Member Spotlight -Kit Bogenschneider

Although I’ve gone canoeing since I was a kid, when I first moved to the Northwoods, I needed a boat I could handle alone, even in the wind.  That’s when I acquired my first kayak, and for 5 summers I paddled solo on the Turtle Flambeau Flowage. I had many experiences that were almost mystical, as when a feather-light breeze came to me over glass calm water from the reflection of the moon, and as the whisper passed, it felt like the moon had blown me a kiss. Or when I paddled in dense fog, with the early morning sun trying to break through. Or when I went past a bear who was out for an early morning swim. That’s when I decided I needed to start a group, to get more people out on the water to see another view of the Northwoods that you can’t get from the road. When I retired in 2011, I had my first schedule planned. I posted it around town and put an article in the local papers and the Loony Paddlers were born!

 

ICORE came a few years later, as those who enjoy silent sports saw all the money and development going toward motorized trails. Because we don’t “wear our sports” when we stop at businesses the way snowmobilers and ATVers do, we were invisible to that part of the community. ICORE is a way for bikers, hikers, paddlers, skiers, snowshoers to work together to promote our sports, develop and maintain trails, and let the wider world know that we have a multitude of silent sport opportunities here.

Attached is my tentative Looney Paddlers schedule for the 2022 season.  I will post each planned outing on our Meet-up site.  I hope you can join us!

LOONY PADDLERS 2022