Paddle with Jo – 8/6/2014

As much as training for the MR340 is all about speed and distance, sometimes you need to stop and remember why you are on the water. Jo and I wanted to get out and enjoy the Meramec in all of its beauty. The sky looked like it could rain, but we were up for anything.

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We always seem to find some sort of excitement when we paddle the river. This day was no exception. While going upstream, we noticed what looked to be the legs of a cheap table sticking out of the water. We decided to divert over and see what it was. As we got closer, we realized that it was possibly something more. What we pulled out of the water was a hex-rotor aircraft from dji. We didn’t know the correct name, so we called it a sexcopter. We couldn’t think of the correct word for six and just laughed at the name. Later research had us estimating an initial  purchase price of $5,000.

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Unfortunately when I pulled it out of the river and placed it in the boat, the battery pack fell off and back into the river. Jo went straight into action and got out of the boat to look for it. She spent at least 30 minutes sliding around on the bottom of the river till she eventually came up with it! My hero!

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After our excitement settled, we continued upriver just past the 141 bridge. There we examined a snag that we can only see in low water. There is an old concrete column with metal sticking out. Its good to know more about it for when the water is slightly above it.

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We try never to forget why we love the river. Today, the river loved us back with some extra interesting adventures that had us talking for quite some time!

Hogan Haake