My uncle Brad drove up with his cousin (my first cousin once removed—I looked it up) Jon Clark and while I portaged my boat below Coons Rapids Dam, Brad helped portage some of my bags. Jon brought his hobie kayak (it’s propelled with pedals, though you can also use a paddle if you like). We geared up and set off down the river. The only other long paddle I have ever experienced was when I was 8 years old and Jon’s family (whose children are only slightly older than my sister and I), my family, and Brad and Jenny all went on a canoe trip in the boundary waters of the St. Croix River. Of course, at 8 years old, the adults did most of the paddling, setting up camp, and cooking while the kids paddled when we wanted to, and played cards in camp. It was lovely catching up with Jon and learning about his kids as adults. We passed under several bridges, in various states of repair and disrepair (the I-35W Mississippi River bridge failed in 2007). We encountered the first real industry I’ve seen. I really enjoyed watching the enormous cranes work at the scrap metal recycling facility, though I was also pleased to move past it and not have to breath in the rusty dust.
I was keenly aware that in the space between Coons Rapids Dam and St. Anthony’s Dam, I saw more plastic waste than I’ve seen the entire trip so far. It was astonishing and I had to accept that this trip can’t be about plucking everything out of the river, but just doing my best in camp, and when I happen to float right past something easy to fish out. It’s sad.
Once we arrived in town, we were met by my aunt Jenny and their dog Miles, Jon’s wife Donna, and their grandchildren (my 2nd cousins once removed) Eleanor (7?) and Louis (9). We all enjoyed a delicious picnic of sandwiches on the bank as we watched some coast guard firemen run a drill with their bright red motor boat. Eleanor stared at me the way kids stare at me when I’m in full costume (for dance/contortion) with long fake eyelashes and lots of sparkles. It’s like she was trying to figure out what would be different about someone who was doing something like I’m doing. We totally connected when I asked what she was reading and she told me she was into Ramona Quimby. J
After loading my kayak up, we had a nice drive to Brad and Jenny’s where I did some online banking and took a shower. I’m averaging 1 shower every 6 days. Then we picked Jon up again and headed over to Alyce Louise’s house in St. Paul where she hosted a cookout for me and some other paddlers, Justin Staker, Dave Blomquist and Linnea Goderstad. I was in absolute chill-and-enjoy mode; water with ice, lime-flavored tortilla chips, veggie burger, cozy couch to sit on, interesting people to talk with… Ahhh!! At one point, the other paddlers circled up around me and decided it was time to convince me to take the Atchafalaya River at the end instead of the over-engineered and terribly industrial “Cancer Alley” version of the Mississippi between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. “It’s where the Mississippi wants to go; it’s beautiful bayou, and it’s a rich cultural experience. And it goes to the gulf, so you can still go source to sea that way.” Sold. What a great group of people!
When we got home, I opened a bunch of packages that had been sent to me.
Thank you Mike for my replacement paddle gloves!
Thank you Cari for my bug repellent!
Thank you Ben for my soylent, stove, upgraded first aid kit, and visibility vest!
I started working on uploading some blog posts and re-organizing all the bags and food that I had left at Brad’s from which to reprovision…and promptly decided going to sleep was a better idea.
I was keenly aware that in the space between Coons Rapids Dam and St. Anthony’s Dam, I saw more plastic waste than I’ve seen the entire trip so far. It was astonishing and I had to accept that this trip can’t be about plucking everything out of the river, but just doing my best in camp, and when I happen to float right past something easy to fish out. It’s sad.
Once we arrived in town, we were met by my aunt Jenny and their dog Miles, Jon’s wife Donna, and their grandchildren (my 2nd cousins once removed) Eleanor (7?) and Louis (9). We all enjoyed a delicious picnic of sandwiches on the bank as we watched some coast guard firemen run a drill with their bright red motor boat. Eleanor stared at me the way kids stare at me when I’m in full costume (for dance/contortion) with long fake eyelashes and lots of sparkles. It’s like she was trying to figure out what would be different about someone who was doing something like I’m doing. We totally connected when I asked what she was reading and she told me she was into Ramona Quimby. J
After loading my kayak up, we had a nice drive to Brad and Jenny’s where I did some online banking and took a shower. I’m averaging 1 shower every 6 days. Then we picked Jon up again and headed over to Alyce Louise’s house in St. Paul where she hosted a cookout for me and some other paddlers, Justin Staker, Dave Blomquist and Linnea Goderstad. I was in absolute chill-and-enjoy mode; water with ice, lime-flavored tortilla chips, veggie burger, cozy couch to sit on, interesting people to talk with… Ahhh!! At one point, the other paddlers circled up around me and decided it was time to convince me to take the Atchafalaya River at the end instead of the over-engineered and terribly industrial “Cancer Alley” version of the Mississippi between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. “It’s where the Mississippi wants to go; it’s beautiful bayou, and it’s a rich cultural experience. And it goes to the gulf, so you can still go source to sea that way.” Sold. What a great group of people!
When we got home, I opened a bunch of packages that had been sent to me.
Thank you Mike for my replacement paddle gloves!
Thank you Cari for my bug repellent!
Thank you Ben for my soylent, stove, upgraded first aid kit, and visibility vest!
I started working on uploading some blog posts and re-organizing all the bags and food that I had left at Brad’s from which to reprovision…and promptly decided going to sleep was a better idea.
 Jon and I passed under as the train began moving on this rusty bridge. |  A good view of Minneapolis' skyline |
More trash seen today than in the past month.
Alyce's beautiful Loon and Heron, tattoo tributes to her Mississippi river trip last year.
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