Source to Sea on the Mississippi River

5/28/25 - Day 38 - 57 miles - River mile 939 of lower river

WWW: Mostly sunny in the morning, mostly cloudy in the afternoon and evening. Good flow. Low winds. A humid heat.

Another day of steady paddling. I am super stoked to have made it to the mouth of the Ohio River today. As I paddled past it, the river is wide and the flow seems promising. I stopped into the town of Wickliffe, Kentucky for supper and got some BBQ from a small roadside shack. It was fantastic! I’ll likely pass in and out of Kentucky tomorrow. I am thankful to have stopped into one of its towns along the way. As I mentioned, the towns seem a lot more sparse along the river now, but I figure I’ll reach an average of one town a day because of the longer distances that I’m able to cover with the stronger flow. I’m camped in a field just off of the river for the night.

5/27/25 - Day 37 - 55 miles - River mile 45

WWW: Pleasantly cloudy all day agin but a bit warmer and more humid. Little winds. Good flow. Light rain in the evening.

Another day of good progress. I’m anticipating even better flow south of the Ohio River at river mile 0 where I enter the lower river. After about 45 miles today, I made it to Cape Girardeau, MO where I stopped for dinner. I’m camped on a sandbar sweating in my tent and it is 70 degrees but 90% humidity.

5/26/25 - Day 36 - 62 miles - River mile 101

WWW: Pleasantly cloudy all day. Good flow. Light and short sprinkle around 6pm. Headwinds for a bit of the afternoon.

Not much to report today other than good progress! The flow is indeed stronger. I am excited to see how it feels once I pass the Ohio River. There is a surprising lack of towns along the river south of St. Louis. Today was characterized mostly by wooded shorelines and industry. Around 6pm, I went past the town of Chester, Illinois. Going through the town was about a mile long from the river. Other than that, it was just a day of straight paddling. I’m camped on a sandbar again tonight and I think that’ll end up being common from now on.

As a side note, there is no way for me to capture all the little simple pleasures of what I’m experiencing. There are remarkable things of which I nearly start to take in stride on this trip. A coyote leaping over my kayak in the dark while I set up my tent - an eagle snatching up a snake just to drop it from high in the air - carp leaping out of the water constantly - the whirlpools I pass over - the wake of the barges - the smells of nature and industry - the changes in flora as I get further south - the mud - the sand - the rain - the toil - the satisfaction and all the things you can only come to experience from taking a trip like this. These are the things I neglect to fit into my daily summaries, yet I experience them daily and detail some of them here.

5/25/25 - Day 35 - 40 miles - River mile 161

WWW: Rainy through the morning. Cloudy all day. Best flow I’ve felt since before Minneapolis.

I slept in until around 10 when the rain finally held up for a brief time which allowed me to pack up and head on into St. Louis, MO. I decided to go around the canal avoiding that section of river called the Chain of Rocks. Along the way, I stopped into a gas station for some snacks. I had a cool conversation with Mike, a fisherman on the bank, who took a little video of me for his podcast. I ended up shouldering my kayak about 40 yards around rocks which caused intense white water and I didn’t want to try to go over them. Afterward, with the Missouri River entering, the flow was strong! Not long after I made it to the infamous Gateway Arch. It was so cool! The shore was easily accessible for me to get on and lock up my kayak to a chain so I could go check it out for a bit. I was very excited to be there and see the beauty of the Gateway Arch. It’s a major landmark I’ve been looking forward to seeing for some time. From there I kept paddling and am now camped on a sandbar south of the city. Looking forward, I hope this strong flow continues, and I am excited to see how it will affect my progress.

5/24/25 - Day 34 - 38 miles - River mile 200

WWW: Rain off and on in the morning. Sunny afternoon, cloudy evening. Moderate headwinds in the afternoon. Didn’t feel much flow.

I got on the water around 8 this morning and did 29 miles to make it to Grafton, Illinois. Along the way, I had another big fish jump out of the water and flop on the front of my boat, an arm’s length in front of me. I also stopped to explore some caverns in a big cliff of rocks. In Grafton, the town was bustling. I got a huge burger for lunch and had a conversation with a fisherman who told me the fish I’ve been dealing with are called Asian carp. He said they are a major nuisance and are roused by anything that disturbs the water. It was hard for me to leave this town as the liveliness was inviting, but the headwinds were in my favor, so I got back on the water. I did 18 miles to make it to Afton, Illinois where I went through the Melvin Price Lock and Dam. I think this is the last one I will go through! Lock 27 is in St. Louis, MO but it’s located in a canal that goes around a section of river called Chain of Rocks. Previously on my adventure, one of the fishermen that I locked through with, told me that this lock was impassable for barges but that I should be able to pass over with the kayak. We shall see.

5/23/25 - Day 33 - 43 miles - River mile 240

WWW: Mostly sunny all day. Light breeze at times, but mostly still. Some flow. Warm.

I left the marina this morning and did 10 miles to make it to Clarksville, MO just after going through lock #24. This is a small and historic little town but out of the three places listed on the map, only one business was open - a bar. I stopped in for lunch, and the waitress asked me what I wanted to drink and if I needed an ashtray. I got a burger and had a cool conversation with a guy named Cliff, who looked like John Dutton from Yellowstone (he was a southern fisherman with a fierce sunglass tan). I told him that about an hour prior, I had been paddling along the river when out of nowhere, I was thwacked pretty hard by a big fish jumping out of the water that nearly knocked me over. It hit me, got me soaking wet, then flipped on the back of the kayak before falling off into the water. I was pretty shocked. I can’t remember the name of the fish he told me, but he said there is a bounty for that particular kind as they are super aggressive like that and cause lots of problems. He finished up eating and left before the waitress had told me that he bought my lunch. She told me that he owns a caviar catching company and was once on an episode of Dirty Jobs! I did 32 miles after that and made it through lock #25. Cliff had mentioned that I should check out a restaurant called Pirates of the Mississippi once getting through that lock. I got there just after they had closed, but they gave me the coleslaw and potato salad leftover from the night. They also kindly let me set up my tent on their property for the night where I am now.

5/22/25 - Day 32 - 36 miles - River mile 283

WWW: Sunny morning. Cloudy rest of the day. Good flow. Tailwinds all day.

I was able to sleep in until just about 8 this morning followed by 10 miles which brought me to Hannibal, Missouri. Super cool little town! Very historical feeling. I popped into a little boutique-like general store for lunch then kept going. It wasn’t until later in the day someone informed me Hannibal was once the home town of Mark Twain! The tailwinds served me well until I reached lock #21. I ended up waiting about 30 minutes for a barge to go through before me. During that time, I had to do a slow paddle up wind. It felt like a treadmill keeping me from being pushed back against the lock. I ended up taking on quite a bit of water from the waves. After going through, I dried things out a bit and went on for the rest of the day to reach Louisiana, Missouri where I stopped at a marina. As I was getting ready to walk over the bridge towards town, the manager of the marina spotted me and ended up giving me a key card to the showers with a laundry room!  They were headed into town as well, so I jumped in with them for the ride. Felt funny riding in a car again. I got some chicken from the gas station and just as I was about to walk back, they spotted me again and gave me a ride back to the marina. The timing was perfect! Excited to do laundry, I gathered up my quarters but found I only had 7. It takes 8 to run both washer and dryer and 12 if you want to use soap. A little disparaged, I walked around the camp looking for 1 more quarter until I spotted someone loading up their boat at the ramp. I sheepishly went over, greeted them, and explained my situation. They kindly gave me 5 quarters and wouldn’t let me exchange money back for them. Then, at the laundry machine, I put the quarters into the soap dispenser and it was out… so I’m doing my laundry without soap. Thankful for the kindness of strangers today!!

5/21/25 - Day 31 - 38 miles - River mile 327

WWW: Cool morning. Warm evening. Partly cloudy all day. Some flow. Cross winds till noon. Tailwinds after that.

Steady day of paddling. Around noon, just after going through lock #20, I stopped into the town of Canton, Missouri for lunch and charged my phone. When I came back to where I had left my kayak at a boat launch, there was a snake curled up on top of my kayak. After maneuvering past that, I kept paddling and made it to Quincy, Illinois. Had a quick dinner there before going through lock #21. Did a few more miles for the evening and then found a flat spot on a wooded island to camp on for the night.

5/20/25 - Day 30 - 27 miles - River mile 356

WWW: Rainy off and on all day. Hard rain in the afternoon. Not warm. Moderate to strong headwinds most of the day. No sun.

Interesting camping spot I chose. I was set up nearly right below the train bridge, and there were quite a few trains throughout the night. Many times I couldn’t tell if it was the thunder crashing or a train up above that I was hearing. It rained hard throughout the night, and I had put my kayak under the train bridge thinking that would help keep it more dry. Turned out to have a worse effect. Not only did it fill up with just as much water as it would’ve from not being under the bridge, but the kayak ended up getting covered with a whole lot of greasy train mud. I spent most of the morning trying my best to clean the kayak and pack up my wet gear. Everything was extremely muddy. I finally jumped on the water at about 10 and paddled all day. There was light rain throughout the day, but just a bit after noon, a hard downpour dumped on me for about 15 minutes. The rain was so thick that I couldn’t see any distance ahead of me. Around 4, I went through lock #19 which was super cool! It was way different from any of the previous locks I had been through. This one was about twice the length of the others and I got lowered down about 4 times more than any so far. The first gate, which so far had always been opened like gate doors, had a wall that lowered straight down and you went over the top of it. I was amazed when I saw it. And instead of holding onto a rope while being lowered down, I held onto a metal hook of a giant industrial metal bobber that was built into the wall. Super neat experience. From there I made it into Keokuk, Iowa to have a little snack before paddling into the strong headwinds. After I passed Warsaw, Illinois I paddled a few more miles to get to where I am now now- camped on a wooded island in Missouri!

5/19/25 - Day 29 - 27 miles - River mile 384

WWW: Rainy most of the morning. Cloudy rest of day. Moderate winds. Cool temps.

I ended up not sleeping much last night because of the higher winds and impending rain in the morning, so I got up and packed around 5:30. I only had to paddle 5 miles into Burlington. Just as I got into town, the rain started up again. Burlington, Iowa is a super cool old town! I went for a walk and found a coffee shop to charge my phone. Along the way, I went down a road called Snake Alley which encompassed beautifully designed switchbacks of old red brick road between towering old churches. Everything around there was cool historic architecture as well. It was cold, windy and rainy for the morning, so I decided to wait out the rain by taking a nap under a bridge until it passed. Just a bit after noon, I got back on the water and finished up my miles for the day. About 6 this evening, my phone told me that a storm would be coming in around 7. I decided to stop in Fort Madison, Iowa to find a place to hunker down. It was hard to find a place in town, but I found a spot next to a busy train bridge where I now have the tent buckled down tight for the night. As I am writing this, big lightning strikes are lighting up the sky all around.

5/18/25 - Day 28 - 45 miles - River mile 408

WWW: Sunny. Nearly no clouds. Not too hot. Light breeze all day. Some flow.

Today felt like I had been unshackled from the headwinds. It was calm and I was able to just cruise. Once I got going in the morning and took off from the muddy island  where I had slept the night before, a cool thing happened. I saw a barge coming downstream - one that I had crossed paths with on the river back at lock 5a and had visited with one of the deckhands who was up from New Orleans filling their barges with crude oil. And now, here nearly two weeks later, I was able to see this barge again. I ended up keeping pace with them going downstream for about 15 minutes before reaching lock #17. Just a bit after noon today, I stoped in to New Boston, Iowa for lunch. I met a young couple there and had a wonderful conversation with them while eating… and they ended up buying my lunch! So kind! It touches me deeply every time. People are so cool. After parting ways, I continued cruising the river and went through lock #18 this evening around 8:00. I found a spot just past the lock to set up for the night.

5/17/25 - Day 27 - 28 miles - River mile 452

WWW: Refreshingly cool. Cloudy til noon. Sunny afternoon and evening. Strong headwinds all day.

Day 3 of a spout of intense winds that seem to blow South or West dependent on which of those directions I’m headed, but it looks like they will have subsided tomorrow. It’s crazy how much the wind affected my efforts. I mean it makes sense having now been in them, but before their consideration, I thought I’d be where I am two days ago. Nevertheless, it is what it is and in golf I think they’d say it’s par for the course. This morning I had a great breakfast at a cafe in Buffalo, Iowa, and just as I was wrapping up I had a good conversation about my journey with a kind man named Robin who paid for my meal. Super kind of him! Thanks again sir! From there I just paddled the rest of the day. At about 6:30 I went through lock #16 and then paddled past the town of Muscatine, Iowa were I am now camped in the woods a few miles South of catching the horrible smelling draft of a nearby factory.

5/16/25 - Day 26 - 17 miles - River mile 480

WWW: Not that hot. Partly cloudy all day. Extremely windy all day.

Today was very intense and frustrating, and I say frustrating lightly much like it is frustrating when you struggle to make any progress in a project you’re deeply invested in. The headwinds had me feeling like I was working as hard as if I was running, only to progress at a crawling pace. I passed through locks #14 and #15 today, and both were the hardest exits I’ve done. This morning going through #14, I got there just before two barges were entering from the other side. It takes the average loaded barge at least 1 1/2 miles to stop its momentum. When I exited, I was instructed to head straight East (after exiting South) to avoid the incoming barge that hadn’t slowed down. This brought me into the direct outflow of the dam, in contrast with the contradicting headwinds and the nearby wake of the barge. Those were the nastiest waves I’ve played in so far, and it took a long time to get out of them. After spending the next few hours crawling along the shore into 20-30 mph winds, I got to the next lock. I’d have to be a better poet to describe the feeling that came over me when the giant lock exit doors opened slowly to the perilous wind tunnel of waves barreling directly down the 500 ft concrete channel into the calm waters in which I awaited them. Now these were the nastiest waves I have had so far. As the lock shut behind me, being surrounded by the tall concrete walls, there was no emergency exit plan other than successfully making it through them. I did, and I’ll admit it had me giggling with excitement and adrenaline. I went for a little over an hour longer and stopped on a beach for dinner. I had intended to go further, but seeing the strongest winds of the day were coming shortly thereafter, I chose to end here for the day and try again tomorrow.

5/15/25 - Day 25 - 28 miles - River mile 497

WWW: Very hot. Very humid. Extremely windy all day. Mostly sunny all day. Cloudy for a while in the afternoon and 15 minutes of hard rain.

I started the day by going 4 miles into Clinton, Iowa and had breakfast at a diner and a fun conversation with an old farmer who was there. I spent the rest of the day paddling in spurts into headwinds. There were up to 25 mph winds throughout the day with up to 50 mph gusts. It made for difficult and slow, yet somewhat fun, paddling. The afternoon had the largest waves I’ve gone through so far. During those large waves, the rain came unexpectedly as the weather report said there was no chance of rain. Around 6 this evening as I was paddling past houses, two 80 year old ladies on their porch shouted out to me. I stopped and ended up sitting on their porch with them for a little over an hour sharing a lovely conversation. They were Joyce and Judy. I always say to myself, sweet are the hellos and bitter are the goodbyes on this trip. I left and did a few more miles in the evening to reach the boat launch where I am now camped for the night.

5/14/25 - Day 24 - 36 miles - River mile 522

WWW: Partly cloudy all day. Light headwinds all day. Pretty hot. No flow.

Slept fine but got up early this morning. Walked to the grocery store to get some snacks just as it opened at 7. Enjoyed the snacks, then got on the water leaving Bellevue. Just before noon, I stopped for a little nap when I discovered my compass mounted on the front of the boat had detached. After the nap, I paddled to Savana, Illinois and walked to the hardware store to get some super glue. After I had glued it back on, the harbor master noticed me and inquired about what I was doing. After talking he offered me a shower in one of the camp showers. I gladly accepted and it was very needed. I then had a cool conversation with an older gentleman named Rob who I saw loading up his kayak. He told me he was training for a nonstop 350 mile kayak race. We had a great conversation about our boats then departed. A mile down river I remembered I had forgotten my sponge in the shower (the sponge I normally use to get water out of the boat, but yes I used it for myself too). Not wanting to paddle upstream, I got out on the bank and walked the railroad tracks there and back. I put on miles the rest of the day and made it through lock #13 at 9 pm. Camped about 200 ft away from it now.

5/13/25 - Day 23 - 34 miles - River mile 557

WWW: Partly cloudy! Big cumulonimbus clouds but didn’t cover the sun that often. Still more than any day in a while. Kinda hot. Light headwinds in the afternoon. No wind other times. Little to no flow. Warm night.

Started the day by putting on miles to make it through lock #11 and into Dubuque, Iowa. I had intended only to stop into Dottie’s Cafe for breakfast, which was fantastic, but it just so happened that the marina I left the boat in was right next to the National Mississippi River Museum, so I felt like I couldn’t leave without checking it out. It was a very nice facility with a lot to look at. It was part aquarium and had some birds as well (an Eagle, Red Tailed Hawk, Barn Owl, and an American Kestrel). Of course there was much history about the river, and my favorite bit was watching a short video giving stats about the barges. I got back on the water for a bit in the afternoon and put in the rest of the miles for the day. When I got to Bellevue, Iowa and lock #12, I had just been passed by a barge to the lock, so I chose to portage around it through town. I stopped at a gas station for a Gatorade. Part way through downtown, I decided to stop for the night in a Free Mason’s courtyard that has a sign saying “open to public use”.  It was a small lot with a 4 ft brick wall around most of it and a pavilion in the center. I hope it’s not a bother to anyone, though it does feel safe.

5/12/25 - Day 22 - 40 miles - River mile 589

WWW: Sunny. Thin, wispy clouds across the sky. Nothing which could hide the sun. A bit hotter than yesterday. No wind in the morning, moderate headwinds throughout the afternoon, light gusts in the evening.

Started the day by doing 14 miles to make it to Guttenberg, Iowa which is just after lock #10. As I was approaching the lock from about 2 miles out, I was passed by a “small” yacht. It was three stories tall, but stout. You could definitely live on it. When they passed me, I saw the lock start to open, and not wanting to have to wait or have them run it twice, I sprinted for about 10 minutes to make it just in time for them to notice me and hold the doors so I could lock through with the yacht. In the lock, I chatted with them and told them of my trip. They were on their way delivering the boat to someone in Kentucky. After getting out and rounding the corner, I saw, for the first time, a snake along the river that definitely wasn’t a Gardener snake!. It swam up to the boat and, when I swatted it with the paddle, it went underwater. In Guttenberg, I walked to to a small diner and got a sandwich before getting back on the water and putting on the miles to make it to where I am now camped at a marina just north of Dubuque.

5/11/25 Day 21 - 33 miles - River mile 630

WWW: Sunny. No clouds. Warm. Strong headwinds in the morning going across open water. Little to no wind rest of day. Little to no flow.

After getting on the water this morning, it was an uphill battle for about 10 miles to reach lock #9. Much of it was spent paddling directly into the whitecaps with northbound winds. Once I was able to get through the lock, the river returned to its usual width and the wind became a non-factor. I made it into Prarie Du Chien, WI around 5:00 PM. I found a cool little burger stand in town where you had to wait in line outside.  There was only one thing on the menu, hamburgers. For $6.50 a piece, I ordered three, and the 50 cents they gave me back for change was a 50 cent coin! After finding an outlet and waiting for my phone to charge for bit, I returned to my boat, which I had previously hidden in the woods at the edge of town. When I got there, there was a seemingly homeless man sitting a few paces away. As I approached the kayak, he greeted me and apologized multiple times for having rummaged through my stuff. My hatches were all open and one of my bags had been dumped out. He said he didn’t take anything from the kayak, as after having looked through it, he thought it was active and not abandoned. While repacking my things, I took a quick inventory and nothing was missing. I thanked him for his honesty and got back on the water. I went about 7 miles out of town to find a spot where I am set up on the shoreline for tonight.

5/10/25 - Day 20 - 33 miles - River mile 662

WWW: Sunny. No clouds. Kinda hot. Light tailwinds in the morning. No wind rest of the day. Little to no flow.

Got up this morning and did about 15 miles across open water to get to lock #8. As I was getting close, I paddled hard to try and outrun a barge to the lock, but I wasn’t able to make it in time. I had to wait about two hours for it to pass. In the meantime, I walked into town to buy a Gatorade and some beef sticks at the gas station. After the lock, I cruised down to Lancing, Iowa! I crossed the southern border of Minnesota today! I stopped into a restaurant there where they had a dock out front for me to park my kayak. I had a great supper and shared in a fun conversation with such a lovely couple who were sitting next to me. When I went to pay, Jay bought my supper and even more. That totally made my day. God bless you sir! I’ve said it already, but the kindness of strangers never ceases to touch my heart. I found a place about two miles south of town to set up camp tonight.

5/9/25 - Day 19 - 34 miles - River mile 693

WWW: Sunny. No clouds. Light headwinds throughout the afternoon. Little to no flow.

Woke up and did 10 miles into a town called Trempealeau, WI. I grabbed some breakfast at a cafe before getting back on the water and going through lock #6.  After which, I had to cross a large amount of open water before going through lock #7 which was just before I got to LaCrosse, WI. Tonight I am camped just south of town in some marshes on the north end of a decent sized lake. I hope the winds are in my favor for tomorrow.

5/8/25 - Day 18 - 38 miles - River mile 725

WWW: Warm but not hot. Light wind. No clouds. Little flow.

This morning I did a few miles to get me to Wabasha, MN where I stopped to have a coffee and muffin. I saw a T-shirt that said it’s Minnesota’s oldest town! From there, I strove for Winona, MN and passed through three locks during the day. All the lock operators have been very friendly and courteous in letting me pass through. While waiting for a large barge to go through Lock #5a, I shared in a fun conversation with one of the barge operators. I was just floating about behind the break wall while waiting my turn. He was standing on the top of a barge looking down towards me while he was waiting for his ship to lock through. He hollered down to me to ask me what’s up. After finding out what I was up to, he told me that he gets six months off from his job each year and that he’s done quite a bit of backpacking. We talked much about ideal camping gear and then he said, “You tell me one of your good stories and I’ll tell you one of mine”. From there, we exchanged tales of our adventures until he was called away back to work. I made it to Winona, MN around 7:30 this evening. I walked into town to get food before paddling just across the river from town to set up for the night.

5/7/25 - Day 17 - 35 miles - River mile 764

WWW: Sunny and some thin small clouds throughout the day. Warm but not hot. Windy. Strong headwinds all afternoon. No flow.

Today was definitely a lake travel day. I did about 5 miles into Red Wing, MN this morning and grabbed myself breakfast at the Red Wing Cafe. It was a cool little town. When I left, I spent the rest of the day going across Lake Pepin. It definitely was a lot bigger in person than what the map made it seem. I spent most of the day fighting straight into to headwinds or cross winds. I was going straight into white caps most of the afternoon. It felt a lot like being back on the big lake. After passing by the town of Pepin, I made it to the other end. I am now camped in the woods just off a sandy beach.

5/6/25 - Day 16 - 30 miles - River mile 797

WWW: Hot. No wind. No clouds. No flow.

After reorganizing my boat a bit this morning, I paddled 15 miles to make it to Prescott, Wisconsin - the first town west of the St. Croix River! Along the way, I went through Lock #2! My first time going through a lock. I tried to call ahead of time, but there was no answer. When I paddled up to the lock, there was a sign along the concrete wall at the entrance stating, “pull cord for lockage”. I pulled the cord and then a big horn went off somewhere. Then someone came walking out to meet me. Everyone there was very friendly. Everything about locks seems to move very slow, but of course, very large mechanical things are moving. I had a great conversation with the gentleman who greeted me while I waited for the doors to open. Another conversation was struck up with a second operator, who stood above me as I waited for the water to lower. I am still amazed that they are so willing to let a little paddler like myself pass through this very large feat of engineering. Upon exiting, I went a few more miles down the river to reach Prescott , WI for my first meal of the day at 2:30. Though I am often a big eater, my appetite has shifted much of this trip. I find myself having only a breakfast and supper, or sometimes just a big lunch with snacks throughout the day. Today was the latter. In Canada, on my bike trip last year, someone said to me that trips like these aren’t so much about what you see, but rather marked by who you meet and the conversations you share. I didn’t get it at first, and now I know this to be true. I shared in great conversations over lunch with both the waitress and the folks at the table next to me. We were exchanging stories of adventures. Two hours later, I got going and went another 15 miles which took me to Lock #3 where I am currently halfway portaged around. I’ll camp on the ridge of for the night.

5/5/25 - Day 15 - 22 miles - River mile 828

WWW: Sunny. No clouds. Light headwind all day. Not quite as hot as yesterday, but still quite warm. Not much flow.

Staying on the Rowing Club’s dock was not the best idea… I didn’t sleep much as about nearly every half hour I sat up to check my surroundings because I would hear a strange noise and was paranoid. I also was unaware that the Rowing Club practice starts at 5am. I knew it was time to go when many people came walking down the dock towards me with oars and a long row boat. I was packed and paddling within 5 minutes! However, only a mile down river was the second lock, which of course was not open that early in the morning. The only two options I had for portaging my kayak were to either find a set of stairs to carry the boat two miles upstream, or to carry my boat around 50 feet, up a dirt cliff side, under a bridge, and back up to the road above. I chose the latter of the two and it took around an hour to get to the road where I started the mile walk around the dam. I decided at that point, and in lieu of the lack of sleep from the night before, that today would become a slow day, and I embraced it. I stopped into a grocery store/coffee shop for breakfast and enjoyed the early morning while letting my phone charge. Afterwards, I hiked back to the river and paddled on through downtown St. Paul - the first major industrial area of the river. There had to have been nearly100 barges total within 5 miles of downtown, along with a few tugboats pushing them all around. I made sure to steer clear of any of that movement. The water quickly became murkier than even a few miles prior. So much so that I couldn’t see my boots when I was ankle deep in the river. At about 2 pm, a nap was needed. Afterwards, a bit more paddling brought me to the Minneapolis Marina and a small bar. They were having 2-for-1 burgers as a special! While there, I enjoyed a great conversation with a man named Kirk who lives there in a houseboat. I greatly appreciated the delicious meal along with his company. When I departed, he paid for my meal. The kindness of strangers never ceases to fill my heart with hope and love. Tonight I am camped at a seaplane base, tucked away in an offshoot of the river and in the woods. Just before settling in for the night my brother, Jayden, came and resupplied me.

5/4/25 - Day 14 - 49 miles - River mile 850

WWW: A bit warmer than yesterday. First day of being quite sweaty all day. Pretty good flow. No clouds. No wind.

I’ve seen a lot of animals so far on this trip, but today while entering the the beginning of the metropolitan area, I saw someone dressed like a fox crawling along a beach… what a day! A reiteration of yesterday: I spent the morning going along huge houses with fancy boats and amazing lawns. Since it was a beautiful Sunday, everyone was out and about, and there were many boats to maneuver past. Then I got into the Twin Cities. Every bit of shoreline had at least some people on it, but many were very busy with people. When I reached the dam, there were many people standing nearby and watching as I clumsily struggled to get my boat over many rocks and up a flight of stairs to begin a 3 mile portage around dams and locks. The walking path was full of people, and it seems that in the city, at least the bit that I was in, on a beautiful sunny Sunday evening, everything was very loud and busy. I probably looked pretty strange wheeling my 17ft kayak behind me down the bike path. Along the way, I was very happy to have two of my close friends, who were traveling through the area, meet up with me to bring me a sandwich! We sat along the bike path catching up for about an hour before we parted ways. I continued walking until I reached the river. I’ve been nervous as to where I could camp in the cities, but at about 8:30, I paddled by the dock of the Minneapolis Rowing Club, and I figured they’d be alright with a paddler sleeping on the end of their dock for the night.

5/3/25 - Day 13 - 42 miles - River mile 899

WWW: Sunny all day. No clouds. Low to no wind all day. Warm. Strong water flow.

Three days ago, 40 miles was a haul, but today it came easier. I did 10 miles in the morning to make it into the St. Cloud area and got a burrito for lunch. The scenery of large mansions and beautiful estates with bright green lawns was in contrast to the scenery of the previous days. After portaging around two dams this afternoon, I finished the remaining 30 some miles to make it just north of Monticello to camp. Some other drive-in campers were nearby this sight.

5/2/25 - Day 12 - 39 miles - River mile 942

WWW: Cloudy all day and partly cloudy in the evening. Light tailwinds all day. Good flow.

Today was a good day! I left the Fort Ripley area and did 15 miles to get me into Little Falls. I stopped into a cafe next to the river and had a great late breakfast before portaging around their dam. I love the strong flow of the river just after a dam. I did about 10 miles to reach the next dam, and as I was pulling my boat up the hill and preparing to shoulder it for 600 yards on what would’ve difficult terrain, a guy pulls up in his truck. He said that he saw me paddling in and heard about me from the Mississippi River Facebook group where Vicki announced my travels. He offered to help me get around the dam! His name was Rob. We put my 17 ft boat in his 8 ft truck bed with the tailgate down, and I rode in the back holding the boat while he drove to the access. After he helped me carry it down the rest of the way, he told me that this dam was the largest elevation drop along the whole river. Still in shock of such sudden and unexpected kindness, I thanked him and we said our goodbyes. I went on down the river for about another 15 miles, smiling the whole time about what just took place. Then I got to mycampsite for the night.

5/1/25 - Day 11- 32 miles - River mile 981

WWW: Perfect morning. Still water and not too cold. A bit windy in the afternoon. Rain from 3 pm onward.

On trips like this, hellos are always sweet, and goodbyes are always bitter. I left Vicki’s house this morning and a few hours later arrived in Brainerd. I walked up the river bank to get to Burritos California, the best restaurant in Brainerd. I ate one burrito there and took one for the road. I paddled into the evening until I was tired of being in the rain. I found a shelter in Fort Ripley to stay under for the night.

4/30/25 - Day 10 - 41 miles - River mile 1,013

WWW: Sunny all day. Not too cold, and not too windy in the morning. Moderate headwinds all afternoon and evening. Wide river.

Today was great! I started the day getting a bagel and coffee in Aitkin before heading down the river. Though it was another day of wooded river, the trees were more coniferous with large white pines leaning over the water with eagles often perched on them. Before noon today, as I was rounding a bend, I spotted an orange fox standing on the bank of the river watching me. I looked at him the same way he was looking at me as I paddled around him about 20 yards off. He didn’t move once, nor did he seem alarmed. A little after noon, I watched a pretty large turkey fly right in front of me across a wide section of river. This evening, I paddled by the first boat I’ve seen in the water so far, other than my own. It was a middle aged dude on a pontoon. As he passed, he slowed down and said, “How far ya headed?” and I replied, “To the ocean.” And then he said, “ Oh ya? Well I rode my exercise bike for quite a while today so…”. I gave him props and he wished me luck. At about 7:30 this evening I arrived at a River Angel’s house, Vicki, who made me dinner. Now I’m sleeping on her couch with her  labradoodle.

4/29/25 - Day 9 - 39 miles - River mile 1,056

WWW: Sunny all day but cold. Particularly cold morning. Light headwinds at times. Almost no clouds all day.

Today was another day of going along wooded areas, though the river continues to become more straight. Quite a cold start to the day. Lots of natural beauty. Many otters, beavers, deer, and birds today. I also watched a snake slither across the river. I sunburned my hands pretty bad recently and it caused me enough pain to stop paddling for a while this afternoon, as wearing gloves to cover my hands only made them itch relentlessly. I ended up tying bandannas loosely to my hands to cover them from the sun and would sip them in the cold water often. Tonight I am camped in Aitkin, where upon arrival, I got myself sunscreen and a big sub at Subway.

4/28/25 - Day 8 - 41 miles - River mile 1,096

WWW: Heavy rain all morning and moderate rain throughout the day. Not that windy. River is getting wider. Good flow. A few short rapids.

Today ended up being a fun day despite the weather. I was on the water at 8:30 and spent the next few hours with my head down paddling through a downpour while hoping to evade the lightning. Before I knew it, it was noon already and I had done 15 miles. The river went through woods all day again with nothing much of note. Camped at a remote boat launch in the woods tonight.

4/27/25 - Day 7 - 35 miles - River mile 1,138

WWW: Moderate to light rains all morning ending around noon. Cold all day. Windy in the evening. Very wooded section of river.

Woke up to the rain this morning which made me drag my feet a bit getting out. But I was on the water at about 8:30 and just cruised all day on a somewhat twisty river through the woods. Tonight I’m camped in the town of Jacobson under a pavilion in the park as it is supposed to rain early tomorrow morning and throughout the day. Glad to be under some shelter to avoid the rain as my least favorite part of this sort of travel is packing a wet tent into a waterproof bag.

4/26/25 - Day 6 - 24 miles - River mile 1,173

WWW: Cold morning. Everything covered in frost. Mostly sunny afternoon.

Cruised into Grand Rapids and hid my boat behind a motor shop and had a lovely conversation with the owner. Met up with my parents for lunch and a resupply. Just before I was about to start paddling again, we heard one of the tires for my dolly hissing. We went to patch it but to no avail. Ended up getting a new dolly at L&M Fleet. Paddled 8 or so miles out of town and to a remote campsite.

4/25/25 - Day 5 - 35 miles - River mile 1,196

WWW: Mostly sunny all day with moderate headwinds in the afternoon. The river is getting wider.

It was a pretty straight forward day of putting on miles through grasslands and some woods all day today. I’m very thankful to be past the lakes and done with ice! Spotted lots of eagles today along with otters and all sorts of birds. I am camped 15 miles west of Grand Rapids tonight and currently watching two beavers on the other side of the river eat their dinner while I eat mine.

4/24/25 - Day 4 - 23 miles- River mile 1,231

WWW: Partly cloudy all day with some good sun in the afternoon. Light headwinds most of the day. ICE.

Though I can’t say until I’ve finished, I believe today will likely go down as the hardest day of the trip. That isn’t to say it wasn’t fun…

I got going from Star Island on Cass Lake this morning where I then spent over 2 hours traveling across 3 miles on top of thin ice. For some of it, I would pull the kayak, but for most of it, I would either straddle it and push with my feet or get some momentum and ride it like a 17 ft skateboard. The unpredictability of the ice as I passed over produced what felt like the longest sustained wave of adrenaline in my life. Once I got to the dam on the other side, I had about 10 miles of river through marshes where I came up to the west side of Lake Winnie. It’s quite a big lake. I was grateful to find that the west side of the lake was open about 100-200 yards allowing me to paddle south along its shore towards Bena. About a mile out from town, the ice was still closed in, though it was softer than on Cass Lake, not allowing me to push with my feet. I fought through the dense slush and ice for about an hour where I then made it into Bena. While searching to see if the Cafe was open, I met a kind man, Scott, who inquired about my boat. I told him what I was up to and he offered to give me a ride to the dam on the East side which otherwise would have been a 9 mile walk. We shared a nice conversation along the way and then he dropped me off at the Gosh Dam bar where I got a big burger! I am now camped right next to the dam for the night.

4/23/25 - Day 3 - 27 miles - River mile 1,262

WWW: mostly cloudy all day. Cold morning, light winds. Light rapids for a bit in the afternoon. Lots of ice all evening.

Today I learned that there are two categories of ice; ice you can walk on and ice you can paddle through… and the lines between them are blurry. I started off the morning with 3 miles to get into Bemidji where I had a sandwich and coffee while waiting for batteries to charge. I then paddled about half a mile across Lake Bemidji where I reached the ice and portaged around it for about a mile. An hour later I did a 120 yard portage around a dam where the water was flowing fast. When I got to Wolf Lake, I had to navigate around a big mass of ice, and when I got to Allen’s Bay, I was stopped by a large sheet of ice which I trepidatiously walked over for half a mile while wheeling my kayak. Now in Cass Lake, I battled over various forms of weak ice and slush taking me about a half an hour to travel 80 yards for me to reach the shore of Star Island. I am camped for the night. Grateful to have had these experiences today!

4/22/25 - Day 2 - 35 miles - River mile 1,290

WWW: Woke up at 3am to rain. Light rain most of the morning and into early afternoon. Partly sunny with light breeze in the evening. Some flow.

Things are going relatively smooth so far! Besides waking up to unexpected rain last night, I’ve managed to get along quite well. I spent nearly the whole day zig zagging through marshlands. So much beauty. All types of birds and curious deer. I also saw an otter. I pushed myself along to get just south of Bemidji for the night. Camping in a wooded campsite.

4/21/25 - Day 1 - 19 miles - River mile 1,324

WWW: Sunny with a light breeze. Some light rapids in the afternoon. Good flow.

Day 1 in the books!!! Today was a big unknown going into it as I was unsure how much of the river would be covered with brush and downfall as well as the water level. It went much better than anticipated! Though there were many instances where I had to carry the kayak over a beaver dam, fallen trees, or shallow waters, it feels like the water is as high as it’ll be all year right now. It’s fun to feel the strong flow. This morning while fighting through some brush, I didn’t realize my GoPro camera got pulled off my boat until about half a mile later. I took a deep breath and decided I wouldn’t leave it even though I likely wouldn’t find it. After fighting back upstream to where I thought I might’ve lost it, I sifted my hands along the river bottom, through the murky running water, for about 15 minutes until I found it! I was ecstatic. The rest of the day involved a lot of twisting and turning with my unwieldy 17 foot kayak. Absolutely beautiful out here as well. I’m satisfied with my progress today, and I’m looking forward to having a full day back at it tomorrow. I’m currently camped in a remote kayak camping site at River mile 1,324.

4/19/2025

I have confirmed I am beginning the trip this coming Monday morning, April 21st. Upon having scouted a bit of the river this week, I saw that the three lakes the river runs through (Lake, Bemidji, Cass Lake, Lake Winnibigoshish) are still frozen over and unable to be paddled. Though most might say this is too early to begin, the timing works out well for me to begin now, and as of now my plan is to portage around the lakes.

I’ve spent today packing the kayak and going through all my gear, hoping that I have everything ready. I am anticipating that the first 150 miles or so of the river will be perhaps the most challenging, but I feel prepared and am ready to send it!

4/3/2025

I am writing this a little over two weeks away from my optimistic departure date. When I think about this trip, I recall the numerous people who said to me after getting off Lake Superior, “You should do the Mississippi next!” “When are you gonna do the Mississippi?” “Have you ever thought about paddling the Mississippi?”. To all of you lovely people, here we are, and I am thankful and very excited to have this opportunity!

My current plan is to start on April 21st, anticipating that the big lakes the river runs through have thawed out enough for me to paddle through them. I am again, optimistically, thinking I can complete the roughly 2,300 mile paddle in 50 days or so… regardless, I’ll post updates on here and have a link for tracking my progress on this page once I commence!