Peter:

Don't let these adults damage your dream. In the early '60s my older brother
and I rafted 300 mi. across northern Nebraska on the Niobrara then 180 mi.
down the Missouri to the bluffs at Belleview, one of the first European
settlements along that stretch and the place where I was born. I do suggest
thinking about a smaller river than the Mississippi. (a good rule of thumb
might be to not raft a river you could not jump into and swim
across--because you probably will have to do just that! Go and stand on the
bank of the Mississippi for one entire 24 hour period (get your dad to go
with you) and then decide if you could swim across. (but don't actually
do it!) If the phrase "DODGE BARGE!!!!" does not come to mind try standing
there for an entire week and counting the number of barges chugging by.) We
spent three summers planning and preparing for our trip, including two 10
mi. practice runs through the confluence of the two rivers, stopping to camp
at the same sand banks where Lewis & Clark did. (well, different sand, but
the same banks) We spent days interviewing three rivermen, including my
uncle Ed who spent three decades earning his living trapping and fishing
along the lower Niobrara and west banks of the Missouri, and Jim Moss, who
operated the ferry for 35 years before they built the dam at Yankton.
Another big part of the planning was mapping. We drew our own maps of the
river by hand (At our dad's insistance), mostly from arial photos on file
down
at the state hiway department. He showed
us how to waterproof our maps with the old cosmoline/cellulose process he
had learned when flying open cockpit biplanes in the early '20s. Well, you
get the idea, let your dream carry you as far as it will, talk to the right
people, pay attention to what they say, study, practice, study, practice
some more, then practice one more time. Do not embark until you are ready.
By the way, we both survived our rafting trip long enough to tell the story
many times.

John Leeke

P.S. I presume you already know how to swim. If so, learn to swim better.
Remember, if the river is 1 mile wide, you may have to swim for 5 or 10
miles to get across--and what about them snappers? I'll tell what about them
snappers:  They'd jist love to git a few of yer little pink toes! And let me
tell you, you'd rather feed 'em yer toes than let 'em git some other
parts!!!