With temperatures in the upper 70’s and a big rain a few days ago, conditions seemed ideal for a paddle on Starkweather Creek. Continue reading Duck! Starkweather Creek with high water
Paddle around Astico Park – first time
Inspired by posts in the Facebook group Paddle Wisconsin, we decided to try parts of the Crawfish River we hadn’t realized were canoeable. So, after researching various options on wisconsinrivertrips.com, we set out for Astico Park near Columbus for a no-shuttle paddle and a bit of recon on a warm sunny late June afternoon. An added bonus – we can get there in about 40 minutes from Madison, as opposed to the minimum 1-hour drive required to get to most places we paddle.
After a 40 minute drive via US 151, we arrived at Astico County Park entrance off County TT. We drove through the park before launching and noted that it was quiet and not crowded. This was a Wednesday, and we wondered if the situation would be quite different on a weekend with more people and more beer. We made note of some scenic picnic sites for future reference – perhaps a mid-week picnic dinner and short paddle in the early fall.
Rock River Kaul Park to Kanow Park
For our third paddle of this pandemic year, we chose the Kaul Park to Kanow Park segment of the Rock River near Ixonia which we had not done for several years. Continue reading Rock River Kaul Park to Kanow Park
Wick’s Landing to Old St Marie Road
This paddle was a little shorter than we expected, but it made for a nice leisurely paddle an a beautiful clear day. We were eager to try it – first time this route. Continue reading Wick’s Landing to Old St Marie Road
Jaeger Park to Fish Camp County Park / Lake Kegonsa
First paddle of the 2020 season was on a cloudy, slightly breezy afternoon in the 60’s. It was a good opportunity to spend a pandemic afternoon with friends, since social distancing was easy. Continue reading Jaeger Park to Fish Camp County Park / Lake Kegonsa
Paddle Pass for Upham Woods Canoe Launch
Back Story / The Bad News
Back in October 2018 we wanted to paddle around Blackhawk Island when we could be sure we would not encounter Dells Boats in the narrow channel. We knew that Upham Woods (a UW facility) had erected a fence at the launch site on Highway N, but locals had told us it was OK to just go around it – so we did. (see relevant post) It was serene and lovely, and we were ready to do the same paddle the following year but found the fence now plastered with many “NO TRESPASSING” Continue reading Paddle Pass for Upham Woods Canoe Launch
Yahara River Upstream from Fish Camp (first time)
We decided to take advantage of a spectacular fall afternoon and explore a nearby section of the Yahara River that we had not tried before. The entire Yahara River from Lake Waubesa to Lake Kegonsa, including Lower Mud Lake, is no-wake. We didn’t come across any boats that were scoffing at the no-wake rule – very relaxing. Continue reading Yahara River Upstream from Fish Camp (first time)
Recon: McFarland’s Jaeger Park to Paddle down the Yahara
We scouted out Conrad Jaeger Park aka Thurn Marsh Park as a put-in to get into the Yahara. (map) Continue reading Recon: McFarland’s Jaeger Park to Paddle down the Yahara
Recon: McFarland’s Babcock Park to paddle down Yahara
We scouted out the idea of starting our paddle at Babcock Park to go down the Yahara but it requires going through locks immediately upon launch. Continue reading Recon: McFarland’s Babcock Park to paddle down Yahara
Familiar place, different direction Fox River at Princeton
Our friend was interested in trying out the new differently-abled accessible boat launch recently installed at the park in Princeton. We were curious about this device as well, and we thought this would also be an opportunity to try paddling upstream from the landing.
We’ve done the segment between Princeton and the White River Locks a number of times, but we’ve never gone the other way. Continue reading Familiar place, different direction Fox River at Princeton