Monday Photo Feature

This railroad trestle crosses the Wolf River about a mile and a half above its confluence with the Mississippi.  I took the picture back in mid-May when the Mississippi's level was around seven feet on the Memphis gauge, which is about the lowest level that allows paddling up to this trestle without hitting the bottom.

Right now the Mississippi is more than five feet below zero on the Memphis gauge, and with no rain in over three weeks, I expect there is now mostly sand and mud where you see water in this photo.

Fourteen months ago, the Mississippi was rising toward 47 feet, its highest level at Memphis since 1937.  I paddled up to this bridge during that period, and the water was up to the rails of the train tracks.  I took a picture, but sadly it was lost when my laptop's hard drive went bad.  You'll just have to take my word for it.

In any case, one of the things I like about paddling on the Mississippi and its tributaries is the incredible range of water levels and the variety of landscapes you see as a result.  The river almost never stays the same from one day to the next.