Day 58: Marquette Island → Dogtooth Bar
Date: September 4th, 2022
URM 50 → URM 20
Distance today: 30 miles
River Time: 8 hours
Countdown to Ohio River: 20 miles
It rained most of the night. Most of my gear is soggy. I considered just taking a rest day today, and hunker down in the tent, but I was right near industry and bad smells and loud thunks, so I decided to head out. I slept in and half dozed until I heard a break in the rain. Then I rushed to take down the tent before the next batch hit!
Most of my gear is damp and moldy and mildewy from the last few days of rain, and humidity before that. I am hoping for some sun and less humid air in my future to give my clothes and tent a proper drying out! I’d love to take my rest day at a nice willow beach and string up a drying line. We shall see.
I made my way leisurely downstream, knowing that I only had a goal of 30 miles today. In this current, that’s an easy day now! I took my time appreciating being in the middle of a massive channel, floating down in the heart of the country. The River is wide here, such that I can no longer make out things on shore without my monocular.
It’s an endeavor and a commitment to paddle to a bank now, and a maneuver that I must begin with a 5-minute warning, otherwise I’ll miss my target. If I look directly 90 degrees to my left or right and see something interesting, I have absolutely no hopes of reaching it without paddling upstream.
Such was my day unravelling, slowly and easily, that I decided to search for hidden treasure. Archaeological treasure that is. There is a rock called Commerce Rock which has ancient petroglyphs on it. It’s estimated that they are from about AD 1200. Now the tricky part is that the grand majority of the time this rock is underwater1. It is only visible in extremely low water. I know I’m in low water now, but I wasn’t sure if it was quite low enough. I figured I’d give it a shot!
After about 45 minutes of searching — on the last rock I was going to try before giving up no less — I found Commerce Rock!
There were three petroglyphs that I noticed. An eagle, an eye, and (presumably) the Mississippi River (or a snake?). It was special to be in the presence of this carving work of art, and to think of those who came before me.
I looked at my watch and it was already noon! I decided to lunch at this unique spot. Maybe I dined with some spirits.
Now I was a bit behind on mileage, so I hopped back in and put a good 3 hours of work in. By then I was nearing my campsite. It only drizzled once in the afternoon, and finally the sun poked out! Hopefully this means I can dry some stuff out tonight. No more mold for me!
I made landing for the night at a sandbar with a very shallow slope. So shallow that if the river were to rise one vertical foot, it could come up 20 feet horizontally or more! I set my camp very far away, and tied up my boat to a paddle.
Tomorrow I will meet the Ohio River at Cairo, Illinois — the largest confluence of waters in North America.
Weekly Review
I almost forgot, but it’s Sunday. Here’s what I did this week:
I woke up last Monday, August 29th, just past Lock #24 on Tinsel Towhead, near the town of Clarksville, MO. Now I find myself at Dogtooth Bar, 20 miles away from the Ohio River.
Start Point: Tinsel Towhead, 10 miles past Lock #24
End Point: Dogtooth Bar
Starting River Mile: URM 263
Ending River Mile: URM 20
Total Mileage: 243
Highlights/Milestones:
Locking through Mel Price Lock, the last lock of my voyage
Meeting the Missouri River
Portaging around the Chain of Rocks
Paddling through the Port of St. Louis
Meeting Peter the Pirate and Abram the Adventurer
Serendipitous supply run in Cape Girardeau
Commerce Rock Petroglyphs
River Log Day 57
132 - A trickle of a backchannel open in Establishment Chute
10.8 on the Cape Girardeau Gauge saw Commerce Rock half submerged
Commerce Rock was not always underwater. When it was created, it was removed from the Mississippi Riverbed. However, over time, as the Mississippi shifted its channel, it came to flow directly where the petroglyph site lays! Now it is submerged ~90% of the time.
Cool story about Commerce Rock, sometimes forget there is still history mixed within all the industry and development.
What are you using for a monocular? I have considered getting one for kayaking as the binoculars get a little bulky while paddling.
Super cool you found the Commerce Rock Petroglyphs! I had not heard about them until your blog.