Winter seems to be taking up permanent residency here. Close to two inches of snow yesterday accompanied by 41mph winds. Our normal temps should be in the 50s. Is 24F right now with a projected high of 36F. NWS advises rest of the month will be colder than normal.
Friday looks promising: sunny, warmer, and little wind. 
It is lightly snowing right now but it is good other than thatâŚ
Well, a month ago Covid hadnât had much effect on actual paddling around here, at least for me itching to get out on my home river. (The âlower 100â of the Wisconsin -actually about 93mi, but who wants to be a stickler?) Iâve been going down to the riverside to check on paddling conditions at least twice a week since then. ( Also before the leaves and poison ivy appear is a fine time to pick up the beer cans and stuff that the dirtballs throw out on deserted back roads leading to boat landings over winter. Git er done by Earth DayâŚ) Wind and cold discouraged me, virus or no. And then the river rose so high there was no place to stop. About a week ago one would have been able to paddle through the forests on the banks and directly over wooded islands. Done that. Its less appealing the second time around (and in the cold) in practice than in theory.
Finally the riverâs coming down to a decent paddling level. Last Friday I saw the first evidence of any other paddlers - drag marks in the sand at a landing.
So NOW they close the DNR managed landings in the southern part of the state. Perhaps theyâre worried about having a bunch of places they canât enforce social distancing at, or maybe theyâre worried that without portapotties (that they canât keep virus free) things will get overly natural at the landings⌠Who knows⌠On the riverway it just doesnât seem to make a lot of sense. The river and the landings are some of the most isolated, easiest to maintain social distancing, places in the state⌠Its not like a park with a pavilion, or narrow trails, or voting in Milwaukee, or something.
So I guess now we look for non-DNR managed places where a canoe can be dragged to the river from a nearby county road or something and take outs of the same sort arranged where a spouse or partner can meet after? And no group camps, of course⌠Or maybe they think the whole river should be off-limits to even solo campers because thereâs a virus? (âTâwas ever thusâ, as Mr. Nautral would remind us if it were then.) The executive order seems a bit ambiguous on that point to me. Perhaps solo paddlers who camp on islands werenât foremost in their considerations⌠Guess it would be better if we were a voting majority of the citizenry - but then it really would get crowded on the islandsâŚ
While the DNR sites are open in Michigan, she-who-shall-not-be-named forbade all boats with motors from launching which should make the paddlers content - at least those who use such sites.
Are you anywhere near Rustyâs Backwater Saloon? I pulled up Google Maps and started searching for launch sites. Looks like a good spot by Rustyâs.
Iâve found some nice launch sites using such a search. Hoping there are some village or township parks along the river which will give you access.
Maine State Music Theater in Brunswick is closed. My son lives in Brunswick and gets us tickets. Not this year. His car still has RI plates - wonder that that is working out.
Paddled the Sheepscot River once with a friend. We put in at Sheepscot Village above the reversing falls and paddled down to Wiscasett for lunch. Off season, so we eat at Sarahâs Cafe across the street. Nobody seemed to think it was odd when two guys in drysuits walked in.
Paddle back up the river was a bit of a slog - tide was coming in, but not quite enough. Reversing falls was really cool. I want to go back there with my whitewater boat sometime. It would be fun trip on a summer afternoon when the inevitable swim would be more enjoyable.
Might be a COVID-19 acceptable trip.
Closures due to COVID-19 and high winds have both limited the already-limited paddling opportunities here. If full opening is delayed too much, agricultural calls for water will further limit them. Right now, water levels have been rising in most places (other than the one that got a big call for water). But warm to hot weather with almost no precipitation and lots of wind will result in dropped levels as the current snowpack melts. And it will melt FAST if the next weekâs weather predictions hold true.
The boat launches at my nearby lake in Ohio appear to be open so far. Itâs technically part of a county park system and electric-motors only so itâs always a good option. I usually donât paddle until the shoreline greens up a little as itâs preferable to a muddy shore with gray trees. With this lingering cold spell, the bushes are getting a little green, but the trees still have at least a few days to go.
Summer normally means paddling on the Maine coast so Iâm hoping âvacationlandâ is operational then. At least Iâll have Ohio license plates which is better than being from that state (i.e., the state with Boston in it) that Mainerâs arenât fond of even during a normal summer.
Status quo. We are still on the upswing. Until the active cases decrease nothing will open up . There is talk of limiting tourism this summer from people coming from hot spots. The Governor and Maine CDC director gave a daily press conference. The Gov is looking for a decrease over two weeks before taking any action re loosening regs⌠Acadia has delayed opening though the trails are open if you can get to them.
The opening whenever it happens will be not all at once and may not happen like we would like. We may have to adjust the way we do business for a long time. We are all very aware that we have a low case load compared to other states and simply donât want the greater exposure from vacationers from hot spots ( yes it does seem unfair)
With that in mind you may wish to think if you WANT to come after all. Our government is being quite cautious and will be watching GA.
Ohioâs case count has jumped quite a bit, but apparently much of it is due to outbreaks at three state prisons. As of a couple of days ago, out of about 2500 inmates at the prison in Marion, 1950 had tested positive. The positive and non-positive are being isolated within the prison, so they wonât infect the general population. But prison workers, and the Ohio national guard who are filling in as prison workers, can of course get infected and interact outside of the prison.
An interesting observation in the news is that almost all cases are asymptomatic. I wonder why so few prisoners would show symptoms. Is it because thereâs not a lot of alcohol and tobacco in prisons (I assume, I know stuff gets smuggled in)? Is it because their caloric intake is probably somewhat regulated? Are they just a relatively young population? Maybe thereâs some knowledge there that could benefit the general population.
I believe that without including the prison numbers, and accounting for the CDCâs expanded definition of a positive case, weâve been relatively flat for a couple of weeks and our governor still plans a very slow, careful reopening of the state starting May 1.
Travel to Maine usually doesnât occur before mid/late-June so thereâs lots of time to see how things develop. I would like to get there sometime to check on things, refill all the traps, put out fresh Decon (I know, itâs bad but itâs the best option for an empty house) plus just look for anything that needs repair before the next winter. In the past Iâve had a leak develop around a chimney, a basement drainage system get clogged, a critter nibble on some wiring and other things like that.
All the new cases have been in the same population and the deaths also. Residential care facilities. But there is no indication the Governor wants to just pay attention to simply the rest of the folk who are not in such facilities. There is a stipulation of decreasing the number of cases⌠Not the number of cases in non nursing home population. Maybe that will change.
I am hoping NEVER to be put in a home. Nor a prison where âsocial distancingâ is nigh about impossible.
Isnât that what most people hope? I have one idea on how to avoid going there after Iâm too decrepit to continue living here. But some kinds of downfall might exclude exercising that idea, and Iâm not sure if I could pull the trigger.
Story I heard was the Michigan DNR launches got shut down because some yahoos up north herded and refused to break it up when the sheriff showed up because they were âexercising their rightâ to party on public land. The ban seems like overkill but thatâs the way things work.
The DNR launch at Portage Lake in Washetenaw county reopened last week with a âno motorboatsâ sign. Only other people there were kayakers. Toilets are all closed though.
They werenât partying - it was a group of fishermen. I donât know if they were local or from downstate. On the plus side, you donât need a boat launch if you paddle a canoe or kayak and since boats with motors are now prohibited, such closures are irrelevant.
I got the first email from where I rent stating requirements if they are able to open. This is very much a family owned and run place, but then again so are a lot of other enclaves mid-coast and up/over. So it reflects what I expect will be some common themes if financial realities mean that they will have to let rentals occur in July and August.
No gatherings like July 4 lobster bake, no groups of renters and owners to drink wine and look at the sunset. No entry into houses occupied by any of the senior generation. No use of the laundry facilities in the big house (can usually pay a few bucks to use the units in the basement). Come with groceries as possible and/or use curbside pickup for shopping preferred. Some of us come for long enough that shopping is not optional. As I had suggested, no flow of visitors from outside to the cabins. Only campers allowed on the island will be groups from LL Bean because they contain their own lot.
No update on stuff like summer music series or museums yet but I expect those to show cancellations over the next few weeks. Heck only knows what this will do to stuff like whale and puffin watch boats. Monhegan may be OK to visit but I could see limits on boat passengers thatâll make the reservation much more challenging.
It is coming to me that this season, should I get it, will require more books than usual because of fewer evenings out. Probably should invest in a few jigsaw puzzles.
If they open with the restrictions I expect, I frankly donât think this season will be much fun for someone who is newer to the area or coming for the first time. Or arriving with young kids that need activities other than swimming, boating and old fashioned croquet. Where I go is all old hands, mostly literally, and itâll take more than a season of limited options to stop us. But the cutbacks may do a hell of a job in more congested spots like Boothbay Harbor or Camden, where a good bit of the downtown has traditionally had stuff for family activities.
On the old age theme, I would love to hold onto the illusion that I will never have a time in my life where I will still need a certain quality of activities but have to give up on my current options living alone. But after losing a husband to cancer and 24 years of increasing needs for support with my stepmother, that is a fantasy I canât maintain. I seem to keep recovering from things so need to be living somewhere supportive of increasing fraililty in the next decade. In fact that is a major part of my cat equation. The calendar will be set by when I am past needing to house two of them.
Rookie,
Iâm not familiar with Rustyâs (unless thatâs what used to be known as "Snuffyâs), though there are quite a few bar/grills along the river that offer some promise of a launch - some for a fee. Theyâre closed though. I donât know how likely it is that youâd get towed away for parking in their lots. Perhaps sharing what Iâve seen along the river that might still be usable would be of use to someone hereâŚ
I had business in Sauk City yesterday and took a little exploratory drive while I was at it. In Sauk Prairie the launch at Veteranâs Memorial Park is available for $5. In Sauk City Riverfront park has a canoe launch that looks usable and free. The Mazomanie launch next to Blackhawk Rentals on County Y looks usable for a $2 fee. The launch north of Sauk City on Luederâs road is closed and gated as, of course, is the old nude beach access on Laws road. The launch at Cedar Island near Arena is posted, as is the launch at the Hwy 14 bridge just before Spring Green. Ferry Bluff is closed. The landing/trailer park that belongs to Traders (near Helena) looked usable but the bar was closed and I donât know where one would ask permission to use the landing - it looks like some work is being done down by the landing and it would probably be unwise to park anywhere near where the bulldozers or whatever might be operating. I didnât go any further downstream this time so I canât say with certainty what else is currently usable.
As of right now Iâm assuming Tower HillI and Peckâs landing at the Hwy 23 bridge will be closed. The landing at Shiffletâs (AKA Bobâs Riverside) on the downstream side of Spring Green is a likely possibility to be open but I wouldnât count on the bar/restaurant/bathrooms to be available.
So it looks like one could certainly paddle from Veteranâs memorial in Sauk Prairie to the Mazo landing on Co. Y. Thatâs a pretty sorry little 5.5 mile paddle with developed shoreline all the way, but its something⌠If Traderâs landing is usable it would kick that up by 13 miles of pretty remote river.
BTY, the only boats I saw on the water here were small motor boats with fishermen.
Maine coast there sounds like a good summer vaca this year for adults who want peace, less crowding, less kiddie craziness.
If they are allowed to rent at least for July and August, and looking at tax bill cycles in Maine I gotta think the reins have to come off for just that part, itâll be very peaceful.
It should be noted that people are usually going on vacation from a hectic spring and early summer⌠which is not going to be the case with the shut downs. So some may feel that paying rent to get evern more peace and quiet away from home is a little too much. 
I donât think anyone makes it out of this summer in robust shape.
I just scanned stories on a couple more states, and CT is already talking about extending restrictions into June. Massachusetts is still running on the hot side and probably is thinking of same. If the heavy duty lockdowns go into late June they are hardly going to have the lid fully off by the rest of the summer. So there may be a lot of coastal communities that allow rentals but renters will be without many of their normal entertainments.
