This picture was taken when my brother and I canoed downstream from the headwaters to the first canoe landing on the Mississippi. We didn't go very far, maybe 1.5-2 miles, but it took us nearly three hours. Partly, because the first 100 yards was only inches deep and we were scrapping gravel as we went.
This picture shows the final third of our trip where the river and surrounding wetlands narrow between two stands of trees. It is interesting how the river changes in this short distance. As I mentioned it begins with a gravel bottom about ankle deep and 15 feet across with pines crowding close to the river. After a few hundred yards it deepens in narrow channels but the river grows much wider and more marsh-like with cattails and occasional algae blooms. The river widened so considerably with island stands of cattails that made it hard to find the way.
At times we weren't sure if we'd make it through to the landing or have to paddle back where we came from. But everytime we rounded a corner a path opened up before us. The most difficult part of the trip was crossing a beaver dam in the widest portion of the river we canoed. The dam was quite long with water rushing through gaps in the sticks. The picture below shows an obscured view of the dam after we crossed it. We simply climbed out of the canoe, stood on the dam and pulled the canoe over and hopped back in.
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