Day 85 on the Mississippi River

July 17, 2022

Sunday

LRM 878.5

1417 miles completed

I paddled 11 miles today,

I met Joe Marvin, and went to Tiptonville, Tennessee.

I noticed someone on an ATV riding along with me on the Tennessee side of the river. They were riding on a sandbar that was about a mile and a half long. As we got near the end of the long sandbar the ATV turned toward the river and flashed his lights. So, I paddled over to the ATV to see who it was. It was a man by the name of Joe Marvin. Joe was curious about where I was going in my kayak. He told me that I was the first paddler that he had seen this year. He asked me if he could get anything for me or do anything to help. I told him that I needed a few things from the grocery store that I couldn’t find at the dollar general. So we left my kayak on the sandbar and Joe took me in his ATV to the grocery store in Tiptonville Tennessee. First we had to ride about 8 miles in the ATV to get to his house. Then we got into his truck and rode about another 8 miles on the hiway to get to the grocery store. There I bought some apples and oranges and a couple of other items that I couldn’t find at the Dollar General store. Then Joe took me back to his house. We then got on the ATV and went back to the sand bar.

I also met some of Joe‘s friends. Joe and his friends enjoy riding their ATVs along the river. They also enjoy fishing for the blue catfish.

Joe told me that he would be happy to help any other paddlers ever coming along that way. He said it would be fine for me to share his phone number to other paddlers. Joe is great!

If you ever need an angel around Tiptonville Tennessee, call Joe he would love to help you out.

(731) 571-2912

I did not make it to Caruthersville. I camped on another sandbar a few miles upstream from Caruthersville.

That was the night of the thunderstorms. At 1 AM my tent collapsed on me in the middle of a rain sopping wet. The tent pegs will not hold in the sand when they got wet. I got out in the rain and put my tent back up. Then at 3 AM it fell again. What a miserable night.