Upper Mississippi River.

 

I am having a great time in northern Minnesota.  The people here have been so helpful and kind.  It’s making it hard to continue my journey onward south.

 

Visitors at the rock dam on Lake Itasca in MN.

A few days back I floated a couple of upper sections of the young Mississippi River below Lake Itasca.  I let go of the idea of floating all the way to Bemidji, in low water the meandering river lengthens dramatically.  The map said it is 62 miles, someone told me in these conditions it is more like 162 miles.

 

Three days of paddling were enough on this section to give me a sense of the river.  On top of that, I have had a blast driving around in my little green truck following the river and talking to people I meet.

 

Jim and Kari Wavra.

I’ve been sent on my way with homemade rolls and bread after being fed breakfast. A pail of hand picked wild blueberries, coffee and genuine smiles as I have explored the area.  Thank you to Chris Conger for guiding me through the first section of the river, and for inviting me into your home.  A hot shower and food is such a gift.  Jim and Kari Wavra make awesome pancakes. Robert and Tammy Godwin understand the art of blueberry picking in the back woods.

Chris Conger finds a way to float down the Mississippi River.

Picking wild blueberries.

And my hosts in Bemidji have been just the best, Dennis and Susan Doeden. All of these people and more have added such fun to the journey.  Thank you!

 

There is more to explore, onward we continue.  

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[Dean Jacobs]

Hi Mrs. Abell's class!

It's great to hear from my friends at Highland Elementary!

Great questions.

A portage is an area on the river where you must go around on the land because it's not safe to canoe. A 40 yard portage means you have to carry your canoe and everything in it for almost half the length of a football field.

I went fishing once on my trip, but didn't catch anything. I did talk to people who caught lots of fish, like smallmouth bass, catfish and bluegills.
Occasionally in the water I could see fish swim by. It's pretty cool that the upper stretches of the Mississippi River has clear water that allows you to see the fish!
I sleep in my tent on the bank of the river. Sometimes in campgrounds, and other times people invite me to stick my tent in there yard. Pretty nice of them don't you think?

Thanks for taking the time to check out my blog!

My best to all of you at Highland from the Mississippi River. Today I visited the small town of Columbus Kentucky, see if you can find it on the map? A civil war battle took place here.

Cheers,
Dean

[Mrs. Abell's class]

Dear Mr. Jacobs,

We are the 5th graders in Mrs. Abell's class at Highland Elementary. We just read some of your articles from the Mississippi River. We learned that the river starts at Lake Itasca in Minnesota. The river actually starts out going north for about 60 miles before heading south. We think it is amazing that the river starts out in a field of rice.
We are wondering what a 40 yard portage is. We read that you had to deal with it when you went around the dam. We are also wondering if you went fishing and if so, what kind of fish did you catch? If not, what kinds of fish did you see? Also, where did you sleep?
Well, we are out of time to write more. We hope you have a great journey!
Thanks for answering our questions!
Mrs. Abell's Class