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 Day 248 08/10/2010
Daily Stats Start: 5:30 AM - Oconto, WI Finish 2:00 PM - Green Bay, WI (Zeller’s Kayak Shop) Time: 8:30 hours Daily dist: 23 miles Total dist: 5000+ Companions: None Weather: Thick fog and steamy hot, 80’s Notes: Reached extended family in Green Bay After six hours of paddling along the last twenty miles of shore leading into Green Bay, I must say that I can only guess what it looks like. Excited to be reaching the end of Lake Michigan and the beginning of the next phase of this trip, (not to mention loads of family in town) I hardly slept a wink on the beach of the town park where I spent the night. Finally giving up on trying to sleep, I broke camp at 5:00 AM and launched into thick fog by 5:30.  Not just a picture of the fog. If you look close you can see two lake sturgeon playing catch with an unfortunate perch. Although it was one of only a handful of flat calm mornings I’ve seen in the last few weeks, which was a relief, the fog added a whole new element to navigating my way down the coast. One can only wish it was as simple as staying within sight of shore and following it south to Green Bay. However, shallow water and weeds tend to steer a kayaker off shore in search of deeper water. Consequently the shoreline quickly vanishes into the fog leaving you staring blankly into a featureless grey cloud in every direction. At times like these you could be a quarter mile from shore or twenty miles from shore and you wouldn’t know the difference. Rather than fuss with my GPS, I simply worked with my map and compass. Those tools, combined with a watch and the knowledge that I cruise at a fairly consistent rate of 3.5 knots, allowed me to know (with a fair amount of certainty) where I was at all times. It was actually a fun challenge to try to hit the ends of the two long narrow peninsulas that project from the west shore of the bay. After finding and rounding the end of the second point, I continued on toward town by steering a little extra west to avoid the mouth of the Fox River by a wide margin. This maneuver helped me avoid any boat traffic coming and going out of the harbor who could not have seen me with they‘re eyes or radar. After another hour of paddling I hit land (at what I believed was a point west of the river) then turned left and headed in. A mile further I discovered that I was indeed correct and at 12:00 noon I entered the Fox River thus ending the Great Lakes leg of this trip and beginning the last push toward Portage.  My cousin Lydia waving hello from shore Along with a TV reporter from a local news station, waiting for me a the city boat ramps at the end of the river were my Cousin Jenny and her daughter Lydia. Soon after I landed we were joined by another cousin Carolyn and her husband John. My parents had planned to be there to see me arrive but got lost on their way in to town as they followed the directions from their GPS… go figure. After a bunch of big hugs and handshakes I answered a few questions for the reporter and hopped back on the water so he could get a little more video of me paddling around.  Captain Mitch on the Foxy Lady From the boat ramp I continued up the river passing by my cousin John and Carolyn’s dinner boat the Foxy Lady where John was already there checking on the boat. Another mile of paddling brought me to Zellers Kayak shop where I pulled off the water and ended my day. By early evening more family had rallied including my uncle Jim and cousin Brenda and my older brother Aaron and his wife Aurise along with their two boys who I couldn’t wait to see. The whole mob of us descended on a local restaurant and had a great evening. From there I rode home with Aaron to his place in Manitowoc, Wisconsin to take a couple days off with the chance to hang out with the younger two of my four nephews whom I barely know and am looking forward to making up for lost time. Day 247 08/09/2010
Happy Anniversary Mom and DadDaily Stats Start: 5:30 AM - Marinette, WI (Seagull Bar) Finish 11:00 AM - Oconto, WI Time: 5:30 hours Daily dist: 21 miles Total dist: 5000+ Companions: None Weather: Partly cloudy, wind light and variable, 80’s Notes: Considered running all the way to Green Bay but decided not to. Ahh… Today was a very good day for paddling, partly cloudy, warm, and very little wind. With such nice conditions the miles were flying by and before I knew it I was poised offshore from the Oconto breakwater. Oconto was my destination for the day but it was only 10:00 AM when I made it there. With only about 24 more miles to go, I seriously considered staying on the water another seven hours to make it all the way to Green Bay today. The hitch was that all the family that had planned on me arriving tomorrow (many driving in from out of town) would be completely unprepared for an early arrival.  You have to love this kind of calm Figuring a few hours of rest is a good thing too, I landed at a small community park (the only sand beach for miles actually) and found a picnic table in the shade on which to kill time and go over maps planning my run up the Fox River. First I made a call to my mother to let her know that, in fact, I wouldn’t be arriving in Green Bay today. Just as I was hanging up a van rolled up, and what do you know, it was my mom’s cousin Ann and her husband Tom. Apparently Tom had the day off of work so they decided to take a road trip to see if they could catch me. It was a long shot, but amazingly (at the last spot they thought would be worth checking) they managed to find me. We had a nice visit getting caught up on a bunch of family happenings before they had to get back on the road for home.  Mom's cousin Ann and her husband Tom managed to find me today. The rest of the afternoon was spent ironing out the logistics of rendezvous with family in Green Bay. Now all there is left to do is get some rest and wake up ready to make it happen tomorrow. Day 246 (Back in Wisconsin at last!) 08/08/2010
Daily Stats Start: 6:50 AM EST - J.W. Wells State Park, MI Break: 1:00 PM - 5:30 PM EST - Menomonie, MI (Waterfront Festival) Finish 6:30 PM EST - Marinette, WI (Seagull Bar) Time: 7:10 hours Daily dist: 24 miles Total dist: 5000+ Companions: None Weather: Mostly sunny turned cloudy, SW wind 5-10mph 80’s Notes: Entered Wisconsin at 5:50 PM EST (4:50 local time) My father served in the Navy during the Vietnam War. Along with a few stories about marching through the jungle with the marines as a corpsman, I remember my dad talking about how, after weeks out at sea, you could smell cities long before you could see them. While I’ve never exactly been out to sea, I do know exactly what he means by being able to smell cities. On this trip I’ve only been away from civilization at most a couple days. But in that time my nose quickly became so accustomed to fresh air that when I did near a town I could almost always pick up the faint smell of civilization. Unless there is some sort of industry producing a smell that overshadows it, they all smell much the same… like cooking meat mixed with car exhaust… think Mc Donalds on a busy street on a muggy day.  I bring this rather unusual topic up because today, beyond the normal smell of town, my nose led me to something I haven’t had in years. Something so rare outside of Wisconsin that when you mention it’s existence to outsiders they look at you like you have two heads. That something is… deep fried cheesecurds. Overnight a storm passed slowly through the area producing so much lightning my tent was light up like a disco for three hours. In that entire time a heavy rain poured down but thankfully I stayed dry. -I do love my tent.- Waiting for the lightning to finally subside, I ended up getting a later start than I was hoping to. Fortunately, the wind never got up so I was spared another all day slog and ultimately the weather was wonderful and I had a great time heading the twenty miles into the Menomonie/Marinette area. With finally entering my home state of Wisconsin on my mind, I was all set to bypass Menomonie altogether and just hop across the river into Wisconsin. However, as I paddled along the Menomonie waterfront (about a quarter mile off shore) I could see Jolly Jumpers and several white tents set up along the road above. My curiosity was already peaked but right then (even though it was downwind of me) my nose detected the unmistakable scent of hot grease and molten cheese… Cheesecurds! The border crossing could wait, I had to see what those tents were about and track down the source of that smell.  It turns out that I managed to arrive in town on the final day of the four day Menomonie Waterfront Festival, and just in time for the parade. After the parade I did find the cheese curd stand as well as the hot dog stand, the cheeseburger stand, the corn on the cob stand, and of course (that carnival favorite) the elephant ear stand. It suffices to say I didn’t have to cook dinner in camp tonight. Instead I used the spare time to listen to my arteries clogging up.  While I was eating my way through the festival, rain clouds were building in the west. So, to avoid having to set up camp in the rain, I hustled back to my boat and headed south where one mile further and at 5:50 EST (4:50 local time - it’s time to change my watch) I crossed the Menomonie river into the town of Marinette and my home state of Wisconsin. From there it was just one mile further to the beautiful sand spit where I set up camp for the night.  Looking back at the Michigan Side of the rver from Wisconsin. It feels good to be back! Day 245 08/07/2010
Daily Stats Start: 9:45 AM - Park Place of the North Campground (Escanaba, MI) Finish 4:15 PM - J.W. Wells State Park, MI Time: 6:30 hours Daily dist: 19 miles Total dist: 5000+ Companions: None Weather: Partly cloudy, south wind 10mph (headwind), 70’s Notes: Headwind had me in a foul mood but Wisconsin is near! There is no denying that today I was in a bit of a funk. Perhaps I was coming down off the cloud of being with family over the last four days, or perhaps it was the reality of paddling into a brisk headwind, yet again. The day actually was beautiful with partly cloudy skies and temps in the 70’s. It even started out great with breakfast with my parents and warm hugs (with “See you in four days” promises) before I launched from the beach at the end of the muddy boardwalk near camp. It was the wind. That being said, I made fairly slow progress covering only 19 miles in six and a half hours before I spotted a rare undeveloped beach just a mile shy of the state park I had planned on stopping at. Compared to state park campgrounds with flushing toilets, grassy campsites, and vending machines, I vastly prefer to set up camp on a brushy beach in the middle of nowhere. The reason is simple... gear handling. On an undeveloped beach all I have to do is pull my kayak above the surf zone then pull out just what I need for camp and carry it mere feet to where I set up. A state park generally requires a fairly long walk to the ranger station to check in. Another walk back to the boat for all of the gear which then needs to be carried (usually way off the beach) to the campsite. Depending on how frequently visited the beach is I can either lock the kayak up to a tree or transport it up to camp as well. Of course, in the morning the whole process (sans check in) gets reversed. All told it commonly takes at least two hours extra effort to set up in a state, or county, campground.  A little strip of expedition camping heaven After a long day of slogging into the wind I wasn’t exactly excited about the promise of all that gear handling. That’s exactly why I got down right excited when I spotted the beach I’m on tonight. In the time it took me to completely set up today I would have still been in the ranger’s hut dolling over $20 for a campsite at the stat park. The site itself would have undoubtedly been wedged between two gigantic RV’s with air conditioners and TV’s running. These weedy, driftwood filled beaches I end up on may not look like much but they’re heaven to me, and I’m going to miss them. A highpoint of my day was when I was able to bring in a NPR radio station rom Wisconsin. That signal (coming in loud and clear from Egg Harbor across the bay in Door County) was a sign of just how close I am to my home state. In fact, if all goes well, I should be past or near the Michigan / Wisconsin state line by mid day tomorrow. Now if only I would start hearing from some Wisconsin paddlers as well as radio stations. Day 244 08/06/2010
It took a late-night / early-morning effort, but I had to take advantage of a decent connection to finally get the blog up to date. Be sure to take a quick look at days 241 to 244 to see what's been going on. Daily Stats Start: 8:00 AM - Fayette, MI (Fayette State Park) Finish 1:30 PM - Park Place of the North Campground (Escanaba, MI) Time: 5:30 hours Daily dist: 21 miles Total dist: 4500+ Companions: None Weather: Partly cloudy, north wind, 70’s Notes: Ran an empty kayak again After the forty mile grind the other day it was nice to put in a simple twenty mile day today. The paddling wouldn’t have been all that exceptional except for the fact that by crossing Big Bay de Noc (10 miles) then Little Bay de Noc (6 miles) I put the last two major crossings of the trip behind me. Crossings (rather than coastal paddles) leave you a bit more exposed than coastal tours and as a result require a bit more attention. It’s nice to know that for the rest of the trip I can keep the relative safety of land nearby.  Quite a mob saying farewell today After waking the boys up so they could wave farewell (for now) from the dock I turned the boat west and pulled twenty miles over the next five and a half hours to the private campground where my parents had relocated camp and were waiting for me. Upon my arrival we discovered that, instead of a nice sand beach, the campground has a “boardwalk” (with a couple muddy sections missing) that leads a few hundred feet to the lake.  Boardless boardwalk Beth (the TV reporter that had talked to us yesterday) had hoped to get a couple more shots of me arriving on the water but it was just not meant to be. She did get a few shots of my dad and I carrying the boat up from the lake and recommended a couple places in town where we could get a good fish fry (it was Friday after all). Just after she left a newspaper reporter arrived so we sat back down for another quick interview before we hauled the Ikkuma the rest of the way to camp on my Dad’s truck. After getting cleaned up we did run into town for dinner and to make copies of the last maps and to pick up the last of the food I’ll need to reach Green Bay and the end of the Great Lakes segment of this trip.  It works well until you come to a crowded sidewalk Personal Update! 08/06/2010
This is Jake's brother Luke who just returned to "civilization" from visiting Jake at Fayette, MI. Jake enjoyed a day off from paddling (Thursday) to visit with family and tour the Fayette Historic Townsite (pretty cool place). We saw Jake off this morning and his plan was to paddle from Fayette to just south of Escanaba. Jake is working on the full blogs and hopes to get them posted as he works toward Green Bay and better internet connections. | Best of the Blog
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