By Episode 5, days 50 through 71, the hot days of late fall are gone. Now the group is  traveling during a record-breaking season of rain and cold. The effects of endless precipitation brings the teams morale to an all-time low. Everyone is getting sick, and expedition leader Brett Rogers appears to have reached his own personal tipping point.

The team pushes on, though, even with frustration grinding away as they navigate seemingly endless locks and dams that have all but pinched off the free-flowing current of the mighty Mississippi. Progress continues at a crawl, the monatany punctuated by an Asian carp jumping into the boat during a night row. Nearing St. Louis the team digs in, pulling for the final lock-and-dam.

 

Interested in seeing more? See the Q&A with expedition leader Brett Rogers, or check out the slideshow of photographs from the expedition, courtesy of Kyle Jeffries. And to catch up on the expedition thus far, check out Episodes 1-4, below.

Episode 1.

Episode 2.

Episode 3.

Episode 4.