Page 175 - "Mississippi in the 1st Person" - Michael James Stone (Demo/Free)

I could see over the dead banks barely 1 to 2 feet high and bushes like twigs standing like fin-
gers reaching into the skyline.

A blessing and a curse because in the view in the previous picture you focus on the bend in

the river.

With my view I could see miles and miles of flat yet to go. By this time it was expected……

THERE WOULD BE NO STRAIGHT AWAYS ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.

Except for rare occasions of Evergreen trees, my view pre-spring looked like this making me

see it as a giant lake overgrown with only a winding channel to get to the other side.

Then arriving there where another and another and another lake waited.

Spring growth in many ways hiding the distances in color I am sure was in some ways easier.
Of course any Fisherman or any local, much less a hunter in the area, would be less noticing of

all this and take it for granted living in the area and dealing with it annually and seasonally.

For them there would be no misconceptions, or adjustment needed. It was home.

For visitors as myself or people traveling from all parts of the world to paddle this, kayak or
canoe the upper creek bed turning river, this would be exploration and discovery.

Often in the world it is like that and people forget and take things for granted until someone
comes along and reminds them or inspires then with what they have.

Mountains rising over ten thousands feet are outside my door for me to look at anytime I want

to and most of the summer the peaks stay snowcapped for some scenic panoramas when pad-
dling on local lakes, streams and reservoirs in Utah.

Impressive sights to those who have hills and ridges that 500 feet would be tall, and the Mis-

sissippi River starting as far north as it does never really drops much in elevation on it’s jour-
ney from the headwaters to gulfwaters flowing it’s own version of “downhill.”

In my commons sense sort of way, since Lake Itasca is 1475 feet above sea level, then it stands
to reason (usually) that the river attached to it (the Mississippi River) would drop 1475 feet to

get to the sea. (Gulf of Mexico)

Or roughly 7 football fields over 2000 miles.

Flat is flat and I suppose that’s why if you want mountains, water falls, fast rivers and leeva-
tion changes ……..GO WEST YOUNG MAN…….it’s NOT in the Midwest.

Or on this River….