Beaver Cove

I was working from home and I kept glancing out the window at the nice weather. It called for me a few times until I succumbed to it's appeal and I was out the door. I keep my canoe and all my gear in the truck for this occasion. You never know when it's "go time".

I hit the Fox River in Fox River Grove Illinois. I put in at Lions Park, just south of rt 14. The wind was not too bad and the current was pretty calm, so I headed north on the river. I went about a mile and turned around. The park in the above picture dates back to the late 1800's where it was a luxurious get away. The Norge ski jump at the top of the picture dates back to 1905 and can be seen for miles.
There was a cove just north of the 14 bridge that had caught my attention. I glanced at it on the drive in and it looked like a nice calm cove to hang out in, so I decided to hit that on the way back.

On my way over to the cove, a friend that lives on the river spotted me and came out for a chat. He mentioned that the water was high enough that I could probably go all the way around in the cove area. This REALLY got my curiosity. I got into the cove and it was a lot bigger than what I had seen from the road. There was one island in the middle which broke the cove into a small channel that bent around the island.

There were a LOT of fallen trees in this area. They were large trees also. As I coasted deeper into the channel, it looked like I would have to turn around. As I looked further down the channel, I saw that there was a way around each fallen monster that lay in the water. I continued, passing over some really cool trees that were just inches under the boat. Some of them were so close that I had to drop the paddle and guide myself around the branches by hand and shift my weight in the canoe so i could get the stern over the submerged logs.

I came around the backside of the island and found what was one of the causes of the fallen trees. There was a huge tree that was taken down by some dedicated beavers. While I didn't see any beavers today, you could tell they were around. The mud was covered in foot prints and the area had a lot of hiding spots.

Heading back to the put in, you pass under rt 14 and the Metra bridge. It is a very cool old brick and steel bridge. Passing under it feels like you took a trip back in time. It is huge and intricate when looking at it from the water.

For being an impromptu trip, this little get away was a great paddle. If you are ever in this area, check out Beaver Cove and pass under the Metra bridge. It is worth it.

Icy Pelican Run

Being the first 60 degree day of the year, I had to be out on the water. With rain in the forecast, I hit Nippersink Lake first thing in the morning. There was a pretty good wind blowing and in this area, it can really make or break the trip. Even with a steady wind, I decided to hit the water.

Once out on the lake, I was able to hug some shoreline and find some channels to get into some calm water. Even on the open lake, the wind was not much of a factor for the first half of the trip. Any doubts that I should have been out there quickly fell to the wayside as I crossed up the west side of the lake. I came across a section that was still iced over.

This was my first time paddling near ice. The wind was blown right into my side and it wanted to push me into the ice, so that got a little unnerving. The sound that the slushy ice made was awesome. I have never heard anything like it. It was like a 'swoosh' noise that rose and fell with the waves. I could have sat and listened to that all day.

There is a section on this lake that is a sanctioned wildlife area. I came around the edge of the island and was met by about a dozen pelicans. Yes, pelicans. My first thought was, "Are those....pelicans? They can't be." I read later that there have been American White pelicans sighted in Illinois. Shortly after they flew away, a raccoon popped out of the cat tails.

The second half of the loop was not the most pleasant. It was all headwind and I was barely gaining ground. I learned a lot about paddling into the wind pretty quickly.

All in all, I was very happy that I made it out. The ice, pelicans, and calm water made it all worth while. And as crazy as the return trip was, it was a learning experience that I am glad I had. I took a couple waves that were a little spooky, but now I know I can handle it.

First Paddle of the Season

I officially started my season. It was a short trip, but it was just enough to get the cobwebs dusted off and to wet my thirst. I dropped in on the Fox River at Water Tower Marina in Mchenry. The air temp was about 40 and the water was.....well, cold. I was also exited to use my new gear on this trip! I had hip waders and new Carhartt rain gear. While the set up is a little on the heavy side, I am not a 'purist' and maybe I am still on the ignorant side. Either way, the gear did what it was intended to do....keep me warm and dry.

The water was absolute glass. I headed north and there was a small breeze once in a while. Nothing that was too overwhelming or cold. The river was moving pretty good. It was a steady decent paddle north. I stopped paddling at one point and lost about 300 feet with the current.

This section of river is all houses and piers, so I was doing some backyard gazing. This house stood out to me. I could feel that this place had some stories to tell.

The sunset was great for this time of year. But then again, a decent sunset on the water blows away a perfect sunset on land.

Water Tower Marina looked like a movie set. I was waiting for Jaws to start ripping out piers..

This was a short trip, but it was a great start to the season. It worked out to be a little less than 3 miles round trip. Since this will be my first FULL season on the water, I am going to keep track of miles paddled. So put 3 on the board!

Canoecopia '11

Having been in the paddling lifestyle for still less than a year, I can not claim to be an expert or even a know it all about the sports. I do know that Canoecopia was the place to be this past weekend. I was expecting a lot of kayaks and canoes, but what I walked into was way more than I was ready for. This was THE PLACE to see and touch anything and everything that the paddling world has to offer.

Now, I am still in the early stages of the addiction. I paddle a 33 year old fiberglass canoe that I paddle with a $40 kayak paddle. I have about $300 into my set up, including gear, and it is enough for me at this point. Don't get me wrong, if I had the expendable income, I would own a boat for every occasion and enough gear to survive in any conditions. What I am getting at is, I have enough to get me out on the water and I was not headed to Canoecopia to buy. I was headed there to be surrounded by the love of paddling. And that's what I found.

Here are some of my favorites from the show.

The first booth that caught my attention was PakBoats. This was my first time seeing a folding boat so it was pretty interesting to me. I had the misconception that folding boats were not very durable. After talking to some reps at PakBoats, I learned a lot about the boats they had. These boats are inflated pvc coated canvas on an aluminum frame. This makes them super light and sturdy. I am still shocked that a 17 foot canoe folds into a 37 inch bag. If space is a concern or you like to take your boat on worldly travels, this may be a great option for you.

The next booth caught the attention of our youngest paddler. Delta kayaks has a bottom window on a lot of their boats that would really be cool in clear water. Locally, it may not be the best option, but I could see it being really cool in the tropics or spring fed lakes. They also had some cameraman style hulls that were very interesting.

Now this is something that I have been interested in for quite some time. The little Teardrop trailers of the past are back and better than ever. While they look very basic, they are actually very well built and lightweight. As you can see, this one is loaded and ready for any type of adventure. I was shocked at how quite the camper was once you got inside. Even in a busy exhibit hall, the inside of the camper was quite and peaceful.....and that was with both doors open still! The one in the picture has the kitchen option on the back. Just like the ones of the past, this one has a tailgate that lifts up to reveal a full kitchen with a space for everything you need.

I think my favorite part of the show was the wood boats. I consider these boats more as Art than anything else. I could sit and stare at some of these for hours. There was one canoe that was dated 1870 and it was very cool to see the similarities to the modern wood boats. While not much has changed in the making of these boats, the art has definitely been refined.

Chesapeake Light Craft had a huge display of wooden kayaks and paddle boards. The skill and care that they put into these boats really shows. I would love to have one of these, but I would be to afraid to actually use it! I would just lay it in my living room and stare at it.

P&H Sea Kayaks had a huge display and it was very cool to be able to sit in all the styles that they offered. I have been around a few sea kayaks, but this was the first time I was able to sit in one and really get the feel for them. I could see myself paddling one of these for days on end.

Current Designs was also one of the major displays at the show. They had some pretty affordable boats if you were looking to get into kayaking. They seemed to have something for every paddler's budget.

My daughter loved jumping in and out of all the kayaks at the show. She got to see everything from tiny play boats that were as long as she is tall, to sea kayaks that she could lay in and not be seen. But that was not her favorite part. I could have left her at the ticket counter for the day and let her roam the maze they had set up.

We had a great time at Canoecopia and can't wait to go back next year. I learned some tips, got some info on paddle spots, and learned that the boat that I have is perfect for what I do with it. It gets me out on the water and I am comfortable in it. In the end, that's what really counts.

Hobie Kayaks

While at the Northern Illinois Boat Show, I stumbled across a booth with the Mirage Series kayaks from Hobie. The Mirage is Hobies' pedal series kayak. The system is pretty cool. I spoke with one of the reps at the booth and got to know more about the kayaks and the pedal system.

There were three models on display from the Mirage Series. They had the Outback, Adventure, and the Sport. The hull design of the Mirage series is what first caught my attention. While they did not have a pool at the show, you could tell the stability of these boats just by looking at them. The wide hull design had almost a tri-hull shape to it that gives these boats their stability. Hobie also used every inch of this hull. While most sit on tops are spacious by nature, the Mirages have storage all over the boat. Even the Sport, the smallest of the series, had 2 dry bag storage compartments built into the hull and rod holders. The rear of the kayak was all open storage with a bungee net. The Adventure and Outback has all the same features and a few bungee net pockets through out the seating area. All three have a twist rudder for perfect tracking and a sail kit option.

The Mirage pedal system is pretty awesome on these boats. It is a pedal system that has too "paddles" that cross back and forth. The idea of the mirage drive is that it allows you to fish or relax while utilizing your strongest muscle group to power your boat. The actual pedal system drops into the hull so you can remove it if you do not want to use it.

At the show, they had the Outback decked out with the sail kit and fishing poles all over it. This already large kayak was made even MORE noticeable with these options. The sail kit is about 10 feet tall and, coupled with the Mirage drive, really changes the way you handle these kayaks. Along with the sail kit, the Outback also had the electric motor option on it. This boat can really be anything you want it to be and can adapt to any type of paddler.