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
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