Page 162 - "Mississippi in the 1st Person" - Michael James Stone (Demo/Free)

I had read a book by an author who had done the Mississippi River with a group of friends on
Weekends. They would drive to a “put in” location and then paddle to a ‘put out’ or take out

location.

This was a strategic way to kayak for fun.

Being a Newbie to the sport, I didn’t get it. But I accepted the need some have to do it. I would
learn I was doing a “thru paddle” or non stopping paddle thru to the destination type of adven-

ture.

When I read the book I really didn’t connect the dots that places I access by water only are also
accessible by road or car so each time I stopped now I looked for and hiked to see if there were

roads, bridges or other “connections to society.”

The wilds were becoming less and less so daily……….

But Coffee Pot Landing was a typical first day stop for kayakers who just wanted to rush from
one destination to another or had deadlines and commitments. When I had talked to the gen-

tleman who I visited with at the previous landing, he commented on something I would hear
all the way up and down the Mississippi River.

How frantic, hurried, or “busy” the canoeist and kayakers all were in getting on to someplace

they were going then actually being in the place they were at. I had noticed that in writings.