Paddling Expeditions or Maybe A Little Slower Next Time!

For anyone who has ever dared to venture outdoors in the heat of the summer, there is nothing better than saddling up a canoe and gracefully floatnig your way down a river.  Last weekend, I had the opportunity to join a good friend on a paddle of the lower Namekagon River in Northwest Wisconsin.  The sun was shining, humidity was high, and mosquitoes were living large.  Three days or actually 22 hours saw 35 river miles, healthy looking fish, 3 deer, many kingfisher, a few fiesty locals and even a "bald-eagle".  I still vote that the bald-eagle was a misguided attempt at dumping said blogger and his slew of dumb jokes into the crystal clear waters of the Namekagon.  Every paddle stroke felt effortless as we glided through a variety of ecosystems from soggy marshlands to dry pine capped hills.  There was quite a swath of destruction left by the storm that swept through a few weeks ago leaving many trees toppled or snapped like toothpicks.  The nights were cool, or cooler than the day......I think?  Maybe not though as sleep was only caught in between gulps of humid night air.  As we made our way into the St. Croix River, camps were only found amongst down trees and campsites that looked more like a overgrown backyard than a scenic riverway so we opted to spend the night at our takeout point.  From there, it was a quick 33 mile bike-ride in 98 degree heat to retrieve the car and retrace our steps back to teh beautifully quaint town of Hudson.  Another adventure to add to the books and another brave soul to drag along and share in this journey we call life.