So I’m headed out in a few days basically taking an inland route around lake michigan. I’m always on the prowl for paddle and shuttle partners. My plans are pretty wide open. I’m hoping Pat and some others I know on this message board see this. I also like meeting new folks and paddling with them. If you are passionate about paddling, we will get along just fine.
Sometimes I attain and float back, sometimes I portage and do circle trips, but it is really nice when you can paddle downstream and paddle and shuttle with others.
My plans are pretty loose. While I take from others I also try to give back. In the past week I’ve been part of a river cleanup and gave two people an intro to ww kayak lesson and loaned them boats and gear for a while. If you need some good karma and any of the locales and dates interest you, I’ll hone in my plans and we’ll make it happen. I can carry an additional kayak or two on the back of my camper. Since my rack is vertical 12 feet is my length limit. I am always happy to tandem or solo canoe but I wont have one with me and will be unable to transport that style of boat. I prefer sheltered paddling over large open water. I am thinking I might try a commercial trip to painted rocks. I am also up for overnights, distance, nature floats, class 3 ww. I might not do anything really well but I have paddled in many different environments. SYOTR (see you on the river), Tony
June 19,20 shades state park IN (sugar creek)
June 21,22 Starved Rock IL (Illinois r)
June 23rd- July 2nd the State of Wisconsin, very loose
I could make the 19th work, I just get up early and drive. I’m pretty motivated. On my last trip I would get up at 5 am, drive a couple of hundred miles and then paddle. Tough for me to help shuttle canoes unfortunately. We would have to lock the canoe up while we set up the shuttle. There are commercial shuttle options down stream as well. I was kind of hoping to check out the shades area thoug.h I haven’t kept an eye on water levels which is a whole “nother” thing. I’m also not opposed to paddling tandem if you got a hankering for that. Pete if we can work it out great, if not we will try again another time. You have any interest in IL, WI, or MI ? Not trying to pressure just letting you know what my parameters are.
Might have some opportunities in Northern Lower Michigan (Jordan River, maybe others). Camping on family property might be able to be arranged as well. A 12’ boat is fine and canoes may be available. If you are interested, I can PM you.
Tony, I had not checked the gauge but as dry as it has been this late Spring in Indiana I wasn’t surprised to find that Sugar Creek is nearly dry. We had a bit of rain last Sunday, but only about 1/2" in SW Indiana. Not sure about the Crawfordsville area but it looks as if they did not get much. Just enough to bump the gauge up to around 100 cfs (very low) and now it is dropping again. If we don’t get significant rain in that area the next 5-6 days I don’t think Sugar Creek will run.
I’m not a bit surprised, you notice I picked a destination with good hiking. I’ll just pivot. I knew the run was somewhat seasonal and the stretch I was looking at was upstream of the liveries.
Tony, it would be great to join you on the Kickapoo - camping at Wildcat Mtn. SP I presume? I used to be pretty active with the River Alliance but that was mostly back in the days of Tod Ames. It would be good to get together again and paddle with the “next gen” of River Alliance folks and get caught up a bit.
If you want to do a flatwater jaunt for a couple days on the Wisconsin, I’d be up for that as well. It might be convenient for you to do the stretch of the Wisconsin from the Kickapoo’s confluence (at Wazeka) down to Wyalusing SP on the Mississippi. The last really decent sand camping is not far from Wazeka (just above the Millville landing) and would make the first days paddle quite short though. Just a thought… we can work something out.