Off the Grid

There have been no updates from the crew the past 3 days. We are guessing that they are "off grid". We hope to be getting an update soon!

In the meantime here's what there itinerary has been the past few days to give you and idea where they are. There will be a celebration in New Orleans tomorrow!

Thursday, February 11

Bayou Crook Chene. Lake Chicot. Hog Island. Chicot Pass. Attakapas

Island State WMA. Grand Lake. Myette Point. Cypress Pass. Camp:

Tiger Island (Mile 105) or Little island (115).

Friday, February 12

American Island. Drew’s Island. Morgan City (Mile 116). US 90 Bridge.

Southern Pacific, Texas & New Orleans RR Bridge. Intercoastal

Waterway. Bateman island. Sweetbay Lake. Camp: Shell Island Point

(Mile 132)

Saturday, February 13

Atchafalaya Bay, Gulf of Mexico. The river is now forming a new delta in the bay – the only place on the Louisiana coastline that is gaining ground.

Turnaround Point (Mile 140). Paddle Back to Morgan City. Camp: Bayou Schafer.

Sunday, February 14

Paddle back to Morgan City via Bayou Schafer. Pickup around noon.

Camp: Bayou Segnette State Park. Celebration in New Orleans.

The Mean Green Likes Glassy Waters!/// Day 4 of 8 on the Mississippi

It's nice and calm on the river today, however it's looking like another storm is heading our way!

Melanie from Audubon has joined our crew. Kristian, the nice guy who drove the Mean Green all the way from San Clemente to Louisiana in his veggie oil powered truck, has been paddling on the Mean Green a lot! James Pribram the Eco Warrior and Kristian from Below the Surface have been switching off giving the Mean Green a go down the Muddy Mississippi.

Today's Itenerary:

Wednesday, February 10

Mile 52 end of levees East Bank. Atchafalaya River Distributary

(Atchafalaya River and Atchafalaya Basin Main Channel). Mile 54 end of

levees West Bank Interstate Highway 10 Bridge. Lost Lake. Butte La

Rose. Upper Grand River. Cow Island Lake. Little Atchafalaya River.

Bayou La Rompe. Camp: Splice Island (Mile 70) or Lower Cow Island

(Mile 80).

The Mean Green Meets the Muddy Mississippi///Day 3 of 8

From John ruskey

Quapaw canoe company

We are 3 days into our expedition canoeing and surfing the atchafalaya

river - you would love the image of a surfer cruising down the muddy

chocolate waters of the river! Beautiful day yesterday. Storm hit

last night, cold and windy today.

Melanie driscoll bird nerd with the Audubon joined us in simmesport

Kristian and I'll be back in another week. I'll forward tour message

to him

He's planning on staying in clarksdale a couple of weeks

May the river be with you!

-John

Coffee Break

Itenerary for Tuesday, February 9

Bayou Rouge. Melville (LA Hwy 12 Bridge). Bayou Petite Prairie. Krotz

Springs (US 190 Bridge. Camp: Sherburne Point (Mile 45). Atchafalaya

National Wildlife Refuge

Mardi Gras starts early in New Orleans

Well the Mean Green and crew are about 135 miles away from Mardi Gras but we can feel the excitement from here! Even though Mardi Gras doesn't start for another week, it seems this year things have started a week early! CONGRATS SAINTS and the city of NEW ORLEANS!!! We'll be seeing you in 7 days and we know you'll still be going strong with the celebrations!!!

I just picture me padding down the Mississippi and beads being thrown at me all week!

We have a long week ahead, but now we know that we have a HUGE celebration to look forward to when we paddle into New Orleans Feb 14th!!! Well bigger than we were expecting!

Yesterday was day one we paddled 15 miles and camped on Shreve's Island.

Here's our schedule for today...

Monday, February 8

Ferry Crossing to Old River. Lock through Old River Lock. Flat water paddle 6.3 miles through Old River channel. Red River Confluence, Beginning of the Atchafalaya River Mile 0. Simmesport (Mile 5) (LA Hwy 1 Bridge) (RR Bridge Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas & Pacific RR).

Below the Surface, Eco-warrior, and The SUP Spot head out on the Atchafalaya River

Below the Surface, Eco-Warrior, and The SUP Spot are loaded up and ready to hit the river to raise awareness of how upstream actions effect the coastal areas. Through encouraging involvement in water activities, Kristian Gustavson and James Pribram pose for a photo before hitting the Atchafalaya River.

Optimism and the Unknown

We are making last minute preparations, stuffing our layers of polypropylene and neoprene into dray bags and second guessing the wisdom of paddling 180 miles through swampy river in near freezing temperatures... yet we still remain enthusiastic.

A Photo Says A Thousand Words

BTS Atchafalaya Expedition - John Ruskey and Cowboy Coffee

Slept well at the Quapaw Canoe Company headquarter's new hostel and awoke to find a thermos of cowboy coffee and milk from our gracious host and legendary riverman, John Ruskey. "G'mornin' Mateys! Frrresh Cowboy Coffee I'm headed for groceries Give a holler if ya need anything." - John
The coffee kickstarts my heart and as I stare out at the grey skies and endless downpour, the reality of the Expedition sets in. The local paper described our team as "Surfer dudes meet Muddy Waters" and staring out the window at the Sunflower River, I get a first glimpse of the silty, turbid waters of the south. With memories of the Mississippi Blues from the classic Ground Zero bar fresh in my mind, I set into repacking my gear and await the return of John Ruskey. Today the rest of the Expedition team arrives and tomorrow we will help present the dugout canoe process to local school children. At noon, Kristian Gustavson will present his synopsis of the river with, "Signs of the Crossroads..."

A Message from John Ruskey

"Talked earlier with Kristian and Guy (the Mean Green's Drivers), who were passing through the high Texas plains into Dallas. The grease pump had a malfunction so they are manually pumping the grease out of 55-gallon barrels in the back of the grease truck AKA "Dark Chocolate." Whew! they never made it easy on the river-rat. I hope to see these road warriors sometime tonight. Another 500 miles to go.

The buzz has hit Clarksdale town with the following headline: "Surfer-Dudes coming for Muddy Waters!" Hee-hee! I have friends writing me saying they are saving their bacon grease for the return journey.

Also, Saturday night Super Chikan is performing at Ground Zero Blues Club, a not-to-miss performance before our pushoff the next morning. Super Chikan's brother Ellis is shuttle driver for Quapaw Canoe Company, and also known as "Mr. Smooth" for his killer dance moves."

~john

Kristian & Jared with "Dark Chocolate" from Sacramento expedition

Meet Our River Guide John Ruskey

John Ruskey has been paddling the Mississippi River since 1982 and is the most knowledgeable guide on its Lower reaches, with extensive canoeing & kayaking experience on the Arkansas, the Yazoo, the St. Francis, the White, the Big Sunflower and the Big Black Rivers. In 1998 he founded the first wilderness outfitting business on the entire Lower Mississippi River, Quapaw Canoe Company. John has guided National Geographic Adventure,Outside Magazine, the BBC, Irish Public Television, the Food Network, ESPN Outdoors.com and other media in various river adventures & expeditions on the Mississippi, as well as prominent authors John Barry (Rising Tide) and Tony Horwitz (Blues Latitudes, A Voyage Long & Strange). John builds voyageur style stripper canoes for use on the wild waters of the Lower Mississippi River, and is one of the most experienced builders of dugout canoes in the country. 2002-2006 John oversaw the construction of 3 dugout canoes for the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Re-enactment, and helped the twenty-first century Corps of Discovery paddle those canoes up and down the Missouri, the Yellowstone, the Clearwater, the Snake, the Columbia, and other rivers of America.In 2007 Chinook elder & master canoe builder George Lagergren (94y/o) asked John to renovate 2 of his traditional Chinook dugouts which are now ceremonially housed in tribal headquarters, Wilapa Bay Washington. John is a musician, painter and writer. He was the fist curator of the Delta Blues Museum (1992-98) and is co-founder of the Delta Blues Education Fund. In 1998 he established Quapaw Canoe Company to provide guided canoe & kayak expeditions on the Lower Mississippi River & its muddy tributaries. Simultaneously he founded the Mighty Quapaws Apprenticeship Program for the youth of the Mississippi Delta, most of whom come from severely distressed neighborhoods. Please visit www.island63.com for more information about the Mighty Quapaws and Quapaw Canoe Company.