April 22: Fair skies, no wind, and fairly easy going. Lots of wildlife
today: beaver, deer, turkey, geese, ducks, turtles and a
water snake.
April 23: Easter - A dull, cool, overcast day with periods of light rain,
but no wind and an ideal day for paddling. I put in my first
full 8-hour day, and made20+ miles for the first time. I
hadn't expected to be able to make such good time this
early in the expedition, and I'm encouraged by the progress
I'm making. I have a reasonable chance of making it to the
Continental Divide before snow.
Dredging on the Missouri river.
April 24: Windy in the morning (in my face, of course), but the wind
subsided by mid-morning. I saw some large black birds on
the river bank that looked like vultures, and got a bit
apprehensive when they followed me for a while. Do they
know something I don't? A tug and barge passed me today
going upstream, and the wake nearly washed me up onto
the bank. I'm starting to look forward to Lexington and rest.
April 25: Another 20+ mile day, my third in a row. It's amazing how
much difference it makes not having a wind in my face. I
saw two deer on the bank today who stared at me for the
longest time before they finally bolted. They had the same
look most people have when they see me: who is this guy in
a kayak, and why on earth is he paddling upstream?
The wind stirs up the river
April 26: Made 22 miles today - sunny and mild weather with no wind.
A catfish almost jumped in my lap this morning. I often
startle them when I'm cruising along the river bank. The one
I surprised this morning leapt the wrong way, conking his
head on the side of my kayak.
Comfortably survived the first heavy overnight rainfall.
April 27: A grueling day with a harrowing experience. I faced 30+ mph
winds, a stronger than usual current, and particularly
troublesome dikes. While trying to shoot through the gap of
one of them, my bow glanced off a submerged rock that I
couldn't anticipate because the wind had churned up the
surface so much. I got turned sideways in the middle of the
gap, and then got wedged in that position between two rocks.
As I frantically tried to free myself, the current began washing
over the side of the kayak, and it seemed only a matter of
moments before it would capsize. I wasn't worried about
drowning, but I was afraid I was going to lose a lot, if not all,
of my gear. Fortunately, I freed myself in time, was washed
back down, and took the wide route around the dike on my
second try. Thanks God I made Lexington today!
Parked on the riverbank for a
brief respite
April 28: A rest day in Lexington, Missouri where everyone I met was
friendly, helpful and supportive of my project. Kelly of the
Lexington News interviewed me, and took my picture with the
kayak. I did a load of laundry - much needed - ate lots of rich
food, and found the necessary supplies. The bed & breakfast
I stayed in on Main St. was fabulous, with a huge four-poster
bed that I practically needed a step ladder to climb into.
Click here for days 22-28 of Richard's journal
