Its a good idea
I have three or four for Maine because some are out of date. Paved roads don’t move much but logging roads are sometimes gated and bridges removed when logging is done. Its nice to know where before you spend hours in the woods only to come upon a barricade.
The Lower Wisconsin river
The lower Wisconsin river from Sauk City down to where it meets up with the Mississippi river is a great slow paddle and you can camp on numerous sand bars on the river.
Maligne Lake, Jasper National Park
This lake is more beautiful than the Bowron loop. There is a launch (and the only access) at the North end, with campsites at the 3 km mark (new), 14 km point, and at 22 km at the end of the lake. Each campsite has gorgeous views and about 8 tent pads, though the view at the end of the lake is particularly outstanding. There is also hiking available. Booking is mandatory. September is not as busy, but if you need to go in July/August you must book in advance, particularly for weekends. However, in over a dozen visits there, I have found that many people cancel, so the campsites are rarely crowded. Furthermore I have never had a problem with bugs. Beware that water filters clog quickly with the glacial silt in the lake/streams.
enjoy.
Jack’s Fork & Current
We did two days on the Current and 1 day on Jack’s Fork – just last week. The temps were in the low 80’s, no rain. While the river was low, we were able to paddle through. No other kayaks on Thursday on Jack’s Fork, on Friday one paddler stopped on a creek bank on Thursday with two jon boats on Current River (Round Spring campground to Two Rivers). On Saturday(Pulltite to Round Springs) we saw canoes, but no one on the river as we paddled. Two camps located on fast water bends were cleaning up after breakfast – canoes on the banks (3 guys in each party). Migrating bald eagles, particularly near Two Rivers – 6 of them at one count. Early morning, otters in the river and a 6 point buck swimming across the river when he spotted us from his position below a bluff. Big Blue herons, green herons, kingfishers. Lots of fish in water – some 13-14 inch long. Clear water, nothing over class 1 rapids on both streams (quite a few on Jack’s Fork).
National campgrounds all had lots of vacancies. If sound affects your sleep, don’t get a near-river spot when boats are out at night gigging for fish (from Round springs downriver.) They sound like a muted variation of our Florida air boats which will keep you up all night.
We ate out one night at Ruby’s T&T Family Restaurant in Eminence. We were surprised at the portions and the low prices. A sirloin steak (about 8 ounces) for $10.99 with baked potato and salad bar. Don’t recommend the breakfast pancakes – large and heavy (a little bit of beaten up egg white would have helped the dough). They open at 7am even on Sundays, but close earlier after Labor Day.
These were beautiful and fun waters to paddle.
When you do the upper Missouri in September (after retirement), you might want to go through the Missouri Ozarks on your way back to North Carolina.
Used Windy’s in Eminence for shuttling our car to take-out. They were on time and gave great service.
Big Piney
Did the Big Piney two years ago in mid-June and we were the only ones on the river (mid-week) except for the guy fishing from his jon boat at the put-in (near Leonard Wood). River was running fast enough that we could have done twice the distance. This was a year of drought in the Mid-west and we were happy to find rivers to paddle in Missouri after finding the Red River in Kentucky dry. We also found the Little Missouri in North Dakota more like a hiking trail in mud – Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We always plan on a lake back-up in cases such as this.
While many who have responded prefer to travel fewer miles to paddle greater miles, if you’ve got time and don’t mind going on state and county roads you’ll come across gems of places to drive through. We appreciate far more than when we used to fly the differences in our continent and also the similarities.
Towns destroyed by pre-civil war bushwackers and restored, grist mills that can’t stay alive because of a change in agriculture, beautiful old buildings, some abandoned but still standing. If you like history, natural history – this is the way to travel and paddle.
That one is a beauty
The glacial tones are similar to what you see in some of the rivers up there.
Lower Wisc. and Maligne lake sound great
Thanks, QCHiker and Northyak.
I am keeping a list on paper of the great suggestions given me here. Actually writing in the back of “Paddling Eastern North Carolina” by Paul Ferguson, my bible.
Cheers,
G in NC