Day 90

Early this morning a flash thunderstorm rolled over the tent soaking me and my gear before I could get the rain fly on. I took it as a sign to get up and start paddling. The calm of the early morning quickly gave way to a hot and windy afternoon. The river became more active with shipping, commercial fisherman and recreational anglers as I paddled closer to the head of passes. I stopped shortly before noon and enjoyed lunch on a small sandy beach tucked into the marsh. After lunch I could clearly see the head of passes down river, big waves and lots of boat traffic crossing back and forth. As I was trying to figure out the best line of approached a crabbing boat pulled up along side the canoe. The crew were excited to meet me and showered the canoe with gifts of Powerade, water, and snacks. Brett the captain made sure I put his number in my phone after giving me a good description of what lay downriver. I was filled with excitement as the mile markers counted down the last couple of miles. A few hundred yards before the head of passes I came across Pilot Town. It is an outpost of buildings and docks that supply river pilots to incoming ships. All commerical ships coming up river must have a pilot. I was amazed as I watched the small fast boats pull along side the large moving freighters, down would drop a ladder and the pilot would climb up onto the moving ship. Coming to the opening at head of passes I paddled hard for the large platform and marker representing mile zero of the river. The waves and current tossed the canoe as I tied off to the rough timbered platform and climbed up. The platform was about fifteen feet tall and I was able to enjoy the 360 degree view at mile zero. Back in the canoe I paddled slowly down South Pass towards Port Eads. For about 8 miles I could not see anything but the tall reeds lining the bank. I was starting to worry I was paddling out to nowhere. Finally I could see the lighthouse at Port Eads miles down the pass. I was getting very tired as I paddled the last leg beyond Port Eads High Adventure Marina and out to the Gulf. As I rounded the last bend I was finally greeted with open water, no more land to paddle towards! I floated in the canoe enjoying a feeling of accomplishment and taking some photos. Tired but happy I paddled back to the marina and was greeted by the staff. My mom had booked me a room and told them all about my trip. The staff shared boiled crabs and shrimp with me. We stood on the balcony, throwing the scraps to a alligator below us and watched the sunset. I was able to celebrate with a hot shower, a good meal, and cold beer. I also enjoyed meeting some fisherman that were staying the night. The next day I wasn't feeling lucky on getting a ride back so I called Captain Brett of the Delta Force crab boat. It was a unique and fun ride back to shore on the crab boat. The crew showed me how they run the traps and package the crabs. I had a friend pick me up for the ride back to Jackson. It has been a wonderful adventure, but as these things tend to be it was an anticlimactic end. Your working towards the goal for months and then in one moment it is complete. I encourage people to take as much time as you can when making such an adventure, it is the memories of all the days spent working towards the goal that are the best part. I want to thank everyone who has supported my along the way. If you have enjoyed this blog I encourage you to please make a donation to Wolf River Conservancy so natural treasures like this river can be wild and litter free for the future enjoyment of others.

Day 89

Up and one the water at 4:45 again this morning. First thing I noticed was that yesterdays strong current had dropped off sharply. I looked at the tide chart and saw that it would start to go back out about 10. I paddled the slack water and enjoyed a sky full of waterfowl while waiting and the tide and  current to work in my favor. I passed very few docks and only a handful of freighters, barge traffic has almost completely died off. By lunch I had reached the area where the left hand side of the river is only swamp, home only to wild creatures . The right bank is a thin ribbon of land with a two lane highway and a few homes, to the west of that it is more miles of swamp only. I stopped north of Port Sulfur for lunch at a small cafe. A half dozen women sat in the corner talking and laughing, they were speaking Creole a mix of French, Spanish, English and some African, I couldn't even start to understand what they were saying. A few hours after lunch I reached the point were I could not keep my eyes open. I spotted a gravel bar, something completely out of place down here and paddled over. I found a nice spot in the shade and took a nap for about an hour. Waking up refreshed I paddled on towards the sounds of an air boat playing down river. I rounded a bend and the air boat came flying out of the marsh and came to stop beside me. The man and his girlfriend offered me a beer and we spent about an hour visiting. Being from this end of the world he was able to give me what I hope is good advice on the final part of this trip. The river miles are numbered, they have been counting down to mile 0 since Cairo Illinois, river mile 950. I am attempting a Source thru to Sea of the Mississippi River. I need to paddle to mile 0 of the river to finish the thru portion, then paddle another 13 miles taking South Pass out into the Gulf. Easy enough right? Just keep paddling as usual, getting back to a boat landing is were things get interesting. The road ends at river mile 10, so when I finish I am 23 plus miles downstream from "land". The gentleman told me that at Port Eds they have rebuilt a marina with rooms and bar/restaurant.Being a Friday he assures me there will be steady stream of boats going back to land at Venice. South Pass is only two miles further downstream from Port Eds. I am currently at or about river mile 25. Tomorrow I plan to get up early, paddle to mile zero and take a picture at the marker. Next I will paddle to Port Eds and see who is around, maybe talk someone in to following me out of South Pass, taking some pics and hauling me in. If not, I will paddled out and back, working on finding a ride after I return to Port Eds.  I doubt I will sleep much tonight I am full of excitement to see the Gulf. A long trip like this quickly becomes about waking up and paddling day after day, week after week, the scale of total trip is lost when you live it at 5 miles per hour. When I was asked how far I had traveled this evening and I said twenty two hundred plus miles, it really hit me how far I have traveled. All I lack now, is finishing up.

Day 88

Up and on the water at 4:30. Even though I couldn't see perfectly  I could tell by the way the canoe was handling that I had some good current to work with today. I had been hoping for a week plus that raising water levels would bring better current. I have given up trying to figure out why the water in this river does the things it does. Scientists using the most powerful computers available and combining all we know can not predict what a large river like this will do much less a guy like me. The sky was slightly overcast and the sun came up as a red ball in the sky, not able to unleash its full strength till mid morning. During the overcast morning I was able to see several hundred water birds of all types, seagulls, flights of white pelican, wood ducks, blue and green teal, blue and white herons and several eagles. I was super excited about paddling the river through New Orleans. I have spent a good deal of time there and made many happy memories. One of my favorite memories is of a time from my early twenties. I was working on a shrimp boat down in south central Louisiana and we were returning to Mississippi were the boat was based. It was night time as we passed through New Orleans and I was in awe as we passed the big ships in the 65 foot wood hulled shrimp boat. The captain told me to climb the tall outrigger and sit on the round disc on top and wait for instructions. Sitting high over the river enjoying the view I was confused as to what task I could do from forty feet above the deck. Captain Timmy shouted "look left and enjoy". Facing the left bank I enjoyed as the river walk, Jackson Square and St Louis cathedral  bathed in night lights passed below me. Today as I rounded the corner, paddling past the old power generation plant north of the river walk I was given a treat. The Port of New Orleans was dredging near the cruise terminal downstream blocking off half the river to ship and barge traffic. I was able to paddle around the discharge pipe at mid river and then drift with the current enjoying as my favorite 2 miles of river front unfolded. Reaching the Jackson Square I paddled over to the bank, before I could get out of the canoe I was being hustled for protection money for the canoe. I not so nicely told the man to move along. I quickly covered the distance to the closest shop in the French Quarter Market. i bought a praline and some cold drinks. I was walking back to the canoe when a man stopped me and ask if I was the paddler? I figured he was going to tell me my canoe was being stolen but he was actually another long distance paddler. Park was from Greenville Ms and had recently joined two paddlers who were finishing a trip. His wife had picked him up the day before. We took a few photos and I paddled on out. The sun was really starting to beat down on me when I felt slight breeze developing. After no wind for a week, the breeze was enough to allow me to paddle during the second part of the day. Ten miles south of New Orleans the industrial plants and docks along the bank give way to mostly willows and cottonwoods. About three I stopped at the Scarsdale ferry crossing to visit the country store located there. I enjoyed some chicken tenders, fires and more cold powerade. Just before sundown I found a  pipeline crossing that had been sprayed and cut recently and set up camp. I am 64 miles from the end of the river.

Day 87

I set the alarm for 4:30 and was up before it went off. It was still dark outside but the lights from all the factories and docks made seeing the river and everything on it very easy. I had noticed the last few days when I woke up between 3 and 4 AM I saw no traffic on the river. I turned on the VHF radio and heard no traffic for the firs half hour. When someone did come on they couldn't find anyone to answer their transmission. Around 5:30 I started to see the work tugs firing up engines and deck hands going through ropes and tools. Around 6 some of the more motivated tugs were moving into position but not yet doing any work. I had my head lamp on and a few of them placed their spot light on me as they sat in the wheel house drinking coffee and chatting on the radio. I loved watching the sun come up over the normally busy river, the water was smooth and making good time was easy. At 6:30 on the dot it was like a starting gun was fired as everyone went to work. I had several tug boats and work boats crews drive near the canoe and ask for pictures. Several said they had heard there was a guy in a canoe coming and to keep an eye out. I was given a few bottles of cold water and many well wishes. Around mid morning I was surprised by a P 51 mustang and a Hellcat fighter that came zipping along about 150 feet over the river. They banked up and had a mock dogfight before making another low pass over the river. Moments later I saw a B 29 bomber fly by followed by two F 16 fighters. A interesting break from the normal river traffic. At 10 I stopped under the 310 bridge to check the map and rivergator, I was excited to see I only had about 10 miles or two hours to reach Kenner just north of New Orleans. My daily mileage from here on is somewhat set as the camping spots till I reach below New Orleans are very few. I had paddled the West bank as usual but Kenner was on the East requiring me to cross the busy shipping lane.  I paddled into the shadow of a anchored ocean going freighter to wait for a gap. I was glad the shade was there because I had to wait about 45 minutes before I was able to safely cross. I landed at the crumbling boardwalk and prepared to walk into the city. I stashed the canoe in some tall weeds and my pack and valuables under a willow tree. With the empty water can on my back I walked over the levee and into downtown. I had a wonderful lunch while enjoying the A/C and recharging my computer. With the long lunch complete I walked to the riverside park and sat in the shade working on social media. It is 4 now and the early start is catching up with me, I am ready for bed but also super excited to paddle into and out of New Orleans tomorrow. 

Day 86

Up and paddling before the sun again today. The river grows wider and more busy with each passing mile. The shore on both banks is a nearly constant line of fleeted barges two to four rows deep. Smaller work tugs move about in a frenzy of activity piecing together the large barges for travel back up river. The chemical and petroleum plants no longer hide back from the banks but instead push right up to the rivers edge. Large ocean going freighters line the docks taking on coal and grain. Ships unable to load lay at anchor just off the main travel lanes of the river waiting their turn. Small work and supply boats cross cross the open areas carrying the crews and the food that makes everything possible. I try to paddle between the fleeted barges and the ships near the channels edge. The space is generally a couple of hundred yards wide. By paddling down the middle I try to give everyone space to work, be seen and stay out of the way. I keep the VHF radio scanning at all times, it in an information pipeline and entertainment. The pilots talk about work, women, football, food and everything in between. I can hear them as they spot me and it seems everyone knows I am coming long before I arrive. The constant movement keeps my head spinning and my mind distracted from the heat. There is one subject that keeps coming to my mind. Most people who claim to paddle the river skip the last 303 miles and exit through the Atchafalaya River. They say it is still a Source to Sea of the river because some of the water fro the Mississippi river is diverted that direction. Pushed for a better reasoning they use the excuse that Baton Rouge and New Orleans sections of the river are too dangerous and there is nothing good to see. I think these people are being deceptive or at the least disingenuous. Saying I did a Source to Sea implies you paddled from the river from start to the finish.  Asked how Baton Rouge or New Orleans were they will say they didn't pass through them, as if they were unaware they skipped 303 miles. Others say it is a matter of opinion I say it is a matter of scientific fact, we know beyond a doubt where the river starts and ends, your opinion may be otherwise but it doesn't change the facts. Enough about that. I finished the day on a small sand bar and pitched the tent under some willows. I had three cranes of a type I have never seen before that hung around the shade of the sand bar keeping a close eye on me and the gator that was lurking just off shore.

Day 85

When I woke for the um tenth time drenched in sweat I decided to get up an be productive despite the lack of decent light. I made quick work of bailing the rainwater from the canoe and was on the water before the sun was up. My hope was to try and cover my minimum mileage for the day before one when the sun was sure to be cranking up to a broil. The weather report called for a cooler first half the day because it was going to be partly cloudy. I laughed as I looked over a sweeping sky void of even a single cloud. Again I had the river to myself for the first part of the day passing only a couple of small tugs. Around noon my lower back started to hurt and when I reached under the seat I could feel my lucky fix to the seat and failed to last two full days. I paddled on glad to have the pain in my back to distract me from the heat and humidity. Around on I exhausted the last of my 5 liters of water and I paddled over to the shore. I grabbed some snacks, the big water can, the speaker and my phone making a dash across the searing sand for the shade of a cottonwood tree. After drinking a liter of water I sat in the shade, pouring sweat from my body. At some pint I decided the broken seat and direct sun were not so much worse than the shade and joined the now heavy ship and barge traffic. I slogged on for another two hours before reaching a bend in the river were I panned to make my camp for the night. The sand bar was packed with locals fishing and playing. The entire sandbar was a trash pile. Hundreds of bottles, cups and other trash on the sand, in the sand and being washed into the river. I paddled past the sand bar and around the bend. When I looked down river for then next six miles I saw only one tree in the entire stretch of the river. I paddled over and climbed into the small patch of shade. The ground was was not level, the bank was muddy but it would be home for the night. After I finished my nightly routine I climbed into the tent and sat motionless hoping not to start sweating again. When I was in the Mississippi delta a few weeks ago I said I don't think the devil comes here because it is too hot.  Hell is hot but I hear fire and brimstone not word about humidity. This heat doesn't cook you, the humidity and heat drains you and rots everything around you.  Without modern A/C everyday items begin to mold and rot away within days or weeks. A new book just a few days old starts to have mold on the pages, the cardboard stick on a q-tip goes limp, labels on cans sag and peel, deodorant goes soft, bar soap turns to goo and soft gel ibuprofen melts into a blob. Add in the bugs, snakes and gators and I start to wonder how anyone decided to settle here to start with. Long day but I dodged the rain and had a beautiful sunset.

Day 84

The sun came up over tiger stadium with a fierce heat this morning. I was dripping before I had the boat loaded. I slept well despite the fact the harbor was full of traffic all night. The large ships that had been taking grain on all night set off back down the river just before me. All the barge traffic cleared the channel to make way for the big ships and I paddled out right behind them. South of the city the river bank went back to large trees, muddy banks and wild appearances. I could see the water had gone up over a foot while I was sleeping last night. I found some good runs of current and no barge traffic allowing me to make some easy miles. As the miles rolled by the sun moved higher in the sky and began to try and force me into the shade. Just after noon I completed my fourth liter of water and paddled onto the ferry landing at Plaqueine. I was badly in need of drinking water so I walked over the levee and into town. I walked about a half mile to a taco bell and slumped into a chair trying and cool off. My weather app was reading a heat index of 107. I ordered a few tacos and drank 47 large Gatorades over the next hour. Feeling closer to human I walked over to a local meat market were they let me fill up the 6 gallon water jug. Based off the short walk back to the ferry landing I knew I could tolerate more than about 45 minutes in the direct sun on the open river. I sat and read for about an hour before I paddled off into the cloudless sky. I paddled a steady pace for 30 minutes and drank a liter of water, I repeated this twice more before finally spotting some shade.I was beat down by the heat and sun needing a serious break. It came in the form of a large line of storms clouds drifting up from the Gulf.  While I didn't get but a few rain drops I knew the storm was going to blow up soon. I paddled through a horseshoe shaped curve and was greeted by the sight of the storm dumping rain four miles up river. I set up camp and made dinner before being chased into the tent by another strong storm. I did get the chance to ring out and hang up my paddling pants and shirt. I and was glad it rained hard and long enough to rinse them with rain water. Many people say this part of the river is no good to paddle because of all of the industrial chemical plants. I paddled all day, past many huge factories but the tree lined banks blocked them almost completely from view. The large smoke stacks and docks were the only sign of the factories inland. 

Day 83

I sat up in my tent at just the right moment to watch the sun breaking the horizon. As the sun came up it  the large smoke stacks from the chemical factory downstream obstructed the view. I knew that it was an omen for what the rest of the river would look like from here to the Gulf. The forecast called for a sunny sky and with 105 heat index so I loaded the boat and hit the water. The air smelled of chemical residue but the banks of the river looked as wild as any other area. After not passing a barge for the first three hours I started to think maybe everyone is over reacting to the amount of traffic from here south. About that moment the metal straps holding my seat to the boat snapped one by one almost spilling me into the river. I readjusted best as i could but knew not having a proper seat was going to make handling the canoe much more difficult.  By noon I had covered the twenty miles to the northern edge of Baton Rouge Harbor and City. Here I encountered barges parked two to three rows deep on each side of the river and three small work tugs running about. I turned on the VHF radio to scan and quickly caught the tugs communicating. They had three to four hundred barges lined up along the banks and it was enjoyable to listen as they sorted it out and built a barge.  As I rounded a right hand bend in the river I could see the two bridges and the heart of the harbor. The broken seat had wrecked my lower back over the last five miles so I pulled over under the shade of the 190 bridge.  Louisiana Governor Long had the bridge over the river built at a low height. The low height of the bridge guaranteed that ocean going vessels coming up river had to off load in Louisiana. For my much needed resupply I was counting on a Wal Mart just off the river downstream of the Inter coastal Waterway Lock and Dam. I paddled for 3 miles along unused fuel loading docks on one side and a huge oil refinery on the other. In the center of the channel a large dredge was stationed removing sand. Just before the second bridge on my side of the channel sat a massive ocean going grain hauler. The massive storage silos beside it was feeding a endless stream of grain into the hold. I paddled into some slack water and watched as a tug turned 6 barges 90 degrees and docked them behind the ship. I paddled down passed the docking barge and swung onto the sandbar at the mouth of the Inter coastal Waterway Canal. Having stashed my canoe and gear in the willows above the sandbar I set off with an empty backpack to find Wal Mart. It was about a twenty minute walk down the levee to a country road and out to a busy highway and retail area. I grabbed everything I needed for a eight day food resupply including a isobutane tank because I thrown thrown mine away on accident two days before. I had an early dinner of steak and eggs with hash browns at Waffle House before heading back. As I was hiking around a large soybean field a tiny thunderstorm passed over soaking everything. I arrived back at camp wet and muddy and plopped into the canoe to work on the reattaching the seat. I got lucky and found a way to tie it to the frame on my first guess. Today worked out well and I feel ready to push to the Gulf.

Day 82

So last night I set a finish goal for this trip of next Saturday or Sunday. The last leg of the river from here to the gulf is supposed to be very industrial on the banks with lots of shipping traffic. I plan to do a quick 7 day resupply in Baton Rouge and paddle for the salt water. I only passed a handful of barges the first part of the day and most of them were nosed up into the muddy bank like sleeping giants. The water was slick and  I was able to paddle across many of the large sandbars that are now under water. I guess I was able to cut off at least a handful of miles versus if I had been forced to paddle around the outside of the bend. The river has been coming up about half a foot a night and between Friday and Sunday it is fore casted to go up four feet. At noon I reached St. Francisville, planning to walk to town for lunch. I discovered a stand of large willows on the shore and decided to have lunch there. During lunch a large line of thunderstorms blown in from the gulf drifted over the river. The wind was blowing, waves smashing the shore and slow rolling thunder but no rain. The storm to be, drifted north as I paddled off. The storm was gone but a strong wind was still chasing it to the north creating the 3 to 4 ft choppy waves I hate so much. Not only do these waves beat up your body but they are just big enough to flip the canoe, requiring 100 percent focus. The river finally made a bend and the pounding was over. I drifted with the current for about 30 minutes till I noticed a sand bar with an old channel marker close to the edge. On closer inspection I decided that the slope of the bank and the placement of the old marker would make a good spot to tie up the boat for the night. The sun came out shortly after I set up camp, it was nice to air out some things and clean out the canoe. There was another amazing sunset.

Day 81

 I woke to another gray overcast day. I was hoping to make some extra mileage today to make up for the early finish yesterday. I turned the VHF radio to the weather band and listened to the update for my area and the latest report on the Hurricane about to impact the East coast. Possible storms for me and really bad news for the East coast. About six miles after my start I passed the first of three intake areas for the Old River or Atchafalaya River. Water is allowed to enter this river system through a series of gates at three locations. I paddled around the first two gate structures sticking to the far bank, horns mounted on the levee gave a glaring warning of the dangerous flow in the area. As I reached the bottom structure that includes a lock and dam  for changing between river systems  I could see a traffic jam of barge traffic. On the opposite shore I spotted a side channel that would let me slide around and downstream of the traffic. I successfully crossed the channel and continued my progress downstream. It was nearing the end of the day and I paddled into the sliver of shade that was forming on the west bank. I was floating along checking the map on my phone when something caught my eye. I glanced up briefly and saw a painted bottle on the shore as I floated by. I thought it might be message bottle and paddled the few feet to shore. I walked back up and took some pictures before picking up the bottle. It was a medium sized clear glass bottle with 2018 painted in red on the side. Inside I could see a couple of sheets of pink paper and a stick. I removed the cork and the papers from the bottle. It was a note from a kid named Skylar Smith born September 24 2004. Try and find me, is what was written on another. I was pretty excited about my find and hope to locate this kid. It made for another good finish to a day on the river.

Day 80

I kept thinking about the dead sturgeon that lay up the beach as I packed the canoe for the day ahead. I had left the rubber ring on its body the night the night before planning to return to take pictures. Now that the task was at hand I really didn't want to start my day like this but I couldn't leave the ring there to kill another fish. As I was removing the ring I could see it was a flat rubber seal or gasket that was used in industry or farming. Where did it come from? How many miles had it traveled? Had the fish suffered long? None of that mattered, I was pissed.  I don't know why that one dead fish upset me like it did but I was in a very unhappy place and with a dark sky and distant thunder I couldn't see the day getting much better. I paddled along in my cross mood making steady miles and listening to thunder grow closer. Around two I stopped for late lunch and a stroll and the wind suddenly started to blow much harder and cooler. I checked the radar and saw a huge thunderstorm rolling my way. I spotted a better spot to weather the storm and set about racing the storm to it. I had just enough time to set up the tent and throw my things inside before it started to rain. While I was securing the canoe and other gear I managed to get soaked. I stripped down and lathered up letting the rain rinse me off. I walked up and climbed into the tent to dry off. I spent the next couple reading and listening to the storm unleash rain and rolling thunder. After the storm passed I made a dinner of chicken and Mexican rice burritos while enjoying a great sunset. Another great finish to a day on the river.

Day 79

After another breakfast at the Natchez Coffee Shop I was packed and ready to paddle. As I loaded the canoe I noticed the river was up about a foot overnight. I took a quick look at the river forecast and I saw the river was going to continue to go up over the next week. I was pleased to have an overcast sky, cool temps, good current and a stiff breeze from out of the north. The paddling was easy and I made good time despite having to pull over a couple of times to let barges pass. Around lunch I paddled over to a section of shore that I saw had a lot of trash. I spent about an hour picking up buckets, a milk crate, part of an old fishing net, and lots of plastic bottles. Back on the river  I used my tent rain fly to make a sail. I was able to make about eight free miles by adjusting my make shift sail to capture the strong north wind. Towards late afternoon the wind turned against me and slowly my progress to a crawl. Most of the vary large gently slopping sandbars are now back under water changing the look and feel of the river. I pulled up onto the bottom end of one shorter sandbars around five. I spent a hour walking the sand bar and collecting trash. I found two milk crates, a chewed up duck decoy, a headlight assembly, plastic bottles, plastic cigar tips, a bleach jug, two milk jugs, a five gallon bucket. Much of the plastic trash that enters up river has been broken down into hundreds of small pieces mixed in the sand, up and down every sandbar. Towards the end of my walk I found the remains of a dried out gulf sturgeon. The sturgeon is a species that is heavily managed because it is on the road to recovery after years of declining stocks. The fish was about a foot and half long and it had a plastic ring around its body behind the gill plates. The ring was about five inches around and it had eventually killed the fish as he grew. It was a sobering reminder that plastic trash kills.

Day 78

I woke early and hungry. Checking my phone I found my breakfast choices were very limited, the bed and breakfast places in town ensure a slim number of tourists are looking for a breakfast spot. I walked up the deserted Main street taking in all the old buildings and historical information displayed on the many markers located in the area. I enjoyed a nice breakfast at the Natchez coffee shop before walking back towards my room to pack up the canoe. I packed up my bag and turned in my room key before heading down the steep ramp to the boat. The sky was overcast but I had not bothered to check the radar. I had to make one last trip up the hill to fill the water container and just as I finished the sky let loose a wall of water. I sat on the front porch of the saloon and watched the rain pour for about an hour. I looked at the radar and was disappointed to see large band of heavy rain storms was going to be passing over the area all day. Just as a slight break in the rain came the bartender asked if I wanted to rent the room for another night because someone was on the phone wanting it, I told her I needed it one more night. I walked down to the canoe, unloaded my pack, and stacked everything else to side and flipped the canoe over the top of everything. By the time I made it back up the hill I was soaked to the bone. I changed into dry clothes before returning to the saloon. Under the Hill Saloon has no TVs so looking at the various items lining the wall or talking to someone is how you pass the time. I tried to talk to a few groups of tourists but they did not speak English and I don't speak German or French so it was a wash. Back at the bar I meet two nice ladies from the Baton Rogue area who had come to town the day before to meet friends who make a yearly trip to Natchez. I told them about my trip and we passed several hours and beers discussing my adventure and life in general. They offered to help me when I pass through Baton Rogue in the next few days. The band had started around 4 and the saloon filled up with locals visiting and dancing to the band. I meet the owner of the saloon and he told me about the history of the saloon and how back in the old days there had been four more blocks of streets under the hill but the river had slowly eaten away at them. I returned to my room to do some reading and fell asleep at 10 when the band stopped playing.

Day 77

Last night was cool and quiet no storms, I was only woken one time and it was by an owl that a had landed near my tent and called WHO, WHO, WHO COOKS FOR YOU. I was jolted awake and replied WHO WHO before falling back to sleep. I was up and on the river by 7:30. The morning was cool and barge traffic was at a minimum, making for a easy miles. I was disappointed to see that the butterflies from the day before had disappeared completely. By noon I had covered over 20 miles and was excited to see that making Natchez by dark might be possible. After eating a quick lunch while sitting in the floor of the canoe and drifting. I was back paddling for town. With about twelve miles left till town I rounded a bend to see a wall of rain a mile downstream. I drifted in place for about an hour, nether the current or wind could overcome the other so I sat and watched as the storm inched across the river. As the storm cleared I could see a line of the big tugs lined up and running up river. I crossed to the other side of the  channel and pulled over to a sandbar. After the first tug passed within yards of the sandbar I jumped into the canoe and paddled into his rushing wake. I rode the surging wake for over a mile before I pulled over to allow the next tug to pass. I repeated this another couple of times till all the barge traffic had passed. Paddling the six miles into Natchez the river straightens and opens into an unusually wide run. I could see the old homes perched high on the bluffs overlooking the river. The sky was clear over the river but all around me the sky was filed with dark storm clouds and rolling thunder. The final few miles the I could see lightening strikes from down river past the Natchez bridge. I felt very exposed, paddling alone in the large expanse of open river. The last few yards to the concrete boat ramp the rain began to slowly fall. I quickly unloaded what I needed and pulled the canoe onto the rocks beside the ramp. It was a long steep walk up the boat ramp to the famous Under the Hill section of Natchez. This area was known to be one of the most wild and wicked places on the river during the steamboat era. I walked into the Under the Hill Saloon and inquired if they had a room upstairs available for the night. I rented a room over looking the river and was rewarded with a view back up the river that gave me clear line of sight to the spot were Jim Bowie had his famous duel on a sandbar. The sandbar is now under water but the legend lives on. After a quick shower and change of clothes I visited the Camp restaurant next door, I had the smoked wings and enjoyed a some college football on TV. Soon enough I found myself back at the Saloon and enjoyed sitting on the benches outside visiting with local farmers, ranchers and other tourists. The bed upstairs called my name after a few whiskeys and I drifted off to sleep with the sound of the band playing downstairs. 

Day 76

Late last night one of the isolated intense thunderstorms found my tent perched on the bluff above the river, I woke up for 2 minutes and went back to sleep. Morning on the river started slow as the sun struggled to break out from behind the dark clouds, I was able to sleep till almost 10 without the summer sun waking me. When I crawled out of the tent I was shocked at the amount of sand that flowed down the bluff along with the heavy rains. My six gallon water jug was almost half buried while the canoe full of rain water was likewise buried in washed sand. As I started to bail water from the canoe I became aware of the large numbers of red admiral butterflies floating up and down the beach.  If I stopped working for even a few seconds I would have two or three butterflies land on me. It was after 11 when I finally started paddling. The first part of the day passed without much of interest other than the continuing company of the butterflies. I would be well out from land and they would float down, rest somewhere on the canoe for a moment before flying along. Around 3 the clouds parted and the sun came out in all its might, chasing me towards the bank and some shade. While sitting in the shade enjoying a snack I counted no less than 25 butterflies resting on or in the canoe. Up and down the sandbar  I could see hundreds more. One other time I have been in the middle of a migration of butterflies. It was April on the Appalachian trail in central Virginia and I was along a mountain creek and the air was filled with Monarch butterflies. Around 5:30 I rounded a bend and could see a wall of rain about 2 miles down river. I found a nice beach with a bluff behind it and paddled towards it. After climbing the bluff to set up the tent I made a quick dinner while I watched the rain inch my way. The storm stalled out about a half mile south of me and I enjoyed a dinner with a strong cool wind keeping me cool. I was asleep by 8.

Day 75

It was pasted mid day as I loaded all my gear back into the canoe and said goodbye to family. It was well past ready to be back out on the river. I have to admit the the extended periods of time isolated on river have made social interactions and shopping somewhat awkward. I am used to doing whatever I pleased, whenever pleased, within the few options the river gives me. Having to work with others and having an seemingly unlimited number of options was somewhat overwhelming. It is a feeling I remembered having towards the end of my AT thru hike. I gladly pushed out into the Yazoo river and paddled down the mile to the Mississippi. The sky was blue with a few clouds and loads of sunshine. After paddling under the two bridges spanning the river I was greeting with a long broad section of river, views over 8 miles or more, long and wide white sand beaches and waving banks of willow trees, beautiful beyond words. I quickly fell into an easy paddling pace and picked up fifteen miles including many great views. About an hour before sunset I paddled over to a sand beach lined with willows. I found a sheltered area up the bank inside the line of willows and set up the tent. I started a dinner of noddles with canned roast beef added, and took quick river bath before sitting down to dinner. With the night setting in around me, I enjoyed dinner while watching my fire and lightening across the river 20 miles away from me. After dinner I could hear a storm building behind me and settled into my tent to work on the blog while rain began. It was a great first afternoon back on river. I hope to make Natchez and the famous Under the Hill area along the riverfront Saturday afternoon and catch some football.

Day 74 and a week at home

Excitement to make Vicksburg and get home for a holiday weekend had me up and paddling early. I had about 25 miles left to reach the landing in town. I was making very good time when the barge traffic started to build up, The first line of traffic that I encountered was headed south like me and I simply pulled out of the channel and rode the current while they passed. The next line of traffic approaching Brown's Point was all headed up stream and contained four of the triple screw tug boats pushing 50 plus barges.  These are the largest tugs on the river and they push a massive amount of water as they work forward against the current.  Five minutes after they pass I paddled over and into the wake they left behind. The wake is a very fast current rushing down river for 2 to 3 miles. I paddled into a series of 6 to 8 foot high parallel rolling waves marching downstream. It is an adrenaline fueled rush as I race down the river, working to keep the canoe pointed straight ahead as I ride the rolling waves up and over, up and over like a huge water roller coaster. With the spacing of the the large tugs I am able to cover the 25 miles to Vicksburg by 2 in the afternoon.
I had a wonderful time in Jackson, my hometown, friends and family were all off work for Labor Day weekend. I was showered with well wishes, wonderful food, drink and questions about how my trip was going. I was interviewed by the local outdoor writer who wrote an amazing article about me and my trip. He went into much more detail than I ever imagined and his work was excellent. At the end of the holiday I was interviewed by a local TV station and was forced to think about what I was going to do with a hurricane moving towards the Mississippi coast. I bought groceries, retreated the tent with waterproofing and prepared to leave out on Tuesday morning. Friends and family were pushing me to delay my leaving and wait for the storm to pass but I was stuck in get prepared to paddle mindset. When I woke at six on Tuesday morning I could hear the first bands of rain pounding on the sky light outside my room. I took one look at the radar and decided to spent a couple of days waiting for the hurricane to pass.

Day 72 and 73

The lower end of the river really lives up to the name Big River, everything about it super sized. The curves and bends go on for 4 to 6 miles, each one taking an hour or two pass through completely. The currents that ran along the edges are no longer a small swirls or pockets of slack water, they too have grown to a mass swirling, boiling, up stream running pockets a quarter of a mile or longer, the slack pools are now long runs of water with no current filled with trapped foam and the bodies of decaying Asian carp. Both are so large if you find yourself in them without being aware it can take half and hour to paddle out and get back into the main flow.  In St. Louis Mike told me most of the groups that make it past St Louis and end up quitting do so in Vicksburg. At the time I though that was strange but as the miles stretch on I can see where the wide open river and long miles could push someone to believe they will never reach the end. As for me I am fine with the new changes to the river and continue to paddle on river time, whatever the river gives I will take. As I approach Vicksburg in the next day I am excited I will be only 45 minutes from my home and look forward to spending the holiday weekend with friends and family I have not seen in 3 months. I was pushing myself hard today, no stopping to read or take my new favorite break activity, a swim in the nude. I found myself getting frustrated that I wasn't making the miles as fast as I wanted, I knew the strong south wind blowing across the big water was the reason but it did nothing to help me feel better. I took a short break about 4 to pick up some trash left by someone on a beautiful sandbar, I just happened to check the radar and noticed a storm was very near. I quickly jumped in the boat ans began to paddle determined not to get any further behind. Well only 20 minutes later the sky was filled with dark clouds and the wind spun the canoe and drove it towards the bank. With my frustration at a max I tied off the boat, grabbed my chair and climbed the bank. I watched as the rain moved across the river only a few hundred yards downstream, the wall of water completely blocked my view a willow topped island half a mile distant. I set up my chair behind a large willow so as to block the little bit of rain blowing my way. I placed my head against the tree in frustration and to my surprise took a wonderful 30 minute nap while the storm lashed the island downstream. When I woke again I was completely relaxed and took the beauty of my view in with eyes that had been blinded by my emotion only a short time before. I love the way nature finds ways to remind me that this trip is about more than my time frame and my perception of the world.

Days 70 and 71

The nice unseasonably cool spell has ended and I went from waking up cold to waking up hot but that is summer in Mississippi. I would say that the section of the river from below Tunica Ms and Greenville MS is the most wild and remote yet. Other than the few buildings and bridge at Helena I haven't seen much sign of human life. What I have seen are Asian carp by the millions, mile after mile of them swimming along under the surface eating the plankton. In addition to the live ones the river is also full of dead ones floating on the surface, washed up on beaches and generally rotting in, on and around everything. This morning I thought I would count all the dead ones I saw floating as I paddled but after counting over 50 in the first 30 minutes I gave up. Yesterday when I went to shore to grab a oil bottle I saw on the beach, I noticed a large carp eaten almost entirely. On closer inspection I discovered it was a black bear that had eaten the carp. I know there are bears in Mississippi but not many so I was excited to take a picture of the track and left hoping to see one walking along a sand bar. I haven't seen any gators yet but I have seen their tracks and tail drags on the sandbars. They like the bears and coons simply walk down the sand bar till they find a dead carp they like, eat it and go back to hiding.  One good thing I can report is that with no one around I finally landed at two separate sand bars and was not able to find even one piece of trash, only took 1600 plus miles and a few hundred trips to shore! I am happy to find so little trash in this area of the river. Another difference is the mosquitoes down in the southern delta, everywhere along the river has them but not like these. They aren't any bigger or itch any worse but they have a mean blood lust. They don't fly about bothering, you trying to decide if they want your blood, no they go straight for open skin and suck. Most mosquitoes will take some blood but fly at the first sign of danger but not these girls. They suck and suck, ignoring any attempts to dislodge them from the task. They greedily fill their body with blood until they can't even fly, they just buzz towards the ground and lay there like a fat tick. Outside this is no fun but in the tent at night it is a blessing. I get in and the 20 minute game of hide and seek for them is shortened to a minute. While I chase one down in the corner the other few are sucking up pints of blood and then fall to the floor where I am rewarded with a bloody smear when I smack them. The only other items of interest in the last few days have involved the barges that grow in number every day. I was entering a bend below Rosedale called Victoria Bend, that unknown to me had some strong side currents and a very narrow and sharp 90 plus degree turn. Coming into the turn with a barge behind me I saw a strong current running across the channel towards the opposite bank. Seeing the current would push me into the barge if I tried to stay on my side I let it quickly push me to the left hand shore. A short time later I saw how tight and narrow the turn was and got over within a foot of the bank to give the 7 barge wide by 7 barge deep fully loaded tug as much room as possible. I don't think the captain saw me till he was committed to the turn. Suddenly he stopped all three engines and started to blow his horn at me while being pushed ever closer to the bank by the same side current I had encountered. I simply stepped out of the canoe onto the bank because I was that close and threw my hands in the air. He continued to drift towards the shore and blow his horn. I grabbed my radio and told him to shut up and drive! He didn't like my advice and started to yell about he couldn't because I was in his way. I told him that if he hit me standing on the shore he had bigger problems than me. He continued to blow his horn and not dive so I told him in 10 seconds I will jump on your boat and drive it for you because you will be on shore, so you drive or I will. He responded by working all three motors at full power and completed the turn even when I thought it was too late to save it. I found out today that more tow boat captains get fired for wrecking there than anywhere on the river. The older river boat guy told me it is the only place he knows that rookie captains pull over to wait for an old timer to show them how it is done. The other pucker moment was coming into Greenville today. I have been to Warfield Point Park where I planned to camp for several blues festivals and know it is a high traffic tight turn area. I also knew I would have to cross the channel to reach the old river channel to access the park. As I entered the turn above Greenville I saw a line of 10 tug boats pushing upstream towards me. Most of the barges were less than 100 yards apart, strangely close together. I got completely out of the channel and drifted slowly through the turn. After clearing the bend I was presented with open river and then barge after barge stacked up clean through the Greenville turn 4 miles away. I decided I would need to cross now and ride the wrong side the entire way down if I was going to land at the park. I cut on the radio and listened to all the chatter as the captains tried to keep moving without a wreck. Making my way down I kept to the side and noticed 20 or more recreational boats on a sandbar above town with many more snaking in and out of barge traffic headed that direction. The radio chatter was almost at a panic now that the Sunday boating crowd was showing up in droves. I decided to float as close to shore as possible and stay off the radio unless it was an emergency. As I reached the last mile I came on a barge pushed into the bank letting other traffic pass, just as I reached him I saw him power up to move off the bank. I knew he didn't see me but I decided to stay close to shore and we would pass close to one another but safe. As his barges were swinging out and I was cutting in, the barge passing me saw me and radioed the captain to stop movement because of me. I heard him saying he couldn't see me and all smoke from his engine stopped. I tried to contact him on the radio but with all the boats talking I couldn't t get through. I tried an Army radio trick and yelled Break, Break, Break all unnecessary radio traffic stop transmitting time now! It worked the radio traffic stopped and I told him to continue as he had panned. He resumed his movement and I informed everyone why I was on the wrong side of the river and my intention to make land at Warfield point. I covered the last half mile to shore without issue. After I landed I meet an old river boat pilot who told me a barge had caught on fire downstream and blocked all traffic for the last several hours, hence the traffic jam. I tried to find the camp ground attendant but I guess he does not work Sunday. I was further disappointed to find the shower house required a key. I settled for a shower using the hose and decided the cool clean city water was better than a hot shower.

Day 69

Late into the night I woke up shivering in my silk sleeping bag liner. I quickly pulled out my sleeping bag that I haven't used in a month and wrapped up. When I woke again early this morning the river was covered in a blanket of thick cool fog so I went back to sleep. A few hours later I was awakened by the sound of a tractor brush hogging the levee behind me, I quickly packed up and hit the river. The river was starting to make more tight curves of over 90 degrees and I noticed the current becoming less organized with each one. About a dozen miles down river and just before the confluence of the St Francis river I paddled through a hard bend where the current created a large swirl 250 feet across with smaller whirlpools around the edges. This swirl represented the death of the wonderful current I had ridden the last 70 miles from above Memphis. Shortly after the St Francis river punches into the Mississippi at a right angle and the Mississippi boils and fights the muddy St Francis for the next several miles. At noon I could see the Highway 49 bridge about 6 miles down river at Helena. For the last several miles into Helena the river slows to a crawl and the water was filled with Asian carp, tens of thousand swam just under the surface of the water and splashed as I paddled towards the casino on the Mississippi side of the bridge. Having tied up the canoe and climbed the steep over grown bank I arrived at the casino doors. I made my way to the all you can eat buffet and ate way too much, fried catfish, turnip greens, ham, butter beans, fried okra, creamed corn, mac and cheese and a gallon of sweet tea. When I made it back to the canoe I was stuffed and paddled out into the lazy current trying to keep to the shaded west bank. The last few hours of the day I spent on the edge of the channel and out of the way of heavy barge traffic. Around 7:30 I made camp on one of several tiny sand islands on the upstream side of a long wing dam, south of a place in MS named Friars Point after the near by town. Still full from my large late lunch I took a long swim while watching the sun set.

Days 67 and 68

Yesterday I stayed in Memphis. I attended the Wolf River Conservancy River Guide Appreciation night, along with Jane, Dad and Dale Sanders. I was able to meet the other volunteers who help the WRC by guiding paddle trips, walking trips, and helping restore lands along the green way. The WRC leaders showed us several nice displays that showed how the multi use walking/biking trail is progressing.  After the event I transferred my gear from Dad's truck to Dales van because I was staying at his home. Dale has started a Paddlers Wall and I wanted to sign it. He has a spiral stair case leading from the basement to the first floor, all the paddlers who come to town are encouraged to sign the walls. Each paddler or paddlers writes something about why they are making the trip, where they started, where they will end, and everyone signs their name. This tradition is very common on the AT but the only other place I have encountered a paddler book or wall was in Palisade MN, over 1,500 miles ago. Early this morning Dave dropped me at the Memphis Yacht Club where I loaded the canoe and paddled out. Dave was headed to Helena AR to pick up a paddler and bring him back to the airport in Memphis. Dale is the real deal, 82 years young, always moving and helping anyway he can.
I paddled out of Memphis, passing under the iconic M shaped bridge escaping any real barge traffic in the harbor area. Starting many miles above Memphis the river is making a very long straight north to south run, With no wind the lines of straight clean currents were easy to read and I quickly found a good run. The first half of the day the river made long lazy turns and the current stayed well organized. I made good time and enjoyed watching as the many riverboat casinos in Tunic MS slipped by. At mid day I entered a bend to find a half dozen barges waiting to pass the turn and more coming from down river. I paddled in behind a wing dam near the center of the curve and beached the canoe on a sand bar. I spent lunch sitting in the shade eating and watching the barge traffic work themselves through the curve. After a quick swim I was paddling out without a barge in sight. Towards late afternoon I noticed Rivergator.org listed a camp ground at Mhoon Landing in Mississippi a few miles ahead. At the other end of a 4 mile run of river I could see the campground as a cleared section in the trees lining the river bluff. The river park featured a bathroom, concrete pads, pavilions, water and street lights. I set up the tent, and after dinner took a bird bath. Shortly after i got into the tent I was startled by a loud raspy, growling bark like noise. The animal was just out of the range of the street lights and called several times in manner that said I am upset with you being here. I fumbled for my headlamp and shined it into the night revealing nothing.  I thought I had heard and knew the call of every mammal and bird in the state of Mississippi but I have no idea what this was. After a bit or reading I called it a night.

Day 66

Day 66
I made it through most of the night without being woken up by storms. It did rain hard for a few hours but none of the high wind and hail that many of night time storms have brought. I set an alarm for this morning not something I normally do but I have to meet people at Mud Island in Memphis at a set time. I am glad I set the alarm because it was a cool and overcast morning and I could have slept away half the day. The wind was blowing like crazy and radar showed more storms headed my way as I packed up the canoe. I was glad I only had 4 miles to paddle to reach Memphis. The paddle to town was mostly uneventful other than a large crane loading a barge using his microphone to wish me a good morning and a safe trip down the river. I reached what Google maps showed was the boat ramp on Mud Island and was shocked to see a steep mud, clay and rock bank leading up to the parking lot. I wasn't sure I was in the right place so I spent the next 45 minutes picking up a full bags worth of trash. The first person to arrive was my childhood friend Chris who had driven over from Arkansas to meet me. We visited for a few minutes before more friends and family arrived to greet me. The boat ramp I was looking for was another 100 yards down the bank so I paddled on down while we waited on the Wolf Rive Conservancy group to show up. The next few minutes were a rush to unload the canoe and take a few pictures before the coming storm drenched us all. I was honored to have Dale Sanders show up to greet me. Dale holds the record for the oldest person to hike the entire Appalachian Trail and has paddled the entire river a couple of years ago as well. We did not have much time to talk before the rain began to pour but the WRC invited Dad, Jane and myself to a WRC river guide event tomorrow in Memphis. The rest of the day was spent enjoying a nice lunch, dropping the canoe at Memphis Yacht Club and heading to Dad's for a much needed nap without the worry of storms.

Day 64 and 65

Day 64 and 65
The last two days have been more of the same less than enjoyable weather. The wind has continued to blow hard from the south both day and night. The days and the nights have also been filled with small rain clouds and big organized thunderstorms. The winds have forced me to spend all day fighting for miles and the nights have been a series of naps interrupted by the never ending storms. This part of the river through the boot heel of Missouri is very rural area with almost no towns or businesses along the river. The wildlife and barges seem to have decided to take a week off because of the crappy weather pattern as well. I will be happy to reach Memphis were I will meet family, friends and some of the staff of the Wolf River Conservancy. I am looking forward to next week when the weather is set to change, temps and humidity are set to be lower than average for this time of year.

Day 63

Day 63
I woke this morning at sunrise to a strong storm slamming into my tent. I had to sit up and brace the tent poles before it was blown down on top of me. The game of me vs storms was getting old after two rounds of storms during the night, I just wanted to break camp and move along. I packed up best I could and laid wet gear out on the canoe to dry as I paddled into another stiff south wind and nasty sky. I found the current waves again and bounced up and down making slow but steady progress towards New Madrid MO. After noon the winds picked up again and I found that only by sitting cross legged in the bottom of the canoe and letting the current push the canoe along could I make any forward progress. To make matter worse I was fighting a series of small rain storms that were passing over every 30 to 45 minutes. Late afternoon I made New Madrid where I visited the museum and refilled my water jug. Like many old river towns it may bustled in its day but has fallen on harder times in the last 50 years. I pushed on past town making camp some hours later. I knew yet more storms were coming and went to sleep early confident I would have to wake up several times to battle mother nature. The weather the next few days is supposed to be more of the same. I have been joking with myself and saying Old Man River doesn't believe in credit, when I got off for family vacation my river ticket was erased so I am being force to earn a new one in order to access the beautiful days and nights. I am OK with that because I know the price is worth the show.

Day 62

I woke early to an increasing south wind, by the time the boat was loaded it had grown to a constant 10 mph wind with stronger gusts every 20 to 30 seconds. When the south wind gets up above about 7 mph it starts to blow the surface water back upstream, the deeper current fights the top water and lines of stationary waves build on the surface in the areas of higher current. I have only noticed this a handful of times on the river and if you can find the waves/current then you can make a slow but steady progress. So the first half of the day was spent working to keep the front of the canoe pointed into the waves and making slow progress. By around 1 the wind had picked up to a point that even with the current I was not able to make any noticeable headway so I put to shore. I spent several hours waiting for the wind to drop off and reading a book. About 4;30 the wind died down some and I back paddling. The barges had stopped running during the high winds but just like me they wanted to make up for lost time. I paddled along rocking on the current waves and barge rollers till close to dark. As I made camp and ate dinner I checked the radar and saw several lines of bad storms headed my way. I loaded my food buckets, water jug and backpack into the tent to give extra weight and stability during the storms. The first storms hit about 9, I spent an hour holding onto tent poles to prop the tent up against the wind and rain. After the storm passed I used my sponge to clean up the water and sand blow into the tent by the storm. Round two of storms hit just after midnight and I repeated the process a second time. Just after I finished cleaning up the tent I was jolted by the sound of tons of steel slamming into and grinding against rock. A looked towards the channel and saw a big tug trying to stop his barges from pushing further up on the underwater wing dam he had hit. The big tug spent an hour plus gunning his big engines working himself back off the rock before finally floating free. I settled in for another short nap before the sun came up.

Day 61

Day 61
I woke early to a river blanketed in fog and a overcast sky. I could hear a barge just off shore but could not see it in the dense fog so I went back to sleep. I woke again just before 8 and quickly packed up camp and pushed off into the remaining fog. I was excited because today would mark my departure from the middle Mississippi River into the lower Mississippi starting at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. The first few hours I made good progress in the steady current and no winds, but by noon a stiff wind was blowing directly at me slowing my pace considerably. The headwind was the product of a cold front that was moving over the area and was predicted to bring rain. Sure enough just after noon as I approached the Ohio River a slow steady warm rain began to fall. I had hoped to climb a tower at the confluence of the rivers but the low clouds and rain had visibility down to half a mile so I paddled on into the meeting place of the two rivers. The confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi is the worlds 4th largest confluence of rivers and created a large wide lake like area for 10 plus miles downstream. The waters fought against each other and current slowed down to a drag, the opposite of what I had hoped for. As I read the river mile sign showing mile 954 I had mixed feelings, the river mile makers had started at 1365 and had been counting down to zero for 60 days, now I was starting over at mile 954. 954 more miles till I reach pilot town and the Gulf of Mexico.  Just downstream I paddled out of Illinois and into Kentucky. The Kentucky bank was a high yellow bluff marking the entrance into a new state. The river here like many places has changed course over the years and a good sized chunk of Kentucky sits on the western bank of the river something I didn't know till today. There were barges and tow boats parked along both sides of the river for many miles downstream and I decided to tuck myself up next to the west bank and ride the good current created by the endless rows of parked barges. By this time my hands were really starting to bother me, the days of soft living and swimming on vacation had all but removed the calluses I had built up. The rain from before had made my skin wet and the days paddling was producing a new line of blisters on my palms. I decided to stop for a late lunch and pick up some liter while I was there. I found a huge variety of liter on this short sandbar, a soccer ball, a foot ball, a dodge ball, a flip flop, a hair brush, some rope, two medicine bottles, half a dozen unopened pack of butter and the normal selection of plastic drink bottles and Styrofoam. Adding all this to the 48 quart cooler and bag of other trash I picked up last night produced a large collection in the canoe. Back on the river  I switched from the double blade paddle to the traditional canoe paddle as I made my way along the line of barges. Several times I noticed barges I was approaching were starting their engines and preparing to move into the channel, so I informed them of my location using the radio to avoid any issues. Soon the wind picked up again and I could hear thunder in the distance, problem was the line of barges left me no place to reach the shore and make camp. The quick moving storm rolled across the river and darkened the sky just as I reached a floating dry dock and work camp along the bank. I pointed the canoe into a opening and was able to duck under a large catwalk leading from the bank just as the sky let loose. I waited under the catwalk for about an hour till the worst of the storm passed before paddling on in search of a campsite. I only had to travel a short distance before I found a decently flat spot of sand between two old barges. I quickly set up the tent and hauled everything into it as it started to rain again. I took a quick bath in the river as the rain beat down again, not the way I like to make camp but that's life on the river. Clean and dry in my tent I started a dinner of Knorr broccoli cheddar pasta and chicken meat. While the pasta soaked I thought about how much I really love being out here in the middle of nature, it has always brought me a peace and contentment I can find no where else. With only 937 miles remaining I guess I will start considering what my next long distance nature trip will be.

Day 60

Day 60
I enjoyed my family vacation but by 3 in the afternoon when I returned to the river I was ready to paddle. I pushed off from Cape G and headed downstream with a slight breeze blowing towards me. After 10 days off river I was mentally prepared to be back but I was unsure of how my body would react after the break. I had tweaked a muscle in my back a couple of days before and it was still very tight, I was hoping everything would work out for the best. I paddled downstream and after about a half a mile I crossed under the large bridge linking Missouri and Illinois. I picked up my phone to grab one last photo of Cape G back up river, as I twisted in my set my back popped from the bottom to the top releasing all the pent up tension. I felt great after wards and knew everything was going to be just fine. I paddled along at a slow pace, enjoying all the beauty the river had to offer. Around 7 I decided it was time to start looking for a camp site and notice a several mile long sandbar to my left. I decided to drift along the length of it taking in the start of the sunset and whatever else mother nature sent my direction. Midway down the sandbar I spotted a group of 30 to 40 white pelicans enjoying the sunset from the beautiful beach. It only took about 40 minutes to drift to the end of the sandbar and in addition to pelicans I saw eagles, several cranes, king fishers and wood ducks. After beaching the canoe I started a large fire and set up the tent. Next I started dinner and while it was finishing I put on my headlamp and went up the dark sandbar to gather more firewood. My headlamp quickly found the glowing eyes of a deer who had come out from the woods to drink. I quickly walked in her direction and with the light blinding her I was able to walk up within about 20 feet of her before she bolted into the short willows. Returning to camp I found the mosquitoes out in full force so I stood in the smoke from the fire and quickly ate my dinner of roast beef and mashed potatoes. After washing my cook pot I fled the smoke and mosquitoes for the safety of my tent. I made my bed and intended to read for a short time before going to sleep but sleep was the only thing my eyes found.

What do I eat?

The most common question I get asked is "What do you eat?". I am going to try an explain what I eat, how I prepare it and the tools in my camping kitchen. For a stove I use the MSR Pocket Rocket 2 stove. The stove burns Isobutane. a blended fuel that is designed to burn in a wide range of temperatures and elevations.  Fuel canisters come in several sizes and I prefer the large 15.5 oz size. My cooking pot is a MSR Titan Kettle. It is a titanium pot and lid that holds just a bit less than a litter.  A plastic teaspoon, can opener, fillet knife and a small grill grate are included in the kitchen as well. Additional I carry a spice bag that contains chicken broth cubes, red pepper flakes, sea salt, garlic powder, taco seasoning, garlic Parmesan base, olive oil, beef base and other rotating seasoning packets. I struggle to eat a good breakfast mainly because I don't have much of an appetite in the morning. My go to breakfast is Carnation instant breakfast drink. I mix two packages in a power aid bottle and try and drink it as I pack up my tent and store everything in the canoe. I will also try to force down a granola bar or a few chocolate coated mini donuts as well. When I get in the canoe to start paddling for the day I put 4 one quart power aid bottles refilled with water under my seat along with my snack bag. Having my water split into separate bottles helps me to monitor my water intake throughout the day. I also keep a bottle of Mio drink additive or sweet tea concentrate handy so drinking enough water for the day is a bit easier. I keep a snack bag under the seat as well. My snack bag contains Snickers bars, goldfish, cheez it crackers. Peanut butter crackers, granola bars, Cliff bars or other sports bars, and candy. I try to eat a snack about every hour or so while paddling. For lunch I prefer to stop at a town and grab a hot meal to help boost my calorie intake but more days than not it doesn't work out that way. A river lunch is normally a couple of flour tortillas filled with peanut butter or a couple of cans of sardines with some crackers washed down with at least a quart of liquids. For dinner I have a much wider range of options. Dinner is when I take in most of my calories and it is in general a two or three course event. I normally start with a small meal of one package of ramen noodles or a small serving of instant mashed potatoes, I will start cooking with a full quart bottle of water on hand and whatever I don't use to cook, I will drink.  For main dinner I will make a Knorr paste side with can of chicken added or a can of black beans, shredded beef,  rotel and taco seasonings rolled into a tortilla shell, or maybe mac and cheese with a slice of fried spam. Any canned item like beef stew, chili, chicken and dumplings, canned pasta, is a possible dinner item. I always drink a full quart of water with dinner. For desert I make a half quart of hot coco and eat a candy bar or  few donuts. I try and eat as much as possible in the evening and drink at least a gallon of water. The long days of paddling burn huge amounts of energy and keeping weight loss in check is a constant battle for me. I will add olive oil or butter to everything I cook so I can squeeze in a few more calories. I will check and see if a town I am passing has a store near shore so I can run in and grab a hot dog, ice cream or other snack all in the hunt for a few more calories. Before bed while I am reading or working on a blog post I will have a final snack and try and squeeze in a some more liquids.

Day 59

Day 59
I slept in a little later today, I may have had one too many sips of Jim Beam last night. The morning was cool and a heavy blanket of fog lay across the river. I struggled to make out my boat 40 feet away down the sand bar. I was in no rush today, I was camped just two miles above Cape Girardeau MO. Dad is driving up from Memphis to pick me up off the river. I will be going off river for the next 8 days or so for a family vacation. Each summer my Dad, sisters, brothers in laws, and my 6 nieces and nephews get together for a week of fun. I am excited to see everyone but know I will miss the river while I am gone. After the fog cleared I paddled across the river and down to the landing at the Cape. I was greeted by a nice mural painted on the flood wall by the old downtown as I paddled up. I pulled the canoe up the concrete ramp and started to unload. Using a Facebook group I found nice man who lives in town who is going to store my canoe and some gear at his house for me. I laid out my tent and rain fly to dry out from last nights heavy fog and dew and started to work cleaning mud and sand from the rest of my gear. After removing the sand from my tent I rolled it up happy knowing it would not be dirty or moldy when I returned to the river. Dad arrived shortly and we soon had the canoe and all gear loaded into the truck for transport to the storage location. I spotted a BBQ restaurant close by and we stepped inside for a bite of lunch. After a lunch of ribs and a rib eye sandwich we left to unload the canoe and gear. With my boat and gear tucked away it was time to start my vacation from my vacation. I am going to miss the river but it is not going anywhere while I am gone. While off river I hope to make a few posts about things I haven't talked much about so far like what I eat, load set up for the canoe, and other gear.

Day 58

Day 58
I climbed out of the tent and greeted a river heavy with fog and barge traffic. I took my time with my breakfast of granola and a carnation instant breakfast drink, hoping the barge traffic would die down. I packed the boat and shoved off just after 9. I have been using a website called Rivergator, it was developed by Muddy Mike and John Rusky. The site lists all the islands, bluffs, boat ramps and other major places of note along the river. In addition to listing each location by river mile number it also has a section to tell you some information about each site. I had been reading ahead the night before and knew several geographical locations of note lay ahead today. The first location of note is Fountain Bluff, it is a large bluff towering over the river, large boulders some as big as houses have fallen to the waters edge. I slowly paddled along amazed by the size and shape of the boulders and imagining the splash they must have made when it fell into the river. The river smashes into the bluff base and creates a huge eddy of swirling confused water from shore to shore. Just below Fountain Bluff stands Tower Rock. Tower Rock is a large semi round  tower of stone standing 100 feet out of the water. The top is covered in trees and would hold a small house nicely. As I get closer I can see the water is a massive eddy circling around the tower. I paddled into the eddy and am taken for a spin all the way around the massive pillar of stone. Tower Rock is the only rock like this in the river all the others have been removed. Between Fountain Bluff and Tower Rock I paddled over to a a boat landing to get some water and stretch my legs. I meet a tug boat crew preparing to start their two week rotation running the river. They asked me lots of questions and informed me they will go to New Orleans and back during their two weeks. I paddled the rest of the afternoon without incident. There were several large chutes on the river I would have liked to paddle but from reading Rivergator I knew I would run into problems  with rock dams trying to do so at the current water level. Towards early evening I made camp at the point where Picayune Chute reenters the main channel. I made a nice fire and enjoyed a bottle of Jim Beam I had tucked away for today, my birthday. I enjoyed yet another amazing sunset before crawling into bed.

Day 57

Day 57
Around 3 Am I was awakened by feeling of mist hitting my face. It took me a few minutes of listening to make out the smallest of rain droplets falling on the tent. I had chosen not to place the rain fly over the tent before going to bed. Leaving it off provides for a ceiling full of stars and improved air flow. It only took a couple of minutes to secure the rain fly and I was back in the sleeping bag. I tossed and turned a few times before the sound of rain drops on the tent put me to sleep. I woke early to a cool, foggy morning, packed the boat and pushed off into the current. With no wind I was able to read the current on the waters surface and made smooth steady progress riding the main channel current. By mid morning the barge traffic had caught up to me and progress slowed. I try to be patient when dealing with the barges, paddle slowly, eat a snack and wait for the water to settle revealing the main flow. Late afternoon I stopped in Chester IL at the boat ramp on the river. I tied the canoe to a large boulder and ran a coated steel cable through all my bags and locked them to the canoe. I walked a short distance up the road to the Chester Welcome Center and Popeye the sailor man statue. I filled my water jug and took pictures of the bronze Popeye statue. When I returned to the canoe I noticed some rocks had fallen down over my rope, odd but not a problem. Before getting on the water I looked at the radar, it showed a rain shower moving my way. I hit the water hoping it stayed small and without lightening. After a few miles I could look back and see a line of light rain marching down the river ever closer to me. I put on my rain jacket, placed the waterproof cover over the backpack and settled in for some wet paddling. The rain was light and warm when it caught me, but after about 30 minutes the rain tapered off and the sun came out. I was starting to feel the full day of paddling when I rounded a curve and a stiff 15 mph wind pushed me from behind. I quickly positioned the canoe to ride the wind and current down river at a respectable speed with almost no paddling. For the next several hours I sailed along enjoying the long sand beaches along the islands, two eagles sitting high in a cottonwood, and lots of blue barrels, and plastic buckets of every size and color. Blue barrels peak out from log jams, willow marsh, sand bars and muddy flats. The is mud is dark black, smells like rotten eggs and will not support weight, making recovery difficult. I ride the till the last of the strong breeze fades away before tucking in just in front of wing dam. I made a quick dinner of lime shrimp Ramen noodles with a can of sardines in hot sauce thrown in, it tasted wonderful so I knew I was tired and hungry. I took a quick river bath before crawling in the tent.

Day 56

Day 56
The Chain of Rocks rapids in North St Louis provide a navigational hazard so traffic uses a canal to by pass this section. At the end of the 11 miles lies the second biggest port on the river by tonnage. The river becomes a super highway of marine commerce. Barges are anchored in the center of the river dividing the canal into north and south bound lanes with gaps for small tugs and work boats to dash from side to side. It is recommended to keep a marine radio while passing through. You can hear the working craft informing each other of your progress removing some stress. The river has a strong current below St Louis and that makes for  quick progress. Around 4 I found myself downriver and out of the heavy barge traffic. The barges still pass at a rate of 3 to 4 an hour but the wide, long stretches of the river make navigating easy enough. The rolling Missouri hills line the banks with white limestone bluffs looking down over the waters. The bluffs are honey combed with caves of various shapes and sizes, I enjoyd scanning the caves for any sign of life. The large numbers of Bald Eagles have given way to large flocks of buzzards. They line the bluffs above the river or swirl in lazy circles on the thermal drafts to great heights above the river. Along some stretches of the river sit huge industrial mines were the limestone is quarried from the hills and processed into large boulders down or fine crushed. Lines of barges a half mile long hug the banks above the mine waiting to be filled or pushed along the river. The loaded barges sit ten feet deep in the water forcing the current to run faster along the curve. Paddling a safe distance away from the barges I was able to make upwards of 6 mph through the mile plus curves. Around 7 I found a nice beach just in front of a wing dam and put the canoe to shore. The sun is setting beautifully and the water is softly trickling over the wing dam, life is rough on the river!

St Louis , Days 53 to 55

Over the last few days I became the Gomer Pyle of Big Muddy Adventures. I take care of the highly specialized jobs like ice chest washing, PFD organization, carrying paddles and trying to stay out of the way. Big Muddy did a day camp session with inner city kids one morning. Fitting 30 kids with life vests, paddles and loading them into the large canoes. The water is a new and strange world to most of the kids, making for a great learning experience. These types of trips are Mike's passion. While I did find time to visit the Forest Park, Art Museum, Cahokia Indian mounds the high light was meeting the endless stream of people who stopped by the house to visit Mike and the clients arriving for trips. Film makers, Dr's, real estate investors, Artists, film and audio production, local politicians, tourists all brought together by the river. The Full Moon paddle trips with dinner are a favorite of anyone who has been on one. Mike lets many guides and volunteers come along on these trips when their schedule allows. We enjoyed another great paddle down the Missouri river to the it's confluence with Mississippi and onto Duck Island. Our friend the Eagle was perched atop his driftwood log over watching us as we landed, always a good start to a evening on the sand bar. Volunteers and staff set up camp and cooked dinner just in time for the full moon raising over the river. One guest surprised his date by proposing by campfire, kneeling in the sand. I made some great memories and picked up a few new skills during my stay in St Louis and it was only possible because of the generosity of Mike and the entire Big Muddy Adventures family.

Day 52

Day 52

It was another slow start at the kanoe house this morning. The guides were thankful for the break, they had just worked a nine day stretch without a day off.  Mike and I talked about a menu for tonight's trip. The plan was to meet the group of fourteen clients at the boat ramp, everyone loads into a large canoe and paddles to the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers and lands on an island. A wood fired dinner is prepared for sunset on the sandbar dinner before paddling back to the main land. Mike went to hunt down ingredients for dinner while guides began the task of gathering all the equipment we would need for the trip. Shortly, Mike was back at the house with several bags of groceries and I began to prep for the the nights dinner. As I repacked food items, seasoned chicken and sliced cheese, Mike brought in the coolers, kitchen gear bags, and cooking grates. The kanoe house has a small kitchen but I enjoyed was having good equipment to work with, large volume stainless steel bowls, spoons, work top cooler, large lexan containers with locking lids for food transport. Boats, life vests, tables, chairs, coolers of food and drinks, ropes, cooking grates, plates, forks, knives, serving utensils, were all loaded and at the boat ramp by 6:30. Mike and I backed the canoe trailer with fully loaded canoe into the water while Alyce handed out life jackets and paddles to the clients. The main body of the canoe sits two paddlers side by side with a single bow/front paddler and stern paddler on the rear of the canoe. Guide Alyce would have the honor of being stern paddler, responsible for twelve lives. Sitting in the front it was my job to set the pace of paddling so everyone could paddle in unison providing the forward power Alyce needs to guide the boat from the stern. We had an easy paddle down to the confluence and were greeted by the sight of a bald eagle perched close as we landed the boat and guests. I took the clients out to gather firewood along the sandbar while Mike and Alyce unloaded the canoe. With Mike building a fire, Alyce organizing camp gear I set out a corn and black bean salsa, balsamic marinated vegetables, cheese, chips and pretzels for the clients to enjoy. With a nice bed of coals to work with I started cooking dinner aiming to have it done in about and hour at sunset. While I was cooking, Alyce and Mike encouraged the clients explore the large sandbar. Mike jumped in for the last few minutes of dinner to help me get everything on the table hot. Dinner was served family style and included fire roasted chicken, brussel sprouts, grilled diced squash and zucchini, smashed new potatoes with dill and butter and french bread. While we gathered around the campfire and ate dinner, Mike spoke about the river and the all the environmental challenges it faces and what we can do to help. We placed chocolate, fruit and cheese out for desert as we began to load the canoe for the return trip. Everyone was safely reloaded onto the boat under a sky quickly filling with stars. The paddle downstream to the take out point was quick and easy with the water from both rivers pushing us along. After landing at another sandbar Mike left to drive the clients back to their vehicles. It was well after 10 when Mike returned and we began to load everything but the canoe into the truck and trailer. We would leave the canoe on the beach tied to tree, retrieving it tomorrow with more help. I had enjoyed the experience of the trip but upon reaching the kanoe house I was worn out and quickly went to bed.

Day 51

Day 51
The morning got off to a slow start at the Big Muddy Kanoe house. I worked on some social media while Casey another long distance paddler readied his gear to return to the river. Around 10 Alyce, Casey and myself loaded his gear into the truck for the ride to the river and The Arch. We were able to pull directly onto the granite blocks that line the river banks in downtown St Louis and unload Tyler.  We took time to snap a few photos and gather a truck load of drift wood to take back to the Kanoe house. I was also messaging with a pair of paddlers who were coming into St Louis from the river later in the day. Back at the house, Muddy Mike and Tanner had returned from dropping off the canoes in Kansas City. I gladly turned communicating with the incoming paddlers over to Mike's care. Mike asked me if I wanted to go with him to the chain of rocks to pick up the incoming paddlers and swim the rapids. Many paddlers do not get the chance to paddle through the rapids because lower water levels make it impossible, but I was offered the chance to swim them too. We grabbed some life vests and headed over to the river. We meet long distance paddlers Sylvia and Tyson at the boat landing. They had already unloaded their boat and we all three listened as Muddy Mike pointed out and explained what the currents were doing. We formed a plan that involved Mike and I swimming out from shore and Tyson and Sylvia would follow in their canoe. Mike and I, wearing life vests, swam out above the rapids about 100 yards and with the help of Tyson watching from the bank, lined up on the area we wanted to pass through the rapids. The current was strong but I switched to the legs up and forward position as I approached the first large wave of water.  The next few moments were a rush of boiling water, head dunking waves and adrenaline. Safely through the rapids we swam into a large eddy that was running upstream back towards the landing. We were able to relax and watch Tyson and Sylvia as they paddled into the rapids. They did not get over as far as they needed to be and were shoved by the current into the correct area taking on some water in the process. Back at shore we shared a round of high fives, emptied the water from the canoe and loaded everything for the short drive to the kanoe house. On the ride back Mike asked me if I would stick around another day to help with a guided trip he had booked. He asked me to help paddle the large expedition canoe and help in preparing the shore dinner at the island.  After a round of quick showers we took a ride to the grocery store so Tyson and Sylvia could resupply. I bough a few more items to go with the leftovers from the night before. The back porch at the house was happening place with long distance paddlers, guides and a documentary film maker who stopped by to talk with everyone.  While I prepped a sausage and cheese platter and a black bean and corn salsa everyone pitched in to help move some picnic tables, unload the drift wood and start a fire. We enjoyed a nice meal around the fire before everyone drifted off to bed.

Day 50

Day 50
Everyone slept in late this morning, Mike and guide Tanner started loading boats for transport to Kansas City. There is a yearly canoe race called the MR 340. The MR 340 is an endurance race across the state of Missouri. Mike was delivering 2 large canoes to teams competing in the race. One of the guides took me to local grocery store to grab a resupply for when I get back on the river. I love to cook and was excited to buy chicken, yellow squash, zucinni squash, potatoes and bread to put together a feed for everyone still at the canoe house. Christine and I shared a few conversations a trash on the river. She is working to close a large fill dump on the river. A company was granted a permit to dump "clean fill" on a large marshy area to build a development in the future. The site is around 50 acres of this clean fill, rocks, broken concrete, dirt, bricks and other mixed construction trash. The company had a permit for a year and it has continued to dump fill for several years past the permit date. Someone is also supposed to be providing over site of the site and that has also not been happening. The river here is full of garbage and the streets all also lined with trash of all types. It will take a huge effort to cleanup the river and city and trash is not something people want to talk about. Mike and Tanner got on the road to Kansas City later in the afternoon around the time I fired up the grill to start smoking the chicken. While I was making supper every gathered some wood and started a nice fire in the backyard. We all enjoyed another relaxing evening telling river stories and restoring much needed calories.

Day 49

Day 49
I contacted the Lock Master early this morning and was told to hang out and he would get me in the lock. After waiting a couple of hours I was able to lock through with with a small tow boat. The river bank below the dam was lined with large barges waiting to pass through upstream. After clearing the congested section of river I could see the confluence of the Missouri River and Mississippi Rivers. I had been in contact with Christine a St Louis Alderwoman and River Guide for Big Muddy Adventures, who had informed m to to best make my way along this section of river.  The last lock on the river is in St Louis at what is known as The Chain of Rocks. There is a series of rapids along this section of river and a canal and lock was dug on  the Illinois side to pass around them. I was going to paddle over the rapids at the chain because it is safe to do so with the higher river level. I put to shore above the chain and took some pictures before paddling on. I found the rapids to be very mild and sail right through and towards River Front Park my take out point. The park was a high muddy bluff and after climbing up I found the ground covered in trash left by fishermen. Christine and the Big Muddy crew were on their way to get me after guiding a short day trip on the river. I carried my gear up the bluff and filled up a dozen bags of trash while waiting. Muddy Mike the owner and head guide of Big Muddy Adventures soon arrived with a trailer holding their large expedition canoe that holds 14 people. The crew soon had me loaded up and headed towards the canoe house. At the canoe house I started by cleaning my boat, Mike was firing up the grill and several of the guides were prepping food for lunch. Mike grilled us a wonderful lunch of pork tenderloin, brussel sprouts, mushrooms and potatoes, After lunch Mike picked up another Source to Sea paddler, Casey who arrived covered in river mud almost head to toe. I quickly put the electric pressure washer to work cleaning him up.The rest of the day was spent relaxing, and listening to the guides talk about their river adventures. Muddy Mike has paddled tens of thousands of miles on the Mississippi and long list of other rivers around the country. Another guide is one of two women to have paddled the entire Mississippi and Missouri Rivers from source to sea. I was a very enjoyable Sunday afternoon with a great group of people, good food and cold Budweiser.

Day 48

Day 48
I slept late in the soft bed with the air conditioner set on 60. I got up around 9 and walked to the boat to get the water jug and my many water bottles. I used the hose at the restaurant to fill everything up and wash off gear that was muddy from the storm two nights ago. I decided to wait until the restaurant opened at 11 to get lunch before paddling out. I had a salad, green beans, half a fried chicken and blackberry pie with ice cream. Last night I noticed I have dropped another 10 lbs or so in the last two weeks, weight I did not need to loose. I set off with a strong but confused wind, blowing hard from three direction but somehow always against my direction of travel. I have been encountering many of the silver asian carp that are in the river. When spooked they jump wildly and I had three land in the boat in the first couple of hours paddling. A friend has set up a meet with a group out of Big Muddy Adventures who are going to put me up and help try and to get me some media exposure to help with my fundraising for Wolf River Conservacny. I spent much of the day frighting with the wind and current while messaging with them. They help any long distance paddler who they can. I can tell they are confused by my slow pace. They knew where I was several days ago and assured me I would meet them in shorter time than I predicted. At mid afternoon I told them where I was and a few hours later they said I should be able to make it to X point by Y time and they could pick me up tonight. I declined and said I could not make that time table. I didn't tell them I had used several hours of my day picking up all kinds of trash. Twice I ran out of room for trash and paddled near large pleasure boats  knowing they would want me to stop and talk. I loved the look on their face when they asked if I needed anything and I said yes please take this nasty river goo covered trash to shore for me. They gladly helped me out. Around 6 I reached Alton IL just above Lock and Dam 26. I stopped at the marina and got a sandwich and a couple of beers. I asked some gentlemen if they knew anything about the Locks on dam 26. They said the strong storms from a few nights ago had driven barges into it and had damaged the doors.  They said 20 plus barges on each end were waiting to lock through. They said I would have to portage and suggested the Illinois side. I paddled the short distance to the large dam and went to shore. I found a nice paved bike trail running along the top of the levee. Walking the levee I discovered it would require a half mile walk in each direction to portage all 3 to 4 loads including the boat. I set up the tent and ate diner feeling down that tomorrow I only have 14 miles to travel and the portage stands in my way. As I eat my dinner I see the work boats going to shore and the very small holding lock next to main lock comes to life. They are running several barges into the holding lock and untieing them from the rest, next a small tug comes from the up stream end and pulls the barges through after the lock opens. They repeat this several times until the all the barges and the tug are tied back together up stream. I have decided in the morning I will call the lock master on the phone and see if he can sneak me through with the last barge of the morning.

Day 47

Day 47
I slept unwell last night and I think it was because of the adrenaline from the storm. As I packed the boat i could hear a group of chain saws running across the river in the small town. I hoped no one had been hurt and took comfort in knowing it was the sound of neighbors helping one another after a tough night. I paddled on with a stiff west wind cutting across the channel. I was confused on my dam numbers and location and was surprised to see Dam 25 in front of me. I locked through with a pontoon boat and was again warned about lock damage at Dam 26. Most of the dams have a town directly next to them where I would stop for lunch. Dam 26 had no such town near so I ate a snack on the shore. The wind was still blowing hard from the west but the map showed the river making a hard turn to the eat just above St Louis only a few miles away. I paddled a half dozen miles to the turn in the river and sat back enjoying the west wind as it pushed me along at a nice pace, no paddling required. A google search showed Kinder's Restaurant was ahead about 8 miles. I paddled and floated with the breeze, watching a set of ferries far in the distance race back and forth across the river. Arriving at Kinder's I found it sitting on the bank beside the ferry landing. I docked the canoe next to the pontoon boat I locked through with hours ago. I found a seat at the bar, ordered a basket of chicken livers another solid Southern food and a beer. The bar top showed the history of the place with pictures under a clear finish. Henry Kinder had lived here and went to serve in WW2. He had been part of the famous Merrill's Marauders. They were a special jungle warfare unit that started with 3,000 men and finished with 200 of which Henry was one. They marched and fought in the worst of the jungle battles. After Henry returned home he opened Kinder's and it has been in the family ever since. The family in the pontoon boat bought me a drink and told the bartender what I was doing. She suggested I eat dinner and stay in one of the rooms they rent up the hill behind the restaurant. We quickly agreed on a rate and I was given a key. I took a quick shower and much needed shave before returning for dinner. While waiting for dinner I meet Matt who works on the ferry. He told me he had worked the ferry 5 to 6 days a week for 15 years to provide for his family. He explained the ferry was privately owned and it took several thousand people a day into St Louis and back, for work. I asked why a bridge had not been built and he said it comes up every few years but people want to hold onto this piece of river heritage. By 8 I had a full belly and was in bed.