We may earn commissions if you shop through the links below. By Bill Collett, Bettendorf, Iowa August 3, 2004 Pre trip plans hardly exist. I intend to solo paddle the designated National Scenic River Way of the Namekagon River. It is uncertain if I will paddle beyond that or not. All I know is that my wife and daughter are visiting relatives and friends in Duluth for a week and they can drop me off on the Namekagon. The option exists for them to pick me up on the way home, or if I am feeling good, they are to go home and I will continue to paddle. I’m operating under the axiom, when packing for a solo trip, weird and wonderful adventures can be achieved through haphazard planning and spur-of-the-moment preparation. When organizing for group travel, it is quite another matter. Join REI and Earn $30 towards your next gear purchase. As a precaution, I throw in my entire collection river maps. The food barrel is already half full of assorted leftovers from a dozen other trips. In addition to the usual cooking gear, I add a kayak paddle and five one-gallon containers for water. 8:15 pm Dam Trail Head – Looking for the “Dam Road” at Lake Namekagon – Our turn to Lake Namekagon is on the same highway as Telemark Ski Lodge, except further east and north of the highway. At the dam, it is still daylight and there is a large parking area on the upper lakeside of the dam (must be for a boat ramp, although I don’t remember seeing one). On the lower side of the dam is a small picnic area with a separate little parking area. The few visitors here are actually checking out the dam, which is really just a spillway. It is a fancy one that has step-up walls with river boulders cemented in the surface. Although there are no cabins in sight, you get the feeling the road continues on to resorts or cabins on the far side of the lake. The sign says “No Camping” it is just about dark and Ann and Amber have to head on to Duluth. We pile my gear onto a picnic table. We say goodbye, and I want to double check the van one more time to make sure I have not forgetting anything. As I move a blanket, I uncover Amber’s brand new kayak paddle! Why she is hiding it, I don’t know. I’m assuming she wants to show Peter. I plan to hang out until dark and set up the tent. It is twilight and as I come out of the plastic outhouse, I notice a car by the dam. A young man is doing a ragged dance across the stones and singing at the top of his lungs. He thinks he is alone and to protect whatever dignity he has left, I detour out of site around the pines back to the picnic area. Red raspberries are abundant. Just before leaving I ate a ton of black berries from our woods at home. Amber and I attempted to spread the seeds in our backyard woods by chewing on the berries and spewing the seeds from our mouths. It occurs to me that I may be reseeding the Namekagon the next few days. 9:30 pm Sitting at the edge of the dam. Several stars break out which is a good sign. We drove though some rain on the way up. Fifty or more bats are circling above my head. The water gauge at the dam reads 1.27. According to the website that is not good news. The water levels are low and at this level it is rated difficult in maneuvering around rocks and boulders. I’m up for the challenge. To make it even more interesting I’m paddling my hand made wooden solo canoe. August 4, 2004 6:43 am Floating in the pool below the dam. The moon is a waning C-shape at ¾ full. It will be getting smaller as the trip progresses, no moonlight paddles. With the solo canoe I actually sit on the bottom. I’m testing a padded seat called a Happy Bottom; so far I think they are right. I can also see the padded backrest and knee rests I made are going to pay bigger dividends. I’m a big fan of the traditional wooden beaver tail paddle. However, for this trip I also brought along a touring kayak paddle to experiment with my solo canoe. GPS Reading for the starting location name”¦000 N46 13.468 W 91 08.866 8:10 Have been paddling in an isolated spruce/pine forest and have come up to the wooden walk bridge marked on the map. The cabin here looks like a ski hut. Sign that says ???? six miles. Paddling may be an exaggeration; much of my time is spent walking in the stream. It is not easy and it is slippery. I’m bent over holding on to the back of the canoe to for balance. I no sooner get into the canoe and have to get out. I’m bumping and scraping hidden rocks much more so than expected. My canoe was built in the old days of Polyester resin, and the rocks make it sound like a zipper undoing the fiber cloth. (I had already made plans to refurbish the canoe with epoxy resin this winter. Thus going into the trip, I was not overly concerned about wood meeting rock) 10:50 County M Highway, which means I heading into Birke country. Home of the American Birkiebeiner 55km North America’s largest cross-country ski race. I’ve finished this race 25 times. For the next 35 miles, I will get a new perspective on this countryside that I’ve known so well from the snowy hilltops. The view opens up some at this location. Back in the dense woods and rocks I put a crack in the bottom of the canoe. Water slowly seeps in. It is sunny with just a few clouds. Cedar Waxlings (or very similar bird) dominate the area; from the branches they fly over the stream to catch insects. 11:09 Cap Creek Landing – Paddling note: once I tried using the kayak paddle I could not switch back to the beaver tail. The solo canoe with its tumblehome sides make it perfect for this faster style of paddling. Also, in shallow water, the blades stay near the surface with out loosing power. See a family of otter. Phillipi Bridge Landing At the picnic area having cheese and a long break. I’m debating weather to walk into Cable to get some duct tape. 1:47 Passing under the old railroad bridge. 2:26 Due to bridge construction on Highway 63 there are big signs to portage around the bridge. I look and cannot see any obstructions on the water. They just can’t risk concrete or tools dropping on the canoeists. It turns out not to be a simple carry over. Once on the highway you have to walk ¼ mile to the cable wayside rest area. It takes three trips mainly because I elected to carry five one-gallon containers of water. 4:04 Pacwawong Dam “¦”¦..Broke out into a wide-open marsh area and the stream snakes through the tall grasses. Cranes are in shallows (male red on the top of the head-sand hill crane). Upon reaching the western hillside, the stream comes to another spillway. The campsite is too good to pass up. Plenty of room to spread out, few bugs and a table. Explore a walking path that ends up on a county road a little more than a ¼ away. Supper is a great pizza. I needed a big meal. Since the outback oven is out, I start baking muffins for tomorrow’s breakfast. 7:15 Enjoying the scenery and a hot drink. At the last moment, I threw in a folding canvas chair and it is a luxury! So much so, I forget all about the muffins and burn them. (This campsite is so good, it should not be passed up!) GPS 001 N46 08.891 W91 20.799 August 5, 2004 7:16 am Sunny I’m leaving the campsite. Osprey diving into the water. 8:50 passing a marked campsite cut out of the bush on the right side of the river, not as scenic as the one I used. 9:00 Larsen Bridge Landing no bathrooms no camping”¦”¦sunny blue skies. 10:30 Phipps Landing — Loaded up with drinking water. 11:15 Phipps dam spillway. A healthy straight downward vee is flowing through the spillway. It appears to be an easy canoe run. As I’m checking it out, I see an unusual occurrence, a squirrel walks out on a small branch overhanging the fast water. It leaps into the white water! There is no question about it now, I’m running the shoot, it’s a rescue mission. A simple brace and I’m through. Eddy out to the left, but I cannot any squirrel dog paddling in the water. I hope he/she made it. 1:55 In a muddy lily field behind a large building on Lake Hayward. For a mile or so earlier, the banks of the river became a series of houses. It was easy to see I was getting near Hayward. The canoe still leaks, but the sponge easily keeps up every 15 to 20 minutes. The wood must be swelling, because the leak slows down in the afternoon. Hayward is a must stop for duct tape. I look for the all-familiar Birke ski trail. Under a bridge are two boys fishing. I paddle down the center of Lake Hayward. I’ve skied across this lake many times to finish the Birkebeiner ski races. The water tower has a bald eagle roosting on a support beam. It appears another canoe group is taking a break on the south shore. I work west into a small shallow inlet. I can barely push the canoe close enough to firm ground. The canoe and gear is well hidden. After fighting some brush, I pop up into a cement drive way. I’m behind a huge new grocery store! I come out with two rolls of duct tape, two huge apples, and peach juice drink. 2:15 going under the Hwy 27 road. Stopped at the local park with beach on the lake. Good bathrooms did not need water. Passing the giant walleye fish monument. Hayward Dam Portage”¦.the Hayward Dam is a larger 20 to 30 foot cement structure. I meet the other canoe group here that consists of six people from the Peoria, IL area. Greg is kind enough to help me carry my canoe over. 2:53 pm. 5:00 West River Landing”¦..couple of Black labs fetching sticks in the water. 6:40 pm campsite”¦.(marked just above Tranus Creek on the map) stair steps up the right bank to a nice small spot. Wanted to camp a few miles back but the sites were taken. Back into heavy woods and enjoyable rapids. August 6, 2004 7:30 am Loaded and ready to go. 11:05 Earl Park and Campground do not stop because I have a lot of water. Was going to stop to stretch and walk, but there too many idiots around fireworks, loud music. 12:15 Passing the Namekagon Visitor Center. I do not stop, because I know it is closed for remodeling. Trego Lake and Trego Dam: Passing under the Highway and by commercial campgrounds. Lake Trego is shallow and with water grass and the pontoon boats have pathways into the lake. The lake is lined with housing and a floatplane is parked in a backyard. Big snails are dead and floating on the surface. Is this a sign of a polluted lake? I make the mistake of picking one up and it leaves a horrendous smell on my fingers. The lake narrows and opens up again and turns to the right. I’m looking for the dam and a family swimming confirms I’m going in the right direction. The dam is larger than expected. It is an easy carry around on the green lawn. On the...