The wind finally started to die down on the Petenwell Flowage, Tuesday afternoon, allowing Jay Thurston and Mike Kinziger to portage at the Petenwell dam.

The pair ended their day at a boat landing just a few hundred yards south of the dam near the Hwy.21 bridge. It’s from there that they will start their paddling on Wednesday.

Presently they are a full day behind their itinerary, which called for them to finish the trip in six days and 10 hours. They are on pace with their record-breaking eight-day effort in 1983.

Diana Thurston, Jay’s wife, said the pair were tired, but happy to be across the largest lake on their trip.

The National Weather Service reported that winds over the Castle Rock Flowage tomorrow were to be between 5-and-15 miles per hour.

The Broadcaster plans to have an update at about 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, but cell phone reception may make that impossible. 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 itinerary calls for them to finish in six days and 10 hours, which would set a new speed record for canoeing the river. Jay and Mike appreciate the support they’ve received from family and friends through the internet posts they’ve received on this chain of stories.