http://charitytravelers.com/

I can’t believe five years have already passed since we first dipped our paddles into the Mississippi River on May 15, 2005. 73 days and 2,200 miles later, we finally reached the Gulf. Even after a year of planning, we really had no idea what exactly we were getting [...]]]>

First strokes on the Mississippi River

I can’t believe five years have already passed since we first dipped our paddles into the Mississippi River on May 15, 2005. 73 days and 2,200 miles later, we finally reached the Gulf. Even after a year of planning, we really had no idea what exactly we were getting into. On something like that, I just don’t think you can know until you get out there and start DOING.

Fun fact: Jess and I had never paddled in the same canoe before that trip. Never. We realized that about 200 yards downstream from the start!

I’m sure I’m not the only person  glued to the internet watching the disaster unfold as a result of the BP Oil explosion. Fishing and shrimping has shut down, and prime habitat and wildlife areas are facing untold threats. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the workers killed in the accident [...]]]>

Sweetwater Bay, Louisiana

I’m sure I’m not the only person  glued to the internet watching the disaster unfold as a result of the BP Oil explosion. Fishing and shrimping has shut down, and prime habitat and wildlife areas are facing untold threats. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the workers killed in the accident and all others affected by this mess. The financial, human, and environmental cost of this are going to be enormous. I hope new regulations will be put in place AND enforced to reduce the likelihood of this happening again.

The Audubon Action Center has responded to this threat by coordinating volunteers, monitoring wetlands, and organizing cleanups. They need your help, and no matter where you’re located you have a chance to be involved in this effort.  The Gulf of Mexico is a tremendous resource that affects all of us, and this is just the beginning of the long-term effort. Please visit their site and do what you can.

Track the Oil Spill Here.

Thanks,

-John

-JP

July 25, 2005

Mile 2,140

Atchafalaya River Fisherman

Today was rough. In order to make some big miles before dark, we stumbled out of the tent and were on the river by 4:30 a.m. From what [...]]]> Note: I actually got off my butt and dusted off my Mississippi River book manuscript today for some long-ignored editing. Enjoy

-JP

July 25, 2005

Mile 2,140

Atchafalaya River Fisherman

Today was rough. In order to make some big miles before dark, we stumbled out of the tent and were on the river by 4:30 a.m. From what we can tell from the weather radio, Hurricane Emily is blowing out to Mexico but we have no idea what’s behind her. It’d be nice to have better weather information, but we have what we have.

A sharp chill was in the air when we pushed off this morning. Sunrise wasn’t due for another hour, so Jess bundled up and slept in the bow while I paddled in the stern. Usually I just see the back of her head all day while we’re rambling on about one thing or another, but this morning not a word was spoken once we shoved off. There’s very little development down this way, and it’s very relaxing having the river to ourselves.

The afternoons have been scorching, but I guess it’d be too much to ask for an early frost this time of year. Getting off the water at 2 p.m. is frustrating because we want to keep paddling, but it’s so hot you feel like you’re going to burst into flames if you’re not careful. A dull haze covers everything by the middle of the day, and neither man nor and beast comes out until it cools off some.

We covered about fifty-five miles today and should be in good shape to reach Morgan City tomorrow afternoon. We’ll need to firm up arrangements with our ride home, then it’ll be time to head out towards the Gulf. To be honest, I’m having a hard time getting my head around the idea that we’re almost finished. No matter where we end up, the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers will always be a part of us. Watching a little creek grow into this astounding river has been amazing. What an incredible journey, and I’m blessed to have shared this with Jess.

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A friend of mine sent me this link to the Down the Mississippi article series from the Telegraph (UK.)  Great stuff in this series, and plenty of stuff to chew on.  The photos and videos brought back alot of memories of our trip down the river in 2005.

The writer, Toby Harnden, is on Twitter as [...]]]>

A friend of mine sent me this link to the Down the Mississippi article series from the Telegraph (UK.)  Great stuff in this series, and plenty of stuff to chew on.  The photos and videos brought back alot of memories of our trip down the river in 2005.

The writer, Toby Harnden, is on Twitter as well. It’s amazing how quick information can get out in the world these days. I’ll be posting some of the social tools that I’ve been playing with lately next week. Make sure to subscribe to our updates so you’ll stay in the know about our social media tools for traveling. The world is getting smaller, one tweet at a time.

Here’s a small list of Mississippi River Conservation and Recreation groups you might want to check out. There’s plenty more out there, and feel free to contact me with their info so I can add them as well.

Here’s a small list of Mississippi River Conservation and Recreation groups you might want to check out. There’s plenty more out there, and feel free to contact me with their info so I can add them as well.

Audubon Society Upper Mississippi River Campaign

Audubon Society Headwaters to Gulf Campaign 

Living Lands and Waters

The Smallmouth Alliance

www.smallmouth.org/NationalMissR.html

The Mississippi River Parkway Commission

www.mississippiriverinfo.com

Friends of the Mississippi River

www.fmr.org

National Park Service Mississippi National River and Recreation Area

www.nps.gov/miss/home.htm

Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee

www.mississippi-river.com/umrcc/

Mississippi Headwaters Board

www.mhbriverwatch.dst.mn.us

Center for Global Environmental Education, Hamline University

http://cgee.hamline.edu/rivers/Resources/river_profiles/mississippi.html

GORP – Mississippi National River and Recreation Area

http://gorp.away.com/gorp/resource/us_nra/mn_missi.htm

National Park Trust, Mississippi National River and Recreation Area

www.parktrust.org/projects/mnrra

National Park Foundation, The Mississippi River Fund

www.missriverfund.org

The Lower Mississippi River Conservation Committee

http://www.lmrcc.org/

Mississippi River Trail

www.mississippirivertrail.org

Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

http://www.fws.gov/midwest/UpperMississippiRiver/

Wisconsin Great River Road

www.wigreatriverroad.org

Mississippi Great River Road

http://www.greatriver.com/

Clean Water Network

http://www.cwn.org/homepage.htm

Friends of the Upper Mississippi Refuges

http://www.friendsofuppermiss.org/

Mississippi River Basin Alliance

http://www.mrba.org/

River Network

http://www.rivernetwork.org/

Upper Mississippi Basin Stakeholder Network

http://www.umbsn.org/

American Rivers

http://www.americanrivers.org

Mississippi Valley Partners

http://www.mississippi-river.org/

Here are a list of webcams for the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. Everyone need a little river fix once in awhile!

Mississippi River Webcams

Missouri River Webcams

This is one of my favorite photos of the trip. It was taken 60 days into the journey, somewhere in between Memphis and Vicksburg, on July 14, 2005. The weather was scorching, we were getting worn down, and we’d just taken a few days off to dodge Hurricane Dennis. By this point, we still had [...]]]>

This is one of my favorite photos of the trip. It was taken 60 days into the journey, somewhere in between Memphis and Vicksburg, on July 14, 2005. The weather was scorching, we were getting worn down, and we’d just taken a few days off to dodge Hurricane Dennis. By this point, we still had 13 days left before we’d get to the Gulf of Mexico.

We were taking a break and I was just messing around taking some sand and mud photos. Turned around, and got a shot of Jess stretching out on the gunnels of the canoe. I love the waterline on the boat, and the haze in the air. It had to have been around 100 degrees or so.

In introducing his top 10, author Kenn Kaufman of Ohio, wrote: “Incongruous as [...]]]> No surprises here. The Mississippi River basin is an incredible ecosystem, with the river acting as a 2,300-mile superhighway for migratory species. The Upper Mississippi area was awash with eagles, herons, egrets, red-wing blackbirds when we started down the river in May, 2005.

In introducing his top 10, author Kenn Kaufman of Ohio, wrote: “Incongruous as it might seem, the center of the continent funnels millions of migrating birds, providing vital rest stops for weary shorebirds wading in its wetlands and for woodland species retiring where the prairies give way to forests.”

Audubon’s Great River Birding Trail is being set up to follow the Mississippi River, and will eventually have maps, trails, and other resources all the way from Lake Itasca to the Gulf of Mexico.

According to the National Park Service,  every agency has a different estimation. The sign post the beginning of the river in Lake Itasca State Park says 2, 552 miles. The U.S. Geologic Survey gives 2,300 miles. The EPA [...]]]> I’ve received a few emails about this recently, so here’s the deal. It depends on who you ask.

According to the National Park Service,  every agency has a different estimation. The sign post the beginning of the river in Lake Itasca State Park says 2, 552 miles. The U.S. Geologic Survey gives 2,300 miles. The EPA puts the length at 2,320 miles, and the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area gives its length at 2,350 miles.

So whomever you ask, it’s a long, long way down! We estimated that we paddled about 2.5 million strokes over the 73 days we were on the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers.

-June 5, 2005

Chances are I’m jumping in anytime there’s a good swimming hole around. Nothing else gets the blood moving like jumping into the water wearing nothing but your birthday suit. Yes, I’m a skinny dipping addict.

Last night I went swimming au naturale for the first time since we’ve been on [...]]]>

-June 5, 2005

Chances are I’m jumping in anytime there’s a good swimming hole around. Nothing else gets the blood moving like jumping into the water wearing nothing but your birthday suit. Yes, I’m a skinny dipping addict.

Last night I went swimming au naturale for the first time since we’ve been on the river. It’s just been too damn cold to think about swimming until just the last few days. Maybe not if you’re one of those folks that like Polar Bear Swims on New Year’s Day, but I’m kind of a wimp. It’s been a shame to skip these great swimming holes, but turning into a human icicle ain’t in my vision.

After we setting camp last night, I went for a stroll while Jess stayed back and wrote in her journal. While wandering around I found a cool trail to the river that unfortunately also cut through a healthy stand of stinging nettles.

I couldn’t help myself. Nettles or not I was going for a swim. At first, I tiptoed through and tried to steer clear of them. That was a pointless enterprise, and soon I just plowed through and hoped for the best.

Hope is not a plan. They don’t call them stinging nettles for nothing.

My arms and legs felt like they were on fire. There’s not much you can do about nettle stings beside grin and bear it until the pain subsides. I was doing more bearing than grinning.

Nearby there was a large tree that had fallen into the water. That was going to be my highway to the river. I took off my clothes and laid them on the trunk, being careful to avoid any more nettles in my now unguarded and quite vulnerable state. I’m sure Mom would be proud of her buck-naked son standing in the middle of a nettle patch.

I made my way to the fallen tree trunk and climbed on. I was halfway down when a huge snapping turtle slid off the tree trunk and flopped into the river. This wouldn’t be so bad except he splashed down right where I planned to get in. Not good.

My skin was burning red from the nettles as the mosquitoes turned me into an all-they-can-eat buffet. I had to make a decision and make it fast. Either hike back though the nettles and continue that slow torture or get in the water to rinse off.

I looked over where the snapper plopped in and saw nothing but dark water flowing through the branches. All I could think of was that thing waiting to take a chunk out of my hide.

“Surely he swam off.”

“He’s going to bite me in the nether-regions if I jump in.”

“This isn’t good.”

“No, it’s not.”

“John, you’re not the sharpest knife in the drawer are you?”

“Not really.”

I decided to just take my chances. The mosquitoes were feasting on me and I couldn’t just sit there like a human sacrifice. Mustering up whatever courage I had left, I shimmied down the tree making as much noise as I could. I took one last pitiful look at the shore then jumped in.

Man that water was cold! It felt like jumping into a big glass of sweet iced-tea. My chest felt like someone was sitting on it and I couldn’t catch my breath. Worst than anything was the thought of that turtle sizing me up for a snack.

I was feeling pretty skittish about the whole affair. Aside from possibly having appendages bitten off, I didn’t want to explain to Jess how much of a idiot I was for chasing a big turtle into the river. I doubt she’d be too surprised, but I really didn’t want to have that conversation.

I swam away from the hidden turtle and started to warm up. The mosquitoes were chewed on any part of me above water. I’d dive under to escape them only to think about the turtle waiting for me. I bet he’d already called a bunch of his turtle buddies to come over for dinner.

I decided I’d had enough of this torture. Turtle or not, I had to swim back and pull myself back up onto the tree trunk and get out of there. Once out of the water, the mosquitoes tore into me with a vengeance. I grabbed my clothes and made a frantic run for the tent. I jumped inside, just in front of a swarm of the flying beasties.

“How was the swim?”

“Oh, it was fine. Very relaxing.”

I sort of forgot to mention the turtle.

RSS

This is one of my favorite photos of our trip down the Mississippi River. We’d just finished packing the canoe and were getting ready to put in.  I was thinking “what in the hell have I gotten myself into?” It took us 73 days to paddle the 2,200 miles down to the Gulf of Mexico.

The [...]]]>

This is one of my favorite photos of our trip down the Mississippi River. We’d just finished packing the canoe and were getting ready to put in.  I was thinking “what in the hell have I gotten myself into?” It took us 73 days to paddle the 2,200 miles down to the Gulf of Mexico.

The Mississippi River begins just behind that little bridge behind me. It’s about 15′ across and a couple feet deep here.