HLC River Jaunt paddles to success

Ninth-annual river jaunt draws 77 participants

During one weekend in August every year, the Illinois River is filled with adventurous people making the trip from Henry to Chillicothe by kayak.

The ninth annual Henry-Lacon-Chillicothe Canoe/Kayak Jaunt Illinois River went off without a hitch Sunday with 77 participants.

“The course starts in Henry and goes through Lacon and ends in Chillicothe after 16 and 1/2 river miles,” Chillicothe Chamber of Commerce executive director Karen Moewe said. “I don’t know which year it was, but I heard some people say that we only had one year where the weather and route was better.”

“This year there was a strong current and the wind was at our backs,” Paul Clay, who finished first in one hour and 15-minutes said. “Last year, there was a bad storm and you had to duck and cover just to make it through.”

The weather for this year’s jaunt remained sunny and pleasantly warm throughout the day, unlike last year where the kayakers paddled into a major storm between Lacon and Chillicothe.

“It was a great trip, we had great weather,” Celeste Hansen said. “Last year it rained after Lacon. But this year the weather was great and the powerboat situation wasn’t too bad either.”

Not only do the kayakers have to deal with the weather, but, as Hansen said, powerboats have posed a problem in recent years.

In recent years, powerboat drivers have been less than respectful of the boating regulation that states that unpowered crafts have the right of way over powered crafts and that powered crafts must turn off their engines in tight channels if kayaks are present.

“Whenever you’re in a personal water vessel that is powered by man, you’re always going to have a wake when barges and motorboats pass by,” Moewe said. “That’s why we have the coast guard go along with the kayakers, to make sure everyone stays safe.”

While the powerboat situation differs year to year, what has not changed is the jaunt’s goal.

“The jaunt came about when Jeff Goard was Chamber president in Chillicothe and
met with the presidents in Lacon and Henry to try and find something that could connect the three communities,” Moewe said. “They came up with the jaunt.”

Not only did the jaunt come about as a result of the three communities wanting to do something to connect them, it also came about as a chance for the communities to use their one shared asset to link them all together.

“I think there’s one thing that all three of our communities have in common and that’s the Illinois River,” Moewe said. “Each community wants a chance to show off their support for the river.”

After eight years of just the three chambers of commerce running the event, the American Legion came on board for the 2010 jaunt.

“The American Legion jumped in this year because, although this is a major event, the chambers were having trouble finding sponsors for it,” Moewe said.

To participate in the jaunt, the kayakers pay a $20 early registration fee or a $30 late fee.

The fee includes participation in the jaunt as well as a T-shirt, food in each of the three stops and a spot in a raffle for a free kayak.

“It’s something that I’ve done every year, and I enjoy being out there on the river for it,” Clay said.

Through the nine years of the jaunt, there have been people who participate year after year as well as new participants each year.

“I think it’s the perfect activity for people who want to be on the river and want to do it with other people,” Moewe said. “When you’re out on the river in a kayak or a canoe, you’re all by yourself. But on the jaunt, it gives people a chance to try it out and have fun in a safe environment with members of the community. And people really love the physical challenge of it, too.”