How does a River Run? Interesting questions to ponder as I find myself reading, watching and listening to various experts discuss the matters of flooding, meandering, wetlands restoration and general river ecology. Leave it to researchers in Berkeley, CA via NPR Science Friday’s video podcast to offer a simply scientific explanation of the predictability of a river’s course.
Recipe for a River
As part of our mission to provide access to the Mississippi River and its tributaries, we headed down to Dyersburg, TN on Saturday, September 26, to provide canoes, outfitting and livery for the first “Dyersburg Fall Festival Canoe Trip” event. Upon arrival, we were pleasantly surprised by the turnout of 35 people at the Forked Deer River put-in about 9 miles above downtown Dyersburg. We unloaded the full contingent of eight canoes we brought and the related gear.
Within an hour, seven were rented and outfitted and the flotilla of paddlers set off in the meandering flow. We met the group a few hours later in downtown Dyersburg and enjoyed the challenge of a true river rat landing. I spent a few hours helping folks land and climb up an ingenious ladder to the top of the bank, then with assistance from Dyersburg’s finest, the firemen, we hauled each boat up to the high ground. Watch a video of this great event.
Dyersburg has become the headwaters of a proposed “Blueway” which connects this old Northwest Tennessee community to the river metropolis- Memphis, TN- as part of a water trail and development area. Under the direction of the lovely and talented Diana Threadgill, the Mississippi River Corridor has become a very effective and exciting agency helping to develop awareness and access to the greatness of the Great Rivers. Diana not only makes it happen in the office, the board room and the community, she is a very fine paddler too. Steve Guttery, Director of Downtown Development for Dyersburg Chamber of Commerce, is another excellent advocate for river recreation and conservation. Steve and his colleagues have turned the realization that Dyersburg exists because of the Forked Deer River into a blossoming development strategy. One example is the transformation of an old lumber yard into a park including a masterfully rehabbed lumber storage structure now the home of the local farmer’s market and civic events. All in all, I’d say Dyersburg TN is a river city that gets it.
Found a rare species … In fact, saw many of them grouped together amidst a vast sandbar usually known as Mosenthein Chute.
The rare species is known as a “Blue Hole.” Or at least that’s what the river rats call it. It is not a mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian or otherwise “living” thing. Rather, it is a phenomenon of river hydrology, climate and weather, and the effects of man made, crudely engineered dikes of stone. We discovered their existence six years ago and have returned in the late Summer and Early Fall since.
A Blue Hole?
Tucked right against the dike lay three pristine pools of Mississippi River Water, surrounded by high sand hills, little oases created for the best swimming on the river. These pools are the result of a channel of river traveling beneath the sand and then flowing back to the top like a spring, with the benefit of being filtered clean by sand. Each pool fills out approximately 15 meters in diameter, deep with layered temperatures to 20 feet bottom. They are oblong shape, one in a heart shape, au natural and exquisite.
All of this is the result of seasonally low water, approximately 3 ft gauge height at St. Louis. It creates a highly contoured sand island attached to Mosenthein. A perfect place for a dinner camp, eagle watching, pelican viewing and a symphony of forest, river and sand bar sounds.
Our good friends of Angela’s Ark are set to depart on a historic voyage to Memphis. They are prepared to go “old timey”, which means on a flat boat, authentic and river worthy. The history of this boat is a rival to the history of this voyage. Angela’s Ark was commissioned for Mount St. Joseph Ursuiline Nuns, good teachers and early pioneers of faith and good works to the Ohio and Mississippi River Valleys. Their purpose was to celebrate their anniversary of coming down the Ohio. John Cooper built it for them, and now is present to witness its second great journey. Which leads to the second bit of history involved.
Captain Lewis at St. Charles reviewing the field.
The most dangerous thing on the river is a boat with a motor. Unless that motor is six strong oars, six strong rowers and good tiller. Angela's Ark deck with oars.
The last bit of the “Old Timey” is the crew. The crew won’t appreciate that so I must explain the joke. They are the First Squad. The stunt doubles to the reenactors guild of Lewis and Clark and many other rendezvous events. They range in age from 18-80, and the eighty year old is fitter and stronger than the youngest of the usual reenactor crowd. Most are more comfortable in sheep skin, elk skin, hemp cloth or the woolens of the 18th and early 19th century military issue than they are in even Levis or Wranglers. They are likely to raid a food pantry, but then use the loot to cook and feed forty homeless river rats while entertaining a hundred more with stories. They help nuns on to flat boats, raise Native sons in the air and give them thrills and joy all the while cursing loudly at ‘neer-do-wells’, which is often each other Most of all, and most appreciated, they have done the rivers, the mountains and the trails, in the “old timey” way, by paddle and saddle and blisters and sweat, and they are ready again. Bon Voyage! See you on the river.
Sometimes river time, the way we love it, is not what others are looking for. There are some folks who are not interested in a peaceful and soulful experience. No, for some, it is excitement and adventure that they crave. For that, the Chain of Rocks is where we go. It is just the place to amp up the adrenaline flow and put our skills to the highest test. It is probably the most troublesome, dangerous place on the Mississippi River for paddlers, especially at a low water stage.
Planet X dudes and Big Muddy Mike in the Chain of Rocks cauldron. Photo by John Torigan
Yesterday, we had the opportunity to provide the daring and exciting version of river time for a group of elite, world record holding Planet X athletes. Dave, Dan Mahoney, Ryan and their Planet X film crew, led by Brian Simpson, are pogo stick crazy. Dan jumps a world record nine feet in the air over things on his air compression pogo stick. Dave can flip his around mid-air, much like a skateboard dude or a bmx dude, and bounce or jump or stick again and again without a drop or tumble. His amazing acrobatic moves are cool. No, these are not athletes you would see on ESPN Sportscenter, but they are great athletes nonetheless. And their courage and daring are off the charts. They called Monday night, requested for a Tuesday trip, and we went for it.
At twenty four feet long, the Clipper was our choice of canoe to take the whole crew over the Chain of Rocks, filming in HD all the while. I explained how difficult our attempt would be. It excited them even more. I explained how we needed to provide for our safety in very meticulous and pro-active ways. They understood that well and helped set up a second canoe on the sandbar below the Chain as a safety boat.
At seven feet gauge height in St. Louis, the Chain of Rocks is a thundering obstacle course created by the mass of Mississippi River water (200,000 cfs, yesterday) flowing to a precipitous point, a ledge stretching the entire width of the river with massive boulders, rocks and assorted river detritus (refrigerators, car parts, anything that has come from flooded zones far away) layered through the entire river channel. The entire river is rushing, falling and tumbling in a labyrinth of boiling, churning and standing waves, with a washer machine hydraulic effect mashing and mixing the water. There have been deaths here.
From upstream at water level, you can’t see any of the possible lines of water to run. There are only a couple. River right is our preference for a more simple and less tumultuous run over the Chain. River left is for pro’s only. We scouted and filmed the Chain from a few vantage points, trying to decide where to paddle. Of course, the Planet X choice was the “rad” one, river left, in the “big water”, where the danger is highest, where I would not go unless I was completely confident that everyone could handle it.
We carried the Clipper from the parking lot on Choteau Island to a sand and mud bank just above the Chain falls. Everyone tightened their vests, checked their cameras and settled into the six seat positions on the Clipper. We paddled upstream along the bank, then did a big circle between the old Route 66, “Chain”, Bridge and the I-270 bridge, practicing our paddle strokes. Finally, we pointed it downstream, searching for the exact line we had decided on. We approached rather slowly, and got right to the edge where the water falls away, where the river simply grabs you, pulls you over the falls and hurtles you through the cauldron. I yelled, “Back Paddle! Hard!”, and continued yelling at the crew who quite impressively provided the power to abort the run.
When we got to the edge, I realized that I was not quite centered with the line of water I wanted. We would have dropped right on top of the big boulder marking the left side of the line. We circled around again, and I asked, “Should we really do this?” I got looks of amazement, as if, “what are you thinking? Of course, we should do this. C’mon, dude!”
We circled again and pointed the Clipper back to the Chain. I encouraged everyone to paddle hard, with no intention of aborting and only a slight chance to alter course. Over the edge we went, the high prow on the Clipper successfully shedding a good portion of the water that would have come in as it hit the bottom of the falls. The canoe bounced up into the huge standing waves, wiggled and rolled a bit, then followed the rush of water downstream. Whew! Twenty seconds of total rush and right side up at the end. I was “stoked” and relieved.
“Aw, man! that’s it?”, one of the Xtreme dudes cried.
“Yeah, that’s it.”
A moment of silence ensued as we turned into the eddy below the falls. Then, I heard one of the guys exclaim, “We should do it again, only this time, let’s go over backwards!”
Now I was the one with the… “Are you goofy?” look on my face. “No that’s quite enough. We don’t tempt the river gods too much around here.”
This update is coming to you from Rue de la course, a coffee shop about 1 mile from our river rat camp tonight. We have made it to New Orleans, but the final scene and final miles will occur tomorrow when we paddle around the bend to the French Quarter with our comrades, Monsta Movies crew. This update is about some stuff a few days ago. I am on limited time, as always, and so I will catch up to our location with the details tomorrow, hopefully.
First things first. Check out this on the Monsta Movies blog. quite amusing, and one that Big Muddy Adventures particularly relishes.
Now back to Natchez, MS and the rest of the story….
While I was up at the famous Under the Hill Saloon (using their wifi to post updates, emails, etc… and drinking coffee not whiskey unfortunately), John and crew off-loaded all of the film crew gear, bags and excess stuff from the Junebugs. According to the plan, the Monsta folks are land based for all but the final scene in New Orleans. We want the raft as light as possible to make the 350 miles of river in the eight days we have remaining.
We departed the Monsta Movies crew in a rush at the Natchez landing. A huge thunderstorm appeared across the river and seemed destined to hit us with full force. As we paddled away and under the bridge, I could see the disappointment in the eyes and waving arms of Patricia, Lutz and Volker. They have found something in their hearts on this river. I think that if they had it to do over again, they would have made the film entirely on the river and left all the quirky stories of the town folk along the way for some other project. Still, I can’t wait to see what they found in our river cities.
Somehow the foreboding thunder, lightening and sheets of rain that we could hear and see passed by us with nary a drop and only a short burst of wind. It seems that we are being watched by river angels as all of the potential threats are being dispersed, like Moses and the Red Sea. Knock on wood!
We are only a crew of seven now. There are no breaks from the rowing or tiller position. No one to spell you when your hands are cramped or your back and arms are screaming at you to stop. That is, no breaks until the river bends in an easterly direction. The winds are coming from the South/ Southwest. Until we get a tailwind, we have to lay our backs and arms into the work at all times. We are in good shape now, after 22 days on the river. Still the effort is strenuous. I can tell when the fatigue has set in. The Mighty Quapaws become silent. Their usual banter about girls and cars, or the incessant teasing of each other fades away into river time meditation.
I have been using my iPod as a stimulant to keep up a strong rowing stroke. I have never done that before… played recorded music while on river time. This time is different with good reason. I am seated backwards to the motion of the raft. It was disconcerting at first, not seeing what’s ahead, not catching the first glimpses of creatures in our path, or potential threats. So to counteract this, I decided to try and listen to some music and see how it blends with the passing of the river. It has worked well. But not well enough, I think, to continue this practice after the expedition. I prefer the the familiar position of the canoe and with that the natural sounds of the river.
So, what’s the playlist? It has been quite varied. In the early morning, I have listened to some Gregorian chant from a Benedictine monastic schola or some classical works by the British Philharmonic and the Chicago Symphony. Later in the morning I have clicked on a selection of U2, some hill country Blues, i.e. Robert Belfour, the North Mississippi All Stars, Cedric Burnside and Lightnin’ Malcom. After lunch, Bob Dylan, the Police, and a new fave, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. When I need some extra energy for a particularly tough stretch, my boys, the Rolling Stones get turned up. Finally, everyday I have played a few selections from our beloved friend Wesley Jefferson, who was buried on Wednesday. One song in particular is on my mind. It is from a great CD called, “Meet Me in the Cotton Field” on Broke and Hungry Records (owned by a St. Louis native, Jeff Konkel). “Blues is Like the River” is a must listen. It has brought more than a few tears to the eyes on this journey. And it was co-written by my river compadre, John Ruskey.
Our routine, sans movie crew, has changed. We are now most interested in time saving and labor saving techniques. We are cooking with the Brunton stove instead of making campfire. We are getting on the raft at 6:30 AM and spending 12-13 hours moving downstream. The river is awesome, but the winds have made traveling tough at times. Each day we have been tortured by 20-25 mph in your face wind. The Mighty Quapaws, John and I are making the necessary miles despite the challenge. Our schedule is intact.
I have posted two updates, however due to a time constraint… only an hour on land in Baton Rouge, LA with internet access, I can’t post any photos with this update. See the previous Update #7 for photos.
Our second day back with the Monsta Movies crew was a near repeat of the first. We traveled all morning with the threat of storms all around. Mid-afternoon a thunder and lightening and heavy rains appeared imminent so we decided once again to cut short a full day of raft travel and make camp. As we approached the entrance to Cole’s Creek, about 15 miles above Natchez, MS, John announced that the creek might be good gator habitat. Of course, the Monsta Movies crew jumped at the chance to repeat the hunt. And the hunting was good.
Within minutes of setting out in the same formation as the Yucatan Lake excursion, John’s hunch proved true. Cole’s Creek is home to a family of gators. Our first sighting were two young ones swimming along the bank and circling the edge of a large swath of “duck grits” as the Germans called the vibrant green pellets of algae floating in the creek. A little further up a much larger gator surfaced in the duck weed as we call it. She was in obvious protective mode as she swam away from us, probably trying to lead us away from the kids. Then, as she disappeared in that slow and ominous submersion that is distinct to the alligator, Big Papa appeared. At an estimated 4-5 meters long, he gave us all quite a show. His swimming motion parted the sea of green and he seemed quite confident that we would not dare approach, but we did, very cautiously. He watched and swam until enough was enough. In a startling, great explosion of water, the king of the swamp made his exit below the surface. We proceeded further up the creek but with very wary eyes and extreme nervousness. We hoped that he did not suspect us to be a band of wild gator killers. Apparently, he understood since we were able to complete our exploration unharmed and extremely thankful.
While John prepared another one of his magnificent river rat gourmet dinners, I returned back up the creek with Lutz, Marcus, Sabinne and the entire group of Mighty Quapaws to give them the thrill of gator presence. As dinner was consumed, the Monsta Movies crew lamented that it would be their last full night on the river. The mighty Mississippi has worked its magic to its full extent. The river time experience has gone deep into the soul of our German comrades. They now know what John and I know. A Mississippi River expedition is a life changer, a connection to the true heart of America. Our bet is that they will find a way to rejoin us on the raft as we propel it from our present location just below Natchez to our destination and the final scene at New Orleans.
The comaraderie of the entire crew on the expedition has been surprisingly good. Sixteen people joined together on the Junebugs. It is not as crowded as one would think. And the professionalism of the film crew, combined with their now full understanding of what navigation of the greatest river requires, has made this journey much more enjoyable and successful so far. They pitch in and row with gusto, cook and clean, set tents, gather firewood and enjoy a good laugh and an end of the day cold beer.
At sixteen feet by 30 feet, the Junebug raft provides space for all to find a place to do work, row or just sit and contemplate the majesty of this beautiful river. Most of the gear gets packed in the “hold”, that is, inside the Junebugs canoes upon which the deck is securely bolted. Junebug 1 (the Cypress strip canoe) and Junebug 2 (the Redwood strip canoe) are water tight with a layer of marine plywood glued and screwed to temporary gunnels. To make them storage, we enter through a double hatch set just aft of the center line. The top hatch is in effect a part of the deck as it is flush. The second hatch is just below and is made water tight.
On deck, square in the middle of the raft is a combination of kitchen and storage with a large cooler, a kitchen box and assorted bags and boxes of film gear neatly organized. A one meter cleared walkway is achieved on each side of the raft. Occasionally it acts as a nap area. Each of the rowing stations also double as water tight storage boxes. The front two hold Monsta Movies gear and Mighty Quapaws dirty laundry, (John and I just throw their stuff in the box as we find it strewn about on the deck or on land- a housekeeping trick we probably learned from our own mothers.) The middle two boxes hold the non-perishable foods- mostly chips, organic cereal and cookies which the MQ’s consume at an impressive, or rather worrisome rate. The back two are John and mine, where our tools of the trade are stored- maps, emergency gadgets, radios, the laptop I use, and other assorted personal equipment. Huck and Jim would be most jealous of our river craft. Most folks who witness it are impressed and quite willing to say so.
A month or so before the expedition, John received an email from Monsta Movies which had an unusual and comedic request. For sure, it contained a sincere idea for the movie, but in email format, it was obviously a silliness derived from a language barrier. “Can you find us some friendly alligators to play with?” We had a good laugh. “alligators to play with?”
Late Sunday afternoon, we set out from our camp at the entrance to a channel leading to Yucatan Lake. We embarked in the two Bell Northshore four seater canoes leaving our beloved Junebugs behind. John took the stern in one with the three in the cast- Patricia and Volker (“Mister and Missus Sippi””, and the talented artist, Mattias. I took the other with the film crew- Sabinne, the lady through whose keen eye the movie will be seen, and Mark, the man who captures all of the sounds, from dialogue to wind and thunder and flowing waters, and Heiko, the quiet and diligent assistant. Meanwhile the MQs, as well as Monsta Movies crew mates, Lutz and Marcus, remained behind at the camp to set it up, cook dinner and batten down the hatches if the forecasted storm was to hit.
The first half hour of our paddle was quiet, beautiful, but relatively uneventful. We enjoyed a great many sightings of fine birds, egret and green herons sitting on logs or tree branches along the bank. It seemed that alligators were either too shy to appear or deeper into the swamp which lay further upstream. John and I decided to change our luck, stir the waters a little bit, act as bait maybe. We jumped out of the canoes for a swim as the Monsta folks gasped at our bravado. We swam, dove and cavorted around for a few minutes then re-entered the canoes, cooled and refreshed and with a gleam in our eye. Swimming in alligator country is a special thrill.
Remarkably, our team of eight remained patient and silent for another ten minutes of paddling until all of a sudden, Mark the audio man pointed excitedly about 10 meters upstream. There it was, a small alligator swimming perpendicular to the channel, only his eyes protruding above the murky green waters. We approached quietly, film rolling, cameras snapping and looks of awe on each of the Germans faces. Soon thereafter another gator slipped into the channel and began a slow meander in front of us. John and I took turns in the lead for the camera and cast to get different looks. To find even better habitat and hopefully more and bigger gators, we cut back off the channel and into the swamp. We wove our way between the flooded trees and logs of the swamp, wary of hanging snakes and vigilant for our “prey”. We struck gold. A large gator appeared sunning himself on a log. For almost three hours, we were able to witness the magic of the swamp and its kings as the gators actually did come out to “play.”
With great thanks and relief we returned to river time on Saturday at noon. The Junebug raft made a nervous but very successful land movement from Clarksdale to Vicksburg, MS. The Quapaw Canoe Company shuttle crew performed their jobs with the usual great skill and dependability. Melvin Carpenter, Ellis Coleman and John Fewkes created a three vehicle caravan to deliver the Junebugs back to their natural habitat.
Once on the water the muscle memory kicked in for John, the Mighty Quapaws and myself. We were joined for the first day by “Missus Sippi”, the enigmatic and multi talented Patricia Schaffer, as well as one of the unsung heros of Monsta Movies, Producer’s assistant Jodwiga Wenke. Two gorgeous ladies and a crew of river rats. Needless to say, the tow boat captains were all on the binoculars outside the pilot house as we passed by. Their commentary on the radio was much more animated than their usual response to a Quapaw Canoe or Big Muddy Adventures sighting.
Through clear blues skies and pleasant river conditions we rowed and paddled twenty five miles to Middle Ground Island just above Port Gibson, MS. This place holds special relevance for Wanblee John Ruskey. It was his honeymoon suite with his beautiful wife Sarah in May 2003. Yes, indeed, John and Sarah paddled away from their great wedding reception in a canoe to spend their honeymoon on the river.
With little fear and surprising skill, Patricia made her solo flight on the river in one of the Bell canoes that have been at times throughout the expedition, support craft, or trailing little doggies to the mother vessel. We watched as Patricia paddled at safe distance, exploring the wonders of the chaotic water which often at the wing dikes or in the wake of the massive line of barges moving up and down our nation’s first great super highway. Meanwhile, the MQ’s provided their usual strength at the six rowing stations.
Despite the onslaught of ferocious mosquitos which descend on us at the “mosquito hour”, dusk, I was able to sleep well once again outside of the protection of a tent. I zipped the sleeping bag tight, laid down close to our fire, wore a mosquito net on my head, and enjoyed the luster and magnificence of a Mississippi night sky, Scorpio rising, the Milky Way bathing me, and the new Moon quickly making its way to an early night exit on the western horizon.
We were rejoined on Sunday by the Monsta Movie crew at the Port Gibson State Park landing. Also there to greet us was one of the most interesting and enjoyable ladies of the South, Mrs. Emma Crisler. She is the editor, writer and publisher of the oldest family owned newspaper in Mississippi, printing the 133rd Volume of a classic small town newspaper. She also happens to be John’s mother-in-law. True to the gracious nature of a refined daughter of the South, she brought treats and a copy of her newspaper as well as the Jackson Clarion Ledger. We read hers of course, and I checked the box scores in the big city print to see how my Chicago White Sox have been doing.
Just after setting off, again at noon, a foreboding sky approached from the West. Instead of making our way downstream with the potential of some real dangerous conditions occurring, we decided to ferry cross the river to a sand bar at the entrance of a long channel leading to Yucatan Lake, a classic ox bow of the Mother River. Upon landing a plan was made to fulfill a promise. We would go alligator hunting with the actors and film crew. We would explore the channel leading to the lake and attempt to find the kings of the swamp.
Monsta Movie crew hunting alligators.
Six months after I met John Ruskey, I had the great pleasure and honor of meeting Wesley “Mississippi Junebug” Jefferson. “Junebug” has been the Quapaw Canoe Company’s shuttle driver since its beginnings. Before that, he adopted John into the great Blues fraternity and made him a member of the Wesley Jefferson Blues Band.
Today, we are in mourning. “Junebug” passed away last evening after a long struggle with cancer. His death leaves a great hole in our hearts. He was as good a friend as one could have, forever loyal and dependable, kind and courteous, funny and wise.
Wesley was born into a sharecropper family in a place he called “Stumpy-Knee-Dead’n-End, MS.” He was raised to be a keeper of the old songs, and lived in a way that is of the greatest traditions of a “Blues man.” He was simply an important and cherished classic in the home of the Blues, Clarksdale, MS.
For John Ruskey and the entire Wesley Jefferson family, this is a sad loss. He will be forever missed, but his spirit will travel with us in his songs, our cherished memories, and our loving hearts.
Peace be with you Junebug.
Sympathies and Condolences can be sent to
The Wesley Jefferson Family
737 Maple Street
Clarksdale, MS 38614
