|
 | | |||
Bill Kallner of Langlade, Wisconsin, runs one of the many ledges of the Popple River's Washburn Falls. Photo by Mike Svob. Getting on the wild Popple River and away from it all In June of this year, after I wrote my column on the Pine River, it dawned on me that I had never prepared an article on either of the two nearby streams that are also protected by Wisconsin's Wild Rivers Act of 1965. Located within a few miles of one another in the far northeastern corner of the state, the Pine, Pike and Popple rivers flow through some remote and heavily wooded country. All three eventually join the much-larger Menominee River on the Michigan border. Along the way, they pass through the Nicolet National Forest (where riverside camping is permitted), county forests and some private property. Except for bridges and an occasional cabin, few signs of civilization are seen along the wild shorelines of these rivers. Not surprisingly, accessing put-ins and take-outs in such a remote area often necessitates driving on unpaved roads. Most of the time these are well-maintained (scraped, graveled, etc.) and easily negotiated in any automobile, but there are a few roads that can prove interesting after the spring thaw. In the following description of the Popple, for example, the majority of the accesses are reached by graveled or dirt-and-sand forest roads. Only one has given me any problem over the years. First off, I want to make it clear that the Popple is not a river for beginners. There are three main sections that I consider paddleable, and all three include significant rapids (i.e., Class II or higher). Much of the time, you find yourself way out in the middle of nowhere, so novices who get in trouble are a long distance from help. The entire river is mapped on Pages 90-91 of the DeLorme Wisconsin Atlas and Gazetteer. Get out your magnifying glass, folks. A placid beginning The Popple originates in Forest County, just to the east of State Highway 55, then winds east-northeast, mostly through marshland, and crosses State Highway 139 about four miles north of the tiny community of Newald. Not being an aficionado of marshes and alder jungles, I've never attempted this headwaters stretch. From the USGS topographical maps, I gather that the last six miles (from Forest Road 2167 to State 139), are less marshy than the upstream portion. The next part of the river I paddled once 11 years ago and found it to be a generally enjoyable experience. Approx-imately eight river miles long, it would be appropriate for novices if it weren't for the presence of a long, Class II boulder garden called McDonald's Rapids about six miles into the trip. A good trout stream periodically stocked with browns and rainbows by the DNR, this section begins at the State 139 bridge and runs southeast to the take-out at Forest Road 2398. In the first few miles, the river meanders a great deal in a lowland area, eventually straightening out somewhat when it swings eastward. Most of the first five miles are on private land, but you won't see much difference between private and public property here: it's all wild. Once you get onto this stretch, you're committed. There are no accesses until Forest Road 2398. McDonald's Rapids should pose no difficulty for most intermediate paddlers at normal spring flow levels, but paddlers should at least scout it from either bank. The pace quickens By contrast, most of the next 11-mile section is through public land. Moreover, an intermediate access allows you to break it into two shorter stretches if you like. You'll continue to paddle through some lowlands, but they're minimal compared with the upstream parts of the river. Perhaps the most notable difference between this section and the previous one, however, is the increase of whitewater, featuring several very pleasant Class I-II boulder gardens. Soon after the put-in at the Forest Road 2398 bridge, you're greeted with a long series of narrow, winding, rocky pitches that get the trip off to an exciting Class I-II start. Lovely pine bluffs follow, before the river enters a twisting lowland area. South of Morgan Lake, at the mouth of a creek, there is another boulder garden to negotiate (shorter this time) called Burnt Dam Rapids. Then, half a mile later, a longer, more difficult rapid leads to the first Forest Road 2159 bridge (six miles downstream from Forest Road 2398). You can take out here, if you wish, or continue paddling for five more miles until you get to the second Forest Road 2159 bridge. There are almost no lowland areas between the two Forest Road 21259 bridges, and the river volume is increased considerably by the inflow of the South Branch. Except for one rapid, this part of the river is mostly tranquil. The rapid – a long, steep boulder garden alongside an island at the mouth of Rock Creek – marks the beginning of the Wisconsin Wild River portion of the Popple. Under normal water-level conditions, you can easily paddle this entire section from Forest Road 2398 to the second Forest Road 2159 bridge in four hours. I've done it in a little more than three hours several times. Skilled paddlers only Only experienced and capable whitewater paddlers should venture onto the remaining 12 miles of the Popple, especially when the water is high. In addition to several long sets of Class II rapids, there are four big drops that require prudence and skill. For avid whitewater paddlers, this is one of the best stretches in the state, but it can be quite dangerous. Like the previous section, it can be broken into two smaller stretches of five and six miles by using the State Highway 101 bridge as an intermediate access. Soon after the put-in at the second Forest Road 2159 bridge, shoreline cabins signal the first big drop, Little Bull Falls (Class II+). This 4-foot riverwide ledge drops into an impressive hole and dumps many a paddler overboard. Long and winding boulder gardens follow. After a stretch of quietwater, a mile of continuous Class II rapids take you to Class III Big Bull Falls, where the water splits around a small cedar island and drops 7 feet on both sides. Everyone, whether "advanced" or not, should scout this difficult rapid from the left shoreline trail. More Class II rapids follow in the approach to the State 101 bridge, where there's a nice wayside and landing. Six river-miles later, the Popple flows into the Pine. This final stretch is one of the best parts of the river, in my opinion. It begins with numerous Class II boulder gardens, then settles into a mile or so of flatwater before plummeting through the dramatic series of Class III ledges that constitute Washburn Falls. In the next couple of miles the river flows through a beautiful cedar lowland before dropping through the big wave trains of Jennings Falls. Both of these last two drops should be scouted on the right shoreline. After Jennings Falls, it's scarcely a mile to the Pine River. The ideal take-out for this final stretch is on river-right immediately after the confluence with the Pine. This access is reached from the south at the end of White Birch Road. Unfortunately, this road has often been rutted and mushy in the spring. I've been told that it has been much better recently, but you'll want to check it out in advance if you're planning a trip on this part of the river. I've paddled this part of the river twice during the last decade, and found the road impassable both times. On each occasion, my paddling companions and I took out on the Pine River by turning left at the mouth of the Popple and paddling 1.5 miles upstream to the State 101 bridge. That's not exactly the way you want to end a trip, but with our two-bladed kayak paddles we made steady progress against the Pine River current with no problems. By the way, do not paddle downstream on the Pine unless you're willing to portage the unrunnable La Salle Falls gorge and traverse the Pine River Flowage. For more information For the final 30 miles of the Popple, there are maps and additional descriptive detail in my guidebook Paddling Northern Wisconsin. Another excellent source of information is the unique, multi-agency Wild Rivers Interpretive Center in nearby Florence. Call 715/528-5377 or 888/889-0049. The center can provide current water level information and has an excellent selection of maps and a booklet that explains how to hike to the sites of the big drops on the Popple and Pine. Also see www.americanwhitewater.org/rivers/id/2312 and www.paddleguides.com/rivers/midwest. In the November issue of Silent Sports, I'll take a look at the other member of the Wisconsin Wild Rivers triad, the gorgeous Pike. 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.
| ||||
Back to the top Waupaca Publishing: 717 Tenth Street * P.O. Box 152 * Waupaca, WI 54981 © 1999-2008 Site last updated 10/01/08 Designed by PBW | ||||
|
