A Profitable Day (or Time Spent in Reconnaissance is Seldom Wasted

As a graduate of the Neil Watson school of preparation (albeit not with honours but a conceded C pass) the day was spent on finding out the status of the river around St Louis for recreational boats. We drove down to Alton to visit the lock there for information. There we established that the locks were not shut to small crafts and that it was the coast guard that would close St Louis Harbour. We were advised that it wasn't going to close until Friday which made sense because the flood crest was scheduled to hit then and also with a holiday w/e there would be more boats out and about than normal. Having also checked out where Rotary meets in relation to the marina, and got permission to camp at the marina on Thursday night (it looked fabulous),my current thinking is that I will now skip Alton altogether. It is 17 miles from here, with a further 23 miles to the Arch in downtown St Louis. I could have my kayak collected there but I would have to find somewhere to sleep for the night. The alternative is to put in an extra effort and push on another 20 miles to the next town Kimswick. The famous Hoppies Marina is situated there it it may be possible to leave my boat there for the duration of Jane and Matthew's visit rather than have it picked up and stored as is the current plan. It wouldn't be too far for them to pick me up on Friday or I may even be able to make it back into town myself the next day. I shall discuss with Jane in my daily phone call tonight

Grafton Marina

I mentioned in an earlier post spending a happy afternoon in the bar at the marina when I arrived on Monday. It is the best marina I have seen on this trip.Not only does it have a swimming pool but it also has 6 shower /toilet suites that are absolutely immaculate.To top it all off the owner/barman is obviously the long lost identical twin brother of that well known kayaking legend and my good friend ,Guy Folster. I took some degree of solace and comfort in being served beers by him all afternoon.

R & R

I spent a quiet day yesterday on the computer,updating this blog and my Facebook page,looking at and clearing e-mails at the office and home. I also spent a bit of time reading. Alison's father Larry,who built Tara Point was aman I would have liked to meet. I think he and I share the same sense of humour. His presence is very much all around. The games room where I am now has walls lined with humourous quotations and jokes.Larry also published a free newspaper which didn't cover real news but had stories and whimsy that he eventually published in a book that I read. Some of the quotations are the same as appear on my T shirts so I know he would have appreciated the few that I have on this trip. He was also an authority on bald eagles which winter over in this town and knew where all the nesting sites were.
When Alison returned from helping a daughter clean up a house she was vacating ( a parent's job is never done) we went down to the marina for dinner preceeded by a couple of beers in the wine bar. Unfortunately the kitchen closed at 8.00 so we  went home and had spaghetti and meatballs from the freezer.

Locks and Dams

At the start of the trip I was concerned about the time I would lose waiting to go through a lock. Obviously the commercial traffic takes priority and it can take a couple of hours for a large barge tow to be split in half and lock through.I rarely encountered a barge tow at the locks at the same time and the usual waiting time was only 15 -20 minutes. On one occasion they saw us coming and opened up the gates b/4 we arrived.
An even quicker method of getting through is to shoot the dam. Some times the flood gates were up and I could paddle through. We heard that this was illegal but on the two occasions we enquired we were told that they would neither permit it or prohibit it.
I was caught by surprise at the last dam. After I was committed to by-passing the lock I realised that the current was going a lot faster than on previous occasions and as I got within 100 metres I saw that there were some rather serious looking standing waves on the downstream side. I made it through with a bumpy ride but didn't have my spray skirt on so shipped a lot of water. It was quite an adrenaline rush. There was a barge tow approaching on the other side and I am sure the crew wondered who the idiot in the kayak was.

Storms

On one of my earlier posts I tried to identify all of the risks I would face on this trip that weren't common to kayaking anywhere. Among these was storms and the risk of a lightening strike. Until you have experienced a Mid West storm you have no idea how loud thunder can be and how long it lasts.It is all very well being advised to get off the river when a storm hits but sometimes this is impossible. All you can do is paddle close to the shore line and hope for the best. We got hit by a storm coming out of Hannibal a few days ago. It was accompanied by strong tail winds and for an hour or so we were really speeding along at about 10-12 kilometres an hour.
I believe that you can't really say you have camped until you have spent a night in a tent when a storm hits. I had my worst a few nights back. I could hear the distant thunder then without warning at about 2.00am I was hit by ferocious winds. The tent was rocking back and forth but stood up to it (except for the leaking problem). The winds lasted for an hour then died away to persistent rain which continued until mid morning

Fellow Travellers

Before I started on this trip I hoped I would encounter fellow river rats. I ran into Anthony and Jason a week ago when I saw their canoe at the side of the river where they were stopped for lunch. I knew of Anthony because his was the first trip of the year to go up on the web site of the Big  River magazine this year. Then a day or so later I encountered two canoes at the side of the river They were a blue grass band who played for children and were making a documentary about the river between St Paul and St Louis. I met up with both groups later in the day and we all paddle together to Hannibal (Mark Twain's hometown) where we had a meal together and camped in the park next to the river. The next morning Anthony, Jason and I decided to hit the water just b/4 lunch after thinking the worst of the bad weather had passed. It hadn't. We separated that night and I saw them again for probably the last time when I pulled into Grafton at midday just as they were leaving on a shuttle they had arranged to get around the closed portion of the river.
As well as these characters there are the 3 young guys I met up north. I was told by the man who had met them that they weren't exactly early risers and that I would probably catch them very soon.In,fact I caught them at noon the net day in the very small town of Palisades. They weren't going to paddle further that day and I did another 30 miles after having lunch with them in a local restaurant
Finally there is Jeff who I haven't met.He saw my blog b/4 I left NZ and gave me his phone number. I have been phoning him occasionally and was gaining on him until this 6 day layover I am about to enjoy

Unbelievable Hospitality Continued

Since leaving Keokuk I have largely camped out by my self but sometimes with fellow river rats.I have been trying to slow down over the past few days because I am way ahead of schedule to meet my daughter Jane in St Louis next Friday.Right now I am in Grafton Illinois,a day's paddle away. I did a short 4 hour 20 mile paddle yesterday to pull into the marina just in time to meet and farewell (probably for the last time) 2 of my recent travelling companions.The marina had excellent shower and toilet facilities and an upstairs bar/restuarant to which I soon adjourned. After spending the afternoon drinking free beer and keeping a watchful eye on 3 young ladies in the pool below and rflecting on how tough the trip was becoming my luck got even better (No Charlie ,I didn't get invited home by one of the young ladies-be realistic)
I had already decided that the low lying area the lads had camped on the night b/4 was unsuitable (especially if it rained again as predicted. I had established the a vacant section up against the next strreet and right beside a winery/bar was the best spot. I put up the inner to dry and spread out the fly to dry from the night b/4 and sat beside it b/4 going back into the bar where I had previously had dinner. I was preceeded by a group of 4 women and I had barely got seated when one approached and asked if i was from NZ. She said she had heard about me and that she owned a B&B on a bluff above and would I like to stay in one of the cottages!!!!To call it a cottage is not to do it justice. It is a large one bedroom apartment with a king sized bed,2 TVs and a jacuzzi (which I soaked in this morning). And it is mine for another two nights.On top of it all Alison,the owner, knows the General in charge of the Corps of Engineers and is going to plead my case to be given a special dispensation to go through. the next two locks (a section of the river is closed to small craft because of the high water levels)I am also going to Rotary in Alton on Thursday and will check out the lock ther. to see if there is any way to portage around it and the next lock.

River Closed

Greg is at Grafton, Illinois. He intends to continue on to the last lock at Alton. The next part of the journey will involve transporting the kayak around St Louis. Ten miles of the river have been closed due to very high water levels.
Greg sometimes comes across other kayakers who are also heading for the Gulf. A group recently spent some time relaxing together in Hannibal, Missouri, where the Mark Twain Museum proved well worth a visit.
On a less happy note, the new tent leaked like a sieve in last night's thunderstorm.

Locks

I have become an old hand at locking through. Unfortunately my VHF charger has given up the ghost on me. I used to call up the lock when I got close,identify myself,and ask for instructions. I would also express my thanks after I locked through. All the locks have a cord at the end of the approach wall that one pulls. Someone then comes out and gives instructions. At some locks the dam gates are up and I can shoot through under neath without having to wait. At most locks there has been a minimal delay. I have only had to wait a couple of times while a barge tow locks through. As a solo kayaker I have the lowest priority.
Lock 9 is my favourite lock. A storm was brewing as I arrived and iIwas advised it was too dangerous to lock through. I was taken into the control room,given a can of pop and the lady lock keeper sent me on my way  after an hour with her packed lunch and a bag of chips

Paddling

The wind has been a killer the last few days with headwinds of 20 knots plus each day. It is so strong that the benefit of the current is completely negated. My technique is to hug the shoreline where the waters are calmer,crossing over to the other side if it looks more protected. My mileage has dropped from 45 miles a day to 35 miles but I only need to average 27 or so miles over the next week to get to St Louis in time to meet my daughter,son-in -law and grand daughter where I will probably take a break for a few days.
The next paddling day will see me pass the 1,000 mile mark and hit a new state (Missouri)

River Hospitality

I continue to be amazed at the hospitality I continue to be offered. Right from the first night at Coffee Pot Landing where I was given a beer and had dinner cooked for me by a fellow traveller through to last night where I was taken in by a Christian couple,fed,given a bed and had my washing done.
The night b/4 found me at Burlington where I ended up being taken to a neighbourhood bar in the tray of a pick up truck,then transferring to a big old Cadillac to be transported to a Chinese buffet restaurant for dinner.A night or so b/4 I was lucky enough to encounter Skip who gave me the use of his river house (had a good bath) and took me out to dinner.At an RV park Bill (who was going into town) gave me access to his RV to shower and to  take what I wanted from his beer fridge-I left money) Then there was Gigi at Little Falls who took me shopping at Walmart,gave me dinner and drove me to inspect the next day's portage. She also turned up unannounced at 7.00am the next morning to offer to drive me around the portage(I dclined as that would have been cheating).Then of course there was Greg and Suzanne who drove me to the start and who put me up when I got back to the Twin Cities
I hope the hospitality continues as I have enjoyed meeting every one

Photos from Jane

Here are some pictures of Dad kayaking with Skip Willits, who he met on the river.

And now....

Greg is in Dubuque, Iowa, and still enjoying his adventure.

Wetlands

In one of my earlier posts I mentioned that it is expected that one will get lost going through the wetlands but that one will get out eventually. It is just a rite of passage. The trick to not getting lost when the current is not discernible on the surface,is to look at the grass growing on the bottom and see which way this is pointing. But sometimes this fails. On one occasion,after going around in circles (I think) and getting no help from the advice of a passing fisherman, I spied a man mowing his lawn on a sit on top mower about 1 kilometre away. I decided to paddle straight to him ,blasting through reeds and bull rushes until I could get no closer than about 300 metres away. I then got out and started walking in thigh deep water stumbling over clumps of grass until I eventually made it to shore, The man had been watching from his lawn mower all this time and when I finally collapsed prostrate at his feet his first words to me were "Do you want a beer?" "No thanks" I replied,
"I'm a teetotaller"

Portages

There have been numerous portages over this stage,varying in length from 100 metres up to 1 kilometre.
I am so glad I bought a small set of wheels,otherwise I would have had to unload the boat each time and make several trips. The wheels were even a help on the very first portage over a rough stony bush track. Some of the portages involved walking along pavements or streets. Others involved a walk through a park. The worst was Blanchard Dam. Not only was it one of the longest but it went up and over 2 or 3 small but very steep slopes, one of which had a set of steps which is not very helpful. It took all my strength to haul the fully laden boat up these slopes(although it did help when I took the 10 litres of water out). I was lucky not to do myself a serious injury going down the first slope.I was still pulling the boat from thee front and it got away from me on the grass, knocking me off balance. I was very proud of my judo roll down the slope and escaped without serious injury even with the kayak also running over me.
I am pretty sure there are no more portages

Stage 1 Completed

I am now back in the Twin Cities having completed 500 miles which constitutes a kayak "expedition"This is 200 miles longer than my previous longest  trip although it is not yet my longest in time. That will be in another three days.I am now over 3 days ahead of my schedule which added to the 2 days earlier than expected start is giving me plenty of room if I have to stop for a few days for some reason.
Tomorrow I start the second stage of the 29 locks to St Louis. The locks in town have been shut to small craft for some time but reopened on Monday. I would have been disappointed to have missed them.
As you may have gathered from previous posts ,the hospitality has been amazing. Last night ,for example, I knocked on the door of the Kraus household in Montecello (despite the sign saying No Solicitors). They gave permission for me to put up my tent on the front lawn and later father and son came down to fish and talk.We were soon joined by the grandfather who lived next door who invited me out to dinner.His son and grandson joined us at the local corner cake/restaurant where I had roast beef,mashed potatoes and gravy with a good beer. Other people have cooked me lunch and dinner and driven me to the local Walmart to resupply. A special mention must go to the Northland Lodge at Lake Winnie. I had just completed a gruelling 5 hour crossing with  a continuous storm for over half of whipping the waves enough to make it interesting, I arrived wet and cold and the owner agreed to let me put my tent up. This was bettered by an offer from a visitor to put me up at his place nearby. The owner's son then advised that a cabin had come free with a bed that had not been slept in which I could have free of charge. Within 5 minutes I went from feeling like a drowned rat to having a hot shower in a warm cabin.All warm and clean I adjourned to the bar where I enjoyed a pitcher of beer and conversation with visiting fishermen and the owner and his son. (Actually,I think the son was the owner) The father, Ray,is convinced I am not going to make it all the way so I have to prove him wrong.
The weather certainly changes from one extreme to the other here. After enjoying pleasantly coolish weather we have had 2 scorchers. The first day the temperature reached 95 degrees and was a record here for that day of the year. That was exceeded the next day when the temp reached 103 degrees and it was the hottest in the country. It was accompanied by a strong warm headwind,strong enough to negate the current if I stopped paddling. I drank copious amounts of water all day

A brief update from Juliet

Greg has now paddled over 400 miles, and is 3 days ahead of schedule. He hopes to reach Minneapolis this weekend. The weather is now extremely hot  with yesterday's temperature of 102 degrees being highest in the US. In these conditions simple pleasures such as consuming fresh fruit and cold chocolate milk are greatly appreciated.
Local people continue to be extremely hospitable, providing lawns to camp on, showers, meals,drinks, and companionship.
Right now Greg is a very happy camper!  

Fundraising

The Rotary Club of North Harbour has promised close to $NZ 3,000 if Greg completes the 3,734km (2,320 mile) trip down the Mississippi. Funds raised go to Greg's nominated charities - Parkinson and Alzheimer's Research. Most people are pledging small amounts for each of the eleven stages Greg completes. The current goal is to complete stage 4 in the next few days by reaching the 500 mile mark at Minneapolis. Stage 5 ends at the 1000 mile mark, while stage 6 will be completed in St Louis. Other stages are as follows - stage 7 - 1300 miles(Ohio River), stage 8- 1600 miles, 9 - Baton Rouge, 10- New Orleans, 11 New Orleans to Gulf. Greg hopes to finish the journey by returning to Venice Louisianna.

An update from Juliet

Greg is camping in the wilderness tonight, so this update comes from Juliet.

Greg paddled from Sandy Lake to Aitkin today in perfect kayaking weather with blue skies and a breeze.
He'll pass the 300 mile mark tomorrow, thereby completing stage 3 of the journey.

Greg has manged to keep in touch in a variety of ways, sometimes by direct phone-calls and emails to New Zealand, but more often by phoning our daughter, Jane , who lives in New York.( Thank-you for relaying news in both directions, Jane.)
Sometimes an email arrives from a kind stranger who has been given a business card with our email address .
Thanks to Joe Thompson who emailed from the Four Seasons Resort to say Greg was enjoying warm pizza before setting off across Lake Winnibigoshish on a windy day. We heard later that the trip took 5 hours, after which Greg spent a free night at a riverside lodge where he was still finishing his lunch-time pizza!
Thanks also to Matt Purdy from Grand Rapids, who emailed on June 2nd to let us know he had helped Greg with a portage . He told us Greg was looking well, was in great spirits, and appeared to be a "very interesting man":)  Joe Muller of Minnesota Power lent Greg a computer, and we received the news that Greg had spent the night before camped in a primitive campsite after getting lost in the wetlands and losing some time.Joe gave Greg a Google map and directions so he could find Cohasset to buy supplies and a hot meal.
People Greg has met on the river have been extremely kind.. Meals are shared, beer and coffee are offered, and places to camp provided as well as much companionship. This paddle through Minnesota will surely remain one of the highlights of Musselman's Mississippi Kayak Adventure.