Trip Sponsor: Jim Sprandel
Join us for an overnight paddling trip on Lake Monroe. Lake Monroe lets us camp from our boats along the shore in Deem Wilderness. This year, we are paddling after all of the wildlife protection areas are open so we may explore or camp in the Middle Fork. Or, we can try and find the eagle’s nest north of Pine Grove. This is also a good time of year because we usually see migratory ducks, grebes, and loons on the lake.
If you only want to paddle on Saturday, our campsite should be only be about 3-4 miles from the Cutright put-in so that people are welcome to come out and day-paddle with us without camping.
Meeting Place/Put-In: Cutright Public Access Site. This is about 2 hours from the intersection of Hwy 37 and I-465 on the southeast side of Indianapolis. (Google Map)
Directions to Meeting Place: Take Hwy 446 south from Hwy 46 on the east side of Bloomington to the Lake Monroe causeway. Cutright is the first turn on your left immediately after you cross the causeway. Go to the first boat ramp that you come to after leaving Hwy 446.
What to Bring: Bring your paddling gear, spray skirt, camping gear, food for lunch, dinner, and breakfast, and warm clothes. You should also bring drinking water with you. We will be camping from our boats and you will have to pack all of your gear and food in your boat, so plan accordingly.
Be sure to have a 2019 Indiana DNR Nonmotorized Boat Permit. You should be able to pick one up on the way to the meeting place, either at the DNR headquarter on Hwy 446 on the north side of the entrance to the Paynetown SRA or at the gate for the Paynetown SRA.
Required Equipment: Depending on the temperatures, wet suits or dry suits are recommended. Due to potentially rough lake conditions, spray skirts, safety equipment, and sea/touring kayaks with fore and aft bulkheads are required.
Schedule: Saturday - 10:00 am is the recommended time for arrival at the put-In. We will launch at 10:45 am. We will probably paddle about 4-5 miles and then set up camp and have lunch. After lunch, we will go out and explore more of the lake.
Sunday: We are flexible here. We could return to Cutright as early as 10:00 am and drop off people who have to take off. We’ll talk and figure this out Saturday night depending on how far people want to paddle on Sunday and when people have get home.
Contact information: Jim Sprandel, merlin-3d@sbcglobal.net. Please contact me by 7:00 pm on the Thursday before the trip if you want to come. Be sure to contact me since I will monitor weather forecasts prior to the trip and I will let the people who have contacted me know if there will be changes to or cancelation of the trip due to the expected conditions.
