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.