Ok ... I guess it’s time I chime in on this thread. I have been babysitting my 3 year old granddaughter and just got around to reading about my planned Mississippi River Source to Sea Trip.

I am planning to leave Lake Itasca mid August as the heat and humidity south of St Louis during July, August and early September is usually oppressive. I want to paddle in a cooler time of the year.  I just don’t like paddling in hot/humid weather. Jimbo, Denton Doc and I experienced +92 degree temps and no wind for most of our 2 week last week of June over the 4th of July trip to LLC this past summer. Yuck.

The downside of leaving in August is that the Headwaters can be real shallow and the wild rice, grass and bogs can be very difficult to navigate. If you ever paddled the Greenwood River from Clay Lake that leads to the Waiwag River in Quetico... it’s definitely worse at the headwaters as you can not see over the 10 ft tall wild rice in August and you are paddling a 8 foot wide strip of water. The bog up there can plug the narrow river shut. You never know what you may encounter. You might get a 5 inch rain in August they may make navigation easier. Some paddlers have had to hitch a ride out that stretch of water from the DNR or River Angel. They found it impassable or just couldn’t find their way thru the maze.

I have been paddling for 41 years and feel confident I can manage through it but that 2nd snd 3rd day on the river is a concern.

Trip time averages between 65 to 90 days depending on a lot of factors. Sure paddling ability is important and how many hours a day you paddle but weather can be the most limiting factor.  Headwinds along the way and hurricanes too. An 82 year old Stan Stark set the Guinness Book of World Record as the oldest person to paddle the whole length of this Mississippi. His goal was to paddle his age ... but it took him 90 day’s as his group had a 8 day delay due to 2 Hurricanes hitting the Gulf Cost back to back. At least he was holed up in New Orleans.

Most tell me you may do 20 miles a day on Upper Miss ( lots of portages around dams ) and around 35 miles on the Middle Miss as there are 27 Lock and Dams. You may wait 2 hours for a large barge to go through a lock and dam before you are allowed to enter. And 50 miles a day on Lower Miss as the river speed picks up where the Missouri and Ohio Rivers join the Mississippi. There are no locks and dams either south of St Louis. But there is a portage at St Louis to get around the Chain of Rocks.

A bud of mine from a suburb of Chicago is going to paddle a week with me. No definite hook up spot yet but maybe around Lake Pepin or maybe LaCrosse WI down to the high bluffs near GUTTENBERG, IA to the Illinois state line.

I may have another bud from Des Moines do a few days with me starting from my home in the Quad Cities.

So I will not be solo the whole way. I may meet up with another soloist or group doing the river. But that’s not likely as there are usually only about 20 paddlers doing the Mississippi each year.

I am retired and I am not out to set a speed record on this trip. I will definitely hit a few breweries on the way as Jimbo suggested. Maybe more than a few. LOL.  I really would like to fish along the way but those that have paddled with me in Quetico know I can’t keep my tackle and fishing equipment under 20 pounds,  so fishing will be a NO GO on this trip.

I am going to hook up with an old friend in St Louis and stay a couple of days for a rest and some good food. Paddlers lose quite a bit of weight doing this trip. I know when I do 10 -14 days in Quetico I lose an average of 8 lbs. You can lose 25 -30! lbs easily on this trip. I also am planning to meet a retired co worker in Memphis for a couple of day’s to eat some ribs and barbecue and listen to some Blues.

I also am going to hammock camp on this trip. I have been a tenter for the past 40 years, so I hope hanging will go well.

I will keep you all updated as I make my way down the river.