Part 1

I have been drawn to rivers for as long as I can remember. I grew up on the shores of the Niantic River in Connecticut. I rowed, swam and sailed until I gave in to the temptation to follow the river down to the Long Island Sound, which was strictly forbidden. I’ll never forget the sight of my father rowing my boat the six miles upstream, or the pain of losing the use of the boat forever (which probably saved my little life).

Over the years, I occasionally sailed on the Sound with my family, and I took some canoe trips during college days in Vermont. I moved to Iowa in 1979, and I enjoyed rowing on the Iowa Great Lakes and Storm Lake. Then came the floods of 1993, and for the first time it came home to me that there was a mighty river rather too close to where I lived. The old longings to be on a river came back with unexpected urgency, mixed with awe and fear of this powerful, raging neighbor.

For two years, I eyed the kayaks displayed on the sidewalk outside of the Boulevard Sports shop in Des Moines. Every few months, I would go in and ask a few questions. In the summer of 1996, I bought a Scupper Pro kayak and accessories and began paddling on Gray’s Lake and Easter Lake.

The River Calls

The river called me, and I put in at Birdland Marina (Des Moines). People at the ramp asked me if I thought I could make any headway against the current and I replied that I had no idea, and that it might be a very short trip. I was so proud after paddling a quarter-mile that I called my wife to come and take a picture. I had no idea what the river would compel me to do.

During the summer of 1996, I paddled the river as far north as Saylorville Dam (from Cottonwood Park almost up to the spillway), along the Des Moines waterfront (paddling up from Southeast 14th St. and lifting the boat over the Scott Avenue Dam), and south of Yellow Banks Park. I paddled upstream, then drifted back with the current, and usually never got more than few miles. The season ended with a float sponsored by the Sierra Club, where Mayor Arthur Davis welcomed the 30 or so paddlers. I did not go out during the winter.

Paddling Bug Hits

The paddling bug hit hard in 1997. By July, I was doing paddle/bike shuttle that allowed me to cover a lot more of the river. I did the Saylorville to Birdland Marina run, and bicycled back along the wonderful Saylorville Bike Trail. I ventured up to the Boone Highway 30 boat ramp, paddled 17 miles to Madrid, and biked back in intense heat. I found myself itching to take on the Hartford to Red Rock run. This was a 25-mile trip each way by bike and by boat, including a hard row on more than 8 miles of Lake Red Rock. I had purchased a 4wd Mazda van, which allowed me to get back into the more remote access points, but the return leg was always by bike.

Summer was turning to fall, the water was getting colder, and I stopped rowing after a trip up and back on Big Creek in October. By November, I could not stand it, and I bought a wet suit and neoprene boots. I was thrilled to find the herons still out in November and December, and I found that the snow and ice made it rather easier to get down to the water. The eagles were out in full force in January of 1998, with as many as 30 in the trees and soaring overhead.

I was used to having water in the cockpit, as this is a "sit-on-top" boat that gets extra stability by allowing water into the seat and the footwells, so I was not afraid to get wet. The winter gear kept me comfortable, and I paddled nearly every week until Spring 1998.

In 1998, two additions to the repertoire were suggested to me by the river spirits of the ancient Moingona. I was determined to go the distance, but I needed to know where I was in relation to the down-stream access point, and I needed to minimize the return time and maximize my time on the river. I purchased a portable GPS system, which gets position, speed and distance from satellites, and I bought a very used car as my downstream vehicle. I would tow the second car to the downstream boat ramp, drive back upstream, paddle 15 to 20 miles to the tow car, and drive the boat back to the van. The GPS would tell me exactly how close I was to the downstream car; it worked like a charm.

By June 1998, I was eating up the miles. Madrid and Saylorville, Boone Waterworks to Madrid, Dolliver State Park to Boone, Humboldt and Fort Dodge to Dolliver flew by. The floods stopped me for a while, then I covered Yellow Banks to Bennington, Red Rock to Eddyville, and Eddyville to Ottumwa.

The Ottumwa run in early October was especially hard, 16 miles in two-foot waves and 25 mph winds. Once I had conquered that stretch, I knew I could make it all the way. My wife, Margaret Jane, was kind and encouraging to let me go forth.

In November and December, I alternated far north and south, and I began staying out two or three days. I did the Selma to Keosauqua run, Farmington all the way down to Keokuk, Ottumwa down to Eldon and Selma. I went north, paddling from West Bend to Bradgate with the brilliant fall colors and the elusive deer, Emmetsburg to West Bend, and Estherville to Emmetsburg in a late November snowstorm.

In December 19988, I made the scenic, challenging trip through Humboldt County, with four dams to portage and the "seashore" setting of the Lake Nokomis section of the West Fork. On December 18, 1998, I completed the Des Moines River journey by paddling from Keosauqua to Bonaparte. This completed a 15-month, 404-mile, 160,000 paddle-stroke, 40-outing expedition.

GPS Invaluable

All this time, I was recording access points, bridges, dams and other landmarks in my GPS. It occurred to me that I had the makings of a recreational trail recorded in my GPS as latitude and longitude coordinates. I had been focusing on the individual sections of the river; now it occurred to me that this was one very long river trail system.

I put the access points, GPS coordinates, driving directions, dams, portages, and points of interest on my Web site, www.desmoinesriver.org. I put up notes on river adventures I had along the way. I was then moved to write letters to the newspapers of all the newspapers in towns along the Des Moines River, speaking out for the creation of a Des Moines River Water Trail. I began to get enthusiastic responses. Ruth Egeland, the Webmaster for Keokuk tourism, has put up a river-trail page with hundreds of photographs at www.keokukia.com/desmoinesriver.

Every week I hear from paddlers and environmentalists who are enthusiastic about the water trail idea. I have found that people are working hard to make their area of the river "paddler-friendly," and are supportive of the vision of a mighty river trail that was given to me by the spirits of this ancient river.

I’m hoping that city, county, state and federal governments will take the largely ceremonial step of proclaiming the Des Moines River Iowa’s longest trail system, because most of the work has already been done. I’ve been greatly encouraged by resolutions of endorsement from five county conservation boards, and by the positive response from the Des Moines River Greenbelt Commission. Note: In June of 2000, 17 county conservation boards, the Iowa DNR, and several federal agencies joined in a dedication of the Des Moines River Water Trail.

The immediate purpose of the trail, I believe, is to focus attention on the recreational, educational and historical opportunities of Iowa’s longest river and to encourage paddlers in Iowa and from around the world to experience a world-class wilderness experience.

The ultimate purpose, as I have learned from the river spirits, is to save the ancient river from the degradation of man. The ancient river Moingona had, for a half-million years, the protection of forest and prairie to absorb the rains and hold back the soil. European settlers foolishly stripped away those protections, and only now do we realize that we strangle the river to our own peril. If you spend time on the river, you will also learn that with its peace comes responsibility.

And yes, I’ve been paddling with the eagles in the winter and the herons in the summer. (I have paddled the length of the Des Moines a second time over the past several years and I've paddled every month since March of 1997.) In between trips I have organized the river information on my Web site into nine float trips, with information on access points, driving directions, and highlights for each trip. I also continue to post trip reports from myself and others.

I’m pleased to report that others from the Central Iowa Paddlers have enjoyed being on the icy river, where winter paddlers and bald eagles meet. I’m also looking forward to the summer season and the many activities planned for the Des Moines River, including very successful canoe floats in Ottumwa and Van Buren County, which have attracted hundreds of paddlers.

Note: Since the article was published in 1999, a Des Moines River Water Trail committee has worked to identify access points, develop a universal water trail logo, and promote activities on the river. We have not yet put up trail signs or published any maps/brochures. I recently became a member of the Federal Recreational Trails Fund advisory committee in order to encourage government entities to submit water trail grants so that water trails throughout Iowa can be fully developed and utilized.  I'm also organizing an Iowa Water Trails Association that will meet during the Paddlesport Expo in Indianola on Feb. 16, 2001 (10 AM at the Legion hall).