Day 123 on the Mississippi River

Day 123

October 13 2022

Thursday

LRM -13 - Mouth of the Mississippi River at the Gulf of Mexico

2308 miles completed

24 miles today.

Jean-Canot (J. C.) Walker caught up with me and passed me while I was taking a day off on Monday. Our mutual friend, Joseph Solomon, drove in from Clarksdale, MS to paddle with J.C. his last day to the Gulf.  They waited for me at Venice, LA. I got to Venice last night and we had dinner together and made our plans for our final day of paddling.

We planned to start paddling at 6:30. We met at the Delta Launch services boat ramp. We decided to wait out a thunderstorm that was moving in from New Orleans. The rain moved on and we got started around 10:00.

We started by crossing over to the east bank. We had to paddle into a strong headwind and rough waves. It took us about half an hour to get across. Then the wind changed to be in our favor. We had a northwest wind and good current for the rest of the day. It was mostly sunny with broken clouds.

It was eleven miles to mile marker zero, the last marker on the Mississippi River. The zero marker is a light on a tower at the southern end of the wide expanse of open water named “Head of Passes”. As I began to approach the tower I began to really feel the significance of where I was. For the first time since I started my trip I felt emotional. I got that shivery tingle on the back of my neck that you may have experienced. My goal was in sight: I had actually paddled the entire length of the Mississippi River!

Joe and J.C. were ahead of me and they paddled their canoe in behind the tower. The current was really swift, too swift to paddle against. But just behind the tower, along the rocks, was a barrier that held the water off. I was able paddle in behind their canoe and stop. Joe held on to one of the poles of the tower while J.C. prepared a log book and a waterproof box that he had brought for this occasion. J.C. let me sign the log book under his entry. Then he climbed the tower and secured the book in the box on the platform of the tower. Then he climbed to the top of the light for the view. We got pictures. J.C. was not in any hurry to climb back down. He was really into the moment. When he came down he got back into the canoe without incident, and we shoved back out into the current.

All the ships take the Southwest Pass, to the right of the tower.  We took the South Pass to the left of the tower, so we didn’t have to worry about the ships the rest of the way.  From mile zero it is about 13 miles to the ocean by way of the South Pass.

We stopped at a picnic area / campground about two miles down and had lunch. There were hundreds of tiny crabs with one large claw and one small claw. Some were right handed and some were left handed. I managed to get out of my kayak at the dock, and back in again without turning over. There was no place to get out on land. It was all mud and muck.

The final 10 miles went very well: fast, smooth, and easy.

We stopped on the west bank at the end of the river.  Again I had that same feeling I had experienced at the mile zero tower. I could hardly believe I had finally arrived!

We drank beer that Joe had brought for the occasion. We relaxed, walked on the beach, took pictures, and repeatedly congratulated each other.

The island we were on had no high ground. High tide was to be around 10:00 pm. We didn’t know where to pitch the tents. We waited until almost dark trying to determine how high the water was going to reach. We finally put the tents at the edge of the tall grass, just beyond one of the high water lines, and hoped. It was clear that water had been above where we were, but we were on the highest spot. Around 10:00 the water was still a few feet from our tents and we went to sleep without anxiety.

October 14 2022

Friday

The next morning we slept as late as we wanted, because we knew our ride would not arrive until around noon.

Our ride back up the river to Venice was provided by my granddaughter Brittany’s Uncle Bill on her dad’s side of her family. Bill Bubrig is the “Insurance Guy” in that part of the country. Everyone I met along the river south of New Orleans claimed to know him personally. Bill’s father, Darryll Bubrig, had been the District Attorney in Plaquemines Parish for years. “Mr. Darryll”, Brittany’s other grandfather, was on the boat for our ride back to Venice. Also on the boat was my daughter Tracey and Mary Ann. Bills friend Tommy Becnel was also there to help.  With the three paddlers that made eight people and a canoe and a kayak and all our camping gear on Bill’s boat. It is a very nice catamaran (twin hull) with two big Honda outboards. We rode back at 35 MPH.

Two miles from the Gulf of Mexico we stopped at Port Eades where the Bubrigs have a fish camp. It is a really nice house with a dock and an incredible view of the marsh.

We stopped at mile zero, Head of Passes Light tower so J.C. could climb it again and jump off into the cold rushing water. Mr. Darryll called him a Knucklehead. We got it on video. Great fun! Then we went to the Venice Marina and unloaded the boat.

From there Mary Ann, Tracey, and I went back to Brittany’s house in Kenner, LA. My granddaughter Brittany is Tracey’s daughter. Her husband’s name is Can (pronounced “John”). It’s a Turkish name. Can’s parents live in Turkey and they come to visit regularly. Can and Brittany have two children, a three year old son Henry and a 7 month old daughter Charlotte. Brittany and Can provided plenty of celebration for my having completed paddling the river. They had lots of cajun food Friday night.

My daughter Kelley flew in from Knoxville for the celebration. Saturday we went to a restaurant on the fifth floor of the Four Seasons hotel that overlooks the river near the French Quarter. I could see where I had been paddling a few days before when Brittany, Charlotte, Tracey, and Mary Ann were watching me go by.

In the afternoon, we had another party on Brittany’s and Can’s patio by the pool. Joe and J.C. came. We had great food and drinks. I was really glad to have that time with my friends and family.

Then the evening was ended by Tennessee beating Alabama and remaining undefeated for the year. Unbelievable!  Mary Ann was very gracious in her beloved Crimson Tide’s loss.