I lived at the first marina you stopped at for 4 years. Best years of my life. I really miss living on a boat. I can't wait to see more of your videos.
Matt, I can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciate your dedication to using your camera. You give this old lady a glimpse of what she has no hope to experience for herself. I pray safe travels and wonderful memories for you and Jenn.
I loved this. My profile pic is the entrance you mention at 6:50 (and I did explore it). I used to boat this section and lock through all three before the shutdown. I traveled both rivers for over a decade and would camp out with a nice lady and trusty dog. Thank you for the vid!
Lots of childhood memorys. I spent many years camping exploring and just hanging out along that section of the Mississippi. Happy years. I loved it there.
The Corp of Engineers are absolutely amazing the way they solve issues on the water. I love their campgrounds as well. My sister lived in Maple Grove not far from the Twin Cities, so we have visited the park y’all walked through. Paddle On!
That was great, I’ve been looking forward to the locks. I find big industrial machinery like that fascinating. And way to bring relief to their drought!
I just saw an interesting sign at a rest area yesterday talking about the wing dams and attempts to keep the channel deep enough over time. Interesting stuff!
@@FirstChurchofTheMasochistHikes I suspected that the island that you camped on was spoil from an old dredging of that channel. The Army Corps of Engineers(USACE) does many dredging projects each year, all around the country. I was a USACE Officer for 27 years and got to see many interesting functions and structures. Enjoy your journey and tour of hydraulics. Good Luck, Rick
I think when I last knew you guys I was David Thomson and you were doing the Keys stroll. I lopped off the son and part of the m, just erase from right to left, and you get Thor. Anyway, I was just showing my wife various MasoTaters In Lock One stills. Right now I've got Taters and behind her it's like a massive Madmaxian trimeran chasing her while she (as usual) is laughing. Before that on the inside of the lock the walls definitely look wooden, like Noah's Ark but inverted. Two or three of these shots would make great posters.
@@FirstChurchofTheMasochistHikes haven't sold it yet, but I still believe you are permanently etched in history in my writings. History just has to catch up. A guy an hour's paddle away where I grew up along the Concord River wrote the best book in American history about the pond I always swam in. Sold almost nothing for 110 years then suddenly sold millions. Thoreau (Walden). I didn't realize how much you're not supposed to be a white man when selling books nowadays. We're trying to find young black women to pretend to author it. Then we'll be golden.
Wow, I have to get out more, I've always thought it would be interesting to canoe that part of the river, and there you folks just up and do it, wow. And all the way to New Orleans..there's a book, I forget the title, about a postman and his son that canoe from Winnipeg to Central America, in a canoe. By golly. Anyway, lot of interesting historical sites you are passing through - 4:43 those are the ruins of a mill that exploded, now the Mill Museum, and of course Bohemian Flats, was a shantytown, now a park. There are many caves in the area, for example the Wabasha Street Caves in St. Paul are pretty interesting - used during prohibition times, now has tours.
Correction, there is in fact a portage at L&D #1. It is not official, nor is it easy or pleasant, but doable nonetheless. No signage but the trail is at a little beach around mile marker 848. River right by the concrete culvert gets you to the trail with a few switchbacks to get out of the gorge.
Yea, I heard from some folks who had to do it the previous year and they said it was rough. I was rather glad we got to go thru though as that lock was really neat
You've perfected the "J" stroke Jen oh was it named after you.I can't believe part of the trail is walking thru downtown with the 🛶 but it did make for good photo ops ! More and more the river turns you both into Twainian characters....glad you are safe and found good vittles.
To be honest, as a Minneapolis resident for over ten years who bikes around the city trails a lot, I would barely blink if I saw a couple people portaging in the middle of the city
that lock is huge :O I once took a boat trip on the Canal Du Midi in Southern France, and passed a bunch of locks, but way smaller that the one you passed
I randomly found you last night and have watched 19 episodes of this trip while staying up far too late and wishing I were doing this. My wife would never come with me. I know I am about 8 months late with my comment, but I have subbed and I will watch the rest of this series and then see what else you guys got up to.
lived right by here for my whole life, never knew we had a lock like that, cool edit: we love having "droughts" because it wasn't as much of a downpour as before
Dang bummed I missed your guys! Been following your side the condor trail (my childhood backyard). My wife and I live right by that whole foods and a block and a half from the river. Been following your insta too and realized we'd be out of town when you came through.
MasoTaters in Lock One is like the inversion of Noah's Ark. (It also looks a lot like Noah's Ark in Kentucky just north of Tennessee). MasoTaters in Lock One is like the opposite of the story of Noah's Ark--it's a tale of how our species will undo itself. Sublime in its own way.
I think I would be in shorts and a t shirt for that portage! Kudo for that urban walk. Will all of your locks be going down? Locks get quite turbulent when going up! I take them on my jet ski all the time. Bob
I normally report mile markers on the trails I’m doing which can be easily found using FarOut if you have the particular guide. Here the only real landmarks are cities
I’m not an experienced long distance paddler at all, but have done my fair share of lake paddling in the summer and some day trips. I’m probably not really qualified to question your preparedness, but just as a question; doesn’t a storm bringing potential wind and waves + being on more consistent wider waters + wake from those big boats, present a could-be a sticky (or flippy) situation? You two seem super steady and I trust you will keep your wits about you - I just wonder if having a plan beyond just ducking to the side if it gets scary/sketchy would be a good idea, esp if lightning starts coming into the mix too. Anyways I’m sure you’ll be fine. I love this channel and have come to care for and worry about my new favorite strangers! Happy paddling! I wish you many doctor peppers and burgers in your future. Also hoping for more cute animal moments!
I normally keep an eye on weather apps but we haven’t had much luck on this trip with anything but looking at the radar which basically just confirms what we’re seeing in the sky. Beyond that if things feel like they might be changing we try and stick near the shore and get off the water like you saw after the lock. The only time that was insufficient so far was Big Winnie Lake where we had to turn back and go again the next day.
Please explain in one of your videos your weird way of dressing for hot days in a canoe. You look like you are ready for winter. In many years of long distance canoeing and kayaking I’ve never seen anyone dress like you do.
Look into thru hiking and they are all over. The shirts are thin breathable sun layers. We use them since we’re out for long periods often at high altitude and we don’t particularly care for skin cancer. If the humidity hits a certain level like when I was in Thailand or the AT I abandon them for short sleeves. Jen is a bit more disciplined than I am
I really wanted to like your channel but gave up after hearing your say portage purposely incorrectly for the 30th time. Sorry guys. It is so off putting.
Ah, yes, dripping sweat at night... another classic Minnesota feature. The nostalgia.
"It appeals to my sense of existence" is my new reason for everything
It was great to meet you and Jen. Glad you enjoyed the urban portage. Safe travels!
Thanks for coming out, we really enjoyed getting to meet you
I lived at the first marina you stopped at for 4 years. Best years of my life. I really miss living on a boat. I can't wait to see more of your videos.
I think the majority of us Minnesotans say: “port-edge” and not “por-taj”.
Matt, I can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciate your dedication to using your camera. You give this old lady a glimpse of what she has no hope to experience for herself. I pray safe travels and wonderful memories for you and Jenn.
Awe, thanks! We like to make these videos so we have something to remember the trips but we really get a lot of joy out of hearing comments like this
I 100% agree. I watch these before I go into the office and sit all day.
Small craft warnings! Loved the lock passage!
I think Jen doesn’t realize how well spoken she is.
I loved this. My profile pic is the entrance you mention at 6:50 (and I did explore it). I used to boat this section and lock through all three before the shutdown. I traveled both rivers for over a decade and would camp out with a nice lady and trusty dog. Thank you for the vid!
Cool! What are they like inside?
Lots of childhood memorys. I spent many years camping exploring and just hanging out along that section of the Mississippi. Happy years. I loved it there.
You two are the only people I have ever heard portage that way… either way awesome trip!! I have always wanted to go from MN to the ocean.
The Corp of Engineers are absolutely amazing the way they solve issues on the water. I love their campgrounds as well. My sister lived in Maple Grove not far from the Twin Cities, so we have visited the park y’all walked through. Paddle On!
I love Minneapolis
St. Anthony Falls was the reason for the portage. The only falls on the Mississippi
I work near lock #1 daily. I see where i work too. The MN vets home. Crazy seeing it from a different angle
My inner Dutch waterworksnerd just went *squee* at the sight of that lock.
That was great, I’ve been looking forward to the locks. I find big industrial machinery like that fascinating. And way to bring relief to their drought!
I don’t know you guys, but I love you guys!
Locks are very kool. I am amazed how they built them hundreds of years ago like on the Erie Canal. Another good video. Happy Paddling. Good Luck, Rick
I just saw an interesting sign at a rest area yesterday talking about the wing dams and attempts to keep the channel deep enough over time. Interesting stuff!
@@FirstChurchofTheMasochistHikes I suspected that the island that you camped on was spoil from an old dredging of that channel. The Army Corps of Engineers(USACE) does many dredging projects each year, all around the country. I was a USACE Officer for 27 years and got to see many interesting functions and structures. Enjoy your journey and tour of hydraulics. Good Luck, Rick
@@richardross7219 That looked like a nice place to stay if you were tired.
Thanks, that was fun, good job on your frist lock. ✌🏻👊🏼
From the awe-inspiring hydraulics of MasoTaters in Lock One to Ugh the Tug.
From the sublime to the ridiculous.
Lots of action today. Quite intimidating being in that lock. Reminded me of the Star Wars trash compactor scene somehow.
😎✌very cool going through the lock
Thanks again for a great video- I’ve paddled near the UofM, but never the whole route.
"I was told there's a drought here and then I show up" 😂
Your adventure and your nice funny dispositions bring a smile to my face, thank you
Very cool. Was wondering about a drought since the turf grass has been brown. Lock was really interesting.
sad i missed you guys in my home city, but so glad you get to see my state in a cool (and very buggy) way
Your first lock, what a cool experience. Hope the rest of your trip is A+++❤
I am totally enjoying being along on your journey. Great job on the videos. I'm getting caught up to current day. Thanks.🌞
Glad you like them!
There are hundreds of caves you guys had past! Glad you got to see the entrance of one!
I think when I last knew you guys I was David Thomson and you were doing the Keys stroll. I lopped off the son and part of the m, just erase from right to left, and you get Thor. Anyway, I was just showing my wife various MasoTaters In Lock One stills. Right now I've got Taters and behind her it's like a massive Madmaxian trimeran chasing her while she (as usual) is laughing. Before that on the inside of the lock the walls definitely look wooden, like Noah's Ark but inverted. Two or three of these shots would make great posters.
Hey! It’s been a while. How’s the book going?
@@FirstChurchofTheMasochistHikes haven't sold it yet, but I still believe you are permanently etched in history in my writings. History just has to catch up. A guy an hour's paddle away where I grew up along the Concord River wrote the best book in American history about the pond I always swam in. Sold almost nothing for 110 years then suddenly sold millions. Thoreau (Walden).
I didn't realize how much you're not supposed to be a white man when selling books nowadays. We're trying to find young black women to pretend to author it. Then we'll be golden.
Wow, I have to get out more, I've always thought it would be interesting to canoe that part of the river, and there you folks just up and do it, wow. And all the way to New Orleans..there's a book, I forget the title, about a postman and his son that canoe from Winnipeg to Central America, in a canoe. By golly. Anyway, lot of interesting historical sites you are passing through - 4:43 those are the ruins of a mill that exploded, now the Mill Museum, and of course Bohemian Flats, was a shantytown, now a park. There are many caves in the area, for example the Wabasha Street Caves in St. Paul are pretty interesting - used during prohibition times, now has tours.
Paddled the Mighty in 2014, source to sea. Went through the big lock. Quite an experience. Felt like I was in the trash compactor on the Death Star.
It's been some years since I've been there, So Awesome, good memories.
Correction, there is in fact a portage at L&D #1. It is not official, nor is it easy or pleasant, but doable nonetheless. No signage but the trail is at a little beach around mile marker 848. River right by the concrete culvert gets you to the trail with a few switchbacks to get out of the gorge.
Yea, I heard from some folks who had to do it the previous year and they said it was rough. I was rather glad we got to go thru though as that lock was really neat
You've perfected the "J" stroke Jen oh was it named after you.I can't believe part of the trail is walking thru downtown with the 🛶 but it did make for good photo ops !
More and more the river turns you both into Twainian characters....glad you are safe and found good vittles.
Love how you guys are saying “Portage”
It’s an interesting blend of French and English
As someone whos been up to the bwcaw for the last 7 years in a row this is cool to see a different side to canoe trips
To be honest, as a Minneapolis resident for over ten years who bikes around the city trails a lot, I would barely blink if I saw a couple people portaging in the middle of the city
Ugh the Tug! I love it
that lock is huge :O I once took a boat trip on the Canal Du Midi in Southern France, and passed a bunch of locks, but way smaller that the one you passed
Especially being inside a canoe it felt massive
U guys are too cool. Amazing day. Onward taters
I get half-life 2 vibes from this 😂 great video. Not sure why youtube thought i needed to see this, but apparently i did lol.
Caves in this area have been used for many things. Including as speak easies I the roaring 20’s.
I randomly found you last night and have watched 19 episodes of this trip while staying up far too late and wishing I were doing this. My wife would never come with me. I know I am about 8 months late with my comment, but I have subbed and I will watch the rest of this series and then see what else you guys got up to.
Glad you’re enjoying the trip :)
Looks very fun
Downtown St paul, Lower town to be correct, loved the vid.
Thank goodness for those wheels!!
lived right by here for my whole life, never knew we had a lock like that, cool
edit: we love having "droughts" because it wasn't as much of a downpour as before
Dang bummed I missed your guys! Been following your side the condor trail (my childhood backyard). My wife and I live right by that whole foods and a block and a half from the river. Been following your insta too and realized we'd be out of town when you came through.
Ah well. Plus side with us these days is we seem to be out and about enough there’s a decent chance we’ll pass by on some other trip some day
Ok, that lock was sort of terrifying, but so cool.
Lock#1 is at Lock&Dam#1.
Lock#0 is at St Anthony Falls, the southernmost waterfall on the Mississippi. Which you portaged around.
Those bluffs are a type of sandstone that is easy to dig into. The sand itself is mined, and the caverns are sometimes used commercially.
Gandalf did it.
Love seeing Taters filming an Matt actually working. 😬
You and me both. You wouldn’t believe the amount of gentle harassment required to get her to film anything…
Hey Y'all, what ya gonna do when the storm gets ya wet? Dry out when ya can. Keep calm and carry on.
🦋
We took our 23 foot jet boat through that lock It was a lot of fun. I can’t imagine doing it in a canoe. I think that’ll be a little scary.
You end up appreciating the scale of the lock even more
I'm looking forward to see if you encounter the pirate ship.
Love
MasoTaters in Lock One is like the inversion of Noah's Ark. (It also looks a lot like Noah's Ark in Kentucky just north of Tennessee). MasoTaters in Lock One is like the opposite of the story of Noah's Ark--it's a tale of how our species will undo itself. Sublime in its own way.
Why is it calling me, David: user-hj7ld4ff7p?
I think I would be in shorts and a t shirt for that portage! Kudo for that urban walk. Will all of your locks be going down? Locks get quite turbulent when going up! I take them on my jet ski all the time. Bob
Yep, all down bound. Though I did joke about doing back through lock 1 since that was such a fun ride
Ugh that tunnel cut out opening thing was creepy, creepy. You wouldn't be able to get me near it.
At least on this adventure it has been fairly easy to track where you are on the river
I normally report mile markers on the trails I’m doing which can be easily found using FarOut if you have the particular guide. Here the only real landmarks are cities
I’m not an experienced long distance paddler at all, but have done my fair share of lake paddling in the summer and some day trips. I’m probably not really qualified to question your preparedness, but just as a question; doesn’t a storm bringing potential wind and waves + being on more consistent wider waters + wake from those big boats, present a could-be a sticky (or flippy) situation? You two seem super steady and I trust you will keep your wits about you - I just wonder if having a plan beyond just ducking to the side if it gets scary/sketchy would be a good idea, esp if lightning starts coming into the mix too.
Anyways I’m sure you’ll be fine. I love this channel and have come to care for and worry about my new favorite strangers! Happy paddling! I wish you many doctor peppers and burgers in your future. Also hoping for more cute animal moments!
I normally keep an eye on weather apps but we haven’t had much luck on this trip with anything but looking at the radar which basically just confirms what we’re seeing in the sky. Beyond that if things feel like they might be changing we try and stick near the shore and get off the water like you saw after the lock. The only time that was insufficient so far was Big Winnie Lake where we had to turn back and go again the next day.
??? red shirt old dude just chillin next to a few river toilets LMAO
Seemed to just be the vibe of that section. Hobo murder Santa was a bit past him
portaahhhhhge or portige?
water water everywhere and not a drop to drink
Please explain in one of your videos your weird way of dressing for hot days in a canoe. You look like you are ready for winter. In many years of long distance canoeing and kayaking I’ve never seen anyone dress like you do.
Look into thru hiking and they are all over. The shirts are thin breathable sun layers. We use them since we’re out for long periods often at high altitude and we don’t particularly care for skin cancer. If the humidity hits a certain level like when I was in Thailand or the AT I abandon them for short sleeves. Jen is a bit more disciplined than I am
They’re NOT tugboats, dude. They’re called “tow boats”!!!!
I really wanted to like your channel but gave up after hearing your say portage purposely incorrectly for the 30th time. Sorry guys. It is so off putting.
My name is David but it keeps calling me a "user" with a number like a prisoner: user-hj7ld4ff7p?
It shows the username in a few places but we see your actual name also. DrDavidThor
@@FirstChurchofTheMasochistHikes huh, I knew it