Mississippi challenge going well
Phendler brothers making their way through Minnesota
Eric Phendler and his younger brother Daniel are now 17 days into their canoe trip down the Mississippi in support of Memphremagog Conservation (MCI), having covered about 500 of the 3,700 kilometers from one end of the river to the other.
Speaking with The Record last Thursday as they drifted downstream between Aitken and Brainerd,minnesota, the two brothers reported that, despite some challenges, their trip is going well.
“We’ve only taken one day off so far because there were big thundershowers,” Eric said, with Daniel adding that, ”there was actually a warning for a class 3 tornado,” as well as flash flood warnings.
“So far the biggest thing we’ve had to deal with is a) weather; it’s just ridiculous, we’ve had thundershowers every second or third day, and then b) we’ve neither of us seen this many mosquitos in our lives,” Eric continued.
“We now know the true definition of being eaten alive,” Daniel said.
The canoers said that their daily progress has varied a lot over these early
days, with initial averages in the area of about 25 miles per day.
“It takes people an average of 70 to 90 days (to paddle the whole river), and the first 25 or so are all in Minnesota because there’s a bunch of locks and dams and portages,” Eric said. “When we started the river was about six inches deep and maybe ten feet wide so we had to work for every foot, now we’re at maybe 100 feet wide and 30 feet deep,” he added explaining that the changes mean better progress.
As is the case with most people who take on major physical challenges, the brothers said that they are also feeling more conditioned to the task after a few days on the river.
“Neither of us really trained for this,” the elder brother laughed. “Before this trip, I think both of us had maybe spent a combined 10 hours in a canoe.”
Despite the inexperience, however, the brothers said they are learning as they go how to deal with the aches and pains and also enjoying the opportunity to drift along with the current whenever they need a break.
Asked about where the idea for the trip came from, Eric explained that he was inspired when a fellow traveller in South America talked to him about hiking the entire Appalachian Trail.
“That piqued my interest, but I didn’t really want to hike for six months,” the elder brother said, explaining that it was a little over a year ago that he started to look for projects of a similar scale but different nature. Six months ago he took the idea of the Mississippi to his younger brother, who had just returned from Australia, and the idea progressed from there.
“I thought, why not?” Daniel said. Linked to their goal of raising money for the work of MCI, the brothers said that so far they have seen a large amount of wildlife.
“There’s been absolutely tons,” Daniel said, listing eagles, raccoons, deer, herring, turtles, snakes, and beavers, among other sightings.
“I had no idea there are pelicans in Minnesota,” Eric added, noting that sightings have changed as they have moved closer to towns and cities.
“The first three days we didn’t even get to a town,” he said, explaining that they have been relying on waterside campsites managed by the Department of Natural Resources. “The first week and a half the water was just pristine.”
As they have moved closer to more human development, the brothers said they have also seen more pollution.
So far, the brothers’ Gofundme campaign, which Eric is managing from his phone, has raised $1,300 of its $5,000 goal, but with another 3000 km to go they’re hoping to make their objective by the end of the journey.
“The people of Minnesota have been just absolutely unreal to us” Daniel said, explaining that everyone who hears what he and his brother are doing offers to help out, often by feeding them. “People keep asking us what we’re doing then telling us they absolutely have to feed us.”
All in all, as they paddled into waters more typical of that famous “Mississippi mud,” the two brothers said that that they are having a great time.
“It’s damp, hard work,” Eric said, “but it’s super enjoyable so far.”
The brothers plan to provide regular updates on their trip to the Record in the coming weeks, and are also posting occasional video updates on Eric’s Instagram account.
More information about their fundraiser is available at https://www.gofundme.com/mississippi-r-magog-conservation