Mississippi Kayaking
My kayak is on the long side (15') and, as such, is better suited to large, open waters (lakes and oceans) but that didn't prevent me from sticking it in the fast waters of the mighty Mississippi.
I put in at the Hidden Falls (North) boat dock and immediately began paddling against the current. The thinking here, of course, is that I paddle upstream until my arms fall off and then I simply float back to the boat dock. I made it all the way to my destination: the little island in the middle of the river just off of Lock and Dam No. 1. The island is occasionally underwater when the dam operators open up the gates - but not today (and, from the locks of it, not since spring).
I took a bit of a tumble getting out of the kayak and ended up splashing into the river. Ugh. I wasn't planning on getting that wet. I took the opportunity to wander around this little island while waiting for my pants to dry. Aside from some dog tracks there wasn't a lot of evidence that many people visited. There was the expected amount of trash. But I think that just washes up when the river rises.
After I thoroughly explored the island I jaunted over to the Minnehaha delta, which was surprisingly rapid. The small delta was very shallow; so much so that after beaching my boat I could easily walk to the middle of the creek (just before it was absorbed by the Mississippi).
And as I predicted at the outset, floating back to my launch point was very easy. What I'd like to do now is find someone else with a kayak and execute the dual car maneuver in which we stow a vehicle downstream somewhere and just boat down the Mississippi for a couple of miles. Paddling upstream is too much like exercise.
//Serially