Don't forget your sunglasses. The late October sun on the Rum River of central Minnesota
makes the glare intense and navigation difficult. Photo by Brett LarsonA long day's journey on the Rum River
Just doing it almost did the author in
by Brett Larson
It's crazy to live your life according to slogans used to sell tennis shoes. But if we never did anything stupid, we wouldn't have many stories.I'd been thinking for years – 10, to be precise – about paddling all 150 miles of the Rum River, from its source at Mille Lacs Lake in central Minnesota to its outlet in the Mississippi River. But after a decade of living on its banks, all I'd chalked up were a couple yearly trips
near my home south of Milaca and one paddle upstream from Onamia to Mille Lacs. Work, kids and other distractions had kept my goal far out of reach. It occurred to me one October day that I could double my miles paddled in one day simply by putting my beat-up sea kayak in at the Onamia dam and paddling down to the north end of Milaca. At the end of one day, I would have increased my total miles paddled from 27 to 55, and I'd be more than a third of the way
to my goal.
A record rainfall a few weeks earlier, followed by a dry stretch, had brought the river to a near perfect paddling level so I could avoid the dangers of high water and the low water hang-ups usually common in the fall.
The distance, 28 miles, seemed a bit extreme, but certainly doable. Couldn't I paddle 5 miles per hour for five or six hours and be home in time to meet my kids when they got off the school bus? It seemed possible.
Then again I'd had my kayak in the water exactly once in the past year, and twice in the last two years. So I wasn't in the best paddling shape. But I told myself that two trips to the Boundary Waters in August would keep my arms from turning to jelly. Not-so-famous last words, you say? Congratulations on your grasp of the outdoor adventure genre.
A friend dropped me off at the Onamia dam on October 28, and at 9:30 a.m. on that Indian summer day, I
was on the water, hoping to make my destination by 3:30 p.m.
Within a half-hour, my shoulders and elbows were already a little stiff, and I had taken a wave over the bow. Never having seen or heard of Class II rapids on the Rum, I didn't bring my spray skirt, but passing under a wooden bridge while still in the town of Onamia, I hit a chute with a 2-foot haystack. I steered to the side of it but still caught a lapful of water. Fortunately, I was wearing waterproof pants and
polypropylene long johns.
The paddle through town was uneventful and not terribly inspiring, with the constant drone of 169, the four-lane highway that roughly follows the course of the river through Mille Lacs County. The river passes under the highway three times in the first six miles before crossing to the east and getting some distance from the noise.
That stretch, from Mille Lacs County 7 to Mille Lacs County 20, is one of my favorites. Compared with the
developed banks around the town of Onamia, where the river winds through relatively deep channels lined by cattails, this stretch is wild and wooded, with low-lying forests of silver maples and willows. There are two narrow places where the river cut through bedrock and the rapids approached Class II, but for the most part it offers the usual gentle currents and riffles that make the Rum the perfect river for beginning paddlers who are learning to read a river and steer around rocks.
The other mistake I made was not wearing sunglasses. The late October sun never gets very high over the southern horizon, and the river goes mostly south. As a result, I was staring into the sun all day, and the glare off the waves made navigation impossible at times, resulting in a few unavoidable collisions with rocks.
The upper Rum, from Onamia almost to Princeton, is a freestone stream with scattered boulders. Once the
river hits the Anoka sand plain just north of Princeton, you're less likely to run aground but also less entertained by small rapids and riffles. The bottom turns from rocks to sand, and oxbows make canoe trips deceptively long. By way of example, the upper Rum, from Milaca to Onamia, is 22 miles by car and 30 by river. From Princeton to Cambridge, on the other hand, the trip is 17 miles by car and 44 by river.
After a brief lunch break, I pulled off at the landing at the rest area to check the map and the time. I didn't bring my river map but checked the state highway map on the wall. It looked like I'd come about halfway, 14 miles, in just over three hours. I was making good time, but my elbows, forearms and back were tired. I pressed on, figuring I could pull off at one of the bridges and hitch a ride to town if things got too painful.
The next section, from the rest area to County Road 11, was another favorite. The river is wider and shallower here, running through wooded banks, with an occasional house or cabin.
The Rum is a state designated Wild and Scenic River which means setbacks from the river are greater and development more restricted. However, many homes and cabins were built on the riverbank before the
mid-1970s when the law was adopted. Others were built in violation of the law because, until recently, Mille Lacs County had no building inspector. The law still allows people to build a mere 75 feet from the river in places. As a result, the Rum becomes less wild and scenic every year.
Compared with the upper stretches, the section downstream from the rest area can be tough to navigate
during periods of low water. I didn't hit a single rock before lunch, but I lost track of all the boulders I bumped and gravel bars I scraped during the afternoon. Part of that may have been due to exhaustion – I was a bit off my game by then – but most of it was simply because some riffles are too shallow for a smooth passage.
It's easy to forget that you're less than 100 miles from a major metropolitan area (the Twin Cities), and only
a couple miles from a four-lane highway. I watched an otter cross the river, scared up a couple bald eagles and herons, and watched kingfishers, red-tailed hawks, Canada geese and wood ducks flying across the channel.
A day on the Rum will almost always result in wildlife encounters like these. On other trips, I've seen beavers, white-tailed deer, raccoons, skunks and three species of turtles. It wouldn't surprise me to see a
bear since there's plenty of habitat in the vicinity, and wolves live in the Mille Lacs Wildlife Management Area and the Rum River State Forest, which are only a few miles away.
If you bring a fishing rod, you're almost guaranteed to catch fish on the upper Rum – mostly smallmouth bass, with an occasional northern, walleye or sucker. Bass ranging from 10 to 15 inches are plentiful. I've
caught two 19-inch smallies downstream from Milaca and talked to others who have caught 20-inchers. A Rapala or Mepps spinner or a fly rod equipped with poppers or streamers can bring a dozen or more fish to hand in a couple of hours.
The beauty and serenity weren't quite enough to keep my mind off the pain in my elbows and back, however. And as I grew more tired, the glare and the stiff southern breeze wore on my nerves. Making it
worse was a map-reading error that made me underestimate how many miles I had left. When I hit County 16, the second bridge after the rest area, I was thinking it was County 11, which would be just a few miles above my exit point. When I came to the real County 11, with my arms burning and my spine crying for me to stop, I was utterly spent. Still, I wasn't out of time, so rather than trying to find a ride to my car, I paddled on.
After what seemed like two hours of labored strokes, self-loathing, pleas to every god I could think of, and delirious mutterings about who knows what, I made it to County 9, where I dragged my boat up the bank and heaved it onto my car.
The clock inside read 4:17 p.m. I'd paddled 28 miles in less than seven hours – slower than I'd anticipated but not too bad, considering the result: I'd put one fifth of the total length of the Rum River behind me. Four
more days like that one, and I'd accomplish my goal of paddling the length of the river.
Four more days like that one? Not gonna happen. I'd learned my lesson. Unless I'm in better paddling shape (which isn't likely, considering the aforementioned work and family duties), I'll stick to 10- to 15-mile trips, thank you very much. Even at that pace, my goal seems much more reachable than it did a week ago. Maybe just doing it isn't such a bad idea after all.
Brett Larson teaches, writes and plays original country music from his home by the Rum River near Milaca, Minnesota. He lives with his wife, two kids, seven pets and 11 human neighbors. He is an avid kayaker, canoeist and camper, and he runs half marathons very slowly. Every summer, he takes college students to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area as part of Anoka-Ramsey Community College's Wilderness Challenge Program. Information on that program, in addition to Brett's blog, can be found at www.brettlarson.us.
Upper Rum River Canoe Trips Mille Lacs County 7
to State Highway 169 rest area
9 miles. Easy, with a couple fun chutes and a few easy riffles. 2-4 hours, depending on craft, river level and effort.
Here the Rum River wanders east of the highway through low-lying forests of silver maple and willow, giving the paddler a sense of the wilderness. The trip can be shortened by taking out at County 8 or County 20, or lengthened by taking out at County 19, 16, 11 or beyond.
State Highway 169 rest area
to Mille Lacs County 11
10 miles. Easy, but low water levels can require pulling canoe or kayak over shallow gravel bars. 2.5- 4 hours.
This section is wide and boulder strewn, passing through wooded areas and along small hills and steep banks. Distance from the highway again puts the paddler in a wild scene, with good fishing and encounters with wildlife common. The trip can be shortened by taking out at Mille Lacs County 16. The portage to the access at the rest area can be avoided by putting in at Mille Lacs County 19.
Mille Lacs County 11
to Milaca Recreation Park
6 miles. Easy, but be sure to avoid the low-head dam just past the walking bridge and before the railroad bridge at Rec Park. 1.5- 2 hours.
The paddle from County 11 to County 9 features a mixture of woodlands and pasture. As the river nears Milaca, more development is evident. But the stretch from County 9 through the Milaca Golf Club brings paddlers under a leafy canopy.
Milaca Recreation Park to Mille Lacs County 4 (Bogus Brook Town Hall)
8 miles. Easy, with numerous riffles and boulders to avoid. 2-3 hours.
Development around the city of Milaca gives way to a more pastoral setting, with a mixture of row crops, hayfields and low-lying woods lining the banks.
Mille Lacs County 4
to Mille Lacs County 13
9 miles. Easy, with some riffles and boulders. 2.5-3.5 hours.
This is one of the most scenic stretches of the Rum with overhanging maples and islands splitting the river
into smaller channels. Between County 12 and 13 the river makes the transition from the shallow and rocky bottom to the windy, deep, sandy stream that continues on to Princeton, Cambridge and Anoka, where it joins the Mississippi River.
Rum River liveries & amenities
Shuttles
There are no shuttle services and few rental opportunities on the upper Rum. As a result, the river is rarely
crowded and the fishing is excellent. With no shuttle service, most people bring two cars, dropping one at the exit point, or arrange to be picked up by someone they know. (If you're not from the area but would like to experience canoeing or kayaking on the Rum, call or e-mail the author at 320/983-3614 or e-mail brlarson@frontiernet.net for a ride back to your car.)
Canoe rentals, guides
Canoe rentals are available at Mille Lacs Kathio State Park (15066 Kathio Park Road, Onamia, MN 56359; 320/532-3523), but canoes can only be used in the park – the stretch from Mille Lacs Lake through Ogechie Lake to Shakopee Lake.
Guided sightseeing and fishing trips (but not rentals) are available from Lundeen's Tackle Castle at the junction of Highways 169 and 27 north of Onamia, 320/532-3416.
Canoes may be rented at Princeton Rental (763/389-2126) and Milaca General Rental (320/983-6668).
On the lower Rum, canoes, inner tubes and shuttle service are available through Country Camping, 750 273rd Ave. NW, Isanti, MN 55040; 763/444-9626. Camping is also available.
Campsites
There are three canoe campsites (first-come, first-served) on the Rum River between Onamia and Princeton. They are not easy to spot, so watch the map and keep a close lookout.
Parking
Parking is available at all bridges crossing the Rum River in Mille Lacs County, but the approaches can be difficult. There are canoe landings at the Onamia dam, the Highway 169 rest area (canoes must be carried about 50 yards down a hill), Milaca Rec Park, the wayside rest on Central Avenue South in Milaca, and the Bogus Brook Township Hall.
Lodging, eateries
Lodging, restaurants, groceries and fishing tackle are available in Onamia, Milaca and Princeton.
Maps, water levels
Detailed Rum river maps are available from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources at www.dnr.state.mn.us/canoeing/rumriver/index.html
River level information is available at www.dnr.state.mn.us/river_levels/levels.html?id=rum.
On the day described in the main story, the river level was at 0.88 (medium) from Lake Onamia to Milaca.
Inexperienced canoeists should not attempt to canoe the river during high water or after heavy rains. Water levels can change drastically, trees can block the river during any season, and ice jams and floes can be dangerous in winter and spring.
– Brett Larson |
