Who We are:
Central Iowa Paddlers is an informal group of paddlesport enthusiasts formed in 1997.
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What We Do:
The mission of the club is to share paddling
information, promote paddling opportunities and paddlesport safety, and encourage care of our aquatic resources for both new and experienced paddlers.
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Greetings!
It's been a long month. Heavy rain and high waters have taken its toll primarily in western and southern Iowa. Many river events have been postponed or canceled. Fun and adventure has been put on hold, and I have learned some important lessons as a trip leader.
On a sad note, an experienced, properly geared Iowa paddler lost her life on Hawk Creek in Minnesota after getting caught in a strainer. On a related note, a boy was rescued from a strainer on the Upper Iowa River by emergency staff after his family's canoe capsized near Decorah.
If these stories don't remind us of the inherent dangers of paddling, I don't know what will. It's easy to get complacent, especially in Iowa when most of the time paddling is easy as pie.
Be smart, pay attention to weather and river gauges, wear proper gear, and know your limits.
Please see Al Donaldson's recommendations for trip leaders.
John Wenck
CIP President
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Upper Iowa Paddle Video Report (First of its Kind)
by Bill Graham  | | Upper Iowa River Trip, April 30, 2011 |
 | | Bill Graham |
In keeping pace with technological advances, one of our pioneer members and current board member, Bill Graham, has created a first of its kind video trip report for the CIP trip he coordinated on the Upper Iowa River on April 30th. We think you will agree that this is well done, perfect duration, and will likely pave the way for future video trip reports!
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Sunrise Dam to Dam Paddle & Pedal Adventure
by Mary Hyland
 
This is something I've wanted to do since I moved to Hardin County about 3 years ago. My plan was to be on the water at twilight, paddle from the Iowa Falls Dam to the Steamboat Rock Dam, and then pedal my bicycle back to Iowa Falls as the shuttle. A few days before, I had left my bicycle at John & Joan Schuller's cabin in Steamboat Rock so it would be ready to ride after the paddle portion of the trip. The alarm went off at half past dark on Sunday morning June 5, 2011. I had loaded the kayak the night before so I took off for put-in. It was rather dark when I arrived at put-in but by the time I unloaded my kayak (a lovely Current Design Kestrel 140 - lime green - just 2nd time on the water - sweet!) the sky in the east was beginning to glow. I pushed off shore at 5:02am (twilight) and began my trip. The early morning is THE BEST time to be on the river. The birds were singing and the sky was glowing. I captured some great sunrise photos and saw much wildlife. Water levels were up so I was moving along at a good pace. 
I paddled past Cross' Ford and stopped briefly at Eagle City and then off to Hardin City. After Hardin City you pass under the Highway 20 Bridge - an engineering marvel that was built in such a way as to not disturb the river or the greenbelt area. On the left, high on a bluff was the newly constructed shelter at the Sac-Fox Overlook and then a brief paddle to Pine Ridge County Park and take out. I ran into some paddling buds at take out who offered to bring my kayak to Iowa Falls as they were putting in there for a trip to Pine Ridge. They offered to give me a ride too - but I declined - hoping I would not regret this later. I retrieved my bicycle from the Schuller garage and took off for Iowa Falls. It ended up being a great bike ride too - mostly due to a lovely tail wind from the east. I arrived back at my vehicle; my kayak was loaded on the truck, so I loaded up the bike and headed home. Mission accomplished and time for a nap. 
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Paddle the Des Moines River, Tuesday July 19th
(Reschedule)
Due to the cancellation of last month's Sycamore to Prospect Park paddle, we are pushing the history paddle to the August date, and will paddle the Des Moines River on July 19th from Sycamore to Prospect Park access.
Paddle the Des Moines River Water Trail
Tuesday, July 19th at 5:30p.m. Meet at Sycamore Access Despite its proximity to the Des Moines metropolitan area, this particular stretch of the Des Moines River is surprisingly wild with timbered banks and spacious sandbars. It's not uncommon to see lots of wildlife including deer, coyotes, owls, eagles, beavers, minks and even otters.
We will meet at Sycamore access, located on the east side of the river at the juncture with NW 66th Ave. We will do the shuttle and plan to be on the river no later than 6:15.
Please email or call me if you are planning on attending
John Wenck 515-491-9881 or john@winninglistings.com
What to Expect:
The distance between Sycamore Access and Prospect Park is 5.9 miles. It will take approximately 2.5 hours to paddle, give or take a few minutes depending on the flow and whether or not we stop at any sandbars along the way.
This is an easy stretch of the river, well suited for beginners as there are no obstructions to avoid and the river is wide and flat with no rapids. There may be some motor boat traffic that might create some waves, but otherwise it should be smooth going. Most of the motor boaters are considerate.
Safety: You will need to sign a waiver and wear a life jacket. While we will be off the river before dark, I would recommend bringing a small flashlight or head lamp just in case. What to Bring: Bring water, sun screen, bug repellent, sunglasses. A small dry bag will keep your personal items, such as, wallet, cell phone, and keys protected. However, if you don't have a dry bag, you can put your items into my dry bag. NOTE WELL: Canoeing and kayaking are potentially life threatening sports. Participants on trips promoted by the club will accept responsibility and liability for their own preparedness and safety
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A Few Thoughts for Trip Leaders
by Al Donaldson
"What could go wrong with so fine a plan?"
 Leading a paddling trip is, indeed, a fine experience. Especially if everything goes according to plan. Doesn't it always? Well, no. John Wenck asked me to prepare a short article on this topic, and I set out to do just what he asked. Many pages later, I found that I had failed miserably. It was not short. Not at all. Since newsletter space is limited, I'm just providing a link to the article. http://www.iowapaddling.org/Articles/Trip_Leaders_Primer.html Keep the shiny side down... |
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Celebrate the Lake Red Rock Water Trail July 22-23
The Hickory Ridge/Red Rock Lake Water Trail Dedication is scheduled for July 22-23 and includes nature and bird hikes, paddling trainings, tour, barbecue, and more. This water trail is coupled with a 200-acre public primitive camping area accessible from the lake by canoe/kayak as well as by land. It's great birding habitat. To learn more go to:
http://www.inhf.org/projects/marion_hickoryridge_opening_2011june.htm
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Danger on the North River
by Ned McPartland
During periods of heavy rainfall, the North River can be a good paddling choice when other streams are running too high. On a recent Saturday in June, Mark Metelman, Teresa Topf, and Ned McPartland decided to give it a try. The gauge at Norwalk where there had been considerable flooding was around 870 cfs. with the river level falling. The flow in western Madison County seemed much less than that probably no more than 150 cfs. estimated because there is no local gauge. There was enough water for solo boats with an occasional scrape in the many small rapids. In several more days, the water would be too low. We did a short trip of 6 miles from the Highway P-57 bridge to the Ironwood Trail bridge because the weather looked threatening and the water level was relatively low and dropping. The put-ins and take-outs are not easy. 
We lucked out on the weather with temperatures in the 70's and only about fifteen minutes of very light sprinkles early in the trip. This section of the river is mostly in the woods except for about a mile of pasture land at a nearby farm. The stream is generally fast in this section and runs out of water quickly. There are numerous small rapids and riffles with almost continuous fast current. At low water levels, there are many gravel and rock bars that provide good places to stop, rest, and snack. In the wooded areas, there are many small, rocky cliffs along the river's edge. There was a large herd of Black Angus cattle in the pasture so we had to be careful going through that area as a few of the cows crossed the river at least twice in that area. At about four miles into the trip, Howerdon Creek enters the river from the south and forms a large, rocky, fan-like delta as it drops into the river. This is a great place to stop for a snack because it is spacious, dry, scenic, and out of the mud. At this spot on our trip, there were hundreds of butterflies in the area, like a state butterfly convention. We spent some time looking at them. 
Most of this trip, once we dealt with the put-in, was quite pleasant, scenic, and easy. The current did most of the work. However, about a half-mile from our take-out, there was a massive cottonwood tree in the water blocking the river. The tree spanned the full width of the river, and the banks on either side were high, muddy, and steep. We decided to try to carry over the trunk of the tree which was quite wide, broad enough that we could set our boats on it and walk along it without falling off. Trying this could be dangerous if a person fell into the current upstream of the tree. A person or a boat could become wedged between the log and the bottom of the stream by the current. Use extreme caution in this area. Portaging around the log will probably require stopping well up-stream of the blockage, scaling the steep banks, and a long walk in the woods carrying boats and gear. Attempting to go over the log, could be more dangerous in higher water with stronger current. Unfortunately, given the size of the tree and the way that it is wedged into the banks, it will probably be there for awhile. Other than this blockage, it was a scenic and pleasant trip. |
CIP Annual Independence Day Paddle | | Robin Fortney, CIP Founder |
CIP Founder, Robin Fortney, cordially invites you to a paddle and picnic on the the Middle Raccoon River in Dallas County on Monday, July 4th. This is the most popular CIP event of the year, sometimes drawing as many as 50 participants. It's a great opportunity to get to know other people who paddle in Iowa--always fun, and always a treat!
Thanks to Robin, CIP is a growing organization!
CIP's Annual July 4th Paddle
Middle Raccoon River
Dallas County
Monday, July 4th at 11:00a.m. Meet at Redfield Access
Contact Robin Fortney at 515-277-1763
Join us to celebrate our nation's founding with a paddle trip and picnic. Plan to meet at 11 a.m. at the put-in below the dam in Redfield, located along Thomas Street on the west side of the Middle/South Raccoon River. We will shuttle cars to the take-out at the Pleasant Valley Access before starting the float trip.
For more information, check out the South Raccoon River 2 stretch in Nate Hoogeveen's "Paddling Iowa" book.
Bring your own boat, paddles and life jacket, rain gear, hat, sunscreen, water and anything else you need to be comfortable on the water.
CIP will provide hamburgers, brats and buns, condiments and table service. You are encouraged to bring a side dish to share and your own favorite beverage. If you have a roll-a-table, please bring it to help with the buffet.
Contact Robin Fortney at 515-277-1763 for more information.
NOTE WELL: Canoeing and kayaking are potentially life threatening sports. Participants on trips promoted by the club will accept responsibility and liability for their own preparedness and safety
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Middle Raccoon River Paddling Trip
by Ned McPartland
 | | Ned McPartland |
Mid-May can have quite variable weather which is what we experienced on a Middle Raccoon River paddling trip. We met on a cloudy, cold, rainy Sunday morning at the Middle Raccoon River access west of Linden. Rain was falling and the temperature was in the upper 40's. We immediately moved all our boats and gear under the bridge to keep ourselves dry and, hopefully, a little warmer. We also took our time, hoping that the rain would stop. We also planned a short trip, 6 miles, to the Amarillo access because of the inclement weather. Participants were Pam Brennan, Tim Chicoine, Rob Eells, Gary Lozano, Mark Metelman, Ned McPartland, Pat Rowen, and Teresa Topf.
When we returned from the shuttle, the rain stopped, and we slowly and carefully launched our boats into the river trying to avoid getting wet. We paddled about a mile down river before coming to the first sandbar which was a nice, high and dry sandbar with a creek entering the river at that point, and decided to have lunch there since we got off to a late start. As we ate lunch, the sky cleared, the sun emerged and the temperature warmed into the upper 50's. We took our time with lunch, visiting and enjoying the warming weather conditions. By the time we returned to the river, it seemed much warmer and paddling conditions had improved considerably.
After another mile downstream, we encountered a shallow, rocky rapid. Because of the cool weather and cold water, we stopped to look at the rapid. In higher water, one can float right over the rapid, but our water level was rather low at 250 cfs. so there were rocks to hit and the potential to get wet. One person portaged the rapid, and the rest of the group ran the rapid on far river-left where there was a narrow opening near the river bank.
The rest of the float was quite pleasant with plenty of sunshine, a little fast water, and leaves starting to emerge on the trees. After several more hours, we arrived at the Amarillo access. The thermometer on my vehicle read 61 degrees. Tim Chicoine brought his boat trailer which made the shuttle after the float very easy.
Sometimes we get lucky in spite of bad conditions.
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Paddlers Needed for Do More Outdoors Event!
Help Polk County Conservation excite the public about outdoor activities. PCC along with Iowa Health Des Moines are hosting a Do More Outdoors program each season. The next program, at Easter Lake on July 10, will feature fishing, canoeing, camping, water safety and much more.
We are looking for help to get the public safely in and out of canoes, provide paddling tips, and other general canoeing information.
If you are interested in helping please contact Patti at
Patrice.petersen-keys@polkcountyiowa.gov
or 515-323-5359. Two shifts are available - 1-3 and 3-5.
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Grand River Non-trip Trip Report
by John Wenck
After having to cancel a number of paddles due to high water levels, I was
 | Assessing the Grand River at Westerville
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not in the mood to be bullied by the weather once again.
The day before my scheduled Grand River trip, some weather forecasters were predicting rain and thunder showers early, while others were saying it wouldn't come until mid to late afternoon.
The USGS gauge on the Grand revealed ideal flows. I wrote an update to the 20+ paddlers who indicated interest in going:
Hello everyone, You're on this list because you have expressed interest in Grand River Paddle at one time or another. The Grand River event is a go! We will be meeting as indicated in the announcement. The weather forecast is ambiguous as often is the case. Some saying 60% chance of rain and thunderstorms. Last night John McLaughlin said the rain won't come until mid to late afternoon. Nonetheless, please prepare for a day of rain just in case. I'm finally so glad we don't have to cancel an event! Look forward to seeing you tomorrow at Westerville Access 10:00AM. "Okay," I thought, "I can handle the rain." I stuffed dry bags with gear, packed my lunch, and went to bed early.
Morning came and the NOAA radar loop painted red blotches to the south over the southern tier of counties. The blotches were moving slowly north. The Westerville Access on the Grand River is 1.5 hours south of Des Moines.
 | | Tributary of the Grand River on Day of Paddle |
Okay, we're getting the rain some predicted, but it looked like by the time we would launch skies might clear--nothing to the south of the blotches, and the gauge still showed ideal water levels (truly the optimist). Another update to the participants at 7:15AM:
The weather is turning out to be a bit rotten. Decatur County is getting some rain right now. Please don't feel obligated to attend, but if you are still planning on it, please do bring rain gear and know that we will be dealing with a lot of mud at the put-in. I still plan on being there for anyone who wants to show. Who knows this set of showers could pass and it could turn out to be a good day after all. My fingers are crossed and I have prayed to the river god. :-)
Filling water at the faucet, better fill two water bottles, got my first aid kit?
Yep!
Out the door.
Crap! Forgot my cell phone...my home phone rings.
Greg Beisker: John, I tried calling you on your cell but no answer. I camped all night at Westerville access and it poured all night...flood warnings out for Union County and its heading this way...More rain coming...I'm going home...I recommend you cancel!
Me: Cancel? OH CRAP!
If you know Greg Beisker, you know he is rarely dissuaded by weather. He'll paddle when most won't.
I checked the radar loop again--red blotches marching north still. I clicked on "warnings in Iowa". Sure enough, flash flood warnings had been issued for Adams and Union counties, but not Decatur. I checked the gauge--still showing ideal flows, but I trust Greg.
My third and final update at 7:42AM:
Folks, I just got off the phone with Greg Beisker who said they just issued flash flood warnings in Union County. He spent the night at Westerville Access and said they received a lot of rain upstream of our put-in and more is coming (the stuff I saw on the radar). I apologize, but based on his call I'm going to cancel the paddle. Please respond so I know you received this email. Thanks! Again, the Grand River Paddle is CANCELED.
Realizing that a few paddlers were making the trip from Ames, Creston, and the Melcher Dallas area and that others probably took off after receiving my first email, I decided to make the trip to the Westerville access. Todd Robertson came with me.
We drove south through heavy, slow-moving rain. As we crossed over tributaries to the Grand within two miles of the put-in, it was apparent that I made the right call, albeit late and only thanks to Greg Beisker. The creeks were topped with frothy, fast-moving water and debris.
Sure enough, eight others arrived at the access not realizing the paddle had been canceled. I hated to break the news to them after they had driven all the way to Decatur County, but it was the safe and right thing to do. All were very understanding and accepting of my delayed cancellation.
Todd and I drove to what would've been our take-out and we witnessed the river quickly rising dislodging log jams and sending them downstream.
 | | Todd Watching Debris. |
Reflections:
- It would've been nice to have everyone's cell phone number, which I didn't request.
- I should pay attention to what is happening upstream of the put-in with regard to rain. Though in Decatur County, the put-in was just a couple river miles downstream from Union County where a flash flood warning had been issued.
- It's important to know the relative location of the river gauge with regard to the segement that is being paddled. In this particular situation the gage was 46 miles downstream of the put-in.
- I should've paid greater attention to what was predicted upstream of the stretch as well as on the stretch of river the trip was scheduled.
- I should've had a plan B so those who did show didn't have to turn around and drive home.
 | | Logjams dislodging before our eyes |
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Who are the Cedar Valley Paddlers?
 The Cedar Valley Paddlers Club is located in the Cedar Valley area of Northeastern Iowa with members from Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Mason City, Clermont, Waterloo, Cedar Falls, and Waverly areas. The club is celebrating their 5th year, formed in June of 2006 by Founder and current President, Pam Wolter with an average membership of fifty members each year. The club has approximately 20 organized 1 to 2 day paddling events each summer while enjoying the beautiful rivers of Northeast Iowa. Other organized past trips have been to Niobrara, Nebraska, Apostle Islands in northern Wisconsin, and the Root River in southern Minnesota as well as an international paddle trip offered to the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico the past two years. Member fees are $12.00 per person per calendar year with 14 and over youth offered a free membership with their parents' membership. Other offerings for club members are a cross country ski and snow show event potluck in January, rescue training pool session in April, occasional full moon paddle events, spring and fall post paddle grilling events and a summer gourmet food /paddling event. Their website is located at www.Cedarvalleypaddlers.webs.com or call Pam Wolter at 319-231-0541 for more details.  | | Cedar Valley Paddlers (photo by Gary Rogers). |
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Thank you for letting us inform you of important announcements. If you ever have suggestions or comments, please feel free to share them with us at centraliowapaddlers@gmail.com.
Sincerely, Board of Directors
Central Iowa Paddlers
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