I got hit by another carp today. It slammed into my arm and leg as I ducked to avoid it. I had fish slime on my shorts all day and didn't notice until camp that night.
We did 61 miles in about 11 hours. We think 70 mile days will be possible now. It's pretty exciting.
We camped on the lawn of a marina in Portage Des Sioux. There were lots of big, nice boats. Some of them looked like people lived in them.
We knew storms were in the forecast and we got rained on while cooking and eating dinner. We went to bed hoping nothing too serious would pop up in the middle of the night. Still, we left the weather radio on so we could be warned if anything severe started. Sure enough, we awoke to the annoying sound of the radio making that screeching weather warning sound. Shortly thereafter the wind started and rain began pelting our tent. Soon enough we were sitting upright holding the corner poles of our tent to give it a little extra strength. Every once in awhile a gust would come and I was sure one of the poles was going to give way. The trusty Eureka held up though, and eventually the winds (supposedly 60 mph gusts) started to die down.
It was a stressful night. I past out almost immediately after the wind died down. According to Anders though it picked back up and he stayed awake another half hour holding the corner poles. I must have been pretty beat to sleep through a second round of that.
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Day 35: Gazebo Camping
We said goodbye to Tad's parents and then were brought to the levy by Tad, Holly, and Amy. After snapping a few pictures they were off to church and we were back on the water. As soon as we got the gear to the top of the levy we noticed just how much the river had risen in our time off. Where before we had to portage the canoe from the train tracks to the levy we could now put in the water right at the base of the levy and paddle straight to the river. The entire riverfront was now underwater. It made for an easier launch though, so we were grateful.
While calling ahead for lock and dam 22 we were informed they were closed. They told us we could shoot over the spillway which I was pretty sure they weren't supposed to do. However, since they suggested it, it seemed safe and we decided to do it. It was no more discerning than a wing dam really. The rest of the day was pretty basic until lock and dam 24. That too was closed, but this time the lockmaster was not very supportive of going over the spillway. I believe his exact words were, "I mean, if you want to try it I can't stop you. But I also am not going to come get you if you capsize." If he was apprehensive about it, then we were apprehensive about it. We decided to make the long portage. And I mean long. So long that it forced us to be a little creative in our portaging. We used straps to make a backpack to haul the tent and sleeping pads in and also looped straps underneath the canoe and up over a shoulder to make the canoe a bit easier. Even with these innovations it was pretty brutal. My back was pretty beat up from the slip n slide still. Still worth it.
After the portage we searched for high ground. None. Everything was either under water, almost under water, or private property. People were sand bagging right up to the main street business doors. The only area that looked like it would withstand any rise in water level was a gazebo. So we paddled over to it, pulled the canoe up the walkway, and set up camp. We got some weird looks from the sand baggers.
While calling ahead for lock and dam 22 we were informed they were closed. They told us we could shoot over the spillway which I was pretty sure they weren't supposed to do. However, since they suggested it, it seemed safe and we decided to do it. It was no more discerning than a wing dam really. The rest of the day was pretty basic until lock and dam 24. That too was closed, but this time the lockmaster was not very supportive of going over the spillway. I believe his exact words were, "I mean, if you want to try it I can't stop you. But I also am not going to come get you if you capsize." If he was apprehensive about it, then we were apprehensive about it. We decided to make the long portage. And I mean long. So long that it forced us to be a little creative in our portaging. We used straps to make a backpack to haul the tent and sleeping pads in and also looped straps underneath the canoe and up over a shoulder to make the canoe a bit easier. Even with these innovations it was pretty brutal. My back was pretty beat up from the slip n slide still. Still worth it.
After the portage we searched for high ground. None. Everything was either under water, almost under water, or private property. People were sand bagging right up to the main street business doors. The only area that looked like it would withstand any rise in water level was a gazebo. So we paddled over to it, pulled the canoe up the walkway, and set up camp. We got some weird looks from the sand baggers.
Day 34: Mark Twain Everything
We woke up feeling great (sarcasm)! As I slowly trudged up the hill past the slip n slide I recollected all the great times we had together. Then a sharp pain shot through my leg and I cursed the slippery plastic. It's a love hate relationship. Mostly love though.
We ate breakfast and were planning on getting back on the water, but we've learned that when great hospitality presents itself to not hurry away from it too quickly. We were convinced (easily) to stay another night. I'm glad we did, because we were able to see a bit more of Hannibal. Everything in the town is named after Mark Twain, Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn, Becky Thatcher, or some other character from one of his books. We helped clean up from the party a little bit, ate at fiddlesticks, watched more mud volleyball, got a few beers from Mark Twain Brewing, and then spent the night listening to Frank Sinatra Radio on Pandora at one of Tad's friend's house. The music definitely fit the atmosphere. Everything was very classy and it was stacked full of conversation pieces.
It was another awesome night in Hannibal. Thank you to all who treated us so wonderfully.
We ate breakfast and were planning on getting back on the water, but we've learned that when great hospitality presents itself to not hurry away from it too quickly. We were convinced (easily) to stay another night. I'm glad we did, because we were able to see a bit more of Hannibal. Everything in the town is named after Mark Twain, Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn, Becky Thatcher, or some other character from one of his books. We helped clean up from the party a little bit, ate at fiddlesticks, watched more mud volleyball, got a few beers from Mark Twain Brewing, and then spent the night listening to Frank Sinatra Radio on Pandora at one of Tad's friend's house. The music definitely fit the atmosphere. Everything was very classy and it was stacked full of conversation pieces.
It was another awesome night in Hannibal. Thank you to all who treated us so wonderfully.
Day 33: Happy 4th of July!
America's birthday. A great day to spend in the hometown of perhaps America's best author, Mark Twain. We had camped about 15 miles North of Hannibal, MO the night before and the plan was to meet up with Anders' friend, Tad, and stay the night there. We pulled in around 9:00 AM and the town looked desolate. Was this a joke? Tad had said the town would be hustling and bustling, putting on one of the best 4th of July parties (Tom Sawyer Days) we would ever witness. We pulled the canoe out of the water, waded through the flooded park/marina, and climbed over the levy. Tad was right. People were everywhere and despite it being fairly early there were three separate games of mud volleyball going on. The reason everything looked so empty from the river was because of the high water. Even the concrete flood walls were closed, obstructing any views of the river from town and vice versa.
After Tad's game we went to his parent's house and started meeting people. So many people. All of them were very nice and most were pretty interested in our trip. It's always a treat to talk to people who appreciate the adventure. The night was filled with chatting, great food, drinks, volleyball, beersby, fireworks, a bonfire, and most importantly a slip n slide. Oh how I love slip n slides. I had been excited ever since Anders told me they were going to have one. Every once in awhile on the river, when there was a long period of silence, I would say, "You know what Anders? I'M SO EXCITED FOR THE SLIP N SLIDE!" It didn't disappoint. I slid down that thing so many times I somehow hurt my back and ended up with an abnormally concentrated welt on my hip. It hurt to walk the next day and I had to lift my right leg up with my arms to get into a vehicle. Worth it.
A few takeaways from the mud volleyball tournament: People dive all over the place and get extremely muddy, Tad included. There were people that ended the game without mud above their knees. Were they that good or just really lazy? Everybody was required to duct tape their shorts on. Apparently heavy mud and jumping isn't conducive to keeping your shorts on your waist. A girl was wearing hoop earrings. She is one who came away from each game clean. I severely question her effort. This was the 35th year of the tournament. It's capped at 65 (I believe) teams which is extremely impressive.
A special thank you to Tad, Debra and Henry Wasowicz. You folks sure know how to throw a party. Thank you for letting us be a part of it and for letting us turn your yard into our campsite!
After Tad's game we went to his parent's house and started meeting people. So many people. All of them were very nice and most were pretty interested in our trip. It's always a treat to talk to people who appreciate the adventure. The night was filled with chatting, great food, drinks, volleyball, beersby, fireworks, a bonfire, and most importantly a slip n slide. Oh how I love slip n slides. I had been excited ever since Anders told me they were going to have one. Every once in awhile on the river, when there was a long period of silence, I would say, "You know what Anders? I'M SO EXCITED FOR THE SLIP N SLIDE!" It didn't disappoint. I slid down that thing so many times I somehow hurt my back and ended up with an abnormally concentrated welt on my hip. It hurt to walk the next day and I had to lift my right leg up with my arms to get into a vehicle. Worth it.
A few takeaways from the mud volleyball tournament: People dive all over the place and get extremely muddy, Tad included. There were people that ended the game without mud above their knees. Were they that good or just really lazy? Everybody was required to duct tape their shorts on. Apparently heavy mud and jumping isn't conducive to keeping your shorts on your waist. A girl was wearing hoop earrings. She is one who came away from each game clean. I severely question her effort. This was the 35th year of the tournament. It's capped at 65 (I believe) teams which is extremely impressive.
A special thank you to Tad, Debra and Henry Wasowicz. You folks sure know how to throw a party. Thank you for letting us be a part of it and for letting us turn your yard into our campsite!
Monday, August 11, 2014
Day 32: Asian Carp
We left John's and paddled a bit to what we thought was a boat landing with restrooms. Turns out it was an old Mormon settlement and now historical site. We were exactly where Brigham Young set up a camp of Mormons 11,000 strong. It was, surprisingly, very interesting and beautiful. There were vast open fields of pure, green grass with small houses and other buildings scattered throughout. Apparently it was rebuilt to look how it did when the settlement was actually occupied. Now it's a tourist destination with people dressed in old timey garb giving tours. It was very neat. We wandered around a bit, used the restroom (cleanest restroom I have ever seen), and made it back to the boat around 8:40. It made for a pretty slow morning, but it was a very interesting little break.
From Nauvoo we paddled to lock and dam 19 which was by far our biggest drop of the trip, about 20 feet. As we paddled out of the chamber it was like entering a whole new world. Everything was 20 feet lower. There was a park right after the lock that was only about 2-3 feet flooded, whereas parks above lock 19 were completely under water. It was almost as if the Army Corps wanted to punish all the towns above the lock and dam and save the ones below it. It was crazy to think how much power that dam had over the livelihood of all the towns around it. Let more water out and you relieve the flood stress to the North, but also begin the flood stress to the South. It seemed to me they could let more water out and even it up a little bit, but I'm no engineer.
We decided to paddle over to the park right after the lock to get a quick snack and stretch our legs. As we paddled, a large fish jumped out of the water pretty close to us; an Asian Carp. Then another one even closer. Then, even closer. Before I could get over from being startled by the last one, another one jumped and slammed into my arm, leaving me quite perplexed as to what just happened. After a brief second of shock and awe, I burst out laughing. Then I looked over to shore and there was a family, also chuckling quite heavily. They saw the whole thing so of course they got out of their car and came to chat with us when we pulled up to the park. I was glad somebody else saw it happen, because I wasn't sure myself it had even happened. We laughed and joked about it and they gave me grief for not catching it out of mid-air to eat for supper. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want to eat any carp.
Later that day we arrived at lock and dam 20 and I realized why 19 was holding so much water back. 20 was completely under water. The lock walls that the engineers usually walk on 10 feet above us as we lock through had 10 inches of water rushing over them. It made for an easy portage though. We walked the canoe along the flooded walls past the lock chamber. From there the engineers helped us pick up the canoe and drop it over the rail back into the river. They asked us what the craziest part of the trip has been so I mentioned Sauk Rapids. Then I told them about the carp and they laughed and told us that wouldn't be the last we saw of them. They were right. We saw about five more that day.
A couple miles after the dam we saw a doe and a fawn swimming across the river. It was about a mile wide and the current was really fast, but they didn't seem to be drifting down river too much. Deer must be really good swimmers. We watched until they made it to shore and then continued on our way.
Right before Quincy, IL we saw a nice sandbar to camp on so we paddled over and pulled the canoe up. Before we set up camp though, we decided we better call lock and dam 21 to make sure they weren't closing soon. We didn't want to have to portage tomorrow if we could lock through tonight. Sure enough they were planning on closing at about 9:00 tonight. We tossed the boat back in the water and slogged on down the river. As soon as we locked through we rounded the corner of the lock walls and set up camp on the Army Corps lawn.
52 miles today. Finished Iowa. Lots of excitement. America's birthday tomorrow in Hannibal, MO.
From Nauvoo we paddled to lock and dam 19 which was by far our biggest drop of the trip, about 20 feet. As we paddled out of the chamber it was like entering a whole new world. Everything was 20 feet lower. There was a park right after the lock that was only about 2-3 feet flooded, whereas parks above lock 19 were completely under water. It was almost as if the Army Corps wanted to punish all the towns above the lock and dam and save the ones below it. It was crazy to think how much power that dam had over the livelihood of all the towns around it. Let more water out and you relieve the flood stress to the North, but also begin the flood stress to the South. It seemed to me they could let more water out and even it up a little bit, but I'm no engineer.
We decided to paddle over to the park right after the lock to get a quick snack and stretch our legs. As we paddled, a large fish jumped out of the water pretty close to us; an Asian Carp. Then another one even closer. Then, even closer. Before I could get over from being startled by the last one, another one jumped and slammed into my arm, leaving me quite perplexed as to what just happened. After a brief second of shock and awe, I burst out laughing. Then I looked over to shore and there was a family, also chuckling quite heavily. They saw the whole thing so of course they got out of their car and came to chat with us when we pulled up to the park. I was glad somebody else saw it happen, because I wasn't sure myself it had even happened. We laughed and joked about it and they gave me grief for not catching it out of mid-air to eat for supper. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want to eat any carp.
Later that day we arrived at lock and dam 20 and I realized why 19 was holding so much water back. 20 was completely under water. The lock walls that the engineers usually walk on 10 feet above us as we lock through had 10 inches of water rushing over them. It made for an easy portage though. We walked the canoe along the flooded walls past the lock chamber. From there the engineers helped us pick up the canoe and drop it over the rail back into the river. They asked us what the craziest part of the trip has been so I mentioned Sauk Rapids. Then I told them about the carp and they laughed and told us that wouldn't be the last we saw of them. They were right. We saw about five more that day.
A couple miles after the dam we saw a doe and a fawn swimming across the river. It was about a mile wide and the current was really fast, but they didn't seem to be drifting down river too much. Deer must be really good swimmers. We watched until they made it to shore and then continued on our way.
Right before Quincy, IL we saw a nice sandbar to camp on so we paddled over and pulled the canoe up. Before we set up camp though, we decided we better call lock and dam 21 to make sure they weren't closing soon. We didn't want to have to portage tomorrow if we could lock through tonight. Sure enough they were planning on closing at about 9:00 tonight. We tossed the boat back in the water and slogged on down the river. As soon as we locked through we rounded the corner of the lock walls and set up camp on the Army Corps lawn.
52 miles today. Finished Iowa. Lots of excitement. America's birthday tomorrow in Hannibal, MO.
Day 31: The River is Ours
We have the river almost completely to ourselves. There are no barges as the locks in the area are all closed and there are no pleasure boats because people think the water is too high. The water is pretty high, but so far we haven't noticed much of a difference as far as safety. The only boats we see are either mill workers going to and leaving work or barge workers who are keeping an eye on their stranded vessels. It's pretty surreal. We don't have to worry about barge traffic. We just cruise along in the main channel and let the current help us along.
There has been one issue with high water; lock closures. Which means portages. We thought we were done portaging when we left northern Minnesota, but we've had to do two more already in the lock and dam system.
We lunched in Burlington, IA on a half submerged picnic table. I used the seat as my walkway and sat on the table top as I heated mac & cheese and beans (sound delicious right?). After lunch we paddled between shore and a large sea of lily pads. It was raining and you could see water collect on the pads then slide off harmlessly into the river when enough rain drops accumulated. I figure lily pads would make great rain gear.
We were shooting for a boat ramp in Nauvoo, IL to set up camp because we figured most everything would be underwater. Before we could get there, however, a man from shore yelled to us that we could camp in his yard if we wanted to. As we weren't positive of the accommodations of the boat ramp and we weren't that far North of where we wanted to get for the day, we accepted. The man's name was John and he loved the river, especially steamboats. He grew up in Quincy, IL and was very easy to talk to, keeping us up way past our normal bedtime. It was O.K. though; he made us gimlets and sandwiches which were much appreciated.
There has been one issue with high water; lock closures. Which means portages. We thought we were done portaging when we left northern Minnesota, but we've had to do two more already in the lock and dam system.
We lunched in Burlington, IA on a half submerged picnic table. I used the seat as my walkway and sat on the table top as I heated mac & cheese and beans (sound delicious right?). After lunch we paddled between shore and a large sea of lily pads. It was raining and you could see water collect on the pads then slide off harmlessly into the river when enough rain drops accumulated. I figure lily pads would make great rain gear.
We were shooting for a boat ramp in Nauvoo, IL to set up camp because we figured most everything would be underwater. Before we could get there, however, a man from shore yelled to us that we could camp in his yard if we wanted to. As we weren't positive of the accommodations of the boat ramp and we weren't that far North of where we wanted to get for the day, we accepted. The man's name was John and he loved the river, especially steamboats. He grew up in Quincy, IL and was very easy to talk to, keeping us up way past our normal bedtime. It was O.K. though; he made us gimlets and sandwiches which were much appreciated.
Saturday, August 2, 2014
Day 30: Weather Delay
We got into Muscatine Thursday night and only planned on staying until Sunday. Nothing goes as planned, however, and we ended up staying until Tuesday due to weather. We tried getting on the water Monday, but as we were putting the boat in and hauling gear a man yelled to us that there was a tornado warning. When we started hauling there was only a storm warning, but sure enough in the time it took us to haul all our gear to the water it upgraded to a tornado. I wasn't happy to be on land for an extra day, but for some reason I didn't think our tent would hold up too well in tornado strength winds. Thanks for putting up with us Ben and Sam!
A tornado never did come about, but it rained pretty heavily for a long time causing a flash flood. It was probably a good decision to stay one more night.
We made it to Muscatine on a day with a USA soccer game and we left Muscatine on a day with a USA soccer game. We stopped in New Boston, IL to watch the Yanks take on Belgium. What an exciting game! 0-0 after regulation and then three goals in extra time with all three having substitutes play a huge role. We lost 2-1 and our World Cup was over, but it was extremely exciting. Julian Green became the youngest ever US player to score in a World Cup and Tim Howard had the most saves by any keeper in the past 50 years.
The water continues to boil up around the wing dams and looks like it could swallow the boat. We haven't felt too unstable yet though. We just get spun around a bit. After the flash flood we could definitely tell the water rose a lot. We'll continue to move pretty quickly!
A tornado never did come about, but it rained pretty heavily for a long time causing a flash flood. It was probably a good decision to stay one more night.
We made it to Muscatine on a day with a USA soccer game and we left Muscatine on a day with a USA soccer game. We stopped in New Boston, IL to watch the Yanks take on Belgium. What an exciting game! 0-0 after regulation and then three goals in extra time with all three having substitutes play a huge role. We lost 2-1 and our World Cup was over, but it was extremely exciting. Julian Green became the youngest ever US player to score in a World Cup and Tim Howard had the most saves by any keeper in the past 50 years.
The water continues to boil up around the wing dams and looks like it could swallow the boat. We haven't felt too unstable yet though. We just get spun around a bit. After the flash flood we could definitely tell the water rose a lot. We'll continue to move pretty quickly!
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