I have to apologize for the cliff hanger from last week. Always hated TV shows that would end an episode on a cliff hanger. It was worse when it was a season ender, and more so if it ended the TV series. If you haven’t seen it, you can read last weeks post here.
But I have a lot to say and a lot of content to go with it. So when we last left off I was talking about the Appleton dam. After I packed up my gear, I headed to:
Freedom Dam Cedars Historic Overlook
The best place I’ve found to view this dam is from up river at the Cedars Historic Overlook. However there is not much to see. In the distance you can see the rapids from the open gate. But there is little to see from the nearer spillways.
So after taking my video I returned to my bike and mounted my GoPro to catch a video of the drive to Kaukauna.
Little Chute Dam Island Park
Because I reviewed Island Park a couple of weeks ago I decided to skip that park and drive down the southern river road to Kaukauna. Prospect St in Kimberly turned to State St in Combined Locks and Kaukauna. This hilly and curvy drive was fun on my motorcycle.
Kaukauna Dam Central Park
Eventually I made my way to Central Park in Kaukauna. And this is where the accident happened.
I parked my bike in the parking lot and walked to the river side near the dam. Central Park is on one of the many islands in the river that eventually become the 1000 Islands nature preserve.
The river side on this park has concrete embankments that protect the park from erosion. I stood on this half’s formed walkway to film my video of the dam.
A little way down the river from me I saw an egret close to the shore. I took some pictures and started to see how close I could get to the bird. That’s when the accident happened.
Along the concrete barrier are a few holes where erosion has allowed water under the concrete. I am normally mindful of tripping hazards like this, but alas I forgot about this one. Shifting my weight forward in my stride, my foot landed on nothing.
I started to fall forward but instead of my normal steps to break my fall I was concerned about my camera breaking. So I tucked instead of readjusting my step. Tucking to protect my camera I landed on my shoulder. So my shoulder was sore for about a week. But I saved the camera.
Feeling silly I got back up only to find that the egret had flown away. So I walked back to my bike to continue to 1000 Islands.
1000 Islands Spillway
The park around 1000 Islands was busy. Lots of people there for Softball games. Parking even for my bike was sparce. But I found a spot and took some pictures of an interesting flower with a bee.
I walked over to the Spillway and took a video. I decided not to spend too much time here as there were too many people.
So I returned to my bike and mounted my GoPro for some more road videos. Though I regret not getting a video out of the valley on Dodge St. My bike cut into the turns better than I expected. Prehaps a future video.
Rapide Croche Dam Picnic Grounds
Riding up Hwy ZZ, I did not expect the picnic grounds at Rapide Croche to be open. Both times I passed it last year it was closed. Two weeks ago however it was open and I took the opportunity to stop,
Now I didn’t expect to see much. Google maps shows this park as nothing more than a turn off from the Hwy. But when I got there I was pleasently supprised.
Two fishermen were returning to their car as I got off my motorcycle. They had just come up a set of stairs that were hidden from the road.
So I grabbed my gear and started down the stairs. They weren’t that tall and ended in an overlook of the dam. But the view was good and it looked like there were at least some plans at some point to make more trails.
With the private land so close to this park though I am not sure what more they can do. But the overlook of the dam was nice.
De Pere Dam Voyager Park
I returned to Hwy ZZ hoping to get a good video of the river north of Wrightstown. But when I got to Wrightstown I found they were having some kind of festival on their water front. So fearing I might miss the great river drive I followed the detour around the event.
Thankfully I found that not too far down the river in Wrightstown the detour reconnected me with ZZ. This almost 4 mile section of the Hwy follows the Fox river with some amazing turns. Though the town has the speed limited to 35 miles an hour.
I completed that section of the ride and headed into De Pere. From Voyager Park in De Pere I was able to access the last Dam of the day. The De Pere Dam is the last dam on the Fox River. There is one more between Rapide Croche however that dam is surrounded by posted private property. So the only way I am going to get video of that dam is if I borrow a boat.
The De Pere dam is pretty impressive. Two sections of spillways are divided by fourteen gates. Of which only two were open. The amount of water spilling through these gates where impressive.
The path from Voyager Park to the dam crosses a bridge over the lock. Then runs along a dike dividing the reservoir and the lock channel. This all leads to a viewing pier.
I filmed another egret standing on the rocks surrounded by cormorants and seagulls. But what was more amazing to me, was two people standing in waders beneath one of the spillways. They waded in hip deep water to just outside of the main current in hopes of catching fish.
After getting my photos I started to walk back to my bike. About half way there another photographer stopped me to ask what I saw. I mentioned the egret and cormorant. He asked about pelicans and I replied that I had seen a large flock in the Neenah and Menasha reservoirs. But that I had stopped at every dam on the way down and did not see any more.
He made comment that they must have started to migrate south. To which I agreed. Then I bid him a good day and continued to my bike.
The ride home was down the Lost Dauphin Rd or Hwy D through Wrightstown. Then connecting with Hwy JJ I returned to Appleton.
The road trip was full of excitement and I will probably make the run again soon. Maybe my wife will come next time.
Thanks again for visiting. As always leave a comment below. And please interact with my content on Facebook and Youtube. See you next time.