River Mile - 579
Today’s Distance - 11 Miles
Total Distance - 762.9
Today’s weather forecast was for 60% of showers all day and night along with thunderstorm warnings and wind advisories for the afternoon. We packed up a gear and boats just as the rain was starting at 7:30 am. Off we paddled into the rain with Lock & Dam #11 in our sights, 7 miles down river. With a 5 mph headwind we were not going to be going more that 3 mph.
As we approached the Dam, we noticed 6 bald eagles riding the thermals of the sandstone bluffs to the west. From that group, two of them broke off to the eagle matting plunge. Apparently the female was not into it and kept breaking out of the plunge and flying out.
Once we locked through, we paddled the 4 miles to the Port of Dubuque Marina where we planned on re-evaluating the weather and our options. All the sources we checked indicated thunderstorm warnings for the afternoon. So, to err on the side of caution, we elected to cut our day short at Dubuque, store our boats and most of our gear in the secure marina and get a room in the Grand Harbor hotel, a short walk from the marina.
As we entered Dubuque, we also transitioned from Wisconsin on the east to Illinois. This marks the fourth state we have touched on our journey south.
So we have had a mostly off river day, but one I’m glad we did. No sense risking a lightning strike. We had a chance to visit 7 Hill Brewing Co for beer and a delicious BBQ Brisket. Jon had some work to do, so I also spent the afternoon walking around the city. DBQ as the marketers are calling it has a very Millennial friendly feel, but I’m not sure the Millennials have caught on.
Tomorrow we will launch early from the Marina and get as far south as we can. Rain should be out of the forecast but we are expecting some headwinds.
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