Deer flies were bad on the water today
Today was the 2nd day in a row that I skipped my planned campsite and went straight on to the next. Last week, when my deltoids stopped working, another muscle group would work until failure, and so on until paddling felt like I was just stirring soup with a spoon and nothing more. Today, when my deltoids felt tired, I felt a strong lower back kicking in, I felt alternate postures and handle-grips working their magic. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still super sore and should probably not push it too hard over the next few days, but I do feel like I’m getting better at this!
Leaving Crazy James’ campsite, I felt like it was my duty to record the spot (on instagram) since I would normally think it was quite beautiful. I did my best, but the mosquitos were thick, and so was the poison ivy. I was trying to get out of there as fast as possible. Along the river today, I continued listening to Harry Potter and the methods of Rationality—it’s a good keep-paddling-method, listening to a story. I saw more than 10 bald eagles, and an otter bouncing on a sand bar, and a bunch more rodents (can’t ever tell if they’re otter, beaver, or muskrats) swimming. The kingfisher are not enormous anymore, but they’re still plentiful. Goldfinch have started making an appearance, and at night I hear bullfrogs (I think not native?) in addition to the greenfrogs (which sound like knocks on wood).
Leaving Crazy James’ campsite, I felt like it was my duty to record the spot (on instagram) since I would normally think it was quite beautiful. I did my best, but the mosquitos were thick, and so was the poison ivy. I was trying to get out of there as fast as possible. Along the river today, I continued listening to Harry Potter and the methods of Rationality—it’s a good keep-paddling-method, listening to a story. I saw more than 10 bald eagles, and an otter bouncing on a sand bar, and a bunch more rodents (can’t ever tell if they’re otter, beaver, or muskrats) swimming. The kingfisher are not enormous anymore, but they’re still plentiful. Goldfinch have started making an appearance, and at night I hear bullfrogs (I think not native?) in addition to the greenfrogs (which sound like knocks on wood).
Handiwork by George Hawkins At one point, I paddled by a homestead, marked by hand-hewn fences, and out popped a man, who seemed to have a 6th sense for paddlers coming through (I usually sneak up on wildlife! But he was immediately out to greet me). It was George Hawkins, one of the Mississippi River Paddlers river angels, and he offered me a new handle to make portaging easier (yay!), some peanut butter and dehydrated eggs (to make up for the nuts and eggs that Mama Raccoon stole yesterday), and some of his gorgeous beaded handiwork! He's of native descent (Leech Lake band of Ojibiwe, bear clan, eagle spirit) and works with super tiny beads and his own designs. He lost his daughter in an accident earlier this year, and I think I reminded him of her a little bit, at least in adventuresome spirit. I will think of him and his daughter fondly every time I wear the earrings. He was so encouraging. “You’re doing great. There are people who gave up on this journey before here. You just stay healthy and keep those bug bites and poison ivy under control and you’ll be okay. I think one man stopped not far from here because he said his legs looked like tapioca. You gotta dry the poison ivy out, and keep from scratching the bug bites. You’ll be fine.” The earrings are made in the image of James Earle Fraser's "End of the Trail" sculpture, which depicts a Native American on horseback, returning from battle. It is meant to represent the strength of the Native, their spirituality, their medicine as they transformed, proudly, into the next century. George suggested that he meant it for me as encouragement that I would definitely reach the "end of the trail," and that I had his blessing. In his words, "it stands for 'never give up.' The horse and rider are dead tired and still stand to fight." I asked how long he had lived there on the river, and he said, “6 generations”! It's the ancestral land of one of the seven native sisters who made a bluster and were granted the land by the POTUS at the time.
The pendant is for sale, if you're interested, let me know and I'll put you in touch with George!
I interviewed George, and it turns out in 4th grade, he and some classmates were the kids that came up with “Give a hoot, don’t pollute”!! I think that’s so cool! He’s my hero, and I met him! (interview coming soon) I enjoyed chatting with him on the river bank a while longer. He set me up with some pool noodle as paddle grips for my aching hands (a wider grip to relax my arthritic hands), and I was off.
The deer flies were really bad on the water today, so I wore my head net during the 2nd half of the day. I paddled on all the way to Schoolcraft State Park, just past Deer River where I arrived just before 10pm. I had just barely enough light to set up my tent, and then it was dark. The humming mosquitos swarming outside my tent lulled me to sleep.
George Hawkins, super generous and interesting!
I find that if I hold the grips with the thumb half of my hand, I have a much relaxed hold, while not losing any power or grip.
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