Canoe Trip On The Mississippi River

A group of master nasturalists joined Ranger Ed of the US Fish and Wildlife Service on a canoe trip north of the dam I was near the day before.  We start off at a landing in Minnesota City. I got into a canoe with two old master naturalist friends that I have known for years.  I'm not saying they are old but that I have known them a long time.  I got the front seat which is nice because I can just paddle on the side I prefer and not have to worry about steering.  We paddled 11.2 miles and half of that was against the current.  We had a beautiful day on the river.  I'm glad I had my long sleeved shirt and sun hat.  This morning I had to use all my restraint not to yell "Pheasant."  All restraint was gone.  So whenever I heard a sora rail whinny like a horse I couldn't help saying, "Sora!"  I think I said it at least 12 times.  There were a lot of sora rails out there in the backwaters of the Mississippi.  Down there the river is braided between the main channel, islands, wing dams, and sand bars.

You can't really tell from this photo but ahead the bluffs look corrugated like a half of a coffee filter.  The scenery is so beautiful and so unlike what I normally see that I think I might want to retire and settle down in the bluff area some day.

Our ranger tells us about wild celery, a river plant that looks light light green spaghetti in the current.  Trumpeter swans, he says, love arrowhead and will eat a gallon of arrowhead a day. We learn about invasive water plants.  Ranger Ed says volunteers help him map the canoe routes each year because the river always changes.  Sand bars appear and disappear.  Islands come and go.  We see birds standing in the river.  Are they great blue heron?  No,  they are sand hill cranes standing on a sand bar which we later get stuck on.  Time spent looking through binoculars is time not spent paddling.  Man, this canoeing is hard work after a couple hours.  My knees and ankles are complaining loudly.  I change positions frequently.  At one point I dangle my feet in the water on both sides of the canoe which is totally not a lady-like position but hey, I'm old, I'm sore, I have arthritis. Look away if you don't like it.  I sure hope I am able to get out of this canoe when we get to the end.  The lady who had to be lifted onto the pontoon boat yesterday isn't complaining so I don't complain either.  Actually the muscles in my back and shoulders feel better with the exercise.  When the water is shallow and fast I have to paddle as hard as I can to keep us moving forward. Lucky for me I have a paddling partner who is a steady paddler like me.  Paddlers who paddle like mad and then take long breaks are harder to paddle with.  Ranger Ed asks how we are doing. Do we want to go another hour to see a geologic formation or head back to the landing now and be done in 15 minutes?  My lower joints are screaming.  While I try to formulate a less emphatic answer in my mind, another paddler mentions that we have another field trip this afternoon.  So we decide to go back sooner. Mentally I thank that person who responded.  Going back sooner is still a hell of a lot of work!  Ranger Ed says it's impossible to get lost out here. He's wrong about that.  I don't even know what side of the river I'm on.  Turns out I'm on the Wisconsin side.  No wonder it's so much work to get back to the landing.

Although it is painful to stand up and get out of the canoe I do manage to get out.  I'm no help pulling the canoe  up though and someone even has to hand me my water bottle.  My ankles, feet, knees and hips are screaming in protest. Ankles hurt too? That is a new one.  I wonder why my shoulders, back and rear end are silent.  Ranger Ed ends out trip by playing a tune on his flute while I stretch my back and complete yoga moves.  I have to do something to make it up the big hill and 25 steps to the school bus that waits for us.  This morning was a challenge for me physically and that is a good thing.  The company was great and the scenery was great.  I learned a lot.  I'm glad I went.  Plus this adds 11.2 miles to my 125 mile bike, boot, or boat challenge for the Minnesota State Parks challenge.  Am I including the .2 miles?  You are damn right I am!