This topic contains 31 replies, has 13 voices, and was last updated by 
labrat_wr 15 years, 6 months ago.
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We’ve had so much fun on our three winter adventure trips that we are planning a summer one this year. The cache we have in mind is GCJWPT “You Picked a Fine Time to Leave me Lucille.” by the Lost Boys.
This is a classic paddle cache and one of the (maybe the) earliest paddle caches in central Wisconsin. Yet, because of the need for two vehicles or stashing a bike at Jordan Park to ride back to your car it is rarely found. Our plan is have a picnic- possibly an event- at Jordan park and we will provide shuttle from the park with our kayak/ canoe trailer. Folks can enjoy the paddle, get the cache, and then float right back to the picnic. With a little luck from the weather it should be a great day.
We really don’t have any day planned as of yet. But as the discussion was beginning to form on the end of the Ice Caves thread it seemed it was time this adventure had its own thread. Stay tuned here for further details. Post questions or suggestions at will.
If the date works, Gram & I would be interested in doing this. We’d either kayak or canoe – we have both. Thanks for working to put this together!
Jim & Chris
I guess for us the biggest thing is the date, and can we blow up the kayak again (yes it is inflatable)
This might work for us too. It depends upon the date. My parents have a conoe at their place near Hancock. It would be on our way to this area.
If anyone is looking to obtain a watercraft, our local outfitters store is going to be opening a used place very soon. I was at the store spending money this afternoon, and saw a kayak in the window of the used place.
http://www.threeriversoutdoors.com/
Just thought I’d share…..why should I be the only one keeping this place in business? LOL
Not trying to draw away any business, T&B, but for those that are looking for a rental , we’ve had good luck with “Nature Treks” in the Stevens Point area, located by Iverson Park, and the intersection of I39 & WI 10. We’ve used their canoes on the Plover and Wisconsin Rivers.
They also provide shuttle services for a fee. Heck, you dream up what you want in services and rentals…and mid-voyage picnic and spa?…..and they’ll probably pull the ‘how-to’ together and quote you a price.
You might be able to work out a group rate. 😉
@Gram&Gramps wrote:
If the date works, Gram & I would be interested in doing this. We’d either kayak or canoe – we have both. Thanks for working to put this together!
Jim & Chris
That would be cool. We were supposed to canoe the Crystal River a couple years back and never got around to it. Hopefully we get a date that works…
I guess for us the biggest thing is the date, and can we blow up the kayak again (yes it is inflatable)
That would be fun to see. Hope we can find a date that works out.
This might work for us too. It depends upon the date. My parents have a conoe at their place near Hancock. It would be on our way to this area.
Nice, this location is pretty close to the center of the State so the distance should be doable for most folks who may be interested. Too bad everybody doesn’t have a canoe they can pick up on the way, but that rental place might just save the day for folks without boats.
Tim,
So, am I understanding correctly that there will be multiple groups leaving from Jordan at different times? That might mean a few less watercraft need to be hauled across the state.@Team Black-Cat wrote:
Tim,
So, am I understanding correctly that there will be multiple groups leaving from Jordan at different times? That might mean a few less watercraft need to be hauled across the state.Yup,
That’s the idea as we imagined it. The weather will be perfect- blue skies, warm sun, no bugs, the rustle of the green leaves in the 5 mph wind, and the water cold and gurgling down the river. We are thinking of making a long afternoon and perhaps even early evening of it. Folks could make the paddle any time during the day or early evening. So, you’re correct, there could be watercraft sharing going on. Or, perhaps some folks who never paddle could get a ride in the front of a canoe with a guide in the back helping them make their way down river without that frustration of hitting everything on both sides of the river deal that most of us experience on our first paddling excursion with no experience…
@One Paddle Short wrote:
The weather will be perfect- blue skies, warm sun, no bugs, the rustle of the green leaves in the 5 mph wind, and the water cold and gurgling down the river. We are thinking of making a long afternoon and perhaps even early evening of it.
Campfire????? 😀 😀 😀
Logistics: Everyone parks at Jordan Lake and gets boats and paddlers ferried upriver to the starting point?
Any benefit (or space) to park individually at the start, offload watercraft and paddlers, go down river, land at Jordan, and have someone drive people only back to starting point (while others keep an eye on canoes at Jordan)?With all the upcoming events on Saturdays, is there a month in mind to do this? Green leaves and no bugs are usually mutually exclusive. 😉
Furfool wrote:
Two person, however most of the time it would probably be used by just one. Whitewater? I’m not going rafting or kayaking, but small rapids would be ok. May also be used for duck hunting. I like aluminum for its ruggedness but it’s noisier. Plastic may be lighter? How well does plastic canoes hold up to ultra-violets? 25 years ago, I used to be able to get up and walk from one end to the other wile fishing in one. I wouldn’t think of it now days. Is there a difference in sturdiness as opposed to capsizing easily? I’m not looking to put any type of a motor on it at this time, but does that type of stern have any kind of effect on it?
I know this was on the caves thread but I’m moving the reply here. If it’s really going to be used by one most of time you may really want to look at a kayak. Solo paddling a canoe designed for two is pretty tricky- especially in the wind. And if you haven’t paddled in a long time I’m pretty sure going out with a regular 17 foot canoe will be an exercise in frustration. However, I don’t know about duck hunting in a kayak…
Unless you’re going to go wilderness canoe camping I think it’s hard to beat aluminum. And, actually, the last week long trip we took in Canada the whole Venture Crew used aluminum. It wasn’t as nice as the kevlars the year before but it wasn’t a trip killer- we were slower and they were heavier to portage. I’m still using the aluminum canoes my parents purchased back in the early 70’s. They’ve never seen a day of storage inside. They sit outside all day- every day- 365. And they’re in perfect condition. Plastic (like our kayaks) can’t sit outside because of UV damage. If you are going to buy a boat for occasional use I would look for a used aluminum. They show up on craigslist for 300-400 dollars fairly often. Some plastic boats may be lighter but some are just as- or more- heavy. Plastic is better for bouncing off rocks but it doesn’t sound like you’re planning any wild rides down rapids?
As far as motors go there are square back canoes designed to put motors on. But you can also get a side-mount for a small motor. We used to use a trolling motor on our canoe with the side mount rig. You can get a canoe really cruising with a rig like that.
Finally, if you’re thinking of getting a boat mostly because of this outing I would hold off. There’s the rental place and there will likely be boats available to borrow- something will work out.
@sandlanders wrote:
@One Paddle Short wrote:
The weather will be perfect- blue skies, warm sun, no bugs, the rustle of the green leaves in the 5 mph wind, and the water cold and gurgling down the river. We are thinking of making a long afternoon and perhaps even early evening of it.
Campfire????? 😀 😀 😀
Logistics: Everyone parks at Jordan Lake and gets boats and paddlers ferried upriver to the starting point?
Any benefit (or space) to park individually at the start, offload watercraft and paddlers, go down river, land at Jordan, and have someone drive people only back to starting point (while others keep an eye on canoes at Jordan)?With all the upcoming events on Saturdays, is there a month in mind to do this? Green leaves and no bugs are usually mutually exclusive. 😉
The parking at Jordan Lake idea came because there is actually parking there and only side-of-the-road parking at the launch site. But, either way would work and we could have folks doing both. Like the campfire idea and it seems to me there were some walk-in campsites at Jordan Park? Not sure if a campfire is possible or not? But, we could do some dutch oven cooking for sure! Don’t have a month yet, and we’re pretty busy around here right now but in the next couple of weeks we should know more about what’s going on.
By the way, the no bugs thing is guaranteed or your money back. 😉
@One Paddle Short wrote:
By the way, the no bugs thing is guaranteed or your money back. 😉
Oh. So you’re thinking December now? 😉
We are keeping an eye on this – looks like it would be fun. If we have the chosen day open we may join. We have both kayaks and canoe so our options are open.
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