20210430 Evening Kayak with my husband after work on a Friday. Don't get confused with Groen and Mill Creek Parks to the East of Chatfield when looking for the launch. There were several spring wildflowers along the banks including Bluebells, Phlox, Anemone (I think False Rue) and some type of Buttercup. The route goes through bluffs and farm lands and past a few bridges that are no longer in use. It is about 8 river miles.
We chose this route because we were going out on a Friday night after work, looking for something close to Rochester that didn't require much driving to position both of the vehicles. We figured that we could complete it in a few hours and end just as the sun was setting. We spent too much time up front floating, enjoying the wildflowers, deer and the eagles. About half way through I could feel the air cooling and see the sunset reaching the horizon. I didn't have cell service so I checked my geo pdf and realized we were only about half way! We paddled hard the last few miles and arrived at our destination after dark.
As it sometimes happens... I wasn't prepared with a headlamp and other tools for a dark situation or the cold and my phone was almost dead. As we went under the bridge for Highway 52 I could hear the rumble of water and feel the speed of the current pick up. I couldn't tell if it was just a large patch of riffles or something more serious like big rocks or a snag but it was loud. I also couldn't tell where the landing was. I couldn't see much of anything other than the intermittent flash of headlights going by. I had been to this landing to launch before about 8 years ago so I had an idea but didn't want to miss it. A lot can change in 8 years. Water depth and erosion can change things significantly in one season. My cellphone flashlight on my almost dead phone was useless. I decided to make my way to the West side of the river and try to get out. I kept my eye on the highway when the vehicle headlights would pass by, to keep estimating my distance from the highway. As soon as I found the shore (luckily it was shallow and rocky with a low bank) I got out of my kayak and walked up on to the bank. I happened to be at the very end of the parking area at the landing.
A great night! The warmth of the old pick up truck on the way home felt so good!
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| https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/maps/canoe_routes/root.pdf |
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| Bluebells by the launch off of County 2 (3rd St SW) |
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| Phlox by the launch off of County 2 (3rd St SW) |
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