Day 81 - 30,000 Paddle Strokes
Day 81: Vicksburg, MS → Bondurant Towhead
Date: September 27th, 2022
LRM 437 → LRM 395
Distance today: 42 miles
River Time: 9 hours
Countdown to Baton Rouge, LA: 166 miles
Local Gauge: 5.5 Vicksburg Gauge
I did a back of the napkin calculation and found that I make between 20,000 and 40,000 strokes of the paddle per day. Getting from Clarksdale to Vicksburg, when I did 201 miles in four days, I was probably more in the 40,000 range. Today was a lighter day, probably closer to 30,000.
2,340 miles seems daunting, when taken together. But I devote 8-10 hours to my goal every day. I put 30,000 paddle strokes behind me, and chip away at it. With that sort of persistent dedication, even large goals become manageable.
Today I said goodbye to Layne at the Yazoo River and made my way downstream to the Mississippi. Layne got some great shots of me as I was emerging from the harbor, departing Vicksburg, and heading under the two bridges:
Pretty soon the din of Vicksburg faded behind me, and I found myself on the same tranquil River as always. I passed a few houses that were inside the levee, which is a huge risk, but all of them were on stilts in case of flooding. Still, one day a flood will probably wipe them out.
I also rounded a bend and came across some sort of power plant. The way the River curved, it was in my view for a good 15 miles, or about 3 hours.
My goal was to get to approximately mile 400, which would have put me at 36 miles to Natchez tomorrow. However the camping at that mile was no good, so I carried on. Luckily there was still plenty of daylight left, as I wasn’t pulling a big miles day.
Finally, toward the end of the day, as I was pulling into my campsite, the American Jazz caught up to me on its way to Natchez. It’s a speedy boat, and was probably going 15 mph! Maybe I will see it there tomorrow. Natchez is tomorrow’s goal!
I pulled into a camp that was littered with gnarled pieces of driftwood all over. Apparently the water currents wash debris to this spot. It made for neat scenery. My campsite was past the driftwood line, on a nice hump of white sand — perfect!
I cooked myself my classic meal of gnocchi and Brussels sprouts, which has been sustaining me a lot recently. I will rest here happy and full.
The photos of the last couple of days, giving a sense of scale, are instructive and daunting! The immensity of the River, especially compared to the earliest days of your journey, and the size of the barges - oi! It must have felt vaguely gratifying to float past those hulks that were stuck! Stay safe!
The snowstorm is a helpful analogy. I imagine it’s arduous, perilous, and very frustrating to actually get stuck. I suppose the bottom shifts a bit, and with low water levels must be a constant concern. How do you know exactly where there’s not enough clearance? What a learning experience - every day a slightly different set of circumstances to navigate! It’s been a fascinating read!!
But I’m still glad you’re floating…