Surfing a 688-Mile Long Wave

Rivergator 2025 Summary (2nd Half -- Journey of the "Keith Kirkland" Canoe)

Another sweet campsite: St. John’s College intern Whit Smith studies USACE river charts at end of day, gathering infromation from day’s journey, and prepping for day to come.

Lower Mississippi River Dispatch No. 993
"Voice of the Lower Mississippi River"

Fantastic phantasmagoric raw earth cliffs with jungle overlay at many of the river bluffs along journey (here at Tunica Hills)

Surfing a 688-Mile Long Wave: We paddled out of Cairo and caught the rising edge of a ultra long-length, low-frequency wave, on July 16th, and rode the crest 688 miles downstream to Francisville, LA (August 2nd, 2025).

Big Volume Squeeze Turbulence at Hardscrabble, giant eddies blooming and swirling on either side.

Continuation of previous newsletter Cairo to Montezuma, Rivergator 2025, the Journey of the Ladybug Canoe, completed 2 days ago after 381 miles downstream paddle exploration in the 18'6" Mad River Canoe, the Keith Kirkland.

Thank you brother Mark River Peoples! (Terene Landing)

Thank Yous:

Expedition Partner: Whit Smith (on summer internship from St. John's College, Santa Fe, NM, campus)

~~~Thank Yous~~~
Expedition Members: Mike Beck, Ben Quaintance, Randy Jackson, Jean Canôt 
Shuttles: Mark River Peoples and Michael Orr
Resupply: Layne Logue and Peggy Pierrepont 
Support: Lower Mississippi River Foundation

Summary Report:

Summary Report from 2nd half of Rivergator Expedition 2025, 388 miles from Clarksdale, MS, to St. Francisville, LA (and also from the 300 mile section above) = 688 miles total.  In the weeks to come we will be publishing a series of "River Time" Newsletters from this amazing expedition, including a report from St. John’s College Summer Intern Whit Smith.

Incredible Campsites Throughout:

Conditions:

River Speed: medium flow, 3-5 knots, slow rise during entire length of expedition River Gages: On the LMR river gages the water levels were rising to the mid-teens in Memphis, the low 20s Helena Gage, mid-20s Vicksburg, mid-30s Natchez, mid-30s Red River Landing, and low 20s Baton Rouge
Camping: excellent open spots, plenty of shade & shady sand, all freshly swept and cleaned out by late Spring high-water levels
Weather: extreme heat during day, with mostly clear days and cool nights.  As we continued south we experienced increasing frequency of tropical-type storm cells, usually isolated, rising in heat of day, exploding overhead, and then dissipating at night.

If not for frequent swims we would have melted in the extreme heat wave July-August 2025 , triple digit heat index (swims mostly done mid channel, out of the canoe, instant relief!)

Shade and One-a Day Watermelons were a saving grace (open air willow forest near Bunches Cut-Off)

13 Topics:

Forthcoming Topics Include:
1) Surprises
2) Notable Nature Sightings
3) Repeating River channel & wild island patterns
4) Tallest Bluffs
5) Notable Stretches (that need further exploration)
6) Boat Ramps (mileage, name, condition)
7) Summer Extreme Heat Survival Strategies, Adoptions & Inventions
8) Big Changes (since last complete exploration in 2017)
9) Worries
10) Realizations
11) Unusual Sights
13) Work to be Done

1) Surprises:

Giant Beaver Lodge, Seven Oaks Island (not inhabited, relic of 2025 highwater)

1. Surprises:
-Torrential turbulent main channel water flow in mid-channel squeeze point mile 397-398 at crux of Hardscrabble (above St. Joe, LA).  Water forms distinct v-line with giant eddies either side.  Paddler's beware in presence of powerful upstream tows -- generates big crashing waves!
-River Cratering at Brown's Point, Bonderant, and many other stretches
-Blue Hole Hot Springs at L'Argent, nearby eddy bubbling
-Less deep throttle resounding donkey engine oil well sounds in deep woods below Natchez 
-extreme heat summer paddling 100% viable if you're willing to take frequent swims and/or sponge baths (as well as drinking plenty of liquids, finding shade whenever possible, and camping in places with maximum possible air flow.
-deep river water stays cool all the way to St. Francisville (curious to revisit how that changes on downstream). 
-water beetles attaching themselves in hoards to lead lines of canoe
-freshwater springs found below rugged old cypress at base of Tunica Hills (good water, mineral rich)
-Giant Beaver Lodge, Seven Oaks Island (not inhabited, relic of 2025 highwater)

(Note: still adding to list as we go through photos, and journals, and remember additional items)

We discovered a drinkable cold-water spring issuing from below this cypress tree at base of Tunica Hills

Many crawdaddies (dead & alive) on eddy point dune opposite L’Argent & Waterproof Islands

2) Notable Nature Sightings:

Notable Nature Sightings:
~White Pelicans, American Bar, Choctaw Island, and a few others
~Flocks of Black Tern, Corregidor (and elsewhere)
~Cliff Swallows (every day throughout)
~Fish Spiders
~Sand Spiders
~Many varieties of caterpillars (at least a dozen witnessed)
~Monarch butterflies (very few, maybe 2 or 3)
~Blue Racer, Palmyra upper entrance
~Grass Snake, Shreve's Bar (AKA Green Rough Snake)
~Busy Honeybees on Purple Ground Mimosa (Davis Island)
~Egret Roost, Davis Island, entrance to wetlands
~Crawdaddies (many) on eddy point dune opposite L’Argent & Waterproof Islands
~Trifolate Orange (Tunica Hills)
~200 foot tall Pines growing out of deep ravines on the Tunica Hills
~150' tall pecans extensive forests below Morganza Bend
~One-eyed alligator (approx 3-foot) approached canoe near Little Island, without fear, as if inspecting us, (or maybe can't see clearly and thinks we are momma?)
~Cardinals, Mourning Doves and Carolina Wrens heard every morning throughout trip, along with frequent Indigo Buntings and Fish Crows
~Groups of unidentified Stork made morning & evening flights over our camps along the Vicksburg-Natchez stretch, often in pairs, seeming to be courting
~Dozens of Bald Eagles around Island No. 8 (Reelfoot Lake close by over levee)
~Box Turtle in Clark Creek Bottoms
~Palmetto growing in lowlands at mouth of Clark Creek (near Fort Adams)


(Note: still adding to list as we go through photos, and journals)

Giant Cottonwood growing out of the depths of Mississippi River bluff ravine

Quapaw Canoe Company ~ Celebrating 27 Years of Service
Custom Guiding & Outfitting on the Lower Mississippi River
Winner of the SBA 2024 Small Business of the Year Award

Pull-out at old ferry landing, St. Francisville, LA. Big Cajun Smokestacks. We will be back! (in the late fall or winter)

On land, first stop: another beautiful life-saving watermelon — from the Tomato Place, on Hwy 61 south of Vicksburg. Thank-you Mallory and Hugh for fresh fruit & veggies and great cooking!

Rounding Morganza Bend, headed towards St. Maurice Island