Top row: First morning briefing by leader, Rex Klein at Mud Lake Park near DuBuc, Iowa before the launch. Dropping off kayaks to be trailered to the launch. Row 2: Welcome! Collecting swag — whistles, towels, gear bag at the check in — for 230 participants including SAG boats, road crew and the paddlers. A classic Mississippi paddle steamer welcomes us to the river. Row 3: The launch at Mud Lake Park, Iowa. Rex Klein leading the Rumblers. Row 4: Fires from California made our first day a bit hazy. For me, the most exciting part of the day was Lock # 11.

The Great River Rumble's Last Hurrah



By Kerry Kirk Pflugh

The first time I saw the Mississippi River, I was 22 years old and on my way to Gunflint Lodge in Minnesota to be its head naturalist for the summer. I glanced down as we crossed her and said, "Hey, what's a riverboat doing up here in northern Minnesota?" My traveling companions pointed out we were crossing the Mississippi. Somehow the idea of a riverboat in northern Minnesota didn't fit with my perception of the river of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.

The Mississippi River is the second longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system on the North American continent, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. Its headwaters are Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota and it drains to the Gulf of Mexico some 2,320 miles south. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi watershed drains all or parts of 32 states and two Canadian provinces.

It would be more than 40 years before I saw the Mississippi again — this time crossing it from Illinois to Iowa, for the final gathering of the Great River Rumble. The Great River Rumble, conceived by Rex Klein and John Miller in 1995, was an annual gathering of paddlers of all skill levels and boat types for a week-long paddling adventure on the Mississippi or on one of the rivers leading to it. Unfortunately, after 25 years, the original organizers are retiring, and they been unable to find anyone willing to take up the monumental task of arranging and leading the trips.

The goal of the Rumble was to introduce people to paddle sports and to foster in them an appreciation and stewardship of our nation's great rivers. Over the years, the Rumble has reached more than 1,000 paddlers, 70 per cent of those paddlers returning year after year to be led by Rex and supported by his core team as they paddled down the river.

The Great River Rumble has been conducted on 12 different rivers all ending on the Mississippi and roughly covering more than 2,000 miles. When the Rumble began 75 per cent of the participants paddled canoes and 25 per cent were in kayaks. Now, 87 per cent of the paddlers are kayakers.

"I wanted to run a seven-day trip that people of all ages could participate in. I didn't want skill level or equipment to hold anyone back," said organizer Rex Klein, when I chatted with him one night over a beer after a day of paddling nearly 20 miles. "Along the way, we taught strokes, efficiency, wind and waves, and endurance. By the week's end, I saw that they had become twice the paddler they were than when they started."

The Rumble is operated by a group of committed paddling enthusiasts and friends who love their rivers. They formed a 501c3 and raised money and found sponsors in order to offer paddling adventures at a reasonable rate.

Each year the Rumble's core group selected the river and the route and did a pre-Rumble run to ensure safety and first-hand knowledge of the route they would encounter during the Rumble. The group's passion for paddling inspired communities all along the rivers to open their doors for the past 25 years and support upwards of 200 paddlers for a night by providing meals, showers, and lodging.

Every trip required coordination with state, federal, and local organizations to obtain the necessary permits for camping, launching and landing, food and showers, and other necessities of life.

To ensure safety on water, the Rumble had three or four powerboats outfitted with radios to follow the paddlers and monitor progress. If anyone was in need of assistance or in trouble, the boats were there, ready to assist. In addition, every day a sweep captain was named along with several safety patrollers who were assigned to paddle among the group ensuring all was well or to perform a quick rescue if necessary.

After a year and a half of COVID travel restrictions limiting my paddling excursions, I was more than ready for a multi-day, on-water venture. While virtually all of my paddling adventures have been wilderness expeditions, this supported paddling assembly appealed to me, not because I'm getting too old to support myself, but because the support would be from the communities along the river route. I wanted to encounter first-hand how the Rumblers are embraced by the river communities whose river they shared. And it turned out to be an experience of a lifetime.

I first learned of the Great River Rumble several years ago from my friend, Pat Slaven, who had attended a number of Rumbles over the years. Her description of the group, the daily paddles, and the support from the river communities convinced me that the Rumble was a kayaking event like no other. I immediately put it on my Bucket List. My initial plan was to attend last year, which would have been the Rumble's actual 25th year. However, COVID delayed the final Rumble until 2021.

The route for the final Great River Rumble was entirely on the Mississippi River. We started in Mud Lake Park, Iowa. Each day, the paddle involved time on the main channel of the Mississippi as well as travel through several scenic sloughs and back waters. Seven days and roughly 96 miles later, we reached our final destination, LeClaire, Iowa.

Along the way, we crisscrossed the river, staying in Illinois some nights, and in Iowa other nights. The route included passage through three Locks — 11, 12 and 13. We were supported by church groups, fire departments and farmers taking time from the height of the growing season to transport us through their town like taxis with their tractors and trailers.

On Saturday morning July 31, 230 paddlers, support crew and road crew converged on LeClaire Junior High where we loaded gear and kayaks into trucks and trailers and were transported by bus to Mud Lake Park. Once there, we unloaded, set up camp, registered, and were served a delicious fried chicken dinner, before being briefed for the trip.

After dinner, we gathered around Rex and listened to the game plan for the week. I could see the deep friendships among the core team and their joy at being reunited. It had been nearly two years since they and the Rumblers had been together and everyone was happily catching up. I witnessed old friends finding each other in the crowd and setting up encampments to share stories, visit and just be together again. And though this was my first Rumble, I quickly caught the joyous spirit of Rumble friendship and found myself forming connections as well.

Day 1 — Mud Lake Park, Iowa to Massey Marina Park, Iowa, 16 miles

We were awakened at 5:30 a.m. to a blasting radio of rock music. I quickly dressed, broke camp and went to the pavilion where a hearty breakfast was served. Each of us then loaded the trucks with our gear and readied our kayaks for the launch. Despite the huge number of people, everything was remarkably organized and everyone was polite courteous and helpful. At about 8 a.m., Rex gathered us together and reviewed the day's paddle. The sweep and the safety patrol were identified, so everyone knew who to turn to in case help was needed along the way. Then, we carefully launched into the river.

Our first day and launch was into a small slough, or swampy inlet that ran parallel to the main channel of the Mississippi River. It was a shallow, narrow and scenic passageway to the main channel filled with Lily pads and Lotus flowers. Although the number of paddlers in this small slough could have been a problem, everyone was respectful of each other's space and navigated carefully to avoid collisions and bumping as much as possible.

As we rounded the last bend of the slough, I could see the main channel of the river. Smoke from the west coast fires gave the atmosphere a misty appearance to what could have been a bright sunny day. Two miles across the river was the state of Wisconsin. It was an impressive sight and an exhilarating feeling to be paddling on one of our nations most celebrated and significant rivers.

About three miles into the trip, we paused on the water for the back of the fleet to catch up. We took these breaks at least once each morning and afternoon. We also pulled off the water a couple of times each day to stretch and stop for lunch.

I dropped my hands into the murky water. The Mississippi is a muddy river and the water column reflects that. The water temperature wasn't exactly cool, but it was cool enough to feel refreshing in an increasingly warm day. As we waited for everyone to catch up, friends laughed and sprayed each other with water guns. I looked around at our colorful flotilla and thought we must be quite a sight to the barges and pleasure boats motoring past us.

With a little bit of current and a slight tail wind, we were getting a nice assist as we paddled. There was wonderful bird watching — bald eagles, cormorants, gray pelicans, gulls, and Great Blue Heron abounded. But for me, the most exciting part of the day was Lock # 11.

It was my first time in a lock. I could see it in the distance. The dam which is part of the lock system created a vast "pool." A pool has the potential to be dangerous in windy conditions, but today it was like glass. We glided to the entrance of the lock and waited to be told we could enter. Once inside, we sidled up against the wall and were told to loosely hold onto the ropes that had been tossed down to us. The doors behind us closed and after a short wait, I heard and felt a sort of clunk, clunk, clunk. Aside from the sound, the only way you could tell you were dropping was the water line on the lock wall. We dropped eight feet in several minutes. It was very cool. After we exited the lock, we paddled a short distance more, then pulled over for lunch at A.Y McDonald Park. I'm told this is a point where Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa meet.

Over the course of the day, I spoke to many paddlers. It was fun meeting people from all over the United States and hearing their stories about the Rumble. We arrived at Massey Marina Campground in the mid-afternoon. A delicious spaghetti dinner, courtesy of the campground, was provided to us.

When we had first arrived at Mud Lake Park the day before, Pat introduced me to one of her Rumble friends, Leah. Over dinner that first night, I also met two other women — Katina and Barbara. We camped together that first night and from that point on, we became our own pod. Each night we camped with each other in the quietest spot we could find in a crowd of 200!

Top row: Lotus lining the Iowa shore. Sunset over the Mississippi at Thomson Park, Illinois. Row 2: Looking out at the Mississippi watershed from the bluff of Bellevue State Park in Bellevue, Iowa. The width of the Mississippi is overwhelming. Even with more than 200 paddlers it was never crowded.

Day 2 — Massey Marina Park, Iowa to Bellevue, Iowa, 17 miles

Some days really stand out! Today was as close to perfect as you can get — bright sunny skies, cotton ball clouds, a light breeze, great conversation with paddling pals, a respectable paddling distance, and three rolls. I also experienced my second lock — Lock # 12, just as thrilling as the first. The river was kind to us again and the riverscape was wild and scenic with virtually no one else on the water.

Immediately after going through the Lock #12, we pulled into one of the most charming little river towns you could ever hope to find — Bellevue. We were met by four local farmers with their tractors and trailers who graciously towed us to Cole Park, the downtown park and recreation center. The tractor drivers became our rural version of Uber, picking us up and taking us all over the town. It was awesome. I mean, who doesn't love a tractor ride? Aside from a tour of the town, they shuttled us to the top of the bluffs at Bellevue State Park to the overlook where we saw the great expanse of the Mississippi river watershed and what is known as the "drifts," a geologically unique section of the river untouched by the glacial migration. It was a magnificent sight. The day ended with a concert in the streets of Bellevue with our leader Rex demonstrating another of his talents — singing and guitar playing.

Day 3 — Bellevue, Iowa to Savanna, Illinois, 19.8 miles

The day started with another hearty breakfast thanks to the lunch ladies of St. Joseph Catholic Parish and school. I definitely wasn't going to starve on this trip. We were met at the launch by the town clerk and one of the town's councilman who wished us safe travels and thanked us for visiting their town.

This was our longest paddling day. It was a hot, still day, with an almost undetectable current. Again, the river environment surprised me. I had expected a busy commercial river, but instead it was quiet, remote, and scenic with abundant wildlife.

As we paddled along, I noticed severe erosion all along the river's edge. Giant mature trees had fallen everywhere. Clearly, a combination of current, flooding, and severe storms had taken their toll. As I was thinking about what it must be like when the river floods, an explosive sound thundered across the river. I ducked thinking I was hearing gun shots. Then a commotion in the tree canopy and the sound of wood crashing made me realize I was hearing a tree fall in the forest. And yes, it makes a sound — a very loud one!

By the time we reached Savanna, Illinois, we were hot, tired, and hungry. Our camp site was along the river adjacent to the Savanna Marina with a train track next to us. When we arrived, trains were coming through every 18 minutes. Fortunately, it became less busy as the night wore on, but not much less. Despite squealing wheels and whistles from the trains all night, I slept like a rock.

Day 4 — Savanna, Illinois to Thomson, Illinois, 10.7 miles

Today's nearly ten-mile paddle was short and fast. We spent nearly all of the trip in sloughs, stopping once on a mudflat speckled with wild flowers and populated by egrets, herons and pelicans flying or fishing all around us.

We stopped for the night at Thomson Causeway Recreation Area, a United States Army Corps of Engineers campground. It is also the site of a mound dating back to 100 B.C.E. built by Native Americans. It's interesting to imagine what the river might have looked like then — wild, untamed by locks and other engineering structures, flowing freely.

Wednesday night, according to Rumble tradition, special Bloody Mary's are offered. They are kind of like a fresh garden salad with tomato juice and generous amounts of alcohol. For dinner, we were treated to a home cooked meal and pastries prepared by the church ladies of Thomson. Our meals were towed, delivered, and served to us by the Thomson Fire department. The evening ended with a sunset of rose, orange, and red followed by folk music and dancing.

Day 5 — Thomson, Ill to Clinton, Iowa, 8.6 miles — Crazy Hat Day

It was crazy hat day today and the paddlers did not disappoint. Hats ranged in design from colorful to actual head sculptures — everything from beer mugs to fish heads. And as fate would have it, it was a windy day too. Needless to say, crazy hats did not remain on heads for very long. The water was textured when we launched with a slight breeze. We crossed the famously wide and eelgrass-filled Clinton Pool to our final lock — Lock# 13. We were lowered ten feet. When the lock doors opened, a flock of gray pelicans greeted us. As we paddled past them, the wind hit us like a slap in the face.

We paddled a short distance beyond the lock, then crossed from Illinois to Iowa in choppy, one-foot rollers without incident, making a quick stop on a shoal to rest and eat lunch, then on to Clinton.

The wind had picked up significantly after lunch and the group found itself fighting a strong headwind and two-foot rollers. While I enjoyed the bumpy ride, the wind created some work. It also kept the safety crew busy making sure everyone was okay. We landed in Clinton a short time later, made camp in Riverside Park, then had dinner at the marina on the Mississippi.

Top row: Crazy hat day. With a 15 mph headwind, our hats didn't last long. Pulling into Rock Creek county park, the Rumblers were met by a team of Voyageurs. Row 2: The Rumblers take over the Mississippi. The last five miles of our paddle, homeowners, bars, and marinas greeted us with cheers of encouragement.

Day 6 — Clinton, Iowa to Rock Creek Campground, Iowa, 13 miles — Military Appreciation Day

At the morning briefing, Larry Jatho, part of the core team and a veteran led us in a salute to the men and women who have served us in the military, police, and medical professions. The oldest veteran, Dave Kobe (91 and paddling his C1) was called up along with the youngest active-duty serviceman, Thomas Henn. We sang the Star-Spangled Banner and recited the Pledge of Allegiance. It was a beautiful and heartfelt tribute to all who have served.

The day was warm. The sun was filtered. And it was breezy. This section of the Mississippi was more populated than what we had been paddling down up until now. We passed numerous homes, some of which had been destroyed by flooding. Others were under construction or in the process of being raised. Along some stretches of the river, elaborate sea walls and drainage systems were being constructed and reconstructed. Clearly, they are fighting back a river that leaves its banks frequently. Our final campground was Rock Creek County Park. Dave Kobe led us to the landing where he was greeted and escorted by a group of Voyageurs in their giant canoe.

In addition to the usual amenities of a campground, Rock Creek Park has a beautiful Eco Center, dedicated to educating visitors about the ecology of the river. In addition to a self-guided tour at the center, Rock Creek offers visitors boat cruises with naturalists who interpret both the natural and historic features of the Mississippi. After a dinner provided by the Eco Center, we settled down to a campfire and some camp music. I couldn't help noticing this would be the last time these old friends would enjoy a Rumble evening.

Top row: Pat Slaven enjoying the rafting up as we waited to drop eight feet. Lining up in the lock awaiting the gradual drop. Row 2: Ladies in the lock. Pelicans greet the Rumblers as we exit a lock.

Day 7 — Rock Creek Campground, Iowa to LeClaire, Iowa 11.2 miles

The last day of the last Great River Rumble. I could only imagine what the core group must be feeling today. Twenty-five years is a long time to work together and organize week-long paddles for people from all across the country. I watched as friends had final moments together and made promises to stay in touch. I too was making similar promises to Barbara, Leah, Katina and Pat. It's hard to say goodbye to a friend with whom you"ve shared something unique and wonderful!

The Mississippi River made sure we would remember her. She gave us a steady headwind of 15-plus m.p.h. all day and some nice chop. The people who lived along this stretch must have known we were coming because for the last five miles or so, they were lined up along the shoreline cheering us on like we were heroes. It was thrilling!

We pulled into the charming port town of Le Claire, Iowa, mid-day, grabbed a celebratory beer, and headed to a waiting bus to shuttle us to our gear and cars. We then returned to the riverfront to load our kayaks, and headed to our hotels to get cleaned up for the farewell banquet. At the banquet many of the early participants were there. Lifelong friendships are forged through shared experiences like the Rumble. The desire to sustain those friendships and experiences is a strong motivator to return year after year. And they had come to see each other one last time and to say farewell. We exchanged contact information, listened to tributes to the leaders and core team, and otherwise shared a wonderful dinner together. It was the perfect way to cap off 25 years on the river.

Thinking back on the conversation I had with Rex early in the trip, I recalled the story of how he first became interested in paddling. It began with him looking across his home river and wondering what it was like on the other side. That curiosity led to the purchase of an old raft, so he could find out. This eventually led to the purchase of a canoe, which led to Rex becoming a champion in the canoe racing world, and ultimately, the co-creator of the Great River Rumble.

Imagine what the hundreds of people from all across the country would have missed if his curiosity never inspired him to venture out across that river! Although the Great River Rumble has come to end, the spirit that defined it continues in every person who ever attended. And as Rex said at the farewell banquet, it's up to each of us to pay it forward and inspire others to be interested and curious enough to want to cross a river too.

Daily River Rumbler's Routine
   1. 5:30 a.m.: Revelry (a new rock and roll song every day. Last morning: Thanks for Being a Friend)
   2. 5:30-8:00: Breakfast, break camp, load shuttle.
   3. 8:00: Morning briefing and yoga, review of the stretch of river, what conditions to expect,
       weather, distance, who will be the sweeps
   4. 8:30: Launch.
   5. 10:30 (approx): Break.
   6. Noon: Lunch.
   7. Depending on mileage, an afternoon break.
   8. Landing.
   9. Make camp, Relax, shower and visit with fellow Rumblers.
10. Dinner on your own or provided.
11. Music or visit with fellow Rumblers.