First Trip of the Year With My Daughter

I am so excited! The weather is finally warm enough to bring my 6 year old daughter back out with me. Although the water is still chilly, we set out on a nice paddle along Pistakee Lake and through the Island just off the point. The Chain-0-Lakes is at "no wake" due to high water, so this is a perfect time to enjoy it via canoe!

The water was pretty smooth when we started and as we crossed the first bay, the wind kicked up a little. It slowed us down, but it wasn't enough to make us turn back. As we rounded the point and headed East, the wind was coming right at us from the bow. It made it pretty tough, but it wasn't a long paddle to the island we were going to cut through.

Once we got into the island (don't know if it has a name) we were able to relax and float. The water is pretty high on the Chain of Lakes right now. It was touching some of the older homes on the island. Some of the homes looked like they had been abandoned for decades, but then you would notice that the shades looked new in the house... it is an odd and interesting little area.

We came across this interesting vintage boat tucked up on the shore. It was rusty and very cool looking, but I have no idea what it was. I didn't see a boom on it, but it may have been removed. None the less, it was cool to see.

Back in another channel on the island, we came across some more interesting things. The houses were so close in this area, the folks made a boardwalk to connect the shoreline. There was one section that looks like they parked a house boat across a channel to connect 2 sections of the island. Back in this area I saw a fish jump from the water. It looked like a huge carp, but it happened so fast, I am not sure. I had never seen a fish jump as I was watching. I usually only catch the end of a jump or the splash. It was very cool to see the whole breach.

On our way back to the put in, we had the breeze at our backs and the water was smooth. It was pretty cloudy so we were not able to watch the sunset, but the pleasurable water made up for it.

We hugged the shoreline back, to stay out of any wind. The water about 30 feet from shore was perfect. We just slid through it. I also had to stop and show Kiara, my daughter, that there was a McDonalds that was accessible by water. Until she saw the arches, she was not believing me.

As it started to get darker, we decided to stay on the water a little longer. We tossed on the nav lights and paddled around Trinski Island on Pistakee Lake. It is just South of the rt 12 bridge. You will recognize it by the steel sea wall that is around it.

This was a great trip and even though it was almost the same trip that I took a few weeks ago, it was even better going with the kiddo. I am glad that the weather held and we were able to turn the nav lights on and extend the trip into the dusk. I can't wait to get out there again!

Paddle to Redhead Lake

There is a little lake on the Chain of Lakes called, Redhead lake. You don't see many power boats out there and it is tucked away from the wind and waves. This was my first time paddling to Redhead. I dropped in at Lighthouse Marina just south of rt 12. I only had 2 hours before the sun disappeared, so I decided to see how close I could get to making it to Redhead.

With the weather starting to warm up, the smooth water, and the amount of seagulls that were out; I didn't feel that I was paddling in Northern Illinois. While out on this trip, I only saw 2 other boats. That is going to be changing VERY soon. I don't think I have many more "calm" paddles out on the chain o lakes this season.

Right at the channel that heads to Redhead Lake, there was this little break in the cat tails. I tried to float into it, but the water was only a few inches deep.

And here we are at Redhead Lake. While I sat here, I saw 3 good sized fish jump with in 10 feet of my canoe. It was pretty cool to see. The water was so smooth, I didn't want to disrupt it with my paddle.

I did not bring any nav lights, so I had to start heading back to the Marina before the sun set completely. The best part of heading back into the sunset was being able to WATCH the sun set the whole way back. It was a great start to the season to see a sun set from the water. I don't know why, but there is a difference between watching the sun set from the shore and watching it from a canoe 2o feet from shore. The difference is HUGE!

While in Redhead lake, I noticed that there was a boat launch and parking lot on the shore. I am going to be searching out how to get to that park via land and launch there next time. I don't know if it is a neighborhood park or public, but it would be a great starting point for a paddle. Just paddling Redhead lake and the channel that connects it to the Chain would be a nice relaxing time also.

The Bridges of Boone Creek

The theme of this trip was BRIDGES! In the 1 mile stretch (one way) I passed under 6 bridges. What was cool was each one was a little different. They also got smaller as I went deeper into a neighborhood and further up Boone Creek. Now, even if you live in Mchenry, you still may never of heard of Boone Creek. It is a tiny little creek that connects to the Fox River just south of rt 120. I launched from Watertower Marina and headed south into the creek.

There is a newly renovated area right as you enter the creek called Riverwalk. It is a very nice section of the river and there is a fountain in the channel during the summer season. The rocks that they placed at the river bank make for a very scenic paddle.

The bridge at Green Street is pretty cool. It is low and pretty wide so you kinda feel like you are paddling through a cave. It is very calm and quite in this section of the creek too. Once you go past Green street, you start to get really hungry since all you can smell is food from the local restaurants. As you come up to the second 120 bridge, the scenery goes south.

The creek gets really shallow as you go under 120 for the 2nd time. There is a channel though that zig zags back and forth up the creek. It was pretty easy to follow the water flow and the channel. This section winds through a little neighborhood and the creek splits.

This section heads west and gets very shallow. I was able to get under this last bridge but not much further than that. The water was moving quick and it was only about 5 inches deep. It would be a great section to pole, but I have never tried that. I am now interested in practicing this summer though!

The trip back through the neighborhood was very quick. The current was moving and I was able to stay in the deeper channel.

This is what I was talking about when I mentioned that the scenery went "south" after the rt 120 bridge. This is in the older, downtown section of Mchenry and obviously isn't a frequently traveled section of the creek. The hill side was full of trash and there were old tires and debris at the shoreline.

You can see in the center of the picture above, a submerged wheelbarrow that seems to have been there for a LONG time. It was not the prettiest section I have paddled, but it was interesting to be in "urban" area like that.

Once back out on the Fox River, I made my way back to Watertower Marine. A lot of these marinas have been here for decades and it is cool to see that they have not changed much. Miller Dream Marine is one of the buildings that look like a movie set. It's cool to paddle past and feel that you went back in time. There are a lot of cool sections on the Fox River that have some great history to them.

Back at Watertower marina, it is easy to get in and out of the water. There is never anyone there so it doesn't seem like you will get hassled.

McCollum Lake, IL

This was my first time out on McCollum Lake. It is a nice quite lake that is good for a few hours of paddling. I was only out for a little over an hour and I made it around the lake once at a very slow pace and then floated out to the middle of the lake.

As you can see, the water was flat as could be. There was a breeze from the east, so I really didn't notice it till I got to the west side of the lake. That's when there was some very minor chop.

This is a great little lake to go hang out on. There is plenty of cool houses to look at and the lake gets very shallow near the shore. The cat tales take over in the summer so the usable area of the lake gets considerably smaller. I launched at the Petersen park area and that stays pretty open and cat tail free, but there is a 50 yard portage from the lot to the lake.

If your in the area, I would diffidently hit McCollum lake for a nice relaxing paddle. There are other lakes in the area and you have the Fox River nearby, but there is no user fee on McCollum and I don't see it getting crazy busy in season.

My Nontraditional Gear

I am not interested in being the most traditional paddler on the water, I am just looking to be out on the water.

Like all sports, there are the traditionalists and there are the folks that just like to play the game. Paddling is no different. There are a million products out there that are lighter, more agronomic, faster, warmer, thinner, smaller, ect ect. At this point in my paddling experience, I don't have the funds to spend on the sport, so I use what I can to enjoy the peacefulness of the water.

At this point, I have about $300 into EVERYTHING that I take out on the water with me (including boat). I would love to have nicer gear and a super cool boat, but, I have what I have and I love it.

Here is what comes out with me on the water this time of year.

• Carhartt Rain Jacket with wrist closures
• Carhartt PVC coveralls
• Chemical Handling Gloves (waterproof and warm)
  
• Dry Bag with change of clothes and a towel
• Blanket to kneel on (it feels like sitting in a nest)
• Kayak Paddle
• Water Bladder Backpack
  
• Neoprene Ski Vest (PFD)
  
• 1979 Thin wall Canoe
• Homemade Portage cart if needed

I love canoeing and I don't mind that I have an odd set up. I am sure I am not the only one that packs some unique gear.....so what do you carry with you that is "out of the ordinary"?

Morning Paddle

There is no better way to start the day than a nice calm paddle. There is no other way to end a day or break one up either, but today was a morning paddle. I was able to get out of the house and be at the river shortly after the sun came up.

I could not have asked for better weather and water for this time of year. There was a breeze, but nothing that mattered much. I was the only one out on the water other than the geese and ducks.

This was the furthest that I have made it up this section of the Fox River. About 3.5 miles north of rt 14, there is a nice cove that has a lot of birds and there is a little creek. I was able to get up the creek a few hundred feet before I came to a homemade dam. It is a very cool, tight creek that travels through some low lands. I was going to portage over the fallen trees made into a dam, but there wasn't much further that I could go after that.

Slightly further north, there is another little cove that has an opening at the back. That then opened to another little cove and a small creek that I was able to follow back to some marsh land. The water in this area was very clear and fairly shallow. There wasn't much to see underwater this time of year, but it was cool to see the landscape of the river bottom.

As always, it seems, the paddle back to the put in was completely different than the trip up river. The wind had picked up and there were some sections that it pushed my canoe around pretty good. I have gained some technique with the kayak paddle that I use and can get the bow of the boat right back where it needs to be quickly. I love the feel of the large canoe and the challenge that it gives me some times. It makes me feel that I am on a serious adventure.

As I came around the last bend, the river was not done with me just yet. The wind coupled with the river and sent some good rollers down the center. I crossed the river and caught some good waves head on. Again, I was able to keep the bow in the waves and rode them out successfully. There were a few that had me concerned, as they were some of the largest that I have navigated, but I was able to gain ground and pass through them.

I love the ever changing feel of the river. You can hit the same section of the river numerous times and it will never be the same trip. There is always something that stands out on the trip that makes it different than the pass before. Each bend in the river is a new chapter in the trip and you never know what is about to unravel. Sometimes it is predictable, and others it is nothing that you could have imagined.

Lily Lake

This was my first time out on Lily Lake in Lakemoor, IL. There is a pretty small window to paddle this lake because it does live up to it's name and is filled with lily pads in the summer. Even this early in the season you can see the root systems out there.

This is a fairly small lake and I figured it would be a good place to kill some time and take it slow. I got out there about an hour before sunset and caught some pretty calm water.

There is a point that out pretty far at the south end of the lake. The wind picked up when I got to this area and coming around the point was a little challenging. Once around the point the water and wind calmed down again.

The south east corner of the lake is where the real gem is at. There are two channels that come off the lake and take you into a cattail dream. The water was super smooth for me in this area. I was visited by a couple muskrats, some geese, and a heron. I was also joined by another person enjoying the view, just from a different angle.

The first channel that I explored ended in a cove that I almost felt bad paddling in. The water was so smooth I didn't want to ripple it. It was so quite and peaceful in this cove that I felt like I was the only person in the world.

The water was high enough that I could sneak across into the other channel.

This channel seemed to just keep going until it came to a small culvert under a bridge. I don't think I have seen houses this close to water before. There was one house that was less than 5 feet from the creek. There has to be some risk in having the water that close to the house, but then I also imagined being able to be from the couch to the canoe in about 30 seconds. I think that would be pretty sweet!

I will definitely be out on Lily Lake again. It is only about 5 minutes from my shop and that back section is a dream to paddle. If you are in the area, it is well worth the put in.