Day 1

Day 1

Reaching the headwaters of the Mississippi River had begun two days, two trains and truck ride ago but as I looked at Lake Itasca and the start of the river none of that mattered. The river here starts as a small stream about 8 feet wide and 8 inches deep a far cry from the giant muddy milkshake i knew from home in Mississippi. The river twisted and turn through the woods for about half a mile before entering its first section of marsh were it grew to 3 to 4 deep but still very narrow. The river bottom was covered in ribbons of light green grass 12 to 18 inches long each waving in the current, forming a a magic carpet waving and pointing the way south. The first 5 miles the marsh banked river twisted and turned constantly, forcing me to make multi point turns over and over because it is difficult to turn the 15 foot canoe in a 140 degree turn 6 feet wide. 

Next we reached reached Vekins dam a mass of boulders and logs blocking our way south. Unable to paddle forward everything was unloaded from the canoe and carried about 30 yards down the portage trail and back into the river below. The map showed 4 miles of class 1 rapids to follow. I quickly learned that the river was going to be very shallow and filled with large boulders and logs. The game quickly became one of bumper boat from one boulder to another broken by periods of dragging the canoe over long shallow sections of gravel with only inches of water to float the canoe. In the few areas with enough water to paddle the overhanging tree branches slapped at me and the canoe doing their best to stop any real progress. 

None to soon the river spit us out of the shallow woods and back into another marsh. By this point I was very tired and ready to make camp but first I had to battle through 5 more miles of switch back turns. The river would turn and not having room to turn the canoe I would ram into the soft bank ahead, I would back paddle swinging the front into the turn until the back of the canoe hit that bank behind me. Then paddle forward a few inches till the front hit the bank again, back paddle, front paddle over and over till I was finally able to force the 15 foot boat through the 5 to 6 foot turn. Free from the turn I would drift a hundred or so yards till the next turn were the game was repeated over and over again. 

The small campsite at Coffee Pot Landing was a welcome site. The campsite was located in a small grassy clearing with two small three sided shelters made of logs. I quickly put up my tent, ate a supper of ramen noodles and climbed into my sleeping bag for a much needed night of rest.