The Black Hawk Creek

One of the things we enjoy locally in the Cedar Valley is traveling down the Black Hawk Creek. Last Saturday Emily, my friend Kevin and I took our maiden voyage for the summer. The Black Hawk Creek runs through both Waterloo and Cedar Falls among other places, so it is easy to access. This is Emily’s favorite place to take her paddle board. While it meanders through parts of the city it is very secluded because of the amount of vegetation around it. It actually is part of the Greenbelt recreation areas.

We’ve had several days of rain prior to our trip so the water was up. On one hand it’s good for traveling down without having to portage the low areas but it does speed up the trip and does make it a little more dangerous. The creek is somewhat advanced for paddling due to the portages and areas of downed trees that create strainers (strain you off your kayak, paddle boards or canoe) and objects under the water that you may or may not see that you could impact. Because of the nature of the creek you do need to keep an eye on what is ahead and plan your route. You don’t want your vessel to get pushed up against the downed trees as the water will flip you and then you can get tangled up in the tree limbs. When the water is down the flow rate is slower and you have more time to adjust and if you can’t more often than not you can just get in the water and it’s not above your knees. There can be deep pockets in the corners and around sunken objects though. Later in the summer the water is very clear once all the sediment has settled after the spring melt and rains. It will usually stay pretty clear even after summer storms but it depends on how much rain.

Emily and I have been keeping busy visiting with friends this week. It’s been nice catching up. I’ve got a couple BBQs coming up next month that I’m doing with people I work with and from my Men’s group. I’ve also been working on my trailer project. I have a cargo trailer that I also use as a camper. I have most things so that I can move or remove them and then use the trailer for my ATV or something else. I wired in shoreline power so I can plug in at campsites. I’ve also been adding insulation to the ceiling for better temperature control in the heat and cold since I will go in any season.

Emily and I are looking at where we will be going in December, remember if you want to go just get in touch with us. We will be back before Christmas this year as I have to work. Currently we are looking at Grenada, the ABC islands including a return to Bonaire and possibly the U.S. Virgin Islands. We will also not have as much time this year we are going to want something easy so I haven’t ruled out Costa Rica either, Emily has been there a lot and it’s easy to get around. I’m not leaning any particular way as of yet.

Hopefully everyone is starting their summer out well! I do see the comments but for some reason I’m not able to respond. I will be looking into getting access for that. We do enjoy the feedback.