Daily Updates and Pictures - Sunday, May 11, 2003 - Day 2 starts at 6 AM
Mississippi River Challenge for Rett Syndrome and Leukodystrophy, 2003
Guinness Record Setting Event for 2 different rare diseases!
PADDLER LOG FROM BOB BRADFORD AND CLARK EID MAY 11 2003
(BB) Near 2:00 am, we arrived at Reese landing on the river right just inside of Lake Winni. Lucky for that our crew had the Greatland laser signaling light. It made it easy to find them. It was a little difficult getting into the shore because the waves were breaking and it was raining. Our crew had hot stew in "Thermos Work" brand food bottles for us.
(CE) We changed into dry clothes as soon as we landed. I kept my Kokatat drysuit on and Bob put on.his Kokatat paddle jacket and paddle pants. We had hoped it would have been calmer and knew that we couldn't attempt a direct crossing. The best alternative would be to paddle in the shelter of the north shore and slowly work our way to the dam. We pushed off and quickly took turns eating our stew as soon as we were in the lee of the northeast running shoreline.
(BB) We decided to go to the North shore to gain shelter from the strong North/Northwest wind and the large waves it was making. Our maps had the warning "Caution high Winds and Boat Waves Might Cause hazardous Conditions" which we knew were true.
(BB) Our plan was to paddle mostly north till we got far enough north to be protected by the shore line at lease close enough so we could paddle to shore if we needed to. We also had planned to go east as soon as possible if the wind seemed to be letting up. We had to be careful not to paddle into Sugar Lake or the Third River Flowage, which are both north of Resse Landing.
(BB) Near 2:00 am, we arrived at Reese landing on the river right just inside of Lake Winni. Lucky for that our crew had the Greatland laser signaling light. It made it easy to find them. It was a little difficult getting into the shore because the waves were breaking and it was raining. Our crew had hot stew in "Thermos Work" brand food bottles for us.
(CE) We changed into dry clothes as soon as we landed. I kept my Kokatat drysuit on and Bob put on.his Kokatat paddle jacket and paddle pants. We had hoped it would have been calmer and knew that we couldn't attempt a direct crossing. The best alternative would be to paddle in the shelter of the north shore and slowly work our way to the dam. We pushed off and quickly took turns eating our stew as soon as we were in the lee of the northeast running shoreline.
(BB) We decided to go to the North shore to gain shelter from the strong North/Northwest wind and the large waves it was making. Our maps had the warning "Caution high Winds and Boat Waves Might Cause hazardous Conditions" which we knew were true.
(BB) Our plan was to paddle mostly north till we got far enough north to be protected by the shore line at lease close enough so we could paddle to shore if we needed to. We also had planned to go east as soon as possible if the wind seemed to be letting up. We had to be careful not to paddle into Sugar Lake or the Third River Flowage, which are both north of Resse Landing.
Portage at/near Lake Winniigoshish Dam, the dam is AFTER crossing Lake Winnie, L to R, Clark EId, Bob Bradford May 11, 2003; Bill Pullen's camera
(BB) Sometime after an hour or so it seemed to let up a little. We decided to go east with the idea that could turn north if it got too windy again. Well, it got windy again, but it seemed to come up fast with lots of rain and white caps. The White Spume (the white foam) was jumping across the white caps and it was bad to turn sideways of the wind. Our canoe would rise then bang down over the crest and every time the bow would go under enough to bury the two bow lights on our canoe. The spray would hit me in the face. Clark and I did not talk much, but we both paddled very hard into the wind. We both watched and hoped we would see a tree line soon. I have no idea what our route actually was, but we sure spent a lot of time in Lake Winninbigoshish that night. We blew out both our expensive Night Rider bow lights, because of the submersions, well before sunrise.
(CE) We had paddled NNW for about 40 minutes and thought it was calm enough to veer east. We thought we could always turn back to the NNW if it got rough, but that was a mistake. After about 40 minutes, we started getting hit broadside with ever increasing larger waves, and the wind picked up. There was no choice but to turn toward the NNW and head toward shore. No shelter came and we soon realized that the weather, and our situation, had changed from bad to worse. The canoe tossed violently enough to propel the rudder upward, jamming itself into a useless position out of the water. We needed steerage in these conditions, and so several times I had to risk not paddling in order to hack it down with my paddle. The wind was picking up and the foam was jumping from wave to wave. Sometimes Bob's paddle would exit the water just as the wind would gust, lofting a blinding spray of water into my face. If we lost control, no self-rescue would be possible and we’d be pushed into the center of the enormous lake.
(CE) The conditions deteriorated even more. Bob and I couldn't talk to each other over the wind, but we both knew wasn't good and we just had to keep paddling. I remember watching in disbelief as the canoe’s bow was swallowed under an oncoming wall of a wave. Bob went underwater, too, and as silhouetted by a greenish glow cast from the bow lights. This happened a couple times before the bow lights finally blew out, leaving us with our headlamps. I started calculating what our survival times in the ice-cold water would be. My full dry suit would help, maybe I could be blown across the lake; but Bob was only in his two-piece paddle outfit and wouldn’t last long. How long could this continue? It’s true that all the best equipment in the world cannot protect you from yourself, but at least you’d be a nicely dressed corpse. Morbid thoughts mixed with pure adrenalin is a terrifying motivator!
(CE) I had been counting my paddle strokes from crest to crest, hoping for a change to signal that we were getting out of this mess. After a couple of hours of counting from 3 to 5 strokes per crest, an unexpected change came. The spacing became slightly longer, and then erratic because of an occasional wave coming in from the NNE. Suddenly, we were hit by a crescendo of several series of big waves generated from the combined crests of the two different wave sets. The water again covered Bob, washed back across the deck, and hit me in the chest. We floundered, dazed, for several minutes before getting our momentum back. We turned NNE to address the new assault head on.
(CE) The wind and waves finally diminished around 6:30 am, just south of Stony Point, which marks the eastern shore of the entrance into Third River Flowage. We had pushed for almost 3 hours since aborting our crossing. We didn't talk much at first. Bob kept the canoe going while I bailed the water that had forced its way under the spray-deck. My thermos had been floating in the icy water, so my coffee was cool, but its caffeine still was welcome. We thought the shore team would be worried and tried calling with the satellite phone, but couldn't get in touch with anyone. It was still windy so we tracked along the north shore, keeping out enough from the shore in order to take advantage of a quartering tail wind with some small waves.
(BB) Sunrise found us somewhere near Pigeon Dam lake, I believe. I know Clark would have liked to go to shore and have a cup of coffee but he drank it in the canoe instead. The wind was still picking up pretty good out there, so we decided to stay close to shore.
(CE) We had paddled NNW for about 40 minutes and thought it was calm enough to veer east. We thought we could always turn back to the NNW if it got rough, but that was a mistake. After about 40 minutes, we started getting hit broadside with ever increasing larger waves, and the wind picked up. There was no choice but to turn toward the NNW and head toward shore. No shelter came and we soon realized that the weather, and our situation, had changed from bad to worse. The canoe tossed violently enough to propel the rudder upward, jamming itself into a useless position out of the water. We needed steerage in these conditions, and so several times I had to risk not paddling in order to hack it down with my paddle. The wind was picking up and the foam was jumping from wave to wave. Sometimes Bob's paddle would exit the water just as the wind would gust, lofting a blinding spray of water into my face. If we lost control, no self-rescue would be possible and we’d be pushed into the center of the enormous lake.
(CE) The conditions deteriorated even more. Bob and I couldn't talk to each other over the wind, but we both knew wasn't good and we just had to keep paddling. I remember watching in disbelief as the canoe’s bow was swallowed under an oncoming wall of a wave. Bob went underwater, too, and as silhouetted by a greenish glow cast from the bow lights. This happened a couple times before the bow lights finally blew out, leaving us with our headlamps. I started calculating what our survival times in the ice-cold water would be. My full dry suit would help, maybe I could be blown across the lake; but Bob was only in his two-piece paddle outfit and wouldn’t last long. How long could this continue? It’s true that all the best equipment in the world cannot protect you from yourself, but at least you’d be a nicely dressed corpse. Morbid thoughts mixed with pure adrenalin is a terrifying motivator!
(CE) I had been counting my paddle strokes from crest to crest, hoping for a change to signal that we were getting out of this mess. After a couple of hours of counting from 3 to 5 strokes per crest, an unexpected change came. The spacing became slightly longer, and then erratic because of an occasional wave coming in from the NNE. Suddenly, we were hit by a crescendo of several series of big waves generated from the combined crests of the two different wave sets. The water again covered Bob, washed back across the deck, and hit me in the chest. We floundered, dazed, for several minutes before getting our momentum back. We turned NNE to address the new assault head on.
(CE) The wind and waves finally diminished around 6:30 am, just south of Stony Point, which marks the eastern shore of the entrance into Third River Flowage. We had pushed for almost 3 hours since aborting our crossing. We didn't talk much at first. Bob kept the canoe going while I bailed the water that had forced its way under the spray-deck. My thermos had been floating in the icy water, so my coffee was cool, but its caffeine still was welcome. We thought the shore team would be worried and tried calling with the satellite phone, but couldn't get in touch with anyone. It was still windy so we tracked along the north shore, keeping out enough from the shore in order to take advantage of a quartering tail wind with some small waves.
(BB) Sunrise found us somewhere near Pigeon Dam lake, I believe. I know Clark would have liked to go to shore and have a cup of coffee but he drank it in the canoe instead. The wind was still picking up pretty good out there, so we decided to stay close to shore.
L to R Clark Eid, Bob Bradford, after changing at Lake Winnibigoshish Dam; Mississippi River Challenge for Rett Syndrome and Leukodystrophy, May 2003; May 11, 2003; Camera used: Angie Phelps
(BB) When we came to our first cut to the left we both thought it was Plug Hat Point Campground, but after turning the corner and paddling into the huge waves for a ways, we realized it was Cutfoot Souix Lake. The wind was blowing hard from of the northeast and now we had to tum and run with the wind and waves. We did a good job of surfing, but it was tricky. Once out of the bay, we tried to stay along the shore and out of the really bad wind.
(BB) The last stretch to Plug Hat point was a southerly run and we had a real bad tail wind again. We were surfing again until we got to the left hand tum where the sandbar runs way out. Now we had to turn where the waves were the highest, risking a breach. I think we had people on shore betting if we would beach it or make a run for it. We landed at Winni dam around 9:30 am. This was three and a half hours behind my schedule, however it was ahead of the world record.
(CE) Surfing the canoe was very tricky in these big waves, especially since its center of mass was high because we were not heavily loaded. Complicating matters was that we had to run broadside into waves to make it around a large sandbar in order to reach the portage to the left of the dam. Bob couldn't see the waves as well as I could, so I called the "Huts!" to time with the mixture of broad-siding and rear quartering waves. Once I had my paddle on the left when a rogue wave came in from the rear right, and I improvised a high brace with my outstretched arm and torso. How we got to shore without tipping over still amazes me. We heard from the road crew that the local fishermen wouldn't have even considered going out on the lake in this weather, and were very concerned for our safety.
(BB) One of us had to sleep when we left the dam. It had been 27 1/2 hours since we started and neither of us had slept. Clark said he was too wired to sleep, so I did. I slept 16 miles, almost to Leech Lake River Access. It was 3:00 pm when we arrived.
(CE) Surfing the canoe was very tricky in these big waves, especially since its center of mass was high because we were not heavily loaded. Complicating matters was that we had to run broadside into waves to make it around a large sandbar in order to reach the portage to the left of the dam. Bob couldn't see the waves as well as I could, so I called the "Huts!" to time with the mixture of broad-siding and rear quartering waves. Once I had my paddle on the left when a rogue wave came in from the rear right, and I improvised a high brace with my outstretched arm and torso. How we got to shore without tipping over still amazes me. We heard from the road crew that the local fishermen wouldn't have even considered going out on the lake in this weather, and were very concerned for our safety.
(BB) One of us had to sleep when we left the dam. It had been 27 1/2 hours since we started and neither of us had slept. Clark said he was too wired to sleep, so I did. I slept 16 miles, almost to Leech Lake River Access. It was 3:00 pm when we arrived.
(CE) Once we portaged the canoe around the dam to the parking lot, I went off to change out of my wet fleece and dry suit. My clothes were soaked from sweet and it felt great to get into dry gear. I switched to my paddle jacket now that we were past the open waters of Lake Winni. I was so tired, but so wired that I didn't feel much like resting, so I kept paddling while Bob took a well-deserved sleep. I noticed swirls in the mud along the shoreline as I started paddling and wondered if this had once been some lettering in the mud done by a fisherman, now distorted from the action of the waves. Little did I know that this marked the beginning of a long set of visual hallucinations that I would experience for the next day. A little later downstream, I had to paddle the canoe a short distance along the western shore of Ball Club Lake. It was still windy and I had to head into some waves, sharply tum around a small headland, and then run with the waves back into the sheltered river. It was a bouncy ride, but Bob said that he didn't wake up during it.
(BB) After a brief stop at Leech Lake River Access, we pushed off and it was Clark's turn to sleep. He had paddled 34 hours straight.
(BB) After a brief stop at Leech Lake River Access, we pushed off and it was Clark's turn to sleep. He had paddled 34 hours straight.
Clark Eid paddles, Bob Bradford tries to sleep in forward cockpit May 11, 2003; Mississippi Challenge for Rett Syndrome and Leukodystrophy, May 2003; Angie Phelp's camera
Bob Bradford getting ready for his first sleep after Lake Winnibigoshish Dam, Clark, not seen, paddles; May 11, 2003, Mississippi Challenge for Rett Syndrome and Leukodystrophy, May 2003, Angie Phelp's camera
(CE) It was Mother's Day and I gave Mary a call when we stopped. It was nice to hear her voice. A friend of mine had delivered the flowers I had previously picked out.
(BB) Below the White Oaks Lake area, around river mile 1203, I met Neal Rietveld. He was fishing from a boat in front of his house at Rietveld Logan. He asked me some questions about what I was doing and then Clark popped up from his sleep. Neil signed my notebook and wished us well. Clark took a picture of us.
(CE) I had slept about 3 hours before I woke up to Bob talking with someone. I popped up and surprised Neal. He had mentioned that he had heard about the event on the radio and was real happy to have come across us. He left, but soon returned to offer us some money for the charity even. We thanked him for his offer, but suggested that he look at the website and send in his donation directly. The sun was out and I felt rested, so I stayed up to paddle. That may have been a mistake since my next rest would not come until we reached Jacobsen (mile 1143).
(BB) Blackwater Lake was not very windy. Clark and Kurt had found it very windy in the 2001 race. It seemed like we had traveled a long way before we finally found the turn. We had to go to the right and through the cattails in order to pass the power plant.
(CE) In 2001, Kurt and I had a nasty storm front while crossing Blackwater Lake, forcing us to seek shelter in the cattails. Bob and I passed the spot where Kurt and I had weathered the storm, and I could vividly remember the pain in my pulled the tendons in my right forearm, forcing me t bungee cord my paddle to my hand for the remainder of the day.
(BB) If was fairly dark when we arrived at Pokegama Dam. Tony Swenson was there to brief us on the next portage down and to give us our portage wheels.
(BB) Below the White Oaks Lake area, around river mile 1203, I met Neal Rietveld. He was fishing from a boat in front of his house at Rietveld Logan. He asked me some questions about what I was doing and then Clark popped up from his sleep. Neil signed my notebook and wished us well. Clark took a picture of us.
(CE) I had slept about 3 hours before I woke up to Bob talking with someone. I popped up and surprised Neal. He had mentioned that he had heard about the event on the radio and was real happy to have come across us. He left, but soon returned to offer us some money for the charity even. We thanked him for his offer, but suggested that he look at the website and send in his donation directly. The sun was out and I felt rested, so I stayed up to paddle. That may have been a mistake since my next rest would not come until we reached Jacobsen (mile 1143).
(BB) Blackwater Lake was not very windy. Clark and Kurt had found it very windy in the 2001 race. It seemed like we had traveled a long way before we finally found the turn. We had to go to the right and through the cattails in order to pass the power plant.
(CE) In 2001, Kurt and I had a nasty storm front while crossing Blackwater Lake, forcing us to seek shelter in the cattails. Bob and I passed the spot where Kurt and I had weathered the storm, and I could vividly remember the pain in my pulled the tendons in my right forearm, forcing me t bungee cord my paddle to my hand for the remainder of the day.
(BB) If was fairly dark when we arrived at Pokegama Dam. Tony Swenson was there to brief us on the next portage down and to give us our portage wheels.
(BB) We arrived a Blandin Paper Co. Dam and lucky for us, our crew had scouted out a better portage than we had planned to use. On the way out to the start, Clark, Janet and I had decided that we would have to portage at a steep takeout before we got to the barrier buoys. Our road crew had found one buoy gone and a sag in the cable on river left. All we had to do was to paddle across in front of the dam, turn back to the river right, and pull out on a low grassy bank in front of the dam. With their lights to guide us, it was easier than we had planned.
(CE) The takeout at Blandin Paper Co. Dam was a lot better than what we used in 2001, which was the usual route at river right, requiring an exit through a series of steel pipes sticking straight out of the water along a steep bank. The portage went smoothly and we departed around 11 :20 pm.
34. (BB) We portaged down the drive, across the bridge and down a hill to get back in the river. Once in the water, we had to quickly cross over to river left to take a small chute through some rapids. We ate while paddling, and then it was my turn to sleep. It got very cold that night. Al Rudquist and Fred Rayman were unable to meet us to paddle along with us like they had done in 2001 with Verlen and I. I found out in the morning that Clark had a lot of hallucinations during that night. He saw monsters and giant beavers in the mud banks.
(CE) It was clear, calm, and cold that night on the river, causing water vapor condensed on everything. The canoe looked like it had been through a rainstorm. A nearly full moon lit up the exposed shoreline, making it look like a bright ribbon. I would often round a river bend and see what looked like a tree laying across the water, and take evasive action, only to find that it wasn't a tree at all ... just the moonlit shore of the next bend, mirrored above and below by the dark woods.
(CE) I paddled alone till daybreak, and noticed that the mud and grass along the exposed riverbanks started to resemble things. It was like a child's game of seeing shapes of things in the clouds. At first, I could see things like the profile of a black lab, then of a bearded old man, then a monkey's face, then a monkey's face wearing Harry Potter-like glasses, then the 10 foot wide, giant face of a beaver. All this was so-so at the time, until I looked forward along the shore and saw a gallery full of strange things. I had to look down ... something wasn't right. I looked up again to see that a burnt stump on gallery left had transformed into a black Imperial Storm Trooper from Star Wars. This clearly wasn't right. I knew these were supposed to be white, not black. It wasn't long after this that Bob got up and we paddled into Jacobson Campground to meet our crew. When we departed, it my turn to sleep, having slept only 3 hours in the last 52 1/2 hours of paddling.
END OF PADDLER LOG FROM BOB BRADFORD AND CLARK EID MAY 11 2003
(CE) The takeout at Blandin Paper Co. Dam was a lot better than what we used in 2001, which was the usual route at river right, requiring an exit through a series of steel pipes sticking straight out of the water along a steep bank. The portage went smoothly and we departed around 11 :20 pm.
34. (BB) We portaged down the drive, across the bridge and down a hill to get back in the river. Once in the water, we had to quickly cross over to river left to take a small chute through some rapids. We ate while paddling, and then it was my turn to sleep. It got very cold that night. Al Rudquist and Fred Rayman were unable to meet us to paddle along with us like they had done in 2001 with Verlen and I. I found out in the morning that Clark had a lot of hallucinations during that night. He saw monsters and giant beavers in the mud banks.
(CE) It was clear, calm, and cold that night on the river, causing water vapor condensed on everything. The canoe looked like it had been through a rainstorm. A nearly full moon lit up the exposed shoreline, making it look like a bright ribbon. I would often round a river bend and see what looked like a tree laying across the water, and take evasive action, only to find that it wasn't a tree at all ... just the moonlit shore of the next bend, mirrored above and below by the dark woods.
(CE) I paddled alone till daybreak, and noticed that the mud and grass along the exposed riverbanks started to resemble things. It was like a child's game of seeing shapes of things in the clouds. At first, I could see things like the profile of a black lab, then of a bearded old man, then a monkey's face, then a monkey's face wearing Harry Potter-like glasses, then the 10 foot wide, giant face of a beaver. All this was so-so at the time, until I looked forward along the shore and saw a gallery full of strange things. I had to look down ... something wasn't right. I looked up again to see that a burnt stump on gallery left had transformed into a black Imperial Storm Trooper from Star Wars. This clearly wasn't right. I knew these were supposed to be white, not black. It wasn't long after this that Bob got up and we paddled into Jacobson Campground to meet our crew. When we departed, it my turn to sleep, having slept only 3 hours in the last 52 1/2 hours of paddling.
END OF PADDLER LOG FROM BOB BRADFORD AND CLARK EID MAY 11 2003
Road Crew and friends wait at leech Lake/River Access; Mississippi Challenge for Rett Syndrome and Leukodystrophy, May 2003; May 11, 2003; Photo from David Harrington
Mississippi Challenge for Rett Syndrome and Leukodystrophy, May 2003; From David Harrington; May 11, 2003
Text Updates from our Race Web Log During the race - Road Crew and Land Team Updates During the Race
Posted by Mary Potter at 7:09 AM:
I'm forwarding this from a David Harrington... a friendly paddler who was able to paddle with Clark and Bob a little bit yesterday:
Mary:
I went looking for the team upstream from Bemidji and was lucky enough to run into them in a tree clogged portion of the river. It's not exactly what comes to mind when thinking of the "mighty Mississippi". I paddled with them for a spell and took a few pictures with Clark's camera. They paddled on in to Bemidji, and I drove ahead and caught them there, where they stopped for quite a while, perhaps 30 minutes. There was a lot of fussing over gadgets on the boat, and the video camera was set up behind Clark. I don't know if they used it, however, and I think it came back off again at the next stop.
Everyone seemed to have a little niche, and there was quite a buzz at each of the stops. When we had stopped at the power dam earlier, they were 7-8 miles ahead of Krueger's record times. And, they were doing it in water that is much lower than normal for this time of the year. I paddled a bit with them on 2 more occasions, finally saying good-bye at Lake Andrusia around 8:30 p.m. They were cruising right along. I was paddling as hard as I could and could barely keep up. And of course I only paddled hard for 20 minutes at a time.
The weather wasn't the best, with brisk north winds on the day they paddled the stretch of the river that flows north. It was wet, but not overly so, and it actually was cool enough so they shouldn't have overheated. The winds are not too bad, which should allow them to go straight across Winnie, which would be a big time saver.
I took a dozen photos or so, and hope to have them developed as early as tomorrow. I'll send them your way when I can.
David Harrington, Bemidji, MN
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Posted by Andrew Gribble at 10:28 AM:
After a rough overnight crossing of Lake Winny, the paddlers arrived at Winny Dam a few minutes ago. Very cold, very windy here. No rain at the moment but dark clouds can be seen in all directions.
All in good spirits; Bob & Clark just had a hot meal and a change of clothes, and are preparing to depart via the boat ramp below the dam.
Twenty miles ahead of world record pace, according to the stats from findu.com
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Posted by Mary Potter at 4:24 PM
Just heard from Clark - he said the crossing at Lake Winnie was quite rough, couldn't really go into it, just said it was very rough. He said he has not slept since the start, and was going to sleep now. He called around 3:05 PM CST and was at mile marker 1217. He said everyone was fine.
Posted by Mary Potter at 7:09 AM:
I'm forwarding this from a David Harrington... a friendly paddler who was able to paddle with Clark and Bob a little bit yesterday:
Mary:
I went looking for the team upstream from Bemidji and was lucky enough to run into them in a tree clogged portion of the river. It's not exactly what comes to mind when thinking of the "mighty Mississippi". I paddled with them for a spell and took a few pictures with Clark's camera. They paddled on in to Bemidji, and I drove ahead and caught them there, where they stopped for quite a while, perhaps 30 minutes. There was a lot of fussing over gadgets on the boat, and the video camera was set up behind Clark. I don't know if they used it, however, and I think it came back off again at the next stop.
Everyone seemed to have a little niche, and there was quite a buzz at each of the stops. When we had stopped at the power dam earlier, they were 7-8 miles ahead of Krueger's record times. And, they were doing it in water that is much lower than normal for this time of the year. I paddled a bit with them on 2 more occasions, finally saying good-bye at Lake Andrusia around 8:30 p.m. They were cruising right along. I was paddling as hard as I could and could barely keep up. And of course I only paddled hard for 20 minutes at a time.
The weather wasn't the best, with brisk north winds on the day they paddled the stretch of the river that flows north. It was wet, but not overly so, and it actually was cool enough so they shouldn't have overheated. The winds are not too bad, which should allow them to go straight across Winnie, which would be a big time saver.
I took a dozen photos or so, and hope to have them developed as early as tomorrow. I'll send them your way when I can.
David Harrington, Bemidji, MN
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Posted by Andrew Gribble at 10:28 AM:
After a rough overnight crossing of Lake Winny, the paddlers arrived at Winny Dam a few minutes ago. Very cold, very windy here. No rain at the moment but dark clouds can be seen in all directions.
All in good spirits; Bob & Clark just had a hot meal and a change of clothes, and are preparing to depart via the boat ramp below the dam.
Twenty miles ahead of world record pace, according to the stats from findu.com
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Posted by Mary Potter at 4:24 PM
Just heard from Clark - he said the crossing at Lake Winnie was quite rough, couldn't really go into it, just said it was very rough. He said he has not slept since the start, and was going to sleep now. He called around 3:05 PM CST and was at mile marker 1217. He said everyone was fine.
Red is start and finish, green is currect location approximately.
Mary Potter Writes:
Weather May 11, 2003 Weather update from the National Weather Bureau for Hibbing, MN on Sunday night, 5/11/2003.
Tonight. Windy. With clearing skies overnight. Lows 30 to 35. North winds 20 to 30 mph. Gusting to 35 mph. Decreasing to 10 to 20 mph after midnight.
Monday. Mostly sunny. Highs 60 to 65. Northwest winds 10 to 20 mph.
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Posted by Mary Potter at 5:20 PM
Looks like the team is West and just a little South of Hibbing, MN as of this writing
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posted by Mary Potter at 5:25 PM
After getting a friendly email from Steve Dimse of findu.com, I've updated the Where Are They Now Page to show the our Team Hope's progress (2003) vs. the 1984 record (1984) at about the equivalent time. Thanks Steve! The maps show we are quite a bit ahead at this time! Very exciting!
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Posted by Jean Pullen at 6:12 PM
Spoke with my husband, Bill Pullen, earlier today (approx. 12:30pm CDT). The paddlers were ahead of schedule (about 20 miles) and everyone was doing well and in good spirits. That was about all the time we had to talk. As I hear more, I'll relay the info.
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Posted by Dana Hanson at 8:23 PM
Talked with Stan about 7:30pm CT. He said all the land crew was doing fine and trying to catch a wink, or at least do some heavy resting. They are at Grand Rapids MN and expect the paddlers at 9pm.
Our trailer has returned to Stan. Somehow they figured out a way to fix the loaner truck so it could tow the trailer. Tammy & her husband have already headed for home. Then on Tuesday, they will return and re-hook up to the trailer. Stan will then drive to the Domino Ford dealership to pick up our Expedition. Once he gets back to the crew, he'll re-take possession of the trailer. Sounds like musical trailers to me. Or what was that other kids game -- stone, stone, who's got the stone? Oh well, at least they know what's going on!
Happy Mother's Day wishes were abundant today. I hope all our readers had memorable days as well.
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Posted by Andrew M. Gribble at 8:20 PM
After a blustery day, the wind is finally dying down. The road crew is waiting for the paddlers in Grand Rapids, MN, near the Blandin Paper Dam. We expect them around 10 PM tonight.
The sun is shining for the first time since the start of the race, though it is still a bit chilly (lows in the 40s tonight).
We plan on feeding Bob & Clark KFC chicken, biscuits and coleslaw when they get here tonight.
The water at the Dam is much lower than it was in 2001. It makes me wonder what Sauk Rapids looks like this year...
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Weather May 11, 2003 Weather update from the National Weather Bureau for Hibbing, MN on Sunday night, 5/11/2003.
Tonight. Windy. With clearing skies overnight. Lows 30 to 35. North winds 20 to 30 mph. Gusting to 35 mph. Decreasing to 10 to 20 mph after midnight.
Monday. Mostly sunny. Highs 60 to 65. Northwest winds 10 to 20 mph.
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Posted by Mary Potter at 5:20 PM
Looks like the team is West and just a little South of Hibbing, MN as of this writing
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posted by Mary Potter at 5:25 PM
After getting a friendly email from Steve Dimse of findu.com, I've updated the Where Are They Now Page to show the our Team Hope's progress (2003) vs. the 1984 record (1984) at about the equivalent time. Thanks Steve! The maps show we are quite a bit ahead at this time! Very exciting!
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Posted by Jean Pullen at 6:12 PM
Spoke with my husband, Bill Pullen, earlier today (approx. 12:30pm CDT). The paddlers were ahead of schedule (about 20 miles) and everyone was doing well and in good spirits. That was about all the time we had to talk. As I hear more, I'll relay the info.
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Posted by Dana Hanson at 8:23 PM
Talked with Stan about 7:30pm CT. He said all the land crew was doing fine and trying to catch a wink, or at least do some heavy resting. They are at Grand Rapids MN and expect the paddlers at 9pm.
Our trailer has returned to Stan. Somehow they figured out a way to fix the loaner truck so it could tow the trailer. Tammy & her husband have already headed for home. Then on Tuesday, they will return and re-hook up to the trailer. Stan will then drive to the Domino Ford dealership to pick up our Expedition. Once he gets back to the crew, he'll re-take possession of the trailer. Sounds like musical trailers to me. Or what was that other kids game -- stone, stone, who's got the stone? Oh well, at least they know what's going on!
Happy Mother's Day wishes were abundant today. I hope all our readers had memorable days as well.
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Posted by Andrew M. Gribble at 8:20 PM
After a blustery day, the wind is finally dying down. The road crew is waiting for the paddlers in Grand Rapids, MN, near the Blandin Paper Dam. We expect them around 10 PM tonight.
The sun is shining for the first time since the start of the race, though it is still a bit chilly (lows in the 40s tonight).
We plan on feeding Bob & Clark KFC chicken, biscuits and coleslaw when they get here tonight.
The water at the Dam is much lower than it was in 2001. It makes me wonder what Sauk Rapids looks like this year...
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Posted by Tammy Hanson at 9:15 PM (Rett mom and team roadie)
Before I write about todays adventure with Team Hope, I have to add something about the morning of the start. We were leaving the headwaters around 6:15 am or so and stopped at a little convenience store for some directions and when we pulled out a tan Chrysler conversion van went by. We had 3 vehicles with us, my parents, and Chuck and Lisa Evert who were the other Rett parents there for the start. Well, as we were going down the highway, we caught up to the tan van and it said "Kruger Canoes....Mississippi River Rett Research challenge" or something like that and I said "That is Verlen Kruger"! I met Verlen at the first race 2 years ago and didn't realize what a legend he was until after the race started and I did some reading about him. Well, if anyone doesn't already know this, he has canoed UP the Mississippi. We pulled over and rolled down our window and his wife Jenny was driving, then Verlen popped his head up from the back seat and I was so excited to see him. I have always wanted to get that chance to visit with him about his extraordinary adventures he has been on over the years.
Well, today I got that chance, my husband, Bob and I went to the headwaters to bring Stan's camper to the road crew about oh, 70 road miles away. When we got to the landing where the road crew was, it was only about 1:00 and the paddlers weren't expected until 4:00. Verlen and Jenny were there and we got the chance to hear alot of good river stories from Verlen and tell them a little bit about our daughter Rachel. I didn't think we could stick around until Bob and Clark got there so around 2:45 we started to get ready to leave. Some of the road crew were zonked out sleeping just about anywhere, I guess after being up over 24 hours straight sleeping on the ground under a blanket will work just fine :-). When we were about ready to say goodbye at 3:00 someone yelled "Here they are" so we ended up getting to see them afterall. We headed home and they were moving on to Grand Rapids.
We are planning to meet up with them again tomorrow evening when they are in our town of Aitkin.
-from Tammy Hanson
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Posted by Mary Potter at 9:24 PM
Well, as I'm heading off to bed, I'm thankful this Mother's Day that my daugher, Amanda, who has Rett Syndrome, fell asleep for the 1st time in about 6 months without having a seizure. She has been home bound from school with seizures for some time, we think in part due to puberty and of course, in large part due to Rett syndrome. A nice Mother's Day present. Recent medications we are working with do appear to be "the key" we were looking for to control the seizures, but it's been a long fall, winter and spring for our family. I am hoping she may be seizure free by the end of the race - that would be a nice Father's Day present for Clark when he returns home after this long journey. Happy mom's day to all you moms out there who care for someone who needs that special mom's love..... and special thanks to Team Hope and to everyone who has made this race possible.
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Posted by Andrew M. Gribble at 11:57 PM
Angie Phelps writes:
They were running four hours behind Bob's 19 day 15 hour schedule at Winny Dam, and they were only three hours behind at the next scheduled stop. Now they're only two hours and fifteen minutes behind Bob's schedule, as of their arrival at Cohassett Dam.
Tonight the road crew goes 40 river miles downstream and gets a good long rest. (Bob ordered it.)
Before I write about todays adventure with Team Hope, I have to add something about the morning of the start. We were leaving the headwaters around 6:15 am or so and stopped at a little convenience store for some directions and when we pulled out a tan Chrysler conversion van went by. We had 3 vehicles with us, my parents, and Chuck and Lisa Evert who were the other Rett parents there for the start. Well, as we were going down the highway, we caught up to the tan van and it said "Kruger Canoes....Mississippi River Rett Research challenge" or something like that and I said "That is Verlen Kruger"! I met Verlen at the first race 2 years ago and didn't realize what a legend he was until after the race started and I did some reading about him. Well, if anyone doesn't already know this, he has canoed UP the Mississippi. We pulled over and rolled down our window and his wife Jenny was driving, then Verlen popped his head up from the back seat and I was so excited to see him. I have always wanted to get that chance to visit with him about his extraordinary adventures he has been on over the years.
Well, today I got that chance, my husband, Bob and I went to the headwaters to bring Stan's camper to the road crew about oh, 70 road miles away. When we got to the landing where the road crew was, it was only about 1:00 and the paddlers weren't expected until 4:00. Verlen and Jenny were there and we got the chance to hear alot of good river stories from Verlen and tell them a little bit about our daughter Rachel. I didn't think we could stick around until Bob and Clark got there so around 2:45 we started to get ready to leave. Some of the road crew were zonked out sleeping just about anywhere, I guess after being up over 24 hours straight sleeping on the ground under a blanket will work just fine :-). When we were about ready to say goodbye at 3:00 someone yelled "Here they are" so we ended up getting to see them afterall. We headed home and they were moving on to Grand Rapids.
We are planning to meet up with them again tomorrow evening when they are in our town of Aitkin.
-from Tammy Hanson
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Posted by Mary Potter at 9:24 PM
Well, as I'm heading off to bed, I'm thankful this Mother's Day that my daugher, Amanda, who has Rett Syndrome, fell asleep for the 1st time in about 6 months without having a seizure. She has been home bound from school with seizures for some time, we think in part due to puberty and of course, in large part due to Rett syndrome. A nice Mother's Day present. Recent medications we are working with do appear to be "the key" we were looking for to control the seizures, but it's been a long fall, winter and spring for our family. I am hoping she may be seizure free by the end of the race - that would be a nice Father's Day present for Clark when he returns home after this long journey. Happy mom's day to all you moms out there who care for someone who needs that special mom's love..... and special thanks to Team Hope and to everyone who has made this race possible.
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Posted by Andrew M. Gribble at 11:57 PM
Angie Phelps writes:
They were running four hours behind Bob's 19 day 15 hour schedule at Winny Dam, and they were only three hours behind at the next scheduled stop. Now they're only two hours and fifteen minutes behind Bob's schedule, as of their arrival at Cohassett Dam.
Tonight the road crew goes 40 river miles downstream and gets a good long rest. (Bob ordered it.)
Clark goes to sleep; Mississippi Challenge for Rett Syndrome and Leukodystrophy, May 2003; May 11, 2003; Photo from David Harrington