Pictures and Update

Thanks to John Wenck for organizing his great pictures of the trip and making them available. The link is: http://www.riverstewards.org/tactrip/ Here's my favorite image from John's collection. Al and I got a call this evening from Carol Larson at the Bed & Breakfast in Stratford. She was concerned that everyone was safe. Wayne and Carol did go to Kalo and meet with Rick Rummel, our river friend. Since Rick does not have Internet access, Carol asked for us to help send files to her for him or we offered a CD with this blog and the Paddling Iowa trip report. It is great to see the wonderful folks that we met on the river connect together. The latest Cedar River report is that the water is still rising and will crest Tuesday night. It will be highest in record by 3ft and folks are evacuating and sandbagging. Al added canoe transportation for a father concerned about his daughter to his sandbagging of the last two days. Life continues to be interesting.

River level update

Al spoke with Kelly in Lehigh last evening. The Des Moines River is at the bar's porch and expected to fill the Riverside Tavern today or tomorrow. The beautiful brick house with the red-headed "thief" next to our campsite is being evacuated by canoe. The river road going south along the river is also under water. We offered to come and help the folks in Lehigh if needed. We are experiencing our own fun in Cedar Falls. The Cedar River is expected to crest on Tuesday with a record 12ft over flood stage and may go higher. Al spent last night helping to sandbag the Ice House Museum on the river in downtown. He went down again this morning and the river is already half way up yesterday's efforts. He will spend the day at the museum doing what he can once again. Timing is everything. The week prior to our trip, the Des Moines River was rising and unsafe to paddle. This week, everything is unsafe as roads are washed away and the force of the river is felt by all of the communities we visited.

Final day

The group successfully completed Tacitus Hussey's original journey from 1892. It is hard to imagine the first journey without the aid of technology and the modern communication that we used. The one thing that we found that has not changed in over a century is the beauty of this river or the kindness of the people in the towns along the waterway. Here is the group at the end of this historic reenactment. The silly hats and balloons were a gift from Robin Fortney of Des Moines. We began the day with a car portage from the previous night's camp at Jester Park down to Cottonwood park for our final put-in. We then did the car shift down to our final take-out at Union Park. On the original trip, Tacitus referred to this take-out as Thompson Bend. We did originate the trip at the location in Humboldt that was closest to his description and ended at the same take-out he described in his book "The River Bend". The only change from the first journey of 1892 was a necessary car shuttle past Saylorville Lake. The high winds and very high waves made that section unsafe to paddle. We began the last 10 miles of the 130 mile trip at the put-in in Cottonwood by the fishing pier. The first few miles found us accompanied by a flock of 7 Great Blue Herons. The wind was high once again (20-25mph) but without the 3-5ft waves of the previous day. We gently paddled through the greenbelt and found it hard to believe that we were so close to a major city. Some speed boats and jet skies were seen for the first time today. It is hard to believe that it took a full week to find anyone else on the river in a hurry to go somewhere. We arrived at Prospect Park in Des Moines a bit before noon. Dick Howard was there to greet the group. Shortly after we arrived, 3 women from Can-coctions, LLC (Patti Wobker, Mary Kohler, and Val White) arrived to present us with gifts of cup holders for the boats. The said they are called "Can/panions" and were a great addition to the final few miles. The folks with the cup holders can be contacted at www.can-coctions.com or 1-866-647-2267. Considering the amount of water consumed by each of us, it would have been great to have had them a week earlier. Robin arrived at noon with balloons and hats to celebrate our final leg of the adventure. Here's John with his fish balloon. Rick Dietz, Ames, rejoined the group along with Robin for the final few miles. Our final take-out was joyous. A bit of cheering and a bit of regret for me that our journey was at an end. We were invited to tour a paddlewheel boat that was next to the take-out. The owner is lovingly refurbishing the boat for dinner cruises. The chandelier and light fixtures were worth the visit. Here is Al at the take-out with the inflated crawdad that followed us down the final stage of the river tethered to our canoe. Once all gear was packed, we headed to Union Park for a celebration. As the wind speed increased and the skies became overcast, more and more local folks arrived in the park to join in the festivities. Robin served root beer floats to the 30 or so folks while we shared tales of our trip. John was kind enough to do a PowerPoint presentation on Tacitus Hussey and his influence on Des Moines. Tacitus loved the Iowa rivers and was a champion for preserving them so that we could accomplish what we completed today. While John shared a few of the pictures from the trip, I read portions from the blog to tell people a bit about the first and second day on the journey. It is so great to share the story about Tacitus Hussey with folks and honor the man who has made such an impact on our lives. He wrote of the wild roses along his original journey and of filling the bow of his canoe with these beautiful flowers. The final gesture will be for John to visit Hussey's grave and place a wild rose that was picked during the journey on his grave. Al and I left Des Moines around 4pm headed back to Cedar Falls. We did see 5 egrets in a field on the way home while we fought heavy winds. The main roads over the Iowa River were closed by high water (what else?) so our detouring delayed our expected arrival.

This truly has been an experience to be remembered. One of the funniest moments of the trip was provided by a traveler at the motel on the morning of day 6. When she saw our vehicles topped with canoes and kayaks, she told her husband that this must be a group of young folks. Upon seeing us leave the cars, she corrected herself by saying "boy, was I wrong". I believe anything is possible if there is passion and joy in the doing, no matter the age. I think every one of us has completed the journey with special memories. Adrienne spoke of the eagle swooping down and snatching the fish from the river, John spoke of a renewed appreciation of Tacitus Hussey and what he accomplished. My memories will always be of the amazing people that we meet along the way. They welcomed this weary band of travelers with open arms and taught us valuable lessons in unselfish giving and friendship. In the spirit of Tacitus Hussey, may each of you spend as much time as possible enjoying our Iowa rivers and creeks.

Note: Please visit the Paddling Iowa trip report site for postings from the paddlers and many of the supporters - http://paddlingiowa.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=1947

Day 6: E57 Ramp to IA 210

Day 6 with one to go. The weather forecasts got worse yesterday as the group headed to the E57 take-out. I got a call from Al about 2 hours into the paddle to tell me that they had run into some challenges and were delayed about an hour. Rounding a bend, they found the expected 2 bridges transformed into 4 as a construction crew worked on a replacement for the original High Bridge (from a low steel construction bridge). The concern was that there was so much debris against the construction bridge pylons that there was no apparent safe passage. After establishing a communication system between the only two functioning cell phones, Al went ahead and entered what he felt was the best course. He only had one shot to make this work and succeeded in finding a safe and non-threatening pathway. The others followed once he completed the attempt. The next phone call was about 3:30 to let me know that the 25 mph winds with gusts of 35 mph were taking their toll. They expected it to be at least another 2 hours from their rest stop at the US 30 bridge. A very weary group of tired and muddy paddlers arrived after 5:30. The wind did slow their progress down to an average of 3.5 mph for the day vs. the previous average of 5 to 6 mph. At the take-out it was decided for the group to come to the hotel were I was staying. At that point the "weather guessers" were predicting 6" of rain for the evening. Once folks were settled in their rooms, we had dinner and then came back to share this blog and discuss options for the last two days of the journey. It was decided to wait upon the morning weather report to make any final decisions. Al and I were awakened by a 1:45 am cell phone call from UNI letting us know to take immediate shelter due to the tornado watch in Black Hawk county (100 miles to the NE). This weather just won't give us a break. The water is well above flood stage. Folks are starting to make comparisons to the 1993 flood which does make one pause. On Friday morning, we met at 6am and decided to paddle from the E57 ramp down to the take-out at IA 210. At that point, we will decide the next step. I will be moving tonight to another hotel in Ankeney for one final night. The car shuttle today will be at 9am. We currently have blue skys and high winds. The winds are predicted to be higher than yesterday so I will be bow paddler today for the 10 mile trip. The winds are much more of a problem than the high water, fast current, or rain. It does promise to be better for our final day Saturday. Today's paddle will just get us over the 101 mile mark.

Wow, we survived the day's paddle but are mighty weary at the end of this challenging day. We put in at the ramp at E57 after a car shift to the IA 210 access ramp. Here's a picture of Al at the ramp wearing his Tacitus Hussey hat. The water keeps rising and more and more branches and tree trunks are joining us on the river. The river has become even wider as it has overflowed its banks. The real difficulty today was the wind and high waves. The wind was a steady 25-30 mph with wind gusts of almost 40mph. The waves were over 3 feet high in the middle of the river for the last few miles. Al, Adrienne, and I hugged the right shore where the waves stayed below 3ft. The final take-out was on river left so we let the force of the wind ferry us across the river prior to the end of the day's trip. It was an exhausting 10 miles that felt like 30 to me. I don't believe anyone is ready to do that portion again for a while. The picture at the right is of a pooped paddler at the end of a day paddling into a fierce headwind. The wind was so high today that there was a limited number of birds. The highlight was Adrienne's sighting of a flock of late migrating pelicans. Once we got everyone safely off the river, we went to see the evening's camp grounds. Al has chosen to spend the night with me at the Super 8 in Ankeney while the other 3 remaining paddlers will spend the final night at Jester Park on Saylorville Lake. The plan is to meet at 8am tomorrow to begin our final day. It has been an unbelievable adventure that none of us will quickly forget. We have the idea for the T-shirt..."I'm proud to be a Hussey (re-enactor)' with a picture of Tacitus on the front and the river route on the back. Maybe for next year.

Day 5: YMCA Camp to E57 Ramp

Day 5 began in the mid 80s with a clear sky and humid air. I joined the group at 8am for breakfast at the YMCA. Thanks to Stephanie's great hospitality, the group moved into a shelter house prior to the storm. They had lots of rain but no tornado or hail. Stephanie's very young-looking mom joined us for a marvelous presentation on owls by the camp naturalist, Mike Havlik. Not only was the presentation full of new information, Mike actually shared an owl with us. We also were taught 3 different owl calls. A picture of Mike + owl is shared on the right. After completing the morning shuttle to the E57 ramp I went to find an alternate site for tonight's camp. The direct route is under water so I wandered the back roads until I arrived at the Ledges State Park. No one was there but I did get a phone number and called the office. My call was returned and I discussed the situation with the DNR person. Because of the continued threat of serious weather tonight, I asked if the group could stay in a covered picnic shelter for protection. He said that was against the rules but they could pay to stay in the campground which would require a car shift and added expenses. In frustration, I did let him know that the only problems we have had with the 130 mile reenactment trip has been with the lack of cooperation from the DNR. Oh well, we will see what the night and projected bad weather brings. I will meet the group at the E57 ramp today with the latest river and weather reports. Here is a picture of the five individuals making the complete 130 mile journey plus we asked our hosts Stephanie and Mike to join in the picture. On the front row stands myself, Aidrienne, Stephanie, and Mike. Back row: Al, John and Bill. Yes, we are still smiling at the beginning of the the 5th day. The group will have completed a total of 91 miles at the end of day 5. We are already planning next year's trip. I will meet the group at the E57 ramp this afternoon and plan on sharing the blog up to this point. Hopefully, they will help me create the entry for today's paddle. For those of you asking for more pictures, John and Adrienne have been clicking non-stop. We will add links to their images when they are available.

Day 4: Stratford to YMCA Camp

Day 4 was the Skillet Creek to the YMCA camp portion. Morning found Carol turned into her grandmother, Brita Larson. In a Swedish costume she served us a bountiful breakfast. Again, way too much food but great conversation and shared stories. John did return to the group and breakfast. We learned more about the history of the farm and area. Carol's husband, Wayne also offered us his friendship and kindness. Al and Wayne traded names of favorite mystery writers, and books were exchanged prior to our leaving. For anyone visiting the area, I strongly recommend the Valkommen House. It is only a mile and a half from the Skillet Creek take-out and truly one of the hidden jewels of Iowa. I ran the car shift to the YMCA camp and a 10-mile take-out for myself above the Frazier dam. We finally got on the river at 11am with the weather being kind. A light wind and gray sky made for ideal paddling. We had a beautiful day down the river. We did see several eagles during the journey. The group stopped at 1pm for lunch and my take-out. I went to the next boat ramp after the dam to make sure everyone made it safely through any challenges. Adrienne was the first one to pass and stated that all were safe. I went on to the YMCA camp to meet the group while they proceeded down the river. Stephanie Adams, at the YMCA, was extremely helpful. She pointed out a location for the tents, bathroom/shower facilities, dining hall, and river-side fire ring for the evening campfire. I then only had about a five minute wait until our folks arrived. Camp was established and sadly we had to say good bye to Rick Dietz of Ames. We voted that he should stay and even contemplated hiding his car keys. I think he regretted leaving as much as we wished he could stay. We are now down to the final group who plan on making the total trip: Al Donaldson, John Wenck, Bill Denton, Adrienne Adams, and me (Ana Donaldson). We started with 13 and am down to the final five. Dinner was supplied by the YMCA and was typical sturdy camp fare. Stephanie joined us at dinner and shared her story as she listened to our description of the trip. She pointed out the location in the woods where she had seen a pileated woodpecker. We immediately headed in that direction but failed to see the secretive bird. Al and the group did find the world's largest Jack in the Pulpit after my departure. I headed to Boone to the Super 8 for the night as Al stayed with the group. As I checked into my room, the clerk informed me that bad storms were headed this way. The news station broadcast tornado warnings for south of us. I called the camp emergency number and asked that they report the weather situation to the travelers. All of the local news channels were functioning at panic mode through the rest of the night.

Day 3: Lehigh to Stratford

Day 3 began with Kelly, the owner of the Riverside Tavern, fixing a 7am breakfast so we could have an early paddle day. Al and I invited the bed and breakfast owners, Carol and Wayne Larson, to join us in our early feast. Kelly filled the table with piles of incredible food and refused payment for the meal. The group left generous tips to thank her for her effort. She stated that she and several town folks would like to join us for next year's trip. The trip today was from Lehigh to Skillet Creek. I ran the early car shift and the group was on the water prior to storms. The original plan was to rough camp on the shores of Allen Creek. The high water and flooding made that impossible. The Larson's invited the group to stay at the B&B as an alternative. At 1pm, I met the group at the Skillet Creek take-out. The river is high and fast and 20 mile trips are taking about 4 hours, including breaks. They stated that the scenery had been spectacular that day. A red-headed wood pecker and indigo bunting had been sited.
The bed and breakfast was a wonderful experience for the group. We stayed in a house that was built in 1903 by the Swedish grandparents of our host. A picture of the farm's barn with a Swedish barn quilt is on the right. The small antique-filled house from the beginning of last century had snug room for all of us. It was great to continue the reenactment with a home that existed just a decade or so after the original trip. John went home to DesMoines for the evening to vote and see his wife but was back again early in the morning. The group decided it was time to fix some of the food they have been carrying down the river but have not eaten. I went into Stratford for dinner and returned to find the group snacking on re-hydrated edibles. Carol Larson supplemented the meal with dip and crackers, two varieties of home made cookies, huge bowls of ice cream with home made chocolate sauce, and bags of home made caramel popcorn that never got opened. Who would think that the group would paddle 130 miles and need to come home to diet. I shared some of Tacitus' words from his original story about the 1892 trip from John's copy of the original book published in 1896. I handled it very carefully. A reporter from the local Stratford newspaper came with her husband to interview us about the trip. It was fun sharing our story about this adventure. I think we have fascinated folks along the route with this insane recreation. Our passion about the reenactment is being shared as we reach each of these rural communities.

Day 2: Ft. Dodge to Lehigh

I finally have access again to the blog to add the last few days activities. It has been an amazing journey. Tacitus spoke of the kindness of the folks on his trip of 1892, that has certainly proven true on this paddle. He wrote of walking to a farm and asking to buy milk. The farmer stated that he wouldn't sell him any milk but would give it to him. That pretty much represents the spirit we have found in the incredible people we have met.

Day 2 had an early put-in below the last dam in Ft. Dodge. Several of our Ft. Dodge folks joined us for the day after a very early bike ride. The picture on the left is just above the put-in point. It is clear to see why careful planning needs to be made to avoid the low head dams that are sprinkled along the river. When Al and I pulled into the dam site an elderly gentleman was already there fishing at the below the dam. He quietly watched as we unloaded the 7 kayaks and single canoe. While I did the car shift to Lehigh, Al explained the trip to the man. The group finally got on the river at the beginning of a mighty rain storm. The last comment from the fisherman: "you folks must be on some very good drugs". My hope was to join the group for the second half of the day's trip so I went looking for a manageable stream bank that I could negotiate. As I wandered the back roads of the small community of Kalo, my engine warning light began flashing. Within minutes I arrived at a stop sign next to a car repair/canoe rental business. I felt like the hand of God was pointing at the building for me to stop. The business owner of the Riverside Auto Repair and Canoe Rental, Rick Rummel, was a true gift to me and the group. He looked at the car, offered me coffee, and took me in from the approaching deluge. His home overlooks the river so he helped me watch the river for the approaching paddlers. As the bolts of lightening filled the sky and the rain became serious, the line of kayaks and canoe came down the river. Rick invited the very soggy group into his home, provided hot coffee and snacks for the next hour. He refused any money for car services, coffee, or our place of refuge. He stated that our payment was our smiles. He shared that his job in life is to be happy and to make others happy. Rick certainly succeeded on this day. He asked to let him know when we plan the trip for next year, and then he will also have donuts waiting for us to go with the coffee. The extra benefit of the stop was a chance to see additional birds. His feeders were filled with a variety of birds, including a rose-breasted grosbeak and an abundance of hummingbirds. Adrienne Adams, Ft. Dodge, had shared with me that they also saw an eagle swoop down for a fish and there was a fawn hidden on a small island prior to arriving in Kalo. Here is the group with Rick the mechanic, he's center back row. Once we got the damp group back on the river, I headed to Dolliver State Park to meet the group for lunch. Again, the heavens opened up just as the group arrived at the park. Al set up a covering for the group and we huddled together and shared stories and enjoyed a light lunch. I then headed off to Lehigh. The folks of Lehigh opened their arms to the group. Our central headquarters for night two was the Riverside Tavern. The picture of the bar is below. Four tents were set up near the river and we found ourselves spending much of the day in the tavern. When Al and I had scouted the area two weeks prior to the trip, we had met Kelly the owner and she was ready for us when we arrived. I spoke with several of the locals prior to the paddlers arrival and helped to tend bar as we waited. Once the group arrived, tents were raised and the group headed to the bar. After about an hour, the neighbor to the rustic camp site came into the bar with 3 bags of food from Adrienne's camp site. She apologized for the theft of the food that she had retrieved. She stated that there was a red-headed thief in town that had a bit of a problem Since the food was retrieved and no damage done, we thought it was just one of those particular realities of any community. Kelly was concerned about the situation and discovered the true story. The red-headed kleptomaniac turned out to be the Irish Setter belonging to the neighbor. Later that evening, Al and I went to the local store and bought the transgressor a box of dog biscuits from the Tacitus paddlers. John Wenck, DesMoines, and Rick Dietz, Ames, went for a walk into the little town of Lehigh. They discovered an historical museum that was only open upon request. When we mentioned our desire to visit the museum, Theresa the bartender, asked who knew how to get the museum open for us. One of the locals got up, spoke with a Darrell Curtis on the phone and he agreed to open for us at 7pm. In fact, he kindly sent his wife Faye at 7pm to tell us of the history of this amazing town. At its high point, the town had 3,000 folks with the focus being on the tile works. The town is down to 300 but has a heart the size of Kansas. As Al and I got ready to head to our bed and breakfast in Stratford, the local reporter/editor from the Dayton Review appeared. John had sent press releases to all of the towns along our route and Glenn Schreiber (the editor) had published a very nice story with pictures of Hussey on the front page. The group spent time talking about the trip with Glenn. He seemed excited about this crazy adventure and mentioned we should do it every year. We assured him that this is our intent. The tent group was awaken very early the next morning with heavy rain, high winds, and lightening strikes.

Welcome to Paddle Iowa: Day 1 Humboldt to Ft. Dodge

Welcome to the first Annual Tacitus Hussey paddle trip. This adventure is a week-long reenactment of a paddling trip that Tacitus Hussey led on the Des Moines River in 1892 from Humboldt, Iowa to Des Moines, Iowa.

Our trip begins on Sunday, June 1st in Humboldt and will end at the Trail Daze 2008 celebration in Des Moines on Saturday, June 7th in Union Park.

The first annual Hussey paddle has begun. Al Donaldson and Bill Denton, from Cedar Falls and Waterloo, did a pre-paddle on Saturday afternoon to check water levels and river speed. The 4 mile paddle took less than 40 minutes from Humboldt to Frank Goetsch Park. In fact, they almost beat the shuttle driver, yours truly, to the take-out spot. They got lucky on the way and spotted an eagle nest with family and many cedar waxwings. It was a truly wonderful beginning to the week. Here's a picture of Al and Bill at the beginning of their adventure. What is not clear is that the DesMoines River at the put in at Humboldt was moving at about 8 mph.

Today began the actual paddle. The gods smiled upon us with beautiful weather and a great group of paddlers. A total of 3 canoes and 7 kayaks began the morning at Humboldt and re-paddled Al and Bill's journey of the previous day. At Goetsch Park, the group stopped to snack and prepare themselves for a portage over the Cornbelt dam. Safety was the key for this segment and the group worked together to have the portage be successful. Three additional paddlers joined the group at the Deer Creek access for the second half of the journey. I joined Al as the bow paddler and 2 addtional kayakers from Ft. Dodge joined the group. Lots of fun water, some enjoyable standing waves, and everyone ended the trip dry. :-) The critter count today included several owls, great blue herons, a red headed woodpecker, more cedar waxwings, and an eagle at the take-out, The group celebrated a great first day with pizza in Ft. Dodge. John Garton of Ft. Dodge offered the use of his backyard (for pitching tents) and shower to our campers. The folks on this trip have been great. Iowa truly does have the best of the best. Here's pictures of the boats at the put-in and the first two lead paddlers, Jim Dodd (Dakota City) and Dave Kraemer (Ames) .
20 miles down - 110 miles to go. :-)