This 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. 
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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. 

On 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.

There 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

This 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.

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.

On 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. 

First 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.

On 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.

The 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.

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.