tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36551394330162846602023-11-15T07:58:41.472-08:00Kayaking JournalThis blog is to help record my adventures and ideas toward kayaking.Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08564327214293904372noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655139433016284660.post-43633377393675796772012-11-28T07:41:00.002-08:002012-11-28T07:41:24.028-08:00The "Backwaters" of Fond du Lac<b id="internal-source-marker_0.5966848453972489" style="font-weight: normal;"></b><br />
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<span id="internal-source-marker_0.5966848453972489"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fond du Lac has been a place where I have explored many new locations to kayak and and enjoy the outdoors. With the help of my little map on google, I noticed a couple of rivers to trek up but when I accidentally zoomed in further, I noticed this fine line of water. It’s called Taycheedah Creek.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Beautiful little creek especially right after spring. It’s a narrow creek about 12 feet wide. It was enough space for me to turn my 9.5 feet kayak around to go back for pictures. It’s also very shallow, about 1-3 feet deep. The dimensions are not the reason why I have written about this creek though. The reason why I focused on this site was because of the simple fact that not too many people know about it nor pay any attention to it as a possible place to kayak. I was shocked when I asked a kayaking friend of mine if they have ever been in the back water and they just looked at me. “You know, Taycheedah Creek?” I got nothing but a deer in the headlight look from them.</span><b id="internal-source-marker_0.5966848453972489" style="font-weight: normal;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This little spot of water holds a “Hall of Nature” feel to me. After I came in the west side of the creek I had a view from the water that looked like looking down a hall to a very large mansion. This hall held some beautiful images of nature than couldn't be held in a frame. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">During the full trek, there is one place where a kayak might get hung up for a little bit, where the two creeks intersect, but nothing a little scooting couldn't handle. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I highly recommend exploring the creek that intersects with Taycheedah Creek if for nothing else, just to see the different area and experience the little babbling brook at the end of it. Just make sure your kayak is small enough to turn around, otherwise you will be paddling backwards instead.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Taycheedah Creek is an amazing little backwater to paddle down. You can witness wildlife such as deer, ducks, cranes and much more in this little place that is right on the southern side of Lake Winnebago. I highly encourage any novice to come down and get your feet wet in this little area.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></div>
Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08564327214293904372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655139433016284660.post-27884719521268220172012-06-14T11:08:00.001-07:002012-06-15T06:07:59.297-07:00Elkhart Lake, WI "Hidden Gem"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uCr0fwGU8Pc/T9iLWPUNThI/AAAAAAAAB4I/AAAwoYSajcc/s1600/Elkhart+Lake+Map.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uCr0fwGU8Pc/T9iLWPUNThI/AAAAAAAAB4I/AAAwoYSajcc/s400/Elkhart+Lake+Map.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Elkhart Lake, the "Hidden Gem." That is what a friend of mine told me when I asked about it. She talked it up as being that town in Wisconsin that not a lot of people know of and is a special place. Well Saturday, June 9th, I went to the lake with a friend and it started off to be a lake just like all other lakes I have been to. <br />
<a name='more'></a>But once I put my boat in the water <b>[Star 1]</b> and made my way into the lake, I was first amazed by the "under water forest" [<b>Star 5</b>] that you float over to get to the lake. It wasn't seaweed that grosses a person out nor was it underwater plants that were a pain to kayak through. They looked like an underwater forest with the top of the trees just barely touching the surface of the water. While I was floating over top of them I felt like I was flying or sliding over a crystal clear block of ice. I wish I had scuba gear to go down in the water to swim around the forest and see all of the cool things underneath.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MW8keSal30w/T9iIzhXuyWI/AAAAAAAAB34/bvej65fEmtg/s1600/DSC01703.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MW8keSal30w/T9iIzhXuyWI/AAAAAAAAB34/bvej65fEmtg/s200/DSC01703.JPG" width="200" /></a>After passing by the underwater forest, I made my way along the waters edge and trekked over to "Turtle Bay." Turtle Bay is a inlet on the lake that is very shallow and if you got out of your boat to stand up, you will be very surprised and sink in that "sand" that's underneath. It looks like a nice white sand but it is just a light color muck on the bottom. There are a couple of spot to dive and enjoy around there but that area is mostly for taking photos like the lily flower I took.<br />
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If you want to know of some cool places to dive and swim around, look on the map up above and focus on <b>[Star 3]</b> and <b>[Star 4]</b>. <b>[Star 3] </b>has a cute little fish nursery that you can swim down and see the little guys sitting in their nests. I wish I had an underwater camera to take a picture of the nursery and the fish in them but that will have to be a later birthday present. While underneath, just look around and you will see a lot of fish and different plants and structures. <b>[Star 4]</b> has a little structure to look over but otherwise it's an open area to just swim and see the bottom. In either location. make sure you have sandals or aqua socks on. The zebra muscles make it a little difficult to walk and if not the muscles, the rocks will do the same on your feet. So be prepared with foot ware.<br />
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Being that the lake is small, the waves don't get very large. We were out there on a windy day and the waves were very tolerable, though I did get a little wet with the water splashing, it was still fine to kayak. Here is what the water looked like on the Saturday and Sunday which were windy days.<br />
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After kayaking for 3.5 hours, my friend and I were getting hungry and thirsty so we decided to close the trip with a visit to the local tiki bar. The bar was called the Barefoot Tiki Bar. We were really hungry and couldn't decide on what to eat so we ordered a couple of appetizers. One was Nachos with Chicken and the other was Fried Cheese Curds. The nachos were so tasty and they also had a sour cream sauce that had cumin in it which made the sauce that much better. The cheese curds resembled a tempura style of batter which was the best cheese curds I have ever had. They were soft from the fry and delicate from the batter.<br />
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They also had a live band playing that night which just set the mood just right. The music that was playing was proper for the crowd and the nice little area that they had made it so the music was not to loud nor to soft. Barefoot Tiki Bar was a little slice of the tropics and I am definitely going back again for more.<br />
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And before I close this article, I just want to make one comment about the Mojito drink that we had. AMAZING!!!!! The drink had just enough of everything and was well balanced. I get a lot of mixed results from places for Mojitos but they took pride in the right amount of mint and alcohol.<br />
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<b>Video Review:</b><br />
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</div>Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08564327214293904372noreply@blogger.com0Elkhart Lake, WI, USA43.8333269 -88.017872943.8104184 -88.0573549 43.8562354 -87.9783909tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655139433016284660.post-38454838989192395822012-06-03T13:12:00.000-07:002012-06-03T13:30:32.965-07:00Rhythm is the secret<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_LCZq1Dkpq4/T7XwwjWEkJI/AAAAAAAABy0/BYN1LcsSwe8/s1600/IMAG1196.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_LCZq1Dkpq4/T7XwwjWEkJI/AAAAAAAABy0/BYN1LcsSwe8/s320/IMAG1196.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I went out on the water after lunch and slowly made my way up the East side of the Fond du Lac river. The water was absolutely perfect and the best part was that the weather progressively got warmer but not to warm. One thing I noticed while I was paddling, is that it really helps to have a nice rhythm. In life, rhythm can be essential to many things so why is paddling anything different. Establishing a pace is just like jogging or working out on an exercise machine. If you don't follow a rhythm it can actually make your workout or trek rather painful.<br />
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With that said, after rhythmically making my way up the east river......it was nice to just relax and coast back down the river with the little current that is there.<br />
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<br />Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08564327214293904372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655139433016284660.post-33528719755847949922012-04-09T09:52:00.001-07:002012-06-03T13:30:08.702-07:00Lifetime Kids Kayak (Update)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The other day I ordered two <span style="color: black;">sit-on-top kayaks from Walmart's online ordering store. The two kayaks came in quick and well packaged. The service was awesome and I knew where it was while shipping.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">I bought these two<a href="http://www.walmart.com/ip/Lifetime-Wave-Youth-Kayak-Yellow/16565223"> Lifetime Kids Kayaks</a> for my daughters who are 5 and 7. I was recommended this brand because they are very stable and ideal for kids. If you notice the back swim deck, it is designed for easy transition from the water back onto the kayak. All of the reviews say this is the best kayak for the money because of stability and easy of motion. The dimensions are 6' x 2' x 10". One thing I will recommend besides the boat itself, is to buy it through Walmart. They had the best price.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">I will be creating a rack for my car so I can take them all over alone with my kayak.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><b>Update!</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">I took my girls out on Lake Winnebago to try the boats for the first time. I was amazing! They took to those boats so well. They paddled like pros. </span><br />
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I will update this again with pictures of the girls and also an improved rack for my kayaks. I created a new method instead of what you see. I use a large noodle and a PVC pipe in the middle to assist in the strength.</div>Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08564327214293904372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655139433016284660.post-13649639553097440612011-12-20T07:31:00.000-08:002012-01-18T06:16:12.444-08:00Say goodbye to the warm weather and embrace the cold<span id="goog_108932054"></span><span id="goog_108932055"></span><br />
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Winter is upon us so what can we do to prepare for the kayaking season next year?<br />
1) Make the rounds at the gym to work on your endurance and stamina.<br />
2) Keep the healthy habits of stretching before paddling and just stretch to stay limber.<br />
3) Maintain the healthy diet you have been to keep your energy levels up.<br />
4) Keep an eye out for great deals for kayaking equipment.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Find a very nice sledding hill and keep kayaking during the winter. This winter I plan on going on the Buttermilk Creek Hill in Buttermilk Creek Park, Fond du Lac, WI. I have been down that hill many times and its a great safe hill for kids and adults. I plan on going on that hill a few times this winter and embrace the snow kayaking experience.<br />
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Once I have scheduled the time to hit the hill, I will keep everyone posted on the experience and fun.Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08564327214293904372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655139433016284660.post-33665785677869617762011-11-07T05:35:00.000-08:002012-03-22T19:55:13.171-07:00Your paddle, the multi-tool<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When kayaking, you can't carry everything that you would really want. Sure, you can bring a life jacket and some warm or cool clothes, depending on the weather. You can bring some little devices and some food for a long or even short trip....but you can't bring everything so you have to improvise with the tools you already have.<br />
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Some equipment that you bring can only be used for it's sole purpose. It's not like you can use a water bottle as a flotation device or a heart monitor and paddle. What you can use as a multi-tool is your paddle. Most paddles come apart in the middle so you have two paddles to use. I have used my paddle as an arm to help lift or bring things closer to me. I have also used it as an anchor and also as a plate for food. When I was on the Wisconsin River, I disassembled my paddle and turned it into an anchor when I was taking a break on the water. It became very helpful and hand because then I could get in and out of the kayak without having to worry about getting the boat off of shore.<br />
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The main point to this article is to get you thinking of different ways to use what you have for other purposes to achieve a light weight trip. MacGyver was my childhood hero....so that might have something to do with it.Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08564327214293904372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655139433016284660.post-3512049809361472602011-10-16T22:33:00.000-07:002012-03-22T19:56:59.775-07:00Have fun on the water but do it safely<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-02q9kcIvLfE/TmBNk2pMKOI/AAAAAAAABvY/Otai1jZnMyc/s1600/IMAG0658.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-02q9kcIvLfE/TmBNk2pMKOI/AAAAAAAABvY/Otai1jZnMyc/s320/IMAG0658.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Children grow up so quickly so I had to upgrade my kid's life jackets to something a little bit bigger. I went to FleetFarm and they still have a good selection of life jackets so I was able to find some that fit. I tried to find some that match so they were wearing the same color, but beggars can't be choosers.<br />
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It's very important to wear a jacket when kayaking, canoeing or doing any kind of boating. You never know what might happen, that a jacket might save your life. Whenever I tell my parents about my various trips, they always have to get that parental comment in of, "Did you wear a life jacket?" My comment back, as juvenile as it may be, is "No ma, I actually floated the entire trip upside down and smacking my head on every rock possible." She knows my sarcasm very well and would respond with, "Good to hear, I love you, you know that."<br />
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I believe it is located in the parental contract that the "Parent shall nag, bother and repeat parental comments to make sure that there child is save and alive." I know, because being a single parent, it is always on my mind.<br />
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One thing I will stress about getting the right life jacket, always read the instructions and buy accordingly to the weight restrictions. Even if they can still fit them, if they are to heavy that jacket will do nothing for saving their life in the time of need. A life jacket is an insurance policy. Even though you might never use it as it is intended, it will work to save your life when it is needed.<br />
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I wish everyone a <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">SAFE </span>trip out on the water.Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08564327214293904372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655139433016284660.post-61013756563801923002011-09-25T18:53:00.000-07:002012-03-22T19:59:10.304-07:00Lets see what happens<br />
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<center><iframe border="0" height="480" src="http://sportypal.com/Workouts/Embed/1493887?key=e994249abf186bf918cdf1ed3e1c52922501f2e2&ms=1" style="border: none;" width="480"></iframe></center><center style="text-align: left;">I went out onto the water with on thing in mind......to try out a 12' kayak and compare it to a 9.5' kayak. With my surprise, the boat handled extremely well. It was easy to turn around for it's size. The one thing that really sold me on the boat was the ability for it to go straight and fast with the same amount of effort as if I was paddling my own kayak.</center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XW0hThamLno/TlWgp1GVK3I/AAAAAAAABvY/ysed-JdLI80/s1600/IMAG0645.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XW0hThamLno/TlWgp1GVK3I/AAAAAAAABvY/ysed-JdLI80/s320/IMAG0645.jpg" width="191" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wQ8uOeLbDYA/TlWf-fuoVOI/AAAAAAAABvY/1c07E8JqhaY/s1600/IMAG0644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wQ8uOeLbDYA/TlWf-fuoVOI/AAAAAAAABvY/1c07E8JqhaY/s320/IMAG0644.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The boat also did a great job with the 'slightly' larger waves because it was a little wavy. The bow broke the waves and kept me dry...for the most part because the waves were pretty large and now and then a wave would make it's way into the kayak. Before I was able to make it to the Fond du Lac River, I had to empty it out because the boat stopped bobbing up and down.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yoin87LZffU/TmUpn5M1bfI/AAAAAAAABvY/a8r6lrX3nIg/s1600/IMAG0674.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yoin87LZffU/TmUpn5M1bfI/AAAAAAAABvY/a8r6lrX3nIg/s320/IMAG0674.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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With that said, I was very happy with that type of boat and my next kayak will be a 12 footer because though I love to have the ability to go anywhere with my kayak, I do like the ability to take long distant trips with the same amount of effort as if I was taking a short trip with my kayak. </div>
</center>Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08564327214293904372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655139433016284660.post-47535823410926985142011-09-12T20:35:00.000-07:002011-09-25T18:53:44.802-07:00Slowly out paddling with a friend and trying a Sit-On-Top Kayak<br />
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<center><iframe border="aa0" height="480" src="http://sportypal.com/Workouts/Embed/1468787?key=b6f43c32ecbb25a68ea36605818c91ef12849a57&ms=1" style="border: none;" width="480"></iframe></center><center><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">Went out with a friend for some mild paddling. We spent the time talking about some of the little water inlets on the lake and checked out one to see where it would go.</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">It's nice to spend time on the water with no agenda or goal or anything else driving you to be out their. Just sitting out on the water and listening to the waves splash and the peace and quiet that it brings, is just enough to relax from a day at work.</center><center style="text-align: left;"><a name='more'></a></center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><br />
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<center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">My friend let me take his Sit On Top 14' kayak out for a try and I will tell you one thing.....I have a completely new appreciation for Sit On Tops. It was easy to get into and you didn't have to worry about tipping over as much as a Sit Inside kayak. </center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">If you look at the lower part of my trek, I was all over the place. I wanted to test out the boat for speed and riding true. That boat went straight and it was faster than on my own boat. In my boat, I sit lower in the water which cause a lot of drag. When I sit in the longer kayak, it doesn't sit as low in the water which creates less drag.....even though it is probably displacing almost as much water it has less drag. Either way, it's a great boat and highly recommend one.</center>Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08564327214293904372noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655139433016284660.post-77605056913768450202011-09-01T20:00:00.000-07:002011-09-01T20:00:32.388-07:00Rain Rain Go Away.......Please?<br />
<center><iframe border="0" height="480" src="http://sportypal.com/Workouts/Embed/1428526?key=8e15b8a34b69033ed75ff4d8404a0ca41d2a0794&ms=1" style="border: none;" width="480"></iframe></center><center><br />
</center><center style="text-align: left;">I entered the water at the Hwy 45 Rest Area on the west side of the lake. I then made my way up north to the next island on the west side of the lake. I looked around the island but the bugs on it were pretty thick so I stayed in the water. I then started my way back and realized that behind me was a dark cloud slowly coming closer. I tried to paddle as fast as I could but I was about 1000 feet away from the landing when the wind really picked up and the waves started to get bigger. Luckily I was going with the wind, as you can see in the red, I was going the fastest at a point before the island closest to the landing. </center><center style="text-align: left;"><a name='more'></a></center><center style="text-align: left;">I was a good trip and I got a little wet while putting my kayak back on my car. After the to trek I wanted to end the night with some nice sushi from Festival Foods. They have the best sushi in the area that is quick to grab.....very fresh.</center>Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08564327214293904372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655139433016284660.post-85605252783000330062011-08-26T22:40:00.000-07:002012-03-22T20:01:34.882-07:00Family time is the most important time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K9TeSMtKaIU/Tlh1c_B76KI/AAAAAAAABvY/WLIbe-xlK7Y/s1600/DSC01547_Protected.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K9TeSMtKaIU/Tlh1c_B76KI/AAAAAAAABvY/WLIbe-xlK7Y/s400/DSC01547_Protected.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I have other articles that I wanted to write about, but this was one topic I wanted to bump to the top of the list. Spending time with family is so very important and teaching them ways to enjoy the outdoors is also very important. I try to show my kids that you can enjoy the outdoors by simply going out and looking around.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gPzeclDqFlM/Tlh3pw1ZqUI/AAAAAAAABvY/TfwRbXd_9e4/s1600/DSC01550_Protected.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gPzeclDqFlM/Tlh3pw1ZqUI/AAAAAAAABvY/TfwRbXd_9e4/s200/DSC01550_Protected.jpg" width="200" /></a>Today, we went out to the rest area on highway 45 which is on the west side of Lake Winnebago. The water out there is very shallow, 18'-24" deep, and warm. We saw a lot of seaweeds but my kids didn't mind walking through that since being in the water brought them closer to finding shells to take home. At first I pulled them, while being in my kayak, to the island where they got out and we walked around the island a couple of times to pick up shells. I thought they would be disgusted of the seaweeds but they thought it was cool and same as walking through tall grass. Both of them found a lot of shells and my oldest found one shell intact and it had a guest hiding inside of it.....it was a crayfish. We all laughed after seeing that.<br />
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My kids were so proud of what they found, just look, they have a permanent smile in all of the pictures. The sun was out this day and we enjoyed the calm protection from the wind and waves.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yG5jAg7w2ec/Tlh9976CYVI/AAAAAAAABvY/z_zPXRIoHlc/s1600/DSC01553_Protected.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yG5jAg7w2ec/Tlh9976CYVI/AAAAAAAABvY/z_zPXRIoHlc/s200/DSC01553_Protected.jpg" width="200" /></a>Then, to end the trip, my kids enjoyed paddling the kayak like a canoe. We also ended up at a friends house who lives just a couple of doors down from the island. But the best part of the trip was walking around the island look for shells and anything else that came across our path.<br />
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When having kids, it's best to show them the world and teach them all that is out there and everything you know. Our kids are our future and its best to show them everything you know, because if you don't.....who would you want to do it then?Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08564327214293904372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655139433016284660.post-55531189729725094992011-08-23T10:56:00.000-07:002011-08-25T15:42:15.335-07:00Southern Wisconsin River Trip<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Uo1ap7S2Wyg/TjjOyjcQCNI/AAAAAAAABi8/cjRBZCw7Gcw/s1600/DSC01456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Uo1ap7S2Wyg/TjjOyjcQCNI/AAAAAAAABi8/cjRBZCw7Gcw/s400/DSC01456.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><strong><u><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>How can I describe this trip in a reasonable size web page? Your guess is as good as mine. So keep reading and see how well I do.<br />
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I started this trip from Lone Rock, WI and went East, against the current, and ended up just shy of Spring Green, WI. The current was strong and if I figured correctly, the current was going about 2-3mph because I was going about a mile an hour. Sad, right? I marked out the trip on sportypal.com and it looked like this.<br />
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<center><iframe border="0" height="480" src="http://sportypal.com/Workouts/Embed/1409174?key=574546e434f9420b575d5fdba8eeb34de895a2d2&ms=1" style="border: none;" width="480"></iframe></center><center><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The start and end markers are reversed.</span></center><center><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
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The reason why I went up against the current on Saturday was because I didn't want to have to depend on anyone picking me up at the end of the trek. I wanted to go as far as I can and then coast back down the next day. I'm glad I did this because when I came back down I didn't feel like I was in a rush and had to be back at my car at a certain time.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>What did I do to get ready for this trip? Here is the research that I did which helped a lot.<br />
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<strong><u>DNR Visitors Article:</u></strong><br />
<span style="color: #0e774a;"><a href="http://www.lwr.state.wi.us/docview.asp?docid=11222&locid=50">http://www.lwr.state.wi.us/docview.asp?docid=11222&locid=50</a></span><br />
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<b><u>Equipment:</u></b><br />
Tent<br />
Sleeping Bag<br />
Frying Pan<br />
Knife<br />
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<b><u>Food:</u></b><br />
Bagels<br />
Water Bottles (gal)<br />
Bacon/Eggs<br />
Green Beans<br />
Peanuts<br />
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<strong><u>Map:</u></strong><br />
<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=216843745873237197963.000494e0d6e9c69a569ce&t=h&z=10">http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=216843745873237197963.000494e0d6e9c69a569ce&t=h&z=10</a><br />
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<strong><u>Flow Rate:</u></strong><br />
<a href="http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv/?site_no=05407000&agency_cd=USGS">http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv/?site_no=05407000&agency_cd=USGS</a><br />
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<strong><u>Launch Point:</u></strong><br />
<a href="http://travelingluck.com/North%20America/United%20States/Wisconsin/_5260764_Lone%20Rock%20Boat%20Landing.html#local_map">http://travelingluck.com/North%20America/United%20States/Wisconsin/_5260764_Lone%20Rock%20Boat%20Landing.html#local_map</a><br />
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Here are some more pictures of the trip on the way to the island.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ed0XuX31b2s/Tjjegv1FDsI/AAAAAAAABkI/GOxyR-mQWpQ/s1600/DSC01480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ed0XuX31b2s/Tjjegv1FDsI/AAAAAAAABkI/GOxyR-mQWpQ/s200/DSC01480.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After I got on the island I pulled my kayak on the short and fell over into the water. Two guys on the other side of the island thought I died and then noticed that I was moving. I was so beat and wanted to get out of the sun and cool down. The water was very refreshing and completely refreshing. The current wasn't refreshing but it was a nice sensation with the cool water to help cool me down.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here is a picture of my camp site:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O2G_KcsZz0Y/Tkc5EeYSBuI/AAAAAAAABmU/2e1yYuERd6s/s1600/DSC01485.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O2G_KcsZz0Y/Tkc5EeYSBuI/AAAAAAAABmU/2e1yYuERd6s/s320/DSC01485.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
The night was a little cool so a sleeping bag was worth having. The night was so quiet and peaceful......no words could best describe it.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t9Iaqm328TY/Tkc_9O3D5rI/AAAAAAAABm0/tvUYnl9hmdo/s1600/DSC01492.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t9Iaqm328TY/Tkc_9O3D5rI/AAAAAAAABm0/tvUYnl9hmdo/s200/DSC01492.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U0M3qeXQG0o/Tkc_06uXitI/AAAAAAAABmw/lgd64rsEbHQ/s1600/DSC01483.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U0M3qeXQG0o/Tkc_06uXitI/AAAAAAAABmw/lgd64rsEbHQ/s200/DSC01483.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br />
So then the morning came early because I was excited to start the day with a great breakfast.....bacon, eggs and bagels all fried together......can we say heart attack.......but it was worth it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-INJnS_h_-ns/TkdUg-k8IpI/AAAAAAAABng/Pd6AINpuWJ8/s1600/DSC01493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-INJnS_h_-ns/TkdUg-k8IpI/AAAAAAAABng/Pd6AINpuWJ8/s200/DSC01493.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V5v0sz5EsiU/TkdUqFfXCkI/AAAAAAAABnE/cobz9oJHWXs/s1600/DSC01494.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V5v0sz5EsiU/TkdUqFfXCkI/AAAAAAAABnE/cobz9oJHWXs/s200/DSC01494.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2NrVE_115KY/TkdUz860bgI/AAAAAAAABnI/Cp0AujqQygI/s1600/DSC01495.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2NrVE_115KY/TkdUz860bgI/AAAAAAAABnI/Cp0AujqQygI/s200/DSC01495.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AjE6GBmJLRc/TkdU9a8JPoI/AAAAAAAABnM/y6XTG85vvgw/s1600/DSC01496.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AjE6GBmJLRc/TkdU9a8JPoI/AAAAAAAABnM/y6XTG85vvgw/s200/DSC01496.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E0WflNvnnOs/TkdVG_6H_UI/AAAAAAAABnQ/U8dcfGPlKGU/s1600/DSC01497.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E0WflNvnnOs/TkdVG_6H_UI/AAAAAAAABnQ/U8dcfGPlKGU/s200/DSC01497.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FelZI1guMD8/TkdVRO-XepI/AAAAAAAABno/f4gUtqo259E/s1600/DSC01498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FelZI1guMD8/TkdVRO-XepI/AAAAAAAABno/f4gUtqo259E/s200/DSC01498.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br />
The river level dropped 12 inches during the night. I was warned to be careful where you camp because the water can raise or lower 12 inches in the night or throughout the day. If you are not careful then your kayak or even your tent might sail down the river without you knowing it so either way, make sure you tie your kayak to your tent.<br />
<br />
So after a good hardy breakfast, Ron and Hill wanted to hit the water. So I stowed all of my stuff back into the kayak and we went down the river. Since I went against the current for about 5 hours the day before, going down the river was awesome and very relaxing.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ICMo4LUZ-uo/TlPh23r3JUI/AAAAAAAABoU/2DUplgWEiWE/s1600/DSC01499.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ICMo4LUZ-uo/TlPh23r3JUI/AAAAAAAABoU/2DUplgWEiWE/s200/DSC01499.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pcr3XWT7R1I/TlPiYiRxphI/AAAAAAAABoY/ctarZjxgpG4/s1600/DSC01500.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pcr3XWT7R1I/TlPiYiRxphI/AAAAAAAABoY/ctarZjxgpG4/s200/DSC01500.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AiJ-nkS25KY/TlPif6ds1HI/AAAAAAAABoc/u7nNqTP4GmQ/s1600/DSC01501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AiJ-nkS25KY/TlPif6ds1HI/AAAAAAAABoc/u7nNqTP4GmQ/s200/DSC01501.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YPrmPUTKuTk/TlPimBZyMrI/AAAAAAAABoI/pGF3UWAeNDE/s1600/DSC01502.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YPrmPUTKuTk/TlPimBZyMrI/AAAAAAAABoI/pGF3UWAeNDE/s200/DSC01502.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--VERmaJZ6Q8/TlPisGBQwuI/AAAAAAAABoM/zanJvZhapns/s1600/DSC01504.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--VERmaJZ6Q8/TlPisGBQwuI/AAAAAAAABoM/zanJvZhapns/s200/DSC01504.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br />
I could have taken pictures none stop this way because I hardly had to work. We just tried to keep our boats straight and let the current take us down the river.<br />
<br />
This was a great trip and I look forward to doing it again this year before it gets to cold and the nice thing about this whole trip. It only costed me food and gas.....nothing else.<br />
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Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08564327214293904372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655139433016284660.post-24681819520148035832011-08-13T22:33:00.000-07:002011-08-18T10:23:11.069-07:00Attention! The first sighting of a croc on Lake Winnebago<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I00JGniD6Hg/TjrrUO2EStI/AAAAAAAABkw/lCoVKi7_TRg/s1600/IMAG0542.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I00JGniD6Hg/TjrrUO2EStI/AAAAAAAABkw/lCoVKi7_TRg/s400/IMAG0542.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One morning, I went out to enjoy the lake and saw this pink think in the distance so I thought I would check it out and help clean the lake. As I got closer, the pink thing turned into a very little crock shoe sitting on a lily pad. I'm sorry, I couldn't help but take a picture and think of all of the funny ways to tell this story: "What a croc!", "A croc was hiding between the lily pads!", "I saw a croc on the lake." and "You can walk on a lily pads but you can't walk on water." Needless to say, I kept myself busy with that one for at least 15 minutes. Good times! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">None the less, I picked it up to help keep our beautiful lake clean for our visitors and the wildlife. I would encourage everyone to do the same if you see any trash in the lake of on the rivers feeding the lake. I have picked up bags worth of trash while being on the lake.</div>Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08564327214293904372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655139433016284660.post-54478924273544557342011-08-02T22:48:00.000-07:002011-08-13T22:04:12.062-07:00Under Construction: Kayak trailer for my bike<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3O3KJlP7lQw/TixCWDJ4FWI/AAAAAAAABhQ/dCvhenMfDFM/s1600/IMAG0537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3O3KJlP7lQw/TixCWDJ4FWI/AAAAAAAABhQ/dCvhenMfDFM/s400/IMAG0537.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>What you are looking at is the work in process kayak trailer for my bike. The most difficult part that I am currently working on is the means to attach it to my bike in such a manner that it will be able to withstand long trips and to keep it away from the tire.<br />
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Here is another picture of the frame.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XwAJlle0E2I/TinDcSG2maI/AAAAAAAABg4/P8XnwAO1Jyw/s1600/IMAG0536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XwAJlle0E2I/TinDcSG2maI/AAAAAAAABg4/P8XnwAO1Jyw/s400/IMAG0536.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08564327214293904372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655139433016284660.post-21457051995730067582011-08-02T22:43:00.000-07:002011-08-02T22:43:43.238-07:00Sunday morning trek<center><iframe border="0" height="480" src="http://sportypal.com/Workouts/Embed/1382215?key=4bf26b322f9b7030205c743db1602d09b68bddd4&ms=1" style="border: none;" width="480"></iframe></center><center><a name='more'></a><div style="text-align: left;">I didn't have my camera but I used my phone on a couple of photos. One was lost my the other one is of an Eagle. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-27IP3aFNmHU/TixBo0LTIDI/AAAAAAAABiY/zeUq4Yufz3Q/s1600/IMAG0546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-27IP3aFNmHU/TixBo0LTIDI/AAAAAAAABiY/zeUq4Yufz3Q/s400/IMAG0546.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This trek was nice for the simple fact that I got on the water nice and early and when I was on my way back, the waves grew and helped me get back. It was a nice leisurely day.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></center>Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08564327214293904372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655139433016284660.post-43788128239428016472011-07-24T11:52:00.000-07:002011-07-24T11:52:09.413-07:00Hot air and warm water makes for a stinky trip......AC Please!<center><iframe border="0" height="480" src="http://sportypal.com/Workouts/Embed/1368241?key=06d213796d514862411c1d61a6a90cf1bc1def79&ms=1" style="border: none;" width="480"></iframe></center><center><a name='more'></a></center><center style="text-align: left;">So I had this great idea to go kayaking on a hot day and realized that not only was the air hot, but the water was warmer than normal. Because the water was warmer, anything that was in process of decomposing did so at a faster rate.......wow! So as I was going to Supple Marsh I thought it might not be a good idea but as soon as I put my paddle in the water and push down in the weeds, some major stink will come up. So I just turned around and came back home and chilled out.</center>Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08564327214293904372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655139433016284660.post-37362165629200831952011-07-24T11:35:00.000-07:002011-07-24T11:35:48.820-07:00Good hot day for a watery trip<center><iframe border="0" height="480" src="http://sportypal.com/Workouts/Embed/1357765?key=31d6329288178c4bec0dbcd850f736b03da37e89&ms=1" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;" width="480"></iframe></center><center><a name='more'></a><div style="text-align: left;">It was a hot day and the water was just calling me. The wind of minor but the water was cool enough that the air around the lake was nice and cool. If I stopped paddling, I would start sweating more. When I did stop to just look around, it was nice to just put my arms in the water and cool down. I wish there was a spot that was only two feet deep or so, just to take a quick swim. I want to go up further north to check that area out soon. We will see.</div></center>Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08564327214293904372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655139433016284660.post-29549383374644099472011-07-13T19:40:00.000-07:002011-07-13T19:40:12.690-07:00Simple Design, Yet EffectiveFrom time to time I have been using my Grand Prix to carry my kayak. Granted, I prefer to use my Honda Odyssey, but I can't have that all of the time. When I do use the Grand Prix, I will put my "Rope Bumpers" on the kayak so it will not scratch up the car.<br />
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It's a very simple design with only two parts.<br />
<b>Parts:</b><br />
1) Half of a Swimming Noodle<br />
2) Short Piece of Rope<br />
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Instructions:<br />
1) Cut the swimming noodle in half.<br />
2) Take a short piece of rope and fish it through the noodle.<br />
3) Place the noodle on the highest part of the kayak and wrap the rope around the kayak and tie it.<br />
4) Do the same for the other half.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
Now you should be able to slip them on and off and strap that kayak to your car without scratching it up. Here are a few pictures of what I have done.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FNx9ynN0J28/ThuanR93inI/AAAAAAAABgM/0ockvp2zU9s/s1600/IMAG0515.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FNx9ynN0J28/ThuanR93inI/AAAAAAAABgM/0ockvp2zU9s/s320/IMAG0515.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WesgmJdbasM/ThubHvR-HNI/AAAAAAAABgQ/D1DNDMEMxpo/s1600/IMAG0516.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WesgmJdbasM/ThubHvR-HNI/AAAAAAAABgQ/D1DNDMEMxpo/s320/IMAG0516.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wbBO3xupXsM/Thubctv9fVI/AAAAAAAABgU/zr7zR8uFfeA/s1600/IMAG0519.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wbBO3xupXsM/Thubctv9fVI/AAAAAAAABgU/zr7zR8uFfeA/s320/IMAG0519.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08564327214293904372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655139433016284660.post-16844191950130009072011-07-13T09:35:00.000-07:002011-07-13T09:35:45.425-07:00Getting Fond du Lac on the Paddling MapAround mid-June I wrote an article about the Fond du lac River and submitted it to Paddling.net website. They approved it and now it is available for all to see. They didn't post the image I was hoping for but it was still nice.<br />
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I am trying to draw more attention to Fond du Lac's kayaking resources because there are many places you can go to in the area as well as using FDL as the start of the trek.<br />
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Here is a link to the article:<br />
<a href="http://www.paddling.net/places/showReport.html?2938">http://www.paddling.net/places/showReport.html?2938</a>Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08564327214293904372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655139433016284660.post-65167274370452833422011-07-10T08:05:00.000-07:002011-07-10T08:05:17.533-07:00Mosquitoes.....Noooooo!<center><iframe border="0" height="480" src="http://sportypal.com/Workouts/Embed/1324392?key=aaf1dd0717c7a9247f2e97255f27ca0cd6936303&ms=1" style="border: none;" width="480"></iframe></center><center><a name='more'></a></center><center style="text-align: left;">I started late this night but at least I was able to explore the marsh more than last time. The water was very warm, almost like bath water. The carp, or some other kind of large fish, was hiding out in the Northeastern part of the marsh. My boat was hit about seven times by the fish but it was just cool to see all of those guys in the water. I wish I brought my camera but because it was getting dark I don't think I would have been able to get good enough pictures.</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br />
</center><center style="text-align: left;">It was just cool to see all of the fish there. That is one thing I like about Supple Marsh, always see the fish jump or swimming. Remember my pictures of the <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O1tKaOc9XKQ/Te2mVN16MXI/AAAAAAAABd8/Re0LbC2KOPo/s1600/DSC01426.JPG">fish </a>that were close to my boat? </center><center style="text-align: left;"><br />
</center><center style="text-align: left;">Once I got back to shore, I was being attacked by the mosquitoes. I have never seen so many mosquitoes, ever. It seems that the mosquitoes have been more active recently, especially around dark. It was a good thing I had my car instead of my van because I would have had to clean my kayak before putting it into the van. </center><center style="text-align: left;"><br />
</center><center style="text-align: left;">The nice thing about the car is the fact that the kayak sits on top of it and the stuff dries and falls off while driving home. I also created two slip on bumpers to keep the kayak from scratching up my car and also making it very easy to just place the kayak on top of the car. It's a very easy construction. All you need is rope and a swimming noodle. You cut the swimming noodle in half and tie a piece of rope through the noodle and around the kayak. Next time I think of it, I will take a picture and place it under a new page tab.</center>Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08564327214293904372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655139433016284660.post-10624393621398567572011-07-06T17:15:00.000-07:002011-07-06T17:15:46.304-07:00Wolf Lake Is A Nice Jont<center><iframe border="0" height="480" src="http://sportypal.com/Workouts/Embed/1304938?key=1be497a5720b9df27e0f61ef81edaed4babac992&ms=1" style="border: none;" width="480"></iframe></center><center><a name='more'></a><div style="text-align: left;">So I went to try a different place out and found Wolf Lake. It is a nice little lake and it only took me 30 minutes to go completely around it. Quick trip but it was nice to try a different place out for a change. I'm not sure if I will go back but I will check it out again later this year, I'm sure.</div></center>Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08564327214293904372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655139433016284660.post-66301951509071979082011-07-06T17:03:00.000-07:002011-07-06T17:03:44.823-07:00The Nice Back Waters Isn't So Nice...Anymore<center><iframe border="0" height="480" src="http://sportypal.com/Workouts/Embed/1298435?key=a5e19502ee0d835383bd08206e654c424def1091&ms=1" style="border: none;" width="480"></iframe></center><center><a name='more'></a><div style="text-align: left;">I thought it would be nice to go and visit the backwaters again and see how it progresses during the warmer times of the year. If you remember what it was before, <a href="http://kayakingjournal.blogspot.com/2011/06/back-for-pictures-in-backwaters.html">backwaters</a>, it was nice and clear of debris and a real pleasure to go back there.......boy, do I wish I had my camera. A lot has grown and more stuff floating in the waters back there. I saw at least 4 dead crappies and the branches that were hanging in the water before......had a lot more leaves on them. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The smell also got worse and at some points it was difficult to paddle because of the weeds and growth. I will have to go back there again in the fall and see what it's like. Hopefully, it is more clear and and pleasant again. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">OH!!!! If you are afraid of spiders, don't go under the tunnel that I was under in my photos of past. I counted in the area of 40 plus spiders all about a quarters size.</div></center>Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08564327214293904372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655139433016284660.post-33267055210287120232011-07-06T10:44:00.000-07:002011-07-06T10:44:21.015-07:00Adventure Kayak MagazineI came across this site while doing some search on an idea I had. I want to make a back pack that also floats and doubles as a floating trailer for kayaking. The intent of the idea was to be able to haul more stuff like a tent and sleeping bag for a watery trek.<br />
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But back to the point. This site is called <a href="http://www.adventurekayakmag.com/">Adventure Kayak Magazine</a>. It has a lot of good articles on new gadgets out there, recipe articles, news articles and so on. I highly recommend this site for anyone looking for something to read on Kayaking.Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08564327214293904372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655139433016284660.post-20388200266584932512011-07-06T10:17:00.000-07:002011-07-06T10:17:37.265-07:00Crawfish Hunting For My GirlsSo do you remember me mentioning before about the portion of the West Fond Du Lac river that I wanted to keep in mind for the future? Well, it's the future now. I went back up that way to find some crawfish for my girls. They wanted something different in the fish tank and the crawfish was a good idea. I was able to catch 4 of them but in the end, I only kept 1 little guy.<br />
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My girls were so happy about that. After having the little guy for a few days, the tank started getting some algae growing on it so I bought a plecostomus. The bad thing about this little guy was the fact that the crawfish, who is very little and no bigger than the plecostomus, ate him within three days of having him. I knew that crawfish would eat them but I was hoping that the plecostomus would try to stay away from him. I guess I need to get a bigger one next time.......much bigger.Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08564327214293904372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655139433016284660.post-2032716564730340342011-07-04T19:12:00.000-07:002011-07-04T19:12:09.244-07:00Two Can Be Better Than OneA Friend of mine wanted to go kayaking so I was all for it. The problem for me was the fact that I had a wedding to go to around 2pm and I still had some chores to complete before anything else could happen. She offered to help get it all done and we were able to get that completed within an hour.....amazing.<br />
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She and I hit the water and decided to go to Supple Marsh and in order to do that we had to go up the river and then go under the bridge which is about 2 feet tall. Let just say she handled it really well and kept her cool. We then slowly went around the marsh and she was just excited to be back in the water all over again. I hope she can make it in the water more often, I don't know what I would do if I couldn't go kayaking for the rest of the summer......I would be a sad man.<br />
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The trip was a a good trip and next time, we would have to spend more time in supple marsh to fully explore the rest.Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08564327214293904372noreply@blogger.com0