Currently sitting inside of St. Nicholas Landmark, which is my favorite place in Chester, IL. Why? 12 of their own beers on tap, solid food, and most importantly, they are about 100ft from the boat ramp (just watch for the trains walking across the tracks). I can’t quite see my boat from my window seat, but hopefully it will be fine for the time it takes to drink a few beverages. 

Sidebar – I once tried to walk here from my house in STL city. 24 Hours from Home Challenge #1 in 2021. #6 starts in 6 days – 24hfhchallenge.com! Alas, my 24 hours expired 3 miles short, after 74 miles I could barely stand, let alone stay awake so didn’t make it on that occasion. 

Spent last night on a massive sandbar – Magnolia Hollow Conservation Area. Although it’s an island, apparently there is a road connection as there was a farmer plowing his field over the trees as the sun went down. Plenty of driftwood for a blazing fire, and found bones and pieces of petrified wood scattered around. I was set up on kind of a promontory in the middle of the curve of the river, so all night I had massive tugboats rolling by, the low hum of their engines revving to get up or downstream. I woke up around 11:30pm to a growling beast, looked out and saw a monstrosity of a barge with pilons and construction equipment. This tug was pushing as hard as it could, maybe getting 1mph upstream. I momentarily questioned if I pulled my boat high enough out of the water to not be swept up in its huge wake, and even ran down to the shore in my skivees just to check. It was fine. 

Woke up with the first light on the eastern horizon and what do I see, some fresh paw prints next to the door of my tent. As my friend Bill told me a bit later in the morning, probably a coyote sniffing around late at night, all stealth like. So the reason I had the chance to meet Bill again, well. Arriving at Magnolia and unpacking, I realized I was a bag short – my cookware. I shot a few texts to my wife Sara to check at home, and Bill who shuttled me back home from the arch on Thursday. Luckily it was in Bill’s truck, under some other gear. 

As luck would have it and River Angels being the saviors they are, Bill drove it down this morning to Modoc Ferry in St. Genevieve where he even brought me breakfast and coffee. Bill, I love you. 

Last night, with my limited cel service – it worked standing up, but not sitting down, go figure – I saw the the opening time of St. Nick Landmark was 11am so that’s where I planned to be. A beautiful morning coming down about 20 miles brought me into Chester and delightful refreshments. Afternoon plan is do bank a few more miles and find another sandbar, coyotes or not. 

mf