The Fox River Heritage Paddle 2010 celebrated the
planned Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Parkway - a long, non-continuous
park to tie together places of history with the rivers' future as
an adventure tourism destination. The Heritage Paddle is a journey
of rediscovery over part of the route traveled by exlporers
Marquette and Joliet. But we travelled downstream, in twelve
segments, each ranging from five to fifteen miles long, and
scheduled over nine weekends.
The journey began April 24th. By
fall, we paddled about 125 miles of the 190 mile length of the Fox
River from Portage to Green Bay. Some of the segments were
completed out of sequence due to very challenging mid-summer river
conditions. Net proceeds from event fees and sponsorships were
dedicated to the Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Parkway for development of
a Fox River Water Trail. This web page includes a summary of each
segment, shares links to photos taken along the way and provides
access to the segment maps developed just for this event.
Segment 1:
Indian Agency House to CTH O - Saturday April 24 - 8:00 a.m.
(10.7 miles) The journey started at
the Historic Indian Agency House and continued to Governor's
BendPark, and then on to finish at CTHO. Pre-paddle presentations
were given to describe the historic canal and the Indian Agency
House. Members of the Marquette County HIstorical Preservation
Society at Muir Park discussed the "Year of John Muir" and
presented readings by John Muir. Our Segment 1 sponsor was Blau
Family Chiropractic of Portage, WI - Thank You!
Segment 2: CTH
O to Packwaukee Lake - Saturday May 15 - 8:00 a.m.
(12.5 miles) This Segment flows
through woods and wetlands where naturalists, birders and casual
observers will often find hundreds of species of birds, plants and
other wildlife along the route to Buffalo Lake. Beautiful weather,
great companionship and plenty of wildlife rewarded the efforts of
40 paddlers. The Packwaukee Historical Society presented old
photographs of the river and described local history after the
day's paddle. A drum circle with Dirty Kettle was held at the
Rendezvous Paddle & Sports in a three-tepee camp. Our Segment 2
sponsor was the Marquette-Adams Telephone Cooperative of Oxford,
WI.
Segment 3:
Montello to Marquette - Saturday May 29 - 8:00 a.m.
(11 miles) We started in Montello
at the Rendezvous Outfitter, this segment's sponsor and enjoyed a
short paddle to Rivers Bend Resort. After a short break and a
history lesson, we entered the wetlands and continued to Good Ole
Days on Lake Puckaway. Beautiful weather, 39 canoes and kayaks and
about 54 participants started off the Memorial Day weekend! Thanks
again to our Segment 3 sponsor, Rendezvous Outfitters of
Montello!
Segment 4a:
Marquette to Princeton - Saturday June 12 - 8:00 a.m.
(15.5 miles) 46 paddlers in 28
canoes and kayaks explored the area around the village of Marquette
and Mascoutin, where Catholic Jesuit missionaries established a
mission after Fr. Marquette passed through on his famous
exploration. Lake Puckaway was a major mud flat area with a high
intensity of wild rice. The Honorable Bob Mosolf, Mayor of the City
of Princeton welcomed all the paddlers to Princeton. Activities
after the paddle included a display of historical artifacts by Bill
Zamzow and a presentation by Jackie Red Women, an Ottowa medicine
woman from Wautoma, on Native American ceremonies and culture at
the Mecan River Outfitters & Lodge. Our Segment 4a sponsor was
the Greater Princeton Area Chamber of Commerce!
Segment 4b:
Princeton to White River Dam - Sunday June 13 - 10:00 a.m.
(6 miles) Home to Wisconsin's
largest flea market, Princeton is located midway along the Upper
Fox. The community developed as an agricultural center in the midst
of some of the state's most fertile land, and was once known as the
"Bean Center of the World." Due to a large amount of sediment in
the Lower Fox, this portion of the river never developed to the
extent of the Lower Fox. In order for large steamboats to pass
through the shallow and crooked channel, the U.S. Government
preformed periodic dredging operations until 1922. This area is now
a popular summer destination and an important farming region. Our
Segment 4b Sponsor was North American Hydro of Neshkoro, WI!.
Segment 5a: White River Dam to Berlin - Saturday June 26 - 8:00
a.m.
(13 miles) This segment flows
through the wetlands of Green Lake County. Naturalists, birders and
casual observers will find hundreds of species of birds, plant and
wildlife. As we paddle, we will see where the White River and
Puchyan River converge with the Fox. At 13 miles, this is a longer
paddle so please be prepared with plenty of fluids to stay hydrated
and a snack to eat along the way. Camping is available Saturday
night at Riverside Park in Berlin, WI.
A free band performed in Berlin on
Saturday night and a local church picnic served great pulled pork
sandwiches. For a few campers, heavy overnight rainfall tested the
quality - and endurance of both camping gear and mettle! Our
sponsor for this segment was Community Health Network.
Segment 5b: Berlin to Omro - Sunday June 27 - 8:00 a.m.
(13.7 miles) This segment is Part 2
of the longest weekend of paddling in the series. It starts in
Berlin, where fur trading isn't just part of history, and passes
through the early industrial and trading communities of Sacramento,
Eureka and Omro. We'll go near the area where Wisconsin's
nationleading cranberry industry was born and finish at Miller Park
in Omro. Our sponsors for this segment were the Fox River
Runners of Omro, who welcomed the group at Miller's Park with
smiles, refreshments and great conversation!
Segment 6: Omro to Terrells Island - Sunday July 18 -
8:30 a.m.
(5.2 miles one way) This Segment,
began at Miller Park in the charming City of Omro. Nearly 40
paddlers waited for a short thunderstorm to pass before venturing
downstream in what became another beautiful paddle, with eagles,
osprey, cormorants and many, many American Pelicans.
This segment had a specific
destination - Terrell's Island in Lake Butte des Morts. Its past
was as an expansive wetlands at the confluence of the Fox and Wolf
rivers, rich with diverse plant, bird and fish species. In a
12-year experiment, the Lake Butte des Morts Conservation Club and
the Wisconsin DNR have been restoring that diversity by enclosing
630 acres of wetlands in a 2.8-mile breakwall. DNR biologist Art
Techlow discussed the project's history and its successes, and
provided a broader background on changes in the water depth and
resulting characteristics of Lake Winnebago and upstream waters
after construction of dams in Neenah and Menasha raised water
levels as much as three feet. Our sponsors for this segment were
the Fox River Runners and the Omro Area Chamber of Commerce.
The Fox River Runners sent us off graciously with pastries and
refreshments!
Segment 7a: 9th Annual Park-to-Park Paddle: Neenah
to Appleton - September 4
(8.5 miles) About 153 paddlers in
about 122 paddle craft participated in at least part of this event,
but strong winds and challenging waves split the group after
passing through the Menasha Lock. Some unexpected swimming added to
the experience and some very tired paddlers enjoyed landing in Lutz
Park at the end. P2P LogoSpecial thanks to the assistance of the
Outagamie County Sheriff's Department and City of Appleton
Fire/Rescue water patrols, as well as several experienced paddlers
who assisted with re-entries and towing.
This route began at historic
Shattuck Park in Neenah, traveled up the Fox River to Lake
Winnebago, then north into Menasha to follow the navigation canal
to the Menasha Lock. After the lockage, some paddlers completd
their paddle at the 9th Street landing, others opted to cross
Little Lake Butte des Morts and finish at Fritse Park in the Town
of Menasha, and other hardy souls continuee north through Little
Lake Butte des Morts to finish on the Fox River at Lutz Park in
Appleton. Sponsors for the 2010 Park-to-Park Paddle were Eagle
Flats, the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region and
Outdoor Outlet.
Segment 7b: Appleton to Kimberly - Sunday September 12
(6.4 miles) The Segment follows the
Fox River through the heart of Appleton, in the "industrial
flats" with its mix of historic industrial properties and rapidly
evolving new developments.
We began at Lutz Park in Appleton, passed through Appleton's four
locks and continued down the Fox River, under the Hwy 441 bridge to
end at Sunset Point Park in Kimberly. About 116 participants in
about 76 boats participated and were able to experience a freight
train crossing on the railroad swing bridge just below Lock 3 while
waiting for the bridge to operate. Short presentations were given
along the way to describe the locks themselves, the Fox-Wisconsin
Heritage Parkway project, and the current status of hydroelectric
power on the Fox River through Appleton. Sponsors for the 2010
Appleton Locks Paddle were Eagle Flats and the Community Foundation
for the Fox Valley Region.
Segment 8b: Wrightstown to De Pere - Sunday August 15
(10.2 miles) 34 paddlers in 17
boats enjoyed awesome weather and sweeping views of the Fox River
between Wrightstown and De Pere. Paddlers were sent on their way by
a working vintage steam powered boat from Wrightstown and could
hear its steam whistle long after leaving Wrightstown. The group
passed through the Little Rapids Lock and enjoyed a pleasant lunch
stop on a beautfiul waterfront lawn along the river thanks to the
gracious courtesy of Tom Allen. This stretch of the river also had
the greatest amount of recreational boating activity of the trip so
far. Our sponsor for this segment was Franklin Templeton
Investments.
Segment 9: Tall Ships Paddle - De Pere to Green Bay - Saturday
August 14
(8 miles) Nearly 100 paddlers in 75
boats completed this "last" segment and passed through the Baylake
Bank Tall Ships Festival in Green Bay to reach the mouth of the Fox
River. This segment began at Bomier Park in De Pere, passed through
the De Pere lock and continued down the Fox River to end at the
mouth of Green Bay. Our sponsor for this segment was Franklin
Templeton Investments.
Fox River Heritage Paddle 2010 Concluded with an Awards
Banquet!
An FRHP Celebration Banquet for
this year's Journey of Rediscovery was held on Sunday November 7,
2010! We enjoyed Voyageur Canoe rides, viewed photos and video of
the trips, shared some fun awards, ate great food and of course,
enjoyed GREAT company! The banquet was held at the Whiting Boat
House in Neenah, next door to the Doty Park boat launch that was
the start point for the first several Park-to-Park Paddles.
The Journey of Rediscovery was completed on Sunday, September 12,
2010 with over 116 participants traveling from Lutz Park in
Appleton to complete the series at Sunset Point Park in
Kimberly!
Fox River Heritage Paddle 2010 Summary Statistics
The trip included 12 segments,
starting April 24th and ending on September 12th. Some of the
segments were rescheduled due to unsafe paddle conditions on the
Lower Fox River through the month of July.
In all, participants in the journey completed 759 paddle segments.
That's the total of participants in all 12 of the completed
segments. A number of people paddled multiple segments, but total
participation included 424 individuals. Three individuals completed
all 12 segments with the scheduled groups; one individual completed
all 12 segments but did some alone on "make-up" days! Overall, 248
males (59%) and 176 females (41%) participated. The average age of
all participants was 44.9 years.
egment 4b: Princeton to White River Dam
Sunday June 13 - 10:00 a.m.
(6 miles) Home to Wisconsin's
largest flea market, Princeton is located midway along the Upper
Fox.
The community developed as an
agricultural center in the midst of some of the state's most
fertile land, and was once known as the "Bean Center of the World."
Due to a large amount of sediment in the Lower Fox, this portion of
the river never developed to the extent of the Lower Fox. In order
for large steamboats to pass through the shallow and crooked
channel, the U.S. Government preformed periodic dredging operations
until 1922. This area is now a popular summer destination and an
important farming region.
Our Segment 4b Sponsor is North American
Hydro of Neshkoro, WI!. Here is a link to photos of the segment
by Steve Wagner.
FRHP 2010 Media Coverage
Appleton
Post-Crescent
4/4/2010 D Horst, 3/30/2010 M King, 6/6/2010 D Horst, 6/24/2010 Staff, 6/27/2010 D Horst,
7/11/2010 D Horst,
7/31/2010 D Horst, 8/13/2010 Staff
Green Bay Press-Gazette
3/30/2010 M King
The Northwestern
7/8/2010 Omro, 7/19/2010 E Crowley
It's YOUR Environment!
(YouTube Clips)
David Horst, Jerry Disterhaft, Glen Gorsuch, Jeff Mazanec
Links to FRHP 2010 Segment Photos
Segment 1: Photos by Mark Hoffman and Jon Blough, plus photos published with a story in the Portage Daily Register!
Segment 2: Dave Horst's photos
Segment 3: Photos by
Dave Horst and Jon Blough!
Segment 4a/b: Photos by Jon Blough! and Segment 4a photos by David Horst and additional 4b photos by Steve Wagner.
Segment 5a/b: Dave Horst Segment 5a and Segment 5b
Segment 6: Photos by Dave and Jean Horst and photos posted by the
Oshkosh Northwestern
Segment 7a (Park-to-Park Paddle):
Photos by Mark Hoffman and Camden Sweet.
Segment 7b (Appleton Locks Paddle):
Photos by David Horst.
Segment 9: Photos by Dave Horst, Tom Young and Jodi Braun.
Links to ALL Paddle Segment Handouts
Acknowledgements
The volunteers planning this
event represent several organizations with interests in the
river, paddling, the history of the Fox River and environmental
stewardship. Some of those groups include: http North East
Wisconsin Paddlers Inc., Friends of the Fox, Fox of
the River Voyageur Canoe LLC, the American Canoe Association, the Community
Foundation for the Fox Valley Region, RA Smith
National and the Fox River Navigational System Authority.
In addition, several other
individuals and organizations have contributed time and talent,
presentations or services, coordination and support to help make
this event successful for all participants.