Sunday, September 7. I didn’t write anything yesterday, because not much happened. We made it through all 5 locks with little or no waiting Friday, ran across the beautiful American Queen, and got to the Pettibone Marina in La Crosse just as a light rain started. The marina is located on the island known as Pettibone Park, across the river from downtown. We had planned on going across the bridge into town, but the
rain and our own inertia kept us on the boat. Leftovers for dinner, and a relatively early good night.
Yesterday was a cool, mostly sunny day with fluffy white clouds and glorious scenery. Since we only had one lock and dam to go through between La Crosse and Lansing, we justmotored slowly down, reveling in the day, and not getting the boat on plane once.
Bob and Linda, the Lansing Marina operators, helped us tie up the boat, then joined us onboard for a drink. Our friend Helen came over from Dock A to say hello. Usually we are parked next to her and Louie’s houseboat at this marina, but not this time.
Again, we ate leftovers and didn’t go out, pretty unusual for us when in Lansing. This morning we walked into town for breakfast a T.J. Hunter's again, always a good choice.
Lansing is a peaceful community of under 2000 population, with steep hills and lots of great fishing opportunities. The town sits at the base of Mt. Hosner, named for Harriet Hosner, who arrived in 1912 on a four hour steamboat layover. As the boat approached, she challenged anyone on board to race to the top of the steep bluff. She handily beat all the male crew members who accepted the challenge. The view from the top of Mt. Hosner is breathtaking., and is a good way to see the backwaters where the fishing is so excellent.
Captain Jack runs an eco-tour barge on those waters. He knows where the eagles’ nests are, and one time we watched young eaglets stand on the side of their nest, testing their wings into the breeze. Captain Jack is wise in river ways, he used to be a barge captain.
And now we’re drifting outside Lock and Dam 9, waiting for a barge to get through. The lockmaster told us it will only be ½ hour before we can get in, not a bad wait. Soon it will be time to crawl through the hatch with the gaffing pole, grab a line from the lock worker, and keep the boat away from the dock wall as the water in the lock is lowered about 10-12 feet. The lockmasters and their crews do a wonderful job of keeping the grounds around the lock immaculately groomed. There are usually flower gardens and well-clipped bushes. A viewing area allows visitors to watch the going-on in the lock.
Underway again. Because of the clouds, the sun is dappling the verdant bluffs and limestone cliffs. It’s too early for the trees to change colors, so the hillsides are still lush and green. We just watched a young eagle swoop down beside us, but he rose up again without a fish in his claws. Eagles don’t get their distinctive white heads and tails until they are 5 years old, so sometimes we confuse young eagles with hawks or turkey vultures. The dihedral and shape of the wings are our best clues.
