Hey all,

I'm looking for people to paddle with in eastern Iowa. I like to do about 17-20 miles a day and I love to sandbar camp. I'm trying to find people right now to paddle some creeks and some smaller rivers, especially the Little Maquoketa. I'll be gone on the Upper Iowa May 21-25 but will have time free after that. Since I'm currently unemployed I can paddle during the week as well as weekends.

I'm trying to find reliable responsible people who aren't all talk and no action, as I've been repeatedly burned and disappointed to the point of sometimes considering selling my gear and quitting the sport. I've been messed over 3 times this month alone, including today.

Also, with the gas prices so high, I can't really drive an hour and a half, paddle 8 miles, and go back home, so I definitely would like to paddle with some people who can log some distance.

I paddle a 13'6" Wenonah Sandpiper solo canoe and my truck can carry two boats. I can do Class I & II rapids, and I enjoy them a lot, but I'm mainly a flatwater person.

Hope to hear from some of you! Take care!

KJ

Welcome on board!
Where abouts in Eastern Ia.?
I'm in the North West part, Humboldt
I too fancy a solo boat, a little more freedom of choice.
The rivers are wild right now around here, so I guess I can get to that honey-do list I've been neglecting.
Good luck finding some paddlers

20 min. north of Davenport.

My trip to the Upper Iowa didn't work out, of course. Naturally, it didn't flood until after I'd already made the drive up there so I basically flushed $60 in gas down the toilet. Checked the USGS gauge and the forecast, as did our trip leader, and at the time we left we expected to spend a coupe of days paddling in rain and that was it.

I almost didn't make it home as the Turkey had covered almost all the roads heading back home. Managed to make it on Hwy. 13 past Elkader. Everything I could see of that town was under water and they were afraid their dam was going to break. Scary stuff!

20 min. north of Davenport.

My trip to the Upper Iowa didn't work out, of course. Naturally, it didn't flood until after I'd already made the drive up there so I basically flushed $60 in gas down the toilet. Checked the USGS gauge and the forecast, as did our trip leader, and at the time we left we expected to spend a coupe of days paddling in rain and that was it.

I almost didn't make it home as the Turkey had covered almost all the roads heading back home. Managed to make it on Hwy. 13 past Elkader. Everything I could see of that town was under water and they were afraid their dam was going to break. Scary stuff!

20 min. north of Davenport.

My trip to the Upper Iowa didn't work out, of course. Naturally, it didn't flood until after I'd already made the drive up there so I basically flushed $60 in gas down the toilet. Checked the USGS gauge and the forecast, as did our trip leader, and at the time we left we expected to spend a coupe of days paddling in rain and that was it.

I almost didn't make it home as the Turkey had covered almost all the roads heading back home. Managed to make it on Hwy. 13 past Elkader. Everything I could see of that town was under water and they were afraid their dam was going to break. Scary stuff!

Sorry about the triple post--it kept telling me the message didn't go through.

I live in the same general area and am looking for a paddling partner for my wife and I. We are near Andrew,between Maquoketa and Bellevue.

Yep, I know where Andrew is. E-mail me and let me know when you're wanting to go! (And hope the rivers all go back down soon!)

I believe that we both belong to a paddling club out of the quad cities. What is you opinion on their outings? we are members but with family commitments and the 3 groups of scout we are leaders or advisors for we don't seem to be able to make many meeting or outings.

Well, I've only been on two trips with them. They are very, very nice people, and they helped me a lot with tips on paddling. And up at Canoecopia they helped guide me on what to buy as far as cold-weather gear and I was very happy this spring with the choices they helped me make. I also saved a lot of money by not buying things I didn't need, thanks to them.

As I stated in my original post, I don't have the gas money to justify drving a long way to paddle a short way. That is the only thing about the group--they seem to prefer 8-10-mile trips. If I'm going to drive an hour to the put-in, I want to be paddling a LOT.

I was going to go with them on the Maquoketa on a Saturday earlier this month and something came up and I couldn't, so I went with a friend the next day. Not knowing what stretch they did the day before, we decided on Monticello to Hwy. 136 (20.3 miles). I found out later that they had also put in at Monticello--but took out at Pictured Rocks (8 miles).

If you have a family, then these shorter trips perhaps are for you. And the club president is a Scout leader himself and sometimes takes some of the boys along.

Hope this helps you.