TOM
The miles fly by. After a very enjoyable visit with my parents (thanks for dinner mom and dad!) we made 35 miles just drifting! After Sioux City we have to be a bit more careful because there are numerous hazards in the water (buoys, whirlpools, dikes, debris). Unfortunately the wind has been a constant southeast wind. On the otherhand the weather has been much cooler and we’ve slept remarkable well in the last few days. As miles glide by we rapidly approach the Missouri stretch where I hope to paddle with friends and classmates.
The key to enjoying this stretch is to be spontaneous and open to experiences as they arrive. We arrived in Omaha, NE with no more than a desire to eat something else than what comes out of plastic wrappers. Instead we have had the chance to tour a wonderful air and naval memorial. This included several huge (30,000 lb) anchors as well as several propellers and 3 decommissioned navy vessels. I was able to replenish my utter lack of reading material at a great local bookstore. We have also bumped into a bicyclist who pointed us to a local brewery. The Upstream Brewery is an excellent craft brewery with 12 brews with several brews changed seasonally. We ordered the sampler (what else would we have ordered?) and got to try them all. Jake, our bartender, also arranged for 2 of the brewers to take us through the actual brewery part of the restaraunt. Here we got to see the >15 barrel setup and try some of the mystical Heffeweizen soon to be dispensed. It was truly a pleasure. If you are ever in the are this should definitely be a stop. Tonight we plan on camping with Jesse (the bicyclist).
Less I sound dismissive of this stretch; the scenery is beautiful, the blue herons are bountiful and camping is plentiful. Each day the scenery slides by in a blur that is over all to quick. As we approach the distance halfway mark I find myself in more and more reflection of the beauty we’ve seen, both of the natural and human variety. The trip has reached a comfortable rhythm of paddling and enjoying life; one which I will be loathe to give up. But for all that I begin to think about some of the amenities that I’ve left behind and look forward to those as well. Either way there are miles to be paddled; see you on the river.
CHARLES
The current is amazing though it just makes the trip go faster…pros and cons I guess. For this post I’ve decided to just show the texts I send out to my friends at the end of each day.
On river at 9am. 30 easy miles to Ponca. Walked a mile to a shower, 4 showers at 4 different locations in 5 days! 13 for the trip, 79 days. (8/15/10)
These people are letting us camp near their site so we don’t have to pay a fee and are playing Elton John and classic rock while I sit in my tent…awesome! No sarcasm, I love Elton John. (8/15/10)
Woke at a comfortable time and paddled to Sioux City. I hiked to Arby’s while Tom watched the boats. Paddled til storm came close at 4pm, 38 miles. Attractive women gave us beer at boat ramp we camped at. (8/16/10)
Clouds all day, good current, 33 miles. I spend the days dreaming of all the things I want to do and the nights dreaming of waking up. Literally living the dream. (8/17/10)
Dodged buoys through a minefield of rolling water and whirlpools for 54 miles today in a relentless headwind, good day. (8/18/10)
Had amazing burger at Billy Froggs Bar in Omaha today, met a guy who is cycling from Montreal-Argentina and will camp with him under bridge tonight, ordered the 12 tasters at the Upstream Brewery…not a bad day…probably only going to make it 12 miles. (8/19/10) www.jessesteiner.com
…. That’s about all, I’ve developed a game to wear out Bill at the end of the night so I can actually sleep. All I did was tie an empty Gatorade bottle (which has another use, You can guess what it is rather than me telling you on the site) to the end of a rope and have him run circles around me for a few minutes before I call it a night…works great.
“Travel is fatal to bigotry, prejudice and narrow-mindedness. Broad wholesomeness and charitable views cannot be acquired by vegetating in one tiny corner of the globe.”
~Mark Twain
-Charles