Open the Flood Gates!
Start: River Mile 846
Finish: River Mile 820
Day Total: 25 Miles
Segment Total: 411 Miles
Today marks the beginning of our 3rd week on the river. At the pace we are paddling right now, we should be at the Gulf in 30 days. We have had some really tough, low mileage days, so I’m hoping we will be able to make up some time.
We were very hopeful that once we reached the confluences of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers that the current would pick up. We have learned so far that the opposite is true. In our first week down river from Clarksville, MO we averaged a 5 mph pace. Since joining the Miss Ohio as we call her, our daily pace is down to 4 mph, and today we averaged only 3 mph! If anything we are paddling harder than we did to average 5, but the lack of current and 6 straight days of head winds has been tough.
Leslie drove us from our Motel In Tiptonville, TN to Caruthersville, MO were we were to launch for the day. Passing through the Floodgates (yes that’s a real thing) I saw the high water marks off all the floods of the last 100 years.
1913 - 44.5 feet
1927 - 42 feet
1937 - 46 feet
1973 - 42.4 feet
1975 - 42.4 feet
1997 - 42.2 feet
2011 - 47.7 feet
We thanked Leslie for coming to spend the weekend with her hubby, and blessing me along the way too! She brought Jon more food, gear and Bourbon. She even made a special run to Walmart for me yesterday.
Once back on the river, we were met with another day of head wind...oh boy! We had to remind out selves that the river is in control, we just need to take what she gives us. We focused less on hiring mile markers, and instead just focus on putting in the hours. About mile marker 825 we encountered some very rough water. This was a result of narrow channel and two huge barge tows that had just gone through. The swells were bit, 3 to 4 feed high. At points Jon would disappear completely behind a wave. After 7 hours, we found a decent stretch of beach to set up camp.
Dinner was leftover BBQ from last night. As I write this, we are listening to the Packers vs Saints on my NFL app.
We are expecting rain tonight, and possibly into the morning tomorrow. Then we will have the wind at our backs!
You here the term open the Flood Gates all the time. Here is were it comes from
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