WI>Wildcat Mountain Challenge>Kickapoo Valley Region>Labor Day Weekend 2018

[Karla "with a k"]

I'm hosting a Meetup.com camping weekend on Labor Day 2018. Opportunities for camping, paddling, biking, hiking, eating and napping! Good trees for hanging at the group site.

All details are over at this meetup event: Click Here to be taken to the Meetup event

Travel times:
from Milwaukee - 3 hrs
from Twin Cities - 3 hrs
from Iowa City - 3 hrs 40 min
from Chicago - 4 hrs

Since this isn't just a hammock hang, all event correspondence will be handled through Meetup. You'll need to join the meetup group, but there are no fees to join.

Hope to see you there!

[kattdogg]

Are you going to post this on nicks meet up?

[Karla "with a k"]

Are you going to post this on nicks meet up?

Nope, just on the Milwaukee Campers, Backpackers and Hikers group. The site only allows for 25 people.

I think Nick has a trip the same weekend too.

[Karla "with a k"]

If you are thinking of attending this event, early bird pricing ends on December 31, 2017 = $15 + one bundle of wood

This is the best option if you are even thinking of coming because if you cancel, then you are only out $5. If you pay after Dec 31, the price increases by $10.

[Karla "with a k"]

I have room for 25 people and 8 have already indicated "yes" they are coming.

All details are being run through meetup.com. Here's the link: https://www.meetup.com/milwaukee-cam...nts/245185394/

[Karla "with a k"]

Yes, our group site has trees. Here's a pic as proof.

[Karla "with a k"]

I've extended early bird pricing. It's still only $15 + one bundle of wood. Site is reserved for Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday night.

[Loonatic]

I have to work Sat morning, so probably can't go to this event, but for anyone who hasn't been in the area and might want to go, I'll offer a bit of a review of the area, which I love. I was just there for a two night trip paddling and camping on the Kickapoo River with my pup. Other than heat and bugs, I had a great trip.

First, the Driftless Area is really under-rated. I wish it was called something like the "Unglaciated Area" as that would make it more obvious to everyone what it is. It took me a while living near it to realize how special it is. It has 3 of the top 100 trout streams in the country, and you can't get good trout streams unless you have clean, cool water. Vernon County is perhaps the pinnacle of that because the western half of the county has more organic agriculture than anywhere in the state, and the eastern half of the county has Wildcat Mt State Park and the Kickapoo Valley Reserve as substantial undeveloped areas.

Wildcat Mountain State Park is a very nice park on its own, and has a lot to do within, but scope of the State Park is supplemented by the Kickapoo River and the Kickapoo Valley Reserve. The Reserve is the 8600 acre area adjacent to the south of Wildcat Mt State Park. The resesrve was created somewhat quietly in this century. In the 1960s, the plan was to build a dam near LaFarge to limit flooding on the Kickapoo River that happens about 6-8 times per 100 years. The project used imminent domain to purchase 140 farms along the Kickapoo River that would be underwater after they built the dam. However, environmental concerns and failure to clear cost-benefit analysis hurdles scuttled the project in 1975. It took 25 years to figure out what to do with the land that they had taken for the project. In 2000, the land was transferred to the state and the Bureau of Indian Affairs to be managed by the Kickapoo Reserve Management Board. They have created a variety of hiking, biking, equestrian and multi-use trails that I didn't have time to explore, but looked like they would be really awesome. They also have 25 primitive camp sites on the reserve. About 1/3 are hike in only, about 1/3 are paddle in only, and the rest are drive up. I hung my hammock at camp site J on my first night, since I didn't have a lot of time before dark, and it was close to the road and easy to find. The second night I camped at camp site S on the river. A little too much horse poo at camp site J, but it is designed to be an equestrian site, with a horse trail right there and hitching posts. S was a very pretty site, but had several large unhealthy trees with lots of dead wood, so kind of tricky to find a spot. The staff members at the Kickapoo Reserve Visitor Center were very helpful, and made my trip more pleasant due to their recommendations to start at Landing 4 and camp at site W or site S. If you have time and arrive while the Reserve Visitor Center is open, I would recommend you drop in for maps and info on your preferred activities. Overall, I would say that the Reserve is not as well known and utilized as it should be based on what they have to offer.

The Kickapoo River has many gorgeous sandstone rock walls from Ontario to about Bridge 18 a mile or so north of LaFarge. Here and there are a few signs of river banks that have been repaired and rebuilt, but for the most part, this whole section from Ontario to just north of La Farge is undeveloped and wild. The water quality was clear and cool. All of this makes this a tremendous paddle trip. What a shame it would have been to dam any of that and submerge those rock walls under water. It was a bit shallow for me at the top of the river, but the section from Ontario to Rockton has more sand bars that are pleasant to stop for a break. The other difference is that the section from Ontario to Rockton has a lot more party floaters on weekends, and the river gets a lot less human traffic from Rockton to La Farge. We saw about 5-6 other groups on day one. On day two of my trip, my pup and I didn't see or hear anyone else until we got out at La Farge.

I got hung up at one spot, but that was due to operator error. There are a lot of downed trees, but they do a pretty good job of clearing up the worst obstructions, and there wasn't a single spot where a portage was necessary. I'm a paddle novice, and I was fine. There are a few small riffles but no rapids that require any skill. Still, if you want to drink and float, the section from Ontario to Wildcat Mt would be best for that. If you want a 3-4 hour quiet paddle on an undeveloped river, I'd recommend putting in at Landing 10 and taking out around Landing 14, but it is nice all the way down to about Bridge 18. However, there aren't many take out options between Landing 14 and La Farge. There are a lot of shuttle services in Ontario, but I didn't use any of them.

When I was on the river recently, the gauge at Ontario was mid-70s cfs. For my kayak, with my 85 pound dog and camping gear, this was a bit low on the section from Ontario to about landing 7. The river is fed by many springs and several spring-fed creeks, and the depth gradually rises as you go. I didn't have cellular service and couldn't check weather for two days, which left me feeling a bit vulnerable when it started to rain on day 2. It quit after about 10 min, so I was fine, but the river has a tendency to rise quickly when it rains, so if you get caught in a storm, I'd encourage you to get out at your first opportunity. There are public landings about every 30 min, but if you don't follow along with your map, it would be easy to be out of position to exit gracefully.

Billings Creek (which flows through Wildcat Mt SP and flows into the Kickapoo) and the West Fork of the Kickapoo are also highly rated as paddle trips and for fishing.

Recommendations before you go. Go to the Kickapoo Valley Reserve web site, and print off their paddling map, and laminate it before you go. Check the online guage before you go. Don't paddle the river if the guage is too high.

[Karla "with a k"]

I have to work Sat morning, so probably can't go to this event, but for anyone who hasn't been in the area and might want to go, I'll offer a bit of a review of the area, which I love. I was just there for a two night trip paddling and camping on the Kickapoo River with my pup. Other than heat and bugs, I had a great trip.

I'm bummed to hear you won't be joining us. It would be great to camp with you again!

Great info on the area. Thank you for sharing. This is my first trip to Wildcat Mtn S.P. and the Kickapoo Valley Region so your write-up has me extra pumped to be there next month.

Let me know if you want to join us Saturday evening - Monday.

[Karla "with a k"]

Today is the last day for Early Bird pricing ($15 + one bundle of wood).

Cost increases by $5 whole dollars tomorrow.