October 31, 2021
Sunday
Tent camping on a little island
RM 318.6
1023 miles completed
I paddled about 28 miles.
I woke up at 7:00. For breakfast I had pancakes, beef sausage sticks, and coffee. The pancakes were a real treat, but fixing pancakes made me a little later starting. As a result I got to dam 20 the same time as a northbound tug and I had a big delay. Just bad luck.
I got to lock 21 at 4:20 and didn’t have to wait.
I paddled until the sun was almost set before I started looking for a campsite. I was getting a little anxious when the sun set and everything was high steep bank and mud. Finally, just as the sun was no longer shining on the tree tops, I found a spot with a break in the bank and a sandy landing. It was a beautiful spot where I could see the sunrise.
I built a fire by the remaining daylight so I could dry my clothes. I set up my tent and cooked dinner by headlight. I got two dams and a campsite today.
Mary Ann helped me find a place to stay for the following day. There is a motel in Louisiana, Missouri that will pick me up at the marina across the river and take me back to my kayak in the morning. All I have to do is get there. There’s 34 miles and dam 22 between here and there.
Nice!