PREFACE
    I don’t get out enough. There, I said it. I’ve been living in the Chippewa Valley now for three years, and I’ve seen only a pittance of it. I haven’t gone camping or fishing or canoeing or even really biking here. So this winter, while I was huddling cold and alone under a pile of blankets, I made myself a promise. A promise to have a Mega-Awesome Nature-Loving Yokel Trip and River-Inspired Passage or, as I’ve shortened it for bragging purposes, a MANLY TRIP. The most epic journey any Chippewa Valleyan has ever had. I would set myself afloat down the Chippewa River and tame the beast that powers the Valley.

  Now, having had little to no prior canoeing experience (outside of my cousin and myself turning ourselves backward on the Baraboo River once) I decided that maybe attempting to conquer the entire river was aiming just a little high. Two days of extreme researching and itinerary planning later, I set my goal: I would drive from Eau Claire up to Lake Wissota, where I would take a day or two to embrace my inner outdoorsman, and then brave the almost 20 miles of paddling necessary to make it back to Eau Claire. What follows is something I’ve come to call the MANLY TRIP Log, a diary of my journey.

JUMP TO: DAY ONE | DAYS TWO & DAY THREE | DAY FOUR | DAY FIVE

 

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DAY ONE
    It’s a beautiful Friday morning, and I’ve driven my Subaru, loaded with canoe, paddles, camping necessities, and fishing accoutrements to just outside Wissota Marina on 197th Street in Chippewa Falls (A). The marina is close to a great launching spot for Paint Creek, a small river that feeds into Lake Wissota. My plan is to ease into the whole paddling thing today while I slowly make my way towards Lake Wissota State Park. With any luck, by the end of the day I’ll be able to steer effectively. I’m pretty sure that could come in handy.

    Eventually, I crossed under the Highway X bridge (B) and into Lake Wissota itself. There’re some pretty great rock formations there, and I saw what I’m fairly sure was an otter. At least that’s what he told me. Eventually, I pulled ashore upon the beach at Lake Wissota State Park (C), where I was greeted by a plethora of white-tailed deer, badgers, beavers, and red-tailed foxes. Unfortunately, this did not turn into one of those scenes out of Snow White where we all frolicked and sang throughout the forest. Instead, the woodland animals demanded my registration fee, which I had apparently forgotten to pay. It’s good to know that the animals are looking out for themselves at least.

Lake Wissota State Park itself isn’t exactly roughing it. The campsite has flush toilets, showers, and electricity, so thankfully I could plug in my nightlight. My plan for tomorrow is to hit some of the hiking trails and see if I can identify all of the more than 200 species of birds that reside at the park. If this goes anything like my attempts to catch all 150 original Pokémon over the winter, I’ll be giving up by bird number six.

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MORE GREAT PLACES TO PADDLE:

• Half Moon Lake | Braun’s Bay Pavilion in Carson Park, Eau Claire
• Glen Loch Lake | Bridgewater Avenue, Chippewa Falls | Chippewa Moraine Ice Age State Recreation Area | Cty Hwy M, New Auburn
• Eau Claire River | between Harstad Park in Augusta and Big Falls in Fall Creek

 

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DAY TWO
    I spied 13 birds while hiking about today – more than doubling my expectations. I’m pretty sure that qualifies as a win. Right now I’m casting off the park’s fishing pier, hoping to stock up for the journey. So far so good – I’ve caught two walleye and a small-mouth bass. I’m hoping to snag a perch, crappie, or bluegill before I take off; I’m told the lake has quite a few.

I’ll be making dinner for tonight and tomorrow on one of the park’s grills, and then I hope to go for a quick swim before the sun goes down. Tomorrow I’ll actually set sail, or paddle rather. I have just now realized that if I get tired along the way or if tomorrow’s journey takes longer than expected, we really have no place to stop. I feel this may end up being a problem.

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MORE GREAT PLACES TO HIKE:

• Red Cedar State Trail | depot on 11th Ave (Hwy 29), Menomonie
• Beaver Creek Reserve | Hwy K, Fall Creek
• Devil’s Punchbowl | Paradise Valley Road, Menomonie
• Hoffman Hills State Recreation Area | Brickyard Road, Menomonie

 
DAY THREE
    I was right; it was a problem. My arms started to become sore about halfway down the stretch of river I had planned to travel in one day. Fearing intense muscle cramps, I decided that I would paddle no more. So when I came across an island in the middle of the river where one could pull ashore and make camp for the night, I jumped at the chance.

I’m not exactly sure where I am at the moment (B)---, but I’m pretty sure that to the west of us I can see some sort of vineyard and to the southeast of us is what I think is Lake Hallie. The paddling, along with the struggle to come ashore, has left me exhausted. I am very glad that I caught and cooked enough walleye at Lake Wissota to eat throughout the day today, as I don’t think that even if I hooked a fish I could reel it in right now. I’m now busting out a sleeping bag and preparing to go to sleep. If today’s experience has impressed any one thing upon me, it is a desire for more campgrounds in the Chippewa Valley. If there had been one along the way, maybe I could have planned for this.

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MORE GREAT PLACES TO CAMP:

• Coon Fork Lake County Park | County Road CF, Augusta
• Harstad County Park | Near Augusta, take Highway 12 to County AF to County HHH
• Brunet Island State Park | 23125 255th S., Cornell
• Willow River State Park | 1034 County Highway A, Hudson

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DAY FOUR
    I woke up early today to get a head start on paddling towards Dells Pond, which I guesstimated was over five miles from my current island position. Today’s plan was to head to the pond and hang out for a bit, maybe get in some Frisbee golf at Mt. Simon Park, and then head back to Eau Claire to meet my friend Mike at Phoenix Park. We would then drive back up to Chippewa to get my car. Things did not go exactly as planned, and I’m not proud to admit how out of shape I am. My arms are so sore from paddling yesterday that even the simple act of writing this is difficult.

I arrived at Mt. Simon hoping to see a few other people around, but being that it’s 8 am on a Monday I should have known it would be empty. I tossed a few Frisbees around and worked the knots out of my arms, enough to paddle around Dells Pond (B) for a bit, an excellent spot for it, I must say. The water level around the islands forces motorboats to stay out in the river, allowing for a fairly open and gentle canoeing experience between the islands. Being out of fish by this point, I chose to conserve my strength for a paddle across the pond to the Starr Avenue VFW Post, where I was graciously given some delicious fried chicken leftovers.

    After feasting on some fowl, I started the last leg of my journey, the short paddle from Dells Pond to the river confluence in Phoenix Park (C). As I crossed under the Madison Street bridge I could see Mike, his shaggy hair blowing in the breeze, his hands waving me in. I’m fairly sure I heard the music from Apollo 13 in the background. I parked the canoe and gave Mike the biggest man-hug I think I’ve ever given anyone in my life. My journey was over. … Or at least this portion.

Mike and I sat at Phoenix Park, fishing for muskie and bass and talking about the physics of Superman moving a planet, until the sun finally faded behind the Eau Claire River. “Alright,” I said, “let’s take this stuff home and then go to Chip and grab my car.” Mike looked away from me, clearly ashamed. “About that …” he said, “I may have sort of kind of lost my keys. Which means we maybe sort of can’t drive to get your car.” This news displeased me. “But I looked online, and we could totally bike the entire way out there tomorrow,” Mike suggested. “The Chippewa River State Trail goes almost the whole way there!”

I was still just as displeased and sore, but somehow Mike convinced me that biking the 20 some miles back toward Chippewa was a necessary part of my MANLY TRIP. We carried the canoe, supplies, and fish 10 blocks back to our apartment, earning us some weird glances along the way. As I laid down to sleep, I was horrified to realize that, minus the approximately quarter of an inch of insulation in the walls, I might as well still be sleeping outside at Lake Wissota again. I really need to get a better apartment.

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MORE GREAT PANFISH & BASS SPOTS:

Half Moon Lake | Eau Claire

Lake Altoona | Altoona

Coon Fork Lake | Augusta

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DAY FIVE
    Mike and I got up fairly early and took the bike trip back to Chippewa Falls pretty slow. Mike bragged that he could have ridden it in an hour and a half by himself, but I wanted to take in the sights. We started out of Owen Park, near the bandshell, and over the course of our about two-and-a-half-hour long journey we saw some great riverside views. It was definitely worth taking it slow.

   
We took Galloway Street to Western Avenue, and followed the Hastings Way frontage (Anderson Drive) to Joles Parkway. The River Trail cut off once we got to 40th Avenue in Chippewa Falls so we had to hop onto Prairieview Road, cut to 50th Avenue, and bike up 195th Street. Eventually we arrived at my Subaru, which stood pristine and had somehow not managed to garner a parking ticket. Mike and I loaded up our bikes, sat down, and cranked the air conditioning to cool ourselves down from the ride. We pulled out of the parking lot and onto the open road, officially bringing an end to the MANLY TRIP. Now for a manly nap ...

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• MORE GREAT PLACES TO BIKE:
• Lowes Creek County Park | Lowes Creek Road, Eau Claire
• Chippewa River State Trail | south Eau Claire to Caryville
• Red Cedar State Trail | 11th Ave, Menomonie