Safety
Report, May 9, 2001, Wednesday, AM:
***
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 this day's report for more information.
Updates/Comments
Received for May 9, 2001, Wednesday AM:
From Safety Officer Elizabeth Tynan
Between 5 and 7 a.m. (Mississippi River time) on May 9th, the teams
made the following reports:
Day five of the Great Race, and all is well. :) Here you go:
Team Alaska: Kerm reported that his team had spent
the night paddling, and that they were about five miles below Jacobson-
river mile 1236--as we spoke, at 6:30. They saw Team Amazon camped
at Jacobson sleeping, so paddled past very quietly. :)
Team
Amazons: When Tony called at 7:20, I didn't tell
him the Alaskans had sneaked past them in
their sleep. (Some things are better left unsaid.:) Anyway, the
girls felt great after getting seven hours of sleep, and were just
preparing to leave from river mile #1241.
Team
Double Helix: Tony, also exhausted after being up
all night, reported at 6:00 that Clark and Tony were preparing to
leave from the Hwy 6 landing--river mile 1033--after eating some
breakfast. They had also paddled all night, with Clark getting some
sleep under the "bubblewrap."
Team
Kruger:
Stan called in at 6:15 to say that he had just fed Bob and
Verlen some breakfast after they paddled all night, taking turns
sleeping in the boat. They were just preparing to start the portage
at the paper mill dam at Brainerd, river mile 1007. Stan had only
an hour-and-a-half of sleep last night, as he was still negotiating
with the dam personnel at 1:00 a.m. about how the teams might safely
portage. This morning, an alternative route was decided upon.
Team Rebels: At 6:20, Eric said that his team was
rested and ready to take off from Jacobson, river mile 1241, after
spending the night there. The team had a "gorgeous afternoon"
of paddling yesterday, with tailwinds and sunshine, especially welcome
after three days of miserable weather.
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Webmasters
note - Shortcut taken in Aitken:
It was reported to me that Team Kruger took the Aitken Diversion,
which is 6 miles in length. To my knowledge (I'm not a judge), this
shortcut is allowed under Rule 9 of Rules
for the Great Mississippi River Race for Rett Syndrome, May 2001.
Difference in miles when taking the shortcut, vs. not is about 17.5
miles. To explain, get a map of Minnesota, find Aitken. The Mississippi
River makes a horseshoe shape above the city. The diversion channel
cuts across this horseshoe in an attempt to divert flood waters
away from Aitkin. The inlet to the diversion is at River Mile 1064
and it dumps back in at River Mile 1040.5. So....if you paddle the
Mississippi River thru the city Aitkin and around the long way....you
have to go 23.5 river miles. However, the diversion channel is only
6 miles long (across the horseshoe, see the map). You save 17.5
miles by taking the shortcut.
Safety Report,
May 9, 2001, Wednesday, PM:
***
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 this day's report for more information
Updates/Comments
Received for May 9, 2001, Wednesday AM:
From
Don Keller, taking 5-7 PM calls, May 9:
Alaska
6:05 Mile Unknown
Kerm said they are overnighting at Palisades
The biologist member of the team has so far counted 60 species of
birds! I told them about the two dams that do not have buoys: Little
Falls and Blanchard. and warned him of the extreme danger. He said
they will watch for them.
Amazons
4:57 River Mile 1078
Tony called. They are stopped and are going to overnight at Aitkin.
The paddlers are tired, but doing fine otherwise. I said "What's
for supper ?" "We're going out, so anything they want"
I told them about the two dams that do not have buoys: Little Falls
and Blanchard. and warned him of the extreme danger. He said they
are not paddling at night and will watch for them.
Double
Helix 6:59 River Mile 966
The team is just now arriving at Little Falls Dam. Many folks with
children with Rett syndrome and the newspaper are there now to welcome
teams.
Kruger
7:04 River Mile 940
North of Sartell Rapids
Yesterday, Andrew had told me to tell Verlen to "Watch their
back" So today Verlen send a message to Andrew "We are
planning on watching our backs, all the way to the Gulf, so far
we haven't seen anyone"
Rebels
"6:30" River Mile 1078
Eric said they have stopped for the night next to TEAM Amazon. about
20
miles above Aitkin at the Highway 109 Bridge.
I told them about the two dams that do not have buoys: Little Falls
and Blanchard. and warned him of the extreme danger. He said they
will watch for them. Eric is the "constant" paddler, with
Carl and Al rotating.
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