Horicon Marsh, Wisconsin

[Howard Caplan]

Wating for our daughter to get here so we can drive the 45 minutes to Horicon Marsh and take the finally completed Prospector out on maiden voyage.
For those of you, especially my Great Rivers Chapter bretheren who have never paddled Horicon, it is spectacular. I expect the marsh to be a bit quiet today, late June and the birds are nesting and staying out of the heat but in the spring and fall there are thousands, maybe millions birds coming through. Famous for it's geese, it is also a home or a stopover for eagles, white pelicans, osprey, and there is at least one, Heronary (a rookery for Great Blue Herons). There are about two dozen nests in, what I think is, a mature cottonwood tree. Both migratory and summer dwelling and breeding ducks use Horicon extensively. And on the right day the cacophony of bird calls can be deafening.
All flatwater with the Rock River running through it. It is the largest freshwater cattail marsh at 32,000 acres.
I look forward to paddling Horicon this afternoon as there are no motor boats, other then a few small horse fishing boats and it is a great place to launch a canoe, especially one I just built and never paddled.
Howard

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Very Cool

Best wishes for fair weather and great nature-sightings on your canoe's maiden voyage! A wonderful family adventure, to be sure.

 

[Howard Caplan]

Thanks Katherine - the weather was a bit less then desired with scattered rain showers and a lot of wind.
Daughter Corinna was very happy to add the White Pelican to her list of bird sightings. And the birds were still very active, maybe because of the recent flooding some may be on their second attempt at nesting.
The boat was great, though. For a 16' it glided very easily and the head and cross winds created little pull or drag. Having Amy in the bougousie seat in the middle was good as she added enough weight to hold this heavy water boat down.
I got the pics back and later will attempt to post some.
Hope to paddle with the Great Rivers Chapter on the 12th on the lower Wisconsin and then Amy and I will spend the rest of that week canoe camping.

I must say, though, after spending every non-working or sleeping hour since the end of March on this canoe, I am feeling a bit of a let down with the boat complete.
Howard

 

[Kathryn Klos]

And your next project is... ?

 

[Howard Caplan]

Before I can bring a canoe in from the yard that needs some minor repairs, I have to build a new pedastal for the dining room table that I said I would do last winter. Amy clearly reminded me of this promise before the last screw went into the stem bands on Saturday.
Howard