Mike Fink LbNA #15263
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Add Location| Owner: | Adoptable |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | May 14, 2005 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Weston |
| County: | Platte |
| State: | Missouri |
| Boxes: | 2 |
| Planted by: | WyldBlueberries  |
|---|---|
| Found by: | Patience4 |
| Last found: | Dec 10, 2006 |
| Status: | aFFFa |
| Last edited: | Dec 23, 2015 |
(7/2008: Sorry we're no longer to check or maintain our boxes. Check the latest status on LBNA prior to hunting it.)
“Cock-a-doodle-doo! I’m back for round two. Let’s wrestle!”
Mike Fink is indeed back and waiting at his post high atop the Mighty Mo., at Weston Bend State Park outside of Weston, Missouri.
From Kansas City, take I-29 north to Exit 20 (Weston/Leavenworth and Atchison, KS). Take Hwy. 273 toward Weston. At the intersection of Hwy. 273 and Hwy. 45, turn south/left. The state park entrance is one half mile on the right/west side. Park at the overlook parking lot.
Now Mike came to Weston to once again prove he can be a keelboat captain. It’s here that Mike finds himself face to face with Jack Carpenter, the King of the Keelboatmen.
“Howdy,” says Mike. “I’m looking for a job.”
“The river cracks pip-squeaks like peanuts,” says Carpenter. “Come back when you’re ten feet taller, and then well find out if you’re strong enough to pole your share of the load.”
“I may be short,” says Mike, “but I’m strong, and I’d like a chance to prove it.”
“I’m stronger than a buffalo stampede and meaner than a rattlesnake with a bellyache!” says Carpenter. “If you can lick me, the job is yours – and so is this red feather.”
“Cock-a-doodle-doo! Let’s wrestle,” says Mike.
Carpenter charged forward like a bull. Then he hurled Mike as far as the eye can see. Mike landed, thump, in the woods.
“Well, that set me back a bit,” admitted Mike, “but I’m determined to be a keelboatmen.” Mike stood up and dusted himself off and began his journey back to the river and his boat for round two with Carpenter.
The first thing Mike saw was a sign saying “West Ridge Trail,” so he took it.
He continued on the trail until he reached an intersection.
At the intersection, he continued straight up on the West Ridge Trail.
After winding around awhile, the trail headed upward toward a ridge. He spied the river from an overlook, but continued on a short ways to get a better view.
At the second overlook, he rested with his back against the biggest tree, being careful not to tear his overalls on the barbed wire.
He set his bearings at 65 degrees and walked exactly 53 steps through the woods until he found a medium-sized tree with two trunks and many vines on it.
He found his boat on the back side of the tree under sticks and leaves.
“That’s an odd place to find my boat,” said Mike, “but I’m determined to be a keelboat captain.”
At the river’s edge, Mike got another chance at Carpenter and after weeks of battle he prevailed. After all the orneriness had been squeezed out of Carpenter, he became downright agreeable. With Carpenter’s help, Mike got the hang of navigating so quickly that the crew voted to make him captain.
Each time the boat met another crew, they wrestled. Mike came out on top every time, and collected the red feathers from other river tough guys. His hat began to look like a bonfire, and they called him the King of the Keelboatmen.
Mike thought that his life as a keelboatman was just about perfect, and he hoped it would never end.
That all changed, though, when the Mighty Mo started getting a little crowded with a new kind of boat – the steamboat. Mike hated the shriek of their whistles and the clatter of their paddle wheels.
A showdown was sparked when a steamboat skippered by Hilton P. Blathersby shoved Mike’s keelboat away from the dock.
“This garbage scow is blocking river traffic and should be sunk!” hollered Blathersby.
“I’m King of the Keelboatmen!” yelled Mike. “I’ll fight for this dock! I’ll fight for this river!”
Mike charged for Blathersby, going back down the trail, but this time when he got to the intersection he turned right and went down Harpst Pass.
Blathersby and Mike fought on the pass for a while, exchanging hits.
At one point, the two tangled and crashed into a tree on the left of the path that buckled and bent flat over like a straw, but stayed connected to its stump.
A short bit down the path, Blathersby tossed Mike up a steep hill with five good-sized trees on it.
Mike stashed his red feather at the base of one of these for safe keeping. It didn’t matter much to Mike, although it might to you. It’s the one that has a tree next to it that looks like a bench.
Mike jumped right in the middle of Blathersby and threw him all the way to grizzly-bear country. Mike is still cheered from one end of the river to the other as the undefeated King of the Keelboatmen.
-- From “Mike Fink” by Steven Kellogg
“Cock-a-doodle-doo! I’m back for round two. Let’s wrestle!”
Mike Fink is indeed back and waiting at his post high atop the Mighty Mo., at Weston Bend State Park outside of Weston, Missouri.
From Kansas City, take I-29 north to Exit 20 (Weston/Leavenworth and Atchison, KS). Take Hwy. 273 toward Weston. At the intersection of Hwy. 273 and Hwy. 45, turn south/left. The state park entrance is one half mile on the right/west side. Park at the overlook parking lot.
Now Mike came to Weston to once again prove he can be a keelboat captain. It’s here that Mike finds himself face to face with Jack Carpenter, the King of the Keelboatmen.
“Howdy,” says Mike. “I’m looking for a job.”
“The river cracks pip-squeaks like peanuts,” says Carpenter. “Come back when you’re ten feet taller, and then well find out if you’re strong enough to pole your share of the load.”
“I may be short,” says Mike, “but I’m strong, and I’d like a chance to prove it.”
“I’m stronger than a buffalo stampede and meaner than a rattlesnake with a bellyache!” says Carpenter. “If you can lick me, the job is yours – and so is this red feather.”
“Cock-a-doodle-doo! Let’s wrestle,” says Mike.
Carpenter charged forward like a bull. Then he hurled Mike as far as the eye can see. Mike landed, thump, in the woods.
“Well, that set me back a bit,” admitted Mike, “but I’m determined to be a keelboatmen.” Mike stood up and dusted himself off and began his journey back to the river and his boat for round two with Carpenter.
The first thing Mike saw was a sign saying “West Ridge Trail,” so he took it.
He continued on the trail until he reached an intersection.
At the intersection, he continued straight up on the West Ridge Trail.
After winding around awhile, the trail headed upward toward a ridge. He spied the river from an overlook, but continued on a short ways to get a better view.
At the second overlook, he rested with his back against the biggest tree, being careful not to tear his overalls on the barbed wire.
He set his bearings at 65 degrees and walked exactly 53 steps through the woods until he found a medium-sized tree with two trunks and many vines on it.
He found his boat on the back side of the tree under sticks and leaves.
“That’s an odd place to find my boat,” said Mike, “but I’m determined to be a keelboat captain.”
At the river’s edge, Mike got another chance at Carpenter and after weeks of battle he prevailed. After all the orneriness had been squeezed out of Carpenter, he became downright agreeable. With Carpenter’s help, Mike got the hang of navigating so quickly that the crew voted to make him captain.
Each time the boat met another crew, they wrestled. Mike came out on top every time, and collected the red feathers from other river tough guys. His hat began to look like a bonfire, and they called him the King of the Keelboatmen.
Mike thought that his life as a keelboatman was just about perfect, and he hoped it would never end.
That all changed, though, when the Mighty Mo started getting a little crowded with a new kind of boat – the steamboat. Mike hated the shriek of their whistles and the clatter of their paddle wheels.
A showdown was sparked when a steamboat skippered by Hilton P. Blathersby shoved Mike’s keelboat away from the dock.
“This garbage scow is blocking river traffic and should be sunk!” hollered Blathersby.
“I’m King of the Keelboatmen!” yelled Mike. “I’ll fight for this dock! I’ll fight for this river!”
Mike charged for Blathersby, going back down the trail, but this time when he got to the intersection he turned right and went down Harpst Pass.
Blathersby and Mike fought on the pass for a while, exchanging hits.
At one point, the two tangled and crashed into a tree on the left of the path that buckled and bent flat over like a straw, but stayed connected to its stump.
A short bit down the path, Blathersby tossed Mike up a steep hill with five good-sized trees on it.
Mike stashed his red feather at the base of one of these for safe keeping. It didn’t matter much to Mike, although it might to you. It’s the one that has a tree next to it that looks like a bench.
Mike jumped right in the middle of Blathersby and threw him all the way to grizzly-bear country. Mike is still cheered from one end of the river to the other as the undefeated King of the Keelboatmen.
-- From “Mike Fink” by Steven Kellogg