photo by Dave Horst – Tall Ships Paddle, Green Bay 2010
Are you having thoughts of thaw? The snow will soon turn into flowing water and the opportunity to join us on the rivers for the Fox Wisconsin Heritage Paddle season. Dave Horst lays it all out for us in this article from the Post Crescent.
David Horst’s Outdoors: Paddle 2013 brings thoughts of thaw | Appleton Post-Crescent | postcrescent.com.
morning mist at the Lutz Park boat landing
The Fox River at Lutz Park in Appleton was covered in mist as we prepared to launch 119 canoes and kayaks into the river on September 24th for the 2nd Annual Appleton Locks Paddle.
The weather cooperated for our 6 miles on the river to Sunset Park in Kimberly. Highlights of the trip were traveling through the 4 Appleton Locks, a bit of history from the lock tenders family reunion that was also a part of the paddle and the eagles we saw on the river right in the heart of the city.
Enjoy the slideshow from the trip.
Video from the paddles will be available soon.
Kayakers and canoeists are invited to participate in the next Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Paddle event on the Fox River from De Pere to Green Bay on Friday night.
Participants should meet at 4:30 p.m. at the Bomier Park boat landing on the east bank of the river just south of downtown De Pere to unload, register and shuttle vehicles to the takeout. A presentation will be made by a Heritage Hill State Historical Park staff member before the 6 p.m. launch.
The 8-mile journey will pass through the De Pere lock and downtown Green Bay to the takeout at the Green Bay Metro Boat Landing.
A fee of $10 per participant helps cover expenses of the paddles in the paddle series, which supports the Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Parkway’s effort to create a designated water trail and gain National Heritage Area status for the historic waterway.
For more information visit the Northeast Wisconsin Paddlers at www.wisconsinpaddlers.org
Park to Park 2011 was July 23rd. This was the 10th Annual paddle from Neenah to Appleton. 136 boats made the journey on the Fox River through Lake Winnebago and Little Lake Butte Des Mortes. Early morning thunderstorms and a threat of more in the forecast kept the participation down. We had sunny weather and light winds for the entire trip.
Park to Park is put on by Northeast Wisconsin Paddlers. There are 2 more NEWP paddle trips planned for 2011. The Moonlight Paddle from Depere to Green Bay on Friday, August 12th and the Appleton Locks Paddle on September 24.
June 5th was a beautiful day for the first Fox Wisconsin Heritage Paddle of 2011. A group of over 30 paddlers met at the wayside across Hwy 33 from the Fort Winnebago Surgeon’s Quarters in Portage. We had a variety of kayaks, canoes, 2 stand up paddlers and even a voyager canoe joined up on this first leg of the paddle on the Fox River.
The journey from Hwy 33 to the Portage Canal was about a mile on the winding and fairly narrow Fox River. When our group reached the Portage Canal we encountered our first of 3 portages. We were also lucky enough to enjoy a historic re-enactors battle performance at the canal.
After a short break to enjoy the re-enactors camp we began the paddle in the weedy canal. The Portage Canal is only partially restored. It was very weedy for the beginning of June and became very narrow as we approached the 2nd portage. After the 2nd portage canal paddle became much easier in the restored sections. We had a long tunnel paddle under a road and traveled through an old non working lock to the final portage to the Wisconsin River. This 2nd portage had the longest carry but we had a paved trail and sidewalk right down to the sandy shores of the Wisconsin River.
The 6 mile paddle from Riverside Park in Portage to Dekorra was beautiful. We were floated and paddled with the current. Development along the river is mostly buffered by trees, creating a natural experience right on the edge of the city of Portage. We had an eagle fly right by us about 2/3 of the way on the river. The Wisconsin River is full of sand bars that shift and change with the flows of current. Wide and mostly shallow, the Wisconsin River around Portage is an easy and enjoyable paddle trip for all abilities.
Here’s an overview of the Portage paddle.
Portage celebrated its annual Canal Days Celebration June 4 and 5 this year and we’ll be kicking off our Fox Wisconsin Heritage Paddle 2011 by passing through their canal. Our trip will pick up from last year’s Fox River Heritage Paddle with a short trip down the Fox River from the Fort Winnebago Surgeon’s Quarters to the Historic Indian Agency House and then proceed through the Portage Canal with a few short portages in the City of Portage to the Wisconsin River just above Riverside Park. We’ll continue down the Lower Wisconsin River to end the trip at Dekorra. This trip totals about ten miles, but includes several minor interruptions for portages and plans for lunch at Riverside Park. Those who would rather hike the two-mile Wisconsin River Levee Trail from the Surgeon’s Quarters to the park can join us after lunch to paddle down the Wisconsin River to the end of the trip.
Why was this route chosen?
As we made plans to continue our rediscovery of the Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Parkway, it became apparent that completing the link through Portage is critical. Not only the symbolic high-point of the fur trader route through Wisconsin, it is also the true “high point” of the route! Passing from the Fox River, through Portage, and into the Lower Wisconsin River establishes the link that connects the entire Parkway!
Michael King interviewed me for the article he put together about this year’s Fox – Wisconsin Heritage Paddle events for the Appleton Post Crescent and Wisconsin Outdoor Fun. The following is an excerpt from the article.
Article from Wisconsin Outdoor Fun by Michael King
Mark Gehrke, of Hortonville, is among a group of paddling enthusiasts who will soon embark on the Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Paddle 2011, retracing the historic route taken by early explorers.
More than three centuries have passed since Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet traversed the Fox and Wisconsin rivers as a route from the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River and beyond for early settlers.
On June 5, the pair’s historic 1673 crossing between the rivers will be celebrated with the first of eight paddle events this year during the Canal Days festival in Portage, where the Wisconsin and Fox come close to each other.
Gehrke, 47, plans to participate in most of the Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Paddle segments covering 120 miles of the two rivers this summer. He was one of more than 400 canoeists and kayakers who participated last year on one or more of the 12 segments covering 120 miles of the Fox River.
“I love going through the Fox Cities on the Fox River,” Gehrke said. “There is a lot of natural beauty along the river banks right in the heart of the Valley.”
The Fox River segments include the popular Park-to-Park Paddle from Neenah to Appleton on July 23, a new moonlight paddle Aug. 12 from De Pere to Green Bay and a paddle through the Appleton locks during Octoberfest on Sept. 24.
Read the entire article here
See the full schedule of Fox – Wisconsin Heritage Paddles on our Events Page.
The Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Paddle canoe and kayaking series kicks off June 5 during Portage’s Canal Days festival, and will celebrate the crossing from the Fox River to the Wisconsin River by explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet in 1673.
The sequel to the successful Fox River Heritage Paddle 2010 will reprise three of last year’s most popular outings and add five trips on the Wisconsin River. Details are available at www.wisconsinpaddlers.org and on the WI Paddle events page.
Please join the group for the Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Paddles here on WI Paddle
Paddling through Green Bay during last year's Fox Heritage Paddles. Photo by Dave Horst.
Like the 2010 version, which drew more than 750 participants for 12 paddles, this year’s canoe and kayak trips are dedicated to helping people appreciate the beauty and recreational value of the rivers. A $10 registration fee and sponsorship opportunities will cover expenses and support efforts to gain U.S. Park Service recognition of the river corridor through 15 Wisconsin counties as a national heritage area. Participating organizations include North East Wisconsin Paddlers, Friends of the Fox, the Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Parkway and Fox of the River Voyageur Canoe LLC.
The Canal Days paddle begins at the historic Fort Winnebago Surgeon’s Quarters on State 33 with registration and vehicle shuttles at 8:30 a.m. and a 10 a.m. launch. Paddlers will travel about a mile on the Fox to the Indian Agency, another historic landmark. Unlike Marquette and Joliet, paddlers will have the option of cutting through Portage via the canal – with several short portages – while learning about efforts to restore it.
Voyager canoe paddlers. Photo by Dave Horst.
Two weekend paddles are planned on the Wisconsin River later in June. Participants may join in for either day or the whole weekend. Those paddles include:
Sauk City to Spring Green, June 11, 19 miles
Spring Green to Muscoda, June 12, 22 miles
Muscoda to Woodman, June 25, 24 miles
Woodman to Wyalusing State Park, June 26, 21 miles
The paddlers will relaunch into the Wisconsin River at Riverside Park. Participants have the option of starting the paddle there. Non-paddlers may walk along the Ice Age Trail from the Agency House to Riverside Park or on the 1.2-mileWauona Trail, thought to have been the route of Marquette and Joliet. All participants will gather at Riverside Park for lunch before paddlers travel six miles down the Wisconsin River to Dekorra Park.
Jeff Mazanec, one of the Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Paddle organizers and a certified kayak instructor, cautioned that the weekend trips on the Wisconsin are not recommended for novice paddlers or boats of less than 13 feet in length because of the trip lengths and the possibility of strong currents and head winds.
The paddling opportunities continue on the Fox River with:
The 10th annual Park-to-Park Paddle, Neenah’s Shattuck Park to Appleton’s Lutz Park, July 23, 8.5 miles.
A Friday evening moonlight paddle from the Bomier Boat Landing in De Pere to the Green Bay Metro Boat Landing, Aug. 12, 7.5 miles.
The Appleton Locks paddle, through the four locks between Lutz Park and Kimberly’s Sunset Point Park, Sept. 24 (Appleton’s Octoberfest), 6.4 miles.
In spring and summer 2010, a series of 12 canoe and kayak outings covering most of Wisconsin’s Fox River sought to reacquaint area residents with the natural beauty and rich heritage of the Fox waterway and raise awareness and support for an effort to gain National Heritage Area status from the U.S. Park Service for the Fox River and Lower Wisconsin River corridor. That mission continues with Fox Wisconsin Heritage Paddle 2011, five paddles on the Wisconsin and three on the Fox from June through September.
FOX RIVER HERITAGE PADDLE 2010 FACTS
Length: 120 miles in 12 segments
Participation: More than 750 segment participants, including 424 different people.
Average participation: 63 people per segment
Proceeds donated to Fox Wisconsin Heritage Parkway: $6,000 from registration fees and sponsorships.
FOX WISCONSIN HERITAGE PADDLE 2011 FACTS
Length: 120 miles in eight segments
Participation: Open to the public. Wisconsin River weekend paddles not advised for boats of less than 13 feet.
Proceeds: After expenses, proceeds will support the Fox Wisconsin Heritage Parkway.
Participating organizations:
North East Wisconsin Paddlers www.wisconsinpaddlers.org
Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Parkway www.eastcentralrpc.org/HeritageParkway/index.html
Friends of the Fox www.friendsofthefox.org
Fox of the River Voyageur Canoe LLC www.foxoftheriver.weebly.com
More photos available on Flickr www.flickr.com/photos/foxriverpaddle
Please join our Fox Wisconsin Heritage Paddling group on WI Paddle.
Author: Dave Horst
photo by Dave Horst
Flat water, slow current
Craft: Canoes, kayaks and SUP’s
The Fox River from Omro to Terrell’s Island is a wide section of the river that opens to Lake Butte Des Morts. You can tell by paddling through Omro that the community takes great pride in it’s riverfront. The shoreline is developed with parks, seawalls and numerous tie up spots for powerboaters.
Once you get past Omro the river gets more natural. The river banks are mostly mixed farmland and wooded with a few homes along the shores.
Terrrell’s Island is part of a 630 acre nature area with a 2 mile long breakwall to protect this section of the lake from wave action and turbidity in Lake Butte Des Morts. This is a great area for bird watching, especially if you like pelicans.
The paddling is easy and the current is light through this section of the Fox River. Omro is popular with powerboaters so it’s recommended that you watch out for the faster traffic. The open water of 8.857 acre Lake Butte Des Morts can be challenging for paddlers if it gets windy.
Here’s some photos from the segment 6 of the Fox River Heritage Paddle 2010 by Dave and Jean Horst.
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Fox River overview and Paddle Map
I shot this video on segment 6 of the Fox River Heritage Paddle in 2010. After waiting for a thunderstorm to pass our group of almost 40 paddlers set off from Miller Park in Omro. The day cleared and we all enjoyed a fun day on the water.
Here’s another video shot from inside the Voyager Canoe on the same trip. If you would like to take a ride on this canoe with a fun group of people visit the Fox of the River Voyager Canoe website for more information.
The Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Parkway & Northeast Wisconsin Paddlers have announced six paddles to benefit the Parkway!
This year, paddles dates on the Lower Wisconsin have been added. Please save the following dates:
June 5th — Portage Canal Days Paddle – 10 miles
Follow Marquette and Joliet’s path from the Fox to the Wisconsin. 10am launch, Fort Winnebago Surgeon’s Quarters to Dekorra. Paddle or portage the 2 mile canal.
Lower Wisconsin River
June 11 – 12 — Sauk City to Spring Green (20 miles) to Muscoda (22 miles).
June 25 – 26 — Muscoda to Woodman (24 miles) to Wyalusing (18 miles).
This trip is not recommended for novices or small boats.
Photo by David Horst
10th Annual Park-to-Park Paddle
July 23 — Shattuck Park, Neenah, 7 – 9am; launch – 9:40am to Lutz Park, Appleton, 12:30pm (or Fritse Park 11am)
De Pere – Green Bay Paddle & Cruise
August 12 — Bomier Park, De Pere to Metro Marina, Green Bay
Appleton Locks Paddle
September 24 — Lutz Park, Appleton, 8 – 9:30am to Sunset Point Park, Kimberly, 12:30pm
Please note that some dates and times are still being finalized. More information will be available shortly.
Photo credit: David Horst
The complete journal of Fox River Heritage Paddle 2010 with text and historically annotated maps is available for $12 (plus postage) at theHistory Museum at the Castle in downtown Appleton or by emailing sandhill7@gmail.com.
Article from David Horst – Up on the Sandhill
I’ve been involved with a group that planned a series of paddle trips covering most of the Fox, collectively called Fox River Heritage Paddle 2010. After three of the 12 segments, I can tell you, it’s not the Fox River we’re used to up in the Fox Cities.
Segment 1: Portage to CTH O – April 24, 2010
Writer David Horst on the first segment of Fox River Heritage Paddle 2011. Photo by Mark Hoffman.
For the first leg of our journey, we are to depart from Portage, the connecting point – almost – for the Fox and Wisconsin rivers. Forty-seven paddlers turn out to journey the 10.7 miles to the landing at Marquette County Highway O.
Traveling from Hortonville, rain pelts the windshield of my truck. I’m convinced the forecast for storms and lightning will prove correct and I’m driving an hour and a half for nothing.
But the rains stop in advance of the launch and we see no more than an intermittent drizzle.
Read the entire article at Up on the Sandhill
The complete journal of Fox River Heritage Paddle 2010 with text and historically annotated maps is available for $12 (plus postage) at theHistory Museum at the Castle in downtown Appleton or by emailing sandhill7@gmail.com.
