The past week has been full of great additions to our adventure. As we came into Greenville, MS we were passed by a north bound ski boat holding about 6 gentleman, but something seemed different about these guys. Instead of just the average waves we usually receive, this time we were welcomed with peace signs and whirly birds. Stevie and I looked at each other and thought, "Those  guys would probably be fun to meet up with."  We continued as usually though, en route to Greenville in search of a grocery store. About 2 hours later the same boat was headed back south and were headed our way. They pulled up and right away offered us a cold beer and immediately started asking questions. After talking to us for a bit, they brought up The River Jam, the annual event they put on that includes a live band, lots of adult beverages, and good people.
        After a bit of convincing and a few more cold ones, we decided it was the weekend and we could take a day off to enjoy this once in a lifetime party. The bright idea came up to load the canoe directly into their ski boat to speed up the process, so Stevie and I jumped in, had a bucket birgade to load the gear, then lifted the canoe into the boat. We were off, up the channel leading to the Greenville Yacht Club at around 47 mph. We were cruising and in good spirits. We arrived at the marina and tied the canoe up to Jimmy's pontoon and were told we could set up camp on another buddy's pontoon that would provide us a bit of shelter from the rain forecasted for the evening.
        The guys wanted to go back out and do a little more boating, so we set up our tents and relaxed a bit. A few hours later our new friends came back and gave us a ride to a local grocery store so we could stock up on things and then dropped us back off at the marina for the evening. The plan was for them to arrive back at the marina around 10 a.m. and we would load up all of our gear, the canoe, the band, their instruments, equipment, and a few of the families.
       We were very glad to meet the guys that day, they seemed extremely nice and you could tell they genuinely wanted us to be their guests at the party. Not to mention it was an exellent way to spread the PE awareness and to let people know about our FB page so that they could join our trip. One of the greatest things about the trip has been meeting awesome people that are extremely generous and are willing to help us with anything.
       The River Jam was awesome! We had an excellent time, meeting tons of great people, spreading the word of our trip, relaxing with cold beverages, and listening to some great music. We both want to come back next year for the 4th annual event! In the middle of it, a quick half hour storm blew through, but nothing that we hadn't already seen or couldn't handle.
        Everyone we met was super nice and made us feel extremely welcome. The guy's in the boat became our friends, people we plan to revisit later in life. We are so glad we met them and were able to experience such a great time. This trip has proven to us that there are a lot of good people left in this world and are willing to help us out anyway they can.
       I'm currently sitting at the house of one of the guy's we met about to have dinner. We are waiting out Hurricane Isaac and were plucked out of the river by Terry Etheridge. I will update one of these days all about our experience waiting out Isaac. It's been filled with all sorts of great people.

We are currently in Memphis, TN, staying in the care of John and Lynn Huggins. We met them through an old Clintonville resident that now resides in Memphis, Nancy and Arnold Roberts. Nancy had heard of our story after the article published in the Clintonville Chronicle, which she receives down in Memphis. I received an email shortly after letting us know we had a place to stay upon arrival, sadly they were vacationing back to the Clintonville area, August 17, a day after our arrival. Luckily her good friends, the Huggins, opened their house to us and brought us out for BBQ ribs, breakfast, and showed us the city. We've had an amazing time and have been treated like royalty. Couldn't have asked for nicer people, so glad we got to meet the Huggins, and wish we wouldn't have missed the Roberts.

Next stop Mississippi, after a delicious breakfast and grocery shopping of course.

It's been a long hot week, travel distance has slowed due to the heat. We paddle as much as we can til about 1 in the afternoon, then seek shade til about 6-7 pm, then continue in the evening til anywhere from 10pm to 2 am. We use the lighted buoys that are found about every quarter-half mile, otherwise we just use our headlamps as a signal to other boats as a signal of our location. We are still meeting great people that are very interested in our story and enjoy chatting with us about our adventure. We've been incredibly lucky to meet a few restaurant owners that have given us a free meal. Miller Time in New Boston, IL and also The Drake in Burlington, IA. We greatly appreciate what they've done for us, a good meal helps us paddle those extra miles in the heat.

I finally have a computer in front of me, so I am able to update the blog much easier than off of an Iphone. We are currently sitting in the Hilton Garden Inn located in Dubuque, IA. Stevie's mom and sister, Emily, made the trip down here to meet up with us and get us this room so we could shower and have a good night sleep.

Lately it's been really hard falling asleep at night because it's so hot, usually around midnight it starts to cool down and you can doze off here and there for an hour or two, before getting woke up by a train, barge, or other random wildlife noises.

The trip has been going very well for the most part though. We have been meeting great people, eating much better than the first week (we have a cooler now), and seeing some very cool places.

It's much simpler to update the Facebook page compared to this page due to the app the Iphone has. When we are done paddling for 10 hours in the heat, set up camp, make dinner, I am usually just too exhausted to want to type anything substantial and stick to the ease of FB.

We've gotten a few more donations as well from generous people we have met along the way. We've even had our lunch bought for us when we stopped in for some burgers. It's great meeting such generous people.

We arrived at Lake Itasca last evening just before 9:00 p.m. Thanks to the Schley's for suffering through the 8 hour drive here. Got a nice campsite next to the lake to make getting in the water in the morning much easier.

The checks were dropped off in the mail as well, but we will still be raising money throughout the trip. A total of $1075 has made it to the Mayo Clinic for research towards Pulmonary Embolisms. Thank you to everyone one that has helped and to those of you that came to say goodbye.

P.s Facebook is a lot easier to update then the blog, make sure you "like" that page and watch for updates.

Www.facebook.com/canoeforacause

Less than 24 hours until we make our way to the headwaters at Lake Itasca. Stevie has been putting in a lot of work on the canoe and it is completely ready for the trip. Seats have been re-installed, bottom was re-sanded, and a fresh coat of varnish applied. Canoe looks amazing and is fully ready for this grand adventure.

I will be messing around with the app I have for this blog on the Iphone later today. I feel like Facebook will be a lot easier to update then this. If you haven't seen the Facebook page, make sure you check it out and like it to follow us there as well.

www.facebook.com/canoeforacause

This past weekend Stevie and I continued to finish the canoe, but the glue drying time took a little longer than expected, so when it came time to do a trial run down the river, we were unable to take our pride and joy. Instead we opted for the ole Alumicraft, which a trusty aluminum canoe that has been in the Schley family for over 30 years.

We wanted to see what kind of mileage we could do in a day, but wanted to do some fishing too. So we set off from Shawano, Hwy M boat landing to be exact, at roughly 6 a.m. Water was low and slow moving, we came to a few complete stops in the middle of the river due to low areas in the Shawano portion of the Wolf River. Fishing was pretty good in the morning, landing a young musky, some good size Northern, and some small mouth's. It slowed down a bit in the early afternoon though, that's when we concentrated more on just paddling.

Finally, just before 8 p.m. we made County Highway F, which we estimated to be around 30 river miles after taking a few guesses from some river loving locals. All in all it was a good paddle. We are very satisfied being able to put in that many miles, while fishing, in low, slow moving water.

Now it's just a matter of finishing the fiber glassing of the seats, which should be done this week.

We've also gotten a few more donations too, $160 more to be exact. Thanks to everybody for their generosity and support.

Yesterday was the 1 year anniversary of my mom passing. In a way it feels like she just left us, but at the same time it feels like it's been forever since I've seen or talked to her.

Stevie and I will be doing a test float this Thursday-Sunday down the Wolf River, camping randomly here and there for 3 nights. A good time to make sure the canoe floats and also to find out if all of our gear is good to go.

Donations continue to come in. Don't be shy. Only 19 days to go.

T-minus 26 days until go time. Getting very excited for the river and still trying to put all the finishing touches on trip preparation. Received two Astral Camino PFD's from www.austinkayak.com this morning. These are very important obviously because the river can get rather treacherous when sharing it with barges and unforgiving weather.

I've updated the map showing the first couple of weeks of donations, which was about $510. I apparently read the map incorrectly, because 510 miles actually brings us to about St. Paul, MN. I thought the original map I made looked a little funny, must have been tired when I made it. So here is an updated one, plus an update to 845 miles (which oddly enough brings us to Cordova, IL, my original map's destination), because $845 has been received so far!!

The ultimate goal is to receive $1 for every mile we travel, some where in the $2,500 range. After tallying up the current donations, it puts us at Cordova, IL! That's 505 river miles. I will be making an updated map this weekend after the week's donations. Let's just say we won't be at Cordova for long, but how far will we make it this week?

Tested out the solar panel kit that I got the other day. Works awesome, it's great being able to harness the power of the sun. Got another donation today in the mail as well. Don't be shy people!

 Tonight was the Scholarship Awards Program at the Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton. My dad, sister, and I thought starting a scholarship to honor and remember our mom was a good way to use the money our family received at the funeral. My mom attended FVTC where she received her Associates Degree in Nursing in 1983.

The Julie Sweet Memorial Scholarship is available to Nursing-Associate Degree students in their second year who have maintained a 2.5 GPA and who demonstrate financial need. Tatiana Chernyshova proudly accepted the first ever award this evening, pictured below with my sister and myself.

I also had a few items in the mail when I got home. One being the solar panel kit I was awarded Voltaic Systems, can't wait to give it a test run this weekend and see how it works! 

A brown package wasn't the only thing in the mail though today. I also received a few envelopes containing different monetary donations. I have added a "donors" page now, containing the names of those who have donated to the cause. I'm extremely excited to see things are really coming together. 

I received an email today regarding a contest I had entered in April, and wouldn't ya know, I won!

The company it was through makes solar chargers for those going where electricity isn't easy to come by, they are http://www.voltaicsystems.com/. 
We were in need of a solar kit to aid in the charging of our cameras and Iphone, and after a brief phone call with Jeff at Voltaic Systems, we had the perfect set up, consisting of 2 x 3.4 Watt solar panels going into a V39 battery. The panels will be on "extension cords" so we can move them around the canoe and the battery will stay in a dry bag, as we don't want it to get wet. Voltaic is also including the cradles needed for our two separate cameras.

This was a huge moral booster. We now don't need to worry about keeping our electronic devices charged, just have to keep them dry, which may be difficult out on the ole' Miss.

Here is a link to my information they posted on their blog, check it out, http://voltaicsystems.com/blog/april-gear-winner-canoes-down-the-mississippi/.

This trip is dedicated to the memory of my mother, Julie Sweet. With our efforts we plan to raise money, as well as awareness, for Pulmonary Embolisms (PE). A PE is a sudden blockage in a lung artery. The blockage usually is caused by a blood clot that travels to the lung from a vein in the leg. PE most often is a complication of a condition called deep vein thrombosis (DVT). In DVT, blood clots form in the deep veins of the body, most often in the legs. These clots can break free, travel through the bloodstream to the lungs, and block an artery. The exact number of people affected by DVT and PE isn't known. Estimates suggest these conditions affect 300,000 to 600,000 people in the United States each year. If left untreated, about 30 percent of patients who have PE will die. Most of those who die do so within the first few hours of the event; my mom's life was taken almost instantly, while she was asleep on a Sunday morning this past June.

We are looking to raise $1.00 per mile of river, somewhere in the ballpark of $2,500. All of the proceeds will be donated to the Mayo Clinic out of Rochester, MN. Mayo is conducting research on Pulmonary Embolisms. Scientist are specifically trying to answer why the risk of pulmonary thrombosis increases with infection and in women as they age, perhaps due to menopause and decreased estrogen. Mayo uses an interdisciplinary research team approach that includes the expertise of physiologists, hematologist, biochemists, clinical cardiologist and cardiac surgeons. The goal is to better understand the underlying cause to develop novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies directed towards reducing Pulmonary Embolisms and associated events.

Finally finished speaking with Mary over at the Mayo Clinic regarding how to go about collecting donations. I have a few options for everyone interested. 100% of everything raised will go to the Mayo Clinic for research and it can be tax deductible ( I will email you or snail mail you the tax forms on donations of $100 or more).

Feel free to donate anything from $1.00 - $1,000. Any amount is greatly appreciated.

Also, I have made an incentive for donations as a way to show my appreciation and to give back to everyone that is contributing to this great cause.

Donate $15 - receive our favorite 8 x 10 print from our journey.

Donate $30  -  receive our favorite 8 x 10 print and a 5 x 7 mail-able postcard with a picture from the trip to use as you wish.

Donate $80 - receive our favorite 8 x 10 print, a 5 x 7 postcard, and a 3 x 4 magnet with an amazing trip photo on it.

Donate $150 - receive 8 x 10 print, 5 x 7 postcard, and not just a single 3 x 4 magnet, BUT 3 different 3 x 4 magnets to decorate your refrigerator with.

As far as making donations goes, this is how they can be done. I have decided to only accept checks for ease of keeping track of everything and for the paper trail.

1. A personal check made out to Mayo Clinic - Department of Development. I also have a donation form from the clinic for you to fill out electronically or it can be printed, http://www.mayoclinic.org/mcitems/mc2500-mc2599/mc2581-26.pdf. You can then either email it back to me, or you can print it off and include it with the check to the following address:

Camden Sweet
1515 East Tracy Street
Appleton, WI 54915

camden.sweet@gmail.com

I will then hang on to the checks and send them to the Mayo Clinic just prior to leaving for the trip. This will allow for ease in keeping a tally of how much as been raised.

If there are any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me. I will reply in a very timely fashion. camden.sweet@gmail.com

One of my favorite things happened today. I received snail mail, that wasn't a bill. Today was a brown package, about the size of a shoe box with my name on it. Eagerly I ran over to the couch, ignoring the dogs that were so happy I was home from work. The return address was from a company specializing in the coolest bug related clothing I've ever seen. I had heard a few horror stories about crazy amounts of mosquito's and fly's  that we'd encounter on the river, so I sent an email over to the incredibly thoughtful folks at The Original Bug Shirt Company, http://www.bugshirt.com/welcome.htm, and just 5 days later received this much appreciated gift. Picture and some more info in the Sponsor section. Thanks again Sara, the shirts are great!

We've received some more promising emails from some very generous companies. http://www.sanborncanoe.com/ has offered to donate two handmade, bent shaft paddles to us, both made specifically for our stroke length. Sanborn Canoe is a company that started as a couple guys in their garage with an itch to learn how to build a cedar-strip canoe. The rest is history, check out their website for some great craftsmanship.

Even though both Stevie and I can swim rather well, it's smart to have some PFD's (Personal Flotation Devices) along. Thanks to http://www.austinkayak.com/, we don't have to use our 35 year old life jackets, but instead will be receiving some up to date, non restricting life jackets to help us in our journey, in case we ever find ourselves in the river.

We are very grateful for everyone that has contributed to our trip. Every little bit helps and we are getting very close to having everything that is needed for this Mississippi cruise.

Got a nice little surprise in the mail today from the MN DNR. I had contacted them last week regarding their heavily detailed river maps, which are split into 10 maps, covering different segments of the river through out MN. We can now start planning the first state of the trip.

 These maps are great, extremely detailed, and are even marked per mile. They show everything from river accessible campsites, to rapids, to dams, to portages, to fresh water fill ups. This portion of river, through Minnesota, moves significantly slower due to being more narrow and the number of dams, so we will have to plan our days accordingly.

 We still need to obtain the rest of the river maps. These aren't provided by the DNR, for these we will be using the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Navigational Charts that are available for download. I think they also make them in book format, which is something I will be searching for to purchase.

Finally, I have a bit of an update regarding the transportation that will be used for the trip. Stevie has been hard at work learning the trait of cedar strip canoe building.

Cedar strip canoes are really pieces of art. They allow the carpenter to add their own personal touch, everything from varying the color of the strips, to the intricate weave pattern that goes into the seat. Hours and hours of time are spent to create these 16' masterpieces, but the final product and feeling of accomplishment doesn't come from buying your every day canoe.

The learning process has reached it's completion and it's time for our build to get under way. Stevie, Turd (the mentor), and I deemed it necessary to use a tree from the great outdoors. We really decided to go the reuse, reduce, recycle route upon searching for the perfect canoe candidate, and chose a tree that was downed due to natural causes.

The tree is currently waiting to be milled. Plans for that are set to ensue next week, now that the "learning process" has reached completion. We are excited to begin this portion of the grand adventure. To build something we will be relying on for 2.5 months, that will carry us through the heart of America, over 2,500 miles of river isn't your every day task.

Are we ready you ask? Good question I reply.

 Come late June 2012, the adventure will begin. A 2,552 mile journey down the Mississippi River, from it's origin in Lake Itasca, MN to the salty river delta that pours into the gulf of Mexico.

Transportation will be provided by a 17' hand crafted cedar strip canoe. My fellow seafarer, Stevie, will be doing most of the construction of our vessel. He has been doing some apprentice work with a local canoe carpenter, honing his skills for completing the estimated 200 hours of labor involved with building a schooner of this magnitude.