Day 80 - Zero Day in Vicksburg

Day 80: Vicksburg, MS → Vicksburg, MS

Date: September 26th, 2022

LRM 437 → LRM 437

Distance today: 0 miles

River Time: 0 hours

Countdown to Baton Rouge, LA: 208 miles

Local Gauge: 5.9 Vicksburg Gauge

Today’s post will be short and sweet, as I am relaxing but also taking the day to prepare mileages and food plans to get me from here to at least Baton Rouge.

Before I do though, here are a few things from previous days. The first is a video captured by drone near Helena, AR, by my old boss at the USCAE Daren. Thanks Daren!

The second is photos a tow boat pilot captured of me. This is what I look like to the barges passing me by, I’m nothing more than a smallish log on their radar. Thank you to the tow pilot of the John Paul Eckstein for the great shots! Photos taken in the Leland Cutoff, near Greenville, MS.

---

Taking Stock

Before I get to today’s activities, I wanted to talk about the journey. I’m doing some reflecting as I rest in Vicksburg. I’ve now paddled just about 1,900 miles, and have 437 remaining. This means I’ve paddled approximately 81% of the Mississippi, and have 19% remaining. It sometimes is daunting to think how far I’ve come. It almost feels like the headwaters was a trip I did last year, a distant memory now.

The last four days were a really strong push to get from Clarksdale to Vicksburg, which have now set me up in a good position to paddle through Baton Rouge on Oct. 2nd. This pace was not sustainable, and now I will slow up, knowing that I am well on pace to get to the Gulf in the time I want.

After Baton Rouge, I plan to take 4-5 days to get to New Orleans, maybe have a rest day there, then arrive to Venice, LA (mile 10) on around Oct. 11th. This will give me one day to rest in Venice, before my final paddle out to sea water, which I will do on Oct. 13th! I may spend a night camped in the Gulf of Mexico before heading back to Venice, who knows.

So that’s the rest of my trip in a nutshell! Oct. 13th is the day I reach saltwater. This marks 96 days on the Mississippi River. If anyone near or far would like to join me in Venice, LA, to be part of the finish line greeting party, you’re more than welcome! For the folks in MN, rest assured I’ll have some sort of celebration there in November.

---

Day Off in Vicksburg

Vicksburg. The Key to the South.

Here are the day’s activities in photos:

A favorite part of the day, visiting the Vicksburg Riverfront Murals

A set of ~35 murals depicting the history of Vicksburg. Wide-ranging issues include natural disasters, commerce, civil rights, technology, the Civil War, etc.

The two bridges in Vicksburg. I will paddle under these tomorrow at dawn.

Before the train bridge, trains would be ferried across by steamboat. There was an articulating ramp for the train tracks that met the boat in any water level.

A working lunch

Me and River Angel Layne! My good friend and brother who has made my stay in Vicksburg comfortable, interesting, and insightful.

The “American Jazz” docking

From high atop the Vicksburg Bluffs

So sunburned…