Legend of the Manitou

The "Manitou" are believed to be legendary water spirits that reside in the murky depths of the Great Lakes, ponds, rivers and creeks of the Mid-West.

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According to the ancient tribal ones, sharing their stories and lore, the "Maintou" are considered to be spirit-like in nature. They have been known to lure the weary and unassuming into narrow long log like crafts known today as canoes and have them paddle great distances. The journey of discovery begins...

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"ManitouCruiser" will be spending the weekend at Casa Weber's after visting the Badlands to the West. This excites the Capt'n as one never knows which way the river flows in the cloak of Halloween's darkness. Ooh, ahhhh....

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What goes undiscovered, goes unknown - The Capt'n

The Original

The original StairMaster found it's way into my heart... Well got it pumping anyway. An alternative to the mechanical device plugged into the wall of your local health center. It just seems more rewarding walking up an actual set of stairs.

Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler. - Albert Einstein

Weekend in review

The girls and I hit the trail this weekend seeking refuge from the wind. We hike the southern region of the Kettle Moraine National Forest on Saturday and Nature Hill in Oconomowoc on Sunday. We're at that point in the season where caution must be taken out on the water. Hiking just seemed to be the best fit with the girls in tow.

On Sunday's stroll we bumped into Liz and her pup "Gracy" at Nature Hill. "Of all the gin joints.... she walks into mine" Liz used to work at our agency and did many a long hike with us when we were training for adventure races back in the day.

On our jaunt, Boo and I were considering a handful of paddling adventures. At first look we were pretty ramped up about going back down to do the WaterTribe Everglades Challenge again.

Hmm, the event does not fall on Boo's Spring break, so I would need to pull her out of school, 10 days worth. We are really looking hard at it, a few things to consider.

We also looked at the handful of paddle sailing rendezvous and gatherings that are scattered about. Not to mention the Boundary Waters and Quetico Provincial Parks, Lake Superior Water Trail, Kruger events and the MR340.

There is some urgency to this all, as I need to get my vacation(s) on the calender to insure I get the time off.

Either you let your life slip away by not doing the things you want to do, or you get up and do them. -Roger Von Oech

Winds of Change

Winds of Change

So much change around us, truly the only constant. Time to break out the winter paddling gear, replenish the ditch kit, find warm mittens and paddling booties. Actually looking forward to it... not. But we takes what weez can getz up her in the Nortwood. Paddle Paddle - SAIL!!

Never swap horses crossing a stream or canoes for that matter - American Proverb (with a little Capt'n )

So many choices...

What to do what to do... Do I ditch my brother in law and paddle, or...

A very busy weekend with heading to Green Lake to pull the pier out at the cottage, but managed to put in a couple hours hiking on Sunday.

I caught this hawk on a fly by on my hike. Saturday up on Green Lake a bald eagle flew 25' over head. Pretty cool, never saw a bald eagle that close up. Looked like he was going to land, but everyone was screaming "look at the bald eagle" and he kept going.

Wandering through the meadow, I linked up with the Ice Age Trail which stretches nearly 1,200 miles across Wisconsin and really offers up a first hand experience of the diverse of Wisconsin landscape. (We're not all corn fields and dairy farms you know) How cool would be to hike the entire trail system.

Like all great travellers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen. -Benjamin Disraeli

Indian Summer at last

The Boo and I had a pretty busy weekend. The weather was gorgeous! Time to get out and about...

Friday Boo had surgery to have the screw in her ankle removed and was told to lay low for the weekend. So a little road trip to Concord, where we met up with an ole trapper and his re-enactment memorabilia. Quite an interesting fellow.

Emi stayed in Shorewood for the Homecoming extravaganza. Beautiful weather for it. She said she had a ball! Never did ask who won the football game.

Boo and I ended up bumping into some of the MCP paddlers on our Saturday paddle. We did an up hill paddle from Dousman on the Bark River and met them as they were coming down from lower Namahbin lake. Here Boo and I are at the put-in on Fowler Lake.

Sunday found us out on Fowler lake cruising the point and into the inlet of the Oconomowoc river. We checked out a small island I remembered as a kid and poked around among the Lilly pads. Boo loves hearing the stories almost as much as I love telling them.

Picture of Boo in the bow, as we head up the Oconomowoc river. We saw lots of fish in the shallows soaking up the warmth of the sun. No turtles this trip and no duck hunters. We ended up going paddling mid day instead of hitting it early morning.

We came across a tree full of bird houses. Looks like the tree has been dead for some time, but the owners put it to good use. I though I was in Dr. Suess's Who-ville!

Reality can be beaten with enough imagination. -Anonymous

What the...

The Fall Harvest is upon us... This strip canoe looks ripe for the picking! What the heck! I have boats that look in worse shape then this still commissioned for paddle. Maybe it's the beer light and I am seeing things! :-)

Had I done it alone by canoe I might have boasted a little. - Sergeant Farrar, RCMP, 3rd mate aboard the St. Roch, first vessel to circumnavigate N. America