The paddling season started early this year, with the departure of the Rediscover North Ameri-

ca Expedition at the Gulf of Mexico on January 2 (see Big River, May-June 2015). Six paddlers launched their three canoes into the Gulf of Mexi-co, then proceeded up the Atchafala-ya River to the Mississippi. There they turned their canoes into the swift cold waters of the Mississippi and paddled all the way to the mouth of the Min-nesota River at St. Paul. Fortunately the river was unusually low last spring, but cold weather, snow and ice slowed their progress at times. The expedition crossed Minnesota via the Minneso-ta and Red rivers and then followed a maze of big lakes and rivers in Canada to reach the Arctic Ocean September 2, after paddling 5,230 miles.

Another ambitious paddler, Steve

Posselt, attempted a similar trip from the Gulf on March 3 and struggled with high water until reaching Mem-phis on April 11. There Steve quit the river and continued his adventure on bicycle — peddling into New York City on June 21.

In 2015, at least 51 thru-paddlers started at the source of the Mississip-pi River, Lake Itasca, from just after ice-out in mid-May through early Sep-tember. One notable paddler, Dale Sanders, who had just turned 80, start-ed with three friends and a film crew on May 15. They battled snow storms and cold windy weather early in their trip near Bemidji, Minn. Dale’s pad-dling partners had a hard time keeping up with him as he pursued his goal of reaching the Gulf in 80 days! Dale pad-dled into the Gulf on August 15 with at least three of the original team mem-bers — Richard Sojourner, Austin Gra-ham and Brad Tallent — raising more than $23,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Both Dale and Richard complet-ed their trips in 80 days of paddling. However, Richard took a break in late July at Vicksburg, Miss., due to heat

By John F. Sullivan

Mississippi River 2015 Thru-paddlers

Top: Richard Sojourner approaches Lock & Dam 5. (John Sullivan)

Above: Alyssum Pohl and Leanne Davis pass St. Louis. (Leanne Davis)

Dale Sanders paddles above Wabasha, Minn. (John Sullivan)

18 Big RiveR Magazine / January-February 2016

PAGE SERIESJAN. 14The Okee Dokee BrothersJAN. 27Trick BoxingFEB. 16Theatre IV presents 20,000 Leagues Under the SeaFEB. 18SolasMAR. 22The Jones Family Singers

TRICK BOXING

Tickets available now! pagetheatre.org n 507- 457-1715

Big River Magazine thanks its subscribers

and advertisers for another great year!

MINN.

WIS.

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Wisconsin River

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Maquoketa River

Wapsipinicon River

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Root River

Rock River

Wauzeka

Platteville

La Farge

Durand

River Falls

Rochester

Viroqua

St. Donatus

Frontenac

St. Paul

Minneapolis

Hager City

Muscatine

Elizabeth

Hastings

MolineDavenport

Rock Island

Bettendorf

Dubuque

Prairie du Chien

La Crosse

Winona

Red Wing

Buffalo CityFountain City

Victory

FerryvilleDesoto

Maiden RockStockholm

PepinNelson

Alma

Onalaska

GenoaWestbyStoddard

Lynxville

Minneiska

Hanover

Cordova

Clayton

Dickeyville

Glen Haven

Wyalusing

Reads Landing

Bagley

CassvillePotosi

East Dubuque

Galena

ThomsonFulton

Port ByronLeClaire

Camanche

Sabula

Bellevue

Guttenberg

Lansing

New Albin

Brownsville

La Crescent

WabashaKellogg

Lake City

Marquette

East Moline

Clinton

Savanna

McGregor

Harpers Ferry

Trempealeau

Diamond Bluff

Albany

Prescott

Bay City

Buffalo

North Buena Vista

BoscobelDecorah

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BigRiverMagazine.com

Explore the Mississippi from the Twin Cities to the Quad Cities

November-December 2015DUCK CAMP TRADITIONS

Railroads Get Tough on TrespassingSemester on the River

exhaustion, as heat indices approached 115 degrees. He returned to the river in October and completed the seg-ment from Vicksburg to Venice, La., paddling with Julie Haskel and Jake Travakoli as well as Scott Hite, a Mis-souri-Mississippi thru-paddler.

In 2014, Ellen McDonah was believed to be the first woman to solo paddle the Mississippi River from source to sea. This year four female paddlers, Annie Balthazar, Leanne Davis and Alyssum Pohl in kayaks and Nicole Brennan in a homemade wood-en canoe, paddled the river. Annie reached the Gulf on October 31. Leanne and Alyssum finished togeth-er on November 4. Nicole reached the Gulf on November 19.

About 10 Mississippi River thru-paddlers were still making their way downriver in late November. One paddler, Mike Hatfield, left La Crosse, Wis., just a few days before the sea-son’s first winter’s storm dumped loads of snow along parts of the Upper Mississippi River a week before Thanksgiving.

Dave Roberts faced a serious chal-lenge during his solo trip when he stopped at Brainerd, Minn., in mid-June to wash clothes, get on the inter-net at the local library then grab a bite to eat at a restaurant. When he returned to the landing, his canoe and all his gear were gone. However, with assistance from a network of friends, Dave managed to get back on the river four days later at Bohemian Flats, in Minneapolis. Dave finished his trip at Venice, La., about two months later. Unfortunately, none of his stolen gear was recovered.

The Lower Mississippi played a near deadly “trick” on Caleb Reynolds and Joshua Witham on Halloween near Hickman, Ky. They were crossing the wide channel to avoid barges and got caught in strong cross-winds. Their canoe quickly filled with water while some of their gear floated away or sank. Towboat workers rescued them. They were treated at the Union City, Tenn., emergency room, only an hour away from the their parents’ homes in Jack-son, Tenn. They spent 10 days recu-perating at their parents’ homes and replacing missing gear, then returned to the river to continue their adventure, with greater caution.

Several recent veterans paddled the river this year, searching for peace and tranquility, which the river is so will-ing to offer. They included previously

Above: David, Reggie and Amanda Mosse paddle past La Crosse, Wis. (John Sullivan)

Below: ”The Big Finish” (Leanne Davis)

(Thru-paddlers continues on page 31)

20 Big RiveR Magazine / January-February 2016

Wineries and Vineyards in the Upper Mississippi River Valley

MAIDEN ROCK WINERY & CIDERY

W12266 King LaneStockholm, WI 54769

715.448.3502 Land612.618.0512 Cell

www.maidenrockwinerycidery.cominfo@maidenrockwinerycidery.com

Presenting a unique collection of premium hard ciders & fruit wines, from fresh local fruit, flavored by Wisconsin.

Don’t forget to visit Danzinger Vineyards on the Alma Page and Garvin Heights Vineyards on the Winona Page.

At Elmaro Vineyard, our focus is on producing the best wines possible and providing an unmatched setting in which to enjoy them. Our family works together to make sure you have the best experience possible, whether it’s enjoying a

glass at the vineyard or in your own home.

Winery & tasting room hours:Tuesday-Thursday 12 - 6Friday & Saturday 10 - 7Sunday 12 - 5 Winter Hours: Jan 1- April 1Thurs. 12-6, Fri. & Sat. 10-7, Sun.12-5

ELMARO VINEYARD N14756 Delaney Rd. Trempealeau, WI

608-534-6456

Seven Hawks VineyardsFountain City, Wisconsin

(866) 946-3741 • (608) 687-9463 wines@sevenhawksvineyards.com • www.sevenhawksvineyards.com

mentioned paddlers Leanne Davis and Annie Balthazar, as well as Shawn Murphy, who finished his trip on the Atchafalaya at Morgan City, La., on October 30. Veterans Mark Fox and Bart Lindberg are still paddling. Casey Barfels, another veteran, departed from Lake Itasca with his son Carson. They completed their trip on July 22 at Appleton, Wis., after leaving the Mis-

sissippi and paddling up the Wisconsin River and descending the Fox.

I sometimes ask the thru-paddlers why they chose to paddle the Missis-sippi. Their responses are often similar. Jake Travakoli summarized it nicely, “The Mississippi River represented a chance to challenge myself and take on an iconic American adventure. The river splits our country down the mid-dle. As a child it was the first river I

learned how to spell. I wanted to take on a lengthy expedition and the Missis-sippi was able to do all of these things for me.” F

John F. Sullivan lives in La Crosse, Wis., and has paddled the length of the Mississippi and many other rivers. His last story for Big River was “Wild Rice Resurgence on the Mississippi River,” May-June 2015.

(Thru-paddlers continued from page 20)

January-February 2016 / Big RiveR Magazine 31