Confluence

Yesterday I decided to get away from my desk for a little while and go somewhere new. I wanted to go to the banks of the Mississippi River and see if I could find any of the bald eagles that are supposed to be nesting there now. The day was bleak: overcast and cold.

My first stop, the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, was nearly deserted. The bridge used to be part of Historic Route 66, but now it's converted to a one-mile pedestrian and bike trail across the river. The parking lot was empty save for a pickup truck; the two men I saw loitering near the entrance to the bridge made me skittish, so I decided to move on and save the bridge for another day. I went 3 miles north, following signs to the Columbia Bottom Conservation Area. Once inside, I followed signs to "Confluence" without knowing what it was.




A bike trail wound through the flat land, but no one was on it. I saw a few vehicles on the road--mostly pickups--but few people outside. There were periodic places to park, so I got out and took pictures of a frozen pond. The land was amazingly still; the only sound was the wind's sighing.




Back in the warm car, I continued towards Confluence. When I reached the parking lot, there was another solitary pickup, but no one in sight. I got out of the car and followed a short trail to the river.

There was a paved viewing area, and a sign that informed me that the Confluence is where the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers meet. The wind blew, and underneath that sound I heard the soft gurgling of water. I watched the massive rivers--tons and tons of cold brown water--slide together and flow southward. Bare trees swayed. Across the river in Illinois, the lights of refineries glowed dimly through haze. No eagles.


I didn't see anyone else. My imagination started to run--what if someone came across me here, attacked me, and pushed my body into the river? No one would hear my cries for help. I walked quickly back to the car. The pickup had left, and a man was parking his blue van. I strode towards my car and nodded a hello, and then got in with some relief. I'd love to come back on a warm, sunny day, with more people around.