Tag: Shuttled

End to end paddle. Shuttle Required

Turtle Creek (first time!)

Setting: We wanted to try this creek after reading about it on milespaddled.com. We had scouted several landings a couple of weeks ahead of time and concluded that the Co Hwy C (Fairfield) put-in and the “pipeline” take-out (just off S. O’Riley Rd) would be best for us.  We interrogated a group of casual paddlers as they passed under the E.Creek Rd bridge in canoes and kayaks. They seemed to be having a great time.  They had put in at Continue reading Turtle Creek (first time!)

Fox River, Princeton to Lock Rd

Setting: Sunny weekday afternoon temp in the 70’s. We had never paddled the whole section, and we wanted to get out there before the expected motorboat madness of July 4 weekend.

Water level at Berlin: 1180 cfs. Median for July 2 is ~850. There is also a gage at Princeton, which does seem to pretty much follow the Berlin gage. Paddling Southern Wisconsin books suggests the Berlin gage.

Put in: 3:45 pm at the excellent concrete boat ramp in Princeton at the park at the end of Jefferson St. There is adequate parking and a porta-potty.

Shuttle: 5 mi, 15 min. East on Jefferson St, south(right) on Mechanic St, east(left) on Main St/Hwy 23/73, north (left) at the Piggly Wiggly onto Hwy 3, which is or becomes County Rd J.  Continue straight north on Huckleberry Rd at the somewhat scary intersection where J turns east. After about 2.5 mi on Huckleberry Rd, Lock Rd is a left turn at the brown DNR sign for the White River/Fox River Fishery Area.  The large parking lot is at the end of Lock Rd.

The Paddle:  Gentle current and mostly isolated wooded surroundings. We passed the St Marie Rd put-in/take-out on the left which we had used for a no-shuttle paddle last year. We paddled a short distance into a creek (Black Creek?) which entered from the left about 3 mi from the put in . Some day, with water levels no lower, it might be fun to see how far we could paddle upstream into the creek.

Take out: 5:50 pm at the excellent concrete ramp at the old White River lock and dam site.

Wildlife: heron, swallows, many kingfishers and flycatchers.

Length: 6 miles

Ice House Femtilla 2014

We won the Ice House Getaway in the River Alliance Auction. Actually, we were outbid at the very last second of furious bidding, but the Alliance director Denny Caneff got permission from owners Frank and Marianna Weinhold to allow two winners that year. The Weinholds let us invite a few well-behaved women paddlers to land at their private beach on Louis Bluff. Continue reading Ice House Femtilla 2014

Prince’s Point to Burnt Village with some friends

We saw a flock of egrets in field on Bark River Road so we stopped to look. Gene and Susan were following us – wondered why we stopped.

There were lots of heron on the river. There were pretty reflections.

Due to high water, we had to go around downed trees which was okay. We could not get under the bridge to Whitewater Creek.

Susan, Gene and Phyllis were our paddling companions.

Flow was 177 cfs.

Burnt Village to Rock River – high water and wind

Water was very high. We tested paddling upstream; it was still comfortable because the river is a flood plane it overflows its banks and doesn’t rage.

Marked on USGS as black high. The downed tree was not a problem because we could paddle right around it. This tree will be blocking when water level subside. Gene and Susan checked out the tricky parts for us

Very windy day but the Bark did not disappoint!

2006 two paddle notes (Bark)

These notes were written in the margins of our old paddle book.

7/4/2006

Paddled with Gene and Susan to the Milwaukee Street take out (Rock River). Approx 2.5 hr. Had to portage around log about mile 2. Saw cranes overhead and heron. Flow at Rome 86 cfs (mean 65, max 200, min 8.5)

6/28/2006

With Jeanne and Katia. 6.5 miles to town. Take out about 3 hours. Flow 133 cfs.

First time on Bark River

There isn’t much record of our first paddle – we have gotten more verbose over time. I do know it was July 2002 – one of our earliest paddles! It took 2.5-3hrs to go from Burnt Village to the Rock River. Since it was just the two of us, we must have shuttled our own car did a bike shuttle.

We had a memorable picnic. In retrospect, it might have been on private property. It was a nice sunny day.

Water level was low.