Day 265 08/27/2010
Daily Stats Start: 3:00 PM - Montello, WI Finish 7:00 PM - Endeavor, WI Time: 4:00 hours Daily dist: 11 miles Total dist: 5200+ Companions: John and Tim Weather: Clear skies, 80’s, SW winds 10+ Notes: Seemed to take forever to work the shuttle with cars. At the rate it took the three of us to meet up, run a shuttle, paddle 11 miles, and get back to the campground it would taken two years to paddle as far as I have on this trip. It didn’t help that road construction had us detouring all over to reach Endeavor nor did it help that for a short while we weren’t 100% sure where our take out was. Much like my efforts with shuttling with a bicycle yesterday, car shuttles for paddling trips tend to be riddles of a higher order that are often run on faith rather than full understanding. In fact when I explained the plan to Tim (while taking his boat off his car to put it on my truck along with the two others) he understood as far as the first stop but quickly got lost in what went where and why. Finally as he shook his head and waved his arms to ward off confusion he simply said, “I’ll just follow you.” It truly does require faith… just don’t forget your car keys.  Buffalo Lake - long, narrow, and weedy With all three boats on my truck, and Tim following along in his empty car, we left the campground in route to the town of Endeavor. A fairly quick drive got us to the outskirts of town where a “Road Closed to Thru Traffic” sign blocked our access to the put in. Undeterred we detoured to another highway (the only other access to town) and quickly discovered another identical sign on the other side of town. Apparently Endeavor, much like an island, had been completely shut off from the rest of the world during most of the summer road construction season. We cautiously drove around the barricades into town and onto the take-out wondering how the local species may have evolved during their brief geographic isolation. When we reached the town boat ramp we found a man on shore with a small mud splashed flat bottomed boat. He was there paddling the clumsy craft with a kid sized canoe paddle through weed choked water, not to go fishing or bird watching, but to pick up credit cards that were discarded by some unknown thief. Apparently the ancient dented craft the man had employed had a fairly fast leak. He explained that he had to paddle around as quickly as he could to pick up the cards then head back to shore to empty the boat of water and put the cancelled cards in his truck. More interested in the water than who this man was or how he came to be responsible for collecting the wayward cards, we scanned the several hundred yards of thick vegetation that separated the ramp from the open river channel and asked if there was another access point that had more direct access to open water. The man directed us to another boat ramp nearby which is where we left Tim’s car.  The weed cutters and some of the weeds they battle From Endeavor it was a quick drive to the put-in in Montello where I ended my day yesterday. Once on the water we were greeted by a fairly stiff head wind that slowed our progress down the nine mile long and half mile wide Buffalo Lake. The very shallow lake is overgrown with thick mats of vegetation. About half way down we came across the huge aquatic weed mowers that keep three lanes clear for navigation, one along each shore with connector channels that allow lakeside homeowners to reach the third main channel down the middle. None of the channels provided passage that allowed us to hide from the wind. As we paddled on enjoying each others company and conversation it came to light that both John and I had read that the lake got its name from the last free ranging bison to live in Wisconsin. Apparently the hapless (and I guess lonely) animal fell into the lake and drown… I wonder where those credit cards came from. Three hours after starting out we reached a point where we knew we should be nearing the take-out. Somehow, however, the water didn’t look anything like where we had left Tim’s car. A half hour of investigating (which involved slogging through hundreds of yards of thick weeds to shore) revealed that we were as far as the first boat ramp we’d found and that the other ramp where we left the car had to be further upstream. The only thing we had to do was figure out where exactly, in the weed choked water. upstream was. There actually was a clear channel where the deeper flowing river prevented weeds from growing. We just had a hard time accepting the fact that the very twisty channel would indeed lead back to the western shore (where we knew we had to be) as it wound its way east and north toward the opposite shore of the mile wide marshy valley the upper end of the lake was morphing into. Just before sunset we finally reached our destination and, with mosquitoes taking blood samples from our legs, quickly loaded Tim’s boat on his car and locked the other two to trees. We then drove back to the Montello to retrieve my truck and picked up the other two boats on the way back to the campground.  Day 264 08/26/2010
Daily Stats Start: 12:30 PM - Marquette, WI Finish 3:30 PM - Montello, WI Time: 3:00 hours Daily dist: 11 miles Total dist: 5200+ Companions: None Weather: Clear skies, 70’s, calm winds - nice Notes: Ran the route as a day trip using a bicycle to work a solo shuttle. 
When I first got started in paddle sports more than twelve years ago it was with open canoes on the rivers around Wausau and later Sparta Wisconsin when I lived a summer down there. At that time I could never seem to find anybody to go along with me, so I often went alone. To avoid having to paddle upstream on out and back trips, I worked my own shuttles by using a bicycle to ride back to where I’d leave my truck at the put-in. Sometimes I would lock my bike at the take-out if it was on the way to the put-in. Other times I’d simply put the bike in the canoe with me. Either way, when I reached the take out I’d lock the canoe to a tree then ride back to where I left my truck and pick up the canoe on my way home. Now, you may remember that my goal for this trip was to paddle a continuous loop of water around the eastern US while seeing what there is to see and meeting folks along the way, with the only rule being that I had to start each day on the water where I left of the day before. I had no rules regarding who carries my gear or where I stay at night. That being said, at this point in the game I’ve honestly had my fill of sleeping on the ground and am very happy to take advantage of any civilization that comes my way. Of course I’ve been doing that all along anyway, so no surprise there. With just a few very short days of paddling left on the way in to Portage I’ve decided to go the lazy man’s route and set up a base camp to day trip the last miles to the finish line. Day tripping on a one way water route, of course, involves a shuttle to be able to return to camp each night. Seems how I was running solo today, I figured I’d dust off my old bike and work a shuttle like I did when I was paddling around home twelve years ago. Shuttles are always a bit of a brain twister to figure out and are often more complicated “on paper” than they are in reality, add a bicycle to the mix and it just seems worse. When I explained my plan for today to my brother Luke (a high school math teacher) he had trouble following the logical sequence of [drop bike - drive truck - paddle boat - ride bike - drive truck - pick up boat - go home] and asked “Geeze man, is it worth the trouble?” I thought so, for old time’s sake at the very least, and arriving in my truck from Wausau (pop up camper in tow) I set about finding a place to lock my bike in Montello which was my water borne destination for the day.  A secure spot for bike and boat
The drop spot for the bike had to be secure because ultimately my boat would be locked there while I rode back for my truck. The canoe trail take-out at the dam in Montello was crawling with people fishing from shore and had few suitable trees or poles onto which to lock the bike/boat anyway. Searching for the right spot, my attention was drawn to the Rendezvous Paddle & Sports shop across the bridge just a hundred yards away. After explaining my situation Charlotte from “Charlotte’s Café” (which is part of the business along with a bait shop, canoe/kayak sales, and canoe/kayak/tube rentals on the river) she said it’d be no problem for me to lock my bike up to a tree behind the store. Conveniently there was a low floating dock nearby in a quiet backwater of the Montello river (connected just downstream to the Fox) where I would be able to take out later on. Before I departed in my truck (with the lunch rush filling the counter in the café) I gave Charlotte one of my trip flyers and promised to explain more fully what I am up to when I returned.
With my bicycle securely cabled to a tree I jumped into my truck and poked the boat ramp in Marquette as my destination into my navigator. It was then that I once again realized how a bit more pre-planning could have made my life a bit easier on this trip. Normally, by the twisty nature of rivers and straight nature of roads, the distance covered by a day of paddling can be retraced by a bicycle in a comparatively short time. If I’d looked ahead last Sunday when I selected my pull out spot for the day, and picked a location on the north shore of Lake Puckaway, that would have been true. However, I didn’t look that close at my maps, nor think that far ahead, and simply picked a convenient spot on the south shore of the lake. What my navigator revealed to me (and what was plane to see on my maps when I finally focused on the roads instead of the water) is that on the south shore of the lake between Montello and Marquette is a large wetland through which no roads cross. Instead the highway skirts way south then way east and finally back to north before it returns to the shore of the lake. This roundabout route creates a rare instance where the bike ride is more than twice as long as the paddle (25 miles vs. 10 miles in fact.) Later in the day when I was talking to the folks at the Rendezvous store I learned that they don’t run their shuttle pickup trips to Marquette for that very reason… smart…very smart. As I drove to the put-in in Marquette…and drove… and drove… and drove… I realized that I’d have my work cut out for my (eight-months-in-a-kayak spindly legs) when it came time to ride back to pick up my truck. The plan was set and, I was committed either way, so it didn’t pay to worry about it until the time came. Making great time in an empty boat in ideal conditions I covered the ten water miles in about three hours. The most interesting thing I saw along the way was what appeared to be a cable ferry designed for livestock. It was set up just upstream from the lake to apparently move animals from the south shore to an “island” in the marsh to the north. In 5000 miles of paddling this was the first time I’d seen such a contraption.  One of After pulling out at the Rendezvous dock, securing my kayak, and switching into biking mode, I stopped into the store long enough to have a quick bight to eat where I had a chance to visit more with the owners. With a belly full lunch I hopped on my bike to begin what turned out to be a pleasant ride back to my truck. The ride was nice but my underused legs protested the sudden work load all the way. In my truck I motored back to my boat loaded it on to the rack and headed south to the Indian Trails Campground outside of Portage where I’ll be base camping for the next few nights. The campground owners Dave and Myrna (who were in Portage on launch day and have followed along with the entire trip) were expecting me and took time out of their busy schedules to visit for a bit and make me feel at home. Day 261-263 08/25/2010
Off the water With less than 40 miles to go to Portage (and the celebration we have planned this coming Sunday Aug. 29th) I needed to slow down before I reached town too soon. With time to burn I figured it’d be a good chance to get back up to my parent’s house in Wausau to re-group and, of course, enjoy some of my mom‘s cooking. These three days off gave me a chance to sort through my equipment boxes to find replacements for some of the gear that has begun to fall apart after months of use. In addition I had the opportunity to concentrate on plans for what is to come after reaching Portage. Plans are now coming together for a twelve day “closing the gap” run from Boscabel, WI to St. Louis, as well as the “long walk in the desert” that I’ve been telling people I’m looking forward to (after so much time on the water) when this trip is over.  My Nephews Noah and Ty with their catch Of course being home also gave me time to spend with family. On Tuesday my brother Luke asked my dad and I if we’d like to go fishing with him and his two sons. This wasn’t so much an invite to a day of fishing as a request for extra hands to help tie hooks an pull lines out of snags for the two energetic young fishermen. The outing was a success and the boys had a great time even taking home a few fish for dinner.  Our group in downtown Wausau nearing the top of the white water course Wednesday had me running around taking care of non-trip errands such as new tires for my truck. I did finally have time to get out and visit my grandmother who will be turning 96 in October. I’m looking forward to being at her birthday party for the first time in ten years. Late in the day I took the opportunity to join a group of paddlers for an evening paddle here in Wausau. About nine of us put in at Schofield Park on the west side of town and enjoyed an hour on the water which took us down stream to the top of the whitewater course then back up and around some of the islands above Gilbert Park. It was a beautiful late summer evening and I had a great time meeting folks on what will once again be my home waters when I return from the end of the end of the trip next month.  Above Glibert Park in Wausau Day 260 08/22/2010
Daily Stats Start: 7:00 AM - Princeton, WI Finish 1:00 PM - Marquette, WI Time: 7:00 hours Daily dist: 15 miles Total dist: 5000+ Companions: Mark and my brother Aaron Weather: Clear skies, 80’s, calm winds - amazingly beautiful Notes: The first “real” paddle with my brother Aaron. It’s interesting, after such a long trip seeing so many amazing places, the simple and sometimes silly things that stand out in my memory… The first sunrise over the Gulf of Mexico, a cormorant trying to swallow a fish so big his neck wasn’t strong enough to lift it, the smell of frying bacon wafting from the windows of passing tow boat kitchens when I paddled down the cold lonely Mississippi last winter…  Aaron approaching on Lake Puckaway As simple as the day was, early this afternoon as I watched my brother Aaron approaching in his kayak, I knew it would be one of those I will long remember. I’ve been on the water with Aaron three times before this. The first was Neil’s bachelor party in Florida which was a quick outing on West Lake during which I spent my time rescuing multiple guys from capsizes in the mucky shallows. The second was an hour long session on an overgrown farm pond of a lake where I gave Aaron a rolling lesson. The third was aboard a dragon boat for the annual YMCA dragon boat races in Manitowoc. Despite those other times on the water, today was the first time I ever really paddled with Aaron where we were actually paddling somewhere with a purpose. After putting out a last minute call for people to join me on the water today, I got three takers. Mark (who has now paddled with me six of the last eight days), my mom’s cousin’s husband Tom, and my brother Aaron (who was coming down to pick me up at the end of the day). The storms that passed through two days ago had the river pushed up and flowing a little faster than normal. So, instead of driving to Princeton to paddle all the way upstream with me, the plan was for everyone to put in at the take out in Marinette and paddle along Lake Puckaway until crossing paths and paddling back.  Foggy morning with floodwaters up into the trees Ultimately, the very same storms that drove the river back up had knocked down a bunch of branches in Tom’s yard so he got stuck doing clean up and couldn’t join us. That left Mark and Aaron trying to join me today. Mark got an earlier start and caught up with me at about noon. Aaron was about a half hour behind and found us at 12:30. Making very good time on the tranquil (flat calm) lake, it took us only a half hour to make it back to the boat landing. It was just a short half hour but it was great to be able to share the water once again with a new friend and for the first of what I know will be many times with my brother Aaron.  Aaron and Mark enjoying the calm water on Lake Puckaway At the boat landing we loaded my gear and kayak on my truck and I drove Aaron back to where his truck was waiting in Green Bay. From there Aaron went home and I continued on to my parent’s house in Wausau. The plan now is for me to take the next three days off to rest up a bit and get myself and my gear organized before the last four day push into Portage. Day 259 08/21/2010
Daily Stats Start: 6:45 AM - Eureka Lock, WI Finish 3:35 PM - Princeton, WI Time: 8:45 hours Daily dist: 20 miles Total dist: 5000+ Companions: None Weather: Mostly cloudy skies becoming clear late, 80’s, calm winds Notes: I can now say I've been to Princeton The mosquitoes that chased me into my tent last night were hungry and waiting for me to emerge this morning. I waited in bed as long as I could but the call of nature pulled me out of the tent into the gauntlet of tiny stingers. Thankfully my bug suit protected me from most of the attackers and I was able to dive back into the tent without letting too many back in with me. The bugs were the only troubling thing I had to deal with today, even the slightly higher river flow from the overnight rains didn’t do too much to slow my progress upstream.  Fall colors already
The only real obstacle that made for some work was a portage around the remains of the Eureka lock and dam. The old and weathered lock gates are still there but the dam has eroded into a pile of rubble and a rapids. This I was able to portage by way of a short carry down a grassy path on the SE side of the old dam. A few miles upstream from the dam I passed by Berlin Wisconsin and, much like Omro, it too had beautiful riverside parkspace that seemed to go on forever. Unlike Omro, however, I didn’t stop for a break today and instead continued on all day along the winding rain swollen river until I reached my destination in Princeton, WI.  Old railroad bridge below Princeton
My first order of business upon reaching my camp spot was to dry out all the gear that got wet from last nights storm, which mainly included my tent, raincoat, and tarp. Afterward I made a foray into town in search of a store that sells hunting licenses. My brother Luke was sure to inform me that bonus deer permits went on sale at noon today and that if I could I should get one. It took a little asking and a fair amount of walking, but I finally did find a gas station that could help me out. With a license in hand, as well as two fresh apples, I headed back to the river and called it a day. Day 258 08/20/2010
Daily Stats Start: 8:30 AM - Oshkosh, WI Break: Noon to 3:45 Finish 5:45 PM - Eureka Lock, WI Time: 5:30 hours Daily dist: 17 miles Total dist: 5000+ Companions: None Weather: Mostly cloudy skies, 80’s, passing storms (some strong) Notes: From big lakes to a small river. We had planned on getting a leisurely start to the day, but Bob and I were both up early so I decided to pack up and head for the water sooner than later. True to the rules of the game Bob took me right back to the boat ramps were we pulled off the water two days ago and watched as I once again made four bags of gear disappear into the hatches of the Ikkuma. With promises to paddle together again some day, I bid farewell to Bob and headed out across the last large lake I’ll see on my run to Portage. With the morning haze obscuring the view of the far end of Lake Butte des Morts about seven miles away it made it seem even bigger than it is. The mouth of the Fox river lie only five miles up and I soon made that and entered a river only half the size of what I’d paddled from Green Bay to here.  Probably one of my last views of a watery horizon on this trip. With record amounts of rain fall this summer the current is still flowing as it would be in early summer which means a bit more work for me, but with fair winds and comfortable temps it was smooth sailing. At about noon I came into the town of Omro which had beautiful waterfront parks that seemed to stretch on forever. With lots of time and not too far to go, I decided to take a break at the boat ramp on the west end of town and take advantage of a good cell connection to get caught up on e-mails and blog posts. While I was typing away on my computer a SUV (with kayak racks on top) rolled by very slowly then stopped when the driver saw my boat. The driver then got out and took a closer look at the boat then finally noticed me sitting a few hundred feet away under a park gazebo.  Hey aunt Bev your niece Pam says hello It turned out that the driver of the car was a local paddler named Pam. She’d been tipped off about the trip by her aunt Bev who lives on the Wisconsin River up in Rhinelander. Both are kayakers and have been following the trip for a while. After a nice visit, Pam drove home and I finished checking my e-mails with the sound of thunder rolling continuously my way. Any thoughts of getting back on the water had to wait as I quickly re-stowed my gear in the Ikkuma and pulled it a bit further up the boat ramp as the winds began to whip the river into a frenzy. Just as I pulled my rain coat on the skies opened with loud cracks of thunder and I retreated back to the shelter of the gazebo I’d been in before. As quickly as the storm arrived it passed leaving broken clouds and some sunshine in its wake. Figuring the coast was clear I put back on the river and enjoyed another couple of hours of fine paddling. However, with only a half mile of river between me and the camp I was headed toward, I got chased off the river by yet another even more lively storm. Fortunately I was able to pull out on a gravel beach next to two huge oak trees. Once again I battened the hatches on kayak but this time, instead of a nice park shelter, I was forced to rely on my rain coat while I crouched behind one of the massive trees as monsoon like rain fell and winds blew hard enough to rock my fully loaded kayak sitting on the ground next to me. The worst of the storm lasted only a half hour or so but the rain persisted for a half hour more. By the time it all let up it was getting dark so I decided to make camp where I was. With darkness descending it became a race to get the tent set up so I could escape the swarms of mosquitoes attacking from all sides. Day 257 - Waupaca Chain of Lakes 08/19/2010
One of the goals and purposes I set in this trip was to meet local paddlers and experience local paddling destinations both on and off the route. With plenty of time to reach Portage by the 29th, I have every reason to take every opportunity to explore local waters that are not necessarily on the route. It was that spirit that had me paddling “the wrong way” on the Fox River last weekend and that had me riding home with Bob (known as Wisconsin Bob to his friends in Florida) last night.  Two of over a dozen boats in Bob's fleet. Bob lives in the Waupaca area which is known for its locally famous chain of lakes. This series of small interconnected lakes is a very popular destination for paddlers from all over the area. Unfortunately it’s also very popular with motor boaters as well, thousands of which crowd the waters on nice weekends making it not as pleasant for paddlers as it could be. Because it was mid week we thankfully didn’t have to worry about crowds. After breakfast we got on the phone to rally some of the local crew to see who was up for a paddle. Mark and Terry were up for the adventure but wouldn’t be able to catch up with us for a few hours so Bob and I decided to do a warm up run on the Crystal River giving the others time to catch up with us. The Crystal is actually a river I had paddled in the past. Actually the distant past it startled me to think it had been over 20 years since my family camped with some friends in Waupaca and floated the river in canoes. Like so many things you see as a child, the river didn’t seem as big as I remembered it. In fact, relative to where I’ve paddled, it was pretty darn tiny. Just the same it was a fun run through pretty stretch of water making for a great way to start the day.  Bob showing his moves on the placid, shin deep, Crystal River Once we returned Bobs whitewater boats to their racks we re-armed with Greenland style kayaks and paddles to add a little extra excitement to our adventure on the Chain of Lakes. Waiting for us at the boat ramp at the top of the Chain was Mark and after exploring one of the lakes Terry caught up with us. With only three miles to paddle from one end of the lakes to the other, we took our time exploring the nooks and crannies that we found as well as taking time out to practice a few rolls.  Like so many great days on the water, we ended this day at a local eatery and enjoyed a sandwich while telling stories about trips past and planning trips for the future. Previously posted phone update Jake is out of internet contact once again. Since he is a little ahead of schedule he decided to take the day to explore the Waupaca Chain of Lakes with new paddling friends. He hopes to be back on the route tomorrow. Also, details for his arrival in Portage have been ironed out (at least for now). Check out the home page for more information. Day 256 08/18/2010
Daily Stats Start: 10:00 AM - Menasha, WI Finish 3:30 PM - Oshkosh, WI Time: 5:30 hours Daily dist: 15 miles Total dist: 5000+ Companions: Mark, Terry, Tim, and Bob Weather: Mostly clear skies, 70’s, SW wind 15-20 Notes: Lake Winnebago was my last run on open water.  Quite a crew to see me off today. L to R - Nancy, Vern, Luke, Amy, Noah and Ty
It’s not big by great lake standards, but just the same Lake Winnebago is big enough to demand some attention. Long enough to display an empty horizon line when you look down to the south, and well over 10 miles wide where I traveled on the north end today. The wind was up a bit but thankfully out of the southwest putting me safely in the lee shore as I paddled twelve miles south to where the Fox River enters the lake in Oshkosh. A few of the guys I’d met over the last few days had mentioned trying to catch up with me on the lake. After an hour of paddling solo, I looked over at a boat ramp where I saw some other kayakers land and, sure enough, there were Bob and Terry pulling their boats off Bob’s car.
The three of us continued south together and after another hour of paddling, another paddler, Tim, joined our growing armada. A few miles further on we ran into Mark who had paddled out from a park in Oshkosh bringing our ranks briefly up to five boats.  L to R Mark, Bob, Tim, and Terry
As quickly as our group grew it soon began to shrink. With several miles to paddle, Tim had to turn around and head for home while Bob and Mark headed back to where Mark left his Jeep in order to have another vehicle to shuttle boats. This all left just Terry and I continuing on the last few miles to the take out where Terry’s car was waiting. When we reached the boat ramp we were greeted by yet another now familiar face, Dave, who was one of the coordinators that had organized the Fox River Heritage Paddle that I had joined last weekend. He was there to try to catch up with me to escort me a few miles further on to a spot he knew I could stay. As much as I appreciated the help it wasn’t needed because plans had already been hatched for me to head to Bob’s place in Waupaca. There I planned to take a day off the route and explore the Crystal River and Waupaca Chain of Lakes with Bob and anybody else that cared to join us. This is a post from Jake's nephew, Noah who spent the day following Jake through the Appleton area.  Me helping Jake portage his kayak Today we drove to Kaukauna and I took a little walk with Uncle Jake and his kayak. Then we went to play at my Nana and Papa's house while Uncle Jake was paddling.  Me and Ty in Kaukauna  Me and Ty waiting for Jake at a park. Then we met Jake at a park then went to Tom's Drive In to eat lunch. We brought Jake lunch from Tom's Drive In.  I liked Uncle Jake's lunch too! Then I opened the locks and bridge for Uncle Jake.  Me opening the lock.  Me opening the bridge.  When I was done helping Uncle Jake I let this man take over! We then brought Uncle Jake back to Nana and Papa's house. This morning we had scrambled eggs and sausages and then we went to the water and we saw Uncle Jake paddling away. Then we went home. Day 255 (Followup post from Uncle Jake)Daily Stats Start: 9:00 AM - Kaukauna, WI Finish 6:30 PM - Menasha, WI Time: 9:30 hours Daily dist: 15 miles Total dist: 5000+ Companions: Mark, Terry, Tim, Jeff Weather: Mostly clear skies, 70’s, SW wind 15-20 Notes: Seven portages in fifteen miles. If someone told me that they had fun portaging their boat around seven lock and dam facilities in one day I would think they were nuts. Yet I must admit, that despite all the carrying, I had a great time today. However, if things had been different… if I still had my boat full of eighty pounds of gear, if I hadn’t been able to pre scout the portages in my friend’s car, if I had camped on the hard ground the last few nights, if my cousin and her daughter hadn’t seen me off in the morning, if my brother and his family hadn’t met me along the way even with a burger for lunch, and (most importantly) if I hadn’t had three friends join me on the water and another to help carry at the last four portages… without a doubt, I wouldn’t have had as much fun.  A rough way to start a day of paddling Forget about enjoying any day of portaging, how crazy do you have to be to start your day by taking your kayak off the top of a perfectly good truck to place it on a portage cart in order to begin a mile long walk down a paved road. Throughout this trip the only rule I’ve had is that I can’t be conveyed forward along the route by automobile. You can pick me up and take me half way around the world, but you must drop me off to resume the trip right where you found me. Implied or not, the rule was never specifically applied to the kayak and gear as well. It is my trip, and my one and only rule, so I have interpreted it as I pleased. That being said the gear I don’t care about. If someone is willing to lighten my load by hauling my gear ahead for me, they are more than welcome. The kayak however, is a different story. This may sound strange, but after eight months and 5000 miles I have developed a sort of connection to my boat, almost to the point where we have become partners in the effort to complete this loop. After so much time spent looking after the kayak, I feel a sort of separation anxiety every time I leave it behind and travel into a town. It would be unimaginable for me to have the Ikkuma hauled ahead of me around an obstacle, such as a mile long portage, while I walked empty handed. Or at the finish line for me to leave the Ikkuma at the end of the Fox River while I walk the last two miles across town to where I started on the Wisconsin last December. We’ve done the entire route together so far so I intend to make sure that we do every inch together all the way back to where we started. It is with that spirit that I passed on the opportunity to do the sensible thing and start the day by driving around the non-operating lock and paper mill that blocked the river this morning. Instead I rolled my kayak for a mile around the facility on the wheels I’ve carried on the entire route. My gear however, I was very grateful to have hauled around in my brother’s Jeep.  Jenny and Lydia saying goodbye from the road rather than the dock It was my cousin Jenny and her daughter Lydia that dropped me off this morning. I’ve been staying with them for the last three nights getting the chance to get caught up, at least a little, after I’ve been away for ten years. About a half hour after I parted ways with Jenny and Lydia, my brother and his family (including his father in law Vern) caught up with me while took my kayak for a walk. His wife Amy is from the Appleton area and her parents still live here so it gave them enough reason to drive over to see me as I passed through her old stomping grounds. After taking a few photographs they checked in on me throughout the day at parks and bridges I passed along the way. A mile up the river from my third portage they even brought down a burger, cheese curds, and fries for lunch. Thank goodness it was a busy day to burn off a meal like that. At the third portage local paddlers Mark and Terry jumped on the water to join me. Then a mile later Tim joined in on the fun. Any thoughts I had that I was crazy were diluted when I considered the fact that these guys came out to do all the portages with me, regardless of how many carry free paddling destinations there are in the area. Even more crazy still may be Jeff who came out straight from work to see us through the last four carries of the day. He mostly came to say hello and take pictures but was quickly recruited into hauling boats. They may be a little nuts for coming along today but I sure did appreciate the company and help along the way.  With Jeff's help we were able to make a train and carry all the boats thru in one go. With all the help and company the day was more fun than it should have been. The first few portages were a bit challenging but the longest of those three was made much easier by the Fox River Lock and Canal workers when they unlocked a gate allowing me to use a service road that parallels the canal. Without that shortcut I would have had to roll a lot further, up a hill through city streets. The last four portages made about as convenient as they could be by the recent addition of stairs, ramps, and signs to help people off and on the water as they carry around the many dams in town. The last lock I would come to is actually still in operation so Luke and I carefully planned to have his family there when I finally locked through rather than carry around. This lock was the end of the road for my paddling partners so I bid them farewell before entering the lock chamber. I figured my nephew Noah would get a kick out of just seeing the lock operate. However, the lockmaster made Noah’s day when he let Noah push the crank bar to open the lock gate himself. He then topped that off by letting Noah open the adjacent draw bridge as well. What a thrill for a five year old. A few miles past the lock I met up with Luke and his crew one last time at a boat ramp where we loaded my boat onto his Jeep and drove out to his in-laws’ house where we spent the night. It had been quite some time since I’d visited with Nancy and Vern and it was great to see them again. They’ve been following the trip since the beginning and had noticed that a frequently mentioned underlying theme to many of my posts was food, so they did all they could to stuff me full with an awesome home cooked meal before sending me back out on the water. Before I left Nancy was sure to show me the project she has planned for finishing off their basement a project she’d like me to do and a reminder that the real world is catching up Day 254 (back on the trail) 08/16/2010
Daily Stats Start: 9:00 AM - De Pere, WI Finish 5:30 PM - Kauakauna, WI Time: 8:30 hours Daily dist: 18 miles Total dist: 5000+ Companions: Mark Weather: Partly cloudy, 70’s, SW wind 15-25 Notes: Upstream in now familiar waters. After getting dropped off by my parents with cousin Jenny and her daughter Lydia, the plan today was to paddle as far up the river as the wind and current would allow then call Jenny for a ride back to her house, rather than camp only a few miles away. It’s always a kick to realize that an entire day of effort on the river amounts to a few minutes of driving on city streets. Getting picked up also meant that I could paddle an empty boat which would make getting around the dams that lie ahead much easier.  Dad, Mom, Jenny, and Lydia seeing me off at the landing at Zellers Sports Most of the day was spent paddling all of the same water that I paddled over the last two days except this time I was paddling upstream. It was finally a chance to find out just what kind of time I’ll be able to make while pushing into the unusually high flow. Thankfully, even despite a brisk wind blowing downstream at times, I was able to maintain a pretty good pace. What also helped my progress was the ability to carry around the two locks that were along the route. At the first one the lock operator actually helped me carry around which was ultimately easier for him than cranking the lock gates open and closed by hand, which is how the Fox river locks are operated. At the second lock I simply pulled off the river and slid my boat on the lawn around the lock and back into the water on the upstream side.  Hand crank used to open and close the lock gates on the Fox. The good pace had me two and around two dams and as far up as Wrightstown by 2:00. At Wrightstown I was once again found on the water by a local paddler named Mark. We had talked about meeting up on the river sometime during the week. We didn’t have a solid plan as to when or where we’d meet instead he figured he could just jump on the river in front of me and wait for me to come by. Of course the good pace I was setting almost had me by the boat launch before he ever expected me to be there. I’m always grateful to have people join me on the water and today I was exceptionally happy to have Mark along when we were faced with portaging around the third dam of the day.  Lock no longer used in order to prevent the lamprey from getting upstream. Chicago may take note. This lock was shut down (never to be used again) a long time ago to prevent the invasive lamprey from climbing up the Fox River off the great lakes where they had already caused loads of trouble. While the previous two locks and dams were easy to portage around, this one proved to be a bit more challenging. After scouting both the end of the lock canal and the river at the base of the dam, we decided to pull out on the east side of the dam. This route meant a steep uphill climb on a narrow brushy path on very slippery clay. It was tough enough with help it would have been a bit of an ordeal without Mark’s help.  Mark helping me portage around the third dam of the day. Our day ended a few miles further upstream at the first lock of the Kaukauna lock series. There is an effort underway to get these locks operable again, but it is easy to tell by the state of disrepair that they have not been used in years. Intertwined with a paper mill and hydroelectric plants and lying in a now dry canal that parallels the river, getting around these locks requires a bit of a carry. I had thoughts of doing some of the portage today (rather than start the day wheeling my boat) so I hopped out and began surveying the route. Just then Mark got a call from Jeff Mazanec who is one of the coordinators of the Fox River Heritage Paddle and who has given me a lot of information about what I’ll have to deal with on the river. Jeff lives in Appleton, WI only a few minutes from where we were and was on his way over to show us just how to get around the locks. When Jeff arrived we decided to save my cousin a drive and loaded both our boats on his truck to catch a ride back to where the day started. Before we headed downstream, however, we went for a drive along the river stopping wherever we could to pre-scout all of the portages I’ll have to do tomorrow… and there are many. Jeff also gave me the phone number of a gentleman that will be able to open a gate for me that will give me access to the service road that parallels the canal which will spare me the effort of rolling the Ikkuma up hill through a city neighborhood and back down to the water. Now armed with the knowledge of where I have to go to get around all the (non-operating) locks and dams I’ll see tomorrow, it will make the day go much easier. An hour spent riding with Jeff and Mark saved me half a day of walking through brush and bramble to sort things out. Once again it is the kindness of new friends that is helping me through a sticky spot on this adventure. I will always wonder how this trip would have gone without the help of so many great people. | Best of the Blog
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