COVID Free is the way to be! (11/3/20)

This past Friday 10/30/20 I received the results of my Covid test, Negative! So I’m now back in my condo with my wife and son, secure in the knowledge that I didn’t bring the virus home with me from my river trip. Jon and I really take the Coronavirus seriously. We wore masks, keep our social distance and used copious amounts of hand sanitizer. A clean bill of health for us is the payoff for the precautions we took.

Over the last few days I’ve been unpacking my river gear, cleaning and storing. I am still finding river sand in various pieces of gear, left over from all the sandbar camping we did. 

Today is Election Day. If you have not done so already, please get out and Vote. It is a privilege that many people around the world are literally dying to be able to do. If you do go to the poles today, please wear and mask, maintain social distance and be respectful to others, especially the volunteer pole workers. 

Today I’m hoping to get my kayak out for a paddling on my home waters of the Cumberland River. It’s been a week and I’m itching to get back in my boat!

Sunset from my home on the Cumberland River. 

Post River Quarantine Update (10/29/20)

Got home on Tuesday evening and immediately went for a Covid 19 test. Since it’s 2-4 days before the test results come back, I’m self quarantined in the mean time. Can’t wait give my wife and son a big hug!!! 

In the interim I have time to kill so I’m going through all my photos from the trip. I’ll be posting a few fun images over the next few days. To kick thinks off, below is the end of the first day of paddling in Northern MN and the last day of paddling in the Gulf off Mexico.

Paddling just down river from the source at Lake Itasca State Park

Arriving at the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico

Looking back at these two images, I’m struck by how narrow the head waters are compared to the wide open ocean that is the Gulf of Mexico. What a contrast! 

 

Day 44 (10/25/20)

The Mythical, Magical Gulf of Mexico

Start: Wax Lake Lodging, Patterson, LA

Finish: Gulf of Mexico

Day Total: 21 Miles

Segment Total: 1,082 Miles

My friend Shawn dropped us off back at Wax Lake Lodging. We really appreciate Trever from Wax Lake Lodging (http://waxlakelodging.com) who allowed us to store our boats on his landing overnight. If you are hunting or fishing in the Patterson, LA area, please give him your business. 

Our paddle today would take us the final leg, to the Gulf of Mexico. The first 10 miles were on the Wax Lake Pass which is really a straight channel heading south, crossing the Inter coastal Waterway along the way. At mile 10, we leave Wax Lake Pass into Hog Bayou. From reading Park Neff’s Facebook post of last Wednesday, we knew we would be seeing Alligators. 

The Hog Bayou section of 10 miles was just the perfect end to our Mississippi source to sea paddle. It was so much like the first couple days on the upper Mississippi in Minnesota. Mostly wetland, narrow river, big blue skies. The only difference was, ALLIGATORS! Over the next 10 miles, we counted 67 of them. We had been told by numerous river guides that the gators are really more afraid of humans than we should be of them. I would say that our experience confirmed this. Plus, counting gators really helped pass the time!

The last mile took if through a narrow channel, which opened up to the wide open Gulf of Mexico. We paddled out into the Gulf, letting the reality of this moment sink in. We did our selfies, took pictures of our stuffed animal friends Monkey Face and Lil Pug who made the trip with us. We also took a picture of Hickman County Times (http://www.hickmancountytimes.net) a paper whom we met the editor when eating breakfast at Beard and Roses Market in Columbus, KY. She asked if we would take a picture of the paper at the Gulf, which we did. 

Jon and I both spent the next 10 minutes calling all our family members to share the happy news. Each time I spoke, I was overwhelmed with emotion, as the magnitude of the accomplishment sunk in. Man, what a feeling! It was something I which I could share with as many people as possible. As amazing as this moment was, once all the calls had been made, the photos taken, I immediately turned to Jon and said, “Let’s go Home.”

Just up the channel from the Gulf, my friend Shawn was waiting for us. It was so nice to have a friendly face there to greet us. The fact he made the time to be there for us is really special. We went out for a celebratory dinner and had the bar tender mix us a special “Big Muddy” cocktail to celebrate our accomplishment. 

Tomorrow Jon heads home to Bloomington, IN and Shawn and I drive to my home in Ashland City, TN. We leave Louisiana with a huge sense of accomplishment and a ton of great memories from our over 80 days on the water together. 

The Gulf of Mexico!!

The Hickman County Times makes it to the Gulf

Lil Pug on Wax Lake Pass

Shawn and I at the end of the paddle

Jon making his way past the pipelines

Day 43 (10/25/20)

Ending the day with a Friendly Face

Start: River Mile 90

Finish: Wax Lake Lodging, Patterson, LA

Day Total: 24 Miles

Segment Total: 1,061

We left our Cajun camp this morning glad to be getting back on the water. Since we are in the Bayou, it was as mosquito infested as you would imagine such a place to be. We were very grateful to our Cajun hosts for letting us use there hunting camp. 

Our last morning of paddling the Atchafalaya was so beautiful. With temps in the high 60s, a gentle breeze at our backs and a foggy mist rising from the water it was really a dream like first 5 miles. At 13 miles in, we left the Atchafalaya behind and headed down Wax Lake, a 10 mile long body of water that runs north/south. Knowing we are nearing the end, the lake felt 100 miles long. We are used to our scenery changing every mile or so. Staring at that same distant shore for almost 3 hours was a killer. 

At 3:00 pm we pulled into Wax Lake Lodge, just up river from the highway 90 bridge. My good friend Shawn Pye has driven over from Austin Texas to be there for us at the end so he was already in the area. We booked at room at the same hotel he is staying at in Morgan City so we had a chance to shower and do laundry one last time. 

Words cannot express my appreciation for the sacrifice Shawn made to be here for us. Taking off work and driving 7 hours to Morgan City. He will then meet us at Burns Point Park tomorrow for our official Gulf of Mexico arrival. Shawn is really more like family than a friend. He and I worked together at Quad for 12 years and together were a sales tandem that enjoyed tons of success. As a result we have be to over 30 states together, and spent more days on the road that I have even my own family. Thank you Shawn for being here to share this moment with me.

Well, time to head out to dinner, then early to bed and early to rise. We want to be on the water tomorrow at first light so we can reach the Gulf by early afternoon if conditions cooperate. More tomorrow from the Gulf!!

Trees in the Bayou on Wax Lake

Early morning paddle, magical

Our gross launch point this morning

Day 42 (10/24/20)

Separation Anxiety 

Start: River Mile 60

Finish: River Mile 90

Day Total: 30 Miles

Segment Total: 1,037

We left our noisy camp at the base of Interstate 10 this morning at 8:00 am.  We were grateful to have overcast skies, wind at our backs and much cooler temps to start the day. At this point in the trip, everything hurts, pretty much all the time. My lower back where the seat back rubs on it, my shoulders, my back and neck. I’ve gotten good at adjusting my paddling style to minimize the discomfort. 

We’ve noticed that the first 10 miles goes by without much drama. Then there is the crappy middle section from mile 10-20 were it feels like no matter how hard we paddling, we aren’t going anywhere. Then, sometime after lunch we hit that 20 mile mark and the last 10 are uncomfortable but bearable. 

Today after lunch we had the weirdest thing happen. I got in my boat before Jon so I could finish marking up my map and get my boat in order while he stretched his legs one more time. Once I saw Jon in his boat, I slowly started paddling while listening to an audiobook. I set a short term goal of a Bayou inlet about a mile from our lunch spot and paddled away. Just as I arrived, at the inlet, I saw a barge tow coming around a bend from the left. I headed further right to give him plenty of room. Once the barge cleared, I turned my boat upriver as usual to see were Jon was. He’s usually no more than a few hundred yards away. To my surprise, Jon was nowhere to be seen! I did a full 360 degree scan of the river but did not see him. Now I’m kicking myself for not turning around sooner. I think back to when I saw him last, just after lunch. 

Now I’m thinking, oh no, what if something happened to him. We are in the middle of the Bayou with no cell coverage. I hold my place, looking up river to see if he appears around a bend. After 15 minutes I decided to start paddling back up river. Fighting the wind and the current, it took all I had to make 1 or 2 mph. I paddled almost all the way back to where we had lunch, still no Jon. Just then, a flat bottom boat came by, and I waved him down. I explained my situation and he agreed to cruise up river look for Jon. I waited in place as best I could with the wind and current. After another 15 minutes, I started slowly paddling down stream just in case Jon had somehow passed my, but I knew there was no way that had happened.  

15 minutes later, I see another flat bottom boat coming up river. I wave him down and again explain my situation. The driver leans out and says “Your buddy is about a half mile down the river, are you OK?” I assured him that I was, and kept on paddling. He turned back around to tell Jon I was ok. Over an hour later, I saw Jon, way in the distance. What a relief! Once I catch up to him, over 4 miles later, I tell him “I’m So glad you’re alive!” Once we had a chance to compare notes the silliness of it all came to light. 

Jon had been following my at about 100 yards, but was more in the middle of the river while I was on the right. We had both seen the upriver barge tow at approx the same time. I had gone right, he went left. When I had turned around to look for him, he was behind the barge and I couldn’t see him! All the while he saw me trying to find him, but with the wind and current he couldn’t reach me. Once we were reunited, we were never more than 10 feet away from each other. Talk about separation anxiety!

We are now deep in the Louisiana Bayou. As we hit the 28 mile mark and started looking for potential camp sites, there was nothing. We eventually came across a group of fisherman at their camp. I paddled over to inquire if there were any place for us to camp. These guys were no $hit Cajuns. I could barely understand them. The language barrier between way north and way south was pretty wide. Eventually, they offered to show us to their hunting camp, across the river and down stream a mile or so. For the first time in the entire trip, I was uneasy about these guys and their intentions. The theme of Deliverance kept playing in my head. Once we got to their hunting camp, we saw a decent place for our tents and even an old table to cook on. They left us with extra bug spray, White Claw seltzer’s and cold bottles of water. I really felt like an Ass for my crazy worries. They were just more folks on the river, helping out as best they could.

Jon and I have talked at length about this. We have encountered so many people that in a normal world would not have fallen into our “Bucket of Safety” but whom, at the first opportunity, have not only offered help, but come through above and beyond the call of duty. People are at their core good, kind and willing to help those in need. This is the prime lesson I will carry with me long after the trip is over. 

Our last campsite of the trip, in the Bayou

Great paddling conditions this morning

Evidence of Hurricane Delta

Day 41 (10/23/20)

Atchafalaya Dreamin’

Start: River Mile 30

Finish: River Mile 60

Day Total: 30 Miles

Segment Total: 1,007

It was hard to leave Danny Majors Cajun brand of hospitality this morning. He’s just to easy and fun to talk to. That and he feeds his paddling guests really, really well. We fresh eggs from his hens, bacon, biscuits and some kind of amazing homemade jelly, from some local fruit I’ve never heard of (nor can I remember!) 

We launched late, partly because we didn’t want to leave, at 9:15 am. It was a nice overcast day, so the heat was not as bad as the last couple days. The paddling on the Atchafalaya seems slower because there is no current, but the fact that there are almost no barge tows kind of makes up for it. Not sure Jon would agree, but hey, it wouldn’t be the first time we had different opinions on something!

We paddled for 16 miles before coming to a boat ramp on river right. We walked up to meet an old timer named Roy who lived in the campground at the top of the ramp. We told him our story, and it took a while for the scope of the trip to sink in for him. Once he did, he immediately asked us what we needed. Cold water or soda is our usual lunch time reply. He came back with half a dozen bottles of frozen water. We almost passed out from the shock! Frozen anything on the river is unheard of. So we gratefully accepted his gift. Paddling through the heat while sipping ice cold water was amazing. We can’t thank Roy enough for his selfless give to us.

The forecast called for thunderstorms in the afternoon. We luckily dodged the 2pm to 3pm storm which passed just south of us. We found a nice campsite just south of Interstate 10 on a high sandbar with a breeze and a nice view of the river. Jon made a really good dinner of Mac n Cheese, tuna (another gift from Roy) and Panko bread crumbs. We ate until it hurt. Around 6 pm the next round of thunderstorms rolled in, just as the mosquitoes invaded. We made a mad dash for our tents and we’ve been hold up in them since 6:30. Gonna be a long night!

Tomorrow we hope to cover another 28-30 miles, leaving us about 55 river miles from the Gulf of Mexico. We are in the home stretch!  

The sign on Danny’s patio says it all

River wild flower near mile 60

Paddling through the fringe of thunderstorm

Jon preparing another of his camp dinner delights

Day 40 (10/22/20)

Cajun Country

Start: River Mile 6

Finish: River Mile 30

Day Total: 24 Miles

Segment Total: 977 Miles

Today we took our rolling garage (aka UHall truck) from the Sportsman’s hotel back to the Simmesport, LA boat ramp. Boats loaded, we started our first full day on the Atchafalaya river. 

The feel of the Atchafalaya is very different that the Mississippi. It is much narrower, usually .25 to .50 miles wide, where the Mississippi is 1 to 3 miles wide. The barges are much smaller too, 3 barges long and 2 wide is as big as they get. It is just a more comfortable, scenic place to paddle. I loved my 2,000 miles on the Mississippi, but it’s nice to finish the trip in a river setting more similar to how it feels the first hundred miles in Minnesota. 

Our destination today was river angel Danny Majors place. Danny is an awesome Cajun guy that has been hosting paddlers for years. He’s famous with river paddlers for his Cajun cooking. Danny treated us to a delicious bowl of Red Beans & Rice with sausage. Paired with a few cold beers, it was delicious!

In the morning we get back on the river with a goal of 30 miles to our next camp.

The view from Danny Majors front porch

Rounding a bent on the Atchafalaya River

Lunch break on a muddy shore, we stood in the water and ate

Day 39 (10/21/20)

Goodbye Mississippi River, Hello Atchafalaya River

Start: River Mile 319

Finish: Atchafalaya River Mile 6

Day Total: 28

Segment Total: 953

Today, we launched in the early morning light with our final 17 miles on the Mississippi River in front of us. We paddled on calm water, with a gentle breeze helping with the humidity. 

There are three outflow channels on the Mississippi River to divert water to the Atchafalaya. Each of these outflow channels has a huge gate that allows water to be diverted. At any given time, 30% of the Mississippi River flows into the Atchafalaya. 

As my friends and family in Minnesota are dealing with 2 early winter storms, Jon and I were paddling in sweltering Louisiana heat. The high today was 89 with a heat index in the 90’s. The forecast for the next few days is for more of the same. We made it to Simmesport, LA and have our last hotel for shower and laundry. 

Dinner tonight was at Rabalais Seafood. We both had the Seafood Plater that included Shrimp, Catfish, Crawfish, Crab and Frog Legs. We are now less that 140 from the Gulf so the seafood is getting better and fresher by the day. 

We will be back on the river early tomorrow, with a River Angel as a destination. Danny Majors will be hosting us the feeding us a fresh Cajun dinner. He’s known for his cooking so we are really excited to meet him. 

Morning pack-up on the beach

Locking through from the Mississippi to the Atchafalaya 

Jon, checking the maps

Day 38 (10/20/20)

Paddle, Paddle, Paddle

Start: River Mile 350

Finish: River Mile 319

Day Total: 31 Miles

Segment Total: 925 Miles

Today was not a day with a special lunch treat. It was not a day to meet new people along the river. Today was a day to paddle. Make Miles, Be in the moment and find my happy place. We paddled for paddling sake. We found joy in the simple act of putting one paddle blade in the water after another. Over and over again. In fact 20,000 paddle strokes in a row!

The first 5 miles were in a very peaceful foggy river setting. Not a hint of breeze. It was so easy to paddle the way I always do on random Tuesday mornings on the Cumberland River or Lake Minnetonka. Just be. Feel the air in my lungs, the resistance of the water on my paddle blade. The easy fluid motion of using ones body to propel yourself on the water. 

Was the day all bliss? No. But on days like to today you look for and embrace the reasons why you love paddling in the first place. Using your own muscle power to explore a great river, just like people did hundreds of years ago. 

Tomorrow, we paddle our last 17 miles on the mighty MIssissippi river. The river that drains over half the continental United States. At river mile 303 we split off to the big muddy’s sister river, the Atchafalaya. One third of the Mississippi is diverted to the Atchafalaya to keep it from capturing the Mississippi, and thus killing the river cities of Baton Rouge and New Orleans. 

I am writing this from my tent. It’s another buggy, muggy night. With my friends in Minnesota digging out from 7 inches of snow, its surreal to be struggling to keep cool. Just another example of the contrasts of this river. It’s freezing and snowing at the source in Lake Itasca, MN and sweltering as the river works it’s way through Louisiana to the Gulf of Mexico.

This is, indeed, the trip of a life time. 

Jon paddles out of the early morning fog

Sculpted river sand at lunch break

Breaking camp this morning

Day 37 (10/9/20)

Long Distance River Angel

Start: River Mile 382

Finish: River Mile 350

Day Total: 32 Miles

Segment Total: 894 Miles 

I had a rather fitful nights sleep last night. The tent pad I set up on was not very flat, so I kept sliding off my air mattress. It was also really hot and muggy last night, with a low if only 68 degrees. So, I decided to get up while it was still dark and get started packing. Thanks to that early start we were in our boats paddling at 7:45 am.

We had a fun goal ahead of us today. 18 river miles from camp is the river town of Natchez. We have been told by several paddlers that there is a great lunch spot called The Camp restaurant just up the boat ramp. We got there just after noon just as it was starting to get hot, so a nice cool air conditioned place to each and have a cold soda was just what the doctor ordered.  Just after our food came I got a text from my brother Dave, asking if we had our Packer hats on. I answered yes and he replied, enjoy your lunch. Now, I had just checked in at the restaurant on Facebook so I figured that was that. A few minutes later, the manager came over to our table and said, your brother sure must love you, because it just picked up your check! I was shocked, surprised and excited. That is by far the most unique River Angel experience I’ve ever had. Thank you brother, I love you.

The rest of the paddle was uneventful, but it was hot and long. We finally found a spot to camp around 5:00 pm. The sun was blazing so we set up our tents on the far side of a tree line, that’s the good news. The bad news is that the spot is a mosquito haven. We ate an early dinner, tried to have a fire and the bugs drove us into our tents at 7:00 pm. Oh, and the tents are even hotter so that is our life right now.

Quote of the day comes from a fisherman we met at the boat ramp in Natchez named Steven King. “You all be safe out there, the barges are very big and your boats are very small!”

Preparing to pass under the Natchez bridge

 

Jon looking strong in the morning heat

Don’t worry, the barge is not as close as it looks

Day 36 (10/18/20)

Fish Tales and Barge Whales

Start: River Mile 408

Finish: River Mile 382

Day Total: 26 Miles

Segment Total: 862 Miles

One the water again at 8:00 am this morning. Our big excitement was a planned lunch stop at the Fish Tale Grill just over the levee around river mile 397. The Grill is part of a small fishing resort on a lake that used to be an oxbow of the Mississippi River. 

Food was good and it was nice to set in AC and have cold drinks too! We also bought smoked turkey sandwiches for dinner, so we knew we could paddle an hour later since there would be no cooking or clean-up. Since we lost 90 minutes doing lunch we knew we would need the extra time. 

As has been our norm, we had mostly headwinds today. It’s really hard to make 30 miles with wind in your face. Add to that a narrow stretch 386 and 383 were we met two upriver barge tows, one of 8 barges and the second of 35 barges. Going up river through that narrow area, they actually sucked the current backward and created some really tricky conditions for paddling. We kept our distance from the barges, but the back flows meant we were working really hard to not go backwards. 

We got to river mile 382 at 4:30 and were physically exhausted. We found a really nice little beach site that has a short gear haul and a 15 foot pad for camping on. As I write this, we have everything set-up and the fire is all set and really to light. 

Tomorrow after 18 miles, we reach Natchez, MS which is the last river town that we paddle through before we reach the Atchafalaya River cut-off. We will probably stop there for lunch again and then paddle on as long as our arms hold out!

Quote of the day comes from the check out girl at Fish Tales. When explaining our trip she asked, “Have you been paddling straight without sleeping?” Most people we interact with are not familiar with the dynamics of a source to sea trip.

Sunrise at camp

Jon, outstanding in his field, cotton that is

The afternoon clouds helped ease the heat of the day

Day 35 (10/17/20)

Life’s a Beach, camp

Start: River Mile 437

Finish: River Mile 408

Day Total: 31 Miles

Segment Total: 836 Miles

It was really hard to drag myself out of the warm comfy bed at the Duff Green Mansion Bed & Breakfast. Luckily, all my gear was pretty well organized so it didn’t take long to get it out to the Portico were the B & B owner Rick was waiting to drive us to the boat ramp. Loading the boats rampside, we were paddling away at 8:00 am.

Thankfully, the strong current on the Yazoo channel was in our favor this morning. Before long we were in the main channel of the Mississippi and on our way heading south on river left. The weather was cool and windy, with wind mostly in our faces, again.

I have to say, the scenery is simple with trees lining both banks and giant sand bars on the inside of each bend. We see lots of wild birds including Great Blue Heron’s, Great White Egrets and Pelicans by the hundreds. We also see Bald Eagles from time to time. Although we see deer tracks everyday we almost never see them. As you paddle, you have the feeling that you are a hundred miles from civilization, but the reality is that on the other side of the tree lined levee, there is farm land, pasture land and small towns, some as close as 3 miles away.

We are at the point of the trip were we need to put in 30 mile days, every day. The days are getting shorter, it’s almost Election Day and we have wives and lives to return to. 

Quote of the Day comes from Jon. “I need to get out of my boat, can we please stop for lunch!” 

Heading out of Vicksburg on the Yazoo river channel

Beach camping at it’s finest

Jon paddling out of Vicksburg in the early morning light

Day 34 (10/16/20)

 No paddling, just driving

Finished my 950 round trip run from Vicksburg to Nashville today. Got back in town in time for dinner and beers with Jon in historic downtown Vicksburg. 

Wikipedia has a lot of info on Vicksburg: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicksburg,_Mississippi

Located on a high bluff on the east bank of the Mississippi River across from Louisiana, Vicksburg was built by French colonists in 1719, and the outpost withstood an attack from the native Natchez people. It was incorporated as Vicksburg in 1825 after Methodist missionary Newitt Vick. In the American Civil War, it was a key Confederate river-port, and its surrender to Ulysses S. Grant in July 1863 marked the turning-point of the war. Vicksburg then had a troubled history of racial conflict, well into the 20th century. The city is home to three large installations of the US Army Corps of Engineers, which has often been involved in local flood control.

We are staying at the Duff Green mansion Bed and Breakfast. 

http://www.duffgreenmansion.com/

Step into the Civil war era by experiencing the Duff Green Mansion.  Learn what daily life was like for Duff and Mary Lake Green as they married, built their home and she gave birth to their first child in a civil war cave.  

Dinner was on the rooftop at the Key Brewing Co. We had a nice view of the sunset over the Yazoo river. The beer was really good, with Jon and I sharing 2 flights. They are know for their from scratch wood oven pizza, which was really tasty as well. 

Tomorrow, we begin what we hope will be our final 9 day push to the Gulf of Mexico. The only thing standing in our way is weather, and fatigue, both of which we can persevere over. 

Day 33 (10/15/20)

Historic Vicksburg Mississippi

Start: River Mile 453

Finish: River Mile 437

Day Total: 17 Miles

Segment Total: 805

With me needing to jump off the river for a day to head home for our condo closing, today was a low mile paddle. However, it was still challenging, which always makes the time go by quickly.

Since our camp was up the beach nearly a quarter mile, the 5 loads I had to haul from camp to river was time consuming. It added about 45 minutes to the pack-up, but it was nice using none paddling muscles for a change.

The morning was cool and foggy. Very dramatic lighting as you can see from the pictures below. We of course had some head winds, but nothing too bad. Just a nice scenic morning of paddling.

Once we got to Vicksburg, we needed to head up the Yazoo river about 1.5 miles to the city boat ramp. This is also the entrance to the Port of Vicksburg, so there is tons of industry and barge traffic like crazy. We knew all of this ahead of time, no problem. What we didn’t anticipate is the 5 to 7 mph current pouring down the Yazoo, right into us. We had to battle for every inch of forward progress. At times, each paddle stroke moved us just a few inches up river. After 90 miles of really intense work we managed to reach the boat ramp...exhausted!

Our river angel Layne Logue met us at the ramp to transport us to our B & B as well as pick up my rental car. Once we had all the boats and gear organized at the lodging, I bid my paddling brother from a different mother goodbye and told him to “Knuckle Down” and get some work done!

I drove the 450 miles to Nashville, mostly in the rain and arrived at my hotel at 10:00 pm. A quick load of laundry and handing my wet tent out to dry and I’m almost ready to call it a night. Tomorrow is closing in the morning and then a race back to Vicksburg and back on the water on Saturday morning. I’m hoping to get back to Vicksburg in time to do some exploring in this historic river city.

 

Day 32 (10/14/20)

The sun is Baking my brain

Start: River Mile 480

Finish: River Mile 453

Day Total: 27 Miles

Segment Total: 788 Miles

Today was an uneventful day. The biggest surprise was that rather than having the wind at our backs, it was in our faces all day. After the long day of paddling yesterday, my arms didn’t have much life in them. We also had clear blue skies and temps in the mid 80s. No break in the sun so my body was on the verge of overheating all day. 

Our original plan was to camp at the boat ramp at RM 457. Once we arrived, there was a bunch of construction going on at the nearby businesses. So, we decided to look for a beach campsite on river left. We paddled 4 additional miles before we settled on what would best be described as a desert site. To top it off, we had to haul our boats and all our gear a quarter mile over the sand to the Sahara style tent site. Sometimes you just have to make due with what you have presented to you. 

For dinner we incorporated the last of the sausage and chicken from Todd, with some Uncle Bens Red Beans and Rice. It turned out really good. As is our norm, we are enjoying some bourbon and the camp fire. The Mosquitoes are pretty bad, so I’m sure I’ll be in the tent by 8:00 pm

Tomorrow, on to Vicksburg, MS!

Jon leaving our launch site. Our camp was above. 

Paddling into the early morning sun. 

Finding relief from the baking sun at our camp.