That's a wrap!

I decided making the full trip down the Missouri River this year just wasn't in the cards for me. Before I left on this trip I told myself I'd take my time and stop in lots of towns along the way. But now I'm on a tight schedule to get back home before my granddaughter flys back out of state. I decided it was more important to head home rather than finishing the trip. 

So I spent all day in Hermann Missouri Friday and camped there for a second night. I rode a bicycle all around town and met lots of fun people. It was Octoberfest there so the whole town was in party mode. When I woke up Saturday morning I got a ride to the rental car place and picked up an SUV. I then drove it back to Hermann, loaded my boat, and headed for home. 

Even though I didn't make it all the way to St. Louis, this trip was still exactly what I needed in my life. I wish pictures could do those river sunsets justice. Thank you all for following along on my trip, and who knows maybe I'll be back on the river again next year. 

Cheers to the Muddy Mo!

-Ted

Day 8- October 8th

Today was a speedy day. Before I went on this trip I told myself I was going to do it in a real leisurely way. Taking my time, stopping in towns, and catching up with river friends. But since I took all that time off to go back home now I'm in a rush. So instead of stopping in all the towns today I only stopped in Portland MO. I stayed there for about an hour and got back on the river. Tonight I'm camping in Hermann MO. 

The boat is still leaking a bit, I'll have to do a full patch job on it this winter. Hermann is one of my favorite towns to camp in. Right on the river and there is always something going on here. Their city park has a real nice cheap campground too but it's a little too farfrom the river for me. 

Day 7- Tuesday October 7th

Today I woke up, packed up my camp, and headed for Rocheport for breakfast. I climbed the bank up onto the Katy trail, just north of the I-70 bridge. Theres a little cafe in that town where I got breakfast and some coffee and chatted with the locals and tourists that were biking the trail. One couple I met was from Puerto Rico.

After that, I got back in my boat and heading down the river. I drifted along with a few people today. One guy in a canoe and then some people in a John boat. At one point on the river, I turned and bend and could see something odd in the riverway up ahead of me. I got my binoculars out to see it better and I still couldn't tell what it was. As I got closer I realized it was a barge full of wind turbine parts, like 25 of them all stacked up. Tonight I camped near Jeff City and made a river and sat outside for a bit before I went to sleep. Loving this nice day and night weather. 

Day 6- Tuesday October 6

Back on the river!! I patched my boat as best I could and decided it was time to get back to my trip. Last night I had a friend drive me back down to Glasgow where I camped and left first thing in the morning. Today the weather was perfect, with sunshine and no wind. My boat was still leaking today so about 4 miles after I put in I stopped on a sandbar, unloaded the boat, and ducked tapped the bottom. After that, it was just a real slow leak. I brought sponges with me to soak up the water leaking in and I just wring them out every once in a while. I went about 40 miles today and I'm camping right near Rocheport Missouri tonight. 

Day 5- September 28th No paddling today

This morning I crawled out of my tent and took a look at my gear. Everything was sopping wet from the day and night before. There was a hole in my boat and my spirits were low. At this point, I had paddled 200 miles.

I realized it would take days for all my gear to dry out and there is no laundry mat in Glasgow Missouri. The only way I'd be able to dry my stuff was with sunshine. Looking at the forecast ahead there were cloudy days and a frost coming later in the week. knowing that, I decided it was time to go home. 

I found a guy in town to take me back to St. Joseph Missouri and drop me off at a gas station. Then from there I got a ride back home. 

I'm back in Perry now, my gear is hanging out on the line and I'm weighing my options for maybe getting back on the river after resetting things here at home. 

Day 4- September 27th

Today was rough. It rained- poured- from 12 noon on. Lighting and thunder all around me and constant wind gusts. I was the only boat on the river.

I had my spray cover on, but everything in my boat got soaked. I was in the middle of nowhere so I couldn't stop paddling. I had to keep going to the next town, Glasgow Missouri. From where I camped Glasgow was another 60 miles but I had to make it there so I could dry my clothes and gear out in town. It was the most miles I've ever paddled in one day. 

Tonight I slept in wet clothes, in a wet sleeping bag, with a wet pillow in a wet tent. 

Day 3- September 26th

I got up this morning and got paddling again. Ran into two guys at a boat ramp who was doing a short trip from KC to Waverly Missouri, drinking all the way! Next, I had a friend from Lexington Missouri, Christine come down to the river and bring me coffee and a donut. 

The wind was blowing all day today- 20 to 30 mph gusts! I ended the day by finding the best camp spot. I made a campfire and relaxed after paddling all day. The picture of my campsite is below.

Day 2- September 25th 2020

Yesterday I ended up camping two miles downriver from Parkville Missouri on a dried mud bar. Before I went to sleep I set out my fishing pole just to see if anything would bite. About an hour after I put it out the line started going out and it just kept going and going. So I got out of my tent as fast as I could (didn't even have time to get my artificial leg back on) and started reeling it in. It ended up being a 15 lb blue cat! He took out about a foot of line for every pound he weighed, so it was a battle getting him reeled in.

It was pretty dark when I got back in my tent and I noticed an animal in the grass on the river shelf above where I was camped. I could hear it through the night in my tent but never got to figure out what it was. 

This morning I paddled hard because I had a goal set of getting to a restaurant, catfish charlies, for dinner. As I was paddling the 50 miles downstream to get there I passed through downtown KC under all the bridges. Then, farther outside of the city, I scared a few fishermen. They always have their poles cast downriver and they never hear me coming. I always get a chuckle out of their surprised reaction when they hear me say "how you doing today" just a few feet away from them. 

I also saw a lot of bald eagles today, nesting and criss-crossing the river. Beautiful birds! As I was paddling later in the day my eyes also caught another interesting thing on the bank, a suitcase. It was completeltly chained, padlocked and covered in mud from being drug down the river. Could have been full of money, but I didn't stop to investigate. 

When I finally got to Catfish Charlies I was BEAT from all the paddling. So I set up camp and went up to the restaurant patio and ordered a catfish dinner and 2 miller lites to start off. 

Day of departure - September 24th 2020

I've been preparing for this trip for the last couple months and today is FINALLY the day. It's also my birthday- what a way to celebrate!

I made sure I had everything packed up in my truck last night so this morning I could just get up and go. I headed to atchison real early this morning and talked with some people there before unloading my boat and at the dock in town. I started paddling at about 8:30 am and it was like a breath of fresh air being back on the MIssouri river.

My boat and everything in it, including myself weighs 379 lbs. This time around I didn't bring anything to cook on, just a lot of good snack food. (canned meats, peanut butter and jelly, granola bars, fig newtons, dried/canned fruit, chips and some spice drop candies) Some of my other essential items are my radio, binoculars, good quality dry bags, a new tent, and lots of post cards I pre-addressed to send out to friends and family. 

I had a head wind today and only made it to about interstate 435 by 5pm. I decided to press on for awhile in hopes of getting farther down the river tonight. As of 5:15 I'm still paddling but I'll give an update tomorrow on where I camped my first night.

I'll be posting daily updates for you all through the end of my trip, thanks for following along on my adventure! -Ted