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.