LaCrosse, WI to Andalusia, IL 226 Miles (871 Total) The river is a great many things to a lot of different people. It’s a way to get large loads of coal up to poweplants, a place to spend an afternoon fishing near a shallow bank, a body of water to sail on during a windy […]
Mississippi River Days 28-36 Read More »
September 24, 2017 After time spent solo backpacking in the Catskills and Adirondacks, I have been contemplating wild spaces. What makes them desirable? What makes them feared? In regards to the first question… The simplicity and beauty of nature calls me time and time again. There are complex systems at work: the food chain, tectonic
On Wilderness and Darkness Read More »
Brainerd to Minneapolis/St Paul, MN 174 Miles (524 Total) There is one unifying evil between cycle touring and canoe tripping. One thing that is so heinous and miserable that some have even described it as the devil’s breath. It’s called the wind and pretty much it’s the worst thing in the entire world (well, when
Mississippi River Days 16-21 Read More »
Grand Rapids to Brainerd, MN 188 Miles (350 Miles Total) The river after Grand Rapids gets wider and the banks steeper. The water is browner and the current is faster too, and there is even a rusty pipe sticking down into the river producing thick white bubbles and foam. A week ago we could see
Mississippi River Days 9-15 Read More »
Bemidji to Grand Rapids, MN 100 miles (162 Total) The river passes through two more large lakes after Bemidji. The first, Cass Lake, is much larger than Bemidji, and the third lake, Winnibigoshish, is the third largest lake in the entire state of Minnesota. Paddling across lakes is a tiring process. There’s absolutely zero current
Mississippi River Days 5-8 Read More »
Headwaters to Bemidji, MN 62 Miles (62 Total) The Mississippi River at the headwaters is nothing more than a trickling, shallow stream. Water from Lake Itasca floats gently over a few rocks at its northern outlet, and after breaching the damn, the water droplets begin a 90 day journey south to the Gulf of Mexico
Mississippi River Days 1-4 Read More »
We tried to camp as much as possible on the Norte to save money and avoid Alburgues. We did not enjoy the experience they provided and found it hard to sleep in them. If you are like us and prefer a tent to a crowded, noisy room, this guide is meant to offer our experience
A Camping Guide to the Camino del Norte Read More »
The cycling portion of this year is done. The backpacking portion is done too. What does this mean? Time moves too fast, and the final trip of the year is almost here. In a few days I will set off to canoe the Mississippi River from its headwaters in Lake Itasca, Minnesota to where it
Canoeing America’s Mississippi River Read More »
