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Mississippi River Ultra Marathons for Rett Syndrome (2001) and Rett Syndrome & Leukodystrophy (2003)
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  • 2003 Challenge
  • 2001 Race Results
    • Rules
    • Safety Program
    • 2001 Daily Summary for All Teams
    • Team Kruger Log
    • Teams
    • Media - 2001
    • Planning & Coordination
    • 2001 This Charity Event
  • 2001 Flagship Double Helix
  • Beyond the Finish
    • The Mississippi RIver
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 2001 Race - May 16, 2001, Wednesday
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!
Picture
Teams called in to Safety Officer between 5 and 7 AM
Team Name Time Called River Mile Nearest City/State Estimated Position
Alaska MSC 7 AM Mile 715 near L&D 7 3rd
Amazons Withdraws 5/12/01 Out at St. Cloud, MN 5th
Double Helix 8:15 AM Mile 497 LeClaire, Iowa Tied 1st/2nd
Kruger per Double Helix Mile 497 LeClaire, Iowa Tied 1st/2nd
Rebels Withdraws 5/13/01 Out at Monticello, MN 4th
Team Kruger and Team Double Helix are paddling together on closed sections of the Mississippi River per a decision from the Coast Guard.
Updates/Comments Usually Received 5-7AM calls, but starting at midnight this particular day......:
More adventure on the Mississippi. . .

Team Alaska:
According to Kerm, who called at 7:00 from river mile 715, near lock and dam 7, Kermit is "sliming down the river" with all due speed, happy, evidently, to have two parasitical paddlers along for the ride. They were all in good spirits, even though Kerm and Bud had paddled until 1:30 a.m before stopping for several hours sleep around 4:30 a.m.


Team Double Helix:
At nearly midnight last night, Andrew called with the news that Team Double Helix and Team Kruger--now traveling together on the closed portion of the river between Dubuque and Keokuk, per instructions from Coast Guard Commander Ramirez--had been stopped by the Sheriff on the water, who demanded to know why they were disobeying orders to stay off the river.

According to Clark, who called later this morning, it was a rude "wake-up call" for him (sleeping under the bubble), since the Sheriff's boat actually collided with the Double Helix hard enough to send the bubble flying. Not only were they bumped with a boat from below, but a helicoptor was also angling in from above, hovering much too close for comfort. I asked Clark if he thought he was hallucinating inside the "Happy Hut," what with all the bellowing bullhorns, high-intensity searchlights and such, but he just laughed.


This "Drama in the Darkness" was peacefully resolved at 8:15 a.m., when Commander Eric Washburn, filling in for Commander Ramirez at the Coast Guard's Upper Mississippi St. Louis office, told the sheriff our teams could paddle the river unimpeded. Further, he said he would alert all Army Corp of Engineer and Coast Guard officials of our special permission to be on closed sections of the river. With that, the teams were off and running from river mile 497, near lock and dam 15, after spending what remained of the night in a parking lot in the small town of LeClaire, IA.

Team Kruger:
No one called in from this team, but Clark said they are there with Team Double Helix

END OF SAFETY REPORT

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Note from Event Organizer/Webmaster, Mary Potter (Clark Eid's wife, paddler from Team Double Helix)

I returned home today at 1:30 PM to find a message from Andrew M. Gribble of Team Double Helix and played it....as Andrew's voice explained the Sheriff's boat and helicopter incident my 4 year old son said "Momma, is dad in jail?", "No Noah", I replied hastily, still trying to listen as the recording continued, "Momma, is daddy locked up?", "No Noah", and continued to try to listen to Mr. Gribble at which point Noah ran off gleefully around the livingroom with his arms up saying "Daddy is in jail! Daddy is in jail!". Andrew never said anything about that on the recording...Noah just surmised this on his own, and asked Clark about it when he called this evening "Dad are woo in jail?" and then asked me about it when I tucked him in....and still asked me about it the following morning at breakfast.......I can't wait to get that note from the preschool teacher today about today's show and tell report.

I have received many calls about the race today, some from reporters interested in the sheriff incident and the fact that the teams have permission to continue their journey at this time. Clark did report to me (around 5 PM) that they did an interview with Channel 8 and might be on the local news that night. Special thanks to this sheriff's group who helped us inadvertently "get the word out" about our race much better than we could have :-)
Picture
Teams called in to Safety Officer between 5 and 7 PM
Team Name Time Called River Mile Nearest City/State Estimated Position
Alaska MSC 5:45 PM 663 Lansing, Iowa 3rd
Amazons Withdraws 5/12/01 Out at St. Cloud, MN 5th
Double Helix 8:20 PM Mile 457 8:20 - New Boston, IL Tied 1st/2nd
Kruger 8:20 PM Mile 457 8:20 - New Boston, IL Tied 1st/2nd
Rebels Withdraws 5/13/01 Out at Monticello, MN 4th

Team Kruger and Team Double Helix are paddling together on closed sections of the Mississippi River per a decision from the Coast Guard.
(Updates/Comments Received, 5 to 7 PM Calls:
From Don Keller, official time keeper


Team Alaska
5:45 River Miles 663
Kerm said they are near Lansing Iowa. The paddlers have just arrived, so he did not have much time to talk. I did have time to tell Kerm that the CBS affiliate TV station in Rock Island WHBF, is awaiting his call, so they
can do an "on-the-river" interview, and air it this week.

Per Kerm's request I called Lock and Dam # 11. Yes it, and L&D # 12 is also open. The lockmaster was very friendly, and said he would help them get through the lock without delay. This is the very same lock that due to high water and a closed river, delayed Team Kruger and Team Double Helix, making their effort to break the Guinness record that much harder.


Team Double Helix
5:27 River Miles 457
Andrew had nothing to tell us this eve. I said based on the recent past,that was so bad ! Prompted for "news" he said that lunch was fast food burgers and macaroni and cheese. It was hot so they erected a tarp to shade the paddlers while eating. "Oh yes Edith Paule and Johann Fembek" (two volunteers from Austria) "created a great cucumber salad" with all kinds of neat things in it.

DON'S NOTE: Edith and Johann flew over to help for the entire length of the race, cooking, making camp. doing anything that needs to be done to help these paddlers. The kayakers are consuming 10-15,00 calories a day, eating all they can at the scheduled stops, and stuffing their pockets with high calorie "power bars" for on the water "snacks" .

Team Kruger
As of 11:34,
Team Kruger has not checked in. Andrew of Team Helix told me that Team Double Helix and Team Kruger are still paddling together, per Coast Guard instructions, to navigate the dangerous, and officially closed section of the river between Dubuque and Keokuk.

END OF SAFETY REPORT

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Webmaster writes: 
 Andrew reported the mile marker and time of the road crew, Bob Bradford's log indicates they reached New Boston at 8:20 PM.
​
Webmaster's note  - Team Amazon (no longer in the race) called in at 7:30 On Land, chasing Team Alaska. They tried to meet up with Team Alaska a few times, but found that the paddlers were moving very faster. Everywhere they went the paddlers had "just passed" Tony and Cynthia are heading home to Calgary, via Aitken and a Rett family visit. I could hear emotion in Tony's voice as he sent his thanks to Team Alaska for all the help they had given them, showing where and how to portage particular spots, etc, and doing it all so generously. Tony told me "We really, really appreciated the help they gave the girls (Team Amazons consists of Cynthia Belbin and Megan Duffy, but disbanded when Cynthia had to hospitalized last Thursday eve for a very serious infection). Tony also told me to tell Team Alaska they are welcome to stop in Calgary, Canada for a place to stay on their long journey home.
Webmaster/Mary Potter says:   I don't have logs from all teams, but I'll share what I do have:

Team Kruger - Bob Bradford Daily Log
, Enhanced by Stan Hanson
May 16, 2001 Wednesday
 
It was after 9:30 a.m. on May 16 when the Sheriff finally got confirmation on our permit and released us from LeClaire. Just below LeClaire, on the 1-80 bridge, there was a television crew taking our picture. The night before, they had heard of a rescue attempt and wanted the latest news. About a mile below the bridge, the TV crew caught up with us. They wanted an interview, which we granted. Clark explained about the cause and why we were racing for Rett Syndrome.
 
At Lock and Dam 14, we stayed river right. The lock was flooded and they recommended we take the LeClaire canal up to the auxiliary lock, then portage. Nancy and Terry met us there and guided us over the portage and gave us some treats.
 
At Lock and Dam 15 our support crew did not meet us. It was too close to 14 and on the other side of the river. Lock 15 was also flooded, and we had to pull out and portage along the wall of the lock.

It was around 8:20 p.m. when we reached New Boston, Illinois. When we got to Lock and Dam 18, it was very dark. I remember the lock master saying we should go over the levee on the right of the dam because the lock was flooded. Verlen was asleep in our canoe, and so was Clark in the Double Helix. Kurt zipped up his spray skirt, as did I. When we got close, you could hear the rushing water, but our lights could not detect the drop off. Team Kruger went first with Double Helix close behind. What a rush, and Verlen never woke up!

End of Team Kruger Log May 16, 2001 Wednesday

May 15, 2001, Tues
May 17, 2001 Thu
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