Here's the email we sent to all Race to the Dome Racers earlier this week!
Hello Race to the Dome Participants!
Saturday October 1st is the 13th annual Race to the Dome. If you are getting this email, you registered for the race!
THANK YOU so much for signing up – we’re very much looking forward to seeing you on the water!
Thanks to very generous donations from Missouri American Water, St. James Winery, Peak Sport and Spine, Midwest Paddle Adventures, Alpine Shop, GovWatch, Evora, Hitachi Energy, Mississippi Mud Coffee, Missouri Life, JC Parks, and Logboat Brewing Company all of the proceeds from your race entries go to support Missouri River Relief, who has been organizing Missouri River clean-ups and education for 20 years. Check out our work at www.riverrelief.org.
Deepest gratitude to Patrick Lynn, who started the race in 2010 to raise funds for Missouri River Relief and to help build a Missouri River culture right here in the State Capitol. It worked! Thank you, Patrick!
This email will hopefully answer many of the questions you might have about the race.
If you have additional questions, feel free to reach out to Christina Ruiz at 785-766-5340 or email.
Information included below -
The Race Basics -
Our roster is updated daily. Please check out the roster to see if you are signed up correctly. Please reply to christina@riverrelief.org or contact Christina Ruiz at 785-766-5340 if there are problems. ALSO please contact us if you want to change your division or which course you are racing.
Weather
The weather looks beautiful so far. The current forecast is for a chilly low of 47 Friday night and a high of 77 on Saturday. Water temperature is in the low 70’s, which is cold enough to cause hypothermia if you are exposed to it for any length of time. No chance of rain so far.
If there is lightning/thunder at the beginning of the race, the race will be delayed in 30-minute increments. If there is lightning when the race is underway we request that you pull over and wait out the storm.
Regardless of the weather, it can feel colder on the river so having an extra dry bag with dry clothes and rain gear is a good idea in case you tip over or it rains.
Missouri River Navigation App
For those with an Android phone, you can purchase an amazing Missouri River navigation app created for the MR340 by Jon Marble. The app has a ton of useful info, but the most helpful is a geolocated navigation map showing the river channel and obstructions such as wing dikes.
The MR340 Pro Paddler App is $4.99 at Google Play store.
Insurance Waiver
This race is insured through the US Canoe Association. You will be required to complete and sign a waiver in order to race. All of the info is needed and each participant needs to fill out a waiver! Click here to download the waiver. If you print it and fill it out and bring it to registration, that's one less step to do at the race start. We will have additional waivers at the race start.
Free Pre-race Shuttle for Hartsburg Race
There is a pre-race shuttle available for the Hartsburg Race.
Sign up for the Hartsburg shuttle was part of your original registration, but if you need to change plans and no longer need the shuttle (freeing up a seat for another racer), or if now you do need the shuttle, please contact Christina Ruiz at 785-766-5340 or email.
At the finish line, check in at the Missouri River Relief booth if you still need help finding a shuttle back to the race start and we'll announce those throughout the day.
Race Start
There are two race starts, Hartsburg (15.7 miles) and Providence (27.6 miles) and you should already be signed up for one of those.
We recommend that you arrive more than an hour and 15 minutes before the race to make sure you have plenty of time to register and prepare.
We look to have a large number of racers, so please be patient with us as we work this through!
When you arrive –
Check in at registration, pay if you still owe money, submit or sign your waiver get your t-shirt, sticker and race number. Boat numbers are assigned.
You will also receive a wristband to redeem for your lunch at the finish line.
We will be giving you an assigned number and safety pin for the bow paddler to fix to their shirt or life jacket.
Begin getting your boat ready to launch and listen for the announcement of the Mandatory Safety Meeting. The First Safety Meeting is scheduled for 8:20 a.m.
Race starts at 9:00 a.m. for the first heat. If there is fog, race will be delayed in 15 minute increments until fog clears.
The road to the Providence boat ramp is VERY narrow and winding. PLEASE DRIVE VERY SLOW and honk as you round corners.
Race Finish
The race finishes at Wilson’s Serenity Point on your left before the Jefferson City Bridge. Our plan is to have the finish line along the sandbar just downstream of the boat ramp, but this will depend on river conditions. If a beach landing isn't feasible, you will need to land at the boat ramp. We'll be visiting the race finish this week and will give an update. Look for orange cones marking the best place to land.
The official finish is when your bow touches shore at the finish line.
Finish Line Parking
Parking will likely be cramped at the finish line. If it doesn't rain, we have permission to camp on the grass in the area between the parking lot and the ramp up to the bridge. We'll have volunteers to direct you there. However, if it rains throughout the week, we have to limit parking to paved areas.
At the race finish, we need to keep the driveway and boat ramp/trailer pull out open for recreational boaters and emergency crews – NO PARKING IN BOAT TRAILER PULL-OUT. Please single park vehicles to the side only while loading gear and then move your vehicle to the lot to make room for others.
In past races at this location, people have double-parked along the boat ramp driveway at Wilson’s Serenity Point which makes it impossible for other recreational boaters or emergency responders to access the boat ramp. We share the river with others and need to use boat ramp etiquette! We're proud that Race to the Dome participants have always been so accommodating. You rock!
Divisions
Please keep in mind -
Official rules for Divisions are on our website here.
Food and Swag
Place finishers receive medals and wine from Saint James Winery. Check in at the Missouri River Relief booth for this year’s race stickers!
All paddlers receive: t-shirts, a sticker and lunch.
Food will be provided to racers, with a wrist-band. We will be serving Pita Pit and Domino’s. Vegetarian, gluten-free, and dairy-free options available.
We will likely also have extra food for sale to ground crews and spectators, but there may not be enough for everyone so please bring some snacks for your extra people.
Beer for racers is provided by Columbia’s Logboat Brewing Company. We also will have water and soft drinks available.
Here's some Safety information to help you have an enjoyable race! It's very important you read this! You can also read this info on our Safety page.
Paddling the Missouri River is usually easier and safer than most people think. But there are still serious hazards to consider. On the Big Muddy, a few mistakes can turn a peaceful float into a very wet and dangerous situation. It’s a wide river and the current is deceptively swift & strong.
Everyone with cell phones should save these numbers on their phones in case of questions or emergency:
Steve Schnarr, Missouri River Relief Finish Line – 573.289.2077
Christina Ruiz, Missouri River Relief Hartsburg and Finish Line – 785-766-5340
Kevin Tosie, MRR Safety Boat – 314-698-6069
Patrick Lynn, Missouri River Relief Finish Line – 314-698-6069
Wear your life jacket at all times in the race! Alcohol is not permitted in this race.
If you should capsize on the river – RELAX and float first and grab ahold of your boat. Let your PFD float you as you regain calm. Do not attempt to swim upstream or against the current. Attempting to fight the current will only kick in your panic reflex, not to mention it is impossible. Once you get an idea of where the current is going, you can attempt to hold onto your boat, grab your paddle and move slowly to shore following the current. As soon as you are in a safe situation, call one of the numbers above and a support boat will come pick you up as soon as they can get to you.
ALSO – we need all of you to be safety boats for each other. If you see someone capsize or have trouble, please help and contact the safety crew.
River Levels
The river is projected to be about 5 feet on the Jefferson City gage for the race. At this level, most wing dikes and obstructions are out of the water, but the ends of some dikes are still underwater. You may encounter shallow water where you don’t expect it.
Perche Creek is really low. We recommend that competing boats that are behind yield to the lead boat. You'll still have 26 miles to catch up!
If you see a fellow paddler in trouble, please offer assistance if possible and call one of the numbers above to advise on location. We are all safety boats out there.
Here are some specific hazards to look out for on the Missouri River:
Wing Dikes
These are the rock structures that jut out into the current. At this level, most wing dikes and obstructions are visible and out of the water, but the ends of some dikes are still underwater. There are some “trailing dikes” parallel to shore on the channel side where you don’t expect them. We recommend you avoid wing dikes as the water around and just downstream of wing dikes tends to have swirling currents that will slow you down and may tip an unstable boat. A rule of thumb is to stay in the middle of the river and toward the outside of the bends and the dikes shouldn’t give you trouble. Never approach any obstruction from upstream as the current can trap you against it.
Buoys
Navigation buoys are large metal red or green floats anchored to the river bottom. Give navigation buoys plenty of room. They are known to bounce around and a few are floating just at river level and may pop up and down. Stay aware of what is ahead of you!
Barges
There are very few barges that operate on the Missouri River, but it is possible barges will be moving during the race. We will attempt to find out the latest info on barge placement before the race.
If a barge does come along, it’s best to get out of the main navigation channel (that’s where the barges will be and where the waves will be strongest) and point your bow into the wake it leaves behind. A general rule of thumb is that the navigation channel is on the outside of bends, but it also crosses at each bend. The worst place to be is between a barge and a riprap shore where the waves can push you against the rocks. Barges have almost no ability to turn; it’s your job to get out of their way.
You will pass sand dredges moored in the river just outside the main channel. The dredges are anchored to cables that stretch out on either side. Give dredges and other tied up barges plenty of space and do not approach them from the upstream end.
Boats
Make sure you’re visible to local recreational boats. Turning sideways to the current makes a bigger display. Point your bow into the wake the boat leaves behind. Wave a paddle above your head if you don’t think you’re visible.
Current
The current is deceptively strong on the Missouri. It can catch you off-guard and make a tippy canoe into a tipped-over canoe pretty quickly. Keep your center of gravity low and weight balanced evenly across the canoe. If you need to land on shore, approach your landing from downstream, paddling upstream to your landing spot.
Wind
If your canoe is perpendicular to the current and you get caught by a strong crosswind, the canoe will tip easier.Headwinds can be exhausting and you may want to consider where on the river you can escape the wind as you move downstream. Of course every time you go around another bend it all changes.
Silver Carp
You may encounter the infamous “Flying Carp”, an invasive species that has invaded our big rivers. They tend to be in backwater, such as Perche Creek, in the few feet next to the bank, or behind wing dikes, including where the current of the main channel pushes against the wing dike eddy. You probably won’t see them jumping in the main channel unless you are fairly close to the bank. They can jump as high as 8 feet. Protect your face and head if you can. They can weigh 50 pounds or more.
This is a good reason to stay a reasonable distance from the bank when paddling downstream. We recommend 50 or more feet.
Fog
There is a chance there will be fog at the start of the race. If there is substantial fog, we will delay the start of the race in 15 minute increments until it clears. If you should encounter a thick fog bank during the race, it is recommended that you pull over and wait for it to clear. Fog is extremely disorienting, and there is nothing to say there won’t be a motor boat or barge headed upstream at you in the fog.
Finding the Swiftest Water
One of the keys to your success in finishing this race will be finding the swiftest water. The Missouri River we have today was created by the Army Corps of Engineers by channelizing the much wider, more unpredictable historic Missouri River. Because of that engineering and the navigation markers maintained by the US Coast Guard, the channel is fairly easy to predict.
We suggest staying toward the outside of the bends, about 50 or more feet from shore. You’ll save energy and time by crossing the river to stay with the current rather than attempting to hug one particular bank. The water between and surrounding wing dikes, which are mostly on the inside of bends, tends to have eddies and turbulence which will slow you down. There may be patches of faster water at the tips of wing dikes, but they are often followed by slower eddies.
It can help some paddlers to think of the Missouri River as a five-lane highway, where you want to stay in either lanes 2-3 or 3-4 depending how the river bends. Which means if you try to stay in the middle of the river you should be good. Here’s a video by Chris Luedke, designed for MR340 paddlers, that might help you visualize this.
To Race Finish:
Wilson Serenity Point/Carl R. Noren Access – Jefferson City
(Click here for Google Pin - bit.ly/wilsonserenitypoint)
FROM JEFFERSON CITY:
FROM COLUMBIA:
To Finish Line FROM HARTSBURG RACE START
To Finish Line FROM PROVIDENCE RACE START
To Hartsburg Boat Access
Click here for Google Pin - bit.ly/hartsburgaccess –
NOTE – these directions avoid the town of Hartsburg because it’s often confusing for people. These directions take you through Ashland and Wilton.
To Hartsburg Access From Wilson Serenity Point/Noren Access, Jefferson City:
There is a slightly shorter, but more confusing way to go. These directions send you through Ashland.
Google Map - bit.ly/hartsburg-directions
To Hartsburg Access From Columbia –
Directions to Providence Access
Click here for Google Pin - bit.ly/providenceaccess
To Providence Access From Columbia:
To Providence From I-70, coming from the west (Kansas City, Sedalia, etc.)
To Providence Access From Wilson Serenity Point, Jefferson City:
There are MANY different ways to do this drive. None are simple and all take at least 45 minutes.
Google Map Directions - bit.ly/providence-directions
