Chris and Phil at Silver Maple campground
I paddled 10 miles each day. From Bear Den Landing to Iron Bridge Campsite, I was paddling through more marshland. Still lots of redwing blackbirds. Also, merganser, coot, a trumpter swan (! it was huge and beautiful! Its enormous body only gained lift when it paddled its big awkward black feet across the water. It had a red head--must have been digging in the mud), a bald eagle that flew really close to my kayak, enormous kingfishers, and more turtles than before.
When I arrived at Iron Bridge campsite, I was delighted with the gorgeous site. I spread out and enjoyed arriving before the mosquitos came out (they're worst between 7pm and 11pm). Then I heard a cheer! I looked out and two men in a canoe rounded the corner. They had missed their destination campsite and went from a 17 mile day to a 26.5 mile day! Chris and Phil, retired schoolteachers and extraordinary explorers in their own right, set up camp and we enjoyed sharing stories and jokes. Cheerful and laid back, I was glad for their company.
The next day involved a section of log jams that Phil really enjoyed--I think I would have enjoyed it more had I put my mosquito head net on earlier. The mosquitos were rampant and I was getting bitten like crazy. When I arrived to Silver Maple camp, C & P cheerily welcomed me, and I set up my tent and collapsed for a good nap. It was supposed to rain, but even though it didn't until much later, we stayed in our respective tents because the mosquitos were so terrible. As I ate my dinner of peanut butter and honey wrap, Chris swatted biting bugs off me. They shared the spoils of all their camping gear they had leftover and didn't want to travel home with (score!) and in the morning, they left before I woke up.
Plastic wise, all I've seen (unable to retrieve, unfortunately) was a piece of styrofoam about 6 inches square, a pink something or other the size of a tennis ball, and some fishing line. Sadly, my plastic bin of mixed nuts which was affixed to the deck of my kayak, was dislodged by some of the branches along the way, and so I have inadvertantly added to the plastic waste :( Lesson learned.
When I arrived at Iron Bridge campsite, I was delighted with the gorgeous site. I spread out and enjoyed arriving before the mosquitos came out (they're worst between 7pm and 11pm). Then I heard a cheer! I looked out and two men in a canoe rounded the corner. They had missed their destination campsite and went from a 17 mile day to a 26.5 mile day! Chris and Phil, retired schoolteachers and extraordinary explorers in their own right, set up camp and we enjoyed sharing stories and jokes. Cheerful and laid back, I was glad for their company.
The next day involved a section of log jams that Phil really enjoyed--I think I would have enjoyed it more had I put my mosquito head net on earlier. The mosquitos were rampant and I was getting bitten like crazy. When I arrived to Silver Maple camp, C & P cheerily welcomed me, and I set up my tent and collapsed for a good nap. It was supposed to rain, but even though it didn't until much later, we stayed in our respective tents because the mosquitos were so terrible. As I ate my dinner of peanut butter and honey wrap, Chris swatted biting bugs off me. They shared the spoils of all their camping gear they had leftover and didn't want to travel home with (score!) and in the morning, they left before I woke up.
Plastic wise, all I've seen (unable to retrieve, unfortunately) was a piece of styrofoam about 6 inches square, a pink something or other the size of a tennis ball, and some fishing line. Sadly, my plastic bin of mixed nuts which was affixed to the deck of my kayak, was dislodged by some of the branches along the way, and so I have inadvertantly added to the plastic waste :( Lesson learned.
Beaver tracks everywhere!
Sand flies covering my feet. ITCHY
Lovely view
View upstream of the Mississippi River and my kayak. Hennepin Creek to the left.
Downstream river behind me in the left of the picture. Directly behind me is Hennepin Creek, and you can see Spirit, my kayak down at the bottom of the hill
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