River Gauge - a journey down the mississippi

doing something pt 2

2010-09-27T10:55:00.001-07:00

Amy, my wonderful partner in crime- though she had the flu, though she had just worked an 8 hour day starting at 4:30AM, though it was raining, and though it was dark, and though she didn't know she was doing it until about an hour before she did, drove 6 hours from Chicago to pick me up.

I knew that If I waited out the floods in Wabasha It would then be too cold to go on, and if I went on in the flood, it would be too dangerous - So the journey is put on pause while I figure out an alternate plan...

So I gave the boat away to some guys on a dock in Wabasha, tried to keep my chin up, and left the Mississippi after only a week.

Though I am definitely disappointed and it is a bit embarrassing that the trip didn't work out like I thought it was going to, these three months were meant to mostly be a catalyst for a journey, and so the journey has just begun - whether it continues on the Mississippi or somewhere else I'm not sure, but I hope it goes on....

Anyways, I'm taking the bus home to Columbus tomorrow and from there... who knows?

-Colin

doing something

2010-09-27T08:56:00.000-07:00

Hello All!!

Been a while since the last post - lots has happened, lots can happen in a few days huh?

So I made it through Lake Pepin (the birthplace of waterskiing!) sleeping on the side of the river where the Chippewa river meets the Mississippi. I wound up in Wabasha where drip drop drip....

It rained HARD for almost 48 hours straight. Thankfully Peter and Christine bought me a tarp to put over my leaking tent (found this out the day before I set sail...). The inside of the tent still got a little wet after these massive days of rain and storms. After the first day of rain I thought... okay this is getting annoying - Rain/wind has kept me from making much progress on the river thus far...

The second day the rain was coming down, sitting in my tent, reading, harmonica playing (workin on the railroad), I began to hear rumors on the radio and online that the storms were causing some incredible flooding. In fact the town just 20 miles south of where I was camping (Zumboro Falls) was in a state of emergency and was evacuated because its river the Zumboro was flooding so drastically - Which flows right into the Mississippi. I began hearing that towns around me were all under flood warnings including towns along the Mississippi River - Specifically Wabasha. Sitting in my tent I could see the Mississippi out the 'window' - It didn't look too bad, and though there were small puddles building up within my tent and large puddles outside my tent (preventing me from reaching the bathroom without wading thru water), I began to believe the weather people.

I also heard they evacuated Black River Falls - Where me and Peter had spent the week before camping/hiking etc. in perfect weather.

The weather warnings said the Mississippi was expected to be above flood stage and rising further by Monday (today). They say by Wednesday, The Mississippi in St Paul would be flooding. They closed the state park I was planning on staying in next 15 miles down the river. I overheard some guys at the local bar talking about how this was the the most Fall time rain they had had in 25 years, the farmers are hating all this late rain preventing harvest.

So anyways, as the small inlets, streams and smaller rivers wash out the all wash out into the Mississippi River, the river gets a little bit meaner - currently making the river un navigable by a small craft such much as mine. The water is flowing very swiftly and the currents are pulling unexpectedly. There is also a lot of debris I could see just floating down the river - Logs etc.

While this flooding isn't by any means armageddon for the towns people, it kind of is for me. With the river being so high, and seemingly staying this high for about another two weeks, and with the first frost happening tonight, temperatures are falling rapidly below freezing point, I decided to make a call...

Typical view

2010-09-19T16:46:00.000-07:00

Lake pepin... Since when does the Mississippi act like an ocean?

Made 20 miles today along one of the widest parts of the Mississippi ( little more than a mile across)- not only was it wide, but seemed to take forrerrever to go thru- and I've still got 10 miles left...

Good calm weather for it though so that was nice.

Woo!

The first (and second) day

2010-09-18T20:44:00.000-07:00

> Ahoy!!!!!!
>
> Well the time has finally come and I have set sail (foot?) on this journey.
>
> My time in Chicago was wonderful seeing Amy and her awesome room mate Meridith. Then I got to spend a few days with my buddy peter camping out in black river falls state forest doing some "mound summiting". I realize now that
> Mound is just short for 'taller than a hill, but not really a
> Mountain.'
>
> My first day on the wAter began in Prescott Wisconsin- just south of Minneapolis. I decided to start there so I would not have to portage - walk - my boat at all . I was expecting to go about 10 miles that afternoon but when I arrived at the expected campsite just north of the first lock and dam I would go thru, I found that he campsite on the map did not exsist in reality... Day one this left me a little concerned to say the least. It also left me no choice but to go thru the lock and look on the banks for another site.
>
> It turned out the dauntingly large metal machine called a lock is actually warm and fuzzy on the inside. It was really simple to pass thru, my companion in the lock being a treasure island casino boat with interested passengers wishing me luck on the journey and beers for the taking :). After the lock I ended up finding a campsite just a half mile Downstream on a nice sand bank to spend the night.
>
> I traveled 15 Miles
>
> Today I went 6 miles
> Down to the town of red wing. An awesome little spot. I got in round noon-went into town, did some filming, had a warm meal, yum.
>
> Tomorrow calls for nice weather and I will be going 30 miles
> Down stream to a place just south of pepin per another campers -Aarons- suggestion.
>
> Getting late, getting tired.
>
> I hope All is well with you all!
>
> Keep it between the ditches!
>
> Colin
>
>

Bon Voyage!

2010-09-10T08:11:00.001-07:00

Welp, this is it folks - I'm leaving today and headed for the headwaters!

I am driving with my friend Peter and will be meeting up with Christine in Minneapolis and they're driving the car back home. The plan is to try to have no real plan and take our time to get up there - Maybe getting on the water on Thursday?

Stop in Chicago to see my awesome girlfriend, Amy, and stop somewhere between there and the headwaters in Minnesota to go camping/hiking whatever sweetness with peter.

There has been a lot of planning that has gone into this little journey thinger and I am glad to see it all coming together now finally and I'll be walking out of my house in less than two hours. I would say I am WAY more excited than nervous about the trip (but that's not to say I wont try to play it safe mostly... :)

So the plan after examining the maps was to HOPEFULLY start up in Bemidji just near the actual headwaters, but it looks as though I may have ot start all the way down in Minneapolis because of all the portages between Itasca and Minneapolis... but that's cool - Though I wish a little I could spend more time up north where the scenery is a little more pristine...

So to all reading: Bon Voyage!!!! or... Ta for now!

I will be updating this here www.ONARIVER.com blog about once a week I would say with stories of the journey, but I will also be twittering probably more often with little updates about where I am.

So keep an eye out for new pix and such along the next three month - it's bound to be a doosey!!

-Colin

i AM an organ donor

2010-08-31T20:03:00.000-07:00

To those that helped me through Kickstarter, I thank you all:

Jamie Manuel

Connie West

Brittany/Dan Ransom

Melissa Lautzenhiser

Taylor King

Michael King

Jane Lockwood

Emily Neilson

Darren Kilian

David Gammill

Lee Zarkades

Kelly

Matt Bergstrom

Check yo'selves out on the crew section of the website www.onariver.com/crew

Two weeks!!! [[lotlotlot]]

2010-08-31T17:55:00.000-07:00

Lots and Lots and Lots to say . . .. Got the drive system, hooked it up, Maiden voyage happened - and boy did it happen. last night I took the boat on the water. It floats woooo!

I had just made it out on the water and was cruising along happily, adjusting a little of this and that - maybe out on the water for about 45 seconds - when all of a sudden

"Hey!"

I turn

"Off the water!"

mmmmmmm police. So I may or may not have purchased a life vest at that point... citation and ticket............ gew.

So anyways, Wear that PFD eh?!??!?!

Other than that the trip was awesome - the steering worked out perfectly, the seat was a little shaky (which I think is now figured out), and the drive system was sure driving! I think I could really get some speed.

Of course my trip was cut a little shorter than I would have liked - but hey it worked!

So this weekend I'm going to take it out again a few times for longer day trips and test its durability for more than 2 minutes :)

Also, Big news - So many people have been recently donating to my Kickstarter project - what support!!! Just in the last few days I have raised over $400!!!!!!! I can't believe it.

And though I won't end up getting that money because it is an all-or-nothing system, It is great to see so many people interested in the project - Their names are all going on this site for all their help. Thank you all.

I have also heard from a few people who live along the river who tell me they would be more than happy to show me around when I float through their towns. Special shout out to all those in Natchez, MS! You all are awesome!

Whats left:

-pack!!!!!!!! hmmm and maybe buy an inner tube to trail along my stuff... the boat already sits pretty low without anything even on it...

5 weeks?!?!?...!

2010-08-09T19:46:00.000-07:00

5 weeks and counting til I set sail!!!! I'm really getting in gear now - feeling good about where I am in the process actually. I wish I would have received the drive system a little earlier so I could have more time to install it before I left for the trip - but ya just gotta go with the flow with these kind of things sometimes.

So now the drive system should be coming this week sometime- and it is really the final component I need to really install. Other than that:

What I have figured out:

-steering mechanism

-seat (need to replace PVC with metal pipe... no biggie)

-tent
-storage
-roller blades for getting around towns
-pelican case for keeping my cameras dry
-maps, guides, +
- +

What I need to figure out:

-Drive system install
-how to Portage (walk my boat on land) if needed.... sometime canoes have to do this
-Do a couple tests...um...on water.
-Pack!
-GO!!!!!

(I know there is more to think about with each of those things, but that's the main idea...

little by little

On a side note, I dont think I'm going to make my KickStarter goal for raising money - but that's okay. I really appreciate all the help people have given me, both monetary and otherwise - Thanks for all the support :)

Ha... Hmm...

2010-07-23T07:42:00.000-07:00

Kickstarter and the like

2010-07-20T21:59:00.000-07:00

Wow - All Kind-za news! Must I make this a list... yes'm:

A.) The wonderful people at the wonderful place KICKSTARTER.com accepted this (whatever this is) project onto their website for the possibility of funding!!!!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ColinMcDonald/mississippi-river-a-journey-doing-something

Kickstarter is a place where creative projects - music, literature, visual arts etc. - get posted and are then in the running to get funded by people like you! Individual donors can choose and support whichever projects they find interesting.

Many people get funded to record an album, or write/publish a book, or even sail around the world (like Emily Richmond: http://www.bobbieroundstheworld.com/). In return for the donation the donors get small 'gifts' depending on the amount donated. Here is a picture of a few of the things you can get in exchange for your help :)

A section of a Mississippi map, a stick with your name on it to be floated down the Mississippi, a 'do SOMETHING' bumper sticker, and a cat!! (cat not included)

do SOMETHING!!!

So I am looking for help from people like YOU - to help fund my journey. I have used my own money to build the boat and prepare for the trip – I need your help with the day-to-day expenses.

So anyways, here is the link to my Kickstarter page - Check it out!!!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ColinMcDonald/mississippi-river-a-journey-doing-something

Awesome gifts!!!:::

Pledge $1 or more:

I write your name on a stick and send it off on its journey down the Mississippi - Float down stream with me!!

Pledge $8 or more:

Get your very own "do SOMETHING" bumper sticker - looks great on cars, bikes, and small oxen. - PLUS THE FLOATING STICK ABOVE.

Pledge $15 or more:

[[Support a half-day of travel]] - you get your name listed on my website as a half-day supporter - PLUS GET THE STICK AND STICKER !!

Pledge $30 or more

[[Support one full day of travel]] - you get your name listed on my website as a day supporter - ALSO, you get a very detailed map I used for a single mile of the river - probable water warping, stains, and wrinkles... (and you get the stick + sticker!!!!)

Pledge $45 or more

You get the map listed above, with my attempt to make that map a coloring book - I'm a dam (pun) good color-er! --GET THE STICK/STICKER/LISTING ON WEB TOO!!

Pledge $90 or more

[[Support a half week of travel]] - I will make and send you a little personalized video update from the place of your choice - - who wants to see my unshaven, unshowered, unsmelly (yea right) self right there on your own personal computer?!?!?!? --GET THE STICK/STICKER/LISTING ON WEB/COLORING MAP TOO!!

Pledge $180 or more

$180+ : [[Support one full week of travel]] - You get... to.... Name my boat! If more than one person donates this level, I will conglomerate the names into one awesomely confusing name -What a privilege --GET THE STICK/STICKER/LISTING ON WEB/COLORING MAP/VIDEO UPDATE TOO!!

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE SUPPORT!

the like

2010-07-20T21:50:00.000-07:00

2.) I've officially put a tent on the boat - wooooo! (see pic at bottom of post) It is my 2 person tent that I've modified to fit just on the rear portion of the boat.

...okay, yes... it looks really bad I know...

So I'm still working out some of the logistics of the thing - but hey... gimme a break, it's like a million degrees here in Columbus. You should all just be lucky I haven't passed out by now. the show must go on!!

Anyways, it was really just exciting to see it up there, even though its not fully done.

III.)
The man who re-furbishes the pedal drive systems - the one I want/need soon - I guess had broken his hip and had some sort of other injury as well for the last monthish :( I feel kind of bad because I have been calling his co-worker and bugging him about getting the drive system... but now I know. But, supposedly the re-furbisher will be back sometime late this week to do some re-furbishing and I should get my drive system soon :) So - all the best to him and a healthy, fast recovery I say!

Lid

2010-07-12T21:38:00.000-07:00

Progressssssss-

Home from St. Louis - On to the ship building... (ps- I did a huge project on ship building in the 5th grade I completely forgot about until now)

Put on a little roof top on this tug boat of mine today - Basically just using a tarp, some aluminum rods, and some rope.

I went to the hardware store and was checking out with a bunch of products (see above) and the girl at the checkout said "Hmm - Looks like you have an interesting project going on." "Hehe, Yeah".

checkoutcheckoutbeepbeepbagbag.

I give no answer really. She says "So... What are you making?" I say "Im, um, making a boat to go down the Mississippi River".

"Oh Wow!" She says as she hands me my bags - - "Yeah, ha" I say. "Well you must know a lot about boat building huh?" ...

Me (As I walk out): "Yeah, I don't really know anything at all about boat building."

- - - - - But here I am.

. Anyways, I need to do some more proper securing with some more proper rope, but then the roof canopy will be all set to go!! :)

Apparently there is a guy up in Michigan that I am waiting for to come re-furbish the Sea Cycle drive system that I need in order to make the boat actually go somewhere - But they say he will be in this week to do this - either way, I can work on other stuff before that - like finding a saddle.

Ta!

St Louie

2010-06-30T21:46:00.000-07:00

Okay - So like waywaaaayyyy busy here in St. Louis. I'm here for 'work'. I say "'work'" not "work" because I LOVE my job etc.etc. But it is a lot of work and I haven't had a lot of time to explore St Louis much as much as I would like to... but I probably will soon.

We crossed the Mississippi coming into town - woah. Big/scary/fast/bargy AWESOME river!!

It made me a little nervous - but I have been meeting all kinds of really kind and genuine people here and they are making me remember why I want to go on this trip. Being here, meeting people, seeing new places, all makes me think how great this Mississippi trip will be.

Plus now I know some nice chaps to possibly room with when I'm back here in the fall. St Louis is about the half way point for the Mississippi trip - So I expect to be back here come Early November-ish-esk.

Things to try in St Louis:

Utilizing the bike lanes on roads

Shlafly Pale Ale

ARCH

Punky Rock Dance Scene

Everest (the restaurant)

the Cherokee neighborhood

The Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts

St. Louis Contemporary Arts Museum (right next door to above)

Light rail system (metrolink) - (Saint Louis has trains??? yes.)

Okay - Ta for now - Hopefully I can make it down to the riverfront soon!! (!!)

2010-06-24T16:05:00.001-07:00

St Louis here I am! pics soon- reason why im here soon.

just a few links...

2010-06-16T09:40:00.001-07:00

NPR - the 6/6 broadcast is on the Mississippi
http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/npr-hearing-voices-podcast/id278925554

A journalist and photographer go down the Ol Missipp - looking specifically at politics - great pics!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/crossingamerica/

Cat, meet Cat

2010-06-13T20:12:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago a little grey cat appeared around our house... cold, hungry, meowing, the whole bit. We named him R2D2.

It was funny because every time anyone came home or left the house - this critter would com running around the corner to meet us. We wondered where he was living until one day I went out to work on my boat and as I got closer to the boat, R2D2 came running out
from underneath. I lifted the boat to see a small patch of grass he has flattened out and made into his kind of burrow. He had been living under my boat for weeks.

Soon enough I started bringing him inside at night and when it was raining etc, then found a great little place started by one of my friends, http://www.colonycats.org/colony_cats/Home.html

So anyways, the cat is safe and sound. I now feel like the boat is harbouring (pun) some good vibes. Bravo my (yet un-named) boat!!

The needed list // (and so on and so forth)

2010-05-30T07:48:00.000-07:00

Welp,

The boat has been secured... It is sitting outside my bedroom window with a tarp over it saying "Colin - Colin hello?" And I look back at it and say "I know - I've just been busy!! I'm not ignoring you!"

Excuses Excuses Excuses.

Point is, over the last little bit of time I have been making a little promo video for the journey/the film/the adventure/whathaveyou. I'll upload it here in the next couple days or so...
BUT - I need to get to work on this boat eh????

THE NEEDED LIST::::::

1- pedal/prop drive system
2- recumbent bike seat
3- make the deck more deckably sound

Now, these aren't just small things - - I expect each one (especially the drive system) to take me a few weeks. This of course means I have to get into gear and start making.

Here is a picture of the boat I am sort of going for...

Anyways - I can audibly hear my boat yelling at me right now for not working on it currently on this beautiful day. Ta!

Ye Olde Mississippi

2010-05-16T10:01:00.001-07:00

Part 1 of 2 - old black and white video about the Mississippi and its history - 1937!!

http://www.archive.org/details/RiverThe1937

Boat (part Dou)

2010-05-12T21:47:00.000-07:00

Hello again :)

So I have officially acquired a new AWESOME boat! It is a "Hobie cat 3.5" (meters that is, yesyes)

11 ft by 6 ft... I got it from a nice guy in Cincinnati and I didn't have the heart to tell him that the plan was to turn the boat into a pedal powered boat, hence not using many of the "sail" parts that he was excited about. It's not that I'm not interested in sailing, just that I want this one to be pedal powered ;) maybe one day I'll sail the big blue...

I had to take the boat apart in order to transport it, though hopefully the end goal is to be able to carry it on top of my car. Not too far fetched in my opinion. Although, it only took about 20-30 minutes to take apart and then put back together, so that wouldn't be such a hassle if I needed to do that every time.

Anyways, I'm really excited to have this part, though of course I feel really bad for my old wooden boat I'm ABANDONING! That sounds harsh... It sucks to be someone who personifies EVERYTHING I own making it truly hard to get rid of things.

Well I'm not truly abandoning it, I still have it, and hope to use it on the river just down the road with my friends or whatever, but eventually (probably at the end of summer) it will have to go. I will be moving and then going on this trip blah blah and I don't want to lug that thing around. Though it was really fun to fix up.

Anyways, I still have a lot of work to do on the boat - - but having the main part of the boat is the main thing and now I can build from here!

Need:

Pedal drive system

Deck?

Tent?

recumbent bike seat

other things/stuff/safety blahblhablhablahbalhb etc..........

Alright, off to bed - keep ya updated on the updates!

Doing Something

2010-05-07T12:59:00.000-07:00

I'm having trouble trying to decide how to start this blog thinger about the journey - - but I want to have a way to update with pix, stories, writings, findings, whatever, so I need to start it somehow.

hmm... that was convenient.

I'm starting this blog slightly into the process, so let me catch you up! :::::

[Timeline fashion I suppose??]

-About 5 years ago: My dad told me about the time he attempted to go down the length of the Mississippi River on a raft

-2 seconds later: I decide I need to do this at some point in my life

-4 years later: 4 years go by...

-1 year ago: I think the coming year might just be the time...

-6 months ago: (November 2009): I get my first boat! A little wooden paddle boat.

-5 months ago: I decide since I like bicycling so much I should try making this a pedal powered boat!

-4 months ago: I tried Brie Fondue for the first time, loooved it.

-3.9999 months ago: I tried Brie Fondue for the second time, haaated it.

(hmm...)

-About a month ago: The wooden boat is now re-painted, re-stained, and waterproofed. I post to a pedal powered boat forum [http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/boat-design/pedal-powered-boats-23345-55.html] about how to convert it to a pedal powered boat...

They say (rightfully so) it will never happen, and if it does, I will capsize.

They suggest a catamaran instead.

I look into it. cool.

-Last week: I buy a small catamaran. (expect updates and pix very soon)

-NOW: I make a website about the journey and start gettin this boat pedally sea worthy!

- the future... : Go down the Ol' Mississip' on a pedal powered boat Fall 2010!

So,
Follow me as I battle sea monsters... right here! on this blog!