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.
I like your writing style. I didn't know that about Picnic Grove Pk. Very interesting. I put in there almost every week. I like it better as a put-in over Lions Pk. because you can park closer to the river. In my old age that's becoming more important. :-) I've been in Beaver cove several times but I had no idea you could paddle all the way around the island in high water. I didn't even know it was an island. The best part of the Fox in that area is just upstream about 3 or 4 miles from the ski jump. You'll have to check that out next time you are in that area.
ReplyDeleteI love your site! I just purchased a Kayak and was looking for some great places to paddle. I love your descriptions, pictures, and route maps. I live within walking distance from the Fox River in Fox River Grove. If you see a guy walking while pulling a Kayak in FRG, it's me! I was surprised to see that you put in at Lions Park because I thought there was a sign that said Water/Ice access prohibited. I don't want to get in trouble, but it would be an awesome put-in for going southbound towards Algonquin. I was just at Beaver Cove, but I was too busy dodging trees that I didn't even notice the Beaver signs.
ReplyDelete