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- Oct 24, 2021
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This is going to be a long boring intro, but I want to get a bunch of the weird stuff out of the way right off the bat.
So for the last couple years I have been doing winter canoe trips in Northern Illinois, building up to about 800 miles next winter hooefully, Dec 1st to maybe March, depending on weather and ice, starting at lake superior (well, the Lac Veux Desert in WI will be the start of the big trip, down the Wisconsin River, then the Mississippi to the Rock, up the Rock a bit then the Hennepin Canal over to the Illinois and back and then up to Sterling IL.)
This year I hope to make 300 miles, starting on the Galena instead of the Wisconsin. Last year I bailed out at 76 miles. Mostly mental, but I just couldn't eat enough to make up for the calorie burn pulling the canoe on the ice, and on the coldest days, in places where I couldn't make a fire, my camp stove (MSR pocket rocket) just wouldn't work. I ended losing a pound a day for a month, some of it muscle mass, which I wasn't able to gain back over the summer season, unfortunately.
So food is an issue. I can resupply, but it can be a hike depending.
I'm running a Discover solo 119, the kayak looking one, with the seat removed and my own thwarts installed in different positions, because the tent I made installs on the canoe and I just sleep in it. Its actually nice. I start about 40 pounds over weight with gear and dog, and sank it a few times last winter, just like, sank it lol. I'm usually about an inch from the water at the tip of the canoe side.
I had a used drysuit (50 bucks, self repaired) last year, and went through the ice maybe 7 times depending on if you only count deep water, but it worked ok. This year my drysuit is super badass, I can swim open sections instead of the monkey fight loading gear and dog on the edge of weak ice, then trying to get out after the paddle. That alone will make a huge difference.
I could use a paddle that would be strong enough to break up ice, I got jammed up a few days last winter, where the ice was too thick to paddle, but too thin to throw the skis on the canoe and pull on the ice, my preferred mode of travel.
I'm taking less clothing this year, and hopefully won't be as overloaded. Next year I want a pakcanoe. Maybe a 16 footer. That would be the stuff of dreams.
I should be passing Bellevue Iowa around the 10th to the 15th, if the river is iced by then you should see me if you live along the river, I carry an Illinois flag on a pole as I pull the canoe, and have a US and Illinois flag sewn to the canoe tent.
I might have some questions for anyone doing 2 to 4 month expeditions.
I'm 50, and install seamless gutter, lol, so my budget is fairly limited. So if you have gear suggestions I'm definitely interested but remember I'm usually kinda broke.
Anyway. Hope to see some of you out on the water, or ice as the case may be. Doing these trips is a blast! I'm stoked for this year. I'll poke around the forum and see if anything applies to what I got going on, but nice to meet you all.
So for the last couple years I have been doing winter canoe trips in Northern Illinois, building up to about 800 miles next winter hooefully, Dec 1st to maybe March, depending on weather and ice, starting at lake superior (well, the Lac Veux Desert in WI will be the start of the big trip, down the Wisconsin River, then the Mississippi to the Rock, up the Rock a bit then the Hennepin Canal over to the Illinois and back and then up to Sterling IL.)
This year I hope to make 300 miles, starting on the Galena instead of the Wisconsin. Last year I bailed out at 76 miles. Mostly mental, but I just couldn't eat enough to make up for the calorie burn pulling the canoe on the ice, and on the coldest days, in places where I couldn't make a fire, my camp stove (MSR pocket rocket) just wouldn't work. I ended losing a pound a day for a month, some of it muscle mass, which I wasn't able to gain back over the summer season, unfortunately.
So food is an issue. I can resupply, but it can be a hike depending.
I'm running a Discover solo 119, the kayak looking one, with the seat removed and my own thwarts installed in different positions, because the tent I made installs on the canoe and I just sleep in it. Its actually nice. I start about 40 pounds over weight with gear and dog, and sank it a few times last winter, just like, sank it lol. I'm usually about an inch from the water at the tip of the canoe side.
I had a used drysuit (50 bucks, self repaired) last year, and went through the ice maybe 7 times depending on if you only count deep water, but it worked ok. This year my drysuit is super badass, I can swim open sections instead of the monkey fight loading gear and dog on the edge of weak ice, then trying to get out after the paddle. That alone will make a huge difference.
I could use a paddle that would be strong enough to break up ice, I got jammed up a few days last winter, where the ice was too thick to paddle, but too thin to throw the skis on the canoe and pull on the ice, my preferred mode of travel.
I'm taking less clothing this year, and hopefully won't be as overloaded. Next year I want a pakcanoe. Maybe a 16 footer. That would be the stuff of dreams.
I should be passing Bellevue Iowa around the 10th to the 15th, if the river is iced by then you should see me if you live along the river, I carry an Illinois flag on a pole as I pull the canoe, and have a US and Illinois flag sewn to the canoe tent.
I might have some questions for anyone doing 2 to 4 month expeditions.
I'm 50, and install seamless gutter, lol, so my budget is fairly limited. So if you have gear suggestions I'm definitely interested but remember I'm usually kinda broke.
Anyway. Hope to see some of you out on the water, or ice as the case may be. Doing these trips is a blast! I'm stoked for this year. I'll poke around the forum and see if anything applies to what I got going on, but nice to meet you all.