Heck, I've lived here in MN, Crow Wing headwater country for 13 years now.  Have yet to paddle the headwater lakes.  In my eagerness to get one last fall trip in....I rushed into a percieved 4-5 hr paddle and then got 'educated".

Had the wife take me to Akeley, MN...Headwaters of the Crow Wing on 11th CW lake.  Plan was to paddle to my place on 6th CW lake by sunfall.  Gotta late start to boot.

The long and short of it.....the upper CW is not navigable in the fall!  Now why wouldn't I have thought of that before she drove away in the truck?  I was expecting sun and lazy, easy paddlin' and drifting.  I was armed with:
...my camera, to document a glorious float in the autumn colors
...my GPS
...enthusiasm
...a pair of sandals
...cell phone in my shorts pocket
...3 sodas
...a literal boat-load of candy I planned to feast on as I drifted lazily
...my Prism, sans any portage yoke (why would I possibly need that)

The afternoon sun on 11th CW lake was an encouraging start...as I hit the outlet, I had to portage across a iron-gate and road.  Humm, the river sure is shallow here....floated through the culvert under HWY #34 (the last I was in the canoe)....and out into a never-ending cat-tail swamp!  Someone had laid a floating metal bridge across one of the deeper sections and I had to jump into waist deep water to drag over the contraption....only to find 2 inch deep water and thick, 8 ft tall cat-tails.

I had to spit into the water and try to follow it....just to determine current direction in that mess.  GPS told me it was only 1/2 mi to 10th CW lake....how hard could that be?  I'll just plan on dragging through this junk...stop and spit every 5 minutes to be sure I'm going in the right direction.  Well, the water never got over a few inches, but the muck got 2-3 ft deep in some sections.  30 minutes later I was getting educated....now short a sandal....left deep in the muck somewhere...I had only progressed 1/4 mi....was cut up from those dang reeds on the 'tails.....wet to my chest from dragging and falling.....and to boot, I still had not found open, navigable water.....still stuck down in the 8ft tall reeds.

I decided to find a shoreline.  Perhaps I could walk shore, dragging the Prism (no yoke remember)...no luck...thick woods and poison ivy and muck.  I dumped the boat (forgot to leave a GPS mark) and figured I'd find a way through the woods to my target....10th CW lake.  Followed game trails for 15 minutes, busted through alder thickets and poison ivy, barefoot, cut and bleeding....off in the distance I could percieve the horizon opening to 10 CW lake!

Back to my boat...but where was it?  Why wouldn't I leave a waypoint where I stashed it?  After 20 minute walking and searching, I stumbled upon my craft.  But now I had wasted 2 hours and there was no way I could get to 6th CW (home), let alone 7th CW road (my early pickup spot should I call the wife with aborted attempt)....before nightfall.  Should I reach 10th CW, I still had to navigate a shorter section of river to 9thCW lake!  For all I knew....that section of river was likely the same.

I gotta get out of this mess before dark!  There was no way on God's green earth that I was pulling back upstream through that cat-tail mess.  The GPS could guide me cross-woods to the highway.  That's it!  I'll just carry out of here!  After 100 yds with the tractor seat riding on my noggin' (no yoke remember)....I had to dump the craft again.  That bugger would split my skull open if I let it.  This time I marked the craft's position on the GPS.  I continued on barefoot through the poison ivy, cutup and bleeding, feet raw....my only remaining sandel with torn straps from pulling foot out of muck.  I'd bushwack (sans boat) to make sure I could get out of here....if looked good, I'd come back for the craft....if looked bad....I was giving strong consideration to contributing the Prism to the local flora and fauna!  10 minutes later brought me to the highway and also left me a "track" on my machine to follow back to the boat.  Looked doable.

Back at the craft I again tried to ride the Prisim on my headbone....just no way that was gonna work....so I drug the kevlar beast on it's belly....over rocks, logs, thickets, more poison ivy...finally to the roadside.  I looked a real mess...covered in blood, sweat, and mud from head to toe....sans any shoe gear.  Well, now to just call the wife for a rescue.  Reached in my pocket for the cell...oh yeah, electronic phones don't take well to being submerged in mud and muck.  Shoot....now I was really getting PO'd!  Was about a mile walk back to Akeley quickstop (barefoot) to use the phone....decided to abandon the craft along #34, maybe someone would steal it and relieve me of my burdon?

Phone home....kids answer...."mom's not home, she'll be back in a hour" they said.  Gave them instructions to tell mom to immediately come back to Akeley and rescue me.  I'd be waiting at the Paul Bunyan statue.  Brought some pizza and cokes back with me, and ended up sitting alone at the Paul statue for 1 1/2 hours....looking homeless.  Mom finally arrives and laughing her head off....wonders how I actually ended up "backwards" from where she dropped me off!  After a good laugh...we go and find the boat....still resting along the shoulder of #34.  Guess I'll have to take her home and clean her up a bit!

Lesson learned...I need better planning skills.  Next time a shirt pocket to keep the cell in (out of water), and a backup pair of sandals! ;D

Really though....if you're planning a late season trip on a local crick....check the conditions first.


Perhaps any of you might share some of your "daytrip miscalculations"?

No pics as I was rapidly not in the mood.  I did give thought to photographicaly recording my stupidity...but then changed my mind...now retrospectivly....it would have been quite funny....shots of the muck, canoe in the woods, me sitting alone with Paul Bunyan!

Here's a little of what I wanted to capture.....
  (You need to Login or Register   (You need to Login or Register
Maple colors in the Paul Bunyan forest

and....

  (You need to Login or Register   (You need to Login or Register
6th CW lake color from my deck.

Have a great winter!

Thanks Wally
Best trip report I have read for a while.
Magicpaddler

Wow, looks like quite the mis-adventure! The rivers have been high around here until a few days ago, the Red was actually above flood stage for about a week and a half. I guess the high water wasn't a factor down in your neck of the woods...

A friend and I had a somewhat similar experience on the St. Louis River a few summers ago. It was 4th of July weekend, and a two day pleasure cruise turned into dragging the canoe for 3.5 miles over boulders, a six-mile hike back to the truck, and a night at the hotel / bar in Eveleth.

Just before we hit the last boulder section, it started to rain. A little over a MILE later, cold and wet and exhausted, we pulled over to make camp for the night. The next morning we loaded the canoe and dragged it through the woods about 1/2 mile to the nearest gravel road, and it was easier going through the woods than on the river. We were HAPPY to be bushwhacking through SNF.

We stashed the canoe and hiked the six miles back to the Hoyt Lakes DNR landing, then drove to Eveleth and promptly got a hotel room at the Super 8. Then we went to Goodfellas (?) for a steak and some whiskey, and spent the rest of the night drinking beer in the hotel sauna.

It was 4th of July weekend, and the DNR water level information stated that the levels in the river were "plenty" for canoeing.

Note to self...


A few pictures:
  (You need to Login or Register

Wally,

IF you could somehow intertwine THIS trip report with pictures of your busted up Fenwick rod and attempts to fix and e-mail it them, I bet you would get a new rod for sure ;D

 Just go's to show, you can never be TOO prepared for an adventure.
I took sandals ONE time on a river trip, ended up doing as much wading/portaging as floating.  That's the last time I ever wore sandals other than for camp use.

It's funny because you came out of it relatively unscathed, but it could of been much worse if the weather would of changed or you wound up lame from your bushwack adventure.  I bet the better half is going to never let you forget this adventure ;D

Kevin, tough trip !  Sorry I laughed my head off. You're a brave man for sharing your "adventure"   John

Thanks all

Loved the story and pics Akula....I can easily understand the concept of "dragging" the boat now.  It just plain and simply works.  Thanks for sharing that!  Your site looks great!

Nothing like a dose of reality, to bring humility, to those in need of it.

Solo, I gotta get up the nerve to beg Fenwick for a new one.....I'm still kicking myself over OS comments, of using tent pegs for splints.  There I am....using twigs, while aluminum tent pegs lay in my pack.  Just like dad often said...."kid, you got S-F-B"!

Johnny...we gotta try this trip again in the spring, 'eh?

Thanks for reading....

When the water level is up , sure .   J

 Akula ;)

 I enjoyed the pics and accompanying story.
I believe I've found some solution's too your problems if you EVER tackle this stretch of water again?
#1,  You need to mount your canoe trailer UNDER the hull and then you can just ROLL down the river instead of dragging down it ;D
#2,  Your makeshift campsite is WHY they invented tarps and Hammocks!
 Seriously, like Wally your sense of humor went along way toward making it a fun adventure, something you'll long remember and laugh about when your an old and seasoned paddler.
 

Wally, great pics! Sounds like some adventure. Hard to get higher water at the right time?

Akula, enjoyed your trip report and pics too. I like some of your captions:
"The St. Louis River is a hiking trail, which is in a constant state of flooding." That's a good one.

Had to walk a few stretches but never anything too bad. We did abort a few trips before starting after getting a good look at the river.

solotripper wrote on Oct 28^th, 2008 at 10:49pm:

Akula ;)  I enjoyed the pics and accompanying story. I believe I've found some solution's too your problems if you EVER tackle this stretch of water again?

Thanks!

We should have scouted all of the accessible bridges along the route... that would have shown us the "hell on earth" rock section and we would have altered plans accordingly. Nothing like an avoidable surprise to brighten up the day...



Quote:

#2,  Your makeshift campsite is WHY they invented tarps and Hammocks!

It was right about then that I first started thinking about those hammocks with any level of seriousness. But you know what they say, back injuries build character.


 
Quote:

Seriously, like Wally your sense of humor went along way toward making it a fun adventure, something you'll long remember and laugh about when your an old and seasoned paddler.

Sometimes I think a sense of humor is the only thing that *really* gets anybody through anything. The guy I was with on that trip and myself have been on some really miserable outings, and I can't help but wonder how my other friends would have handled the same situations. Probably by completely losing their minds (which I hate to admit, would be pretty funny in itself).

If the humor fails though, which it does sometimes (but only briefly), then there are the four golden rules:

1. Stay calm
2. Watch your step
3. Swear a lot
4. Keep moving forward

Works for me anyways. I don't know how Wally does it, but he's more of a seasoned veteran than myself.

Liked your story Wally. I've had a few things happen on some resent trips I thought I should have known better too.  Thanks for sharing.

I did a look up to find some river gauges for the Crow Wing headwaters but only got upstream to Nimrod, MN. Don't know if it would help for future reference???

  (You need to Login or Register

Thanks Jim....Nimrod...quite a place.  Headweaters are about 20 road miles N.  Some of my co-workers "float the Crow WIng" during summer....based out of Nimrod.  Ihear it's a blast.  I'll take a look at the seasonal flow there.


Akula..."seasoned tripper"....too funny ;D.  I'm the antithesis of "seasoned".  Jst ask monjon.  Lazy, loud, opinionated, slack when I can...(thats why monjon paddles bow seat...he can't watch me....come to think of it....maybe that's why he quit going with me), forgetful....often leave gear back at the truck.  Chores...I like to wash the dishes...avoid gathering wood...avoid cooking....avoid carrying anything heavy.  I like to sleep, give orders and read the map. ;) ;)

  (You need to Login or Register   (You need to Login or Register

 For your patients sake, I hope your slacker way's only pertain when paddling ;)
 When I paddled tandem, I always took the stern because my slacker partners would stop paddling all together and take naps if they thought there was enough tailwind, I wouldn't notice :'(

Let's face it Wally, the truth is we both like to paddle in the stern.  I like to cook.  AND remember you ARE the better navigator.

8-10 years ago my son-in-law and I paddled the Crow Wing from Nimrod to Motley (43 miles). We camped at Old Wadena Campground and hit Motley about 1PM the next day.  Generally the water was 2-3 feet deep, little current, clear.  There are several county campgrounds along the way.  Need to check as to which have potable water tho if you don't bring along the filter.

Sometimes I get caught napping in the stern.

---

  THAT brings back bad memories for me :'(
My stern paddler actually fell off one trip he was sleeping so sound!
Funny at the time, not so funny after a few days >:(

Too funny Jim ;D

You look about to capsize that tiny craft.

Actually I had a bow paddler that would constantly stop paddling to get into his dry bag, camera, gorp, clothing, etc.. expected me to keep us moving while he fiddled around. So you can guess by the picture what my response was. I guess he took the picture to document the fact I wasn't paddling. He was too busy taking pictures though to be paddling too.
Kind of a high maintance guy. Constant need for attention. 1st one up but always the last one ready to go each day. Didn't care much that I choose to ignore his antics.
Same group of guys with drinking problems. Different ideas about open container laws. Don't trip with them any more. I'm having more fun and never looked back.

wrote on Oct 31^st, 2008 at 3:18pm:

Same group of guys with drinking problems. Different ideas about open container laws. Don't trip with them any more. I'm having more fun and never looked back.

Same problems I had, same solution. I don't care what people do for fun ONCE camp is set-up, chores done and dinner's over and cleaned up.
If you want too drink and play cards until well past mid-night, AND you can get up and be on the water by 7 AM on a travel day, then MORE power too you!
Problem is, they couldn't and I was left herding "cats" and being the bad guy.
 I'm still going, they have been since, so I guess my complaints had merit ;)