Jay Thurston and Mike Kinziger made it across Lake DuBay Monday morning and were crossing the Wisconsin River Flowage north of Stevens Point when whitecap waves whipped up by a strong northerly wind forced them off the river.

They were just half a mile from Stevens Point at Bukolt Park, but glad to be ashore.

“One mistake and we would have been in the river,” Thurston said. “The wind is so strong that the canoe was going up and down. One second I was looking down at Mike, the next I was looking up at him. We’re lucky we made it in.”

Thurston said he and Kinziger would wait ashore in hopes that the wind would die down before evening. Even if they weren’t able to continue on Monday, they are still ahead of pace from their 1983 trip down the Wisconsin.

“We may have to spend the whole day here, we’ll see,” Thurston said. “Mike Kinziger and Jay Thurston pushed their canoe into the water at about 5 a.m. this morning intent on crossing Lake DuBay, south of Mosinee.

The partners were entering their fourth day of a six-plus day, 436-mile trip down the Wisconsin River.

Diana Thurston, Jay’s wife, said Kinziger and Thurston were aided by the wind for the first time on their trip, Monday morning, as it was coming from the north. Strong southwesterly winds had put the pair about four hours behind schedule over the weekend.

“For once they actually have help from the wind,” Diana said. “They saw the wind was in their favor this morning and didn’t say much, just wanting to get out and across Lake DuBay.”

The pair were to be joined by Dave Carlson of Northland Adventures today. Thurston said they could be entering Stevens Point between 11 a.m. and noon. If they stay on schedule, they could be approaching Wisconsin Rapids at about 5 p.m.

The Broadcaster hopes to have one more update today at about 5 p.m. 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.