May 14 2001 10 Monday

2001 Race - May 14, 2001, Monday
The Great Mississippi River Race for Rett Syndrome, May 2001
We are Going the Extra Mile..... The Extra 2,348 Miles to Find a Cure!

Teams called in to Safety Officer between 5 and 7 AM

Team Name	Time Called	River Mile	Nearest City/State	Estimated Position
Alaska MSC	6:25 AM	Mile 845	Northern Lake Pepin	3rd
Amazons	Withdraws 5/12/01		Out at St. Cloud, MN	5th
Double Helix	5 AM	Mile 583	Dubuque, Iowa, L&D 11	Tied 1st/2nd
Kruger	5 AM Per Double Helix	Mile 583	Dubuque, Iowa, L&D 11	Tied 1st/2nd
Rebels	Withdraws 5/13/01		Out at Monticello, MN	4th

Updates/Comments Received 5-7AM calls:
From Safety Officer Elizabeth Tynan
It was a serene Sunday on the Mississippi. The five teams have now been reduced to three, but all of them are "mighty" in the sense of continuing on undaunted.
Team Double Helix:
Andrew's call at 5:00 beat the sunrise this morning. Still sleepy for some reason, I struggled to sound awake, aware, and at attention, not an easy feat in the dregs of dreamland (it only took five seconds). :) He said that Clark and Kurt were currently "tucked into their little beds" at camp, just below the Dubuque, IA, lock and dam at river mile 583, after having breakfasted at 4:00. Yesterday they struggled against strong headwinds all morning, then finally made good time in the afternoon and while paddling all through the night. Andrew said that he and the land crew were also preparing to sleep for awhile.
Team Alaskan/Rebels:
Everyone must be anxiously awaiting the results of the "audition" the Alaskans and two remaining Rebels paddlers gave each other yesterday. Good news! They were mutually acceptable to each other, joined forces at St. Anthony's Falls around 2:00, and are now buzzing down the river at even greater speeds to catch the "hares" at the front. Or is that "ribbit, ribbiting?" Kermit--the team's new "mean, green, paddling machine" will surely try hard to catch them.
Kerm said that at 6:25, paddlers Eric and Al were at river mile 845, just preparing to head down (hop?) to the top of Lake Pepin, after camping all night just across from the Minneapolis airport. For now, Kerm said, they will take things "day by day." Not a bad idea, after all the "adventure" of the last few days. Stay tuned, folks, to see if "Kermit" can catch the competition!
Team Kruger:
Currently, they have not yet called in.

Comments from Elizabeth Tynan, safety officer:
Earlier today, Lock and Dam 11 at Dubuque closed, as well as the number 12 pool and points beyond. Much of Iowa had 5 inches of rain last night, making the river dangerously swift. Around noon, Stan (co-captain of the Kruger Team) called to inform me of the situation, telling me that Team Kruger and Team Double Helix had both been stopped just below Lock and Dam 11 and told they could go no farther. I told him I would call the Coast Guard officials right away and ask for them to make special allowances for the Rett Race teams to portage dams and paddle the closed sections of river.
I asked Commander Ramirez in the Coast Guard Captain of the Port Office at St. Louis for special permission to keep paddling. (NOTE: He has final say on whether or not boat traffic is allowed on the Upper Mississippi.) After a few moments thought, he said he would allow our teams to portage the dams between Dubuque and Keokuk and paddle the closed sections of the river, but ONLY if all the teams officially in the race made the trip together. He also authorized two small powerboats to accompany them, but with the stipulation that they make "no wake." I thanked him and reassured him that we would comply with his words in every respect.
At midafternoon, I also contacted Kenton Spading and Andrew Gribble, both members of Team Double Helix, told them what had happened, and said their team shouldn't leave until they got the go-ahead from me personally.
I will discuss the situation with Team Alaska.
END OF SAFETY REPORT

Webmaster's note (Mary Potter, Event organizer/webmaster):
Per a conversation with Andrew Gribble from Team Double Helix, I do know that Team Kruger was currently with Team Double Helix this morning at Lock and Dam 11, but I do not recall the time of that phone call. My understanding is that Team Kruger arrived at the same location approximately 5 hours after Team Double Helix below Lock and Dam 11 and both teams were stopped at that point due to river closure. I will look at team logs later.

Teams called in to Safety Officer between 5 and 7 PM

Team Name	Time Called	River Mile	Nearest City/State	Estimated Position
Alaska MSC	7:20 AM		mid Lake Pepin, MN	3rd
Amazons	Withdraws 5/12/01		Out at St. Cloud, MN	5th
Double Helix	7 PM	Mile 583	Dubuque Iowa, L&D 11	Tied 1st/2nd
Kruger	7 PM	Mile 583	Dubuque Iowa, L&D 11	Tied 1st/2nd
Rebels	Withdraws 5/13/01		Out at Monticello, MN	4th

Updates/Comments Received, 5 to 7 PM Calls:
From Don Keller, official time keeper

Team Kruger
7:00 Dubuque Just below Lock and Dam # 11
Waiting for orders
Team Double Helix
5:20 Dubuque Just below Lock and Dam # 11
Waiting for orders
Team Alaska MSC-Rebels
7:20 Paddlers are 1 1/2 hours from Red Wing
Paddling this eve till Red Wing (mid Lake Pepin)
END OF SAFETY REPORT

Mary Potter, webmaster/event organizer writes after the race - Elizabeth Tynan, Safety Officer, called me sometime this evening after she had spoken to Team Alaska (after 7 PM). Although she had tried to contact Alaska earlier they could not be reached. Per the Coast Guard, teams were not allowed to continue at this point unless all teams were together - the Coast Guard was not going to allow the river to be open again "later" to Team Alaska if there was an issue. Alaska essentially said go ahead without them and they'd take their chances on the river being closed/open when they got to that same place. I'm paraphrasing.
Elizabeth Tynan, as our official Safety Officer, told me it was her decision at this point that both Team Kruger and Team Helix had to wait until morning to leave together. As the webmaster, I (Mary Potter) don't understand all the issues or risks involved in paddling the Mississippi River at any time, but I do know it was dark and conditions were extremely dangerous, and the paddlers did not know what they would be facing initially "in the dark". I also understand that the only reason the race was still on was because of Elizabeth Tynan and her diligent and respectful work with the Coast Guard. As the Safety Officer she was one of many officials who legitimized our Race for Rett Syndrome, and her decisions regarding Safety Issues were final. Rules state that all teams must follow the direction of the Safety Officer, or that judges can remove a team.
Everyone knew that both Team Kruger and Team Double Helix were also attempting to beat the 1989 Guinness record for time down the Mississippi River during our Race for Rett. This Guinness record attempt was not part of our race. We could not stop or encourage this record attempt. If was up to teams individually to follow Guinness guidelines on that issue. Safety is always first over speed or personal views, always. All teams were aware this was a "ruled" race, and had read or had access to the Safety Program online, and understood these rules applied to everyone at all times. Regardless, there was significant friction between some members of the teams and Elizabeth Tynan over this Safety decision to wait until morning to leave. I called Clark at this point, he said some people were yelling at him. He told me agreed with Elizabeth. That her decision on this matter was final. Teams were to wait until the morning as directed. He said without her the race would be over. I heard people arguing in the background. Clark hung up abruptly. He sounded exhausted.

Webmaster says - I don't have logs from all teams, I'll share what I have - MP

From Kent Spading, Team Double Helix Co Captain, Monday May 14, 2001
The paddlers locked through L/D #11. I’m sleeping at Dave’s house. At 4:30 am, Andrew called from Dubuque L/D #11. Clark and Kurt are there sleeping in Earl’s Canoe Shop. Andrew asked, “Is the river open?” I said call back at 8 am as the Coast Guard is closed now. At 7:45 am, Andrew called again-Clark wants to know-“What is the official word? Open or closed?” I called the Coast Guard in St. Louis. The river is closed. I then called the Corps contact in Rock Island (Steve Vacek). Indeed, the river is closed from Pool #12 (below L/D #11) to St. Louis. L/D #12 may open on the 18th. I called Andrew and filled him in.
Everyone is sitting tight at L/D #11 for now. Dave bought breakfast for us. We stopped at Radio Shack and a hardware store to by a fan for the kayak’s sleeping dome. We installed the fan unit in Dave’s garage. At 12:30 pm, Elizabeth called. The Coast Guard Commander in St. Lois said we can go IF the two boats travel together. At 1:20 pm, we are headed (Hans, Edith and Jeff) for Dubuque to meet the team. At 1:25 pm, Andrew called to say they are trying to get a hold of Team Alaska (at Lake Pepin) to see if they will agree to let Double Helix and Kruger go on to St. Louis. Team Alaska (now combined with Team Rebels members) would then have to deal with the closed river on their own. We plan on leaving L/D #11 at 4 pm. At 3 pm, we learn that we will have to delay our departure. Elizabeth says we cannot leave until she clears it with Team Alaska during the 5-7 pm safety check call (cannot find them now). This is all very frustrating. We are waiting for a team that is no longer in the race! Stan is also upset.
Elizabeth calls again to say we cannot paddle tonight but can paddle every night after that. She (and Hal) do not want to be responsible for tonight. On one hand, it makes sense but on the other hand it is not logical. I delivered the new to Clark at 8 pm that we are stuck until tomorrow morning. Elizabeth has said 7 am, and Clark says we will assume she means 7 am Eastern Time (her location) and that we’ll leave at 6 am!
End - From Kent Spading, Team Double Helix Co Captain, Monday May 14, 2001

Team Kruger - Bob Bradford Daily Log, Enhanced by Stan Hanson - May 14, 2001 Monday
(Webmaster says: continued from their log, this occurs sometime in the late evening of May 13 or early May 14)......When I got about half way across the pond, my spotlight on the bow began to grow dim. We had already burned Verlen's down to nothing. The headlamp that I used to read my map stopped working. Now I would have to pick out the lights from the dam, if possible, and follow them. My only problem was that there were some bright lights a little to my right and some straight ahead. At the point when I could still read my map, I did not remember seeing anything that would have lights on it. I made it to what's called Island #212 below river mile 591.
I grabbed a tree limb to hold us and woke Verlen up. It was about 4:00 a.m. I needed Verlen's flashlight to read my map. He hooked his flashlight on a tree limb, then I moved the canoe back and picked it up. The lights on the right were from a bridge. The ones ahead were from Lock and Dam #11 . I paddled on toward the lights. The storm had let up by now. When we arrived just above the lock, I found that our support crew had not yet arrived. I needed to know if they were going to meet us above or below the lock. The support crew was only a mile away, so I locked through. As I entered the lock, Mike came running up. He told us that Double Helix had left their kayaks at the lock and were taking a nap someplace.
It was 5:00 a.m. on May 14. The plan was to eat and take a two-hour nap, then leave, maybe, ahead of Double Helix. Mike woke me up at 7:30 a.m. as planned. Just then, Captain Stan came up and said that there was word that the Coast Guard had closed the pool below Lock 11. He said there would be a meeting in an hour or two to let us know.
As it turned out, we had several meetings, about every two hours all that day. I would just get to sleep and we would have another meeting. Later that day, we went to Earl's house and took a shower. Earl is the local Winona Canoe dealer in town. We slept that night at Lock and Dam 11. The lock master let us stay in the driveway. In the morning, we had to chase a snake out of the men's restroom.
End of Team Kruger Log May 14, 2001 Monday