April 8: Put in at the Wood River Lewis and Clark Center, on the Illinois
side of the Mississippi River, directly across the mouth of the
Missouri. Crossing the Mississippi and entering the mouth of
the Missouri proved a major challenge. I had to paddle into
the teeth of a 20+mph wind which had whipped the Mississippi
into something resembling the ocean in a squall. For the first
time I was thankful that I had a lifevest.
Richard begins his journey.
Once across the Mississippi, tired and drenched, I had to face
the wind and the stiff 5 to 6 mph current of the Missouri. After
5 1/2 hours of paddling, I had travelled 6 1/2 miles. Exhausted,
I pulled ashore and set up camp. There, I almost ended the
trip (and my life) prematurely when the butane gas cannister
for my stove ignited itself into a huge fireball. Fearful that it
would explode in my face at any second, I managed to kick it
into the water. Fortunately, I had a back-up stove (with
different cannisters) which has worked fine since.
April 9: Faced strong headwinds again, but not as bad as yesterday.
Made about 10 miles in 6 hours of paddling. I'm finding it
difficult to develop a rhythm with my paddling. The wind is a
hindrance, but equally frustrating are the countless exposed
wing dikes that I must negotiate. Built by the Corps of
Engineers to control bank erosion, they are normally
underwater, but with the unprecedented low level of the river,
they are all exposed. Not only do I have to go into the middle
of the river to get around them, but getting around them
requires maximum effort because at their ends the river has
been constricted into a much stronger flow. At the midstream
edges of the dikes, the current is closer to 8 or 9 mph. One of
the dikes proved so difficult today that I couldn't get around it
and I ended up crossing to the other side of the river to try my
luck there.
April 10: No wind today! I pulled into St. Charles at 3:30 to check in with
Mimi Jackson at the Lewis and Clark Center, and to make some
repairs. I discovered that not all of the dikes are exposed, and
managed to put some scrapes and chips in the outer shell of
my kayak when I hit several hidden rocks. In St. Charles I met
Scott Mandrell and Dave Hibler, two men who worked with Ken
Burns on his documentary, and who are local leaders in the
bicentennial project to replicate the original expedition. They
were both extraordinarily helpful with their information, time
and support.
A view of the Missouri.
April 11: Got a late start today. Dave put me up in his place last night,
fed me a half dozen eggs this morning, and helped load my
gear. I put in at 10:00 and made good time. I feel like I'm
developing a rhythm to my paddling and a sense of what to
expect from the river and the dikes. I made 12 1/2 miles in
6 hours, which is closer to what I'd hoped for on this section
of the river. Not facing a headwind makes a difference.
April 12: My best day yet. With a light breeze at my back and a good
steady effort, I made 18 1/2 miles in 7 3/4 hours. I've seen a
variety of wildlife: muskrats, otters, beavers, deer, and lots of
birds, especially ducks, geese and herons. Unfortunately, it's
virtually impossible to get pictures of them. My camera is
excellent, but in the kayak it's unwieldy, and I have to store it
in the cockpit rather than on the deck, where I'd have easier
access to it. I would be better served with one of those small
disposable cameras that I could just keep in a lifevest pocket.
A view from on shore
April 13: Another good day - 17 1/2 miles in 7 1/4 hours of paddling.
When I don't have to face headwinds, I can make the progress
I need in order to reach the Continental Divide before the first
blizzard. I passed La Charette today, which for Lewis and Clark
was the last outpost inhabited by Europeans.
April 14: Mild weather, no wind, and 19 miles in 7 1/2 hours of paddling.
I hope to increase my paddling time in the next two weeks so
I'm doing between 8 and 9 hours consistently. It will be easier
to do this as the sun rises earlier and sets later. Right now I'm
building up my strength and stamina.
Click here for days 8 - 14 of Richard's journal
