The Northland Adventurer
  • Northland Adventurer
    • Rum River 2017
    • Rum River 2019
    • Cannon River
    • Superior Bay
    • Upper St. Croix
    • Headwaters of the Mississippi
    • Namekagon River
    • Kalamazoo River
    • Taylors Falls - Lower St. Croix
    • Lake Pepin & Lake City
    • Lake Hamlin
    • St. Paul, MN & Raspberry Island
    • Tall Ships Duluth Festival
    • Stillwater, MN
    • Great Lakes Lighthouses
    • Bridges of Stillwater
    • Wisconsin Central Bridge Ruins
    • Soo Line High Bridge
    • Vertical Lift Bridges
    • Trains
    • Railroad Bridges
    • Tugs and Barges
    • Locks and Dams
    • Business and Industry
    • The Joy of the Journey
    • Overhanging Branches
    • Best of All It's Fall
    • Get Off the River!
    • Our Prized Grand River
    • Crossing Lake Huron
    • Straits of Mackinac
    • Crossing Lake Michigan - 2016
    • Crossing Lake Michigan - 2020
    • Crossing Lake Michigan - 6.10.21
    • Crossing Lake Michigan - 6.27.21
    • Crossing Lake Michigan - 7.13.21
    • Crossing Lake Superior >
      • Helpful Hints
      • Packing for Great Lakes Crossings
    • SEVENTY48
    • Campus to Coast
    • Paddling the Pere Marquette
    • Avid Kayaker Brushes Death >
      • The Whole Story
    • A Narrow Escape 2019
    • Reflections
    • More about Mike
  • Contact
Our Mighty Tugs and Massive Barges
​
They haul about five percent of our nation’s bulk tonnage.
Modern commercial vessels on the Mississippi are a far cry from Huck Finn’s makeshift raft. Today, our nation’s river serves as a superhighway of commerce.

A single barge can carry the equivalent of 15 railcars. Guiding these behemoths in and out of ports or narrow locks is no easy task. It calls for the agility and muscle of a mighty towboat. Albeit humble looking, they’re ingenious pieces of nautical machinery. One of these sturdy vessels can push, pull and maneuver a “tow” of barges 105 feet wide, 1,000 feet long (more than three football fields) and more than 50 times its own weight, all while navigating the turns, currents, and heavy traffic of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers. 

Imagine the daunting task of these tiny tugs threading 15 barges into a lock from a vantage point a block away. Consider the fact that our locks are 110 feet wide, allowing for only 2½ feet to play with on each side. Scars of missed entries in the past are evident at every lock.

​Steering the colossus of barges down our winding rivers is a bit tricky since it can take up to a mile to kill the momentum once you’ve built it. It was during a late September paddle in 2018 where I watched a tug operator struggle moving his six barges up the river. Needing to use the entire river’s width, it took out a large tree and cracked several thick branches of another with ease. 
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If I hadn’t stopped at the bend before where this barge met the river’s bank, I might have gotten caught between the two. The result would have been tragic.  
​

 These mighty tugs and their operators are impressive. They’re worthy of our respect and space.
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THE NORTHLAND ADVENTURER

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Let me take you on my journey. 
Click on the links below (underlined) of those topics which interest you most. ​
Paddling our Major Tributaries
•  Rum River 2017
•  Rum River 2019
•  Cannon River
•  Superior Bay 

•  Upper St. Croix
•  Headwaters of the Mississippi
•  Namekagon River
•  Kalamazoo River

​
Top Stops and Events
•  Lower St. Croix - Taylors Falls, MN
•  ​Lake Pepin and Lake City, MN

•  Lake Hamlin, MI
•  St. Paul, MN and Raspberry Island
•  ​Stillwater, MN
•  Tall Ships Duluth Festival
Objects of Interest
•  Great Lakes Lighthouses
•  Bridges of Stillwater

•  Wisconsin Central Bridge Ruins
•  Soo Line High Bridge
•  Vertical Lift Bridges
•  Trains
​•  Railroad Bridges
​•  Tugs and Barges

​•  Locks and Dams
​•  Business and Industry
Subjects of Interest
•  The Joy of the Journey
•  Overhanging Branches
•  Best of All It's Fall
•  Get Off the River!

•  Michigan's Prized Grand River
​
Grand Adventures
•  Crossing Lake Huron
•  ​Straits of Mackinac 
•  Crossing Lake Michigan #1 - 2016

•  Crossing Lake Michigan #2 - 7.24.20
•  Crossing Lake Michigan #3 - 6.11.21

•  Crossing Lake Michigan #4 - 6.27.21
•  Crossing Lake Michigan #5 - 7.13.21
•  Crossing Lake Superior - 2017
•  SEVENTY48 
•  Campus to Coast -  A 150 Mile Race 

•  Paddling the Pere Marquette
Newsworthy
•  ABC NEWS: Avid  Kayaker Brushes Death
•  The Whole Story


Easter 2019
•  A Narrow Escape

​Reflections
•  A Wonderful Journey

​About
•  More about Mike Stout
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For helpful hints to plan your Great Lakes crossing, click here.

 msplmn02@gmail.com  ​|  (952) 239-3943  ​|  Eagan, MN 55123
Copyright © 2016
  • Northland Adventurer
    • Rum River 2017
    • Rum River 2019
    • Cannon River
    • Superior Bay
    • Upper St. Croix
    • Headwaters of the Mississippi
    • Namekagon River
    • Kalamazoo River
    • Taylors Falls - Lower St. Croix
    • Lake Pepin & Lake City
    • Lake Hamlin
    • St. Paul, MN & Raspberry Island
    • Tall Ships Duluth Festival
    • Stillwater, MN
    • Great Lakes Lighthouses
    • Bridges of Stillwater
    • Wisconsin Central Bridge Ruins
    • Soo Line High Bridge
    • Vertical Lift Bridges
    • Trains
    • Railroad Bridges
    • Tugs and Barges
    • Locks and Dams
    • Business and Industry
    • The Joy of the Journey
    • Overhanging Branches
    • Best of All It's Fall
    • Get Off the River!
    • Our Prized Grand River
    • Crossing Lake Huron
    • Straits of Mackinac
    • Crossing Lake Michigan - 2016
    • Crossing Lake Michigan - 2020
    • Crossing Lake Michigan - 6.10.21
    • Crossing Lake Michigan - 6.27.21
    • Crossing Lake Michigan - 7.13.21
    • Crossing Lake Superior >
      • Helpful Hints
      • Packing for Great Lakes Crossings
    • SEVENTY48
    • Campus to Coast
    • Paddling the Pere Marquette
    • Avid Kayaker Brushes Death >
      • The Whole Story
    • A Narrow Escape 2019
    • Reflections
    • More about Mike
  • Contact