Log for Monday, June 30, 2003

Devil's Lake, WI
Castle Rock Lake, WI
Mirror Lake, WI
Mississippi River, Trempealeau Bay, WI

I took Exit 106 off Route 90 and drove on Route 12 towards Baraboo, Wisconsin to Devil's Lake State Park. The park is 3.5 miles South on Wisconsin State Route 123. There is a beautiful drive through a large forested area to the Visitor's Center. The boat launch is to the right past the Visitor's Center and has lots of parking. I unloaded my kayak and parked in the parking area. Devil's Lake is a spring-fed lake created by glaciers. It is surrounded on three sides by 500-foot-high limestone bluffs which makes for spectacular views while kayaking..

Gasoline motors are not allowed on Devil's Lake and that helps make Devil's Lake a perfect destination for kayakers. Kayakers can launch from both the North and South ends of the Lake. I launched from the North end beach and landed on the South end beach picnic area to have my lunch. The North launch area has some small stones and pebbles but otherwise makes an easy launch site. The South end has excellent picnic facilities, a long sandy beach, and a full concession stand in case you haven't packed anything for lunch. The water was very smooth and the sky clear and blue. There is a hiking trail along an old rail line which goes around the lake. You can look up from your kayak and see people hiking along this trail.

After a leisurely paddle along the circumference of the lake I headed back to Route 123 and Route 90. I noticed that Exit 108 on I-90 provided access to the Wisconsin River, and although I did not stop to kayak this time, I made a note to be sure and stop here the next time I passed.

I exited Route 90 at Mauston, Wisconsin and headed north to Castle Rock Lake and Buckhorn State Park. Mauston is about 12 miles from Route 90 but it is well worth the trip. Buckhorn State Park is a 4,500-acre park and wildlife area and is located on a peninsula in the Castle Rock flowage of the Wisconsin River.

The Buckhorn State Park Canoe Launch area on Castle Rock Lake is a great spot to view birds and provides some excellent kayaking. There were lots of cattails and bugs along the way. The canoe and kayak launch is located on the peninsula's east side in a quiet area that leads to the main part of the flowage. Canoes and kayaks can be rented at the park office.

The 1.8-mile canoe interpretive trail at Buckhorn State Park was designed to provide a unique learning experience while paddling through wetlands. The trail begins and ends at the canoe launch site. A large map at the launch shows a detailed layout of the trail. There are ten numbered posts along the shoreline that mark the trail. The route is easy and provides a view of the open part of the flowage. You will most likely some wildlife while you paddle. Deer, herons, ducks, geese and many species of songbirds are common sights along the trail. You could also spot osprey, sandhill cranes, egrets, or even a bald eagle. The trip can take 60 to 90 minutes, but you may want to explore further.

Descriptions of the ten stops along the trail as they appear in the brochure at the launch site are as follows:

1. Wetlands
2. Frogs
3. Nest Box
4. Underwater Life
5. Cattails
6. Osprey
7. Canada Geese
8. Beaver
9. Carp
10. Muskrat

I took Exit 89 off Route 90 towards Dellwood, Lake Delton and Mirror Lake State Park. Mirror Lake State Park has a self-guiding canoe and kayak trail. The three-mile route takes around three to four hours to complete. The boat ramp is well marked. After launching my kayak west I paddled toward the narrowing channel directly across from the boat ramp. I passed a beach and fishing pier. There is abundant wildlife on Mirror Lake (mallard ducks, painted turtles, chickadees, nuthatches, warblers, sandhill cranes, great blue herons, muskrats, beaver and otters). Tall pine and oak trees surround the lake. Wild rice grows along this quiet backwater.

Mirror Lake Rentals, located at the boat landing of Mirror Lake State Park, rents kayaks for $8.00 per hour. The Town of Delton boat landing is on the West side and the Mirror Lake State Park boat landing is located in Mirror Lake State Park.

For some reason my GPS unit did not receive good satellite signals throughout Wisconsin. I'm not sure why. It worked well everywhere else. There were no clouds in the sky so I remain puzzled.

I exited Route 90 at La Crosse, Wisconsin and drove north to the town of Trempealeau, Wisconsin along the Mississippi River. I had reserved a campsite at Perrot State Park where the Trempealeau and Mississippi rivers meet.

From the bluffs of Perrot State Park I could see the confluence of the Trempealeau and Mississippi Rivers. Only a few miles from the old river town of Trempealeau the 1,434-acre state park offers hiking, cross-country skiing, biking, camping, birdwatching and kayaking. Trempealeau is derived from the French nickname la montagne qui trempe a l'eau or roughly translated, the "mountain whose foot is bathed by water."

After driving through the town of Trempealeau, Wisconsin and heading along the Mississippi River on the Great River Road towards Perrot State Park I was lucky enough to see the Julia Belle Swain riverboat going upriver. This put me in mind of the song John Hartford had written for her - The Julia Belle Swain. The late singer/songwriter John Hartford (of "Gentle On My Mind" fame) immortalized the Julia Belle Swain in several of his numerous songs about riverboats. Hartford himself had begun working on the river at a young age, obtaining his pilot's license, and working on his favorite boat, the Julia Belle Swain.

The Julia Belle Swain (http://www.juliabelle.com) was built in 1971 in Dubuque, Iowa, and is one of only five authentic steam-powered passenger vessels still in operation on the Mississippi River. It runs regular overnight trips from its home port of La Crosse to Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin and Winona, Minnesota. The Julia Belle Swain docks at Riverside Park in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The "first" Julia Belle Swain, built in 1913, ran for many years on the Illinois, Ohio, and Monongahela rivers. The original was named after Julia Belle [Swain] Shelton, granddaughter of David Swain, the founder of the D.M. Swain Co. of Stillwater, MN. The Swains were noted boat builders since soon after the Civil War, designing and building many distinctive steamboats that ran mainly on the Upper Mississippi, St. Croix and Illinois rivers.

At Perrot State Park, kayaks can be rented for $10.00 an hour and launched directly into Trempealeau Bay at the Nature Center. Perrot State Park is named for Nicholas Perrot, an early French explorer who established one of the first European encampments in the Upper Mississippi Valley.

Around 7:00 p.m. I launched at the Voyageurs Canoe Trail which is a marked 3.4 mile loop through Trempealeau Bay going past Trempealeau Mountain. I found the air thick with humidity. While launching I learned the true meaning of the words "muddy Mississippi." It was pretty slippery going but I managed to launch down the two parallel logs that had been set up for launches. With only the slightest movement of air as I passed through the Bay I paddled peacefully toward the Mississippi River. At least a half a dozen beavers swam directly in front of my bow crossing from side to side. I was amazed at how unconcerned they were about me and my kayak. The birds were so numerous that later at my campsite I pored through my Peterson Guide book attempting to identify them all. The river and its bluffs really put me in mind of the descriptions I've read in Mark Twain novels. There were many small grey rabbits running about everywhere.

I didn't get too many photos while kayaking in Trempealeau Bay because my digital camera batteries died just prior to launch. As I was tent camping and had no electricity it was difficult for me to keep my digital camera batteries charged. The park ranger on duty was kind enough to offer to charge them for me while I kayaked. I kayaked until the large red sun went down. I went back to my campsite and enjoyed the rest of the evening reading by my campfire and Coleman lantern. This certainly is a great way to live.

Today I was thinking about how I used to drive for hours on highways, never getting off, but rather, staying on until I reached my destination, proud of with my very few stops. Now I am coming to realize that with or without a planned itinerary, and carefully researched stops, I really love getting off the highway!