Little Mississippi River - May 3

As part of the Headwaters Canoe Club cruise schedule, I'm leading a cruise down the Little Mississippi River and up Grant Creek next Saturday, May 3. The plan is to start at Moose Lake at noon. Access to Moose Lake is from Clearwater County Road 2. I'll check out the lake before Saturday. If it's still iced in, we'll start on Beltrami County Road 5. Moose Lake to the take out (the first road upstream on Grant Creek from Rice Lake) is 13 miles.

The Little Mississippi is one of the most beautiful little streams in the area. From Moose Lake to County Road 5, it flows through pine forest, all public land, so it is undeveloped. It has one or two obstacles - beaver dams or windthrows - that involve lifting over or drag the boat around. The bottom is sandy and it should have some flow to it after all this snow. You can't do this river very well in midsummer (due to water levels), so get it while the getting's good.

From County Road 5 to Rice Lake is swampy. This time of the year, when the lakes are still frozen over, should be prime waterfowl watching. We expect to see all species of ducks, plus geese, swans, great blue herons, eagles, maybe egrets and other things. Going from Rice Lake, up Grant Creek to the take out should be more of the same. Going against the current should not be a problem through that swamp.

This trip will reveal the most remote and unvisited area of the Mississippi Headwaters State Forest. If you want to go, let me know at Headwaterscanoeclub@yahoo.com

Harvey