There may be no “grand landing” when Jay Thurston and Mike Kinziger finish their 436-mile trip down the Wisconsin River, presumably sometime Friday morning. In fact, due to a swollen Mississippi River, the pair will eventually end their journey at a yet undetermined spot.

Thurston and Kinziger stopped briefly at Muscoda, Thursday at 4:30 p.m., before heading west. They were ahead of their schedule for the day and looking to paddle past Boscobel, trying perhaps to make it as far as Wauzeka by about 8:30 p.m.

Diana Thurston, Jay’s wife, said the most difficult part of their upcoming finale might be crossing that silt-laden line into the Mississippi River and then finding a place where they can get their canoe out of the water.

If they landed near Wauzeka, Diana Thurston said the canoeists planned to start paddling by 4:30 a.m. on Friday morning and then finish sometime around 7:30 a.m. However, Diana Thurston said it’s likely the pair won’t try to head against the current in the Mississippi to land at Prairie du Chien. Instead they may try to swing south and come ashore near Wyalusing State Park.

“Right now, with the water so high, it’s going to be hit and miss as to where we can get the canoe out of the water,” she said. “We’ll just have to take a look when we get there.”

In 1983, Thurston, then 50, and Kinziger, then 35, canoed the Wisconsin River in 8 days, 3 hours and 13 minutes.

In 1984, Mike Schnitzka and Bill Perdzock, then both age 21 and from Menomonie Falls, canoed the river in 6 days, 18 hours.

Thurston’s original itinerary had him and Kinziger finishing this trip today (Thursday) at 6 p.m. -- In 6 days, 13 hours. They are about 40 miles short of their itinerary, due to falling behind because of windy conditions on the upper portion of the Wisconsin River.

With that said, Thurston and Kinziger will certainly finish ahead of their time from 25 years ago.

Right now is nearly a full moon phase and skies are clear, but paddling at night would be difficult due to the high water level and debris in the water from flooding. The National Weather Service reported that there was just a slight chance of thunderstorms Thursday night.

The Broadcaster plans to have an update Thursday night at about 9:30 p.m. and also when the trip is complete, presumably Friday morning. Website updates will be available subject to cell phone reception and the support needs of Thurston and Kinziger as they head downstream. Jay Thurston, 75, of Viroqua and Mike Kinziger, 60, of Moscow, Idaho, are attempting to paddle the length of the Wisconsin River. Their main goal is to finish the trip, but they would also like to eclipse the record they set in 1983 when they canoed the Wisconsin in just over eight days. Their itinerary called for them to finish the river in six days and 10 hours, but strong winds during their attempt to paddle down the northern Wisconsin portion of the river set them back by a full day at one point. Mike and Jay appreciate the support they’ve received from family and friends through the internet posts on this chain of stories.