Improvements in the prairie state

Over the years I often felt chagrin that Illinois was so disinclined - derelict or backward might be more appropriate words - in promoting the many beautiful places in the state that can be enjoyed from the perspective of a canoe or kayak. The state's antiquated public access statutes and the fact that most of the rivers and creeks flow through private property have something to do with that, of course, but there are other factors as well, too complex and numerous to go into here.

Especially troublesome to me have been, historically, the relatively low profile assumed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR) with regard to the encouragement of paddling in the state, and a similarly less-than-aggressive posture presented by the Illinois Paddling Council, presumably the state's principal advocacy group for paddlesport.

Little by little, however, I've witnessed a welcome change of attitude in Illinois, especially over the last decade or so. The DNR has taken a number of small steps to enhance paddling opportunities - the funding of new landings on various public-access rivers, for instance - and quite recently has even become actively involved in the process of trying to reopen the Vermilion River between Lowell and Oglesby, one of the state's most beautiful and thrilling resources. Another outstanding recent example of DNR activism on behalf of paddlers and the general public is its role in reconstructing the lethal Fox River dam in Yorkville and the construction (hallelujah!) of a whitewater park nearby. Hopefully this trend will continue.

The more optimistic prospectus for Illinois paddling is the result of tireless, organized effort by a number of dedicated individuals. In my past columns you've read about the incredible achievements of the Stephenson County group that has managed to open up 60 miles of the Pecatonica River, all the way from the Wisconsin border to the village of Pecatonica, complete with a number of new, well-furnished landings. Local conservationists and canoeing enthusiasts, such as Lee Butler, Joe Ginger, Roger Schamberger, Joe Green and Gary Shockey have devoted a huge amount of time to this project and deserve the gratitude of the paddling community. Their effort is indeed a model of what can be done to invigorate a hitherto neglected area. For a more detailed view of what the Pecatonica group is doing and has planned, go to www.pecriver.webs.com.

A number of devoted paddlers - people like Tom Lindblade, Gary Mechanic and Sigrid Pilgrim - have similarly been responsible for the transformation of the Illinois Paddling Council into a vibrant, active organization that advocates strongly in the interests of canoeists and kayakers, and provides a steady stream of valuable information for anyone interested in paddlesports in Illinois. In recent months, for instance, the council's strong opposition to the state's overblown plan to shut down a number of dam portages on the Fox River obliged the DNR to take another look at the plan. Even more recently, the council has taken an active role in attempting to keep the whitewater section of the Vermilion River accessible to boaters.

The once minimalist website of the council has become an attractive and plentiful source of information for Illinois paddlers, listing upcoming events - such as the Des Plaines Canoe and Kayak Marathon on May 16 - canoe club listings, boat rentals and current news stories. Under Lindblade's editorship, the council's monthly newsletter has become an up-to-date source of news, complete with sharp photos. For example, the April issue includes articles about the Vermilion River situation, the whitewater park in Yorkville, the upcoming removal of Ryerson Dam on the Des Plaines, the June 12-13 Aurora Paddlesport Festival, and much more. There's a link to the newsletter on the Illinois Paddling Council website at www.illinoispaddling.org.

There are many other positives on the Illinois paddling scene - organizations, individuals, events - all of which point to optimism that the state is headed, by and large, in the right direction. It ain't Wisconsin, folks, but maybe one day it'll get there.

As I indicated in my March listing of canoe and kayak rental companies in Wisconsin, such compilations can never be exact simply because it's impossible to be everywhere at once, and rental organizations come and go with great regularity. Boat and raft rental is a tough business, subject to vagaries of weather, recreational fads, economic fluctuations and other factors beyond the control of the liveries themselves. Some of the bigger, well-established firms on popular rivers like the Wisconsin, Black, St. Croix, Wolf, Crystal and Kickapoo just keep chugging along year after year and decade after decade. But companies on less frequented streams, such as the Platte and Trempealeau, usually don't last long.

When I revise my two Wisconsin canoeing and kayaking guidebooks every three years, I'm always dismayed at the number of rental companies that have gone out of business since the previous edition, sometimes replaced by successor companies, but often, sadly, leaving a river or section of river unavailable to boat renters. When a rental company goes out of business, it's unfortunate in more ways than one. For example, rental firms generally take some pains to make sure that the river sections that they cover are kept clear of potentially dangerous deadfall. That kind of vigilance can be extremely important, especially for novice paddlers.

From reader Nancy Thome, in Baraboo, come two welcome additions to the March listing:

Baraboo River: Beyond Boundaries LLC rents canoes and kayaks in Wonewoc, Wisconsin. They offer a shuttle service, guided tours, etc. Check out www.goingfarbeyond.com. Thome has paddled with the owners, Brandi Pollard-Jones and Jeremiah "Miah" Jones, and reports they are experienced and knowledgeable. They also rent bicycles and do bike repair.

Wisconsin River: Vertical Illusions rents kayaks in Wisconsin Dells. They also offer a shuttle service, guided tours, etc. Look them up at www.verticalillusions.com. Again, Thome knows the owner, Easton Dreher, personally and has taken part in two paddle trips he's led. Dreher also rents snowshoes and does guided snowshoeing and rock climbing outings.

A reader responding to my March listing of canoe and kayak rental businesses in Wisconsin asked whether it's possible to obtain shuttles from such companies for private canoes. New to the sport, the reader and his wife had found it necessary to take two cars on their paddling trips or to go with other paddlers in order to have multiple vehicles to shuttle themselves.

The answer is "usually yes." The majority of the many boat rental firms listed in the March article do provide shuttle-only service to paddlers who own their own boats, but the only way to know for sure is to telephone the individual company or check out their website. The larger and busier canoe liveries often provide such service only at times when their canoe-loaded trailers are heading out to the river with a van load of rental customers; your boat is added to the trailer alongside the company's boats. Smaller companies and most firms at less-than-peak times, e.g., during the week, are usually more flexible in providing individualized shuttle service.

In reply to the reader, I pointed out that he and his wife had indeed availed themselves of two of the most common methods of dealing with the age-old shuttle dilemma. A third, I added, is the often-used method of solo paddlers: take along a bicycle, chain it to a tree or post at the take-out, and ride it back to your car after the day's paddle. For extra hardy paddlers, a variant is to jog back to the car. I've used both techniques innumerable times. Of course, either the bike or the jogging option necessitates hiding or otherwise securing your boat and gear at the take-out while you're returning to the put-in. If you have a paddling partner, he or she can stay with the boat while you go for the car; a book helps to wile away the time spent waiting.

For beginning paddlers, the Great Shuttle Conundrum, i.e., "How the hell do I get back to my car?" can be a big annoyance, perhaps even a deterrent to going paddling. But as the river miles add up, it eventually becomes just one more of the challenges of paddlesport and often a pleasant one.