Day 27: 9/26/06

On Tuesday there was a feature article on our trip and our cause in the Rochester Post-Bulletin. Also, Wednesday's Winona Daily News had an article on us. Make sure to check out the articles (We don't yet have links to them) and our trip homepage for information about our cause. The hompage can be found at www.brothersfortheriver.org Thanks for your interest! More updates to come soon!

Day 26: 9/25/06

Our father enjoyed a helf-day paddle with us where we left off in Wabasha, MN. His Current Designs Pachina kayak was fast! We paddled through Alma, where a dam and power plant are located. This is the first part of the trip where we noticed a slight color change in the trees covering the hillsides. This is one nice thing about being behind schedule!
We met up with a former coworker of Ben's in Minneiska, who resupplied us on the riverside. Thanks Kenny!

Rest Weekend: 9/21-9/24/06

Yesterday, we arrived at Slippery's Restaraunt in Wabasha, MN for pickup by our support crew. Wabasha and Slippery's pride themselves in appearing in the Grumpy Old Men movies. What they SHOULD pride themselves in having is being the home to the National Eagle Center, which will soon have a brand new facility.

Our extended weekend allowed Ben to make it to a wedding (not his) in Duluth (pic), while Joe hung with friends and cousins (pic) in Winona. In addition to resting, we each made aconcerted effort to gain back the 5-10 punds we each had lost. Success is sweet.

Day 25: 9/20/06

At Hok-Si-La Municipal Park north of Lake City, we enjoyed a good night sleep. We slept well not because we battled waves on Pepin the day before, but because we were HIBERNATING! The temps got again in the mid-30s, and there was frost 10 miles north of us. Hok-Si-La is a perfect stop for paddlers and cyclists along the Mississippi. It offers a friendly and knowledgeable staff, hot showers, beach, campground, breathtaking views of the river. Apparently, it is also perfect for watching the fall migration as we were swarmed while departing by a flock of 400-500 pelicans! It has become blatantly obvious to us over the course of the last few weeks how important of a flyway this is for waterfowl. Approximately 40% of migratory waterfowl and shorebirds use the Mississippi Valley as their road to and from their winter homes. If you haven't already, please read about (and donate to!) the Audubon Society's Mississippi River-Headwater's to Gulf Campaign. They have clear goals and a feasible plan to achieve them. Let's make sure the river is a success story for not just the human species!

Joe looks bewildered as he takes in the mammoth pool that is Lake Pepin. And miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep.

Day 24: 9/19/06

Near Trenton, WI a dredging barge passes us going upriver. Barges like this one pump sediment off the river bottom to maintain the 9-foot channel that commercial boats use. This changes the makeup of the natural river bottom, but we do enjoy the benefits of camping on islands made of dredged sand.

Joe and Ben take a break in Red Wing, MN. This river town is known for its pottery industry and historic downtown next to the river. At far left in this pic, you can see Barn Bluff, a conspicuous cliff on the Red Wing horizon. Both we and Henry David Thoreau have climbed it as a tourists and it offers a spectacular view of the river valley below. After listening to today’s weather report, we knew that we’d have a favorable wind as we approached Lake Pepin, so we decided to keep Joe’s tent fly handy. Ben sets up the fly as a makeshift sail prior to entering Pepin. He actually had to lean back to counterbalance the 20-30mph wind out of the northwest. We clocked ourselves moving between 8-9mph…Okay, so maybe that doesn’t seem very fast, but for a couple of guys traveling at 4-5mph the last three weeks, we felt like NASCAR drivers. (Sailing was much more fun than we imagine NASCAR driving to be.)

Day 23: 9/18/06

We were so happy to paddle around the corner of an island between St. Paul and Hastings and find the S.S. Minnow. Unfortunately, Gilligan and the Skipper were nowhere to be found. A number of "shipwrecks" like this one littered the riverbank just south of St. Paul. Tis a shame.
Passing through Hastings, MN we encountered rain, but it had mostly cleared up by the time we had reached Prescott, WI, home of a fellow Mississippi River traveler. Directly upriver from Prescott, the St. Croix River enters the Mississippi. We witnessed an interesting sight at the confluence. A "seam" forms between the rivers, with a very noticeable difference in water color. Hopefully in the picture you can distinguish the dark, clear water of the St. Croix from the murky, light brown of the Mississippi. The color difference is due to where the respective rivers originate. The Mississippi/Minnesota river system flows through many urban and agricultural areas (with lots of sediment runoff) while the St. Croix comes from the northern forests (with relatively little runoff). Another stark reminder of what we've done to the river and how we can improve our ways! Friends Nelson and Tracy visited us at our campsite and drove us out to get a warm meal. We camped this night on the shore between the Prairie Island Nuclear Power Plant and Treasure Island Casino. Who could ask for anything more?

Day 22: 9/17/06

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Our Saturday of rest became a memory on Sunday morning. We had to shake off the dust and get those joints moving again. However, before we set sail from the U of MN's Coffman Union for St. Paul and beyond, we need to give props to our Tia Luisa, Uncle Tom, and Cuz' Kathryn for picking us up at the river's edge, opening their home to us, feeding us way too well, and of course being tons of fun. It was a restful and enjoyable weekend! Thanks so much for the recharge!
Urban sights spotted the shoreline through Minneapolis and St. Paul. Here another storm sewer network drains to the Mississippi. In the Twin Cities, volunteers with Friends of the Mississippi River have done a great job of stenciling sewer drains with the river or stream that the sewer drains to. Find out how you can do this in your neighborhood!
A medium-size paddle boat passes us on our way past Fort Snelling State Park. Minneapolis and St. Paul have done a great job of maintaining a fairly natural shoreline for such a populated area. Bike and walking trails line each bank. We just came across a plan to make a network of trails and roads for bicycle traffic along the entire Mississippi River. The project is called the Mississippi River Trail. Maybe that will be our next adventure, if we know how to use our legs when we're done with this one...

Day 21: 9/16/06

Finally, a full rest day. Our excuse? There is no way we could have passed through the Twin Cities without taking time out to hang out with family and friends. They NEVER would have forgiven us. (Really, our bodies NEEDED a break)Our parents made the trip from Winona to the Twin Cities, so we were able to celebrate their birthdays with them.

We also took this opportunity to check in on the beard-growing competition. Joe thought he had won, but then our dad was a late entry. Ben won the best Magnum P.I. mustache-growing competition.
Although zonked from 500-plus miles paddled, we enjoy a few adult beverages on a patio with friends and family. We quickly find out that although our muscles have gotten bigger, our tolerance of alcohol has not. One pint of beer makes us sleepy.

Day 20: 9/15/06

Today, Minneapolis rose on the horizon. We are definitely feeling sweet/sour about leaving the infant Mississippi and entering the "Old Man River" Mississippi. There won't be nearly as diverse wildlife from here on, though we'll leave those pesky rapids behind too.














No, this isn't a crafty plug for any particular product...Ben is simply ecstatic to reenter civilization...and possibly enjoy a cold pint of a particular product.










Joe might be a little too excited to enter the first lock of the trip, just above Upper St. Anthony Falls. Before entering the lock, you pull a cord that signals your arrival to the lockmaster. They were very friendly at this lock and we only had to wait 15 minutes for the chamber to be filled. This lock has the biggest drop (49 feet!) of any lock and dam on the river. We were shocked to learn that it alone accounts for 10% of the elevation change between the Twin Cities and St. Louis!

After being lowered to the level of the river below the lock and dam, the gates open and we are free to go. We were surprised to find complete strangers standing on the Stone Arch Bridge taking pictures and cheering on the lone craft in the lock. How many of YOUR tax dollars were spent simply allowing our 18 foot canoe to pass?






Joe's mad scientist friends from the U of MN's CIDMTR lower down a care package from the Washington Avenue Bridge in Minneapolis. The package made it into the boat using the paddle-reach method. Thanks for the support you guys! Excellent choice in treats Sunny! Thanks a ton!

Day 19: 9/14/06

At the Dimmick Island campsite, Ben found a baby Softshell Turtle swimming near the canoe. We saw many of these on rocks right after the Champion Dam north of St. Cloud. They can grow to over a foot in diameter.

A large amount of sediment is added to the river through storm sewers. Here you can see the build up of sediment after the drain. What we put on our lawns and drains goes to the river!

Ben's buddy Chae came to get us and give us shelter for the evening. Chae has been on many canoe journeys with us to the Boundary Waters and wishes he could tag along. Thanks for the support bro!

Day 18: 9/13/06

At the same Clearwater landing that we were picked up from the night before, we prepare ourselves for departure. There is no river skipping on this journey.












Here we passed the Monticello nuclear power plant. The cooling towers are behind Joe and the water used to do the cooling runs off back into the river on the left side of the pic. Thermal pollution is a term given to this event, since the water from the plant tends to be fairly warmer than the natural river water.


A daring Garter Snake crossed our bow as we were traveling on a rather calm section of the river. It was only about ten inches long, so we both thought some large fish would come along and gobble him up, but he made it to the other side without any trouble.

Day 17: 9/12/06

Today was our most difficult day on the river so far. We fought with rapids, wind, and two lengthy portages. In Sauk Rapids we were greeted with some class III rapids. We've found that although nerve-wracking, rapids are a blast!

Although the rapids are a blast for us our canoe disagrees as you can tell. Being a drought year it makes it even harder for us to avoid getting hung up on rocks and riffles. We have had to get out and drag our canoe numerous times starting just south of Bemidji all the way to the outer suburbs of the Twin Cities. We shouldn't have any problems once larger tributaries like the Minnesota and St. Croix Rivers join the Mississippi.
We reached Clearwater, MN that afternoon greeted by our loving Aunt Joan and Uncle Randy. They took us away and spoiled us with meals, showers, and beds.

Day 16: 9/11/06

Today, we travelled past Little Falls to Charles A. Lindbergh State Park.

On our trip, we wear only the newest in sports apparell. At left, Ben and Joe model the new "Mud Jordan's" by Nike. They offer a cushioned fit because of a layer of mud between the sole and the ground. They're Real Cheap.






This night, we faced a light drizzle and so we decided to take shelter under a nearby bridge. Ben cooks up dinner hobo-style with the bridge overhead. It's a wonder how good instant mashed potatoes taste when you've paddled all day and are freezing cold.

Day 15: 9/10/06

Signs, signs, everwhere signs. Today we went by a dam and found this sign scary and amusing...but mostly amusing. Apparently if you fall into the water below a dam, not only do you stay underwater, you do cartwheels WHILE underwater. I doubt I could do a cartwheel, even with the help of an undercurrent.

We decided to heed the warning anyway and stay in our canoes at all times.













Our travels today took us through the Camp Ripley Military Reservation. We heard loud booms the night before while camping at Crow Wing State Park. Nothing like a little high-power explosive to break the still of an evening in the wilderness.

Day14: 9/9/06

Our savior Rachael picks us up and whisks us away to our "campsite". Our "campsite" has Wi-Fi and a hot shower. We didn't have enough time to visit Brainerd's Paul Bunyanland Amusement Park, so we settled for photos at Paul Bunyan Bowl. Yes, Babe is chewing on bowling pins.














Cousins in Brainerd meet us on the banks of the river with words of encouragement and a care package. Thanks Amy and Patrick!

Day 13: 9/8/06

We woke up this morning with the temp outside down to the upper 30s. Ben becomes sleeping bag-mummified overnight.

At this rate, we'll be waking up with frost covering our tents instead of dew. We decide we must paddle faster.













Coming around a bend in the river leading up to Brainerd, MN we discovered a new species of wild feline. We're tentatively calling it the "Prairie Lion", but we're waiting for a field biologist to confirm our discovery.

Day 12: 9/7/06

This morning we awoke early for another long day. Before taking off, we thought we'd take a couple pictures with our favorite flat travelling companions who were a gift from our mother's 4th grade class. Flat Stanley (top) has been hiding out in Joe's luggage while Flat Madison (middle) has been a stowaway with Ben. They definitely look a little more awake than Ben and I do.



























Before we left our campsite, our new friend, Charlie snuck over to our campsite with batter-fried Northern Pike that he had kept in his cooler for us overnight. At bottom, Joe enjoys some of the fish during a morning snack break. It's funny what tastes good when you're exhausted. Protein....mmm...mmm

Day 11: 9/6/06

We paddled our little hearts out today, covering 31 miles in the hot sun. This section of river, between Palisade and Aitkin, MN is characterized by high, sandy banks, pastureland, and lots of wildlife. On top, a Leopard Frog basks in the morning sun.










We've been seeing tons of bald eagles, osprey, kingfishers, and wading birds. These shorebirds (Dad a little help?) weren't shy, dancing around as we floated by.










Not only did animals frequent the river's banks, trash found its way there as well. We've seen old pontoon boats, junker cars, and just about anything else you can imagine. This far north and people already littering?! Whatsupwiththat?!

At the campground in Aitkin, we were helped out of the water by Charlie and Pete, a couple guys from Clinton, IA who were up fishing for a while. We were surprised and humbled to hear that Charlie had taken the same river trip we were on. Twice. He had canoed it once and kayaked it a few years later. He kept us up later than normal with stories of his adventure. Maybe we'd run into him again in Iowa. Lots of friendly souls so far on this trip...