Category: Travel Destinations

Travel Destination: Vernon County

 

The Kickapoo is a fun river to canoe. It is narrow, winding and very scenic

I have made several trips to Vernon County in the last year and have found that the county offers many activities to fill a long weekend.  I started my most recent trip, by canoeing on the Kickapoo River and ended it with some amazing trout fishing.  Vernon county also has many places to stop on the highways and byways to eat and to shop.  Also, if big water adventures are your forte, the Mississippi River forms the Western boundary of Vernon County. 

The Kickapoo river is rightfully one of Wisconsin’s most famous canoeing rivers.  The upstream beginning of the canoeable portion of the Kickapoo is the village of Ontario.  I will admit when I first saw the river I thought, this is a famous canoeing river?  The Kickapoo is a narrow muddy meandering stream coming out of Ontario.  I wondered if there was enough water in the river to float a canoe.  Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised by the river.  I canoed the stretch between bridges 4 and 5 which meanders through Wildcat Mountain State Park, and it is a beautiful section of river.  Being this is the driftless area, there are lots of rock out cropping’s and bluffs to enhance the scenic beauty of the trip.    It is crooked enough to keep the canoeist busy guiding the canoe around the bends, the trees, and sand bars in the river.  It is not a difficult river to paddle, but the river demands that you pay attention to it.  It only took a few prys and draws to get around most of the obstacles in the river.  Given the steep terrain that dominates the Kickapoo watershed, the river is vulnerable to flash floods so paying attention to the weather is important.  Canoeing after the spring melt or heavy rains is not advised.  Since the river is narrow and heavily wooded, many trees fall in or across the Kickapoo.  There is a task force of riverine lumberjacks that cut up the trees that obstruct the river in the section that I floated.  I would speculate that the canoe outfitters in Ontario are the organizing force for the river lumberjacks. 

            If you do not have a canoe or kayak and want to canoe the river, there are three outfitters in Ontario that cater to Kickapoo river travelers.  They all have a very large livery of rental canoes and kayaks.  Rumors are the outfitters can put up to 500 canoes on the river in a single day.  Hence, it can get really crowded.  My float occurred early on a Friday morning and there were only a few other canoeists out.  But by late morning, when I loaded up the canoe, it was beginning to get busy.  If canoeing without crowds is important, plan the trips for mornings during the week.  Having the outfitters there also means, that if you do not have a canoe and want to canoe or kayak the river, it is simple to rent one.  For information on canoeing the Kickapoo see this link

            Wildcat Mountain State Park and the Kickapoo Reserve create a big block of public land for canoeing, hiking, and camping.  The campground and picnic area at Wildcat Mountain are literally on top of a big ridge.  (Calling it a mountain is a bit of a stretch). The road to the park entrance from Ontario is one of the crookedest roads I have traveled on.  Wildcat has a nice, but small campground.  Many of the campsites are cramped due to the limited space on top of the ridge.  There is an extensive 21-mile trail system that can be used for hiking, horseback riding, skiing and snowshoeing. 

            The Kickapoo Reserve is an 8600, acre parcel of public land which is owned by the HoChunk Nation and the State of Wisconsin.  It is governed by its own Board.  It is a unique land in terms of management and ecology.  The Kickapoo river runs through the middle of the Reserve and provides some very scenic canoeing.    The reserve also has campsites near the river for the adventurous canoeist.  But they are located a ways away from the river to reduce the danger from flash floods.  meaning it is an uphill haul to get the gear and canoes from the river to the campsite.  Additionally, there are hiking and carrying campsites along the trails of the Reserve.

            Bringing a bicycle along with the canoe is important.  The Kickapoo Reserve has an extensive trails system some of which is dedicated to mountain bikes and some of which is mixed use trails.  Vernon county has lots of rural roads to ride on.  The roads run through lots of hills and valleys, so the ride is steep and winding making for fun riding.  The nature of the roads also creates some safety hazards so consulting the WI DOT bike map is a good idea when planning a route.  Wilton, which is near the halfway point of the Elroy Sparta Bike trail, is only a 10-minute drive north of Ontario. 

A small waterfall tucked away at the end of the Ice Cave Trail         

   If riding a horse is preferable to riding a bike, Wildcat Mountain and the Kickapoo Reserve a have a combined 55 miles of equestrian trails.  Fifteen miles of the trails are in the park and forty miles in the Reserve.  Horse Camp is located in Wildcat Mountain and is one of the nicer and most complete horse camps I have seen. 

            Some of the best trout fishing I have ever experience occurred on this trip.  I fished a stream in the northern part of the county and caught many nice sized trout.  One was a little too big as it busted my 4 lbs. line on my ultra-light spinning rod and made off with my favorite trout spinner while making a spectacular jump.  I kept just enough trout to have a nice fish fry for supper.  Many of the trout streams are Class 1 or 2 streams.  Wisconsin classifies its trout streams as 1 (the best) 2 (really good) and 3 (OK).  A quick glance at the trout stream maps shows that there are more miles of Class 1 and 2 streams than Class 3.  There are numerous DNR fishing properties, easements, and other accesses points to the trout streams so accessing that secret trout fishing spot is relatively easy.  The DNR, local conservations clubs and groups like Trout Unlimited have been working for decades to restore and improve the trout streams in the Driftless Region.  As a result of all this hard work, the Driftless Area is now one of the premier trout fishing regions in the US.

     A nice trout supper thanks to the efforts of many people and groups to improve the trout streams in the Driftless Area     

  A good night’s sleep and good food is vital to any great trip.  Vernon County is a small rural place, so the lodging is small and rural.  Wildcat Mountain is the biggest camping spot.  Additionally, many of the small towns in the area have campgrounds and there are several private campgrounds scattered around the county.  Small resorts with a few cabins and bed and breakfasts are scattered throughout the county.  Local restaurants are abundant, and they usually feature a good Wisconsin fish fry on Friday nights. 

Vernon has a plethora of actives for the outdoor enthusiasts. It is a good place to head for an activity filled weekend or for a longer vacation

Back Country Adventure on the Chippewa

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Lower Chippewa River is a beautiful and wild spot in Western Wisconsin

Being able to have a grand outdoor adventure in your backyard is one of the major benefits of living in Western Wisconsin. The Lower Chippewa River is a great place for a semi-wilderness river camping trip. On the Friday before Labor Day, I loaded up the square stern canoe with camping gear, fishing tackle, an outboard motor, extra gas, and launched the water craft at Ella and headed down stream. I motored downstream a few miles and after a bit of searching found an island with a nice place to land on the downstream end. Just above the landing on higher ground was a level spot perfect for pitching my tent and digging a small fire pit. I was home for the weekend. After my camp was set up, I christened the island “Ben Gunn Island” after the character in Treasure Island. Unfortunately, I did not have a map for hidden treasure or any rations of rum.
I set out to explore the island which I estimated was a quarter mile long and 50 yards wide. It had some silver maple and river birch on it I also found an eagle’s nest at the upstream end of the island and several fox snakes. I also spotted a few very wary squirrels.
With camp established and the island explored, it was time to fish. While traveling down river, I had spotted a promising looking eddy. I slowly motored back to the eddy. It is generally wise to take your time when boating on the Chippewa River. This constantly shifting river is full of trees, sand bars and the occasional rock. Their primary purpose is to remain hidden below the surface of the river in order to bust up props on boats. The motor on the square stern is especially vulnerable since it is mounted on a canoe and rides deeper in the water than the props on john boats which have a taller transom. So, it’s slow I go. Reading the water on the river to avoid obstacles and to follow the deeper channels is as critical when in a motor boat as it is when running white water in a canoe.
I reached the eddy and was soon anchored in the eddy and had a jig working the eddy line. At first there were no strikes. Then I got a snag and lost my jig, so I switched jig colors. I dropped the jig just downstream of where I lost the jig on a snag. My reasoning was that there may be a tree there that would provide structure for the fish to hide in. My reasoning was correct because I soon felt a “tap tap” on the line and after a nice fight I netted a 17-inch walleye. After landing the walleye, the bass started to hit the jig and I caught several nice fish. I decided to vary the diet a bit and keep a bass to go along with the walleye.
With Supper in hand, I headed back to my island. I boiled up some wild rice while I grilled the fish in their scales over the fire. I had a mighty fine meal. After supper, I tended the fire while watching the stars.
The next morning, I ventured downstream all the way to the confluence with the Mississippi. I saw several eagles, deer, seagulls and lots of waterfowl. Being on a river early in the morning is a great way to see wildlife. The bluffs on the west side of the river below Ella proved a scenic backdrop to the river and its wildlife.

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Eagles are abundant along the Chippewa. Seeing a half dozen in a day is not unusual

I stopped to fish many eddies and other promising spots on the river. I caught a variety of fish including walleye, bass, mooneye, and sheepshead. I hooked a northern, but it was smarter than I. It ran down stream and turned sideways in the current and used the current to rid its self of the spoon. I did land one keeper walleye and cooked it up for lunch on a sandbar near the confluence of the Mississippi. I decided to not venture out into the Mississippi due to the heavy volume of holiday boat traffic.
When traveling back upstream to camp, I stowed the fishing gear and looked for critters and navigating hazards. I was happy that I missed all the trees in the river. That night several owls had a hooting contest while I was watching the campfire. I also left the remains of my fish fry on the beach for the eagles and it was quickly consumed by them.
Sunday morning, I ventured back upstream toward Ella to fish. The fishing wasn’t as good this day, so I landed on the east bank of the river and explored some open areas of the Tiffany Bottoms Wildlife Area. The area is a mixture of open meadows, oak savanna and river bottom hard woods. On my short hike, I saw silver maple, oak, river birch, ash, basswood, and maple trees. There was abundant evidence of deer, turkeys and squirrels although the deer and turkeys were shy, and I didn’t see any. I flushed several wood ducks out of a slough. It was a great hike.
After hiking, I motored back to Ben Gunn island and packed up camp and traveled back to the landing at Ella. I had a lot of memories and some fish stories to tell.

2019 Forts Folle Avione Rendezvous

The 2019 Great Forts Folle Avione Rendezvous is over. So sad. A great time was had by all. I ran shooting events on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and participated in the Camp Champ competition in on Sunday. Shooters shot the following matches, Hunters, Mike Fink, Novelty, Pistol, and Trade Gun. At night it got so quiet and still, the silence was amazing. My good friends Leny and Dave gave a some amazing musical performances in front of the camp fire at night. Too bad the storms chased us out early on Sunday.

More camps up top at the Rendezvous
Pistol match
Some of the action at the novelty shoot
Shooting a flint lock takes tremendous concentration
A shooter demonstrating how to load a muzzle loader to some visitors
My neighborhood at the Rondyvoo donw in the bottoms by the river
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Teaching a new shooter the intricacies of loading, priming, and shooting a flint lock.

Canoeing the Flooded Dunnville Bottoms

I was able to sneak in a canoe trip to the Dunnville Bottoms between rain storms this week. The super wet spring combined with the heavy snows from this winter have kept large portions of the river bottoms under water all spring. The river bottoms are formed by the confluence of the Chippewa and Red Cedar Rivers. Both are extremely high right now. I launched the canoe off of 580th Street into a bottom land lake. Late last summer this lake was mostly a muddy pit as the water level was really low. Now it is flooded. While paddling around the flooded bottoms, I was reminded of the bayou country I visited around Pine Bluff, AR. At least when floating the bottoms up north, I didn’t have to watch for alligators or water moccasins.

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I went around a bend and a goose exploded out of the brush. A closer look at its exit point revealed this goose nest. I snapped a quick photo and got out of there as the two geese were flying over head and angrily honking at me. I expected to be divebombed by the geese. But I guess, I am too hairy and scary, so the geese left me alone. I hope the waters don’t rise even higher and flood the nest.

Once among the trees, navigating the tangled mess of trees and brush was interesting. I used a combination of paddling, poling with the paddle, and pushing and pulling on the trees and brush to crash though the areas where the trees and brush were the thinnest.

I was surprised to see water flowing swiftly in this area. The water creating the current had to come from the Chippewa River which is about a mile away from the launch point. The flooding is indeed mighty.

When you a paddling this summer, I hope the wind is at your back and the skeeters are few.