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Mississippi River, Coon Rapids Dam - December 4, 1999
by Jody Russell
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On December 4, only those who didn't mind the early rising, the gray skies and the cool temperatures showed up at the Coon Rapids Dam for our monthly paddle. The forecast was for the forties and eventual sun. However, it stayed in the upper thirties and the sun didn't appear. It was hard to complain after recent reports that the Twin Cities had significantly more sunshine than usual in the month of November as well as record-breaking warm temperatures. We paddled from the Coon Rapids dam down to 694, only a six mile paddle. Given the later than planned start ("Uh, I THOUGHT I had my PFD...I'll be right back"), car shuttling and the rapid current, lunch time and the halfway mark arrived in about 45 minutes. We had soup, homemade cherry bread, clementines, hot drinks, beef jerky and chocolate. |
The colors of the day appeared only in our boats and our clothing (and our food!), with the landscape remarkably gray and brown. Geese and ducks were abundant (one even soiled Dana's boat during lunch). We saw a few bald eagles, including one who landed beside its nest and watched us while we paddled downstream. We passed an injured deer on a small island as well. As we circled the island, we saw evidence of beaver activity, as well as a large furry ball in the crook of a tree; binoculars confirmed our guess that a racoon was taking a midday snooze.
It was a chilly but pleasant paddle for December 4th!
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