the search begins

There has to be a decent training site within 30 minutes of my house. There just has to be. I live near the confluence of three major rivers, a junction of waterways that collectively drain a watershed of over one million square miles. The Mississippi clocks by Saint Louis at a healthy pace of 168,000 cubic feet per second. I'm not asking much -- I don't need whitewater -- I just want a place where I can hang a few dozen gates over some current. That's not too much to ask, is it?

Yesterday I drove and paddled all day, investigating sites on 4 rivers and 2 creeks. I found a small river that looked promising, except it was in a clearly residential area. I thought I would at least stop and chat w/ some of the folks (let them know why I was repeatedly driving down their street at 5mph, staring at the water) and ask if they had any ideas. But, for a Sunday afternoon, there was no one around. One house had small building in front. 8 bar stools circled a small open-air bar, which appeared to be well stocked. The sign read "tiki bar, OPEN" but no one was around. A cat sat on the bartender's stool, watching me expectantly. When I drove by 10 minutes later, he was still there. Clearly, the bar was his territory.




Later in the day, I did find two potential sites. Both of which have major drawbacks.

"Site A" is 5 minutes from my house, a nice bonus. It's extremely coach friendly; there's practically a raised viewing platform. The area is small, only about 30 feet wide and long enough to hang 10 gates. It would be easy to hang gates here. There is no current to speak of. Huge fish. My biggest concern with the site is the water depth. It is just barely deep enough as is, and it has dropped nearly 5 feet since I first investigated a month ago. I worry it will keep getting shallower over the summer.

"Site B" was an adventure. 40 min from my current house, and access is terrible. Deep into mega-industry land, it is impossible to get here without trespassing. I need to see if I can put on the Mississippi upstream and paddle down. The shore is not coach friendly -- my friends will need to invest in big rubber boots and a machete to get through the brush. The size is perfect, long enough to hang 30 gates, and wide enough to set many combinations. The width between the tree lines does mean it will be a huge pain to set gates, but it is do-able. 6+ feet deep right now. I know the level fluctuates, and I have seen it much lower, but I have better hopes for this site than site A.

And now for my biggest concern - the water quality is AWFUL. Unchecked industrial pollution and the outflow from a wastewater treatment plant means I would never want to get splashed by the stuff. The best part through, is the proximity to the Mississippi. I can go play in the waves. That is really good for me - to have something moving the hull around besides myself. Interaction of forces. Good.

So I am going to keep looking; no winners yet. The search resumes today.