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Biking - Wisconsin is blessed with one of the best bike trail systems in the country. Every year the trails are expanded and upgraded connecting smaller trails into the system. If you like to bike with speed for long distances or peddle slowly watching the birds, we have the bike partners for you. Come enjoy them with us.

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Kayaking - Defining paddling with Pat's Terms 

Nice and Easy Paddles are usually perfect for beginners, but since we live in a beautiful, awesome area, they are perfect for everyone! Goose Island, Lake Onalaska, sections of the Mississippi, LaCrosse, Black and Root all fit this description. They also include specialty paddles like the Gardens, Sunrises, Sunsets, Starlight and Birding. These are some of my favorites. Nice and Easy does not translate to boring and mundane! They usually last 1½ - 2 hours. Add the drive time - so my best guess is to budget 3 hours to enjoy these paddles - just for you or invite a friend!

Adventure Paddles require the ability to steer your kayak through “tight” spots. Here you gain the experience and knowledge to read the current. Confidence is gained on these paddles. These include more challenging parts of the Mississippi, LaCrosse, Root, and Kickapoo rivers; they also include paddling in a variety of weather conditions. We might find ourselves hanging out where the men in camouflage hang out. A class or two from Kris will help, especially the Strokes and Wet Exit classes. Please talk to me if you have questions. These paddles are generally 3- 5 hours; drive time included.

Exploring Paddles These paddles are being done for the first time and/or in different weather/water conditions. You must have experience and confidence about your ability and your kayak. We learn and discover on these paddles then we evaluate and place them into the Nice and Easy or Adventure Paddles. For example it took about 5 hours to definitely locate the heron rockery; when we went back a second time, it only took 2-3 hours, thus making it doable for women with less time. The time commitment for these paddles might be 4-7 hours.

Specialty Paddles can be placed under any of these descriptions. Gardens, Cool Water, Birding, Rivers, Fall Colors, Sunrises and Sunsets, Moonlight, Starlight, no light paddles depending on location and weather/water conditions do make a difference.

Your wish list enters here. If you have a location you would like to explore, please let me know and we will get to it in due time. Right now we are whittling away on the 100 miles of the Mississippi River Experience, Trempealeau River, south branch of the Root, some Iowa rivers, Wisconsin River, State Park wish list, and some out-of-the-area paddles as well.

Road Trips - Road trips are being designed that will explore interest spots in our area.  These will be half or full day trips.

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Soft Recreation - Have you ever walked through your door at night and wondered, “Now what?” Do you ever find yourself wanting to go somewhere or do something but everyone you know is busy? Maybe you want to try out a new restaurant or go to a concert or watch a movie. Soft Recreation is a concept that Set Free is going to develop to the max. It can be getting together for a cup of coffee, going to a movie, watching a favorite television show, going to a theater production, going to a Friday fish fry, playing a game of cribbage or mahjong, going on a road trip to anywhere you want to go. It can be anything we make it. It’s the challenge of Set Free to put these connections in place so you too, have a network to find others who are free and interested in what you would like to do. Generally these activities occur Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons, but often they are spontaneous - and spur of the moment things are some of the sweetest. Your membership to Set Free allows access to the latest events planned and the women who plan them.
Christian churches and organizations offer wonderful speakers and concerts that are open to the public. We will offer our members the opportunity to connect with each other for these events. I believe in Jesus Christ, and for over thirty years have lead Bible studies in the LaCrosse area. In fact, many of the ideas for Set Free have grown out of that experience. As we age it seems we are in part who we are because of what we have spent our time on earth doing and learning. Set Free is part of the result of my walk here on planet earth. My faith in Christ Jesus is important to me and connecting women in this area is part of who I am thus part of Set Free.

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Snow Activities - Day, evening, and moonlight adventures are available when there is snow. You'll need cold-weather gear and a head light. So get your gear ready along with a headlight. When the snow flies, out we go to enjoy cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice skating, sledding and skijouring. Contact Pat for more information. There are rental skis and snowshoes available in the area.

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