Sierra Club Woods & Wetlands June Outings for NE Illinois

	Sierra Club Woods & Wetlands Group Outings
	June, 1999

Date	Title / Location	Rating	Leader / Contact	Bring	$$
Saturday, June 12, 9:00 - 12:00 a.m.	Sun Lake Stewardship, Lake Villa	(2,3,3)	John Massman 847-838-9440 JWBEIWM@webtv.net Contact John to confirm directions.	Water, eye protection. Dress ruggedly. Additional loppers, saws, and other pruning tools useful.	Free!
Enjoy this pristine Forest Preserve while liberating it from the invasion of exotic species.			N on Deep Lake Rd from Rt. 132, west on Painted Lakes/Gelden Rd for 200 ft, left on gravel road to pumping station.

Sunday, June 20, 1:00 - 2:30 p.m.	Hawthorn Woods Heron Rookery	(2,2,2)	Evan Craig 847-680-6437 x4, or x6,5 auk@interaccess.com Limit 20.	binoculars, sunscreen, bug spray	Free!
See young herons in the nest in this ADID wetland marked for destruction by IDOT and ISTHA.			S. on Gilmer from Indian Creek Rd 1 mile.

Saturday - Sunday, June 26-27	Wisconsin River Wildlife Area Canoeing Weekend	(3,3,3)	Evan Craig 847-680-6437 x4, or x6,5 auk@interaccess.com Limit 16. Apply early to reserve canoes. To sign up fill out this Information and Sign Up Form (forms now removed), print and sign the waiver, and send it in with the fee.	Van! (call if you can drive) Tent, pack, layered clothes, camp utensils, stove. Canoe, Paddles, Life Preservers (if you have them)	$70 ($65) Actual cost: around $35
We'll canoe down the lower Wisconsin River between Sauk City and Spring Green, camping Saturday night on a sandbar island. Bright spring days will afford deeper water and easier paddling through this wide, sandy-bottomed Wildlife Area. Plan to stay in the area on Friday night (25th). Cost includes canoes, shuttling, 2 breakfasts, and dinner. (Bring 2 cold lunches.) Beginning canoeists will be paired with more experienced paddlers the first day.			Participants must be approved by leader. Meeting point Tower Woods Campground, near Spring Green.

Wisconsin River Wildlife Area Canoeing Weekend !
	My Number One If you ever decide to lead a trip in a canoe, hope that this man will be the first one to sign up, and offer to be your assistant leader. Kurt, a leader in his own right on previous trips, brought a wealth of experience, good advice, and useful equipment that helped make this outing a great success.
	Tower Hill State Park Mentioning Sierra Club got us this big campsite near the Ranger's house for our group of 10. In addition to a handy supply of firewood that was useful both nights, we got all the mosquitoes we could swat. As flames licked the logs, several campers reported glimpsing the legendary "Net Men" that roam wild in this region of country. Night time also cloaked mysterious latrine creatures whose screams could curdle your blood! Here the group breaks camp after a wholesome breakfast.
	Life's a Beach ... The WI river bottom is constantly shifting sand. For our trip the flow was at around 6,000 cfs. Several times each year the flow exceeds five times this amount, burying, depositing, and sweeping away ideal campsite areas like this one - ideal only because we had a fair idea of how much water was expected in the watershed that night. Water levels in most of the river are controlled by a series of 24 dams and many powerplants. Some of the water is even diverted through Portage Canal into the Fox River. The section we navigated, from Blackhawk (Sauk City) to Spring Green, was flanked by the Lower WI River Sate Wildlife Area on both sides for much of the trip.
	Mess Hall If one canoe on two others makes a table, two canoes on two canoes makes a cafeteria. The slow moving river water was full of plant bits, and other unseen unpotables. We saw suckers in the shallows, and swam in the water, but, thanks to human impacts, the river flunks the "drinkable" part of the "Swimable, Fishable, Drinkable" test. We hauled our drinking water in. Gene and Jonathan were one of two dad & son pairs. Ray and Nick eluded the camera.
	At Home on the River Blistering sand made the cool water extra inviting, and we were in and out of the water like otters. The 16 mile trip, with a 5 mph current, made an easy trip, with plenty of time for "gunnelwumping" and sandbar frizbee. We found this spot just upstream of the Cedar boat launch.
	How to Tell a Sierra Club Camp from a Scout Camp Different tents.
	No Rain, No Rainbow ... but this little contraption was a real pot 'o gold. With 10 people on a frequently submerged sandbar island, we decided to truly take only memories and leave only footsteps.
	Travelin' Team Jack Sprat could eat no fat, his wife could eat no lean ... Jerry was so fond of poorly recited poetry I couldn't resist one more stanza! Jerry has canoe and no car, Kirsi has car and no canoe.
	Turbo Paddle Eileen & Cynthia
	Sultan & Number One Jonathan and Kurt
	Eugene & the Dragonfly With a headwind, the only place for Gene was the bow, with yours truly in the stern. Here a dragonfly hitches a ride on Gene's back. Click here to return to the chart: