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That was before about 120 canoes and kayaks launched from Latsch Island about 8:30 a.m.
The fleet was part of the Great River Rumble, an annual river trip that began Sunday in Menomonie, Wis. and will end today in La Crosse.
The paddlers aren’t casual river enthusiasts. These people plan their summers around the annual voyage, which usually takes place at the end of July or in early August.
“This week is sacred for us,” said Terry Trompen of Grand Rapids, Mich. “It’s like a family reunion to me.”
She and her husband, Mike, have made every Rumble trip since it started in 1995, except for last year.
The Rumble is put on by Midwest River Expeditions Inc., a nonprofit organizations dedicated to helping people enjoy the rivers and promote environmental consciousness.
Each year, the Rumble takes a different course through rivers of the Midwest, usually including the Mississippi. People drive their boats and equipment to their final destination and then take a bus to their starting point.
The Rumble last came through Winona in 2000. Thursday night, Rumblers camped at Levee Park. They arrived in Winona on Thursday, spending the afternoon touring the town, including a trip to Wenonah Canoe, one of the major sponsors of the event.
This year’s trip will be about 112 miles, taking the paddlers down the Red Cedar River, into the Chippewa and now the Mississippi. Along the way, they camp, socialize and get nostalgic about past adventures.
“There are a lot of stories,” said Kathy Stevens of Charles City, Iowa.
One year, the temperature was in the 90s most every day. Another year there was a rain storm along the Missouri River.
Stevens and her husband, Bob, have their own special story. The couple met six years ago on the Rumble and have been married for five years.
The paddlers mostly come from the Midwest, but there are those so devoted they drive cross country to make the trip. Jim and Millie Sernovitz drove from Bonita Springs, Fla. John Kittell, 68, drove 1,617 miles from Bremerton, Wash.
“I try to keep up with him,” Kittell said as he pointed to Don Krambeck, the elder statesmen of the group.
The 89-and-a-half-year-old has been paddling since he bought his first canoe 75 years ago. He even courted his late wife in a canoe.
“I love the river,” Krambeck said.
His 57-year-old niece, Mary Reichelt, joined him for this year’s Rumble. Krambeck lives in Clinton, Iowa, where he teaches people to canoe. He says he’s paddled through every lock and dam of the Mississippi.
The longest part of this trek has been covering 33 miles Tuesday, going from Durand, Wis., to Alma, Wis. The boats go between six and eight miles per hour, covering about four miles per hour with breaks.
This is Dave Kriegh’s fifth River Rumble. Kriegh lives in Kansas City, Mo., and recently placed second in the mixed tandem category of the Missouri 340, a 340-mile race from Kansas City to St. Charles, Mo. It took Kriegh and his partner 76 hours and 32 minutes. The Rumble is a much more relaxed paddling experience.
“This is a social thing,” Kriegh said. “Paddling is a little part of it.”
He estimates the average Rumbler age is about 50.
Rumble first-timers Cheryl and Jack Looman of Winona went on the trip with their son Mike Looman who works for Wenonah Canoe.
“It’s been fabulous,” Cheryl Looman said. “The people make the trip.”
Three power boats serve as escorts for the group, carrying medical supplies and extra water, and helping with the occasional boat tip-over.
Jim Meyer of Davenport, Iowa, has been the cargo master for four years. His job is to drive the paddlers’ gear from city to city. The back of his shirt reads, “Paddle faster. I think I hear banjo music.”
Meyer tries to keep everyone in line with musical wakeup calls each morning, playing “Rawhide,” “China Groove” and “Shake Your Tail Feather.” He also carries around the Great River Rumble 10 commandments, which include “thou shall not pass the lead boat.”
Jane Regan of Waukon, Iowa, has learned a lot in her years on the Rumble.
“Never give up your paddle, and never give up your Super Soaker,” Regan said. “It’s paddling 101.”
The high-powered water guns carried on each watercraft come in handy during the hot trip. River water supplies a constant arsenal. It’s not uncommon to request a soaking.
“I got shot twice yesterday,” Krambeck said. “It felt good.”
The more than 150 paddlers love the river, but ultimately it’s about the company. Many only see each other once a year for the Rumble. Planning for next year’s trip will begin in October. Krambeck plans to be there.
“I’ll keep canoeing until I get old,” he said.
Käri Knutson is a reporter at the Winona Daily News
