charitytravelers.com

Two summers ago I was standing in John Ruskey’s office with my father when John said “Back when I did the river…” I asked him what that meant and he replied that him and a friend built a raft after high school and took it down the Mississippi. I immediately looked at my father and said, “I think I want to do that.” 11 months later I was back in John’s office after having paddled from Minnesota to Mississippi and said I was thinking of doing the Missouri River and eventually the Amazon. 15 months later…here I am, back at his house after just over 3,100 miles and only 663 to go. My previous parter on the Mississippi trip, Tommy Owen, now lives and works for John and Quapaw Canoe Company. I love It when someone asks “Where do you see yourself in 10 years?”

A few lyrics from one of the many songs I’ve created along the course of this trip…

“Well a man once asked me what’s the hardest thing about paddlen this long.

That question is the reason that I wrote this river song, and it goes,

I love the river, she, treats me well.

No, it never gets boring, she’s got, so many stories to tell.

Some days the weathers nice, other times it, like to have it’s fun.

But whether sun or rain, every day a new life’s begun.”

“All of life’s problems begin on land” -Twain

Quick notes from my journals-

Sometimes you wish the world was with you to experience the moment, but then it wouldn’t be the same moment.

Sometimes you paddle the hate out of you. All the anger from your past gets squeezed in the micro space between your palm and the paddle while you stroke the negative from your body only to stop at the end of the day, set up a temporary home that you are thankful to have, and reflect on all the little moments while staring at the river that your emotions have been spilled into, for the past several months.

 Just saying goodnight to the sun.

This is where we slept outside of Memphis.

You know your life is beautiful when sunsets like these become routine, not unnoticed, but expected.

Bill inspecting his first encounter with a turtle, the exact type of predators he is capable of fending off hahaha.

Yes, I scare small children at times.

Bill and I reflecting on the day.

Another night.

Windy day just before Helena Arkansas.

A fun view of my “close world” on the water.

Possibly one of my favorite photos/moments on the trip, I can’t wait to paint it.

Buoy on the left, Tommy in the middle.

Another night.

This was actually me diving in the river after sitting in the sweat lodge we built.

Once again, saying goodnight.

The shelter that I am trying to raise money/awareness for -

SAFE, Shelter & Aftercare Inc. partnering with Wings of Shelter Int’l Inc.  has opened the first long term shelter in the state of Florida dedicated specifically to female minor age victims rescued out or  Human Sex  Slavery/ Trafficking.   We work with FBI, Sheriff’s Offices, ICE (Immigrations and Customs Enforcement)-who has placed our first 4 girls in our home.  January 2010,   SAFE  house  opened its doors as a family style model with House Parents to hold 5 girls at a time.  We provide a healthy family model, education, counseling, medical needs, mentoring, while assessing the individual needs of each teen victim trapped in the deceptive, traumatizing crime of human trafficking.The program is designed for a minimum of 9 months stay because restoration is a process.  We serve on the Task Force in Lee County, and collaborate with surrounding counties to make a difference in awareness and education of the public to Florida’s shameful reputation of being #3 in human trafficking activity out of the 50 states.  We are all custodians of our community.  Thank you for your support  in our efforts to rescue and restore minor age girls that have been victims of the organized crime of sexual slavery.

For more information or to donate visit www.safe-refuge.org

- Charles

The computer here at the Memphis library only gives me 15 minutes of use, so I’ll be brief.

The other day Tommy and I built a sweat lodge out of our tarps, logs, and mud.  We spent the day reheating and steaming rocks, then running across the sandbar and swimming in the river.  Which is probably why I have had an ear infection for the past several days, but it is slowly going away.

Two nights ago I was able to paddle with the man who inspired these river trips for me, John Ruskey owner of Quapaw Canoe Company, on a moonlight paddle into Memphis.  Tommy and I slept on the point of Mud Island that night.  We were so close to Beale Street I could’ve punted a football onto it, but still far enough away to be safe.  Currently we are sleeping in the washroom at the yacht club and spending the day checking out all the local museums and music.


A few notes from my journals –

You observe all the mistakes that others take the weight of carrying the consequences of.

You find yourself after losing it in the stories of people you meet.

It’s not as much as changing your view on life as much as it is showing you that you have one.

In a few days I will be staying at Ruskey’s Home in Clarksdale Mississippi and will post more.

-Charles

The organization i am trying to raise money ($201 so far)/awareness for-
SAFE, Shelter & Aftercare Inc. partnering with Wings of Shelter Int’l Inc.  has opened the first long term shelter in the state of Florida dedicated specifically to female minor age victims rescued out or  Human Sex  Slavery/ Trafficking.   We work with FBI, Sheriff’s Offices, ICE (Immigrations and Customs Enforcement)-who has placed our first 4 girls in our home.  January 2010,   SAFE  house  opened its doors as a family style model with House Parents to hold 5 girls at a time.  We provide a healthy family model, education, counseling, medical needs, mentoring, while assessing the individual needs of each teen victim trapped in the deceptive, traumatizing crime of human trafficking.The program is designed for a minimum of 9 months stay because restoration is a process.  We serve on the Task Force in Lee County, and collaborate with surrounding counties to make a difference in awareness and education of the public to Florida’s shameful reputation of being #3 in human trafficking activity out of the 50 states.  We are all custodians of our community.  Thank you for your support  in our efforts to rescue and restore minor age girls that have been victims of the organized crime of sexual slavery.

For more infornmation about this organization or to donate visit www.safe-refuge.org

Only 889 more miles until the Gulf of Mexico meaning 2,577 have been accomplished.

I almost feel like I’m cheating on this trip. David Millers guide book on the Missouri made it unbelievably easier to do, and I have already done this lower section to New Orleans last year so I know the location of the buffets, stores, amazing camp spots (and bad ones), etc. It’s actually been fun doing it with Tommy for the past week because we get to relive all our stories. All the difficulties of stepping into a new town off the river are eliminated because we know where to pull over before we even get there! It’s a blast.

The other night, actually several nights for that matter, we spent well over an hour collecting firewood for a massive bonfire. Though Tom has yet to leave St. Louis (he had to wait for the arrival of a new tent sine his zipper gave out), I almost wonder if the coals will still be hot enough to boil water on when he paddles by in a week or so.

Currently we are in New Madrid, which might be one of my favorite Lower Mississippi towns. It’s the location of the largest recorded Earthquake in North America in the early 1800’s causing the Mississippi River to briefly change direction making it flow north. Within a 5 minute walk from the river there is a $5 buffet that also serves breakfast at 5am (so it’s kind of a double bonus) and a library. Plus our campsite is hidden even from the most dedicated fisherman with great driftwood and shelter from sun and wind…thus; we’re taking a day off from our leisurely 30 miles per day goal.

I’m just observing.  You learn from others mistakes instead of finding it all out on your own.  I almost have to defend myself to some people and tell them; it’s not a fear of responsibility, it’s finding out what is worth being responsible for.  Need, is a powerful word. 

Life is simple at the moment.
Charles

The organization I am raising money/awareness for:

SAFE, Shelter & Aftercare Inc. partnering with Wings of Shelter Int’l Inc.  has opened the first long term shelter in the state of Florida dedicated specifically to female minor age victims rescued out or  Human Sex  Slavery/ Trafficking.   We work with FBI, Sheriff’s Offices, ICE (Immigrations and Customs Enforcement)-who has placed our first 4 girls in our home.  January 2010,   SAFE  house  opened its doors as a family style model with House Parents to hold 5 girls at a time.  We provide a healthy family model, education, counseling, medical needs, mentoring, while assessing the individual needs of each teen victim trapped in the deceptive, traumatizing crime of human trafficking.The program is designed for a minimum of 9 months stay because restoration is a process.  We serve on the Task Force in Lee County, and collaborate with surrounding counties to make a difference in awareness and education of the public to Florida’s shameful reputation of being #3 in human trafficking activity out of the 50 states.  We are all custodians of our community.  Thank you for your support  in our efforts to rescue and restore minor age girls that have been victims of the organized crime of sexual slavery. 

www.safe-refuge.org

CHARLES

Oh man how I have missed the Mississippi, besides the spelling she’s beautiful.

Tom is just reaching St. Louis today and my long time best friend Tommy (I know, two Tom’s) Owen has been paddling with me in his canoe for the past several days.

Mike Clark of Big Muddy Adventures in St. Louis was very helpful in giving advice on how to approach the chain of rocks section.  The water was high enough to paddle through it mid-right.

We paddled through the port of St. Louis (which is arguably one of the most congested areas of barge traffic on the river) with 25mph winds on Labor Day.  I pulled ahead of Tommy because of the difficulty in keeping my balance without a paddle in the water and found a beach just before the final bridge where we camped for the night because the wind refused to die down.  About 30 minutes into the paddle I had assumed Tommy was a goner and I wanted to pull over and scout for floating gear.  But low and behold 1 hour later he came paddling around a tied up barge looking as though he had aged 10 years in the 3 hours of paddling.

Every night I listen to my weather radio to see the forecast for the area, but two nights ago I didn’t.  I knew that rain was coming and we should bunker down, but what I didn’t know was that a tropical storm was moving through…it rained biblical quantities.  Tommy was camped on the low bank, I on the mid.  At 1:45am Tommy yelled, “If I were you I would move my tent!”  The water was eroding away the dirt below our tents so we moved them up on the rocks in the pouring rain, feet away from the railroad tracks which gave us a good shake massage every 30 minutes for the remainder of the night. 
The photo below was taken from the RR track…

It is amazing how much trash we produce and how much of it ends up in the river.  Every tree has a plastic bag snagged on it.  We’ve found everything from light bulbs, bottles, a big pink ball (which is fun to kick around on the sandbars), etc.  Because Tommy has a canoe we have been picking up trash along the way.  Before we left St. Louis we already had 9 bags full. I’ll leave my tree hugging complaints for later, but one phrase always sticks in my mind, One World, One Chance.

Right now I am here with Danny Rees and Dave Hardesty who have paddled the Mississippi and heard about my trip.  They are helping me resupply here in Cape Girardeau and showing me around. 

A quick piece of my journal from months ago I thought I would share…

You sit and think of all the loves you’ve lost, all coins tossed in a sweet, heavy memory,

blanketed by the passing days, all different from the last.

You pull out pocketed contemplations, unexplainable equations involving time and emotion.

You sit,

Completely still while the world works around you.

You’d write the scenery if you felt the talent to describe it…but you can’t.

So you think about all the mental molestations that seem to have the same repetition of topics and all the illogic’s that consisted of your life on land.  Your worries and regrets are left meaning nothing to this moment

Befriend the weather and look ahead in the day.

It’s a beautiful simplicity, and as close as you can be to free.

Charles

What I am raising money/awareness for -

SAFE, Shelter & Aftercare Inc. partnering with Wings of Shelter Int’l Inc.  has opened the first long term shelter in the state of Florida dedicated specifically to female minor age victims rescued out or  Human Sex  Slavery/ Trafficking.   We work with FBI, Sheriff’s Offices, ICE (Immigrations and Customs Enforcement)-who has placed our first 4 girls in our home.  January 2010,   SAFE  house  opened its doors as a family style model with House Parents to hold 5 girls at a time.  We provide a healthy family model, education, counseling, medical needs, mentoring, while assessing the individual needs of each teen victim trapped in the deceptive, traumatizing crime of human trafficking.The program is designed for a minimum of 9 months stay because restoration is a process.  We serve on the Task Force in Lee County, and collaborate with surrounding counties to make a difference in awareness and education of the public to Florida’s shameful reputation of being #3 in human trafficking activity out of the 50 states.  We are all custodians of our community.  Thank you for your support  in our efforts to rescue and restore minor age girls that have been victims of the organized crime of sexual slavery. 

www.safe-refuge.org

TOM’S POST FROM 9/08/10

Currently at Herman MO, the Bed & Breakfast capitol of Missouri.
 
Since St. Joseph I’ve been making it a point to get into most every town possible. At a leisurely pace of about 30 miles a day this has worked out quite well. I spent half a day in Atchison Kansas (the birthplace of Amelia Eirhart). I stopped by Ft. Leavenworth. From there I stayed with Don and his brother in Kansas City. They rolled out the red carpet and took me down to a minibrewery in the Power and Lights District. The next morning I spent 2 nights with Micah and Brandy. This was one of the more relaxing stops on the trip and afforded the chance to enjoy the mother of all pontoon docks at Brandy family’s place. I also got a tour of EXLTUBE where my friend Micah works. From KC I met my first barges. I don’t believe they are really bad as long as you are on the opposite side of the channel. I stayed the night at the CORP of Engineers KC Facility (they have a park). There I was able to get water and relax while it rained. I continued paddling for 2 day with little or no interaction with humans. I finally relented the solitude with a stop in Glasgow where I got a good meal and a shower. Here I also had the fortune of introducing myself to Lisbon Bottoms. This chute off the river cuts off a mile or two. As soon as I committed to this route the water dropped. I no longer could see water behind the fall. Nerve racking to say the least. After two not insignificant drops I got through with only a little bit of water taken on.
 
Two friends getting their PhD’s at Rolla, Jamie and Krista came down and did an overnight paddle with me. We stayed the night at the famous Cooper’s Landing where we were treated with fabulous pork steaks as well as a vocal evening camper. I met several people who had floated some or all of the Missouri. From Coop’s it was an afternoon of paddling to Jefferson City where I met two other students well on their way to their doctorate degree, Harlan and Melody. Harlan had introduced me to the “joy of home brewing”. All five of us went to “Prison Brews” an absolutely awesome little brewery with one of the best browns in my memory.
 
That night I slept near the bridge and listened to kids most of the night. I slept in and made it down to Portland, MO. Here was supposed to be a great bar; but it had closed for a month and a half for remodeling. I darn near wept. As I was near the boat ramp I found a cell phone. With some adventurous calling I found the owner’s spouse. She said she’d pick up food for me on her way to pick it up. After a little explanation of the trip, Mrs. Davidson took me home to her family where I got a wonderful hot shower and the fishing story of a lifetime. Mr. Davidson, his father, and his son, worked together to real in a 99 pound flathead catfish breaking the state record. I was kind of worried when I his 40 lb fish from that day much less one that was 150% larger than that!!! I hope I don’t flip and meet any of these fish up close on this trip. I have not seen any flying carp but am keeping an eye out since a man got a concussion from one in the past month.
 
Currently I am typing from the office of the Spirit Hill Bed and Breakfast where Gary and Marsha Leabman run a fantastic house (www.spirithill.info <http://www.spirithill.info/> ). The bed was excellent and they even put me in a room with a small Jacuzzi like tub. Needless to say it has been an amazing stay. One more thing I will take away from this visit is design plans for Gary’s kayak rack which allows his kayaks to be taken on and off his car in a matter of seconds.
 
Tom Bailey-tombaileybb@yahoo.com

Just completed the longest river on the North American continent. I can’t believe Norman Miller went up the same river that took me 97 days to go down, one day, I may take the “zen master challenge”. Now time with family in STL, then on to the lower Mississippi with Tommy Owen on Sunday morning.

It allows all the unique elements of emotion to be reflected upon almost immediately, while during constant “known to be precious before lived” type moments fill your spirit with experiences that will continue to teach you daily for a lifetime…that’s the best I can currently come up with when people ask, “how’s the trip?” In no way does this justify any portion of what spending what some would call “a long time on a river” has on you.

Random lines that have been in my head -

“Don’t let school get in the way of your education” Written by Twain, said by Mike Clark of Big Muddy Adventures

“It takes a road to go nowhere, it takes a toll to make you care” Jason Miraz

“I’m only gonna break break, break break break you heart” some hip pop song that randomly finds its way through the cracks of my mind (and there many assure you) and into my thoughts I don’t know the title or name.

That’s all, I miss the Miss already.

- Charles

The river had been high but is slowely lowering.  Two days ago was the first time I actually could see the dikes from the surface of the water and buoys were not fully submerged.  Tom and I split up over a week ago and will probably meet up somewhere between St. Louis and Memphis on the Mississippi.

The other day on the river…

I woke up to to yoga on the beach I was sleeping on, paddled to a bar with live folk music for lunch and camped out at a boat ramp after having some fishermen tie up my boat and drag me behind them while carying a net to catch flying carp.  I only caught 4 but was probably hit by at least 30.  I call it bravery only because I did not tip, otherwise, stupid. But hey, I did it once.

Bill and I laid on a sandbar for hours just reading, only to stop and dance the “robot” at the trains crossing the nearby bridge trying to get them to whistle, 2/5.

I had a construction worker yell from the bridge he was working on “You’re living my dream man!” I paddled to the complexity of the emotion let after those words for hours and simplified it to one thing, amazing.

I broke down and pulled to the bank to call my father and tell him I love him, and that I was proud to be his son.

I fell asleep with mace in one hand and my flashlight in the other only to wake the next morning and find peoples footprints all around my kayak and tent.

I had yet another man, no, overgrown boy say the comment “Well if you see any of those girls don’t be afriad to bring them around here,” after I told them I was trying to raise money for women who have been trafficked into the sex slave industry.  One of the moments where you don’t even bother to fake a smile.

I felt like a badass pulling over at a boat ramp in the thunder and rain and throwing my tarp over a Lewis and Clark sign for shelter.

I won $20 on the penny slot machines, making it $90 for the shelter.

I sat at dinner table with a family and talked about all the things we took for granted.

I decided I have seen more than my share of Great Blue Herons and almost posted a sign on my kayak “WANTED: Eclectic Variety of Native Birds”.

I showered with a hose in the basement of a bait house while whistling the happiest tune I know.

I laid with my head towards the mesh door of my tent so I could look at the stars and avoid falling asleep because I realized 2/3 of the trip was over.

Everyday on the river…

I have people tell me I’m living their dream.

I watch the world work around me while I paddle through it.

I fall more in love with the moments.

I feel free.

But now as I sit at this computer I can feel her waiting for me, and for that, I love her.

-          Charles

TOM

Reporting from St. Joseph Missouri:

For the record: I have nothing against Aerosmith. I am not such a fan of leaving kayaks (even hidden) underneath a bridge frequented by vagrants (myself included) or ear blasting sound.

After Omaha Charles and I had split for the day intending to camp together. As I drifted I was lucky enough to be hailed by Kyle. He was making an over night trip down to Nebraska City in a small Old Town kayak. With Charles’s directions we arrived at his camp and found him at the local bar (not a quarter mile walk). It was quite the happening place. The next day Kyle took us back to his “crib” where I did maintenance on my always irritating skeg and we were on our way by nightfall.
After Charles and I split for pacing issues (60 mile days, while feasible, is more than I care for) I have been enjoying the scenery of the river. As ever the blue herons are nearly a swarm and I’ve drifted less then 10ft from them. I have had little company except for them. Last night I pulled over in the quickly darkening evening. I had been misinformed on the location of the St. Joe’s Casino and had gone past the last noted campsite. I met Mike and Theresa who were kind enough to let me stay in the yard. They had just gotten back from Chili’s and offered me a whole leftover rack of ribs. The cartoon of a character dropping a rack of ribs down their mouth and pulling it out as just bones is rather apt. Along with an ice cold beer this deeply hit the spot. I thank them again. After allowing rain clouds to pass over in the morning I was on my way down to the town. I pulled out at Terrible’s Casino and had a great buffet. I have since gotten a ride into town and toured 3 museums including the Glore Physiatric Museum which was rather eerie. I once again resupplied on reading material and look forward to visiting a friend in KC.

-Tom

SAFE, Shelter & Aftercare Inc. partnering with Wings of Shelter Int’l Inc.  has opened the first long term shelter in the state of Florida dedicated specifically to female minor age victims rescued out or  Human Sex  Slavery/ Trafficking.   We work with FBI, Sheriff’s Offices, ICE (Immigrations and Customs Enforcement)-who has placed our first 4 girls in our home.  January 2010,   SAFE  house  opened its doors as a family style model with House Parents to hold 5 girls at a time.  We provide a healthy family model, education, counseling, medical needs, mentoring, while assessing the individual needs of each teen victim trapped in the deceptive, traumatizing crime of human trafficking.The program is designed for a minimum of 9 months stay because restoration is a process.  We serve on the Task Force in Lee County, and collaborate with surrounding counties to make a difference in awareness and education of the public to Florida’s shameful reputation of being #3 in human trafficking activity out of the 50 states.  We are all custodians of our community.  Thank you for your support  in our efforts to rescue and restore minor age girls that have been victims of the organized crime of sexual slavery.

www.safe-refuge.org