Safety Reports 5-7 AM:

Team Name Date Days in Route Location Number Nearest City Navigation Mileage Time called in Total River Miles Position estimated Alaska 5/17/01 Thu 13 Loc 1 Lock and Dam 7, 15 miles north of Praire Du Chen, Iowa Mile 637 710 3rd Double Helix** 5/17/01 Thu 13 Loc 1 Road Crew at Nauvoo, Illinois waiting for teams about 7 AM this morning. Mile 403 called at 5 AM, paddlers location as of 3 AM 944 Tied for 1st and 2nd, see May 14 Kruger* 5/17/01 Thu 13 Loc 1 Road Crew at Nauvoo, Illinois waiting for teams about 7 AM this morning. Mile 403 called at 6:38 AM, location as of 3 AM 944 Tied for 1st and 2nd, see May 14 1984 Record 5/9/84 13 Loc 1 Ft. Madison, Iowa Mile 384 7:50 AM 963 * and ** - Note on Team Kruger and Team Double Helix - both teams were stopped 3 times during the race. See Race Delays for more information.

Updates/Comments Received from Elizabeth Tynan, Safety Officer, 5-7AM calls:

I'm afraid our two teams on the cutting edge of this race will be deluged with a combination of thunderstorms, wind, and lightening as another strong storm front moves across the lower half of Iowa today.

Team Alaska:
In stark contrast, Kerm and his crew were preparing to paddle in "beautiful weather" this morning, starting out from lock and dam 7--river mile 637--about 15 miles above Prairie du Chien, WI. He said they "moteled it" last night in Prairie du Chien "for only about the second time on this trip."

I asked him if the hot shower felt good, and he replied that they've had hot showers all along, anywhere, because they have a special "truck-tailgate version" rigged up "piggy-back style" on his pickup. Seems this special shower hails one with heated, pressurized water and even comes with a shower curtain on a ring! At last, the great unsolved mystery--why paddlers have been clamoring from all sides to join the Alaska Team--is a mystery no longer. And now you know. . . the REST of the story. :)

Team Double Helix:
Andrew called at 5:00 from Nauvoo, IL (river mile 377), to report that Clark and Kurt were at approximately river mile 403, hopefully "holed up somewhere" because of the heavy rain and lightening already over the region. I am confident they took the proper steps to protect themselves from the lightening.

Team Kruger:
John reported that at 6:38, his team was at approximately river mile 403, the same as Team Double Helix, because they are not yet out of the closed section of the river where our teams must travel together per the instructions from Coast Guard Commander Ramirez, who granted us special permission to paddle the river. Their phone cut out soon after John called, and he tried two more times to reconnect, but the storm evidently was playing practical jokes with the satellite.

Safety Reports, 5-7 PM:

Team Name Date Days in Route Location Number Nearest City Navigation Mileage Time called in Total River Miles Position estimated Alaska 5/17/01 Thu 13 Loc 2 Lock and Dam 11 8:20 PM Third Double Helix** 5/17/01 Thu 13 Loc 2 Lock and Dam 19 5:22 PM Tied for 1st and 2nd, see May 14 report Kruger* 5/17/01 Thu 13 Loc 2 Lock and Dam 19 5:22 PM Tied for 1st and 2nd, see May 14 report 1984 Record 5/9/84 13 Loc 2 Hannibal, Missouri Mile 309 11:40 PM 1038 * and ** - Note on Team Kruger and Team Double Helix - both teams were stopped 3 times during the race. See Race Delays for more information.

Updates/Comments Received, 5 to 7 PM Calls:
From Don Keller, official time keeper

Team Alaska
8:20 Paddlers at Lock and Dam #11, Support and tonight campsite at Lock and Dam #12
Kern said "I'm sorrry I didn't call earlier Every time the paddlers wouId call I couldn't hear because there is a train that blows it's horn" It's a beautiful campsite, right on the river, but next to a high speed train track. He said that last night in the motel they had a good rest. I told him tonight wouldn't be as good, since the train might continually wake them up. Kerm said he doubted it, they are all tired.

Team Double Helix
5:22 Support is at Lock and # 19
Andrew said "We found out they LOVE KFC chicken strips, we feed them chicken strips, and they brought some along as a snack"

Team Kruger
5:05 Support is at Lock and Dam # 20 waiting for the paddlers Stan called. "We are all sleeping together" "Bob and Clark slept in Verlen's boat last night" "I hope Mary doesn't get jealous". We are at Lock and Dam # 20 waiting for the paddlers

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Daily Updates

For More Updates, Photos and Videos please the main Race page.

* and ** - Note on Team Kruger and Team Double Helix - both teams were stopped 3 times during the race - 2 times by the Coast Guard, and 1 time by the Sherriff's office. See Race Delays for more information.

*** Note on Total Miles: For purposes of our site, we compile total miles as the total river miles the teams have passed. If teams take legal shortcuts, we note it on that date, but do not reduce total miles. Please see the May 9 report for more information.