Page 73 - "Mississippi in the 1st Person" - Michael James Stone (Demo/Free)

So I sat there thinking about it till I shrugged and got onto the gravel bar to free the lead kayak.

As soon as I did the tow kayak now backwards in what little current there was pulled the lead
kayak’s bow around and pulled the lead kayak backwards down the river too.

It was minor so of course when I grabbed the lead kayak now backwards both kayaks stopped.

But it gave me an idea.

I seemed to remember watching one of those old Daniel Boone shows or some Wonderful
World of Disney TV programs that was a frontiersman theme.

In my memory I can see a man walking with a long rope as a raft of logs tied together are
floating down river from him as he acts like an anchor.

Or Rooster Cogburn the movie with Katherine Hepburn. The simple principle was “kiting” or
“floating” the kayaks ahead of me and I being the drag anchor.

If I kept the lines taunt, I reasoned, it should work.

With water barely 3 inches deep maybe 5, the Sea Eagle 370 white and blue cargo kayak con-
nected to the Intex Explorer K-2 yellow lead kayak “backed” down the river like a champ.

In fact I had to hold the yellow K-2 by hand the pull from the 370 wanted to go go go .

I thought this was great as suddenly I was making time and watching the kayaks float like this

was fun.

THEN I TRIPPED IN A HOLE IN THE RIVER BED AND LET GO OF THE KAYAK

Face plant straight forward or I would have held the kayak,

but sheer surprise and gravel going out from under me,

I went face splash fully extended.

Of course wearing a PFD, a personal floatation device, was standard procedure so I had mine
on. Just like I had my rubber boots now filled with water, and my coat and layers of clothes

wet to the core.

Coming up sputtering from barely 5 inches water I was up a running after the kayaks looking
totally absurd.