On Saturday, December 9, I took off for Keokuk at 6:30 AM.  I made good time in the tow car, and was at Red Wing Access by 10:30.  The river was iced in there, but I found an area about 3 miles upstream where the water was running with lots of ice floes.

I put in at St. Francisville at about 12:30.   There was lots of ice in the river  (too much ice the bridge keepers said), but there was a good current.  A great blue heron greeted me at the boat ramp.   Eagles were all around.  My gear was the usual...waterproof socks, wool socks, long underwear, neoprene boots, wet suit, fleece jacket, waterproof pants, rain jacket, orange balaclava, waterproof gloves.

The ice was in thin sheets that made a rustling sound.  I drifted with the ice for a while.  I discovered that the ice sheets were so thin I could paddle right over them, so I made good progress through the ice.  Within a half hour I was a mile downstream, and I paused to look back at the toll bridge. 

As the river turned, the ice began to pack in.  I passed the old railroad bridge at the first major bend below St. Francisville, and began to be concerned about the river closing in.  The ice floes ran aground, however, and left a stretch that was shallow, very clear, and with little ice.

Just as I thought I might have a quick paddle to the takeout, the ice closed in again.   It was about 3 PM, and the river was freezing around me.  I walked and pulled the boat for about a mile, then came on a stretch of bluffs with a little open water.  I pushed off into the current, and ran up on thicker ice.  I couldn't paddle up over it, I couldn't go back, so I went into the water up to my chest and broke the ice back to shore.  (it was cold, but I didn't get wet at all, thanks to the great gear).  I pulled the boat up on the bank and had some hot tea, glad to be out of the icy river.

My GPS told me I had paddled and walked about 5 miles.  It also told me that there was a gravel road about a mile over the bluffs.  I marked the boat, and took off walking.  Within a few minutes I found a farm road up through the bluffs, and it was about a mile to the gravel road.  I hitched a ride back to the tow car and had a burger at the toll bridge convenience store.

What follows is a joy to tell.  I returned to the farm and introduced myself to John Hays and his wife.  I hoped to be able to use the access road, but Farmer Hays would have none of that.  He got into his camos, drove me through his cattle lot  (carefully disconnecting the electric fence), and we headed down to the river.  In the dark, we followed the GPS right to the boat, hauled it along the dark river bank, dragged it up to the truck, and drove back up the hill.  We had a wonderful time talking about the river, his family, the farm and the forest, hunting, and the river trail.  Thanks so much for your generous assistance.

Having had more than enough adventure, I hauled you know what back to Des Moines, arriving just after midnight in the capitol city.  Wouldn't you know that the next day the Corps released 6 times the volume of water that I had on Saturday.