Mississippi River Flight - Day Three - Part One
Perham, Minnesota to Forest Lake, Minnesota

 

 

I got an early start and was at the airport soon after daybreak.   The weather forecast again was perfect.  There was a large temporary flight restriction (TFR) at Bemidji Airport -- 30 miles to the north which I would be flying over -- but it didn't start until 5PM or so, so wouldn't affect me.  I idly wondered what was going on there.

The Upper Mississippi runs from its headwaters to its confluence with the Missouri River at St. Louis, Missouri. It is divided into two sections:

1)  The headwaters, 493 miles from the source to Saint Anthony Falls in Minneapolis, Minnesota; and
2)  A navigable channel, formed by a series of man-made lakes between Minneapolis and St. Louis, Missouri, some 664 miles.

This morning I would be flying the Upper Mississippi headwaters.
   
There are a lot of little lakes surrounding Perham, mostly to the west, so I started off heading south, then made a clockwise circle to the north to Lake Itasca, head of the Mississippi River.
   
Heading west the sun really lit things up.
   
I was pleased with all the color I was seeing.
   
Western Minnesota is very scenic.
   
Nature's art.
   

And there it is:  Lake Itasca:  where the great river begins!   Navigation to the river would have been difficult without the iPad/Foreflight combo, because they don't call Minnesota land of a thousand lakes for nothing.  But seeing my position on the sectional aeronautical chart -- where Lake Itasca and the Mississippi River is shown -- made it easy.

The lake is part of Itasca State Park.

From Wikipedia:  The source of the Upper Mississippi branch is traditionally accepted as Lake Itasca, 1,475 feet above sea level in Itasca State Park in Clearwater County, Minnesota. The name Itasca was chosen to designate the "true head" of the Mississippi River as a combination of the last four letters of the Latin word for truth (veritas) and the first two letters of the Latin word for head (caput).  However, the lake is in turn fed by a number of smaller streams.

Lake Itasca, has remained relatively unchanged from its natural state. Most of the area has a heavy growth of timber that includes virgin red pine, which is also Minnesota's state tree. Some of the red pine in Itasca are over 200 years old.

In 1832 Anishinaabe guide Ozawindib led explorer Henry Schoolcraft to the source of the Mississippi River at Lake Itasca. It was on this journey that Schoolcraft, with the help of an educated missionary companion, created the name Itasca from the Latin words for "truth" and "head" (veritas caput).

In the late 19th century, Jacob V. Brower, historian, anthropologist and land surveyor, came to the park region to settle the dispute of the actual location of the Mississippi's headwaters. Brower saw this region being quickly transformed by logging, and was determined to protect some of the pine forests for future generations. It was Brower's tireless efforts to save the remaining pine forest surrounding Lake Itasca that led the state legislature to establish Itasca as a Minnesota State Park on April 20, 1891, by a margin of only one vote. Through his conservation work and the continuing efforts of others throughout the decades, the grounds of Itasca had been maintained.
   
Heading for the northern end of Lake Itasca where the Mississippi River begins, heading north (strangely enough).
 
   
Heading north at the norther end of Lake Itasca.
   
From Wikipedia, a carved tree stump marks the spot where the Mississippi begins.
   
And this is the Mississippi River!
   
Not much to it at this point, but pretty.
   
A better look.
   
 
   
 
   
Following the little river north.
   
Looking north at the town of Bemidji, Minnesota with Lake Bemidji on the right (the Mississippi River flows into it), and Bemidji Regional Airport on the left.
   

A closer look at Bemidji Regional Airport.  In an amazing coincidence, President Trump flew here later in the day and did one of his campaign rallies.  Amazing, because until this trip I had never even heard of Bemidji.  Plus, it is really remote.  For both the President of the United States and me to be crossing paths here -- for the first time ever probably -- a million to one shot.  Milllion to one!

Bemidji Regional Airport has some unusually long runways:  one is 7,000 feet and the other 5,700.
   
A picture of the campaign rally downloaded from a local news site.  Notice Air Force One is not the normal 747.  Instead he flew in on a 757, normally used to fly the Vice President or as a backup.
   
That woman with the buzzkill look has to be a Secret Service agent.
   
Continuing on, I follow the river as it exits Lake Bemidji and flows to the east.
   
I encounter the first of 43 damns on the Upper Mississippi River.
   
Following the little river east from lake to lake.
   

For the next 50 miles or so until the river turns south, the Mississippi flows east and is a series of lakes connected together. 
 
   
At this point it's more lakes than river.
   
Crossing big Lake Winnibigoshish.
   
Looking back west at where the river exits out of Lake Winnibigoshish.
   
Looking down at the remarkable patterns on the ground.
   
Here, the river parallels Ball Club Lake.
   
The river runs through Grand Rapids, Minnesota.
   
Grand Rapids has an airport just south of town:  Grand Rapids/Itasca County Airport-Gordon Newstrom Field.
   
Looking back west at Grand Rapids, you can see the river much better.
   
Just after Grand Rapids, the river turns south and from now on, it is a true river -- no more lakes.
   
The river starts winding through the forest.
   
This was a very pretty stretch to fly because of the foliage color.
   
Heading south.  Following the river through a never-ending forest.
   
When the river cuts southwest, the color really pops in the sun.
   
Not a bad way to spend the morning!
   
A large field cut out of the forest.
   
The first of many bridges over the Mississippi River.  Which is getting wider.
   
A canal branches off to the west.  From the chart it looks like they built it to create a shortcut across a large bend in the river north of Aitkin.
   
But I stayed on the river.  Here I'm passing Aitkin Municipal Airport.
   
More color.
   
 
   
 
   
The river is now heading west.
   
 
   
 
   
Passing by Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport which sits right on the river.
   
Followed by the town of Brainerd, Minnesota.
   
Colorful field alongside the river.  On the other side is restricted airspace, owned by Miller Army Air Field and Camp Ripley.
   

Little Falls, Minnesota.  The falls are just to the right of that bridge at top left but you can't see them very well in this picture.

I did not know it as I flew past, but on the south side of town, on the west side of the river, is the childhoold home of Charles Lindbergh!  It has been turned into the Charles Lindbergh House and Museum.  The house-museum gets outstanding reviews on Google map comments -- they have guides in period costumes  -- I'd like to go there someday.
   
Flying over St. Cloud, Minnesota.
   
The Twin Cities - Minneapolis and St. Paul -- are clearly visible in the distance.   Unfortunately the Mississippi River cuts right through the middle of the two cities.  Furthermore, the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport with its Class B airspace is right on the river as are two other towered airports.  No can do.  I elected to go around the congested airspace and skipped that part of the river.
   
Passing over a Harness Racing track of all things.  Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait (a trot or a pace). They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, or spider.
   

I skirted the Twin Cities to the north, and stopped at Forest Lake Airport (25D) for fuel and to stretch my legs.  Here I am on downwind at Forest Lake.  I picked Forest Lake because of their excellent fuel price of $3.47.
   
 
   
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