Thursday, May 26, 2011
A big mileage day
The weather here turned a bit nasty and cold overnight and I awoke at about 4:00 a.m. to rain and a temperature in my tent of 52 degrees F. I've had colder nights on this trip but not any as damp. I was freezing my tail off the rest of the night and most of this morning!
I got up and had a cold breakfast since I didn't cook last night and didn't want to set up the stove this morning. As I was finishing my packing Troy, the Army Corps of Engineers guy, pulled up and updated me about the river conditions. He also gave me a copy of the new river map book the Corps just published on the lower Missouri. Overnight the estimates for the high water mark for Glascow, MO, had risen from 30 to 32 feet. I'm not surprised as the water had also risen two feet in the few hours after I went to bed.
I had to hoof it quite a distance from my campsite back to the river. I have to make about four trips to get all my gear down to the put in point so I can pack the boat. Troy had hauled my gear in his truck up to where I camped yesterday so that wan't too much of an effort on my part but this morning's packing time was a different story. It was 8:30 a.m. by the time I had everything at the landing. I went to fill up my water bottles when a local fisherman pulled into the landing and launched his boat. The problem was that he left his truck and boat trailer parked in the water at the landing. I was able to load my canoe but I couldn't launch it in the small space left a the landing, especially with the high water we have. He returned but not before I had lost 30 minutes of paddling time.
I finally got on the river just after 9:00 a.m. It was clear from the get go that things were flowing fast. I pretty quickly realized that I had traveled 2 miles with little paddling. My original goal for today was to do 31 miles, a respectable day, but I had that done by the time I stopped for lunch. At lunch I mulled over my options. I could stay at that day's destination, even though it was an ugly little spot, or I could paddle on. Since I was in a groove I chose the later. It was 15 more miles down to Katfish Katy's and a full service campground.
When I got to Katy's I looked at the landing and the barren landscape and said "no way." I wanted a place with real character for my final destination. I knew Cooper's Landing was 10 more miles down river but I thought what the heck, It's only 4:00 p.m. and I'll be there after 5:00, 5:30 p.m. at the latest. So that's how I ended up paddling 56 miles in one day. It's kinda crazy considering I did 36 miles yesterday and it nearly killed me. When the wind and current are at your back it's best to go with the flow.
Today I think I may have met the person today with most amazing life story of anyone I've come across on this trip. As I was finishing my lunch at Booneville, MO, and about to depart for another few hours of fun a chap pulled up to the landing site. I've noticed there's a steady stream of people coming to the river to see how it looks, especially since we're at such high water levels. Tudor got out of his Jeep and had a look around and then came over to talk to me.
We talked a bit about what I was doing and then he asked what would happen if i fell out of the boat. That's not something I plan to do but I told him I'd swim to shore and hope I could collect my gear. Tudor then started to tell me the story of how he got hypothermia when we was swimming to freedom from communist Romania. Of course I had to stop him and hear the full story.
It turns out that he was a 26 year old member of the Romanian military and suffering from the feeling that "there was no air" and wanting freedom. He and a friend decided to swim the river between Romanian and Yugoslavia and make their way to a free country. As soon as Tudor got in the river he went numb and nearly passed out from hypothermia. If his friend hadn't been there to help him to shore he would have drowned. Of course, they were both quickly caught and spent a month in a Yugoslavian prison only to be returned to Romania where he sat in prison for another eight months. He said that during that time he talked to all the other prisoners that had failed in their attempts to flee the country and learned what they did, what they saw, and what he should do different the next time he tried to escape. When he was released he and his wife made a second attempt and were successful using the knowledge (he called it mental images; "I could just see where I had to go and what do to do") he learned in prison. He made his way to Italy and was granted political asylum to live in the United States (Jefferson, MO).
When I got to Cooper's Landing one of the owners looked at my canoe and decided it was a kayak and that my canoe paddle was all wrong. He forced me to take an old paddle of his because it's much better and I'll love it. So, I have a second hand paddle that would be fun to try out except for the big water I'm passing through. Not a time to try new things. I won't complain, though, as this is a real river camp with a lot of soul. And there are a bunch of odd characters here that give it an odd Jimmy Buffett kind of vibe.
I got another hot shower tonight and had Tai food (why there's a guy here running a restaurant here I have no idea). I did a load of laundry and spent time talking to my campmate Ed who's peddling his bike along the Katy trail for the Memorial Day weekend. He's an Iraq vet that served two tours of duty that now works for the USGS.
The water is still rising on the river and will do so until next week. The folks at Cooper's Landing expect to be flooded out in the next five days. I'm beginning to think this river just doesn't want me on her. I hope to stay a few days ahead of the major flooding event but it's clear now that my decision to pull out at St. Louis was in the cards all along, no matter how much I wanted to go on paddling this summer.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Weather, weather, weather!
Last night we had rain early in the evening. I ate my dinner and then crawled in the tent at 8:30 p.m. to rest a bit and listen to music. I must have been pretty tired because I woke from a deep sleep at midnight to the sound of thunderstorms moving into the area. I listened to the weather radio and it was clear the worst of it was to the east. We did get some hail and about a half and inch of rain.
I overslept this morning and didn't wake up until 7:00 a.m.; not good since I wanted to get on the river "early." I was packing and almost ready to haul the canoe and equipment to the river when Mike, my neighbor in camp, came over and offered me a hot cup of coffee. It was too good of a deal to pass up so I went to his campsite and chatted a bit. Another round of thunderstorms was predicted to come through before 9:00 a.m. so I was actually being good by being lazy!
Mike is one of those guys that looks a bit like a character out of Deliverance and a customer at your local Walmart (actually, I bet he shops exclusively at Bass Pro Shops). In my usual life I doubt I'd ever have spoken to him as he's a tall, rough around the edges kind of guy. It turns out that he is one of the most kind and soft spoken gentleman that I've met on the river or in any other walk of life. It's clear he loves fishing (but hates eating fish, he only does it for a big fish fry he throws for up to 500 people every year) and easily makes friends with the people in this area.
About the time we were having coffee "Eggman" drove up in his four-wheeler golf cart thing (I'm not sure what to call it but it seems everyone in every town I've been through drives one). Eggman owns 700 chickens outside of town and harvests 30 dozen eggs a day that he sells to local stores. He also has the place just up from Miami landing with all the rabbit cages.
After I got on the river it was clear it was going to be one of those days that never seems to end. My mileage goal for today was 36 miles. I'm getting to the point where I know my body and the physical challenge of paddling that far and I wasn't in the mood to do it. That, and the fact the river rose 6 inches overnight, put me in a bad mood. The high water has flushed all sorts of debris loose and it's all traveling with me. I spent the entire morning dodging huge logs, small logs, and garbage. By noon I was tired and ready to stop. That's when the storms rolled in...
I pulled off to eat just about the time the thunderboomers were approaching. I listened to the weather radio and it was clear I needed to wait it out for at least an hour. After everything passed I got back in the boat only to face even more flotsam and jetsam. Then the wind kicked up with gusts of 30-40 miles an hour. A real grind.
I did make it to Glasgow, MO, my goal for the day. I surveyed the scene and looked for the highest campsite I could find. Mike, from Miami, warned me that the entire parking lot and camping area will flood tonight with the forecasted river rise. I carried my canoe up to a spot above the rest of the camping area and was just about to get the rest of my gear when a chap stopped to talk with me. I told him my usual story about where I was headed but that I was worried about the river rising and getting wet in my tent tonight. I asked him what time it was and it turned out it was after 5:00 p.m. Darn, I missed talking to the staff at the Army Corps of Engineers office in town about what to expect here in Glasgow and down river. He responded "30 feet here, no more." How did he know? Turns out he is the Corps here in Glasgow.
Troy filled me in on conditions and says he thinks I'll be fine all the way to Jefferson City. He also recommended I go into town and eat at Beckett's if I wanted a good steak or hamburger. After a hot (did I say hot!?) shower here at the campground I hoofed it into town and had one of the best hamburgers of my life. I poked around a little and then came back to camp to check emails, etc. Glasgow is a quaint little town that appears to be holding on quite well. Quite a contrast from the other old river towns I've been through in the last few days (although Miami, MO, holds a special place in my heart).
So here's the quote of the day from Troy: "I've seen lots of canoers and kayakers come down that river. They all say the same thing, after a while it just begins to grind you down." Damn, I hope he's not right! I'm looking forward to another day of paddling tomorrow...
I'm currently canoeing down the Missouri River from Nebraska City, NE, to St. Louis, MO. Check out my location and blog at canoequest2011.blogspot.com.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
A wet day!
I'm currently sitting beside a rock in Miami, MO, trying to get a cell signal to send this post. I will have to make it quick as I'm running low on battery life.
The day dawned gorgeous and I was in a mood to get to the water quick. Good thing I did as a huge thunderstorm chased me downriver to Miami and I got camp set up just in the nick of time to avoid being washed away. The ride down the river was very scenic but not mut to talk about. The days are beginning to blend together and one part of the river looks much like the next by this time in the trip.
I set up my tent within 15 minutes of arriving at the Miami landing. I tossed the necessaries (sleeping pad & bag, etc.) in the tent just as the thunderstorm came down the river. The NOAA weather radio station was tracking its position and when it hit I dove for cover in the concrete outhouse here at the campground. It was a pretty big thunderstorm with heavy rain that lasted about 30 minutes. Things are pretty soggy now and more rain is predicted for tonight and tomorrow and then clear and sunny all weekend.
After the rain I chatted with two fisherman, Mike and his friend, that got off the river just in the nick of time. They invited me to go back out with them to check lines but I declined as I wanted to go "into town" and see Miami. There was a general store here last year but it close over the winter. The owner and his wife were sitting on their porch when I walked into town to look around. They informed me that Miami was once a boom river and railroad town with with over 10,000 citizens. They had a hotel, bank, stores, schools; the whole works. The usual fate await the town when the railroad moved south of town and the river boats quit coming.
I looked around and took some photos of the Methodist Church (closed last year), the old hotel (nearly decayed) and main street (most buildings vanished long ago). I was hoping to see the Miami Museum but Liz, the curator, hasn't come home from work. I was told by the Postmaster what she drove and when she was expected but I walked back down to camp. A couple of local women stopped and chatted as I was coming down the hill to camp and they told me about the MR340 river race and the Liz probably would drive through before she went home. One of the gals is visiting from out of town and wants to see the museum too and they said they'd come get me if it opens up. Got to love that small town hospitality.
I'll close here. I have to eat dinner and I want to be done before it rains again. Besides, it will take 10 minutes to send this with the horrible cell service in this area.
Cheers!
JB
Sent from Jerry Bricker's iPad. Oooooh!
Monday, May 23, 2011
A perfect day and some great numbers!
Today I finally had the magical day on the river where everything came together perfectly. It was certainly a contrast to yesterday's events at the Lexington Landing. The river is two completely different personalities between the weekdays and the weekends. Now that the work week has begun and the party hounds are back to work (with a Monday hangover?) I have my simple pace of river life again.
When I pulled into Lexington yesterday the tornado sirens were going off. The bad weather actually was to the east of Lexington and hit the small town of Waverly, MO, my current location. I was told by a person in town that the storm tore up the public park to the south of town. It missed the town proper which is good because there's not much in this little hamlet.
Most of the drunks left the Lexington Landing last night by 6:00 p.m. but there was still quite a bit of traffic until around 11:00 p.m. with the locals coming and going. I thought things were done when the last of them pulled out but then a new crew came in and fished until after midnight. It's always fun hearing parents yell "I'm gonna whip your ass" over and over to a young four year old that's tired and cranky and should have been home in bed hours before. Like I said, it was a whole different jive happening along the river on the weekend.
This morning dawned warm and sunny. The overnight low was 62 degrees, a full 20 degrees warmer than my Nebraska camping just a week ago. I think spring is nearly over in this area and summer is soon to be in full force. As I mentioned yesterday, if you have a canoe and you're at a landing you're sure to get lots of questions from the locals. It was 8:30 a.m. and I was putting the finishing touches on packing my dry bags when a chap came up to talk to me. He has lived in Lexington his entire life and he proudly told me all about the Civil War history of the town, the riverboat history, and a lengthy description of the 1993 Flood. I've been hearing about that one a lot as I've come down river. It must have been a sight to behold.
By the time he finished chewing my ear off it was 9:15 a.m. when I got on the river. I didn't mind as I knew I had a very short day and I'd be to my destination shortly after noon. As I floated down river I officially passed the 250 miles traveled mark, the 50% trip completed mark, and "only" 300 miles left until St. Louis mark. A pretty good set of numbers!
I'm now in Waverly, MO, and it's a pretty sweet little river town. They have the best city campground that I've encountered since leaving Nebraska. There's water, electricity, and even a flush toilet here. I chose a site up high in the park that overlooks the railroad and the river. I figure that if I'm going to have trains keeping me away all night that I should have a great view to go with it.
Today is the first time I've actually walked into one of the river towns. I was going to do so yesterday at Lexington and visit the Civil War site but I was afraid my equipment would be gone when I returned. The atmosphere in Waverly is completely opposite of what I experienced in Lexington. It's a lazy little town on a glacial moraine overlooking the river that's seen its busiest days decades ago. After I set up camp and cabled my canoe to a tree I walked up to the old commercial district. Only the post office, a bank, the funeral home, and town hall are there now. The old highway that ran through town was moved south so all the traffic bypasses the old business center. I stopped in at the post office and asked directions to the hardware store; "there isn't one. General store? Nope, don't have one of those anymore. How about an auto parts store? Yes, we do have one of those. Just head east on this street the road swings to the right then you'll see it along the new highway." Fifteen minutes later I was in possession of a can of silicone lubricant (the Missouri river water is gunking up my rudder and keeping it from dropping like it should when I launch the canoe). Unfortunately, the watch that I broke today portaging the canoe to my campsite couldn't be replaced, at least not in this town.
As I was headed back to the river front park and my campsite when an elderly couple sitting on their front porch started conversing with me about their lives, the river, and the declining town. All in all, it was one of those kinds of days that I was hoping for and one I wish would occur more frequently. Unfortunately, with all the flooding over the last 20 years many of these towns have retreated from the river. That and the changing shopping habits of the citizens means that people now head to where the local Walmart is located, usually about 20 miles away, and shop there. I doubt any of these little burgs will ever come back to what they used to be. The old couple told me the status of the towns I'll come across in the next few days. It sounds like they're not doing much better than Waverly, MO.
Oh well, time to make dinner and maybe enjoy a sponge bath (the bathroom here has a sink and running water!). There's a private camp (Cooper's Landing) that I'll stop at in four days that has hot showers and a laundry facility. I guess Waverly is about the best accommodations I'll have until then.
I'm not sure if I've mentioned it but I feel like I'm in a bad episode of King of the Hill. Every person I've encountered in the last two days mumbles like Boomhauer on that show. It must be Missouri River thing but it really cracks me up!
Sent from Jerry Bricker's iPad. Oooooh!
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