his way upstream. The “river wall” he automatically clarified on the radio was the lock wall closest to the main channel (which was also the furthest away from the active lock chamber where the barge would be coming out). A “side by one” I knew was some sort of tow/barge arrangement because I could see it in the lock chamber, but I had to ask the lockmaster just what that meant.

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Barge pulling out of Lock 16
So while I was being lowered six feet closer to the sea level in the lock I struck up a conversation with the lock master. There I learned that a “side by one” is a tow arrangement that is small enough to lock through in ONE go but the tow boat has to break loose and lock through on the SIDE of the raft of barges. Most of the lock chambers I’ve seen so far are big enough to accommodate three barges lashed side by side, and long enough to accommodate three in a row with a tow boat behind. The size of the particular tow boat that was coming through works better if the barges are lashed only two wide. That means that in order to maximize the number of barges he can push, the captain was pushing a raft four barges long and two wide. This lock can accommodate a raft four barges long, but not with the tow boat behind it. Therefore the towboat had to push the barges in, then break loose, come in along side, tie up, lock up, nudge the raft ahead just far enough to make room for him to maneuver back behind the barges, tie back up, and finally go on his way. The whole process takes a while but it’s still faster than having to break a long raft in half and take it through in two sections.

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That's it... only one foot
The next lock I came to (Lock 17) provided me with the shortest lockage I’ve done so far. After entering the giant chamber and having the equally giant lock gates groan shut behind me, the downstream valves were opened and I watched only one foot of the wet lock wall reveal itself before the downstream lock gates started to open to send me on my way.

From Lock 17 to New Boston was only about four miles and with the current and wind pushing me I made it there in less than an hour. Waiting for me there were Joe and Jo a couple from the Quad Cities area that has a cabin on the end of Sturgeon Bay just above New Boston. They had been following along with the blog since the very beginning and when they realized I was coming through on my way to close up the gap they invited me to stay at their cabin. Through a couple e-mails and phone calls we hatched the idea to have them meet me in town and paddle up the couple of miles to their cabin together which would make them only the third and forth people to paddle with me on the river so far. As we shook hands and exchanged hellos at the boat ramp a steady stream of huge motor boats were launching into the river. Then as we made our way up the bay that stream of boats now motored their way past us on their way further up. Joe explained that up ahead was a popular beach that the boaters liked to hang out at. Sure enough, when we passed under a bridge there was a growing crowd of boats and people hauled out on the beach to the left. Just beyond the party beach on the right shore was the Joes’ cabin where we pulled our boats up on the sand beach and ended a wonderful day of paddling.

After reading the blog for so long, Jo was dialed in to my frequent mention of food and set about making sure I didn’t go hungry while I was with them. With a spread of every snack food you could imagine we enjoyed a nice chat before heading into Muscatine so I could see a bit of the city I’d paddled by earlier from land. Made from clam shells harvested from the river, Muscatine once was the largest button producing town in the world and to honor that tradition a huge statue of a clam digger has been placed by the water front. With the advent of plastic buttons that industry died out but the town also is the home of Heinz Ketsup and Hon office furniture. The statue of a bottle of ketsup on an office chair is yet to come. After dinner at Jo’s favorite local Mexican restaurant and a visit to the local ice cream parlor, we capped off the evening by stopping back down by the river front to see the highway bridge over the river light up with colored lights. Joe was disappointed that the normally choreographed changing multi colored lights seemed to be stuck on one color, but it was impressive just the same.

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1 Comment

Day 272

9/3/2010

6 Comments

 
Daily Stats
Start: 8:45 AM - MM 495 Rapids City, IL
Finish 4:45 PM - MM 463 Fairport, IA
Time: 8:00 hours
Daily dist: 32 miles
Lock 14: 9:10-9:15
Lock 15: 11:30-Noon
Total dist: 5400+
Companions: None
Weather: Partly cloudy, 70’s, WNW wind 20+ (headwind)
Notes: Fought wind all day
If you were to ask anybody that is the least bit geographically inclined which way the Mississippi River runs they‘d more than likely say from north to south. Indeed, over who knows how much time, the river does run from Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota primarily south to the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana. Of course, like all rivers, the Mississippi twists and turns often running toward every direction on the compass within a thirty mile horseshoe bend, but overall it does flow from north to south. With that thought I was quite excited last night when I heard that big winds from the west northwest were due for today. A big tailwind combined with the already fast flowing river promised to push me downstream like a rocket.

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Unfortunately, after reviewing the route I had planned for today, I discovered that this thirty mile section was aligned almost straight east to west… right into the big wind. What I’d hoped would be a great boost downstream instead was a persistent challenge to my forward progress. In fact the wind was blowing so hard at times that it brought me to a stand still despite my efforts combined with the river’s. If I had been anywhere but on a river like this I would have sat the day out and waited for calmer conditions. With the river’s help I knew I could make some distance and after reviewing the maps with Brent Pregracke (who has spent his entire life working these waters) we had a route lined out through side channels in order to avoid the wind as much as possible.

The first ten miles of progress took nearly twice as long as yesterday while I paddled over and through two and three foot waves being pushed up from the opposing forces of downstream flowing water and upstream blowing wind. The side channels were great ways to get out of the wind. By the time I’d cleared the second lock of the day in Davenport, IA I had barely had a chance to take my hands off the paddle while I fought my way downstream. In need of a break I spotted a rough ramshackle hut on a raft nosed in to the shore below the Highway 61 bridge. Brent had suggested that I keep my eye out for this very craft (called the Riff Raft) and the half dozen college age kids that go with it.

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The Riff Raft
I couldn’t believe it, the words had just come out of Brent’s mouth and a couple hours later there they were. As I bobbed in the wind blown waves taking pictures a girl waved me to shore from a tarp covered window. The young woman was just what Brent had told me to expect. A little “earthy” with a distractingly large nose piercing and several tattoos. While yelling to each other over the howling wind while I sat in my kayak feet from shore, I learned that the group (who call themselves the Unseen Ghost Brigade) is a small theater troop that is floating down the river in their home made raft. They're making stops at river towns along the way doing street performances with hopes of raising money from donations to continue on with the trip. They have a flyer describing what they are all about so when Carin offered to get one for me I took the opportunity to land and stretch my legs.

The raft itself is well built and serves as the foundation for the shelter the group has assembled above. To get a picture of it in your mind try to picture a kids fort in the back yard assembled from whatever spare parts could be scavenged from all the construction projects in the area. Add a Minnesota boat registration number and an outboard motor and you have it. To make the picture more complete situate this ramshackle construction on the shore of one of the biggest rivers in the world and fill it up with no less than six bohemian street performers.

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Teh kitchen inside the shack
Curious as to what the inside living quarters might look like for six people in one little shack I asked Carin if I could come inside. She said sure so I ducked the flapping tarp that is the door into the relative out-of-the-wind calm inside. The interior was incongruously tidy compared to the ramshackle exterior of the structure with a well built helm in one corner, a three burner propane stove in another, and storage in the back. They have a storage compartment on the roof of the hut where they keep camping supplies that allow them to spread out on beaches along the way and not have to cram into the shack every night.

Over a brief conversation I learned that after building the raft and starting out from Minneapolis in late June the troop is hoping to make it to New Orleans by New Years. They are making stops at river towns all along the way to perform a play entitled “Death on the Mississippi and the Adventures of the Unseen Ghost Brigade”. They’re also doing a documentary chronicling their adventure and the state of the river and the towns along it. Having run most of the water that lies ahead of them I know they’ll have plenty to report on.

Before I left Carin invited me to sign the ceiling of the shack and I reciprocated by inviting her to add her signature to my kayak. Just as I was getting ready to leave another of the kids named Chad rode up on a bicycle and we exchanged a quick explanation of what was going on and he signed my boat as well.

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Chad and Carin (two of the six that call the raft home)
After my brief visit with the Riff Raft I pushed against the wind for the rest of the day and finally started looking for a camp site at about 3:00. It wasn’t until nearly 5:00 when I settled on a wind blown mud “beach” on up a hundred yards or so on a connector ditch that runs to a back bay. This was the only high ground I could find that was accessible and not covered in thick growths of Poison Ivy. The ground is a gelatinous mud that my feet begin to sink into if I stand in one place too long. Much of the beach is covered in a layer of dead dry grass that seems to spread my weight and not allow me to sink in. Taking a cue from what mother nature had started, I set about gathering up arm loads of the grass from all around the shore heaping it up in a layer about three inches thick where my tent was to go. The grass helped keep my tent up out of the mud clean and dry. I also gathered more grass and completed my campsite by laying out a walkway from my tent to the water so I could access the river without getting muddy feet. It took a little while but the effort turned what would have been a muddy wet camp site into a cozy dry one.

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6 Comments

Day 271 (visiting new old friends)

9/2/2010

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Daily Stats
Start: 7:00 AM - MM 540 Savanna, IL
Finish 2:45 PM - MM 495 Rapids City, IL
Time: 7:45 hours
Daily dist: 45 miles
Lock 13: 9:45-9:55 (no waiting today)
Total dist: 5200+
Companions: None
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 70’s, SW wind 10+
Notes: Reconnected with the Pregracke family
Of all the people I’ve stayed with on this trip one of the most important was the very first. It could be said that Gary and Keekee Pregracke saved the day back in December when they opened up their home to my parents and I. After getting snowed out up north and having to pull up and high tail it south in search of open water, we were feeling a bit overwhelmed. Being able to stay at a real house with friendly people (rather than another motel) made all the difference in helping us get back on our feet. With the Pregracke’s help we were able to re-group and set out toward St. Louis with an organized plan to get me back on the water.

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The Pregracke's back yard AKA the Mississippi River
Because the Pregrackes were so kind to us, it meant a lot to me to try to touch base with them as I came through their area on my way south. I’ve said it in my web site that one of the things I’m trying to show by doing this trip is what adventure lies in our back yards as this water-borne loop passes through the figurative back yards of much of our country’s population. For the Pregrackes this trip passes through their literal back yard and my actual route within feet of their dock. It would have been crazy for me to not stop by for at least a quick hello. After touching base with Keekee, once again with the help of their soon-to-be daughter-in-law Tammy, I received an energetic offer of the use of the same guest room where my parents and I stayed last December. It suffices to say when I woke up this morning I was excited to be on my way to visit with everyone again.

Indeed, after opening my eyes to bright sunshine illuminating the walls of my tent, I was startled to realize that I’d slept that long. However, when the bright tow boat search light swung upstream in search of other obstacles around the bend, the walls of my tent turned back to dark and I relaxed back into sleep once again. An hour later I did rise and an hour after that breakfast was eaten, my boat was packed, and I was on the water heading south. The day progressed without a hitch other than a stiff head wind that slowed my swift six mile per hour pace to five for the last two hours of the day. Compared to the 2.5-3 mph pace I had been setting while paddling UP the Fox River last week, I was still cruising.

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I saw this same river boat making its way downstream yesterday.
By the end of the day, just past the Interstate 80 bridge, I reached my destination and was greeted by Keekee at the end of their dock. After getting cleaned up and organized I enjoyed dinner and a nice long visit with folks that seem like old friends.

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Day 270 CLOSING UP THE GAP

9/1/2010

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Daily Stats
Start: 7:30 AM - MM 578 East Dubuque, IL
Finish 3:00 PM - MM 540 Savanna, IL
Time: 7:30 hours
Daily dist: 38 miles
Lock 12: 11:15-12:15 (1:00 hr brings paddling time to 6:30 hrs)
Total dist: 5200+
Companions: None
Weather: Overcast - drizzle/mist most of the day, 70’s, calm winds
Notes: First significant slowdown by a lock
When I woke early this morning it was raining, or should I say still raining as it had been raining and storming all night. Rather than break camp in the rain I rolled over and dozed off for another blissful hour of sleep. The rains let up long enough to brake camp and load the boat but then a drizzling rain/heavy mist started up and persisted most of the day.

Three hours on the water brought me to a county campground/marina where I stopped to top off my water bottles. At least two days of water remained in the MSR Dramadary Bags but time has taught me to never pass up a chance to fill up. At the campground I chatted with a man who was in the process of relocating his giant RV. The rains last night had flooded out his site leaving it a muddy mess. It was funny to think that I fared better in my tent on an island in the river than this guy did in an RV at an established campground. I’ve said it before that I’d gladly take the backcountry over dysfunctional civilization any day.

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County campground/marina made a great stop for water
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Yesterday I learned how fast I can go on this river and today I learned how locks can sometimes slow you down. Of course compared to portaging, the one hour I had to wait for a tow to pass through (and re-assemble) at lock number 12 was no big deal. The hour delay at the lock was actually a great excuse to get out and stretch my legs and to make a few important phone calls.


Part of the reason it felt so good to get a bit more sleep this morning was because last night I was up late trying to sort out details for the next ten days. There are two stopovers I had tentatively planed on the way south. The first is in the Quad Cities area just outside Moline where the Pregracke family lives. Gary and Keeke Pregracke (coordinated by their son’s girlfriend Tammy) are the ones that invited my parents and I to stay with them as we were heading south to escape the winter storm last winter. During our visit we were able to re-group and formulate a plan for getting back on the water. It was the Pregrackes that suggested Grafton Illinois as a good place to put back in, figuring that the quaint river town would make a good finish line when I did close up the gap this fall. The other stopover is in Quincy Illinois at my friend Duane Strosaker’s parent’s house. Last year Duane’s dad, upon finding out about my trip and extremely late start date, said quite simply “That boy’s going to freeze.” He’s been following along with my adventures and invited me to stay for a bit of a break when I passed through.

True to form I didn’t have anything pre-planned when I set out from Boscabel Monday afternoon, just a rough idea of who I may be able to visit on the way down the river. It was today, during the one hour I had to kill waiting for Lock 12 to clear, that I finally had time to touch base with the folks I was thinking about visiting. It was a productive couple of calls and plans are now in order for me to pay these folks a visit. The Pregrackes I expect to reach by tomorrow night and Strosakers by the beginning of next week.  It’s always a relief to have a plan in order, I wonder why I don’t do it more often.

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View from camp tonight
The rains did finally let up in the early evening giving me enough time to get all my gear dried out. Tonight’s campsite is amazing. It’s a high sandy island (probably dredge spoils from the shipping channel) situated on the outside of a bend with a beautiful view of the river in both directions. Flanking the river to the east are high stone bluffs and in the distance is a truss bridge crossing the river. It’s one of the best camp spots I’ve had on the river so far.

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