Mississippi Backwaters

Mississippi Backwaters: Galena River Hyw 20 Bridge to Blanding Landing

7 hours
12 river miles

An all day adventure. The small islands on the Mississippi are constantly changing and some are not even on the map. We couldn't resist exploring one particular island near Chestnut Mountain Ski Resort. Lotus flowers, flowering rush, and arrowheads. I use the iNat app to help me ID the plants (www.inaturalist.org is a citizen science platform... you can too).

The biggest challenge of this stretch of river was the wind hitting us from the south. Even with the downstream current of the Mississippi, the southern wind pushed us north. To avoid this, we hugged the shore on the upwind side of the islands. Speed boats, barges, and tour ferries were fun to watch too. Lots of river traffic. Don't worry, they tend to stay in the main channels far from the little kayaks along the shore. It is important, however, for paddlers to keep watch of the speed boats as they may not see you if they are in "party mode." Be careful and friendly. You might inspire them to take up a quieter river sport. 

Things I loved about the non-human elements of this river include:
- Lotus flowers! Holy shit. Mind blowing
- Extremely abundant happy bird sounds near the delta of the Galena River
- Panorama views of the green hills surrounding us
- Sandy beach treasures

Now, for the human element...

Khushali and I are so proud of ourselves for this one. 12 river miles! Before the trip, I estimated that it would take us about 6 hours at a conservative 2 miles per hour. I did not know much about how the current and wind would effect our speed, so we acknowledged this big unknown and planned to be surprised. 

We stopped on one shady island to have lunch and explore. I really got lucky with my kayaking buddy... she brings the best food! I usually bring a GORP mix because it's high energy and easy to carry. Khushali brought dhokla with curry and marsala seasoned sweet corn! I can't believe how lucky I am. 

Sunday, July 26th, 2020 was the day of this trip.

*Definitely bring long pants and socks if you plan to walk around the wooded islands. Poison ivy galore! If you know what it looks like, you can walk around the plants like I did. But it was very very difficult to avoid.