Daily Updates and Pictures Thursday, May 15, 2003; Day 6 Starts at 6 AM
Mississippi River Challenge for Rett Syndrome and Leukodystrophy, 2003
Guinness Record Setting Event for 2 different rare diseases!
Paddler Log - Bob Bradford and Clark Eid, May 15, 2003
(BB) We locked through Lock and Dam #2 on river-right very early in the morning light.
(BB) At 11:07 am, we arrived at Diamond Bluff landing in Wisconsin. Chuck and Linda Evert had caught up with our road crew and Chuck had baked a rhubarb pie for us. It was great!
(CE) My feet were getting numb from the constant pressure from operating the rudder, even though I had foam taped to the removable bar that I had fabricated. I ran up the hill to the bathroom just to try and get some feeling back into my toes, but it didn't work. Chuck and Linda were cheerful and gave us both some fantastic rhubarb pie. Bob and I signed a couple race t-shirts for them before leaving.
(BB) Lock and Dam #3 came soon after. Next we came to Red Wing, MN. By now it was very hot with hardly any wind. While looking for an electrical outlet, Jessica, Angie's daughter, had noticed a "No Outlet" road sign. After finding the sign, she found an electrical outlet. To her thinking, the citizens of Redwing were not any too honest! While waiting for us to arrive, Angie had set it up for us to talk to some school kits and sign autographs. She had already given the kids our website and explained to them our mission.
(BB) We locked through Lock and Dam #2 on river-right very early in the morning light.
(BB) At 11:07 am, we arrived at Diamond Bluff landing in Wisconsin. Chuck and Linda Evert had caught up with our road crew and Chuck had baked a rhubarb pie for us. It was great!
(CE) My feet were getting numb from the constant pressure from operating the rudder, even though I had foam taped to the removable bar that I had fabricated. I ran up the hill to the bathroom just to try and get some feeling back into my toes, but it didn't work. Chuck and Linda were cheerful and gave us both some fantastic rhubarb pie. Bob and I signed a couple race t-shirts for them before leaving.
(BB) Lock and Dam #3 came soon after. Next we came to Red Wing, MN. By now it was very hot with hardly any wind. While looking for an electrical outlet, Jessica, Angie's daughter, had noticed a "No Outlet" road sign. After finding the sign, she found an electrical outlet. To her thinking, the citizens of Redwing were not any too honest! While waiting for us to arrive, Angie had set it up for us to talk to some school kits and sign autographs. She had already given the kids our website and explained to them our mission.
Clark Eid, Red Wing, May 15, 2003; You can see the GPS and compass in front of Clark, the Antenna behind him broadcasts a signal to the APRS system. The white mount behind Clark could hold a video recorder. Camera used: Andrew Gribble; Mississippi Challenge for Rett Syndrome and Leukodystrophy, May 2003;
(CE) It was around 1 pm when we pulled into Red Wing. The sun was out and it was getting hot. We ate our food standing up and then went over to a nearby riverboat to meet with school kids, all arranged by Angie. We left as soon as we stocked up on food and drinks.
(BB) It was very hot crossing Lake Pepin, but we still had no headwind. I was missing the last map of Lake Pepin in my map case. Clark and I both remembered that we needed to stay on the river right to exit the lake. We also noticed that the water level was up a little and that there were a lot of logs floating down stream.
(CE) We encountered some pleasure boats hogging the channel leading into Lake Pepin. We were lucky to have a calm day so we kept to the channel markers way out in the lake. There was a small sailboat that we passed off to our left that was content to just drift around. It was hot and we drank a lot of our supplies before seeing our crew in Wabasha, 6 hours and 30 miles later.
(BB) Our road crew met us on river-right under the bridge in Wabasha late in the afternoon. We had a real treat there. Chuck and Lisa (Rett parents) have a friend named Annette Hedquist who runs the local Dairy Queen and she brought 18 buster bars for the crew to share.
--------END OF PADDLER LOG BY BOB BRADFORD AND CLARK EID, MAY 15 2003
(BB) It was very hot crossing Lake Pepin, but we still had no headwind. I was missing the last map of Lake Pepin in my map case. Clark and I both remembered that we needed to stay on the river right to exit the lake. We also noticed that the water level was up a little and that there were a lot of logs floating down stream.
(CE) We encountered some pleasure boats hogging the channel leading into Lake Pepin. We were lucky to have a calm day so we kept to the channel markers way out in the lake. There was a small sailboat that we passed off to our left that was content to just drift around. It was hot and we drank a lot of our supplies before seeing our crew in Wabasha, 6 hours and 30 miles later.
(BB) Our road crew met us on river-right under the bridge in Wabasha late in the afternoon. We had a real treat there. Chuck and Lisa (Rett parents) have a friend named Annette Hedquist who runs the local Dairy Queen and she brought 18 buster bars for the crew to share.
--------END OF PADDLER LOG BY BOB BRADFORD AND CLARK EID, MAY 15 2003
Bob Bradford moving the Kruger Canoe, Janet Bradford and Angie Phelp's son are in the background, Red Wing, May 15, 2003; Camera Used Andrew Gribble; Mississippi Challenge for Rett Syndrome and Leukodystrophy, May 2003
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Approximate Location
Weather
Weather for Winona, MN
Tonight. A slight chance of showers early. Otherwise partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 40s. East winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Friday. Partly sunny. Highs in the lower 70s. Northeast winds 5 to 10 mph.
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Updates from our Race Web Log During the race, May 15, 2003
Posted by Mary at 9:43 AM From Dana Hanson Everybody got a few hours sleep at Ketters yesterday. The strong wind they'd been fighting all day even took a rest and then gratefully, forgot to rev up again. While going thru Minneapolis, Andrew certainly showed that this was his town -- he is able to find any boat ramp around! At 5:30am this morning, the land crew met Clark & Bob south of St. Paul, at the 494 bridge. A quick stop and they were off again. The support crew is now at the boat ramp at Diamond Bluff, MN. They should be able to get a few good zzz's in before the paddlers arrive. (Good thing, too, because Stan sounds extremely tired.) They're expected around 11:30am. Once they leave Diamond Bluff, their next planned stop is just before Lake Pepin, which is known for being extremely windy. But the weather has been great so far today with little wind - great for paddling. Hopefully that pleasant condition will continue once Bob & Clark reach Lake Pepin. Stan's interview with Smash on KLOU 103.3FM went well. Unfortunately, Stan mentioned that they'd be arriving at the Arch in St. Louis next Wednesday at 10am, while their actual planned arrival is scheduled for Tuesday at 10am. Of course, only time will tell if they make it on Tuesday or Wednesday, or earlier or later! At the end of the interview Smash asked Stan to call tomorrow & let him know how things were going. The interview was actually taped on Wednesday morning and aired Thursday morning. When Stan called in this morning (Thursday), Smash told him he wouldn't be able to do any more interviews until they were at or near the end. At least we got some air time! _____________________________________________ Posted by Mary at 9:46 AM From Tony Swenson: This is great Mary! I saw the guys last night after Austin's Little League game. I took Diane and the kids over to Ketter's to see the guys. They were sleeping but was able to have them meet the roadies. I also took them down to the river and took some pictures of them next to the canoe (world record breaking canoe!). More later. Tony |
Diamond Bluff Landing, May 15, 2001; Chuck and Lisa Evert, Bob Bradford stands bare foot in the middle eating rhubarb pie (thanks Everetts!); Mississippi River Race for Rett Syndrome and Leukodystrophy, May 2003
Posted by Kenton Spading 10:22 AM:
Some folks have been asking me about the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer's lock and dam system. Now that Team Hope is in the lock system, I will provide a summary.
There are 29 locks and dams between Mpls., MN and St. Louis, MO. Lock and Dam 27 (LD 27), in St. Louis, is the last LD. So, you might ask, if LD 27 (commonly called Mel Price LD) is the last one how can there be 29 total? Well......after the original numbers were assigned, three additional LDs were added (Upper and Lower St. Anthony and LD 5A) and one was not needed (LD 23 does not exist) for a total of 29. The 29 LDs are divided between 3 Corps of Engineers Districts as follows: Upper St. Anthony thru LD 10 = St. Paul District (the District I work for), LD11 thru LD22 = Rock Island Distict, LD 24 thru LD27 = St. Louis District. There are no LD's between St. Louis and the Gulf of Mexico....so it is clear sailing (hopefully) after that.
I put together an informational email message on the race on Monday which was sent to all the locks and dams...so all the sites know the crew is on the river. I have also given the road crew folks a list of all athe phone numbers, radio frequencies and points-of-contact for each lock and dam with instructions to call each one as they move downstream. The LD's can then tell them whether or not they have to wait in line (wait for other boats) to lock thru or if they are first in line. If they have to wait, they can decide if they want to portage. Each LD can give them advice on where to portage...or whether or not it is advisable given the layout.
I was on a business trip yesterday (May 14). I got a call around 10 AM on my cell phone from my office stating that they were getting reports of lots of floating debris (trees, boards, etc) on the river and that the river was running very fast (recent rain storms) thru the Twin Cities area (Upper St. Anthony, LD 1 etc). They asked me to notify Team Hope. I immediately called Andrew on the road crew and passed on the info. He said they were going to meet the canoe at Ketter's Canoes (in a North Twin Cities suburb) at around 7 pm. Later, around 3 PM, the Road Crew Chief (Stan-the-Man) called me to say they were at Ketter's and to confirm the earlier info I had given Andrew regarding floating debris, fast currents etc. Stan sounded tired but he was in good spirits. It turns out that his earlier car/truck problems resulted from a leaking windshield which shorted out the vehicle's computer.
More Blog later
Kenton Spading
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Posted by Tony Swenson at 2:35 PM
Just talked to Andrew and he said Clark and Bob should be starting the journey through Lake Pepin. Weather is great and paddlers are in great spirts. Road crew has outfitted the camera on the canoe and they are filming. Should be a great day to paddle Pepin, calm winds and sunny.
I'm sitting here at my desk working on artwork for food packaging, would much rather be racing down the road to the next meeting point with the road crew. Miss you guys - GO TEAM HOPE!
-Tony
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Some folks have been asking me about the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer's lock and dam system. Now that Team Hope is in the lock system, I will provide a summary.
There are 29 locks and dams between Mpls., MN and St. Louis, MO. Lock and Dam 27 (LD 27), in St. Louis, is the last LD. So, you might ask, if LD 27 (commonly called Mel Price LD) is the last one how can there be 29 total? Well......after the original numbers were assigned, three additional LDs were added (Upper and Lower St. Anthony and LD 5A) and one was not needed (LD 23 does not exist) for a total of 29. The 29 LDs are divided between 3 Corps of Engineers Districts as follows: Upper St. Anthony thru LD 10 = St. Paul District (the District I work for), LD11 thru LD22 = Rock Island Distict, LD 24 thru LD27 = St. Louis District. There are no LD's between St. Louis and the Gulf of Mexico....so it is clear sailing (hopefully) after that.
I put together an informational email message on the race on Monday which was sent to all the locks and dams...so all the sites know the crew is on the river. I have also given the road crew folks a list of all athe phone numbers, radio frequencies and points-of-contact for each lock and dam with instructions to call each one as they move downstream. The LD's can then tell them whether or not they have to wait in line (wait for other boats) to lock thru or if they are first in line. If they have to wait, they can decide if they want to portage. Each LD can give them advice on where to portage...or whether or not it is advisable given the layout.
I was on a business trip yesterday (May 14). I got a call around 10 AM on my cell phone from my office stating that they were getting reports of lots of floating debris (trees, boards, etc) on the river and that the river was running very fast (recent rain storms) thru the Twin Cities area (Upper St. Anthony, LD 1 etc). They asked me to notify Team Hope. I immediately called Andrew on the road crew and passed on the info. He said they were going to meet the canoe at Ketter's Canoes (in a North Twin Cities suburb) at around 7 pm. Later, around 3 PM, the Road Crew Chief (Stan-the-Man) called me to say they were at Ketter's and to confirm the earlier info I had given Andrew regarding floating debris, fast currents etc. Stan sounded tired but he was in good spirits. It turns out that his earlier car/truck problems resulted from a leaking windshield which shorted out the vehicle's computer.
More Blog later
Kenton Spading
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Posted by Tony Swenson at 2:35 PM
Just talked to Andrew and he said Clark and Bob should be starting the journey through Lake Pepin. Weather is great and paddlers are in great spirts. Road crew has outfitted the camera on the canoe and they are filming. Should be a great day to paddle Pepin, calm winds and sunny.
I'm sitting here at my desk working on artwork for food packaging, would much rather be racing down the road to the next meeting point with the road crew. Miss you guys - GO TEAM HOPE!
-Tony
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L to R, mom and dad Rett parents Lisa Evert, Chuck Evert, Road Crew member Bill Pulham, akk enjoying dinner and rhubarb pie from the Everetts! In the background is the ever faithful Bradford van, Diamond Bluff Landing Wisconsin May 15, 2003
Posted by Kenton Spading at 2:36 PM
Sorry to hear about the tragic news at Dubuque, Iowa. The Mississippi River is a very dangerous animal as is Mother Nature in general. This is not a water park. Most accidents on the river happen to inexperienced people. Both Clark and Bob are very safety minded professionals. Lock and Dam No. 11 is at Dubuque, Iowa.
It is the first lock and dam in the Corps of Engineers Rock Island District (see my earlier blog below for info on the Corps' Districts). Coincidently, the Coast Guard stopped the canoes at No. 11 during the 2001 race due to dangerous high water, fast currents, floating debris etc. They were delayed for a day or two. There is a canoe racer who lives just a few blocks from the dam who let the crew sleep in his house, fed the team etc. I wonder if they stopped by there this year?
Kenton S.
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Posted by Mary Potter at 3:16 PM
Forwarded by Mary Potter, from someone who lives near Dubuque: The Locks in Dubuque were shut down!!! There was a death/accident on the river and the corp shut everything down. I hope this doesn't back-up the traffic much.... I see that they are now open!
Posted by Mary at 4:55 PM
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From Don Keller:
I just called Andrew to try an get more coordinates. He could not give me
any but he said the paddlers are crossing Lake Pepin.
The road crew are waiting at Wabasha, with an ETA of 7:00 PM
Posted by Mary at 4:55 PM
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Posted by Mary at 6:43 PM
Stan called around 5:50 CST. The road crew is waiting on the South end of Lake Pepin for the paddlers with real chili - non of that canned stuff! The paddlers are expected around 6 PM. Stan said the weather was great, water was calm and they were all doing very well.
Posted by Mary at 7:37 PM
Clark is on the phone now, 7:30 PM CST, and said they just finished crossing Lake Pepin! They were very lucky, the weather and the lake both stayed calm and he said they smoked it! They are doing well overall... he mentioned he did sleep at Ketter's for 2 whole hours last night at the "party" in real beds.... they are trying to keep up on their sleep shifts before they fall asleep paddling... he said they are sleeping in no more than 2 hour shifts. Apparently that's about all they can sleep before they need to get up and go to the bathroom and then start paddling again.
He said the miles they put on today were hard miles, no current, strict paddling to get ahead.
I can hear our 6 year old son talking to him now, asking him if he is sitting in the front? I'm sure it's a little confusing to Noah just where Clark is and what he is doing... oops, Noah just said "we lost Satellite" so I better go hang up, hopefully Clark can call back....
Noah is informing me that Clark is way way in first now, and really far and in the lead :-). He says that dad will be the winner. Perhaps he does understand more than I thought.
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Sorry to hear about the tragic news at Dubuque, Iowa. The Mississippi River is a very dangerous animal as is Mother Nature in general. This is not a water park. Most accidents on the river happen to inexperienced people. Both Clark and Bob are very safety minded professionals. Lock and Dam No. 11 is at Dubuque, Iowa.
It is the first lock and dam in the Corps of Engineers Rock Island District (see my earlier blog below for info on the Corps' Districts). Coincidently, the Coast Guard stopped the canoes at No. 11 during the 2001 race due to dangerous high water, fast currents, floating debris etc. They were delayed for a day or two. There is a canoe racer who lives just a few blocks from the dam who let the crew sleep in his house, fed the team etc. I wonder if they stopped by there this year?
Kenton S.
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Posted by Mary Potter at 3:16 PM
Forwarded by Mary Potter, from someone who lives near Dubuque: The Locks in Dubuque were shut down!!! There was a death/accident on the river and the corp shut everything down. I hope this doesn't back-up the traffic much.... I see that they are now open!
Posted by Mary at 4:55 PM
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From Don Keller:
I just called Andrew to try an get more coordinates. He could not give me
any but he said the paddlers are crossing Lake Pepin.
The road crew are waiting at Wabasha, with an ETA of 7:00 PM
Posted by Mary at 4:55 PM
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Posted by Mary at 6:43 PM
Stan called around 5:50 CST. The road crew is waiting on the South end of Lake Pepin for the paddlers with real chili - non of that canned stuff! The paddlers are expected around 6 PM. Stan said the weather was great, water was calm and they were all doing very well.
Posted by Mary at 7:37 PM
Clark is on the phone now, 7:30 PM CST, and said they just finished crossing Lake Pepin! They were very lucky, the weather and the lake both stayed calm and he said they smoked it! They are doing well overall... he mentioned he did sleep at Ketter's for 2 whole hours last night at the "party" in real beds.... they are trying to keep up on their sleep shifts before they fall asleep paddling... he said they are sleeping in no more than 2 hour shifts. Apparently that's about all they can sleep before they need to get up and go to the bathroom and then start paddling again.
He said the miles they put on today were hard miles, no current, strict paddling to get ahead.
I can hear our 6 year old son talking to him now, asking him if he is sitting in the front? I'm sure it's a little confusing to Noah just where Clark is and what he is doing... oops, Noah just said "we lost Satellite" so I better go hang up, hopefully Clark can call back....
Noah is informing me that Clark is way way in first now, and really far and in the lead :-). He says that dad will be the winner. Perhaps he does understand more than I thought.
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Bob Bradford washing off his feet to avoid tracking the mud into the canoe; Leaving Red Wing, MN May 15, 2003; In the front of the canoe you can see a flashlight mounted "for now" after the paddlers lost their lights during the Lake Winnibigoshish crossing... tks to Bill Pullen for setting up the flashlights; Camera used: Andrew Gribble: Mississippi Challenge for Rett Syndrome May 2003
Posted by Mary Potter at 7:57 PM
Clark called back, as they were all packing up, and send they are going to set off again and take turns sleeping and paddling. Weather looks good now where they are. He must have eaten his chili quickly, poor Bob :-).
We talked about how the APRS/GPS was intermittently working and he is debating whether to continue using it or not. It's a lot of weight to carry. I told him when he first got to the cities the maps were updating very well, but there had been some large lags today. I think for now it's still on the boat. I'm hoping they can continue to try it, but if not, the road crew can send information manually to update the map when they see the paddlers. We'll see what happens.
Well, they are literally packing up and I have a feeling he is walking towards the water as he hangs up. Good luck Team Hope!
Clark called back, as they were all packing up, and send they are going to set off again and take turns sleeping and paddling. Weather looks good now where they are. He must have eaten his chili quickly, poor Bob :-).
We talked about how the APRS/GPS was intermittently working and he is debating whether to continue using it or not. It's a lot of weight to carry. I told him when he first got to the cities the maps were updating very well, but there had been some large lags today. I think for now it's still on the boat. I'm hoping they can continue to try it, but if not, the road crew can send information manually to update the map when they see the paddlers. We'll see what happens.
Well, they are literally packing up and I have a feeling he is walking towards the water as he hangs up. Good luck Team Hope!
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Posted by Mary Potter at 8:02 PM
I'm looking up warnings for Winona, MN, as the team is just south of that now and starting to paddle:
FLOOD STATEMENT ISSUANCE NUMBER 15
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 430 PM CDT THU MAY 15 2003
...A FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT
WABASHA...WINONA...
...MINOR FLOODING IS OCCURRING AND WILL CONTINUE... RUNOFF FROM RAINFALL OVER THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS CONTINUES TO RESULT IN HIGH WATER ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. HERE ARE THE LATEST STAGES AND FORECASTS FOR LOCATIONS WHERE MINOR FLOODING IS EXPECTED. AT WINONA...THE STAGE WAS 11.68 FEET AT 3 PM THURSDAY. FLOOD STAGE IS 13.0 FEET. THE RIVER IS FORECAST TO CREST NEAR FLOOD STAGE SATURDAY AFTERNOON. AT 13 FEET...PRAIRIE ISLAND PARK FLOODS. PUMPING OPERATIONS ARE UNDERWAY BY THE CITY OF WINONA, AND DIKE PATROLS ARE STARTED.
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Posted by Lisa Evert at 8:38 PM
Chuck and I have returned from another day of being 'groupies' with the road crew and the paddlers. We had a great time! The weather was awesome. We first met up with them at Diamond Bluff Landing in WI. The paddlers arrived around 11:07am (which is when Chuck and I signed the official log.) They literally scarfed down Chuck's homemade rhubarb pie. Bill kept saying how awful it was so that the kids didn't eat any. (he was joking of course) We took lots of pictures. I took one of Clark, Chuck, a copy of our local newspaper and the pie. If I send it to the newspaper they will print it and we get free publicity. I will see if the local writer will do a little article too. We met up with them again in Red Wing MN. They came on shore for a short time. The park we were at was full of high school kids doing a project. Angie had them cheer as the guys got close to shore. Clark and Bob took pictures with the class while eating their potato salad with olives on it. (yuck!, but the guys liked it) Bob wanted to know if there was more pie left. Unfortunately it was all gone. Maybe we can send them one to New Orleans.
Chuck and I had to head back for home to pick up Jill at school. We left Red Wing around 2pm. Before we left Chuck and Janet had an emotional moment as we read about Michael on the message Bob has on the canoe. As Janet said, it is good for us all to stop and reflect on why this adventure is taking place. Everyone seemed in great spirits. Clark has grown a 1/4" of 'fuzz' from the top of his head to the tip of his chin. I guess they won't take a lot of time to shave during this adventure. Maybe they will look like the guys from ZZ Top when they finish??!! Chuck is planning on meeting up with them tomorrow near LaCrosse. We are talking about bringing Jill Saturday and Sunday and meet them near Dubuque IA. We are all going to be groupies! Good luck TEAM HOPE, YOU ARE ALL AWESOME!
posted by Lisa at 8:38 PM
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Posted by Mary Potter at 8:02 PM
I'm looking up warnings for Winona, MN, as the team is just south of that now and starting to paddle:
FLOOD STATEMENT ISSUANCE NUMBER 15
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 430 PM CDT THU MAY 15 2003
...A FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT
WABASHA...WINONA...
...MINOR FLOODING IS OCCURRING AND WILL CONTINUE... RUNOFF FROM RAINFALL OVER THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS CONTINUES TO RESULT IN HIGH WATER ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. HERE ARE THE LATEST STAGES AND FORECASTS FOR LOCATIONS WHERE MINOR FLOODING IS EXPECTED. AT WINONA...THE STAGE WAS 11.68 FEET AT 3 PM THURSDAY. FLOOD STAGE IS 13.0 FEET. THE RIVER IS FORECAST TO CREST NEAR FLOOD STAGE SATURDAY AFTERNOON. AT 13 FEET...PRAIRIE ISLAND PARK FLOODS. PUMPING OPERATIONS ARE UNDERWAY BY THE CITY OF WINONA, AND DIKE PATROLS ARE STARTED.
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Posted by Lisa Evert at 8:38 PM
Chuck and I have returned from another day of being 'groupies' with the road crew and the paddlers. We had a great time! The weather was awesome. We first met up with them at Diamond Bluff Landing in WI. The paddlers arrived around 11:07am (which is when Chuck and I signed the official log.) They literally scarfed down Chuck's homemade rhubarb pie. Bill kept saying how awful it was so that the kids didn't eat any. (he was joking of course) We took lots of pictures. I took one of Clark, Chuck, a copy of our local newspaper and the pie. If I send it to the newspaper they will print it and we get free publicity. I will see if the local writer will do a little article too. We met up with them again in Red Wing MN. They came on shore for a short time. The park we were at was full of high school kids doing a project. Angie had them cheer as the guys got close to shore. Clark and Bob took pictures with the class while eating their potato salad with olives on it. (yuck!, but the guys liked it) Bob wanted to know if there was more pie left. Unfortunately it was all gone. Maybe we can send them one to New Orleans.
Chuck and I had to head back for home to pick up Jill at school. We left Red Wing around 2pm. Before we left Chuck and Janet had an emotional moment as we read about Michael on the message Bob has on the canoe. As Janet said, it is good for us all to stop and reflect on why this adventure is taking place. Everyone seemed in great spirits. Clark has grown a 1/4" of 'fuzz' from the top of his head to the tip of his chin. I guess they won't take a lot of time to shave during this adventure. Maybe they will look like the guys from ZZ Top when they finish??!! Chuck is planning on meeting up with them tomorrow near LaCrosse. We are talking about bringing Jill Saturday and Sunday and meet them near Dubuque IA. We are all going to be groupies! Good luck TEAM HOPE, YOU ARE ALL AWESOME!
posted by Lisa at 8:38 PM
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L to R Clark Eid, Bob Bradford, Leaving Red Wing, MN May 15, 2003; Camera Used Andrew Gribble; Mississippi Challenge for Rett Syndrome May 2003
Posted by Kurt at 8:50 PM
Team Hope is now a day and a half ahead of where we were in 2001. During the "Great Mississippi River Race for Rett Syndrome 2001" it took Clark and me 7 days to get from the headwaters to Wabasha. This time Clark and Bob did it in 5 and a half days! Congratulations! You are great! And this includes everybody in the team, paddlers and support crew, groupies and friends who paddle along for a few miles. I wish I could be there!
Kurt Zimmermann (05/15/2003, 9.50 p.m. EDST)
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Posted by Dana Hanson at 10:09 PM
Well, I haven't blogged yet this evening, so this will cover a mish-mash of the last several hours. Earlier today, Stan spoke with the Lockmater of Lock & Dam 3. He said that he's heard all about the paddlers and is waiting for Clark and Bob. The lockmaster said they should call him when they get closer to L&D3 and he'll have it ready for them. Stan said the homemade, rhubarb custard pie was out-of-this-world delicious! The 120 grade school kids that they met earlier were being taught by a Native American about how beautiful the river is, how it is our heritage, and why it should be maintained. Stan said it was quite a sight to see all those youngsters cheering Team Hope on! Clark & Bob left Wabasha (river mile 760) right at 8pm.
As Stan and I spoke (9:40pm), the support crew is just on the outskirts of Winona. Suddenly the clouds parted and the most beautiful lunar eclipse appeared in the sky, about 40% coverage. Stan said it must be absolutely gorgeous for Bob & Clark, because heading south on the river, it had to be right ahead of them all the way!
Late this evening, I received an email from Nick Erickson. I conveyed his question to Stan, and Stan said it was a most interesting question: "What is the most dangerous thing you don't want to have to face on your trip?" Stan said all sorts of things came to mind, especially when you considered what "most dangerous" means to the paddlers as opposed to what it means to the support crew. They are going to talk about it later and we'll be sure to convey the answer to all. Thanks, Nick, for that great question!
Nick's question reminded me of something that happened to Team Kruger during the Great Mississippi River Race of 2001 that certainly had an effect on all the support crew. It served to remind us how really dangerous canoeing on the river can get. It was in the very early morning hours. We were waiting for our two paddlers, Bob Bradford and Verlen Kruger, to show up. If they'd only been 20 or 30 minutes late, we would have been okay. But minute by minute, time slipped by with no word. Unfortunately, it reached the point where they were more than two hours late for our rendevous. It's a really scary thing to not know what has happened or where your paddlers are. You look each other in the eye, afraid to voice the worst. No one would say anything. But you could see the worry on everyone's face. Verlen & Bob finally showed up. There were hugs and tears of joy, but only sighs of relief could be heard. I pray that the support crew this year never has to go thru that with Clark & Bob.
posted by Dana at 10:09 PM
End of Updates from our Race Web Log During the race, May 15, 2003
Team Hope is now a day and a half ahead of where we were in 2001. During the "Great Mississippi River Race for Rett Syndrome 2001" it took Clark and me 7 days to get from the headwaters to Wabasha. This time Clark and Bob did it in 5 and a half days! Congratulations! You are great! And this includes everybody in the team, paddlers and support crew, groupies and friends who paddle along for a few miles. I wish I could be there!
Kurt Zimmermann (05/15/2003, 9.50 p.m. EDST)
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Posted by Dana Hanson at 10:09 PM
Well, I haven't blogged yet this evening, so this will cover a mish-mash of the last several hours. Earlier today, Stan spoke with the Lockmater of Lock & Dam 3. He said that he's heard all about the paddlers and is waiting for Clark and Bob. The lockmaster said they should call him when they get closer to L&D3 and he'll have it ready for them. Stan said the homemade, rhubarb custard pie was out-of-this-world delicious! The 120 grade school kids that they met earlier were being taught by a Native American about how beautiful the river is, how it is our heritage, and why it should be maintained. Stan said it was quite a sight to see all those youngsters cheering Team Hope on! Clark & Bob left Wabasha (river mile 760) right at 8pm.
As Stan and I spoke (9:40pm), the support crew is just on the outskirts of Winona. Suddenly the clouds parted and the most beautiful lunar eclipse appeared in the sky, about 40% coverage. Stan said it must be absolutely gorgeous for Bob & Clark, because heading south on the river, it had to be right ahead of them all the way!
Late this evening, I received an email from Nick Erickson. I conveyed his question to Stan, and Stan said it was a most interesting question: "What is the most dangerous thing you don't want to have to face on your trip?" Stan said all sorts of things came to mind, especially when you considered what "most dangerous" means to the paddlers as opposed to what it means to the support crew. They are going to talk about it later and we'll be sure to convey the answer to all. Thanks, Nick, for that great question!
Nick's question reminded me of something that happened to Team Kruger during the Great Mississippi River Race of 2001 that certainly had an effect on all the support crew. It served to remind us how really dangerous canoeing on the river can get. It was in the very early morning hours. We were waiting for our two paddlers, Bob Bradford and Verlen Kruger, to show up. If they'd only been 20 or 30 minutes late, we would have been okay. But minute by minute, time slipped by with no word. Unfortunately, it reached the point where they were more than two hours late for our rendevous. It's a really scary thing to not know what has happened or where your paddlers are. You look each other in the eye, afraid to voice the worst. No one would say anything. But you could see the worry on everyone's face. Verlen & Bob finally showed up. There were hugs and tears of joy, but only sighs of relief could be heard. I pray that the support crew this year never has to go thru that with Clark & Bob.
posted by Dana at 10:09 PM
End of Updates from our Race Web Log During the race, May 15, 2003
Clark Eid near the flag, Bob Bradford in front, Red Wing, May 15, 2003 ; Camera Used Andrew Gribble; 2003 Mississippi River Challenge for Rett Syndrome and Leukodystrophy