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. 3 Comments 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. Day 253 08/15/2010
Daily Stats (side trip) Start: 10:00 AM - Wrightstown, WI Finish 2:00 PM - De Pere, WI Time: 4:00 hours Daily dist: 11 miles Total dist: 5000+ Companions: About 30 other paddlers! Weather: Beautiful partly cloudy skies, 70’s Notes: A Fox River Heritage Paddle  My parents in the voyager canoe Today brought another opportunity to paddle with the Fox River Heritage Trail group. The paddle today backtracked up the river eleven miles to Wrightstown where we put in for a run downstream to where we started our day yesterday in De Pere. Today’s group was quite a bit smaller than yesterday but we still had 17 boats on the water one of them being the very full voyager canoe. I had planned on paddling in the canoe with my parents but gave up my seat so that a woman and her daughter could enjoy the ride.  We once again passed through a lock as we made our way downstream, of course no where near as full as yesterday. Beyond the lock a brisk tail wind combed with a strong current helped us set a fast pace downstream on the river. A couple of hours into the day we were in need of a break but couldn't find an open and accessable piece of shore line to accommodate everybody. Just as we resolved ourselves to staying in our boats and rafting up for a break, one of the guys in our group paddled ahead and managed to find a shore side property owner that was gracious enough to let all of us pull out on his lawn. During the break three of us played musical boats in order to open up a spot for me in the voyager canoe. The voyager was an interesting experience, somewhat like a dragon boat (sitting side by side with multiple rows of paddlers) but with a quite-a-bit more relaxed pace. Another hour of paddling brought us to the take out in De Pere. After shuttling drivers back up to their cars at the put in and loading up our boats and gear many of us adjourned to a local pub where we celebrated a great day on the water with a burger and drink.  My mother would never be satisfied until I finally saw it in person. So after lunch my parents took me to the famous home of the Green Bay Packers, Lambeau Field. The last two days were an amazing chance for me to join well over one hundred local paddlers on the water. In addition it gave me a chance to paddle with both my parents while they experienced some of the same things I have on my journey including locks and (even if just for a short time) the wide open water of Lake Michigan, not to mention the kindness and generosity of fellow paddlers. Thank you Heritage Paddlers for allowing us to join you for two legs of your summer long adventure on the Fox River. Day 252 08/14/2010
Daily Stats (side trip) Start: 10:00 AM - De Pere, WI Finish 2:00 PM - Green Bay, WI Time: 4:00 hours Daily dist: 8 miles Total dist: 5000+ Companions: 99 other Wisconsin paddlers! Weather: Beautiful partly cloudy skies, 80’s Notes: A Fox River Heritage Paddle One of the goals for me on this trip was to join fellow paddlers along the way to share their local waters with them. This weekend is giving me an amazing opportunity to meet and paddle with literally dozens of other paddlers. The Fox River Heritage Paddle is a series of short day trips strung together on weekends over the course of the entire summer. Starting in early spring a hearty group of paddlers set out from the Indian Agency House in Portage (where I’ll be ending my paddle in a few weeks by the way) and enjoyed a run down the twisty narrow river under trees just starting to fill in with bright green sprig leaves. Over the course of the summer the adventure has taken them all the way down the river (minus a couple of sections that had to be postponed due to unusually high water) to today where we ran the last section from De Pere to Green Bay where the tall ships festival was in port.  The same SUP paddler Doug that escorted me out of Portage on launch day was with the group today. The organizers of the event have done an incredible job of promoting the trips which themselves do a great job of highlighting the history, ecology, and beauty of the river. Throughout the summer attendance at the paddles has been good with an average of forty or more people showing up to share the water. Today, when my parents and I pulled into the launch area in De Pere, I was somewhat surprised to see the entire parking lot full of cars and every inch of the lawn lined with kayaks and canoes.  Over 70 paddlecraft and 98 paddlers crowd the lock in De Pere WI After sorting out the shuttle and a quick orientation we launched into the Fox river and headed down stream toward Green Bay. Only a half hour into the paddle we reached the lock in De Pere where we crammed over 70 boats into the chamber and (after a few words from the mayor of De Pere) were lowered about ten feet toward Green Bay.  Mom helped lead the group up front in the voyager canoe Once out of the gate the enormous group spread itself out along the river and I spent the rest of the day paddling from the back to the front and back again taking the chance to meet and chat with dozens of people. All the while I checked in on my mom in the voyager canoe up front and my dad paddling a kayak, for the second time in his life, somewhere in the middle of the pack.  Dad and the wide open horizon of Lake Michigan behind him A few hours of paddling brought us to the downtown waterfront of Green Bay where we viewed the tall ship fleet which was in town for the weekend. After another half hour of paddling we reached the end of the Fox River and the open water of Green Bay. Many of the paddlers seized the opportunity to venture out into the open water then returned to the city boat ramp where we ended the day. Day 251(off the water) 08/13/2010
Off the water Green Bay, WI With a ride back to town last night from my brother Aaron I spent the day today hanging out in Green Bay. The day started with breakfast at the Black Stone diner with my aunt Lois and cousin Ben. From there they dropped me off downtown so I could see a bit of the downtown area. My first stop was at the waterfront to have a look at the old and replica sailing ships that are in port for the tall ships festival. Many of the boats are the same ones I saw when we crossed paths in Cleveland Ohio last month. What was interesting too was that the ship called the Lynx is the same ship I saw moored out in Mission Bay in San Diego two summers ago. They do get around. Just as I left the tall ships to explore deeper into downtown Green Bay, the skies opened and it began to rain. Not being the best day to see the town I decided instead to hustle back to my cousins house to do some map work for the run up the Fox River.  Dad waving to the Foxy Lady dinner boat. Along the way I stopped in at Zellers outdoor store to check in on my boat. There (shopping for a paddle) I met Dave (who is an organizer for the Fox River Heritage Paddle). As luck would have it, Dave actually had a few maps of the river that he had printed out to give to me when we crossed paths on the river tomorrow during one of the organizations group paddles on river that I was going to join. Dave was gracious enough to give me a ride back to my cousins house which I really appreciated as it was a few miles and my lazy under worked legs were already complaining. After a little break at Jenny’s house my parents arrived back over from Wausau. We had planned on heading over to a little local lake to do a bit of a paddling lesson before they joined the group with me on the river tomorrow. However, at that point the wind was blowing hard with intermittent showers enough to make any time on the water quite unpleasant, my parents would have to wing it a bit paddling on the river tomorrow. There was no worry, with Dave’s help we’d procured a spot for my mom in the 28 foot Voyager Canoe that was going to be with the group, and I was sure my dad would pick things up fast enough that he’d be just fine. Instead of the paddling lesson we drove down to Zellers to get my kayak out of their way. My mother had brought my truck over from Wausau so we’d have a vehicle with proper racks to transport kayaks for the next couple days. It was strange to drive anything (much less my own truck) after having not driven in almost a month. My unpracticed driving, on unfamiliar streets, made my parents a bit nervous to say the least. - A question for kayakers - Am I the only person, after spending a lot of time in a kayak, that finds himself unconsciously trying to edge turns while driving? I have to ask because that’s exactly what I found myself doing. And, let me tell you, it doesn’t work. After loading my boat on the truck we stopped at a nearby restaurant for an early dinner and to meet up with a gentleman named Jeff. Jeff is the coordinator for the Fox River Heritage Paddle and was driving over from Appleton to check on the river to be sure the higher than normal water level wouldn’t trouble people too much during tomorrows paddle. Jeff was also coming over with a few more maps so we could discuss what I have to expect when I start making my way back up the river on Monday. As we chatted my cousin’s dinner boat, The Foxy Lady, went by and we walked out on the dock to give them a wave. With fear of deafening the guests on the bow of the boat, Captain Mitch couldn’t blow his horn in reply, but he did give me a call on my cell to invite us to join them for their cocktail cruise later in the evening.  Amanda challenged me to a hula contest  I lost a shoe doing it but managed to match all of Amanda's trick moves You’d have to be crazy to pass up on that invite so before the night was over we enjoyed a great time on the boat on a balmy warm and calm evening. Somehow, even though I was the only one not drinking, I ended up in a hula-hoop competition with a young woman named Amanda. During the show down I managed to match all of her tricks (although not as gracefully) and ended up being the only person to not have to bow out to her superior hula-hooping skills. Day 249-250 08/12/2010
Off the water Manitowoc, WI The last two days were spent with my brother Aaron’s family in Manitowoc, WI (about 45 miles SE of Green Bay). The better part of the day yesterday was spent on the dining room floor playing crash up derby with my nephew’s match box cars. I was having a great time then Aurise reminded me that the boys would probably like to play too. Micah, the older of the two, knew me a little from past visits and warmed up to me fairly quickly. I’m essentially unknown to fourteen month old Jonas (who is a little shy) and am having to earn his trust before he lets this funny looking, long haired, stranger get too close.  During a break from the toy car action, my nephews Jonas (left) and Micah staying cool with their water table on one of the hottest days of the year. The turned over cars from the many crashes we experienced while playing yesterday revealed the need for a Match Box tow truck. A stop at Wal Mart, after Aaron's rained out softball game, didn’t provide a tow truck but I did find a fire truck (apparently one of Micah’s favorites) to come to the rescue to the many crashed cars. That new truck, as well as a bright yellow Jeep, put me up a couple notches in the “Favorite Uncle” race this morning (sorry Luke). Another purchase I made last night was a “Sportsmans” hunting and fishing license. This set of licenses includes fishing, small game, and deer and cost only $70. Of course $70 is not chump change but for the last ten years of spending over $200 for out of state licenses (that allowed me to only hunt deer) $70 for three licenses was a bargain. I felt just like I do when I buy tacos for ten pesos in Mexico… “Shoot only a dollar... Cinco mas por favor!” What can I say it’s great to be back. Part of today’s adventures included lunch with Hugh McCracken who rode his Harley motorcycle all the way around from the Detroit area to help welcome me to Green Bay. He is the gentleman I camped next to way back on the shores of Saginaw Bay at Sleeper State Park who let me borrow his bicycle to ride to town. Always looking for an excuse to go for a ride, he left Lower Michigan yesterday afternoon, spent the night in Manistique, MI and made it to Green Bay late this morning. When he called to check in and discovered I was in Manitowoc he rode down here and we met at a local pizza place for lunch and a visit. Then he was back on the road to see more of the sights on his way back to Michigan.  Hugh and his Harley | Best of the Blog
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