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Pair of Prairie paddlers navigate length of Mighty Mississippi

A pair of modern-day explorers from Prairie du Chien are in the midst of taking on the challenging adventure of canoeing the length of the Mississippi River.

Ryan Balk, 25, and Patrick Igou, 26, began their journey May 23 in the headwaters of the Mississippi in Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota. Since then, the intrepid duo has paddled 721 miles to get back to Prairie du Chien, where they took about a week off to visit friends and relatives.

The two pushed onward again at about 10 a.m. Wednesday, June 28 from the Campion Boat Landing. Only 1,831 miles to go before they reach the Gulf of Mexico.

"It's been great so far," said Ryan. "We've seen the river change a million times and we've seen a ton of wildlife." While in Minnesota, the pair saw a large timberwolf for about five seconds before the wolf spotted them and took off into the woods. They have also seen otters, turtles, a lot of deer and eagles, muskrats, numerous waterfowl, herons, egrets and many other species. "We've probably seen 300 or 400 eagles," said Ryan.

"Every day goes by fast," said Patrick, who noted that they paddle about 12 hours a day, averaging 30-40 miles. "It was real nice to get into Prairie. I'll be happy to get done."

The two explorers said that they expect to reach the Gulf by late August or early September. While en route, they have been camping on islands at night before pushing forward once again each morning. "Patrick sleeps in a tent and I sleep in a hammock," said Ryan.

The pair said that when they first started out, the Mississippi was so narrow that a person could step across it in some places. "It was very clear with a sand or rocky bottom," said Ryan. "For the first five or six days we saw nobody. It was completely wild. That was awesome."

Ryan said that for the first 200 miles they had to paddle north, although with the current. "There was very little current," he said. "It was kind of boggy or marshy and surrounded by pine trees."

As the pair paddles along, they eat plenty of granola bars and peanut butter while in the canoe. They also buy apples, bananas and oranges when they can. At night, they have been dining almost exclusively on rice and beans. Sometimes they get creative and add noodles, said Ryan.

Each day or two, the pair trade positions in the canoe so one person isn't always in the back. They have a fishing pole but are too busy paddling to use it very often, except while waiting to lock through a dam. They also have a solar-powered radio, which is on all the time during the day to make the trip a little easier. They mostly listen to National Public Radio, said Ryan.

"It's been real exciting," said Ryan as he wondered aloud if there are "any cute girls who read this article who would calculate 30 miles per day so they can find out where we are and come out to meet up with us."

In addition to searching for members of the opposite sex, the pair of prodigious paddlers are also looking forward to seeing the rest of North America's largest river. "I'm looking forward to seeing what it looks like down south. I've never been there," said Ryan, who noted that they will stop over in Memphis for a couple of days to visit with some friends.

While in Memphis, the two travelers may also visit the famed Beal Street as well as pick up a chart of the Lower Mississippi River. Thus far, they have been using a navigational chart of the Upper Mississippi.

This adventure of a lifetime for the two Prairie du Chien natives is the culmination of an idea that they discussed two years ago while living in Oregon. "We said then that we would do it two summers later," said Ryan. "We talked about it. Now we're doing it."

Making Wisconsin proud
PdC native returns from Iraq, now works as surgeon in major Navy hospital

Growing up in the midwest allowed Mike Tiller to establish a work ethic he would be known for later on in his life. He is no stranger to long hours and pressure-filled situations, as his careers have given him plenty of experience dealing with both.

The 38-year old Prairie du Chien native recently returned home from serving a seven month tour in Iraq and now makes his home in Washington, D.C., where he works as a surgeon at the National Naval Medical Center.

Lieutenant Commander Tiller, son of Franklyn and Patricia Tiller (owners of Tiller Furniture), grew up in Prairie du Chien, but left the state for his high school career. Tiller attended high school at Marmion Military Academy in Aurora, Ill., but did not join the military until six months before the 9-11 attacks. He attended college at the University of Dallas, and decided upon his career in medicine. He continued his schooling at the Chicago Medical School and then completed his residency at St. Vincent's in New York.

He then joined the U.S. Navy where he became head of surgery. During July of 2005, a request was made for surgeons in Iraq, and Tiller was deployed there for seven months. He left behind a wife, Sarah, and his five daughters, Katherine Mary (8), Helena Claire (7), Joan Marie (5), Patricia Julia (2) and Anna Cecelia (2).

"It was hard [leaving them], but Marines go through that everyday," Tiller said. "No father takes that decision lightly."

While in Iraq, Tiller's duties as a surgeon ranged from car accident wounds to battlefield injuries. Tiller said that most of his patients were in critical condition. He also treated local Iraqis as well.

After safely arriving back in the United States in late February, Tiller joined his wife and children in Washington, D.C. where he began work at the prestigious hospital.

The National Naval Medical Center is the Navy's third largest health care delivery system and provides care for the President and Vice President of the United States, members of Congress and Justices of the Supreme Court. The hospital has treated more than 2,000 war wounded service members since April, 2003 (NNMC Statistics).

"We also treat military members from the local area," Tiller said.

Tiller's hard work and dedication awarded him with the Navy Achievement medal, a prestigious honor to those in the military.

"Growing up in the midwest, if you see a job you need to get done, you figure out a way to get it done," Tiller said.

Tiller said that he would be glad to return to Iraq if he was needed because he feels he is performing a service to his country.

"We should all serve if we can; we don't realize how lucky we are here in the United States," Tiller said. "We take too much for granted here."

Because of the distance between him and his family in Prairie du Chien (he has a brother and sister who both reside in Prairie), Mike and his family make at least one trip back to the area each year, and then his parents and siblings try to visit Mike and Sarah in D.C. as well.

"We returned to Prairie in March for a few days and we would like to come home again in August, but we will just have to wait and see," Tiller said.

Lieutenant Commander Mike Tiller spent seven months in Iraq working as a surgeon for the U.S. Navy. He is the son of Frank and Patricia Tiller.