Mississippi Solo Series #4 - How to Paddle Through a Lock in 10 Easy Steps

I'm an adventurer, thrill seeker, and life enthusiast with a shorter life expectancy than your mother's cat - Follow my never-ending journey.

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Mississippi Solo Series - After friends and family label him a serial quitter, Henk sets off on a wild ride down the Mighty Mississippi as he paddles from Source to Sea to prove to himself and others​ that he can stick with something.

Read previous post in this series: Part 1 | Part 2| Part 3

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For three weeks I had been socially isolated.

Aside from a few interactions with fishers, hikers, and locals living along the riverside, I hadn't spoken to anyone.

With virtually no human contact, it didn't take long before I found other friends. Of course, this squirrel was all too willing to be my friend in return for some snacks.

Being on your own can get quite lonely, but it also means you can do whatever you want. Here's me claiming my private island, and reenacting a legendary Gandalf scene: You Shall Not Pass!

Why?

Well, because I could.

Luckily, I soon after reemerged into civilisation. However, this also meant I would have to deal with man-made structures like dams. And whenever there was a dam, I had to portage.

To portage means to carry your boat and it's cargo between to navigable waters. In this case the river before and after the dam. In the early stages of the Mississippi River, there were quite a few portages, and for me, this was quite a struggle.

Most people use a technology known as wheels to help transport their boat to the other side.

Unfortunately, I made a misjudgement and figured it was a waste of space and money. A decision I painfully regret.

And so, I became known as the idiot hauling his boat along the side of the road…

But I guess fortune favours the dumb because during one of these strenuous portages I met Brian, a local campground host. He saw me towing my boat across the land, all by myself. So he got out his tiny tractor and gave me a helping hand.

After I finally got the hang of portaging, the river one-upped me with the arrival of giant locks.

Yay.

So, how do you paddle a kayak through a giant lock? Well, I created a little how-to manual that shows you exactly how to pull it off.

Now that humans managed the water levels, I made a lot more progress. I was close to 40 days on the river; I had no more neck pains, my arms and shoulders had become incredibly strong, and without giant lakes to slow me down, I had paddled a total of 925 kilometres.

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NEXT TIME >>

I fought a homeless man over a cave.

And I crossed into the next state; Iowa.

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Have you done something new today?

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