Day 7

Day 7
Joe and I woke up about 8:30 and to our surprise we saw Shawn at the top of the dam ready to join us in the river below. I walked up to help Shawn carry his gear over the dam and hear his story. Shawn had gotten on the water at 3 AM in order to try to make it the rest of the way across the lake and join back up with us. He said he fought high winds and waves all 13 miles. With everyone back together we set off in the face of high winds. The river in this area had straightened out to 1/4 to 1/2 mile mile runs with a series of curves in between each one. The river released from the dam provided a nice current until the wind picked up. The winds were blowing 15 mph and gusting to 30+ mph. I would be making good time and then a gust would blow towards me stopping me dead in the water. Some sections I would paddle as hard as I could to make just a mile per hour. The river was again moving through a large marsh and I had a great views of hundreds of Teal as they raced about in the high winds as I rested. The winds made for a brutal day for all of us. We reached Gamblers Point campsite late in the day, all of us worn slap out. Shawn had paddled 32 miles and Joe and I had done 19 miles. I took a swim in the river to soak my tired muscles and retired to my tent for the night.

Day 6

Day 6
I woke up at 4:30 to a sky that was already showing color from the coming sun, piled my gear into the boat and headed across the now smooth Cass Lake. Reaching the other side I guided my canoe over the rock spillover dam and down into the current below. I was hoping to catch Joe and Shawn before they made the next big lake, Lake Winnibigoshish. Lake Winnibigoshish is the third largest inland body of water in the state. The shortest crossing is 16 miles, the state provided map strongly suggests taking a portage around the lake. I paddled hard for 13 miles in hopes of catching the guys but when I arrived at Becker's Resort I had missed them by about 30 minutes. The nice people running the resort told me the guys were going to cross the lake. I asked about getting a portage ride around the lake and was informed it wasn't a problem and that I could hang out, take a shower, and do laundry. I gladly spent most of the afternoon taking them up on the offer. A resort employee Mike gave me and the canoe a ride around the lake and dropped me off at the spillway. Finally having some cell service I learned Joe had almost completed the crossing and Shawn was making his way around the edge of the lake. Joe soon made it over the dam and Shawn pulled into a resort part way and would continue in the morning.

Day 5

Day 5
The map for the day showed we had a small section of rapids, a few small lakes then big Lake Cass it was going to an interesting day for sure. The section of rapids turned out to be nothing more than a section of very shallow fast water, getting through was more like a game of bump and grind than the fun ride we were looking for. The next section was again in the marsh broken by small lakes with the odd bluff raising above the surrounding marsh. Around mid morning we arrived at Cass Lake, our biggest lake crossing so far at 9 miles with Star Island about 3/4 of the way. We paddled onto the lake with small waves and a 10 mph head wind. The crossing was going well enough for the first 3/4 till we reached Star Island, I looked around and all the big power boats were getting off the water, the waves on the other side of the island were a mass of 4 ft waves and 20+ mph winds. I decided to stay put on Star Island wait for the wind and waves to settle down before continuing. Joe and Shawn plowed on across the lake in their kayaks. I spent the afternoon eating, reading and napping. Late afternoon I decided the wind was not going to let up and made my way along the shore in a several fruitless hours hunting for the campsite marked on my map. Having no luck finding the campsite I set up my tent on the shoreline and went to bed at 5 planning to get up at 4:30 AM and complete the crossing.

Day 4

Day 4
Shawn needed to mail some extra gear home so Joe and I hung out at camp for a bit organizing gear and talking about the battle plan for the 3 mile crossing of Lake Benidji. After Shawn finished with his chore we paddled around to the park and welcome center to meet Joe. We went into the welcome center as Joe started the long lake crossing. An older couple greeted us at the welcome center and chatted us up asking all kinds of questions and took our blog information so they could follow our journey. I was very nervous about the lake crossing we had to make but Shawn and Joe showed nothing but excitement and took off straight across. I paddled up to a point that was part of the narrowest section of lake and turned to cross, waves, wind and all. I was soon being pushed around by the wind and waves, I slid to the center of the canoe and sat on my pack giving me better control. The crossing was not bad and we all made quick work of it. We then entered another small lake and then a wide river channel leading to hydro power plant. We reached the dam and had to unload our boats and carry them around the dam to the river below a process called portaging. Joe and Shawn both have portage wheels so they were able to roll their kayaks along the portage trail. I did not bring wheels, I had built and installed a portage yoke on my canoe. With the canoe empty I rolled it onto the side and then lifted it onto my knee and up onto my shoulders to carry it up the trail and back to the river below. Soon enough we were all loaded and floating in the nice current towards Island Point campsite a mile down stream. After setting up camp we each had a bird bath in the river and called it a day.

Day 3

Day 3
 I crawled from my tent into a cool damp morning, a slight fog hung over the marsh and nothing was stirring after the storm the night before. Shawn, Joe and myself were glad to report that we all stayed dry and slept like a baby despite the rain and thunder the night before. I choked down a quick carnation instant breakfast drink and jumped into the canoe. My map showed in just a few miles I would have another area of abundant vegetation with the added note that it may be impassable at times. Lucky for me the early season growth was still confined to the river bank and I continued to make good time downriver. About 14 miles into the day my map noted another potential problem, 4 miles marked numerous log jams. As I reached this area on my map the river grew more narrow, 15 ft or less, and entered a wooded area. The shade and change of surroundings were welcome after mile after mile of marsh. The river picked up speed and the banks were lined with gravel and large stones, large trees stuck out from the banks but locals had already cut the trouble makers back opening the channel for easy paddling. It was nice to drift with the current and watch the towering sugar maples blowing in the wind.  Just as I thought the day day was coming to a close with Silver Maple campsite just a bit further i began to hear the drone of interstate traffic. Silver Maple campsite sat on a bluff in a bend in the river and 40 yards from a very busy interstate. Shawn and I talked for a few minutes and decided to push on towards the town of Bemidji 3 miles down river.
As Shawn rounded a bend in front of me I saw his head drop and shake as he looked at a large silver maple that had fallen across the river channel. Having looked the tree over I decided we might be able to get past with the removal of a few branches. With a few swings of my machete and a some man power we were back on our way towards town. The last hurdle was a 1 mile lake crossing with a 15 mph wind and 2 foot waves, with visions of beer and burgers we dug deep and blasted across. We quickly found a spot to make camp on the opposite shore and waited on Joe. Luck was with Joe as the wind laid down and he made a quick easy paddle across.
That evening we enjoyed beer and burgers and talked excitedly about how far ahead of schedule we were and how awesome it was to have completed our first 20+ mile day, only 3 days into the trip.

Day 2

Day 2
I slept in till 10, I was exhausted and wanted to give Shawn my paddling buddy a chance to catch up. The day was clear and warm as I packed up camp and prepared to another day on the water. I hung around camp till about 11 waiting to see if Shawn came paddling by, with no sign of him I pushed off and pointed the canoe down river. My map warned the next 2+ miles had abundant vegetation, lucky for me I had no problems and the river continued switching back and forth through the marsh. Towards the middle of my day I rounded a bend to see two Sandhill Cranes doing a mating dance. Both had their wings held high, necks stretched skyward and were lifting their feet into the air dancing in circles while giving their strange mating call. While they were unaware I was there, I was doing my best not to laugh at the crazy marsh dance happening in front of me. Towards the end of the day I was gaining confidence in how to pilot my canoe through all the winding turns and wondering, Where was Shawn? As I rounded the bend towards camp I was greeted with a smiling stranger fishing on the landing. The young man introduced himself as Joe and told me he and Shawn had passed me early in the morning. Camp for the night would be Bear Den, a small meadow situated on top of a bluff overlooking the marsh for miles around. We had built a small fire and spent dinner talking of all the beautiful things we had seen the last two days. Before the sunset we were all in our tents and sound asleep, not even the thunderstorm that passed that evening could keep my tired eyes open for more than a moment.

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.