July 23 - East of Boonville to Gasconade, MO
Off and paddling at about 6:00AM. Tough, tough morning. I started out thinking I will be making this a short day. The heated started early and by 9:00 I needed to pull over for a break. I stopped just short of Jefferson City and took about a 30 minute break. (Can not remember the name of the town that was a mile away, but a couple said it was the pumpkin capitol of MO)
Felt better after the break and continued on toward Jefferson only to stop again at the boat ramp in Jefferson for another break. Did not start up again until 1:00 after having something to eat and a lot of water I was feeling a whole lot better. I also called Jim and he was on his way to Columbia from Kansas City. We decided we would try and hook up downstream and spend the night at Herman, MO if I could make it at least somewhere close to it.
So off I went, still needing to make a good 40 to 50 miles if I had any chance to meet Jim.
At the mouth of the Osage river that entered into the Missouri I came upon a large group of people gathered on a huge sandbar. There must have been over 50 people all having a great time swimming, playing volleyball, barbequeing. I left with a huge hunk of homemade deer sausage and 4 beers! Dear sausage was great, beer will keep for another time! Water will be the key to keeping me going.
As I continued, finding Jim was going to be tough for my cell phone went dead. There were two boat landings that I was possibly going to meet him at but he was at neither. At the last one I pulled in to a little town called Portland. At the landing were two guys, one in a raft and the other in a canoe. They had started at the Osage River and were slowly working their way to St. Louis.
Just taking their time and enjoying each day. (Wish I could do that, but not in my make-up!)
I was able to get a bite to eat and charge my phone a little before I pushed off from Portland. About a mile down the river I was able get hold of Jim. He said he'd left Portland about an hour earlier and was now at a motel in Portland. Told me he'd come and get me, but I said no that I'd try and make it to Gasconade which was about 7 miles from Herman. (Real reason I had to continue to try and make Gasconade was it is tough for me to go backwards!)
Well, now I had to still make over 18 miles to get there and it was after 7:00PM. To make a long story shorter, I made it at 10:00, but only by luck. I almost went right by it because Gasconade was in a bay to the south and just before I was passing the bay I turned around for some reason and saw a light about a mile or so down the bay. This time I did turn around! Took forever to paddle back upstream to the bay but did find Jim waiting for me.
We stuffed my canoe and gear into the woods and headed for the motel in Herman.
Another long day was over, but a good one. Plus, a bed tonight, although I will have to put up with some snoring,,, it will not faze me tonight
Felt better after the break and continued on toward Jefferson only to stop again at the boat ramp in Jefferson for another break. Did not start up again until 1:00 after having something to eat and a lot of water I was feeling a whole lot better. I also called Jim and he was on his way to Columbia from Kansas City. We decided we would try and hook up downstream and spend the night at Herman, MO if I could make it at least somewhere close to it.
So off I went, still needing to make a good 40 to 50 miles if I had any chance to meet Jim.
At the mouth of the Osage river that entered into the Missouri I came upon a large group of people gathered on a huge sandbar. There must have been over 50 people all having a great time swimming, playing volleyball, barbequeing. I left with a huge hunk of homemade deer sausage and 4 beers! Dear sausage was great, beer will keep for another time! Water will be the key to keeping me going.
As I continued, finding Jim was going to be tough for my cell phone went dead. There were two boat landings that I was possibly going to meet him at but he was at neither. At the last one I pulled in to a little town called Portland. At the landing were two guys, one in a raft and the other in a canoe. They had started at the Osage River and were slowly working their way to St. Louis.
Just taking their time and enjoying each day. (Wish I could do that, but not in my make-up!)
I was able to get a bite to eat and charge my phone a little before I pushed off from Portland. About a mile down the river I was able get hold of Jim. He said he'd left Portland about an hour earlier and was now at a motel in Portland. Told me he'd come and get me, but I said no that I'd try and make it to Gasconade which was about 7 miles from Herman. (Real reason I had to continue to try and make Gasconade was it is tough for me to go backwards!)
Well, now I had to still make over 18 miles to get there and it was after 7:00PM. To make a long story shorter, I made it at 10:00, but only by luck. I almost went right by it because Gasconade was in a bay to the south and just before I was passing the bay I turned around for some reason and saw a light about a mile or so down the bay. This time I did turn around! Took forever to paddle back upstream to the bay but did find Jim waiting for me.
We stuffed my canoe and gear into the woods and headed for the motel in Herman.
Another long day was over, but a good one. Plus, a bed tonight, although I will have to put up with some snoring,,, it will not faze me tonight
posted by Coach at 4:57 PM
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