MR 340 the during - part 2

Mark and I in the Kruger Cruiser - First evening - photo by Merek

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Really settling in, the Kruger Cruiser felt like home. There is magic on the river, the connection through the craft in which we paddled. Life is grand. Couldn't imagine being anywhere else. Mark and I reflected on the Lewis and Clark expedition, wondering if we were experiencing anything like what they endured. We agreed we had it easy compared to the up hill battle they encountered.

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Day 2 is a bit of a blurr. I remember - eating chicken and hot roast beef sandwiches... I remember laughing so hard my sides hurt. I remember the ice and the calculating of our journey and our ETA's to different check points. One thing that sticks in my mind, was the well staffed energetic and very accommodating race staff and volunteers. Very impressive in-deed.

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The second night on the Missouri was slow going. We were flashing markers through the fog and moving cautiously down river, trying to stay in the channel. Our travel was safe and calculated. No sense wrapping the boat on a buoy or pinning on a wing dam. Cuts into the fun factor a whole lot.

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After moving slowly for about 6 hours we beached river left to catch a nap. It was too dangerous to go any further on an hour and a half sleep. The buoys tend to suck you in and they can be quite menacing in the middle of the night. As we found out early the next morning. Team Huki had been taken out by a barge just down river from us...

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more to follow...

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What a ride - The Capt'n