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Guest Comments 8/6/98 - floated Helena to Quapaw with Stephan & Christina, from Switzerland. Calm waters, some showers, heavy barge traffic, white pelicans and blues herons about, a huge flock of sparrows on the bar opposite Miller's Point. River level dropping, but still quite brown. A lot of big fish rising, sturgeon? Geese on Burke's Point, Canadian Geese (must be summering in the Delta) Stephan's Response to the journey: The day had started with an Earlybird Southern Style Breakfast, before friends set us off at the small Helena bay. Christina took place in the middle of John's huge aluminium canoe, she couldn't be more than a passenger at that day, caused by a back injury. The presence of some coolers announced a rich lunch. My seat was in the front and I got a paddle to help. John was steering, downstream should process a big part of our movement. Slowly we were sliding on a brown, as smooth as glass, muddy water. We were enjoying the silence of a river as wide as a lake. Barges were sometimes passing and producing waves, which brought fun to our little team. John knew to tell a lot of interesting stories about the river and its countries. Sandbars as large as islands asked us to stop and to explore them. We were finding untouched nature, tracks of coyotes and deer, lagoon-like ponds, shells and wood from Minnesota. Weather was playing on our team too. Showers were available below the Mississippi surface only and light clouds were keeping off the hottest sun. A noon rest with barbecue, vegetables, fruits and juices was refreshing and gave us power for the afternoon leg. Embedded in fine white sand a nap was the most agreeable answer to the pre-sunrise-wake-up-call. I'd have loved to stay and watch the sunset and spend an island night. Now we immediately were able to recognize, why John has called his homepage „island63". In the afternoon more little adventures (to be discovered by yourself) signed our way to Quapaw, where John's incredible `56-truck and some ice cold beer were waiting for us. This day was a great enrichment of our journey. I'm definitely glad that we did it. We relaxed, we learned a lot, and it worked as a perfect appetizer for more and longer Mississippi River trips. August 1998 Zuerich, Switzerland Stephan & Christina Dan Denerstein reports on float trip, October 12, 1998: John--Wanted to catch you before your "float" to New Orleans, primarily to tell you how much I enjoyed our one-day trip with you. I had no idea that the shoreline along the Mississippi was so pristine. It's rare that you can travel anyplace in this country and view it in its natural beautiful state, just the way it looked hundreds of years ago, with no intrusive reminders of modern life anywhere. That last hour of daylight, where we just floated south and literally forged a relationship with the sunset, was one of the most spiritual and serene hours of my overcrowded life. And John, you were the perfect guide, coupling your expert boatmanship with an apparent inch-by-inch knowledge of the river, its history and folklore, that made the entire journey fascinating. It was a moving and enlightening day that I will remember in detail for a long time, although I am sure the memories will meld with those of future trips I intend to take with you, just as soon as I can get down there again. |
