Days 47 & 48 - The Halfway Point?
I’m feeling the grind
If I follow my tentative mileage plan and arrive at the Gulf of Mexico on October 13th, it will make a total of 96 days in this journey. Therefore, by days, I’m at approximately the halfway point. However, that doesn’t tell the entire story, as I am well below half in terms of mileage!
I’ve gone 1,033 miles as of today, and have 1,307 in front of me. The reason for this discrepancy is the speed of the water, and to a lesser extent the lack of obstacles like portages and locks. The general rule of thumb for the Mississippi River is that it takes just about 2/3 of the days to do the first half of the mileage, and 1/3 of the days to do the remaining half. The approximate halfway point for the Mississippi in terms of miles is Ste. Genevieve, MO. So if I get past there by day 64 I should be in good shape by this metric!
Day 47: Nauvoo, IL → Canton, MO
Date: August 24th, 2022
URM 373 → URM 343
Distance today: 30 miles
River Time: 12 hours
Countdown to St. Louis: 163 miles
Today I got an early start on the day and I’m glad I did! Pool #19 was already choppy at 7am. It’s one of the widest pools along it’s entire length, so it behaves more like a lake. I fended off the wind until arriving almost 3 hours later at Lock #19. It was slow going due to the lack of flow, and of course the wind.
Lock #19
Lock #19 is unlike any lock I’ve been to so far, for a couple of reasons:
The drop is about 37 feet. It’s the largest drop I’ve had since Lock #1. All the others have been between 5 and 10 feet.
There is a hydroelectric plant attached to it, due to the steep descent.
It’s a double-length lock. 1,200 feet long instead of 600. One of only three of its kind on the Upper Mississippi. This is so that barges do not have to break up and take the lock twice. Especially important on a lock with a longer drop.
Because of the larger size, and the larger drop down, this lock displaced ~44.4 million gallons of water to lock me through today.
When I arrived at the lock I was informed there would be a ~45 minute delay, for a northbound tow boat. I knew that mentioning my streak would jinx it! Oh well, I had a good run, and delays at locks are part of the game.
Well, the northbound tow was having trouble aligning itself into the locking chamber. (And the helper tow was upstream so it wasn’t able to assist.) So 45 minutes turned into 1.5 hours. Such is life. I took a nice catnap and tried not to worry too much about getting behind schedule for the day. Finally I was called in—my turn!
The lock felt mammoth inside, in the doubly large chamber. And especially so once I was at the bottom, craning my neck upward to see the top.
After the lockage, it was almost noon! I was behind schedule especially on a pool with slim pickings for camping. I ate lunch with a friend in Warsaw, IL. Thanks Priscilla, that hit the spot! Unfortunately I couldn’t stay and chit chat as much as I normally would, because I had miles in front of me. It was 1pm and I had 18 miles to go to Lock #20, and Canton, MO.
That lunch and Lock #19 were the highlights of my day, and being honest it went downhill from there. As I pushed onward into the afternoon, I was not doing well. There were no good swim spots, and the heat was getting to me. There was also no escaping those infernal headwinds despite my best efforts. And I was pissed because the winds weren’t projected to be bad today! Well, they were.
The day wouldn’t let up. I could feel myself fading. It was the first time in a long while that I thought of quitting crept in my head. Not quitting the entire trip, but I wanted to quit this day so badly. I was done.
I fantasized about a motor boat pulling up to me and offering to tow me the remaining 6 miles to Lock #20. This did not materialize, and I willed myself onward to the finish line.
I arrived, worn out and dejected, only to find a tow locking through! The cherry on top of this day. It would be a decent wait, as it was a large tow, breaking up into two pieces to get through. It took a long time for them to reconnect, and finally scoot out of the chamber. Probably another 1.5 hour delay. I locked through and came to face Canton, MO. By then the sun was past the horizon’s edge, but I had made it to my campsite.
I forced myself to make a dinner even though I just wanted to crash in the tent. I made the quickest meal and went to bed.
A wise friend once advised me that “You can’t quit on a bad day!” Good words to adventure by.
More photos from Day 47
Day 48: Canton, MO → Hannibal, MO
Date: August 25th, 2022
URM 343 → URM 309
Distance today: 34 miles
River Time: 10.5 hours
Countdown to St. Louis: 129 miles
I got up early and sleep deprived, bracing for another tough, long day on the water. The wind forecast did not look promising. But the thought of air conditioning and a real bed willed me out of my bag and into the day.
Thankfully conditions were more favorable than the forecast was indicating, which made my mood soar! I was feeling much better. The only real tough part came when rounding the bend into the Quincy, IL port and I got slapped in the face by a headwind. The port was busy with helper tows scurrying to and fro, pushing single barge containers
Luckily the section was short as well, so I powered through and down the lock. I was so thankful that there were no delays! The things you take for granted… So my streak recommences at one.
I pushed onward after lunch, and was able to beat most of the winds, taking cover in backchannels when available. I was happy it was only the heat I was fighting, not the wind so much. I’ll take that any day!
I made it to Hannibal casually and earlier than expected. I am still very worn down, so I will sleep well tonight! I am staying with River Angel Andrew, and I will take a rest day tomorrow to sleep in and explore the town! The birthplace of Mark Twain should be an interesting town.
A Small Medical Inquiry
One last note: today I noticed that the tip of my left ring finger has gone numb. I’ve never had this before, I’m guessing it’s from gripping the paddle for so long. Like a repetitive stress injury perhaps. Or a pinched nerve? So far just the fingerprint area of the ring finger only. Visually it looks fine, no swelling or anything. If anyone has any thoughts, please let me know! Definitely not a deal breaker currently, but I want it to get better, not worse!
As of today, I have passed the 1,000 mile mark! Woo hoo! In honor of that here are some facts/recap about the trip thus far:
I have only 4 locks left on this trip! I am ready to be past them! Looking ahead I have Locks #22, #24, #25, and the Mel Price Lock & Dam (#26). There is no Lock #23. I will not take Lock #27, I will portage the Chain of Rocks instead.
After the Chain of Rocks, The Mississippi River is free-flowing to the Gulf of Mexico.
With my passage into Missouri yesterday, I have now left Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa behind me. Before me lies Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and finally Louisiana. I have work to do!
I began this trip above the 47th parallel. Today I find myself on the 39th line of latitude. Mile zero is on the 29th.
More photos from Day 47
River Log Day 47
Big Picture: primitive camping options are sparse and not great in pools 19 and 20!
355 - Fox Island Bar: RBD south end of island has decent sand.
River Log Day 48
339 - Lesser Long Island: LBD, so-so sand, located on bottom end. Lots of sand, not much flat.
332 - Hogback Island: LBD. Best camping in the area on lake dredge pile sandbar
323.7 - Ward Island: Manageable spit of sand. Just before first house on stilts.
321.5 - Ward Island: LBD nice flat beach immediately following power line crossing.
311.5 - Turtle Island: LBD, head of island , good flat sand but minimal shade trees.
I agree with Phyllis, you are amazing, I admire your perseverance and determination! Hang in there!
It is a highlight of my day to read your journal entries, even the tough days. And your photos make me feel like I’m on the journey with you (as a lazy passenger). Enjoy your day off exploring Hannibal. Best wishes for low winds and good water flow as you continue south.
Jean-Canot, you are amazing. Bonne continuation!