New Orleans to the Gulf of Mexico

We didn’t exactly paddle by and give a few high fives as we passed through New Orleans, instead, Mitchell returned to Oklahoma City and Malcolm remained in the Big Easy to celebrate Thanksgiving with the family. Now anyone who knows what it’s like to live in a canoe and cook meals on a camp-stove for three months straight knows that Thanksgiving dinner is the best thing that could ever happen to them! The two river men feasted like kings at Thanksgiving. For the first time in Mitchell’s family history, there were no leftovers to be found in the 48 hours following this great holiday. When we started the journey in August, Thanksgiving holiday could be compared to a golden chalice at the top of a mountain. With each stroke, Thanksgiving dinner approached the forefront of our thoughts. Mitchell and Malcolm spend hours devouring turkey, stuffing, pie and anything else that they could fit into their bottomless stomachs. It took the paddling duo over a week to recover from the onslaught of calories.

 

By the time December rolled around, it was time to get back onto the river, and finish up the last 100 miles of our 2300 mile journey down the Mississippi. When we got back to the river we were surprised to find that the water level had risen over a foot, making the current much faster than before. Looking back, this was probably the first stage of the flood roaring down the Mississippi right now. After loading up our gear, hi-5ing our friends, and shaking off the cobwebs we hopped back into the canoe. The realization of how much we had missed the river and simplicity of living out of a canoe was instantaneous, and we were happy to once again call the riverbanks our home. Even though the paddle from New Orleans to the Gulf of Mexico was only supposed to take 2 or 3 days, we decided that there was no reason to rush the last hoorah of the adventure of a lifetime, and spent 8 days paddling the remainder of the river.

Upon leaving New Orleans, we were faced with one of the scariest and most dangerous days of the trip. Although we wanted to leisurely float past the French Quarter, and throw beads to people on the bank, we were confronted with high winds and huge waves that seemed to amplify in the intense current. The Port of New Orleans, namely Algiers Bend, is the deepest point of the Mississippi, and is over 200 ft. deep. That is a bunch of water moving in one spot! Once again we faced the challenge of wanting to hug the bank to stay out of the waves and chop, only to be forced back out by moored barges and looming industry. We had to inch our way through a gauntlet of waves that bounce and magnify off of moored barges and ships. This sends rouge waves at the boat, making it very easy to get sideswiped by a wave, and thrown into the icy water. There came a time where we both had our hands and paddles up in the air, almost floating in zero gravity, trying to keep the boat from tipping. After making it through the chop, and being scolded by a couple of scared and confused barge captains, we stopped for a breather on Algiers Point to collect ourselves and take a farewell look at the Big Easy.

 

Camping in this section of the river was much harder than we expected, as much of the land on the banks was marshland or dense swamp, harboring wet ground and relentless mosquitoes. We would often try to be in the tent before sunset as to avoid the swarms of mosquitoes that would come out to feast on weary paddlers. Every time we would open the tent door to grab a snack or use the bathroom, at least 10 mozzies would fly in, calling for a 20 minute hunt to find and kill them all. One morning around 5am, we were jostled awake by the sound of waves right outside of our tent, and upon moving, discovered that our camping pads were floating! We ripped open the doors only to find white capping waves crashing into our tent, and a 3ft swell sweeping all of our stuff into the river. We immediately made a frantic dash to recover our belongings from the waves, and pull the tent to a dry location, the closest being about 25yds away. Strangely, as soon as the waves had come, they were gone. We speculate that the waves were caused by a super tanker container ship, as they throw out 10ft wakes, and could have easily swamped us on shore. After we recovered most of our belongings from being washed away, we were left soaked, and mosquito bitten, ready to start the day. We would later find out that we lost all of our cooking gear in “the great flood” and would have no pots and pans for the rest of the trip.

We were paddling along that morning, desperately trying to dry out our soaked gear, when we heard the distant and ominous sound of banjos playing on the other side of the river. Our first instinct was to paddle faster, however as we got closer we saw big white party tents, carnival rides, and a live band on stage! This turned out to be the Plaquemine Parish Orange Festival! At the fest we were welcomed by the locals, and given more oranges than we could fit in the canoe! Our scurvy was cured! We got to see a civil war re-enactment at Fort Jackson, and check out some backcountry Cajun competitions such as a catfish filleting, shrimp heading, shrimp peeling, and an oyster shucking race. Like any reasonable person, we asked what would happen to the oysters that were being shucked since no one seemed to be eating them as they were set aside. Before we knew it, we each had a drink in our hands, and a bowl of fresh raw oysters! Cajun hospitality at it’s finest!

 

The next day we passed through Venice, Louisiana, the last city with a paved road in Southern Louisiana, where we would later get picked up by our friends and driven back to the Big Easy. In no time we had reached Head of Passes, the official end of the Mississippi River. At this point the river branches off into three distinct sections, each of which takes a different route to the Gulf. After spending the night on a conveniently placed sand bar at Mile Marker 0, we decided to take the South Pass, as it does not have commercial traffic, and is actually the southernmost tip of the Mississippi River and the state of Louisiana. After crossing the river to the South Pass, we climbed atop the Mile Marker 0 tower to enjoy our last glimpse of the official Mississippi river, and relish in the fact that we had just paddled 2300 miles across the entire United States. It was such an amazing feeling to have competed such a monumental feat, however it was bittersweet to know that this would be our last moment on the official Mississippi River.

We remained at this tower for about 2 hours soaking it all in, before almost begrudgingly making our way down the South Pass toward the Gulf. Words cannot describe how absolutely incredible it was to finally feel the sea breeze on our faces and smell the salty air that signified our victorious voyage down the Mississippi River. At the end of the South Pass we heard of a marina, and fishing charter headquarters named Port Eads that might be able to help us out with a ride back to Venice. Upon arriving at Port Eads, we immediately noticed the enormous lighthouse that stood behind the fishing lodge, and knew we had to climb it. We pulled up to the dock and met the manager of the facility who turned out to be an awesome guy! After talking to him for a while he gave us the key to the lighthouse and we got to get up top for a breathtaking view of the Gulf.

The lighthouse itself had survived Hurricane Katrina, and definitely looked the part. We spent that night with our new friend at Port Eads, and ventured out into the salty waters of he Gulf the next morning. We spent that day surfing the canoe in the waves, and celebrating our amazing accomplishment and successful expedition. We ended up catching a ride very last minute on a fishing boat owned by two New Orleans Fire Fighters who were glad to help us load up and get back to civilization. Our friends were waiting for us at the Marina, and after a couple beers and last glimpses of the river, we were ready to go home.

The official end to our trip was December 9^th, 2015, 118 days from our start up in Lake Itasca Minnesota on August 13^th, 2015. It had been a wonderful adventure, and it wasn’t so darn cold we would have gone up and done it all over again on the spot!

Although we were off the river, the spirit of the Mississippi Riverman will live on, seeking adventure in everything we do, and not only having, but inspiring a true lust for life.

Baton Rouge to New Orleans aka “Cancer Alley”

Baton Rouge is a major turning point on the lower Mississippi River. The vast emptiness and natural beauty of the Delta reaches a bitter end, as widespread industrial development and constant commercial traffic become the norm. This section of the river is aptly referred to as “Cancer Alley”, and is said to be the most dangerous part of the Mississippi. If one were to compare the Mississippi River to school, this section would be the final exam.

The river is very wide at this point, and the banks are lined with industry as far as the eye can see. This poses new problems for paddlers, and caused us to drastically change our canoeing strategy to accommodate the commercial aspect of the river. To ensure that our presence was known, we would constantly update our position over our VHF radio, to let passing or working towboats know we were out there. Although it was a bit overwhelming at first, we soon got used to this style of paddling, and came to love the industry that surrounded us. Although it was very different from the pristine wilderness and natural beauty we had come to love, the constant infrastructure took on its own form of elegance, as we observed the controlled chaos of commercial traffic moving all around us. Lush trees and wide open spaces gave way to parked supertankers, and fleets of loaded and unloaded barges lining the shore in vast clusters. This absolute modern marvel of engineering was exemplary of man’s unique ability to control the world around him, and make huge natural forces work to his benefit. It was so interesting to get a behind the scenes look at how this country moves goods on the river, and to intimately appreciate how integral these processes are to our society. It is only when you are feet away from a 5 story supertanker, or almost run over by a fleet of 42 barges that you can really understand the scope and magnitude of what is going on on the river. It is one of those things that you can marvel at from the bank a thousand times, but never truly appreciate until you are a part of it yourself.

After Baton Rouge, our paddling style completely changed, as we had to be more cognizant of the commercial traffic on the river. These guys work hard at a dangerous job all day, and the last thing they want is two dumbasses in a canoe getting in their way! To become more attuned with this aspect of the river, we decided it would be best to assign spots in the canoe and stick with them (rather than switching each day) as to completely master the skills needed for each job. Mitchell remained in the front of the canoe, manning the radio and map, as his riverman voice was deeper, and mustache much thicker, commanding respect from all boats on the water. Malcolm remained at the back of the canoe for this portion of the river, as he is a master steersman who can paddle through even the most tumultuous of waves and wash with a cool head and ear to ear smile. We learned to love our positions in the boat, and were able to master the individual skills needed to navigate these much more dangerous waters.

With the increase in industry, there were more people working on the river, which allowed us to talk to some interesting folks to whom the Mississippi River is a way of life. One day we found ourselves once again trapped on the bank due to high winds in the middle of the river, however we now had the challenge of navigating the immense industry that lines the banks of the river. We reached an impasse, a supertanker being loaded with grain, and decided to try to go between it and the loading facility on shore. Upon entering the small chute, we realized that we were in way over our heads. The only way through would be to pass directly next to the loading site, from which barges were constantly emerging. The grain loading area was also surrounded by a number of water misters that work to control the grain dust from escaping, and immediately soak anything in a 15 ft radius. We suited up in our rain gear, and began to make our way past the loading site when we were hailed by two men on a catwalk high above. They said over the radio; “What are you boys doing! We were about ready to call homeland security!” Before we could explain ourselves another worker chimed in; “This is Homeland Security, we got an ISIS boat here at the grain silo”, immediately followed by another worker; “Now why would anybody want to blow up this boat?”. We caused quite a stir at the loading facility as the radio was now crackling with questions about our trip, and why anyone in their right mind would want to blow up a grain silo and shipping tanker. It was so funny to hear these guys joking around on the radio, and just having a good time while working on the river! After being given the green light to proceed, and a short chat with our fellow rivermen, we made it through the working area, as the barges kindly stopped what they were doing to let us pass.

This photo was taken after a water stop near New Orleans, where we were obviously desperate for some of the good stuff. We had no water for the morning, and after finding a sketchy spigot, Malcolm proceeded to chug a half liter of this stuff! It wasn’t until we had filled up some clear jugs that he realized his horrible mistake! We promptly pulled over and refilled our bottles at a barge depot. The kind barge workers even gave us some hot coffee on this cold and windy day! A quote from Life on the Mississippi by Mark twain explains the benefits of drinking such water; “The Child of Calamity said that was so; he said there was nutritiousness in the mud, and a man that drunk Mississippi water could grow corn in his stomach if he wanted to. He says: ‘You look at the graveyards; that tells the tale. Trees won’t grow worth shucks in a Cincinnati graveyard, but in a Sent Louis graveyard they grow upwards of eight hundred foot high. It’s all on account of the water the people drunk before they laid up. A Cincinnati corpse don’t richen a soil any.'” We are now one with the rich soils of the Mississippi Delta!

Our nights in this section of the river were spent camping alongside industrial complexes, or tucked behind enormous fleets of moored barges. Although this seems like no place to set up a tent, we found some of our most beautiful campsites in this section of the river. Maybe it was a the beautiful reprise from the overwhelming industry we felt as we penetrated the dense treeline into the solitude of the woods, but we truly enjoyed our nights between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. We have also never been so tired on the river! Dodging barges is a lot of work! Speaking of dodging barges, a funny story comes to mind. One day we were paddling in the middle of the river, enjoying the beautiful scenery, when a calm voice crackled over the radio; “Hey Canoe, yall got a radio aboard?” Mitch promptly replied; “Why yes captain, what can we do for ya!” After several seconds of ominous silence the captain exclaimed: “Well boys i’m comin’ up behind you, but don’t worry, im just gonna scoot on by, no problem.” We casually turned around to see a 5 story supertanker about 100yds behind us, getting ready to “scoot on by” our minuscule canoe! It was as if the captain had said, “Don’t worry boys you won’t even know i’m there!” Sure thing cap, we will just get ready to brace ourselves for your 7ft wake!! It was amazing how calm and casual the supertanker captains were to seeing a small canoe on the river. They were the nicest folks we had the pleasure of talking to, and were always ready to help, or just have a chat about navigating the Mighty Mississippi. At this point in our journey it was incredible to share an intimate knowledge of the river with the barge captains, and be able to easily converse with them about what was going on, bonafide riverman to riverman.

The return of the Rivermen!!

On Monday November 23rd, we finally and triumphantly returned to the Big Easy! Upon reaching The Fly, a park on the first river bend of the city, we were welcomed by our good friends from Loyola who had hosted a Pig Roast for us! Shout out to George Vena and Eddy Schneider for throwing down and cooking a suckling pig to mark our victorious return! We could not have asked for a better welcome, and were so grateful to once again be surrounded by our New Orleans family and friends!

George Vena, aka “The Bambino” lights the fire on the Cajun Microwave! For all you drylanders out there, a Cajun Microwave is essentially a metal box in which you cook a wild hog, nutria, Rugaroo, or other swamp creature by using radiant heat form a fire lit on top of the box!

Oooooooooooooo lawd. A triumphant return to the Big Easy indeed!

Memphis to Baton Rouge

We arrived in Memphis on Tuesday, November 3rd, excited to get off the water for a couple days, and indulge in some authentic Tennessee BBQ. Upon arriving in Memphis we stashed our canoe and gear at the Mud Island Marina, a local boathouse that is canoe friendly, and always willing to help out a paddler in need. With the boat and gear safe, the next step was finding a place to stay. A family friend of Malcolm’s who flies for FedEX, Joe Lapiana, kindly offered up his condo in Memphis to the river rats! We have never been so happy to have hot showers and a bed to sleep in, and spent the first couple days resting and regrouping from the St. Louis to Memphis trek. After revitalizing ourselves with the luxuries of civilization, we got the opportunity to be featured on the MaryBeth Conley Show on KWAM 990, to talk about our trip. You can listen to the radio segment here:

(Radio Segment Coming Soon)

I leave Mitch for 30 minutes, and he somehow pirates a yacht at the Mud Island Marina!

While we were in Memphis our friends from New Orleans Adrianna and Oliver, as well as Mitchell’s brother Preston, and his girlfriend Heather, drove up to spend the weekend with us and explore the city. With good company, we stuffed ourselves with Memphis BBQ, and got to see some live music at the quintessential Memphis spots, including Lafayette Square and Beale St.! We stayed in Memphis until November 9th, when we finally got back on the river, and headed south toward Baton Rouge.

We caught a ride back to the river in Adrianna’s convertible, stuffed to the gills with all of our gear!

With the canoe loaded up we are ready to head south!

It has never felt so good to be back on the river! Goodbye Memphis!

Upon leaving Memphis we caught wind that the Augsburg River Semester, our friends from the Upper Mississippi, would be putting back in the water in Clarksdale, Mississippi, and would be guided by Quapaw Canoe Company, and the Lower Mississippi legend John Ruskey. Quapaw Canoe Company, owned by John Ruskey, is the authority for paddling on the Lower River, and has the most experience in guiding trips on the Big Muddy. By the time we had reached Helena, Arkansas, only a stone’s throw away from Clarksdale, our friends were already on the river, and were about 50 miles south of us. We woke up the next day ready to paddle hard and catch our friends, however the weather had other plans. We were faced with headwinds over 25mph, 30mph gusts, and sporadic thunderstorms throughout the day. Although the weather was not in our favor, we decided to push on to see our friends and finally meet our Mississippi River idol, John Ruskey.

A quick note about windy conditions on the Lower Mississippi: Because the river is so wide, the wind becomes a huge factor that any paddler must be aware of. Because of this immense distance, the waves have more room to build on themselves, and can quickly turn dangerous and unpredictable. When it is very windy, crossing the river is no longer an option, as the waves in the middle are massive, and can easily swamp a canoe. The strategy in these conditions is to hug the bank, preferably into the wind, as to use the shore as a windshadow that hinders wave development. There are however situations where you must break away from the bank, and brave the large waves in the middle of the river, as to avoid wing dams, parked barges, and moving towboats on the shore. This is never a good situation to be in, however sometimes it is the only option, and must be done to keep moving downriver.

That morning, we got caught in one of these unfavorable scenarios, as we were faced with two moving towboats headed straight for us. Because the empty tow’s throw out such a huge wake, we were forced out into the river, as opposed to slipping between them and the shore, where the waves tend to peak and then break in a fury of canoe swamping whitewash. Upon moving out into the river, we immediately realized the danger that we were in. Along with these two boats moving toward us, there was a stationary tow with about 35 barges parked just downriver, blocking us from the shore. As the two tows passed, throwing their huge wakes toward our boat, we realized that our only opportunity to get to shore would be to pass behind the moving tows, and in front of the parked barge, about a 50 ft window with no room for error. The parked tow on shore had it’s back facing us, and engines on, and was thereby sucking water into its engines, a force that could easily pull our canoe under, never to be seen again. Feeling helpless and at the mercy of the river, we pitched up and down on the wind-magnified barge wakes, and desperately paddled toward the shore, trying to make it before getting sucked under the parked barge. After an absolute gauntlet of waves, and a look in they eyes from cold death itself, we finally made it to shore, shaking from the excitement. It was only after we got to shore that we admitted how absolutely horrified we were with the situation, and rejoiced that we were still alive and dry. We were now however faced with an entirely new problem, passing between the parked barge and the shore.

The Gap

In normal circumstances, a canoe should stay away from these boats at all costs, as they can create deadly and unpredictable currents that can suck a canoe under without warning. Stationary objects like this are the number 1 danger to paddlers on the Mississippi, as the fast moving current can easily suck a canoe or swimmer under the object. In fact, most paddlers that die on the Mississippi meet their ultimate demise under stationary objects like parked towboats. We do not take this fact lightly, and therefore decided to get out of the boat, and talk to the barge captain about our situation, hoping to gain his approval to pass between him and the shore. The captain exclaimed that he had seen us running the gap between the tows and his boat, and said we looked mighty calm and relaxed for two people who were about to get sucked into his engines. After talking to the crew, we not only got permission to pass, but were also given a huge bag full of food from the barges kitchen, including cornbread muffins, deli meats, and homemade bread! This incredible blessing lifted our spirits, and gave us the energy to push on through the windy conditions toward our friends downriver.

The Bounty!

A windy day indeed! The sandbar in front of us has turned into a sandstorm that pelted us with sand and loose rock

We battled the wind for the rest of the day, and by nightfall were only 5 miles from the River Semester’s campsite. We decided to push onward into the ominous darkness, as we really wanted to see our friends, and test our own grit by paddling in the dark. We didn’t even know what dark was until we were out there that night. When the sun had finally set, and the last rays of light had disappeared, we were immediately consumed by the inky blackness of the Mississippi. The horizon line seemed to melt into the river, making it impossible to gauge distance, much less see oncoming waves, or moving  towboats and barges. It is an absolutely overwhelming and terrifying experience to be out there in these pitch black, as your senses begin to play tricks on you, and impair your judgement on the water. Armed with only a headlamp, we braved our way downriver, being careful to stay within sight of the shore. It seemed that if we lost sight of it, we would never see it again. After a couple of miles battling unpredictable wind waves and barge wakes, we soon decided that we wanted to survive more then see our friends, and agreed to call it a night. We set up camp along the muddy bank just in time, as a huge thunderstorm was moving through that would have soaked us in the canoe. It has never felt better to lay in a warm sleeping bag, safe from the rain, and uncertainty of the pitch black river.

The sunrise has never looked so good!

Having survived the gauntlet, we woke up early the next day, excited to see our friends in the River Semester and finally meet John Ruskey. We met them around the bend of Island 69 before lunchtime, and created a floatilla in the river to catch up, and meet the Quapaw guides steering their massive canoes.

Popeye, a Quapaw Guide, shows us how to stern a 24ft canoe standing up!

We spent the night with the River semester, camping along the banks of the Old White River, a small slough that branches off the Mississippi, and returns to the big river about 5 miles downstream. We departed from our friends in the River Semester early the next morning, determined to make it to New Orleans before the Thanksgiving holiday.

Onward to New Orleans!

Off The River, With Lots Of Catching Up To Do

We have finished our odyssey across America in the salty waters of the Gulf, and are now back in New Orleans! We are reviewing our maps and personal journals, and will soon  be putting up a few more blog entries that cover Memphis to the Gulf! Stay tuned for more spine-tingling adventures from the River Rats!

Chwecout our radio segment on KWAMM!!

I’m listening to KWAMM: Marybeth-Conley-Show-11-10-15 http://rdo.to/KWAMM

Water Water Everywhere, But Not a Drop to Drink!

Water is one of the most important necessities of a riverman! We drink about 1 liter an hour during a hard day of paddling and about 4 liters from the time we get to camp till the time we get going in the morning. This comes to about 2-3 gallons per person a day. This is a bunch of water to carry, and unfortunately fresh water is not in abundance past Minneapolis. Septic runoff, commercial waste, and pesticides are just a few reasons we aren’t able to drink the river water, even after filtering and using purification tablets! To avoid running out, we carry about 7 gallons of water in the canoe to last us till the nearest town, a range of 50-100 miles. Although we have a much heavier canoe, we are still able to cover more ground on the Lower Mississippi as the speed of the current has nearly tripled!

The Big Muddy River

Before we got back on the river south out of St. Louis, we stopped at Big Muddy Mike’s canoe outfitter! Mike gave us lots of tips about how to navigate the big river, namely to watch out for strong eddy currents, and how to interact with barges and their huge wakes. His best tip was to approach oncoming waves slowly, so that our canoe gently floats over them, instead of punching straight through!

Mitchell’s parents, George and Margie, rented a canoe from Muddy Mike and paddled with us for two nights as we passed through St. Louis! George and Margie rode in the bow of the canoes while the two crafty veterans were sternsmen, and their guides to the ways of the mighty Mississippi. We had a great time paddling with Mitch’s parents through St. Louis, and had an amazing beach campsite that night next to a humongous beached barge. Although we were all excited to get back on the water the next day, the wind was not in our favor, and would have made paddling a bit dicey. We spent the day on our private beach of river sand, collecting rocks, fossils, and petrified wood that tumbled down through time from some strange place far away.

After St. Louis, and the Missouri River confluence, the river is known as the Middle Mississippi for 180 miles until it reaches the Ohio River. This section was our first taste of the big river, and definitely made us change our paddling strategies, and accommodate to the turbulent waters. With bigger currents, the main thing to look out for is stationary objects in the water. Anything from a dock, to a wing dam or barge will have a strong current going under or around it, and will create an eddy current. Just behind the stationary object is the eddy, or an area of water that is not in the main current, and is placid, or slowly being pushed back upstream. As the strong eddy currents come in contact with the stillwater of the eddy they create an area of really unstable water that is marked by boils and whirlpools. These boils sometimes shoot up out of nowhere and if they are strong enough, push the boat as they please. We have created a system where the man in the bow shouts out the boils he sees, so that the man in the stern can steer and point the boat in the right direction to balance out the force of the boil and keep the canoe on a straight path.

This all sounds very dangerous, to be talking about ripping currents and massive moving hydraulics, however we have found that if you keep your cool, the canoe can handle just about anything. In areas where the water is unstable, we take it very slow, and concentrate all of our energy on balance, and anticipating the movements of the flowing water. The canoe truly has become an extension of our bodies.

Ms. Mossings 6th Grade Class Q&A

Ms. Mossing 6th Grade Class

After months of searching we have finally been paired with Ms. Mossings 6th grade class from Esperanza Charter School in New Orleans. We are really excited to have a class to correspond with while on the river! They have submitted 4 questions for us to answer and we finally reached a computer to type up the answers!

1. Have you faced any wild animals? We just read the chapter in Hatchet where Brian runs into a bear, and we want to know if anything like that has happened to you.
   
   We are actually really surprised we have not run into any bears so far, as we have met a couple other paddlers who claim to have had a few invade their camp! Bears have an incredible sense of smell and can smell our bag of snacks and meal ingredients from a long ways away! Our food is our most prized possession out of all the equipment we carry.  In order to keep our food out of reach of bears and other critters, we hang a “bear bag” before going to sleep. If you want to keep your food safe like us and hang a bear bag. To do this, put your whole food supply in a duffel bag or backpack and hoist it high in a tree. Be sure the bag is at least 10ft high and 6ft out, so a hungry bear can’t reach it. Our biggest problem were “mini-bears” or red squirrels, who can climb trees, and get to even the most strategically placed bear bag. One morning we woke up to find that one had dug through the food bag and ate our prized bag of trail mix!

   In Minnesota we encountered a broad range of bird species!  The state bird is a loon, which spend their whole lives on the water! Loons can fly, but spend a majority of their time diving for their favorite meal, fresh fish!!! In Wabasha, Minnesota  we got the chance to go to the National Eagle Center, and see some of these incredible birds up close! We got to meete 3 bald eagles and one golden eagle! They are huge!

2. How much food and supplies do you have with you?
   
   All together we have about 400 pounds worth of gear and food, as well as the 90 pound canoe. The gear is all separated into different waterproof bags so that we can access things quickly and efficiently when on the water. Our biggest bag, “big blue” holds our 3 man tent, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, clothes, and toiletries, and is a lot of fun to carry over a portage! We also have a bag full of outdoor cooking gear, including 2 Mountain Safety Research camp stoves, a pot, and our Frybake, the most valuable tool in any outdoor cook’s arsenal. The Frybake is an aluminum Dutch Oven that can do it all, from a spicy coconut curry stir fry to gooey baked cinnamon rolls. You can even put it right in the fire and cook on the coals!
   
   For safety, we wear a Type III life jacket when out on the water, and each have a knife strapped on the chest. This is very important for rescue situations as you may need to cut a rope or something that could be holding you or your buddy underwater. We also have a huge medical first kit with everything from aspirin and bandages to blood coagulation and suture supplies. We are very thankful that we have not has to use it yet.Along with tents, sleeping bag and food, we brought a couple items just for fun, like our skateboards! The boards have really come in handy for getting to towns, and also for portaging around dams on the Northern Mississippi. These dams help maintain water levels in the river, and control dangerous floods by holding the river back, sometimes creating huge lakes. When you reach one of these dams you must “portage”, or get out and carry your canoe and gear to the water on the downriver side of the dam. This distance can range from 100 yards to 2 miles! When there was smooth pavement we could use our skateboards to transport all of our stuff around the dam! Malcolm has even portaged the whole canoe while riding on his skateboard!

   Along with the boards, we also have a couple books and our personal journals to keep us occupied when we aren’t paddling. Right now we are reading the Journals of Louis and Clark, and Canoeing with the Cree, two books that reflect our own expedition through the wild lands of North America. Canoeing With the Cree is an incredible story of two high school graduates who canoe from Minneapolis, Minnesota to the Hudson Bay on the northeast coast of Canada. They started about the same time of year as us, and had to race up north to beat the winter freeze out! Whenever we are cold we think of these brave dudes, and thank the Mississippi for flowing south.

   As for food, we eat anything, and have found that after a long day on the water, we are so hungry that we joke about eating rocks and sticks with some Sriracha sauce. For breakfast we usually eat oatmeal, or cereal with rehydrated milk on top. During the day we mostly just snack on nuts, granola bars, crackers, and more oatmeal, although sometimes we prepare a big lunch if we have time. For dinner supplies we buy a lot of canned goods and dry ingredients, as they last a really long time. Our favorites meals are based around a delicious recipe made with rice, lentils, black beans, refried beans, corn, tuna, or sardines. That’s right, sardines! Contrary to popular belief they are actually really tasty and make a quick and easy protein rich snack. We always make sure to eat enough protein, as it helps build muscle and helps our paddling muscles feel better after we exercise. When we get the chance to go into town we usually try to grab some fresh veggies that will last on the canoe, like carrots, green beans, celery, sweet potatoes, and even spinach.

3. How long do you think it will take to get to the Gulf of Mexico?
   As of today we have 635 miles to go until we reach the Gulf of Mexico, and hope to reach New Orleans before Thanksgiving!

4. What’s the worst (most dangerous) thing that has happened so far? (boats passing, storms, waves, animals, etc.)
   
   It’s hard to pick just one situation, but there is one event that stands out as “dangerous”. We were paddling towards Cape Girardeau, Missouri when the the riverbed narrowed drastically, causing the river to pick up speed. These areas are called “chutes” that are formed as the river narrows, and usually occur around big bends. These chutes are so narrow that only one set of barges can fit through the channel at a time, calling for constant radio communication between captains to decide which tugboat will wait while the other comes through.As we paddled towards a chute, we noticed a tug was going downstream as well, so we radioed the captain, who said we would be okay if we followed his tug down the chute. What he didn’t tell us is what to do when we got to the end, and were violently shot out of the chute. After we came rocketing around this huge 3 mile bend, we hung to the right shore in the channel, protected from the huge waves by the tug we were following. When we got to the end we noticed a massive tug was parked on the right side as well, pushing about 26 barges upstream. Each barge weighs about 2000 tons, meaning this barge without the tug was 52,000 tons pushing upstream! With that much weight, the captain must start slow and build enough momentum to tackle the current on the river. To us, the barge seemed motionless, however it was moving toward us slowly, picking up more and more momentum as it moved into the chute.

   With no room to pass between the massive tug and shore, we decided to cross the river upstream of the tug. Something we were told many times to never do. We were confident that we could paddle across and be clear of the barges path so we kicked it in full gear as we paddled like Olympians across the ripping current. About halfway across, a powerful jet stream yanked us sideways, pulling us right back into the path of the barge! It was at this time that the barge captain came over the radio and said, “Still have your radio with ya there, canoe?” We replied and told him we did have our radio and that we planned on crossing the river to stay out of his way. He responded coldly over our radio with “I…don’t…think…that’s…a…good…idea, and….. I just lost sight of you!” When a barge captain with the most raspy voice one can imagine says it’s not a good idea, he is probably right. The oncoming tug was gaining speed and we were being pulled towards it! We immediately went into survival mode, and made a quick dash to the shore, knowing that the barge wake could swamp the canoe! When a barge passes very close to the shore, it causes huge amounts of water to move in a confined area, and creates massive breaking waves! We had about 20 feet between us and the barge and were in big trouble.When we got to the rocky embankment we immediately hopped out and clambered up the rocky shore, grabbing our ropes attached to the bow and stern of the boat. As the waves pitched the canoe up and down we desperately held onto the ropes, hoping that at we could control it through the violent torrent. After the tug past we sat there for a moment, tails between our legs, and made a pact never to cross in front of a barge ever again!

Sailing into St. Louis

October 16th, 2015

On a chilly morning in early October we awoke to find the river enveloped in a dense fog. Although we were completely blind, we were nearly out of water, and had to make a crossing to refill our water supply. After paddling into the fog for half an hour, we finally came upon the public dock in Sabula, Iowa. While pulling up to the dock we discoverrd a sailboat, and met Jeremiah and Tess, two like minded adventurers who are sailing down to the Gulf via Kentucky Lake, ending in Mobile, Alabama. We spent the next couple of days paddling with them, as we can go about the same speed they can sail. We occasionally got on the boat so that Mitch could give them advice on trimming the sails, and how to strategically tack and stay in the channel.

About 200 miles from St. Louis we got a call from a friend at Loyola who lives in the city,and got us free tickets to see Lettuce, an incredibly groovy funk band we had seen play down south. We only had 3 days to get there, and had huge headwinds the entire way, and really did not think we were going to make it. Luckily, we had a really fast sailboat to help us get there in time to get down to some funk!

We were towing the canoe on a rope as we sailed towards St. Louis when the intense headwind caused small chop to turn into 5ft waves. Malcolm was recording a video on the bow when he looked back at Mitchell and saw the canoe was no longer in tow! The pitching motion of the sailboat caused the tow line to wear through and sever, leaving the canoe drifting into the distance! It looked so peaceful floating by itself, seeming to pay no mind to the huge waves beneath it. We looked at each other and both immediately knew what we had to do. Strap on our lifejackets. In an absolute frantic, we rescued the canoe from the waves, and painstakingly hauled our belongings up onto the deck while pitching in the rough water. With no tie off to re-attach a rope, we decided the best option would be to haul the whole canoe 5ft up onto the deck of the sailboat. After about an hour long battle with the waves, we finally had the canoe and all of our gear safely on Jeremiah’s sailboat.

With the canoe securely tied off to a really big rope, we set out the next morning on calm waters, funk music playing in our heads. Although the morning was clear, in the afternoon the weather took a turn for the worst. Although the weather station said 15 mph winds, we were hit with a ferocious 25 mph headwind, with gusts up to 35. We made 15 miles in 5 hours.

Malcolm spent these 5 hours desperately guiding the canoe by a towline that was tied to the stern of the sailboat. Without Malcolm to cushion the force with his arms, the canoe towrope would violently yank the bow underwater as the sailboat crested each wave. This was a delicate and dangerous act indeed. A large wave attempted to take the canoe towline from Malcolm’s grip of steel. Determined to not lose the canoe, he held on as the tow rope as it violently pulled his hand into a metal deck cleat which tore the skin right off his hands. This was no longer a bloodless battle. Lives were at stake and all the crew could think about was their families at home, and the funk music that lie ahead!

Mitchell was the stone cold captain in the face of the storm, and had control of the tiller for the whole ordeal. For a moment it seemed all was lost as the crew met eyes and silently understood that getting really wet, and a call to the coastguard were imminent. Morale was at its lowest. Mitchell picked up on the tension and immediately broke the silence; “What’s everyone’s favorite type of pizza?!” It made us all laugh and forget about the danger we were in. The man’s a genius. From that point on everyone was determined to make it, and after a grueling push we finally got to a dock, all with less than an inch of water in our canoe!

2 days later we arrived in St. Louis on October 16th and made it to Lettuce that evening! They absolutely killed it with some funky bass lines that were perfect for movin’ and groovin’! We ask ourselves, was it worth possibly losing our canoe and thinking we may die? If you answer no to that question, you obviously have not been to a Lettuce show!!

Runnin’ from Old Man Winter

October 1, 2015

Although we have yet to face any severe weather, it has been getting quite chilly up here in the north. We began to really notice the cold as we were passing through La Crosse, Wisconsin where we met up with Chris, one of Mitchell’s good friends from Fiji.

After a few days of waking up and paddling in 40 degree temperatures, we decided to pick up the pace for a few days to get to a warmer climate that suits our island lifestyle and clothes. When the winds come from the north they bring the chill of cold arctic air, however they also work to push us farther south. Even though it helps us cover more distance, we will take a warm headwind over a cold tailwind any day.

Autumn colors are beginning to appear.

To obtain our goal of staying ahead of old man winter, we have decided to increase our daily mileage, and are now spending longer and longer days in the canoe. Each morning we try to be on the water by 8am, and paddle until dusk to set up camp while there is still light. We have become much more accustomed to spending our days paddling, and usually try to spend the whole day in the boat. Frequent stops really kill the momentum of paddling, and take away from time that could be spent making headway downriver. When loading the canoe we make sure to have water, snacks, and other necessities readily accessible, and pack everything else away until we reach camp for the night. We have found that this method of paddling allows us to cover more distance as we can now do 40 to 50 mile days!

We are so sad to leave Minnesota! We have met so many amazing people up in the land of 1000 lakes. Onto new adventures in Iowa!

The river is a way of life for many people whether they work on a tugboat, operate a turnbridge, live in a houseboat, or paddle a canoe. It is so interesting to see so many people that base their lives on the river, and share the same love for the mighty Mississippi that we have come to embrace. In Waupeton Iowa we met a tug pilot who told us stories about his experiences on the river trying to control enormous fleets of barges. His humble respect for the rivers brute power was a stark reminder that the meandering stream that we came to love in the headwaters has now changed.

Industrial beauty on the river.

The peaceful and gentle provider has grown into a relentless beast that threatens to overtake anything that stands in its path. There are no mistakes now. We must adapt our paddling stategies to the swift and unforgiving current, and learn the ways of the big river.