Day 43 on the Mississippi River

October 3, 2021

Sunday

Tent camping on the river

RM 813

Hastings, Minnesota

529 miles completed

Melissa made breakfast for us. She fixed scrambled eggs and bacon that Al made. I wouldn’t have a clue about making bacon. It was really good bacon… thick sliced.

They drove us back to the Mississippi Pub where we left our boats. We were back on the river by 9:30.

Al and Melissa Neibacher are wonderful people and good friends.

As we paddled within a few miles of the Hastings dam the lake got big. The wind was making big waves that were hitting us on our left side. We stayed close to the right shore until we rounded the point and could see the dam. Then it became apparent that we would have to paddle across open water to get to the locks. Terry’s canoe was taking on water when the waves came over the rear. He decided to take the optional two portages with a mile paddle between them. Since my kayak wasn’t taking on significant water I went through the locks and waited for Terry on the other side of the dam.

We had hoped (very slim hope) to get to Jim Wazlawik’s house. The delay meant we wouldn’t see Jim until Monday night.

After fighting the wind and waves and two portages, Terry was “worn complete out.” We stopped at the first available camping spot. We camped about a mile from The Croix and the Wisconsin state line.

Terry cooked noodles and we had tuna and ritz crackers with them. A little peanut butter served for dessert.

After we went to bed we listened to a beaver slapping the water off and on. The a tug and barges came by with their spotlight lighting up the river, and the insides of our tents.

Tomorrow night we are looking forward to meeting Jim Wazlawik.