Winter Kayaking 2000
Gerry Rowland, Des Moines, Iowa

I camped over at Bentonsport (3 hours south of Des Moines) Friday night. It is quite beautiful along the river, with the bright stars overhead and the sound of the water to send me off to sleep. There was heavy frost on the window in the morning. I slept on an air mattress in the van, warm in a well-insulated mummy bag.

At the crack of dawn I moved the tow car to Bonaparte, about 4 miles down river, then headed back to Keosauqua, the city of the "great bend." I got into my wet suit, set up the boat, and got launched at 8 AM. In less than 5 minutes I hit the first obstacle, low water at the first set of rapids. The bottom was rocky, and the shallow water extended several hundred feet, so I got out of the kayak and plunged ahead with the boat in tow. The icy water hit my feet right away, but the neoprene socks and insulated boots kept things bearable. I noted that there was new ice on the river and that the river was covered with frothy patches of ice until the warm breezes melted them away. With little current and colder temperatures on the way, this stretch of the river will be frozen over in no time.

So, I was through the rapids and on my way. It's about 4 miles to the end of the great bend, and the eagles were waiting, 6 of them soaring through the trees and out over the water. I had eagles the whole way. At one point I paddled right up to a magnificent great bird perched on a branch about 25 feet above the water. I had no camera, and this was the first time an eagle has not taken flight when I came within 200 feet.

It was another 4 miles to Bentonsport, with many low water areas and about 20 short hiking trips along the sandy bottom. As the sun grew brighter, I noticed that the water was clear, and that the sandy bottom was visible in even 5-6 feet of water. This was a new experience, the river has always been too cloudy to see to the bottom. It was fascinating to watch the changing rock formations and mini sand dunes in an infinite variety of patterns. The wind came up and the waves refracted the light into thousands of dancing golden bands along the riverbed. As the wind increased, small waves moved across the water, crystal clear and filled with a golden light that dazzled the eye. So the low water had a golden lining. This is the clear water that early explorers and settlers reported when this was the river Moingona. It would be so wonderful to have both adequate moisture and clean, clear water.

In all this natural beauty, I was delighted to come on a family of deer fording the river. 4 does, a young buck, and a mature buck with impressive antlers were about 1000 feet away and pawing at the river's edge. The does bounded in up to their necks and began swimming. The bucks followed, and appeared to be pushing off the bottom. I paddled hard to get closer, but the deer were very fast, covering the 300 feet to the far shore in less than a minute. Then they were all up on the shore and into the forest. I was within 200 feet of them as they exited stage west. Another fantastic photo missed.

It was fun to stop in Bentonsport, have some fudge and good hot coffee, and chat with the folks at the general store about the river and the river trail. Then, on to Bonaparte, another 4 mile leg. With no current and all that hiking this 12 mile stretch took me 6 hours and I was sore for 2 days after. It may not be winter on the calendar, but winter kayaking season has definitely begun.

 Low Water Kayaking and Trumpeter Swans
Sun, 09 Jan 2000

Having heard a report that there were swans on the river south of the Saylorville Dam, I had to get out on the river.

Last weekend, I paddled about 6 miles doing the round trip from Birdland Marina to the InterUrban Trail bridge. There was ice along the shore, and the water was frozen south to Center St. dam. I felt good to be out on Lake Des Moines, so-called because there is no current to speak of.

This past week, I found the solution to paddling in low water in cold weather. My Sorel boots are insulated and water resistant, but some water gets in when I have to get out and pull the boat over the low water areas. That water is icy cold at first, then the boots warm my feet to tolerable levels.

Wanting better than tolerable I set out for a solution. Seal Skinz from Cabellas did not do the trick (water comes in over the top). I found some neoprene muklaks (boot) that come up to my knees at Canoesport Outfitters in Indianola that do the trick. I put on neoprene socks, wool socks, Seal Skinz, the muklaks, and then the Sorel boot shells and voila, warm dry feet even in knee deep FREEZING COLD WATER.

Swans and new boots, too exciting. Up at 5 AM, set up and ready to go at Sycamore Access at 6:45, it was dark and foggy. I called my folks in New York to pass the time. Finally there was enough light and I got launched. No more than 200 feet upstream trumpet calls and the beating of strong wings, and the flash of those great white bodies, was a sight like no other.

It was a great paddle up to Saylorville. I got to get out of the boat at the rapids by Cottonwood (several times), and the new boots worked great. It was so foggy that I couldn't see the dam from the warning signs, but you can hear the rush of water, and I could see the lights on the road across the top of the dam.

Just before the dam, I got to see and hear the 3 swans take flight once more, and they passed overhead in a majestic formation. On my return trip, I saw geese, an eagle, and a great blue heron, and I enjoyed again the clear water that I want desperately to have all the time.

So, if you've got some high rubber boots and warm clothes, make a run up to the dam. It'll be the experience of a lifetime. I'm really liking this low water winter kayaking.

Gerry Rowland
Des Moines

Until we get some rain, there is a new sport for Iowa rivers: low water, cold weather kayaking. As I discovered in Keosauqua in December, if you're going downstream, you have to get out of the boat and walk through low water rapids. If you don't have the right gear, your feet will get very cold very fast.

I have the right gear now, and Yellow Banks to Runnels was the perfect place for the full test, near home but real wilderness, 12 miles of the Des Moines River at it's remote and wild best.

It was 18 degrees when I dropped the tow car off at the Runnels Bridge Access, off Delaware Rd. and Hwy. 5. The river was open, with ice at the edges, and the boat ramp was clear of ice. I didn't see anyone else out, don't know why.

At Yellow Banks, the gate was open to the lower road, so I went on down. It took me a half hour to get the boat set up and the gear on, including: neoprene socks, wool socks, Seal Skinz waterproof socks, waterproof muklaks, wet suit, Sorel boot liners with thick soles, waterproof pants, and rain jacket. A new set of thermal underwear (top and bottom) was a comfortable addition to the outdoor gear.

A very large eagle waited on a branch until I got launched, and then flew with me for several miles, wheeling, soaring, then braking and turning in mid-flight.This eagle was joined by 5-6 other immature bald eagles, and there was never a time without eagles during the entire 5 hour trip.

The water was running fairly fast, but at least 8-10 feet below flood stage. The water was very clear, and I could see the sandy bottom several feet down. It was a cloudy, windy, cold day, but I stayed quite warm. I hit the first low water rapids about 2 miles downstream, and was thrilled to see that the river bottom was completely covered with multi-colored rocks and pebbles. Nearly every one of the low water rapids was covered with rocks along this section of the river. At about 4 miles, the rapids were less than 4 inches deep, and the walking began. The time spent with the gear paid off right here, because my feet stayed warm and dry even after walking more than a dozen times for several minutes each time.

Several miles into the trip, the immature eagles gave way to a squadron of mature eagles with brilliant white heads and tails. These great birds soared in and out of the trees during the rest of my paddle. It is amazing to watch them ride the thermals up thousands of feet in the air, then drop down to perch on a branch . They were especially welcome company through the 7 mile long switch-backs that make this stretch of the river one of the most remote and challenging sections to paddle. It is very helpful to have a GPS with each of these bends marked, because it seems as though you are in a maze after an hour or so.

I broke out of the turning river and the high bluffs just past the Hartford access, and ran into a strong wind and 2-foot waves as I made for the Runnels bridge. I was once again grateful to have a boat that can skim over the low water rapids and then gracefully handle strong winds and heavy waves.

After recovering my gear with the tow car and returning to Yellow Banks, I was blessed with the sight of a family of deer crossing the access road, the perfect end to a perfect expedition.

Gerry Rowland
Des Moines