Within an hour, seven were rented and outfitted and the flotilla of paddlers set off in the meandering flow. We met the group a few hours later in downtown Dyersburg and enjoyed the challenge of a true river rat landing. I spent a few hours helping folks land and climb up an ingenious ladder to the top of the bank, then with assistance from Dyersburg’s finest, the firemen, we hauled each boat up to the high ground. Watch a video of this great event.

Dyersburg has become the headwaters of a proposed “Blueway” which connects this old Northwest Tennessee community to the river metropolis- Memphis, TN- as part of a water trail and development area. Under the direction of the lovely and talented Diana Threadgill, the Mississippi River Corridor has become a very effective and exciting agency helping to develop awareness and access to the greatness of the Great Rivers. Diana not only makes it happen in the office, the board room and the community, she is a very fine paddler too. Steve Guttery, Director of Downtown Development for Dyersburg Chamber of Commerce, is another excellent advocate for river recreation and conservation. Steve and his colleagues have turned the realization that Dyersburg exists because of the Forked Deer River into a blossoming development strategy. One example is the transformation of an old lumber yard into a park including a masterfully rehabbed lumber storage structure now the home of the local farmer’s market and civic events. All in all, I’d say Dyersburg TN is a river city that gets it.

Our good friends of Angela’s Ark are set to depart on a historic voyage to Memphis. They are prepared to go “old timey”, which means on a flat boat, authentic and river worthy. The history of this boat is a rival to the history of this voyage. Angela’s Ark was commissioned for Mount St. Joseph Ursuiline Nuns, good teachers and early pioneers of faith and good works to the Ohio and Mississippi River Valleys. Their purpose was to celebrate their anniversary of coming down the Ohio. John Cooper built it for them, and now is present to witness its second great journey. Which leads to the second bit of history involved.

Captain Lewis at St. Charles reviewing the field.

The most dangerous thing on the river is a boat with a motor. Unless that motor is six strong oars, six strong rowers and good tiller. Angela's Ark deck with oars.

The last bit of the “Old Timey” is the crew. The crew won’t appreciate that so I must explain the joke. They are the First Squad. The stunt doubles to the reenactors guild of Lewis and Clark and many other rendezvous events. They range in age from 18-80, and the eighty year old is fitter and stronger than the youngest of the usual reenactor crowd. Most are more comfortable in sheep skin, elk skin, hemp cloth or the woolens of the 18th and early 19th century military issue than they are in even Levis or Wranglers. They are likely to raid a food pantry, but then use the loot to cook and feed forty homeless river rats while entertaining a hundred more with stories. They help nuns on to flat boats, raise Native sons in the air and give them thrills and joy all the while cursing loudly at ‘neer-do-wells’, which is often each other Most of all, and most appreciated, they have done the rivers, the mountains and the trails, in the “old timey” way, by paddle and saddle and blisters and sweat, and they are ready again. Bon Voyage! See you on the river.

On Monday, May 11, we assisted Mrs. Kathy Dolan and her troop of St. Ann’s scouts as they began their quest to receive this award. It was a beautiful day on the river and all of the boys overcame their fears and discovered the pleasures of a stomp in the mud!

Maple Island / Mississippi River Birding Tours
After last week’s awesome Wings of Spring event, and to help develop our partnership with the St. Louis Audubon Center, we are now featuring sunrise and sunset birding tours of Maple Island. Maple Island is a pristine river habitat located just below the Alton Dam on the “free flowing” Mississippi River and is part of the Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary. Our bird tours by canoe enable you to experience some of the best birding habitat in the USA. Sunrise trips usually put-in at 6:30 AM and finish at 9 AM. The sunset trips put-in at 5:30 PM and return at 8 PM. The basic fee is $30 per person. We have special group rates for this trip. Contact us to schedule and customize your trip.

Canoe Rendezvous and Mississippi Water Trail Dedication
On Saturday, May 16, 2009 Big Muddy Adventures will be a featured partner in the 3rd Annual Great Rivers Canoe Rendezvous being held here in the Great Rivers region. This year, the Army Corps of Engineers and its partners will be opening and dedicating the next sections of the Mississippi Water Trail. This great effort will extend the water trail and all of its benefits, right down to the Arch in St. Louis. Of course, that means, Big Muddy Adventures should be your guide to the trail. Nobody knows it better. Nobody cares for it more.

There are a number of great canoe and kayak events planned. BMA will be providing canoe rentals and guiding for the “social paddle” that is planned. Also, we will be running guided trips on “Angela’s Ark”(see below), an authentic 19th century flat boat. These trips will take you up Piasa Creek, a storied tributary of the Mississippi River. For event details, you can go to the web site of the event. To get involved via Big Muddy Adventures, contact us.

Angela’s Ark
Big Muddy Adventures is excited to be providing a completely unique and awesome, “old timey” river experience. Join us on an authentic early 19th century flat boat. “Angela’s Ark” is a hand hewn and constructed flat boat, the kind that Mike Fink made famous. It accommodates up to 10 guests. It is moored at the Great Rivers Land Trust’s newly purchased, “Piasa Harbor” complex. Contact us and we will schedule a Big Muddy Adventure on an especially cool river craft.

It’s Wings of Spring and John Ruskey and the Mighty Quapaws are coming upstream via the “double nickel” I-55 with the King Beaver, the Ladybug and a pile of gear. We’re going to be paddling and guiding for this cool event. Three trips, Sunrise, MidDay and Sunset. And some canoe carving in between. The registrations are good and it looks like there’ll be a lot of folks getting some river time and some birding in their lives this weekend. Many thanks to Dr. Patty Hagen and the St. Louis Audubon folks for allowing us the opportunity.

Around here at the Confluence, the winter paddling season provides unique opportunities to witness eagles. In fact, “Eagle Days” are celebrated all winter in the Upper Mississippi and Middle Mississippi River valley. Today, Trailnet is the lead organization for such an event at the Chain of Rocks Bridge. The “feels like” temperature is rising from the depths of double digit minus, that is from frozen to very cold. Ice bergs are predicted. And eagles to be sure. A good day for extraordinary river time.