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Editor’s Note: This is an update to the story Kayaker Devin Brown to challenge the mighty Mississippi. Check back each week as we continue to follow Devin Brown’s trek down the Mississippi River.
“I know I asked for rain, but I sure didn’t plan to take off in it on day one,” Devin Brown posted on Instagram before adding, “Felt so good to be sent off surrounded by love. Source to sea, here we go!”
On Memorial Day, Brown set off from the Mississippi River headwaters at Lake Itasca, beginning her quest to become the first Black woman to kayak the entire length of the river—2,350 miles.
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As the river is extremely narrow in Northern Minnesota, Brown’s top speed to this point hasn’t been much more than five miles per hour. And yet, despite some wet weather, high winds, and an unforeseen boat issue, she is ahead of schedule.
Among the stops Brown made in her first week on the river include Coffee Pot Landing, Iron Bridge, and Bemidji. She’s successfully navigated the challenging waters of Cass Lake and Lake Winnibigoshish.
Mississippi River Note
The area around Cass Lake, approximately 40 miles Northeast of the Mississippi headwaters at Lake Itasca, has been home to Indigenous peoples for several millennia. Today, the City of Cass Lake, along the shores of the lake, bearing its name, serves as the administrative headquarters to both the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.
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