Day 1: St. Louis, Missouri

Today we will be heading to St. Louis with our kayaks and all of our equipment. Tomorrow we will get in the water and begin paddling the 1034 miles to New Orleans!

If you have been following the national news at all you have probably heard that the upper Midwest is experiencing some of the worst flooding in fifteen years. As a result the upper Mississippi is at near record water levels in many places. A 250 mile section of the river north of Clarksville Missouri has been shut down to all river traffic including commercial barges. At St. Louis the river is already 4.72 feet above flood level and is predicted to be a full 9 feet above flood level by Saturday. This will greatly affect our trip. Navigation will be challenging because many of the low lying areas on the navigation charts will now be underwater. The fast moving current will allow us to make more miles each day but will make maneuvering the kayaks more challenging. This afternoon when we arrive in St. Louis we will assess the paddling conditions. Wish us luck!