Day 55 on the Mississippi River

October 15, 2021

Friday

Rosemary’s Bed and Bath in Gutenberg, Iowa

RM 615

727 miles completed

I had a 30 mile day, and lock and dam number 10.

I took three extra strength Tylenol at breakfast and packed two more in my lunch.

We didn’t get started paddling until 8:50.

My new air mattress won’t hold air. Bummer!

It was pretty cold this morning…low 40’s I think.

The wind was kind to us in the morning. We had some current too.

Late morning we came by a Marina. Terry wanted to stop and fill his water jugs. He also thought a Diet Coke would be nice…get a little caffeine. I kept paddling. He would catch up when I stopped for lunch, or sometime, just because he is faster. We had done it before. Terry told me he was taking the slough on the West Bank. I missed it and stayed in the main channel. I picked up significant current. After lunch the wind started blowing hard from the west. I stayed close to the west shore or the east side of islands to stay out of the wind. When the river turned Southeast the waves got up on the open water, but from behind, and I made good speed.

When Terry got to the end of the slough he was only a half mile behind me, but the open water wind and waves from behind were swamping his canoe. He decided to stop and camp for the night.

When I got to the dam I was on the East side of the river and I had to paddle across the lake to get through the lock. I didn’t have to wait but a few minutes while the filled the lock.

Immediately after the lock I turned onto the shore right at the end of the lock wall. I landed my kayak under a the porch of a little restaurant: The Fish Shack, owner Mike Hefel.

I’ll may write a separate blog about Mike and the little town of Gutenberg, IA.

A couple of strangers hooked me up with a room across the street. Mike helped me store my kayak.

I love Gutenberg. I will come back.