Where to go for the best area
Spring Paddling
Spring's Big Melt provides for some seasonal delights
By M.J. Kewley There's a whole new world in our backyard, every spring. As skiers lament the ice break-up, paddlers are gearing up for their annual spring ritual. Outfitted with the proper clothing and safety equipment,
you'll spot them at bridge crossings of rivers that rarely see canoeists or kayakers in the summer.
 "You get to run rivers you never would be on in the summer," said White Lake, Wis., paddler Scott Berry. "And after all winter without paddling, you've really got the urge to go."
In most cases, spring rivers are smaller rivers that don't hold water well.
"They have enough gradient to cause high water run-off," said paddling guidebook author Mike Svob, who lives on the Wolf River near White Lake.
Some of these rivers only have enough water for one week, and change from benign streams to raging whitewater, to be paddled only by those with expert skills and no dependents. But there are many rivers paddlers refer to as "spring gems." These are rivers so beautiful that one feels the honor and privilege of just being underway on them.
Spring paddling, by nature, offers challenges.
"Any spring paddling necessitates experience," said Svob. "It's not the time for beginners. Too many things can happen."
"Use common sense. Safety, safety, safety," said kayak instructor Mark Altmann of Wausau, who teaches at the Bear Paw Outdoor Adventure Resort in White Lake. Altmann fashioned his first kayak out of a canvas-skin wood kit when he was only 17. He launched it during spring flood on the Black River near his
home – a feat so odd at the time it landed him on the front page of the local newspaper.
Svob, whose books include Paddling Northern Wisconsin, Paddling Illinois, and (released this year) Paddling Southern Wisconsin (all Wisconsin Trails Press), said cold air and water temperatures must be considered. Other risks include ice jams that may require long hauls through the woods, or ice shelves that can trap swimmers or make it impossible to take out.
"All your margin of error is taken away from you," Svob said. He recommends the following precautions:
• Carry a set of dry clothes in a dry bag, as well as water and food.
• Bring safety equipment, including first aid kit and throw ropes.
• Paddle in a larger group, and scout ahead, planning your descent.
• At minimum wear a wetsuit, but preferably a dry suit.
• Be conservative in your decisions, and carry any rapids that you are not willing to swim.
Risks can be minimized by traveling with experienced paddlers. Many outfitters offer guided spring trips, specifically targeted at assisting first-time spring paddlers. And paddling clubs – such as the statewide Sierra Club River Touring Section, the Badger State Boating Society of Milwaukee, Northern Paddle and Trail Society in Rhinelander and Green Bay Paddlers United – offer guided river trips for those who have their own equipment and prior experience.
Chris White of Arctic Divide Expeditions in Skanee, upper Michigan, leads guided, overnight wilderness trips each spring in the Upper Peninsula, in both inflatable canoes and hard boats. White recommends avoiding any river in flood stage, no matter what your ability level.
"Once the water goes over its banks, anything you've read in a guidebook doesn't mean a thing."
Dewey Ewers, of Bear Paw Outdoor Adventure Resort, leads a weekend of spring river trips in early May,
as well as high-water inflatable kayak trips in April. Ewers, a kayak and canoe instructor, grew up paddling Wisconsin rivers. He said boaters must be willing to portage.
"If it's early on in the trip, and you run the risk of being wet all day, you may choose to carry," he said. "The rapids will still be there."
Berry, an instructor at Wolf River Guides in White Lake, is an upper Michigan native who has paddled
many off-the-beaten-path stretches of river. He said Wolf River Guides plans to incorporate some spring trips into their schedule.
Here is a list of these paddlers' spring gems:
FIRST-TIME CHOICES
Galena River, Wis. Located in the southwest corner of Wisconsin, Svob said this little-known river flows amid rolling hills and cliffs. Beginning the trip at County Highway W southwest of Darlington, paddlers will
find the river filled with non-stop riffles and Class I rapids. A take-out constructed by the Darlington Boat Club is several miles downstream.
Upper Namekagon, Wis. Unlike the more popular southern sections of the Namekagon paddled throughout the summer, the Upper Namekagon – upstream from Hayward – is a great choice for spring. "I think it's the prettiest part of the Namekagon," Svob said. Paddlers will find a narrower river with more
gradient, with moving water to Class I rapids.
St. Croix River, Wis. After Gordon Dam, just below the St. Croix Flowage, west of Gordon in Douglas County, paddlers will find a nine-mile stretch that is much narrower than the lower sections commonly paddled throughout the summer. Svob said the river is replete with riffles and Class I whitewater. "It's a mild, remote whitewater run," he said. A highlight includes an old logging dam, now partially removed,
which can be safely run by paddlers with basic maneuvering skills.
White River, Wis. The White is a windy joy of a river located in Bayfield County, east of Mason. "Because of its constant gradient, it gets quite dry later on in the year," Svob said. Minus a three-mile flat water section, the 13-mile run is a continuous flow of moving water, riffles and Class I-II rapids. "And there's not a single house the whole way," Svob added.
INTERMEDIATE CHOICES
Embarrass River, Wis. From Tigerton to County Highway M, Berry said this short two- to three-mile run includes the Tigerton Dells, which can reach Class III in higher water levels. "But it's easily scouted and walked," he said. The highlight of the paddle is the dells, set in a beautiful little gorge.
Hall's, Creek, Wis. One of Altmann's spring favorites is this four- to 5-mile creek run, which begins off
Garage Road, south of Hatfield. "It's a Class II, pool-drop style river in all but very high water," he said. "And it's located in a Sandstone Canyon, which eventually flows into the Black River. You'd think you were down south." Altmann has found that when the Black River is runable, Hall's Creek experiences similar water levels.
South Fork of the Flambeau, Wis. West of Phillips, paddlers commonly run an eight-mile stretch to Little
Falls. Be aware that Little Falls is a Class III drop, and should be scouted (and carried) by using the portage trail on the left side of the river.
Little Wolf, Wis. From Wolf River Road to Big Falls, northeast of Iola, paddlers can enjoy Class I-II whitewater in a rock-garden style river. "The rapids keep building, so you warm up as you go," Svob said, until you reach some Class II water in the dells section near the end of the trip.
Morrison Creek, Wis.
Ewers said this creek, running from east to west into the Black River near Hatfield, drains a number of cranberry bogs and swamps. From south Cemetery Road to County Highway K, Ewers called this two-mile run a Class II-plus. "It's very scenic, filled with white pine, along a creeky, twisty river."
Oconto River, Wis. From the Highway 32 bridge to County Highway W or further south to Bagley
Rapids near Mountain, Berry recommends this fast-moving Class I and II stretch of river. About one and one-half miles into the trip, scouting is recommended at the Old Krammer Dam site rapid, a solid Class II run that can become quite pushy at higher levels.
East Branch of the Ontonagon, Upper Peninsula, Mich. White recommends this river for those interested in a continuous Class II-III run in the complete wilderness setting of the Ottawa National Forest.
The seven-mile stretch, which ends near Military Bridge, is filled with drops and large waves.
Upper Peshtigo, Wis. Raft companies operate on many of the more southern sections of the Peshtigo throughout the summer. But further north, from Burnt Bridge Landing to Burton Wells Bridge (northeast of Laona) flows a beautiful Class II section. Four rapids are scattered amid flat water along this six-mile
stretch. The Upper Peshtigo, Ewers said, "has a remote feeling, with lots of wildlife." He cautions boaters to scout the entrance to the dells section, which also is referred to as Ralton's Rips. An island divides the river there, and Ewers said the rapid can be run safely on the right. The left side is a boulder sieve.
Pine River, Wis. Located south of Merrill, the Pine is a wonderful whitewater surprise, set amid rolling
farmland north of Wausau. From Center Road to County Highway W, Berry describes a wild Class II-III river run, complete with a small dells, a few drops and plenty of waves.
Popple, Wis. "The first section is a narrow, windy, tiny river with numerous small rapids, and very remote," Svob said. "The second section is beautiful, but has tough, big drops – four Class IIIs." White recommends
using the U.S. Geological Survey gauge on the Internet. "A little over 100 cfs on the Popple is a good level," he said.
Prairie, Wis. Located in northeast of Merrill, in Lincoln County, the Prairie Dells section is a river success story. Locals won the long-abandoned Prairie Dells Dam's removal, which converted the flowage back to what Svob calls "a lovely little gorge." The Dells section is a mile of continuous Class II rapids.
Yellow River, Wis.
South of Marshfield, between County Highway N and Richland Park, Altmann recommends this beautiful Class II run at most spring levels. He offers one warning: "There's one large drop, called Big Bowl, that's a Class III." Altmann suggests boaters look at the gauge on the N bridge center pillar before starting. "Anything above zero on the gauge is runable Class II (except for Big Bowl); over 2 on the gauge means Class III water."
ADVANCED CHOICE
Montreal River, border of Wisconsin and upper Michigan. Located northwest of Hurley, the trip starts with a breathtaking view of the 78-foot Saxon Falls just above the put-in. The biggest challenge is also there – a steep 146-step ladder leads down the river. Some paddlers shoulder their boats and hang on to the rail as they descend, others use ropes to lower their boats down the ravine. Once underway, you'll enter
a beautiful, remote canyon with Class II-III rapids, necessitating skilled boat maneuvering. Because the canyon is impossible to portage, only experienced paddlers should attempt this trip.
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