Big news to report. But first some numbers and a response to Rich's questions.
Numbers
20 paddle days
1 rest day
2 Pearl Button capital of the world days
4 weather days
1 medical day (we didn't tell you... no need to worry)
1 Thanksgiving
1 breakfast of insanity
1 regional cross country meet
23 nights spent under a tent
8 nights spent under a roof
316 miles paddled (approximate due to unaccounted zigs and zags)
30 miles longest day
5 miles shortest day
Rock River
57 degrees average high (72 max)
35 degrees average low (22 min)
Mississippi River
41 degrees average high (66 max)
26 degrees average low (19 min)
(roof nights not included in temperature averages)
Rich's Question
Why am I doing this?
I'll go through some of Rich's possibilities:
Bored? Absolutely. As comforting as television and the internet have been to me, I don't quite feel alive when I'm watching (even a particularly good episode) Quincy MD. Or even Air Wolf for that matter. There is very little feeling (if at all) of fulfillment after spending hours of playing Bejeweled 2. But those two things (television and the internet) are the two easiest things to turn to when I'm bored. I needed to turn to something else. (Though I must admit, the Bejeweled 2/Dynomite playing did finance the majority of this trip.)
Crazy? This is probably like stringing together a bunch of straight centuries on a bicycle trip. At first it might seem crazy, but then you hop on a bicycle, go for a 25 mile ride and find a level of enjoyment. Then 50 miles. Then 75. And before you know it, you're pedaling 142 miles through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. But it's no longer crazy... it's fun.
Lonely? Yep. Though I don't know if setting out on a canoe trip with my dog is really quite the cure for that. The people I've gotten to meet are definitely some of the better moments of the trip. Heck, even the people I already knew have added to the enjoyment.
Have nothing better to do? I am in a good place to do something like this trip. Very little commitments. I felt I needed to take advantage of the situation. It was time for some selfishness. (The Summer of George.)
Always dreamed of this? Bingo. As a kid, I promised myself I would accomplish three things in life. One of those three was canoeing the whole Mississippi River. I realize that this trip isn't exactly that, but I thought it was a little more poetic to start from one place I consider home (Beloit) and canoe to another home (Houston). Plus starting at the headwaters on November 4 would not have worked.
But the always dreamed is probably the key point. I have a wonderful life and I was in a really good place surrounded by amazing friends, but the internal voices had been quietly asking to take care of my life's dreams. And then over the course of the last few years those voices have gotten a lot louder. This canoe trip was me listening.
Big News
I have decided to end this trip. It's nothing medical. I feel great physically and mentally though I am emotionally drained from ending just a few miles short (1300 or so) of the big goal.
Thanks for following. Thanks for supporting. Thanks for being.
(I'll write more on the stopping tomorrow.)
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Friday, December 3, 2010
Day 30 (Karl)
I promised myself I wasn't going to count paddle strokes. I haven't. I haven't even been tempted.
Today, however, I did some counting. Bald eagles.
I tried not to count duplicates. Meaning, if I saw a bald eagle and it flew down river and then .5 mile later, there was a bald eagle in a tree, I made the assumption it was the same one. Unless, of course, the initial bald eagle was an adult and the one down river was a juvenile (this happened a few times). The day started off with a consistent pace of bald eagle sightings. Ten miles into the day and I was already at 13 eagles. But then at Smoots Chute there were 5 eagles on the ground by the water's edge and another 7 in the tree above them. With the day ending, I was at 37, and I could hear Mike Donovan (and others) in Mr. Utz's class slurring their speech in pronouncing, "thirty-seven." But then I saw one more. So: 38.
Other bird news:
Mississippi becomes Missisquoi. I came around a bend and scattered 18 great blue herons.
Hurls drives from Beloit to Harvard. 11 turkeys.
A small group of Northern Shovelers brings the species count to 50.
[On a sidenote: In 2000 (perhaps 2001), Dana, then Redwine, looked at me and declared something along the lines of, "you're one of those bird people aren't you." I wasn't. I just enjoyed being outside. We couldn't grasp the notion of how bird people are, well, bird people. But now: yes Dana, I am one of them.]
Today's Coordinates
39 59.216 N 91 27.156 W
Today, however, I did some counting. Bald eagles.
I tried not to count duplicates. Meaning, if I saw a bald eagle and it flew down river and then .5 mile later, there was a bald eagle in a tree, I made the assumption it was the same one. Unless, of course, the initial bald eagle was an adult and the one down river was a juvenile (this happened a few times). The day started off with a consistent pace of bald eagle sightings. Ten miles into the day and I was already at 13 eagles. But then at Smoots Chute there were 5 eagles on the ground by the water's edge and another 7 in the tree above them. With the day ending, I was at 37, and I could hear Mike Donovan (and others) in Mr. Utz's class slurring their speech in pronouncing, "thirty-seven." But then I saw one more. So: 38.
Other bird news:
Mississippi becomes Missisquoi. I came around a bend and scattered 18 great blue herons.
Hurls drives from Beloit to Harvard. 11 turkeys.
A small group of Northern Shovelers brings the species count to 50.
[On a sidenote: In 2000 (perhaps 2001), Dana, then Redwine, looked at me and declared something along the lines of, "you're one of those bird people aren't you." I wasn't. I just enjoyed being outside. We couldn't grasp the notion of how bird people are, well, bird people. But now: yes Dana, I am one of them.]
Today's Coordinates
39 59.216 N 91 27.156 W
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Day 29 (Karl)
Perhaps you've heard: Minnesota's state bird really isn't the loon. There really are only two seasons in Wisconsin.
And you know what they say about the weather in Nauvoo, Illinois, if you don't like it, just wait 72 hours.
(And it shall pass.)
I must admit, holed up in a tent for three straight days watching the wind whip up waves gets weary. Letting the days go by with wavy water holding me down, well, you start asking yourself questions. Am I right? Am I wrong? My God, what have I done?
The cynical few might respond, "What did you expect? You left on November 4."
But today I was into the blue again. And thankfully the water was silent.
Though one hour into today's paddle brought a slight (~5 mph) headwind. On other days, such a small wind is hardly perceptible, but on the flowage, it's a mighty wind. Along with the decreased current that exists above the dams, today's first 11 miles took 4 hours.
But the effort was worth it. Two reasons:
Lock and Dam 19. The lockmaster along with the other workers were the friendliest I've encountered. Plus, I didn't have to wait for a tow to lock through. However, the process still took approximately one hour as they had to fill the lock up upon my arrival. Once full, I was allowed to enter and then the drop began. 35 feet. I'm not sure of the width, but the length of the lock is 1200 feet. As Owenby noted: they filled all of that up and then had to drain it. Just for you, Nico, and your stinking (17 foot) canoe. It was a nice moment.
My dad. With weather and temperature concerns, he decided to make the drive from Houston, Texas to Keokuk, Iowa to operate as a support vehicle (sag wagon). One mile down river from Lock and Dam 19, there he was. We met up again at Gregory's Landing (another 9 miles down river) as the sun was starting to set and the owls were in full hoot. My dad came to Iowa. Just for me, Nico, and my stinking canoe. It is a nicer moment.
This is my beautiful life.
Today's Coordinates:
40 16.975 N 91 29.696 W
And you know what they say about the weather in Nauvoo, Illinois, if you don't like it, just wait 72 hours.
(And it shall pass.)
I must admit, holed up in a tent for three straight days watching the wind whip up waves gets weary. Letting the days go by with wavy water holding me down, well, you start asking yourself questions. Am I right? Am I wrong? My God, what have I done?
The cynical few might respond, "What did you expect? You left on November 4."
But today I was into the blue again. And thankfully the water was silent.
Though one hour into today's paddle brought a slight (~5 mph) headwind. On other days, such a small wind is hardly perceptible, but on the flowage, it's a mighty wind. Along with the decreased current that exists above the dams, today's first 11 miles took 4 hours.
But the effort was worth it. Two reasons:
Lock and Dam 19. The lockmaster along with the other workers were the friendliest I've encountered. Plus, I didn't have to wait for a tow to lock through. However, the process still took approximately one hour as they had to fill the lock up upon my arrival. Once full, I was allowed to enter and then the drop began. 35 feet. I'm not sure of the width, but the length of the lock is 1200 feet. As Owenby noted: they filled all of that up and then had to drain it. Just for you, Nico, and your stinking (17 foot) canoe. It was a nice moment.
My dad. With weather and temperature concerns, he decided to make the drive from Houston, Texas to Keokuk, Iowa to operate as a support vehicle (sag wagon). One mile down river from Lock and Dam 19, there he was. We met up again at Gregory's Landing (another 9 miles down river) as the sun was starting to set and the owls were in full hoot. My dad came to Iowa. Just for me, Nico, and my stinking canoe. It is a nicer moment.
This is my beautiful life.
Today's Coordinates:
40 16.975 N 91 29.696 W
More Photos (More Words)
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| The pride of Muscatine with Karl and Nico. |
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| Campsite. A few hours later: pea sized hail. |
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| Tow and 15 (5x3) barges move past. Later down river, there will be a wait at the lock and dam because of this guy. |
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| A little slice of heaven on Thanksgiving. Tent replaced with cottage. |
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| Burlington, Iowa. But does their bridge glow like Muscatine's? |
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| Ft. Madison, Iowa. There's a hole in the bridge. |
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| I like trains. |
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| Nobody has been in the pit of despair for quite some time. Who was the last one? (The guy on the right.) |
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| Ok, I'll admit... it might be getting a little cold. |
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| 35 foot drop at Lock and Dam 19. |
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| The other side of the lock. Those gates open to Keokuk, Iowa. |
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| Look closely, I'm on that river. (Photo by Dad Poetzl) |
Day 28
The windy weather necessitated another day on the shore. Karl has been passing much of his down time through reading. At the moment, he is immersed in the short stories of O. Henry. Here is a quote that is quite applicable at the moment, "Down South, whenever anyone perpetuates some particularly monumental piece of foolishness, everybody says, "Send for Jessie Holmes."
This morning, the temperature was 34 degrees in the tent and 64 degrees in the sleeping bag. Karl related that his sleeping bag temperature was 6 degrees warmer than he kept 817 Church in the winter. So it goes.
Today's coordinates: See Day 26
This morning, the temperature was 34 degrees in the tent and 64 degrees in the sleeping bag. Karl related that his sleeping bag temperature was 6 degrees warmer than he kept 817 Church in the winter. So it goes.
Today's coordinates: See Day 26
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