<![CDATA[Illinois Paddle - Blog]]>Mon, 31 Aug 2026 13:57:11 -0500Weebly<![CDATA[Wisconsin River: Dells]]>Tue, 04 Oct 2022 05:00:00 GMThttps://www.illinoispaddle.com/blog/wisconsin-river-dells7030986This past long weekend was 4 days and 402 river miles of the Wisconsin river. With a group of 4, we went from Castle Rock to Portage, WI. This featured the Wisconsin Dells, the most scenic river spot within 3 hours of Chicago. We went at a slower pace, to allow extra time for exploring and relaxing. The river was also very low, so we didn't have much help going downstream.

For transportation, we dropped our boats and gear at the start and left a person. We then drove to Portage (about a 45 minute 1 way trip) and parked in the public lot. We then hired a taxi that took 3 paddlers back to the start. That way, we could paddle downriver and have our cars waiting for us at the end.
Day 1:
Great weather and some solid scenery. We passed through a few canyons, and got out for an impromptu hike. We found cam on one of the many islands before the river opens up into a bit of lake, just before Witches Gulch. This is important, because there is no spots for camping once you pass this area.

So nonetheless, we found a good island campsite and called it a night. 
​
Day 2: Was comprised of 3 segments. We went very slow and explored the dells in the morning. Then we had a nasty portage around lunchtime. We then floated about 4.5 miles to a woodsy beach for camp on day 2. We covered just 12 river miles, but it wound up being a long day.
Day 3: we just took our time exiting the dells and enjoying the sand. We took a few breaks and eventually found camp on a great sandbar. 
Day 4: originally we planned to go further, but then realized the water was so low it would be hard to make it before bad weather hit. We had an unexpected portage at the end, as much of the river was so low that sandbars prevented us from taking out at the actual take out. It wound up being short, but we beat the bad weather and had a nice pizza at the end. 
]]><![CDATA[Fox River Kayak-A-Thon]]>Sat, 18 Jun 2022 05:00:00 GMThttps://www.illinoispaddle.com/blog/fox-river-kayak-a-thonOn this day, I shot big. For charity, I attempted to paddle as many Fox River miles as I could in one day. Starting in Algonquin, I was going to hit many dams. My goal was 35 miles, but somehow I pulled off 51. I hit the water at 6am, and ran the river until around 8:30pm.
Portaging:
Typically it was a nice break to get out and stretch. The 3 exceptions being Elgin, St. Charles and Aurora. Elgin is annoying to have to wheel out past the library and main street through traffic, but that's quick. St. Charles took about 45 minutes, getting out on river right and crossing several roads, before putting back in over rocks. Aurora's take out was gone, so I had to scramble it up rocks, but then the put in was easy.

Sights:
So many of them! It was really cool to see all the individual towns along the riverfront.

​Flow:
Water level was low, but not atrocious. I maybe had a 1mph current on average. A few scrapes here and there, but nothing awful.
]]><![CDATA[Strainer on the Upper Iowa River]]>Tue, 03 May 2022 17:18:51 GMThttps://www.illinoispaddle.com/blog/strainer-on-the-upper-iowa-riverI recently attempted the entire Upper Iowa River from Lime Springs to Lansing. The entire stretch is 124 miles in length, with the last 8 miles being on the Mississippi. I attempted with 2 other paddlers, both of whom were very experienced. We packed our 7-days worth of gear, and tried to make the best of cold and rainy early May weather.

Unfortunately on our second day, we ran into a borderline impassible section of strainers that took out one boat and left another stranded with no option other than to get pulled into a spill. My boat was the only one that made it through the section, and that was pure luck. This section of river was deceptive, as the widest channel was also one that led into a blind curve that ended in a fallen tree strainer.

This section led to two boats being stranded on a cold and wet day, we had to contact the authorities for rescue. As we were in a valley with no cell reception, this proved to be difficult.  We had to make lots of quick decisions, and that led to all of us making it through this. No drownings, no hypothermia, no casualties. It proved to be a fantastic learning experience, and that wisdom gained is something to be shared. 
The Upper Iowa River is a very scenic river that flows along the border between Iowa and Minnesota. It is an extremely remote area, with bridges crossing the river only about once every 5 miles. The river is surrounded by 50 foot cliffs. As the river is essentially a valley in a very hilly area, there is very little interaction with mankind, even when it comes to cell phone reception. While the remote setting makes for excellent solitude, it can also make for extra danger should you find yourself in a situation where you need assistance.

In this case, going as a group, having proper gear and knowing what to do is what got us all out of there that day. We did not panic and make poor rushed decisions. We also had some great help and support from the local authorities. We were very fortunate.

To best explain the situation, I've assembled a video that shows this section of the river. 
This section was very challenging because there were multiple obstacles and details to be mindful of, all at the same time. When approaching that stretch, you have to dodge deadfall on the left while trying to scout the right. You then come to a stump, and the simple choice is to avoid it by going to the left and wider section of the river. Unfortunately, just past the stump is a strong current that pulls towards the left shore, and right into a fallen tree. By the time you pass the stump, you are in a strong current that pulls you into a fallen tree. The only way to avoid it is to go to the right of the stump, which is a narrow 3 foot wide path. Approaching that section on the water, the inclination is to stay left and go wide of the initial obstacle. Unfortunately, that's not the correct way of approaching this section.

As if that's not enough, There are 5 foot tall shores on the left side of the river. There's a couple of eddies with pools that you can cross into, but then getting back out of them forces you into the last deadfall.

All of that is to say, that day on the Upper Iowa was treacherous. In the group of 3, we had each other's backs. We would spot and point out hazards for each other. We stayed close to each other at all times, making sure we could communicate. We all had our PFDs on at all times on the water. If there was one mistake that we made, it was not wearing drysuits. We had raingear on, and kept a change of clothes accessible. In this particular instance, it was good enough. It could have been different though.
As we came into the turn, we would pass the first deadfall easily. We could see the current cutting left towards the second deadfall, but it seemed passible. Our multicolor boat went first, and quickly got pulled towards it. Shortly behind was me in my yellow boat. I went right of the stump, caught an eddy line and shot past the deadfall. Shortly thereafter, my boat got spun from the left, and I ran aground on the island. Our 3rd blue board saw what was happening and pulled past an eddy into a current-less pool on the river's left side.

Right away, I could see the multicolor boat was in trouble. While they tried to paddle out of it, their boat got taken sideways and flipped to it's left. Strong currents of river water  were filling the inside of the boat and pinning the paddler. There were a few panicked slow moving seconds when I wasn't sure I'd see them pop out. But they were able to undo their spray skirt and climb out on a branch. I told the blue boat to stay put, and then freed myself off the island. I quickly crossed over to the left side of the river, about 50 feet downstream where there was a slope I could climb. I jumped out and ran over to the multicolor boat. 

That paddler was hanging onto a tree, perched on a branch that was in the water. I quickly pulled them up. They were soaked, but dry from the neck up. They got out and caught their breath, their boat still caught in the tree. I quickly shifted to the blue boat. Myself and that paddler discussed trying to have them cross, but quickly realized that the leftward aim of the waterflow would just pull them into the deadfall. The 5 foot vertical slope meant they couldn't just climb out either.

 I ran back to my boat to grab my paracord and a tarp. The tarp was for the wet paddler, to help keep the cold air off their wet clothes. The paracord was to pull a couple bags of essential gear off the blue boat. After getting our GPS locator and a bag of clothes off, we opted to push the SOS button. The wet paddler was stable, but beginning to freeze. I found a route down the sheer shoreline and was able to climb towards the back of the blue boat. I used my feet to knock down sections that allowed for footing to be made. climbing slowly, I reached the blue boat paddler and helped them exit their boat. I then guided them to the lowest part of the shore, and helped push them up to the wet paddler. Once they were on the safe shoreline, I grabbed a few more bags out of the blue boat, and then climbed out to my two partners.

We began discussing subsequent plans. We quickly dug out dry clothes for the wet paddlers to change and start warming up. We used the communicator to send messages to the company's emergency dispatcher letting them know where the situation was at. After about 20 minutes, we began to hear sirens surrounding us. Being in a valley, there was not clear roads to us. Off on the other side of the river, there was a remote cabin in a clearing. Eventually, we saw a drone above us (good sign). A giant golf cart on treads (also known as a Gator) came down with a couple of firemen. I was able to signal them and talk to them across the river. Eventually some ambulances pulled down. I heard from the fire department that they were working on getting boats to us to rescue us.

The first one was a 4 seater long inflatable that looked like a banana. Two firefighters piloted it over to the steep shore. When they realized there wasn't a good way to climb up, I guided them down to where I parked my yellow boat. I took the two other paddlers down to the firemen, and then they took the banana boat back across the river. After they completed the crossing, I checked out the overturned multicolor boat. It was beginning to bend backwards into a U shape because of the force of the water.

After a few minutes, the next boat arrived with two more firefighters. It was a flat top motor boat, called an air boat. They came from downriver, and tried getting as close as they could. Because of the shallow water, they couldn't get more than 3 feet of the shoreline. So they held out a hook and I jumped aboard. They tried to maneuver the airboat up the river past the deadfall section. The first attempt, they hit some shallow rocks and it jammed up the engine. We began to drift downriver while the two firemen diagnosed and cleared out the engine. Once clear, the boat fired back up and they expertly guided it back through the narrow patch and to shore.

From there, I joined my other paddlers in a hot ambulance. They were doing fine, wrapped in blankets and sitting in the heat. We talked with the EMTs a bit while the fire department gathered our boats and gear. We sat there for maybe an hour, wondering if they'd be able to get it all.

Then an agent from the department of natural resources came to complete a report. He seemed happy to learn that we all had PFDs on and were able to stabilize until we could be saved. It wasn't his first time reporting something like this. I could tell he was relieved, largely stemming from how cool it was that day. 

After that, the fire department completed grabbing our boats and gear. We took a look through everything on a hillside.  The multicolor boat largely looked fine, as in there were no cracks. Just a few stretch marks. We gathered our clothes, some of which were wet. The fire department arranged to take our boats to their garage while we would try to arrange for a pickup of our cars (which were still at the endpoint, an hour's drive away).

The ambulance took us to the Super 8 hotel in town. We checked in. This poor girl behind the front desk was trying to figure out why 3 muddy paddlers were getting dropped off by an ambulance. We shared a bit of the story, and were fortunately able to get rooms that late in the day.

I was able to talk to our original guide and get a ride to the endpoint where our cars were stashed. On the way back, we picked up a few clothes from Walmart and some Casey's gas station pizza. It was the best pizza we ever had.

The next day, we gathered our cars and drove to the Cresco fire department. We were greeted by one of our rescuers. They were so nice, they emptied our boats and laid everything out to dry! We also got to talk with him for a bit about what went down the previous day.
​
Here we are discussing the incident with the Cresco Fire Department:
And here is a video of the Banana boat rescue!
Overall, we owe thanks to a lot of different people:
To the Iowa EMTs, fire departments, sheriffs, DNR agents, and anyone we missed, thank you for being great first responders. This includes folks from Winneshiek County sheriff's office, regional health services of Howard County, Harmony and Winneshiek County Ambulance services; Howard and Winneshiek County Dispatchers; Iowa DNR.

To Tessa and Colton of the Upper Iowa Resort, thank you for being a great shuttle and for taking care of us on short notice. We greatly appreciate your flexibility!

To Super 8 of Cresco, thanks for taking us in on short notice and dealing with the mud we dragged in. We needed to see someone with a smile on their face that day, and we sure got one!

To Zoleo (our GPS transponder provider), thank you for having a great product. Your product was tested in the heat of battle and it worked well. be proud of what you provide!

Finally, to our watcher upstairs. There were a lot of little things that went wrong that day. If just one more thing had gone wrong, the situation would've been a lot more dire. Someone was definitely watching over us that day.

With situations like this, it can be easy to armchair quarterback or second guess what we should have done in that situation. After talking it over with the authorities, revisiting the same spot on foot, knowing what we know now, I am not certain we could have done more than we did that day. The multiple obstacles are lined up in such a way that you naturally get set up to hit the last deadfall. The current was so swift, that you had maybe 5 seconds tops to scope out and evaluate which path to take. When it happened, we recognized we needed help and called for it right away. 

Could we have packed our boats a little lighter to be more maneuverable?  Worn drysuits? Waited for better weather? Gone with different currents? Yeah, absolutely. That's not the point in sharing all of this. The fact is, 3 very experienced paddlers got stuck in a borderline no-win situation.  If it wasn't for our collective experience and some good luck, the situation would have ended differently. Nature is a much more powerful force than mankind. We never got overconfident in our abilities, and still had great issue. Do enough paddling, and eventually something will go bad. But when that situation happens, have the right gear, training and mindset will make a difference. 

News Articles
http://www.crescotimes.com/news/upper-iowa-river-rescue-0​

https://decorahnews.com/news/4945/three-people-rescued-on-the-upper-iowa-river-with-the-help-of-a-drone/

Finally, here are some photos from the day:
]]><![CDATA[Rock River: Sterling to Quad Cities]]>Sat, 03 Jul 2021 05:00:00 GMThttps://www.illinoispaddle.com/blog/rock-river-sterling-to-quad-citiesThere is a Dam free 67 mile stretch on the lower Rock river, starting in Sterling and ending in Moline.​ Over the holiday weekend, I completed this paddle with a group. We found islands to camp on, and would paddle 21, 24, and 22 miles in 3 days. This was not a float trip.

We started in Sterling/Rock falls, just past the dam at Lawrence park. Our endpoint was Ben Williamson park in Moline, which is 2 miles upriver from the Mississippi. While we would have loved to have gone all the way to the end, there's a series of two dams in Moline, and we didn't want to push the trip to include an extra portage. Let alone on the final day after doing three 20-mile days in a row.

Water flow was solid, 1-2 mph at all times. This section did not have much bad wind, even though it is fairly open at this point. There are small towns along the way (like Prophetstown, Erie, and Cleveland that made for good water stops. There isn't much in the way of rock formations out this far.

Towards the end, as you come into the quad cities, does boat traffic pick up. In general, it was very quiet and remote. Overall, it was a great long weekend out on the water

]]><![CDATA[Fox River Trip Report: Overnight on the lower river]]>Sun, 25 Apr 2021 05:00:00 GMThttps://www.illinoispaddle.com/blog/fox-river-trip-report-overnight-on-the-lower-riverThis weekend, I did an overnight trip on the Fox River. It's the same 26 mile stretch from Yorkville to Wedron I keep doing. This time, we camped about 18 miles in, right by the Sheridan correctional facility.
Picture
Water level was low. We weren't paddling hard, and were loaded down with gear. The weather started off clouded, but then opened up to some nice sunshine. 
Our campsite was just south of the correctional facility fences on the river's left. It was a little muddy, but overall worked very well. 
Overall, it was good food, good weather and good company. 26 miles broke out to 18 day 1, and 8 on day 2.
]]><![CDATA[Fox River Trip Report: Yorkville to Wedron]]>Sat, 10 Apr 2021 05:00:00 GMThttps://www.illinoispaddle.com/blog/fox-river-trip-report-yorkville-to-wedronOn a rainy day in April, I paddled 26 miles on the lower Fox River. I started in Yorkville, and took out in Wedron. It was a cold and rainy spring day.  
My put in point was the Yorkville park district lot, past the dam and 47 bridge. My takeout was Ayer's landing, still closed for the season.
Despite it being spring, water levels were extremely low. I scraped a few times but didn't get stuck. There was next to no current.
The rain would come and go throughout the day. Overall, it wasn't bad. The sun would poke out to dry me off, then it'd rain again. 
]]><![CDATA[Trip Report: Yorkville to Wedron]]>Sat, 06 Mar 2021 06:00:00 GMThttps://www.illinoispaddle.com/blog/trip-report-yorkville-to-wedronFirst paddle of the year: I did the full dells run in a day. This trip consists of starting in Yorkville and paddling to Wedron. It takes you through the scenic dells area.
I started at the Yorkville rec center launch, just past the dam on the south side. I took out at Ayer's landing, who was still closed for the season.

The water level was a little below average. There wasn't a ton of current, nor wind to slow me down. I completed this paddle in 5 hours and 11 minutes. For a 26 mile paddle, that is right at 5 mph.
]]><![CDATA[Illinois River: Ottawa to Starved Rock and Back]]>Sat, 07 Nov 2020 06:00:00 GMThttps://www.illinoispaddle.com/blog/illinois-river-ottawa-to-starved-rock-and-back9472912On a unusually warm November day, I took a 17.5 mile trip down and back up the Illinois river, starting and ending in Ottawa, I paddled the 8 miles down to Starved Rock, came back up around Sheehan island to see Buffalo Rock, camped for the night, then came back the next morning. 

Going down and up the Illinois River at that spot is relatively easy. There is a very slow current, with the wind balancing it out. You have to watch out for speedboats, as their wake can cause issues for a small kayak. I typically don't do this stretch over the summer, because there are a lot more speedboats between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Again, it's  about a 17.5 mile trip if you take the scenic route around Sheehan island. 8 miles one way. There's overnight parking available in Ottawa, at the lot by the bridge on the north side of the river. I put my boat by the river, then park in a lot a little bit north of there to stay out of the way. Ottawa has a 48 hour parking rule, so you can leave cars there for an overnight. 

It's a very scenic area. You get to see two state parks and a ton of rock formations. There's a decent amount of wildlife. Plenty of seagulls, the occasional bald eagle, and flocks of pelicans. As long as it's not during the height of summer drunk speedboating season, it's a fun trip for most kayakers. Not the easiest paddle, but feasible if you have taken steps beyond being a beginner. 
]]><![CDATA[Upper Iowa River: Lime Springs to Decorah]]>Wed, 30 Sep 2020 05:00:00 GMThttps://www.illinoispaddle.com/blog/upper-iowa-river-lime-springs-to-decorahThe Upper Iowa river spans over 150 miles across northern Iowa and Southern Minnesota. It begins in Mower County MN, and flows through the driftless area, before feeding into the Mississippi. I attempted a 126 mile stretch of this, moving from Lime Springs to Lansing IA. Due to low water conditions, I only made it halfway, opting to end at the 60 mile marker in Decorah.
​I opted to park cars in Lansing, then hired a shuttle to take me and my boat to the start in Lime Springs. I planned out a 126 mile/9 day trip, which equates to about 15 miles per day. The shuttle company is called Off the Driftless, and has been in business for over 5 years. Rates were affordable, and the owner, Lee, was very friendly and knowledgeable.

To best paddle this section of river, the water levels in Decorah need to be at least 2 feet. Typically 2.25 feet is optimal. When I went, it was around 1.85 feet. This led to significant dragging. Partially due to the weight for 9 day's worth of gear. Overall, it made for a tough paddle, getting stuck constantly and trying to dodge obstacles. Previous trip reports made it seem like it'd be low but manageable. It was barely manageable. 

The trip was very scenic. Bluffs line a good portion of the river. There's plenty of hills, trees, animals, and all things nature. Arguably, it's the most scenic paddle in the midwest area. I love the WI Dells, but this had many more scenic spots. It an odd way, it became almost predictable. So much of the scenery looks like sections that came before, so there's a weird repetitive nature to that stretch of the river. It all blends together, rather than seeing lots of unique features.
​Day 1: 6 Miles. As the shuttle dropped me off, I didn't start paddling until 3pm. I went about 6 miles, for a slow 2 MPH pace. Starting in Lime springs, I found a shoreline to camp out in the middle of nowhere. There's a few camping opportunities early on, but no great sites.

Day 2: 12 Miles. This still took about 2MPH. Lots of dragging again. I found a nice grassy perch by a bluff to camp at.

Day 3: 15 Miles. The river started to get a little better. Still plenty of dragging and several hazards to dodge.

Day 4: 27 Miles. Finally got up to just over a 3MPH pace. This section took from 8-6 with several breaks. I did lunch in Bluffton. There was a big rapids section just past the Bluffton area. I saw Chimney Rock in the morning, poking out by a long stretch of cliffs.

There were no portages for this stretch. Besides the many times you have to get out and drag. There are a few tight turns with trees in the middle that you have to carefully maneuver around Three or four times, i opted to get out and walk my boat around obstacles, rather than try to paddle through them. 

Naturally, I want to go back and try the second half. Allegedly it gets much easier as it goes on towards the Mississippi. If you are interested in going, I highly recommend it.
]]><![CDATA[The Danger Of Dams]]>Fri, 14 Aug 2020 12:15:42 GMThttps://www.illinoispaddle.com/blog/the-danger-of-damsTLDR: Dams are dangerous, don't boat over them.

Some low head dams are tempting to go over. They seem small, fast, and navigable. They aren't worth the risk. Pictured is the Fox River's Carpentersville dam. There are 3 components to this specific dam that present serious hazards to a kayak.
Picture
1. The edge. Often times this is a bulge of rock that creates the rounded effect. In higher water, this is actually less dangerous. In lower water, a boat will often scrape this edge. If a boat doesn't hit it straight on, it can cause a quick flip before the boater hits the rest of the dam

2. The ripple. This is a shallower section going down the side of the dam. Because of the smaller slope, it looks navigable. Often times it's very shallow, but very fast moving. This means that if a boat hits it going anything from perfectly straight, it's an easy side flip. There is a powerful sweeping current, constantly forcing a boat and paddler forward, no matter how shallow it is.

3. The Hydraulic. Hydraulics are what drown people. It's a circular effect in the water where the top part of the river has a reverse current which pulls a boat back towards the dam. It's a strong current that's very difficult to fight.

Basically, if trying to run the dam, you have to hit it going 100% straight. If you don't flip hitting the edge or getting caught in the ripple, you may be able to paddle hard to pass through the hydraulic.But that's a big if. Paddling over a dam is less about skill and strength, and more about luck. It's just not worth it.

Make no mistake, there have been plenty of needless drownings on the Fox: https://www.dailyherald.com/article/20140421/news/140429807/

Here's a video of a similar dam trapping someone with a wish for a Darwin award:​
The killer part of every dam is the Hydraulic. Water will shoot straight down after going over the edge. It cycles back up in the boil, but then there is backwash that will pull objects back towards the edge. It is there that they get sucked back down again.
Picture
]]>