Nature Journal

17 October

Getting a bit chilly to paddle, mid-October, and breezes carrying some teeth. But the sun is a temptress and rains down on golden colors surrounding Lake Neshonoc. Takes 12 minutes to land the kayak from home.  Down at the landing evidence of only one other brave boat who we can see off in the distance doing rounds on an otherwise bare lake.  At the far end of Neshonoc, the great marsh.  Here the Winnebago thrived in the early years.  Trapped, hunted, and must have seen the surrounding bluffs and valleys much the same as we do today –  a large cradle for farming, hunting, protection and spiritual wonder.

Along the edges of the lake the La Crosse River Dam; highway 16 above too noisy for the quiet of the setting.  To get to the marsh, another 10-20 minutes, slow progress, and the sun is being hoarded by clouds so we cross instead to a point where stairs slope down into the water.  It is a mere half foot deep here, a great place to come back and wade in warmer weather.  Up above, at the top of the stairs, a small park and gazebo, a little trail to follow.  On this side the traffic from highway is gone.  

It dawns on us that the hour it took to hook up the kayak rack, set them up on top of the car, tie them down, and get here has been well worth it, even if on the water for nothing more than a hour.  The houses that command this side of the lake use much stone for steps and retaining.  Long decks have been pulled in for the winter, except for one, its poles made of solid concrete and permanent.  The sun ducks behind the line of trees surrounding the immediate shore line but leaves the birch trees backlit.