Summary

Hello again

Well, I've started settling here in Lawrence. I've got a place to live and moved some of my stuff in. I spent the morning sitting through lectures on how to be a graduate TA. An enormous change of scenery from the last 3 months.

The past few mornings have been odd. It seems so unnatural not to break camp or boil water. Last night I woke up and had to use the bathroom. In my half-asleep state I started heading towards the door to go outside. In doing so I walked past the bathroom and realize I didn't have to go outside... It certainly is an adjustment.

I've put together some numbers on the whole trip, they are as accurate as I am able to be.

Total days: 104

Total miles: 2,250

Miles against the current: 825

Portage miles: 18

Strangely enough, if I remember correctly, when Sevareid and Port reached York Factory in 1930 they also calculated their total distance at 2,250 miles.

I'll also include a short description of the last grueling week. The Mississippi is dredged out for the gigantic barges that chug on through. The channel ends a few miles downstream from the Coon Rapids dam. Up stream from this point is actually quite shallow. I got pretty annoyed with the cycle of paddling a few minutes and walking a few minutes. I got onto the Crow and it was much worse....

It felt nice to be on the last leg of the journey, but I still had some major obstacles to overcome. Up stream from Rockford (where the two forks of the Crow meet) the river gets very shallow. I don't think there is a spot on the South Fork of the Crow that is over my head, especially in August. This means a lot of walking is required to get anywhere. Getting in and out of a kayak all day takes its toll on a weary adventurer.

Not only is walking more strenuous than paddling it is also a lot slower. A couple days of a crawling pace can be very frustrating when the end goal is in sight. On top of these exhausting, seemingly non-productive days, I drank some bad water. I was very nauseous, not to the point of vomiting, but the thought of food was repulsive. I simply stopped eating. It is very hard to control your body in this situation. All it wants to do is sleep. Instead I had to make it walk against the current, pulling a loaded kayak for about 10 hours a day. I figure I may have been expending about 3500 calories a day and not consuming any.

Thankfully the sickness passed in about 2 days. Great news. I can eat again. I have at least some energy. As I paddle on I get a little lazy and stop getting out at the shallow points I should. Instead I try to muscle my way through using the paddle as a pole. Not a very good idea in retrospect... I ended up breaking the fiberglass paddle I purchased in Fargo. I break out the spare I've been carrying around and promptly break that within 10 minutes of using it. Without a paddle I decide to take a break and have a think. After a few minutes I do what I knew I had to do all along. I start walking again.

I made it to Biscay (about 15 river miles South of Hutchinson) in this manner. Walked to the bar, called my dad and informed him of the situation. Just like a super hero he brings a paddle to me the next day and my dad and brother end up paddling with me from Biscay to the Hutchinson Dam.

From then on it's been pretty non-stop. I spent about 15 hours in Hutch before I had to get in a car and start driving down to Kansas. I hadn't driven a car in a long time, within the first 5 minutes of driving I managed to run a stop sign and kill it 3 times in an intersection. Wonderful. Anyway, I made it to Lawrence and everything seems to be working out just fine.

I am glad that so many people took an interest in my summer adventure. I honestly enjoyed sharing it. I hope my experience may one day inspire someone to have a similar adventure. Thank you all very much for the encouragement, it is very much appreciated. I have no definite plans for a future adventure at the moment, but I have many many ideas running through my head.

Lastly, if anyone is interested in a t-shirt please let me know. I have some materials left still. Instead of supporting a starving adventurer you'll be supporting a starving student. Send me an email at:

cartwizard@gmail.com

Rutherford Goldstein

Victory

Hello Everyone

I'm in a bit of a time bind at the moment. I pulled into Otter Lake in Hutchinson, MN about 6pm yesterday (Saturday). Paddled most of the day with my brother and dad. The last week was extremely challenging. I had to walk about 1/2 of the Crow River, went through 2 paddles, and got sick from some bad water.

I'll make another post when I calculate the mileage of the whole thing. I have to boogie on down to Kansas today and start looking for a place. No rest for a tired Rudy.

Thanks very much for everyone who followed my progress and took an interest in this adventure. It still hasn't sunk in that I'm done yet. I think in the coming days it'll hit me pretty hard.

Rudy

Mississippi Ri-ver

Hello

I am currently on the Mississippi. I am lodging with a friend from high school. So much has happened since the last post... too much to put it all down right now. It's past midnight here, which is way past my bedtime these days. Here's a short summary.

I paddled on the St. Croix with some new friends who were paddling the entire river. It was nice to meet up with someone who is in somewhat of the same mindset as me.

A few days afterward I got some great hospitality from some kind folks in Hidden Harbor Marina. Sometimes it is really hard to believe that I have gotten so much kindness these past three months.

And then today I made it to Watergate Marina, which is about a mile upriver from the mouth of the Minnesota River. This means I'm now paddling water I've already been on. Crazy huh? I stopped by the marina and said hi to a boater I met three months ago. Hard to believe he recognized me.

It took me 3 days to get to this point going with the current, so I figure it'll take at least twice as long to do it late summer going against the current. I'm a little worried about the Crow being so low I'll have to walk most of it. If I have to I have to I suppose.

I am saying a tentative end date on either August 4th or 5th. This'll give me a week to find a place in Lawrence. The past 3 months I haven't known where I'm sleeping at night, so I don't think it'll be an issue.

Happy Trails,

Rudy

Just a brief note...

Hello

Currently I'm lodging with some family in Polk County, Wisconsin. I'm fairly exhausted, so I'll be short.

I had to walk up about 50% of the Brule River. It looks like a very fun river if you're going down-stream. There are some class 2-3 rapids and plenty of little rapids to bounce on. Of course going against the current is brutal at times. At some points I was barely able to keep my feet. The last 15 miles or so mellow out into a large spruce bog, which made for an interesting paddle. The river is very narrow at this point and requires a lot of bushwacking. Anyway, after the bog there is a 2 mile portage to Upper St. Croix Lake. It's a nice portage with lots of info about the fur trade route. Apparently this portage was in use up until about 1930.

Been on the St. Croix River since then and loving the down-stream paddling. It's a very scenic paddle and plenty of good campsites. I made it to St. John's Landing yesterday and said howdy so some friends from the conservation corps. I felt a bit like royalty getting to use the shower, laundry, and getting some good food.

It's about 11 at night here and I'm ready to crash. I hope to make the Mississippi in a couple days here. Time is becoming a bit of an issue. I have to be in Lawrence, KS on the morning of August 12th. And classes start a few days after that. Sure hope Dirty can last that long.

Rudy

North Shore?....you betcha

7-14-10

I got to Two harbors yesterday around noon. The wind was making some killer waves. Fun to play in for a while, but as the day went on they got bigger and more dangerous. I decided to pull ashore a few miles up from the town and wait it out.

I ended up meeting some nice folks who lodged me up for the night and gave me some great hospitality. As luck would have it a storm covered most of today as well. So, I decided to spend today here too. I needed the day off anyway. My body has been askin for a day of rest for a while now.

The north shore has been an amazing paddle. The cliffs along the shore are stunning. They can be a bit imposing at times; when you're lookin for a spot to land. I've always appreciated the view from on top of the cliffs, but looking up from the water is something spectacular as well. I strongly recommend anyone who has the gumption and a kayak availble to spend some time on the north shore.

I've been taking my time to do some exploring along the way. There are so many beaches that are only reachable by canoe or kayak. As a result, most of them haven't been picked over for agates in months. I took quite a few breaks to enjoy the private beach and do a spot of agate hunting myself. I got a nice little bundle built up.

The cooler temperatures are a most welcome change. Anyone who has been to Lake Superior knows the drastic temperature difference caused by the lake. The temp can be 20F degrees colder by the lake than elswhere. Which is just great for a person like me who sleeps better in the cold. I've had to camp out on rock beaches almost every night and even with the rocks as pillows I zonk out with ease.

Perhaps the best part is the fact that the cooler temps and constant breeze make the mosquitoes virtually non-exsitant! On the Grand Portage I was literally inhaling them (extra protein I guess). Now I'm able to enjoy the stars in peace. What a relief, I really can't put it in words properly.

On the down side of things, I hit a major milestone about 3 days ago. I am sick of peanut butter... I've had to choke down my last few lunches. In some ways I suppose I'm lucky I lasted this long, but peanut butter and I are no longer on speaking terms. I have about a week's worth of the stuff left and after that I simply can't buy it anymore.

My mental state has returned to normal I feel. This day off brought back all the parts of my sanity I left in the bush. Amazing what friendly faces and modern conveinces can do. The people of the north shore have been very kind to me.

I hope to paddle out tomorrow and from here the plan is this:

hit the Bois-Brule River in about 2 days

paddle up its 44 miles

take the portage trail Eric mentioned to the St. Croix River

St. Croix to Mississippi

Mississippi to Crow

Crow back to Hutch!

All in all it's roughly 400 miles. I'm saying a finishing date the first week in August. That is also the time I have to be in Kansas, so I'll have to be done no matter what...

I'm beginning to realize that I'm almost done. I don't know what to think about that yet. Part of me wants to be done and part of me wants to go on forever. I've been doing it for so long that it seems strange to stop. This has been a spectacular summer. I feel so fortunate to be doing what I'm doing. I'm also very excited to start my graduate education. It's probably for the best that I have something to look forward to, otherwise I may indeed just keep paddlin.

Not sure when I'll be able to update next. Might not be until I'm on the Mississippi. Until then,

happy trails
Rutherford

Grand Marais!

Hello

I wrote the previous post a couple days ago and didn't get a chance to use the internet until now. So, I figured I'd just post it up anyway.

Currently I'm hanging out in Grand Marais, MN on the north shore. There's an art fair and bands playin, pretty good timing eh? I met some very hospitable folks on the beach who were willing to lodge me up for the night and give me a shower, clean clothes, and access to the internet.

I'm taking sometime to resupply here in Grand Marais; food and what not. Paddling the lake is pretty slow going. There is a pretty constant head wind through most of the day. I get most of my distance covered around dawn and dusk when the winds die down. I believe I'll be in Duluth in about 4 days. I'll do some more blogging once I'm there.

Rudy

Greetings from Gitchee Gummee 7-8-10

Howdy howdy

Well I made Grand Portage last night. Seeing the big Lake at the end of a 9 mile portage sure is swell. The portage was pretty grueling. Anyone who has ever portaged a kayak before will tell you they just aren't made for it. I guess I'm something like a voyaguer now, the Grand POrtage was considered a rite of passage back in the fur trade era.

Each time I start a new leg of the trip it is bittersweet. I love the northern lake country. The wildlife is incredible: moose, bear, beaver, loons... I would venture the Boundary Waters is the most peaceful place in the lower 48. On op of that I met some ery nice people who really helped me out. The maps I picked up in Fort Frances only took me to Big Saganaga Lake. On that lake I met an outward Bound group who gave me maps to Lake Superior. Pretty good Karma eh?

The paddlin was something fierce, I've not had such scenery to paddle through on this trip yet. Cliffs as tall as 100 feet, water so clar you can see 30 feet down. I dig it.

Of course the portaging was a bit of a pain. I had a 655 rod portage before the Grand. I have never slept so well in my life. For those unfamiliar with canoe country, a rod is 16.5 feet (the length of a canoe) and there are 320 rods in a mile. Some of the trails hadn't been cleard for years, others were fairly well maintained. On Fowl Portage (300 rods) I had to step over a fallen tree every 20 feet. My legs felt like lead after that one.

The weather was prime. I had maybe 2 half days due to weather. Otherwise it was sunny skies. Got burned a little bit one day, but I wisened up after that and put on the sunscreen. I have to take some time off now here in Grand Portage. Dirty desperately needs some TLC. I only hope she'll make it the last little bit back home. I'm so proud of her and I've grown quite fond of her. I realize it's slightly absurd to be so attached to an inanimate object, but I find it hard not to be; we spend every minute of every day together.

Anyway, I made the trek from Fort Frances to Grand Portage in 11 days (3 days faster than I expected). The distance is actually 300 miles. I hope to make Duluth within a week and take some much needed time off. I haven't taken a layover day since Winnipeg.

Morale is as high as ever and after this bush jump I feel like there's nothing I can't handle. I'm sure Lake Superior will throw some big waves my way, but I can take 'em

Peace,
Rutherford

Update mailed on June 29, received July 5th

Greetings from the Rainy River. I must say the river is aptly named. Everyday now has either started or ended with a shower. Been pretty soggy lately.

This river is also the border between Minnesota and Ontario. I've been staying on the Canadian side just to avoid the hassle of border crossing. Believe me, it is quite a hassle for a stinky, hippie-lookin' dude to cross international borders.

The river is fairly populated on both sides of the border, which has definitely caused a decrease in wildlife. On the Winnipeg River and Lake of the Woods I could expect a loon lullaby every night. Quite a contrast on the Rainy to hear cars buzzing by.

It's also quite a change to go from paddling big lakes to cruising this river. On Lake of the Woods there are plenty of islands and bays to explore. The Rainy is more or less a straight shot from Rainy Lake to Lake of the Woods. Plus I had forgotten how fun it is to paddle a river.

I was interviewed by a newspaper. I was told it will be available online for anyone who's interested. It was the Rainy River Record in Rainy River, Ontario. I met some very nice people in Rainy River.

I've got some pretty exciting country to cover here. After I leave Fort Francis there is a span of 30 miles of wilderness. I'll cross through the BWCA and the Quetico. I hope to see lots of moose. After the bush jump I top it all off with a 9 mile portage to Lake Superior. Not looking forward to that, but at least it will give my legs a much needed workout.

I figure it'll take me about 2 weeks to get to the lake. My menu for those two weeks is going to be:

Breakfast - oatmeal (brown sugar and raisins)
Lunch - peanut butter sandwiches
Dinner - macaroni and cheese

Pretty standard. I don't think I'll be able to look at mac and cheese without feeling sick after this summer. I'm already fairly tired of it and I got quite a bit more time to go. However, I can still gobble down the peanut butter. There've been times, when out of laziness, I just eat spoonfuls of it. It's an amazing camping food. Something like 100 calories per tablespoon!

I would also like to say think you very much for following me on this adventure. Every time I have gotten to a computer and checked the blog there is always tons of encouraging comments. I can't express how good it makes me feel. It's easy to think I've been forgotten about. I sure do appreciate all the support.

I'm not sure when I'll be able to update next, but I'll do my best.

Cheers, Rutherford

Tadaa

Sorry for the lack of updates lately.  I've gone through some amazing country lately that is also fairly remote.  I shot the Winnipeg River in roughly a week.  I cleard Lake of the Woods today and now I'm on the Rainy River in a town called Rainy River.  A nice guy by the name of Bob let me set up a tent in his yard and use his washroom..  Feel almost civilized.

Once again I am very sorry for not finishing what I set out to do.  As of now my route is this:  follow the border to Lake superior, take the shore to duluth.  From there I will try to find a way to the St. CroixRiver and meet back up with the Mississippi and paddle back up to the Crow and finish in Hutchinson.  A gigantic dirty loop around the state.

I'm certain I'll havve enough time to make Dulouth, but after that it is a little close to call.  I've been paddlin some long days lately to make up for the slow weather.  So much of my speed is based on the weather.  I've had to sit out some storms lately that really take a chunk out of thet day.

My sperits are still pretty high.  I've been met with astounding kindness from Canadians.  I can't count how many times I've asked for directions and ended up getting a cold beer and hot supper.  I dig it.  

The country did a dramatic shift from prairie to coniferous forest when I got off Lake Winnipeg.  Nice to hear loons and smell pines.

However, I can feel my sanity slowly creeping away.  I think I'm going to experience some wicked culture shock in August.  I've found myself having some fairrly serious conversations with trees lately...  Nothingn to worry about, I'm sure it's all part of the adventure.

HOpe to update more often.

Rudy

Huge change of plans

Hello friends

First of all, I sincerely appreciate all the good vibes. I was bummin pretty hard for a while there about not going to York Factory. It's good to know I haven't been shunned. I can't completely shake this feeling of letting people down.

Ok, now this is exciting. I had a light bulb moment the instant I got off the Red onto Lake Winnipeg. I got a new route in mind that gives me the smiles just thinking about it. I'm not going to reveal what I have in store until I'm a little more certain of things.

Sorry for being so vague.

Rudy

It's not meant to be...

Well, I have spent nearly a week in Winnipeg. I exhausted all my options as far as a return trip from York Factory. I just can't get things to work out. I am very confident I can make the paddle to York Factory. There is just no possible way of me getting back. Sadly this means I will have to change my route. Here is a list of all the possibilities I looked into:

Paddle up the Hayes (Current too strong)
Paddle up the Nelson(Dams make current too unpredictable)
Paddle up the Bay to Churchill (illegal and extremely dangerous)
Boat Charter (not in service this year)
Ed Zalinsky's personal boat (not in service this year)
Calm Air (too expensive)
Venture Air (too expensive)
Gillam Air (too expensive)
A pilot I met in Grand Forks (border patrol won't let him cross)
Hike Back (can only carry about 2 weeks worth of food)

Additionally my friends in Winnipeg asked around their friends and family in Northern Manitoba, to no avail.

I don't know of any other way to return from York Factory. However, I am nowhere near ready to be done paddling for the summer. It's been such a blast so far, I want to keep doing it until I have to be in Kansas. So, I have formulated a much more flexible plan:

Paddle up to Norway House on the north end of the lake

From there I can either:
A)hitch a ride to the train, take the train to Churchill, return to Norway House, and paddle back to the south end of the lake B)paddle to Thicket Portage, take the train to churchill, return and paddle back to the south end of the lake, or C) simply paddle back to the south end of the lake

From the South end of Lake Winnipeg, depending on how much time is left in the summer I will either:
A)call it quits B) hang out in Winnipeg again C)paddle the Winnipeg River to Lake of the Woods.

I'm disappointed that I won't finish what I set out to do, but I have experienced so much on this trip already it's impossible to consider it a failure. For my next adventure I will simply have to sell more t-shirts.

I hope to continue updating as my plans become more concrete, but the northern half of Lake Winnipeg is sparsely populated.

Rudy

Winnipeg

I made Winnipeg now and have to spend a few days here. Wonderful city. Smiling friendly faces everywhere.

After the border the river current really picked up and I could manage about 70 miles a day no sweat. That was a blast, hard to imagine I was working my tail off on the Minnesota and only making about 2 miles an hour. Seems like a long time ago.

Have to be brief as my internet time is nearly up.

Rudy

Grand Forks, ND

Hello

Currently I am hanging out in Grand Forks. I have a very kind host and access to a computer.

Progress is very steady lately. I can do about 50 miles a day. Had some storms a few days back that made me sit out for a while. They weren't all bad, got to test my new rain gear and take a rest. Except for that it's been nothing but sunshine.

I got to paddle with my good friend Chuck a few days back. That was a nice change. We met some nice folks in Wolverton who gave us a spot to camp, a fire to cook on, and all the Hamm's we could drink.

Hope to make Winnipeg in a week or so.

Rudy

Russ and I met up with Rudy today in Browns Valley. Here's what he has to say:

Made it to Browns Valley, a wonderful little town that happens to be on the continental divide. Happily that also means my down-stream traveling begins. I spent so much time and energy on the Minnesota it was (almost) hard to finally be done with it.
My parents came to meet me and help me with the two mile portage from Big Stone Lake to Traverse Lake. Nice to spend the day with them.
Wonderful sunny days lately, hope it continues.
Hope to update more often.
Rudy

No more up-stream nonsense

Howdy

I've made it to the Lac Qui Parle dam. After this there really isn't a lot of current left on the Minnesota. It was a tough trek up the Minnesota at flood stage. Hopefully it will make everything else seem a little easier.

The folks from CURE have been doing an amazing job at taking care of me. I have had a couch or bed to crash on for the past 4 days now. I am truly thankful for all the kindness I have been shown.

This sure has been fun so far.

Rudy

Granite Falls

Howdy

I'm spending the rest of today in Granite Falls (and tomorrow actually). I got a very kind and hospitable family to stay with. I've already met the mayor and got plans to be interviewed by the local paper.

Paddling has been kinda rough lately. The wind and rain really haven't let up in the past two weeks. I've decided not to paddle when it's what I call "really hard rain". I tipped about a week ago and thankfully it was a sunny day otherwise I wouldn't have dried out very quickly. If I tip when the rain and wind are coming down hard it's likely to turn into an emergency situation what with the hypothermia and all. Despite the weather, my spirits haven't been dampered. There is so much adventure to be had.

I did get a letter from KU saying orientation is a week earlier than I originally planned. This cuts off a week on an already time crunched trip. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and make up some of this lost time on the Red River.

All in all I'm having a great time. I really appreciate all the comments written on the blog and I'm thinking about friends and family back in Hutch town.

And a note on writing letters: if they are sent "express mail" the post office will only hold them for 5 days.

Peace,

Rutherford

Letter from Rudy

Here's what Rudy has to say:"Been some hard paddlin' going upstream, but still making progress. Made it to St. Peter on the 1st. Can't wait to head down river again." As written to Mom in a letter.

First 2 days

I made it to Coon Rapids on the Mississippi at the end of day 2. I'm staying at my aunt and uncle's house for the night. Been going a lot quicker than I thought. The Crow River wasn't so much a paddle as it was an obstacle course. Saw plenty of deer, geese, ducks, and a couple eagles. Spent last night just outside of Watertown. Everything going fine, glad to finally get started. I have a place to stay tomorrow night close to Ft. Snelling.

Modified Route

For several reasons (legal and otherwise) I have had to chop off the tail of my planned route. Instead of going along the Hudson Bay's shore to Churchill, I will now be going up the Nelson River to Gillam, MB. The Canadian rail runs from there to Winnipeg.

This last minute change of plans will hopefully not detract from the journey.

Tune in

Today at 3:30 I'll be doing a short interview at KDUZ (http://www.kduz.com/). Nothing too serious, just a little chat about the details of the trip. Should be some good stuff.