The trip began on the dock of Rutabaga Paddle Sports conveniently located on an inlet of the Yaraha River.  The Yaraha chains together several lakes without changing its name so don't get confused.  Most Madisonians know it as the river that connects Lakes Mendota to Lake Monona by the scenic Tenny Park.  But it also connects Lake Monona to Upper Mud Lake and Lake Waubesa and Mud Lake and Lake Kegonsa.

This chain of lakes, lazy rivers, and marshes make up a wetlands ecosystem that is often referred to as the lungs of our planet because of filtration of the water that ultimately ends up in the Rock River and eventually the Mississippi.  This is a critical source of drinking water for humans, agriculture, and livestock.  Without such wetlands, we humans are in big trouble. The waterway also provides a home to plants, birds, amphibians, small mammals and a spawning ground for fish.

One of the first things you will see is the bridge under the Beltline Highway.  This bridge was built in the early 1990s and is still regarded as an exemplary environmentally sound construction with active oversight by then State Senator Chuck Chvala.

After passing under the bridge you paddle out into Upper Mud Lake (not to be confused with Mud Lake further down the chain).  The water is shallow which makes you realize the fragility of the system.  Should there be a severe drought and the water level were to drop a few feet this area would dry up and the chain would be broken.

You exit Upper Mud Lake through a narrow channel and emerge into Lake Waubesa.  While it is not a large lake, Waubesa is big enough to have some choppy water when there is even a little wind especially on the side opposite where the wind is coming from.  If you have a flat bottomed canoe that tips easily, stay close to shore.  On the northeastern shore you will come across Christy's Landing, a good restaurant with a dock for boats.  They are open for lunch & dinner 7 days a week.

If you are renting a boat, it may not come with a tie-line so be sure to buy some rope so you can moor to docks like this one.  Surprisingly, rope did not come with the canoe we rented!

Inevitably, you will forget something important.  The Town of McFarland water tower is slightly to the north of the mouth of the Yahara.  There is a rocky beach where you can drag your canoe up and walk about two blocks into town to get your forgotten item(s).

After you paddle into the Yahara channel you will see the dam.  The only portage of this journey.  There is a slip to the south.  If you have a light weight canoe you can just lift it over the rocks.  Highway 51 at rush hour is very busy.  Take your time and cross safely.  We moved our baggage then our canoe to keep the weight we were carrying manageable.

When your portage is complete, you will be back in the Yahara River for a delightful cruise down the longest stretch of river on this journey.  You will also see the effect of fertilizer run-off into the waters - blue-green algae blooms which have long plagued these lakes.  Watch this 4 minute video to learn more about algae blooms and the related problems to human and animal health.  Regardless, this was the most scenic and enjoyable part of the paddle - the classic lazy river.  We saw a few boats fishing and cruising about.

As you exit this long stretch of the river and enter Lake Kegonsa, you might be tired as we were and anxious to set course for the tip of Crown Point.  Don't forget that you are in a little canoe and Kegonsa is not a small lake.  Stay close to shore for safety and only cut across smooth water bays.   We played it safe and were at the Crown Point Resort in about a hour.

When you finally round Crown Point you know you are almost there.  The resort has a decent size sign and an unmistakable profile.  When we arrived we only had about an hour until sunset, and I didn't want to take any chance of overshooting the resort so we stayed close to the shore.

While my shoulders were tired my legs and back were far worse off.  The canoe we rented had lower slug seat than the aluminum canoes I grew up with.  My knees were about level with my butt.  Eventually, I learned how to lift myself up by pushing off the gunwales without destabilizing the canoe.  As it was I was so stiff, I had to lay on the dock and stretch before I could stand up.  As I was floundering on the dock, we were greeted by Frank, the owner / operator of Crown Point Resort.  Frank has back problems of his own, so I felt less self-conscious of being so stiff.

Frank helped us get settled into Cottage #1 - the one pictured here up on the hill to the left.  The view from the porch was stunning and the cottage while small was very efficiently laid out.  I was impressed how well outfitted the kitchenette was.  Pots, pans, baking dishes, plates, everything.  There was even a hair dryer under the bathroom sink.  While normally he doesn't provide charcoal for the grills, Frank made an exception since we came by canoe.  We really enjoyed talking with him and learned that he had rehabbed all of these cottages himself.  He's quite a craftsman as well as a really good fellow.  Apparently, the cottages date back to at least the 1920s!

We brought brats for lunch the next day.  Halverson's Restaurant about a quarter mile down the street took care of our dinner both nights.  The food & service was excellent and the atmosphere enjoyable.  Ribs, stuffed chicken, and fish fry were all very well prepared.

We had hoped to paddle across the lake on our "rest day" but we both were too sore, tired, and had learned the connection between our flat-bottomed We-no-nah Spirit 2 canoe and "final (secondary) stability" if you are a great swimmer and don't mind getting wet - by all means cut across the lakes.  Otherwise, it would have been a few hours paddle along the shoreline to get to Springer's so we took a pass.

Also, down the road probably shy of a mile, we walked to a Mobil station with a adaquate mini-mart for some ice and drinks.  It's good to know you don't have to go back with an empty cooler.  They also have live bait if you want to do some fishing.

Frank also has bicycles to lend, so you can ride about five miles into Stoughton if you want to.  Both me and my adventure travel buddy, Bachhuber are mainly bicyclists but the core work out we got from the paddle kept us off the bikes.  Even my quads were sore.

The things I would do differently next time include:

Renting a traditional aluminum or fiberglass canoe because of it's higher more comfortable seats and greater "final stability" which would make crossing the lakes less of an adventure.  I'd invest in a canoe cart to wheel the heaver canoe during the portage.  I'd also buy wet-bags, a tie-line rope for docking, and a seat back.  My friend had the foresight to also purchase a light in case we got caught in the dark.

I wish I had found and read this webpage before I had rented the We-no-nah Spirit 2 canoe.

http://www.canoeing.com/canoes/choosing/design.htm

All-in-all, we had beautiful weather, a great adventure, a lot of exercise, good food, a relaxing time, and good people.

Rutabaga Paddle Sports - 4 stars
Crown Point Resort cottages - 5 stars
Halverson's Restaurant - 5 stars
Dane County Environmental Council Yahara Water Trails Guide - 4.5 stars