Well the rain went South, so I went North and had a great time on the water. This was my first trip on Nippersink Creek this season. I launched at the Canoe Base on rt 12 and headed up stream. I was the only one at the base...in fact, I didn't see another person for the 2 hrs that I was out there. It was great!
The creek had a nice current going, so paddling up river was slow moving. It wasn't a hard paddle though, just constant. This section has some shallow spots and a lot of fallen trees, but if you watch the current, you can find the deeper water.
This section winds all through the Preserve and then exits into a prairie section. The creek just winds back and forth on it's self, so you are constantly guiding yourself around turns. In the prairie section, the banks are very steep. It is a unique area.
Every time I paddle this section, I imagine coming around a bend to see a fat alligator sunning in the mud. The landscape just has that feel to it. With no trees and high, muddy banks, you don't feel like you are in Illinois at all.
As usual, the wildlife was the star of the show. A muskrat popped out of a hole and raced along next to me for a little section of the creek. Then, just as fast as he appeared, he disappeared into another hole. He swam really close at one point. It isn't uncommon to see a muskrat swimming in the local water....but a raccoon? That's a little unique. As I was coming up to one of the last bends, I saw something swimming across the creek. It sat higher in the water than a beaver or muskrat and as I got closer, I saw that it's tail was out of the water. It was a raccoon. He hit the bank and hauled off into the forest. It just goes to show you, you never know what you are going to see on the water!
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