For longtime pals Dave and Rob and I, it is time for the annual guys' weekend, an escape to the illusory wilderness that Wisconsin often offers just around a bend or down a lesser traveled byway. The road to our destination foreshadows the weekend a bit; it winds serpentine through wooded ridges and bluffs, and the odd, free-form patches of farmland they enclose.
We are in Vernon County, one of the loveliest portions of the Driftless Area, land untouched by the most recent assault of Ice Age glaciers. As the highway hugs a curving ridgeline, I look down into a valley shrouded in an early morning mist. Somewhere hidden within is the Kickapoo River. Perhaps it was also foggy eons ago when the river formed; judging by the squiggling blue line across the map, it had trouble finding its way.
The name Kickapoo is Algonquian in origin, meaning "one who goes here, then there," a fair label for a river that zigzags and doubles back on itself so much that it flows 130 miles just to cross a crow's flying distance of 65 miles on its path to the Wisconsin River. The name, however, would have been "doesn't go anywhere at all" had the Army Corps of Engineers had its way. The river can be volatile in periods of great and sudden rains — the village of Gays Mills was nearly washed off the map in 2007 and 2008 — so the corps had intentions of building a large dam at La Farge to manage flooding, and, ironically, to flood everything we see today.
The project started in 1971 but was defeated by 1975 by environmentalists and angry landowners who had lost property to eminent domain. The beginnings of an earthen dam and the clear-cut land have all been reclaimed by Mother Nature, and all that remains is a concrete control tower.
We put in along a muddy bank in Ontario, Wis., in a shallow stream with a sandy bottom. Our goal is to paddle more than half the 22.5 river miles to La Farge so that the next day we can decide early on whether to pull out there, as is typical, or try to do the river less taken and continue on to Viola another six highway miles (perhaps 12 river miles).
The current is gentle and steady, and in most places the river is sheltered from the wind by forest or towering cliffs of sculpted sandstone, so we should have plenty of time. Local canoe maps indicate travel times between landmarks that are longer than would be required for even the less experienced. The scenery and wildlife, however, can slow you down.
In 1996, the corps was forced to return part of the dam project land to the Ho-Chunk Nation, while 8,569 acres between Ontario and La Farge went to the state of Wisconsin; this became the Kickapoo Valley Reserve, a haven for wildlife and paddlers alike. We see a number of other canoes as we go, especially by midday. Many will stop at Wildcat Mountain State Park after just a couple playful hours. We're not stopping until we find one of the 25 primitive campsites along the banks downriver. In the morning we'll be first on the water and far from the typical starting points, having this popular river to ourselves for a while.
Having people around doesn't prevent the critters from showing up, but early in the day is the best time to spot deer, blue herons and kingfishers diving for breakfast. In the course of the weekend we spot a couple eagles, three beavers up close, four Cooper's hawks, and even a great horned owl. When we finally bed down for the night at a site that has nothing more than a fire ring, a barred owl lulls us to sleep with its "who cooks for you?" call.
When I awake, I step from my tent into a gray that is neither day nor night. Smoke from last evening's smoldering campfire mingles with the fog, and all but the nearest tree trunks are yet to form from the void. The hushed rippling of the river is close. Chirping birds suggest dawn is upon us, but its color has yet to reach the bottom of the valley.
We break camp and pack everything into the canoes until, like an old sodium lamp, the river and forest regain their light and the blue sky starts to appear. We push off, and the current takes us along on a gentle glide beneath moss-covered sandstone cliffs.
If you go
Tips: Big rains can dramatically change this river's nature. Be aware of forecasts, and have backup plans. Spring and fall are good times to avoid a lot of river traffic, and weekdays are better than weekends.
Camping: Wildcat Mountain State Park is a good place to camp (and hike) before and after your trip. Reserving a campsite is wise in summer: 888-947-2757, dnr.state.wi.us. Primitive campsites in the Kickapoo Valley Reserve (kvr.state.wi.us) cost $10 for up to 10 people. Sites are first-come, first-served, and permits are at the office or at self-pay stations within the reserve.
Outfitters: These outfitters run part-day, full-day and overnight canoe/kayak trips on the Kickapoo. Rates are from $25-35 per canoe. This paddle also can be done independently using public drop-off points in Ontario and La Farge, but even then it is convenient to hire the outfitters for shuttle services. If you want a longer, more rugged excursion, you can continue downriver to Viola. But the scenery isn't nearly as good as it is through the state park and reserve, and because the stretch is not maintained by tour operators and their chainsaws, you will likely encounter plenty of logjams and be forced to portage through the brush along the banks. Chigger itching may remind you for another week or so of your decision.
Drifty's Complete Canoe Rental; 608-337-4288, driftyscanoerental.net
Mr. Ducks Canoe Rental (which also rents tubes); 608-337-4711, mrduckscanoerental.com
Titanic Canoe Rental; 877-438-7865, titaniccanoerental.com
ctc-travel@tribune.com
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