VSN Voyageur Blog

Friday October 1, 2010 – Journey Completed! Steuben to Wauzeka Day 8, second try was long but very rewarding.  I finally finished. Ahh I feel better about that. Again the log jams we encountered along the way reassured us that our decision to stop the journey was sound; too many dangerous possibilities. How magnificent it was to see the entire river in one journey.  As I travelled along it was very apparently that the river was no longer just the Kickapoo but was becoming a part of something bigger, the Wisconsin River.  This was evident as the adjacent lands changed… Read More »

Thursday, September 30, 2010 – Approximately 81 miles completed, Gays Mills to Steuben at last Day 7 second try of the VSN Voyageur was a very beautiful paddle.   The weather was warm, the water was at a reasonable level and we had many animal encounters.  We started the day in Gays Mills, it was sunny although a bit windy.  BUT the wind was on our back, who would have imaged, not against us as it was my last day of paddling.  The river was with us today.  We ran into many logjams around Petersburg that would have caused us a… Read More »

Sunday September 26 – Finale Party and Voyage Wrap-up Day 8 of the VSN Voyageur made me misty-eyed.  Not only was there enthusiastic, supportive and gracious people meeting me at the Finale Party in Steuben but it was also the end to this AMAZING experience.  I am very happy that so many people came to greet me at the Potluck.  It was cold but the spirit was warm and the food was fabulous.  It was a great way to end the Voyage. Looking back at this voyage I am so grateful for the experience I was afforded. It went by… Read More »

Saturday, September 25, 2010 – The Voyage Ends (at least for this trip) Day 7 of the VSN Voyageur saw the paddle voyage come to an end. High water finally caused us to stop this trip. This morning at 8 am the Kickapoo River was at 12 ft in Gays Mills (where we were), one foot under full flood stage, with full flood stage anticipated for night. Safety first! I really didn’t want to end this trip with a disaster; it has been such an amazing experience. It was somewhat disappointing to be so close to completing the planned journey.… Read More »

Friday, September 24, 2010 – Approximately 65 miles completed Day 6 of the VSN Voyageur resulted in many fabulous things unfolding.  We faced poor weather again last night but we managed to hold up in the Lions Club Shelter in Soldiers Grove.  There we were able to charge all our batteries for cameras and cell phone and had respite from the weather while sleeping on an air mattress.   The weather was mighty cold this morning and even started to shower but it eventually warmed up.  Our major climatic battle was the wind. Wow the wind was strong.   It was unexpected… Read More »

Thursday, September 23, 2010 – Approximately 52 miles completed Day 5 of the VSN Voyageur almost didn’t happen. Thunderstorms and sever weather forced us inside for the night. However that was a much-appreciated rest, the days preceding did wear me out–so much so that I forgot important parts of yesterday’s tale, which I’ll add to today’s blog. First was stopping to have lunch with Rick and Barbara Kettner at the picturesque Kettner Riverside Cabins near Viola. We had lunch in one of the cabins that are comfortable, functional and beautiful all at the same time. Also, the bugs were pretty… Read More »

Wednesday, September 22, 2010 – Approximately 46 miles completed Day 4 of the VSN Voyageur was a lot of fun.  I had a slower start today, taking time to enjoy my breakfast, campfire multigrain hot cereal with a delicious rhubarb and black raspberry sauce recently gifted by campsite visitors.   I traveled with Mark Drake, a local river enthusiast who helped me learn the details of each leg of the journey in order to prepare for this trip.   We paddled from Viola to Readstown. This stretch also has a lot of logjams but luckily we didn’t have to drag our boats… Read More »

Tuesday, September 21, 2010 – Approximately 33 miles completed Day 3 of the VSN Voyage was a feat.   Monday night found us generously housed by Maggie and Jack on Tunneville Road, where we stayed in a screened gazebo.  The night was so warm that we just slept in our sleeping bags and were able to gaze at the almost full moon. Today’s paddle team consisted of Denny Caneff, Executive Director for the River Alliance of Wisconsin, and Mark Drake, paddle enthusiast who has great knowledge of the river system. As the team got on the water for the day it… Read More »

Monday, September 20, 2010 Day 2 of the VSN Voyageur went very well! It started by waking up at the gorgeous campsite I of the Kickapoo Valley Reserve adjacent to the Kickapoo River. The sounds of the water had soothed us all night. My husband Luke and I, Sarah Grainger the Valley Stewardship Network (VSN) Water Quality Program Manager, started our day by monitoring the water near the campsite followed by a one and half hour paddle to the Kickapoo Valley Reserve Center. This is where things got exciting. At the Reserve Center we met up with Kris Stepenuck from… Read More »

This just in from Sarah, the VSN Voyageur on the Kickapoo River… 15 Miles Down; 85 to Go 8 p.m. – Sunday, September 19, 2010 The VSN Voyage started today!  The Voyageur, me, Sarah Grainger, Water Quality Program Manager for the Valley Stewardship Network, started a 100-mile eight day journey down the Kickapoo River in the beautiful Driftless region of southwestern Wisconsin. Due to the looming raining weather, Bjorn the brave was the sole original journeyer. We had a bit of a late start but it allowed us to join up with Bernie who came all the way from Illinois… Read More »