Canoeing Mississippi River an Age-Old Tradition
by Ernest Herndon, May 9, 2026
McComb Enterprise Journal
Second in a three-part series:
We stop for lunch on a sandbar, and as they do at every meal, canoe guide John Ruskey and his assistant Ceili “Mayfly” Hale lay out a gourmet spread — a far cry from my typical sardines-and-crackers river fare.
After some lounging around, we’re back on the mighty Mississippi River. The streams and bayous of Mississippi and Louisiana, where I’ve done most of my own paddling, are very different from this. For one thing, they tend to have a current —“a” current. The Mississippi has many: downstream, upstream, crossways, boils, eddies, whirlpools, not to mention manmade complexities caused by wing dams, buoys, barge traffic and the like.
Paddling speed on a typical Deep South stream is 2 mph, 3 if you’re really moving. On the Mississippi we average 7 mph. The current itself is around 5.
I normally use a 17-foot two-man canoe. Ruskey’s boat is 29 feet long and wide enough for two paddlers sitting side by side. It’s easily stable enough for me to stand while paddling, which I like to do sometimes. Heck, it’s so stable you could hold a barn dance on it.
CAMPFIRE CONCERT
We camp on Cat Island, across from Desoto Landing where the Spanish conquistador Hernando De Soto may have crossed a few centuries ago.
Whenever I canoe on the Mississippi River, friends tell me I’m crazy, but for countless centuries that was just how people traveled out here. There’s nothing new about it.
A couple of motorboats land just down the sandbar. A friendly young man in a
camo shirt tells us he and a friend got into trouble once for trespassing here, and he wants to let us know so it wouldn’t happen to us.
Ruskey replies that he camps here all the time with no problems, and it turns out
our friend’s buddy got in trouble after shooting a buck and posting the picture on Facebook. Not only was he trespassing, he was hunting on the Arkansas side without a license, and game wardens paid him a visit.
After awhile the visitors motor away, leaving us to a quiet evening with a salmon supper followed by a campfire concert — John and my brother Robert on guitar, me on banjo-mandolin, with passing towboats supplying the bass.
A BIT OF EXCITEMENT
Paddling away from camp the next morning, we coast past willow, sycamore, pecan, birch, maple, ginkgo, cottonwood, hackberry and other big trees.
Out to our left in the current, a towboat plows upriver pushing barges. To my
surprise Ruskey aims our canoe right at it. Usually we keep our distance from the vessels, but now he steers us toward the prop wash — huge haystacks of muddy brown water behind the motor.
We strike them at a quartering angle, then turn head-on and climb one wall
of brown water after another.
I’m not crazy about this kind of thing — I’ve never been an adrenaline type, and
at my age I’m not seeking thrills — but I confess I’m not worried. I know how sta-
ble these big canoes are, and I’m fully confident in the skills and judgment of Ruskey, who at 62 has been doing this for decades.
I also pray a lot.
Ruskey paddles the Mississippi day in and day out — he spent more than 200 days on the river last year. Who can begrudge him some occasional excitement? Besides, we didn’t get even a drop of water on us.
NEXT WEEK: Island layover.
Above story originally appeared in the Saturday, May 9, 2026 edition of the McComb Enterprise Journal. "Leather Birtches" Ernest Herndon covers the Outdoors section. (click above link for online version)
Wild Miles:
Mud Island Harbor - Helena, AR
Mile 737 to 663 = 74 river miles
May 19-22, 2026, 23.8 Helena Gage
Memphis to Helena = 61% wild, 39% not
(according to wildmiles.org)
Quapaw Canoe Company
Summer 2026 Upcoming Public Trips & Events
~~~June~~~
Mon-Thurs June 1-4
Mississippi River Summer Canoe Camp -- 3rd-11th grade -- Boys
Details & Signup HereFri-Sun June 5-7
CCC Sinners Follow-Up Clarksdale Cultural CapitalSolace in the SOIL | Sunflower Passage. The Sunflower River runs through Clarksdale. Sam Cooke was born on its banks. Come to the water. Arrive with intention. A change is gonna come. A sound bath opens in the morning. The choir rises. Elders and the Clarksdale Community speak. An optional guided paddle experience along the Sunflower River operated by Quapaw Canoe Company. Go to Clarksdale Cultural Capital for tickets.
Saturday, June 6th
Canoe Daytrips & Nature Walks along Sunflower River
8am-12noon, sign-up here -- and board canoes for one-hour guided tour from new walking trail boardwalk located behind the canoe company (downtown Clarksdale, MS). All Paddle together in one of our big canoes, which can hold up to 10 people. No previous experience necessary. We will provide paddles, lifejackets, and all safety gear needed. Participants must sign one of our waivers. Parents or guardian must sign for anyone 18 or under.
Sunday June 7th
Canoe Daytrips & Nature Walks along Sunflower River
3-6pm sign-up here and board canoes for one-hour guided tour from new walking trail boardwalk located behind the canoe company (downtown Clarksdale, MS). All Paddle together in one of our big canoes, which can hold up to 10 people. No previous experience necessary. We will provide paddles, lifejackets, and all safety gear needed. Participants must sign one of our waivers. Parents or guardian must sign for anyone 18 or under.
Sat June 13
Community Canoe, Helena, ARDetails & Reservations. (first come, first served. Advance reservations and payment in full required to guarantee seat).
They sure are mighty fine canoes - now that would be cool, a hoedown on the canoe decks 💙💚🧡