Paddling with Mike Svob
December pittle-paddling Every year at this time, as the waterways freeze over and several paddle-free months loom ahead, I dip into my "miscellaneous paddling stuff" folder and incorporate a few of the interesting but less-than-article-length items into an off-season piece.
So, in hopes that some of my March-through-October paddling brethren are still with me during these wintry months, here's this year's assortment.
Java joints
As any dedicated canoeist or kayaker
knows, good food and paddling are inextricably combined. A day on the river is great, but if it starts out or ends with a pleasant breakfast or dinner in an interesting local eatery, the day is even better.
Over the years, most of us have developed a special affinity for certain eating establishments located on or near our favorite paddling streams (for example, Mona's and Capponi's Italian restaurants in Toluca, Illinois, near the popular Vermilion River).
As an aficionado of
good beer (not the typical American dishwater like Budweiser, but something with real character as produced by a Wisconsin mini-brewery), I've often paddled down a river on a hot day with visions of a delicious meal at the conclusion of the trip, topped off with a lip-smacking, ice-cold brew or two.
In recent years, I've become increasingly discriminating about coffee, too. Back in my college-administrator days, I used to inhale eight to 10 cups a day of low-level Folgers-type stuff.
Mostly this was meant to alleviate tension but probably had the opposite effect.
Now, in my tension-free retirement years, I've learned to savor every sip. When I travel, one of the first places that I seek out are pleasant coffee shops with first-rate coffee (selected, roasted, ground and prepared with care and pride). If such a place has a charming atmosphere, pastries, sandwiches and wireless Internet, so much the better.
During this year's May-June trip throughout Wisconsin to
update my guidebooks and gathering new material for this column, I discovered some fantastic coffee houses that enhanced the pleasure of my trip immeasurably. Knowing that some of you share my passion for outstanding (i.e., nonrestaurant) coffee, I'd like to share a few of my discoveries with you.
SHEBOYGAN RIVER: Sheboygan Falls, which has a delightful downtown that has beautifully preserved the city's past, is named after the series of impressive ledges located in the downtown area.
The community has a wonderful little coffee shop with the odd name TschuB Coffee Emporium.
Whether you paddle the river or not, you owe it to yourself to drive downtown, park at Falls View Park, and gawk at the scenic drops. Then, walk across the street to the coffee house and linger over a cup or two.
TREMPELEAU RIVER: The long stretch of the Trempeleau from Whitehall to Arcadia provides a very pleasant paddling experience. But one of the highlights is the pleasure of having a
great cup of coffee (with a sandwich or a truly sticky cinnamon roll) at Alternative Ground on Main Street in the small town of Whitehall. Bigger inside than most coffee houses, Alternative Ground provides plenty of room to spread out. Owner Bill Beardsley has really perked up his community's downtown with his establishment.
CHIPPEWA RIVER: Right alongside the Chippewa River in the city of Eau Claire, just down the street from the university campus, you have your pick of two excellent
coffee houses: the Dancing Goat and Racy's. Both are located on Water Street, which is comparable to State Street in Madison, with lots of attractive specialty shops.
Both coffee shops offer food, too, especially Racy's (the full name is Racy de' Lenes Coffee Lounge), which is located in the back of a terrific health-food restaurant called The Nucleus.
Sitting at one of the outside tables at Racy's, you can watch the Chippewa flowing by. Alongside the river is a popular
recreational path frequented by bicyclists, walkers and in-line skaters. Comfortable furniture, free wireless, full-bodied coffee and a great river view. What more could one want?
PINE, POPPLE & BRULE RIVERS: One of the biggest (and best) surprises of my recent trip was the relatively recent opening of a lovely little coffee shop, called Steamin' Joe on the main drag in the city of Florence. Florence is the home of the Wild Rivers Interpretive Center, and the jump-off point for
many trips on the Pine, Popple and Brule. In addition to the usual fare of lattes, mochas, cappuccinos and espressos, the place has cinnamon rolls to die for.
CRYSTAL & WAUPACA RIVERS: I've always liked Waupaca and the rivers that run through it. But I'm even more enamored with the town (which is also notable for being home to Silent Sports) now that I've discovered Cronies Café and Espresso Bar on Main Street. Before or after a day on the river, it's a good place for high-quality
coffee, a great breakfast and imaginative sandwiches.
Like all of the other places mentioned here, Cronies is a magnet for local people to talk, eat, read the newspaper and imbibe the aromatic black stuff.
APPLE RIVER: If you read my recent article on the Apple River and are planning to head toward the Star Prairie/Somerset area to paddle (or maybe even tube), Somerset now has a quality coffee shop just outside of town in the Somerset Plaza. Sophia's opened earlier this year.
In addition to all the standard coffee drinks, you can find soup, sandwiches, pizza and ice cream there, plus free wireless.
ROCK RIVER: When I lived in Rockton, Illinois, just across the border from Beloit, Wisconsin, almost every day started with a short drive to Bagels and More in downtown Beloit. One of my all-time favorite coffee shops, it features super-friendly ownership and staff, and an extensive menu of soups, sandwiches, quiches, salads and breakfast items.
I seldom
got past the bakery counter, where my favorite item was a unique, cinnamon-laden concoction called a bagel knot, which went perfectly with a couple of cups of a very strong coffee blend called the Velvet Hammer. I don't miss the Rockford, Illinois, area, but I often long for the coffee and company of Bagels and More.
I had a great time during my May-June tour of the state, and shops like these were a source of my enjoyment.
The changing landscape
Two prominent
waterside landmarks – one familiar to canoeists on the St. Croix, the other to sea kayakers on Lake Superior – have recently disappeared.
One is a legendary structure that I saw for the first time in 1996 when I paddled through the beautiful dells (dalles, if you prefer) of the St. Croix River, between Taylors Falls, Minnesota, and St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin. According to geologists, a rocky formation that came to be known as the Devil's Chair stood on the Minnesota side for millennia.
Towering 80 feet from the riverbank, and soaring toward the rocky walls of the dells, the structure consisted of several massive blocks of rock piled atop one another like a slender tower, with the topmost block off to one side. From the river and from the Interstate Park trails, it looked like a chair, and thus had become incorporated into various legends of the Indians and white settlers.
This year, during my Wisconsin tour, I ran across the following item in The Dalles
Visitor: "For thousands of years, the Devil's Chair stood atop the craggy cliffs – one of the easiest formations to see and recognize along the western flank of the St. Croix River. As an icon, the Devil's Chair has served as an identity for Taylors Falls and the two Interstate Parks. It has been admired as a focal point for tourists and revered as subject matter for artists and photographers for centuries. Now, vandalized and toppled to fall in pieces to the riverbed below, the landscape is
forever altered with its absence."
Based on marks found on the remains of the formation, together with comments by various people who have come forward, the fall of the structure has generally been blamed on vandals using a hydraulic jack. The Chisago County Sheriff's Department is investigating the case, and the reward for information leading to the arrest of the vandals has risen to $6,500.
While I was in the area in May, I ran into a couple of people who scoffed at the
vandalism idea, attributing the formation's fall to natural causes such as wind and ice.
A comparable rock structure also fell this year along the beautiful Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, a popular area for sea kayakers. For many years, Miners Castle has been a prominent sight, with its two rocky turrets towering over the shoreline. In April, however, one of the two turrets collapsed, as a result of the spring cycle of freezing and thawing. Apparently, such rock falls are not
uncommon along the Pictured Rocks Escarpment.
Why we paddle
Most of the paddling I did during my May-June tour of Wisconsin was on streams that I hadn't done before. I was able to revisit some of my old favorites as well. One that especially stands out for me was a quick, unanticipated four-mile run on the Little Wolf from Royalton to the Wolf River Campground at County Trunk X.
I ran across a group of paddlers, one of whom was paddling a 16-foot aluminum Grumman solo.
It was a gorgeous, sunny day, and the water was moving briskly, so I jumped at the invitation to occupy the vacant position in the Grumman. We were on the water for only an hour and a half, but wow! What fun it was to be on that lovely river again. Later, when I viewed some of the photos, I thought to myself, "That's why we paddle!"
Roughing it
One of my regular correspondents, Bob Derrig, sent me the following list of actual comments left by hikers on U.S. Forest Service
suggestion cards after trips in various wilderness locations. (As usual, thanks, Bob.) Here are some of the hikers' less than helpful suggestions:
"Instead of a permit system for hikers, the Forest Service needs to reduce worldwide population growth to limit the number of visitors to wilderness."
"Trails need to be wider so people can walk holding hands."
"Too many bugs and leeches and spider webs. Please spray the wilderness to rid the area of these pests."
"Please pave the trails so they can be plowed of snow in the winter."
"The coyotes made too much noise last night and kept me awake. Please medicate these annoying animals."
"Trails need to be reconstructed. Please avoid building trails that go uphill."
"Chairlifts need to be in some places so that we can get to wonderful views without having to hike to them."
"Need more signs to keep the area pristine."
"A deer came into my camp and stole my bag of pickles.
Is there any way I can get reimbursed? Please call."
"A McDonald's would be nice at the trailhead."
"The places where trails do not exist are not well marked."
"Too many rocks in the mountains."
It would be nice to think that some of these suggestions were written tongue-in-cheek, but I doubt it.
Let me hear from you. Your comments, questions, suggestions and other contributions are always welcome. You can contact me at mikesvob@yahoo.com.
Mike Svob is a native Illinoisan and long-time northwoods devotee. He has canoed and kayaked for more than 30 years in 18 states and several foreign countries but regards Wisconsin as paddling paradise and home. He now spends a majority of the year in Tucson, Arizona. He is the author of Paddling Illinois, Paddling Northern Wisconsin and Paddling Southern Wisconsin, all published by Trails Books.
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