Boise Brule River Overview

By Nick Pritchard

The Boise Brule River is a north woods gem that flows north for 44 miles until it reaches Lake Superior. The Brule is best known for it's abundant wildlife, trout fishing, great paddling, and it's serenity. Many presidents have also visited the Brule River including President Coolidge who spent the summer of 1928 at his lodge on the river.

The Brule River has something to offer every paddler from flat water to exciting whitewater and a breath-taking paddle out onto Lake Superior. The character of the river also varies from coniferous bog to steep clay banks lined with aspen and balsam fir.

All 44 miles of the Brule River are located in the Brule River State Forest. It has many put ins/take outs making it easy to find a section that is just right for you. There are also numerous outfitters in the area that can help you with all of your equipment/shuttle needs.

Some of the more popular day trips include:

• County S to Highway 2 
• 12 miles
• Mostly flat water with a few rapids mixed in and beautiful scenery
• Highway 2 to Pine Tree Landing
• 8 miles
• Quiet scenic flat water
• Pine Tree Landing to Highway 13
• 7.5 miles
• Offers continuous whitewater including some fun Class II ledges
• Highway 13 to Lake Superior
• 8 miles
• Characterized by easy riffles and ends with a memorable paddle out onto Lake Superior

Camping is available at Copper Range Campground and Boise Brule Campground, both are located on the river.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has put together this video with some great information about visiting the Boise Brule River State Forest.

Flambeau River Overview

By Nick Pritchard

Many folks have visited the Flambeau River and they continue to visit time and time again because it offers such a variety of paddling that there is a trip for every type of paddler. Most of the river is undeveloped making it a great location to get away from the hustle and bustle. From a lazy float down the north fork to the raging whitewater of the south fork everyone is sure to have a great trip. The Flambeau River also offers free camping along the north fork making it a great destination for a weekend getaway.

The north fork of the Flambeau twists and turns from it's headwaters at the Turtle-Flambeau Flowage, but as it moves further south it's character begins to change. The first whitewater on the north fork is Porcupine Rapids, a mild section of Class I. From Porcupine Rapids on, the river is interspersed with mild whitewater which may cause problems for novice paddlers during high water. The north fork also holds the only campsites available on the river. These sites are often well maintained and most of them are designed to be used by several groups.

The south fork of the Flambeau is more well known for it's whitewater but the northern flatwater stretches can be incredibly beautiful to paddle as well, however, there is NO CAMPING available on the south fork. Some guide books indicate that there are sites available on the south fork, however, these are not legitimate sites. The DNR does check the south fork and they will likely write you a citation if they find you camping on the south fork, particularly if you are not following Leave No Trace principles.

The most popular whitewater stretch of the south fork is from County M to Skinner Creek Landing. Some highlights of this trip are Slough Gundy rapids, a fun Class II-III 3 ledge drop; Little Falls, a Class III-IV where an island splits the river and there is a 6' waterfall on river right (river left is often not runnable); and Scratch rapids, a Class II-III set which has some great play potential at higher water. Most groups will portage Little Falls on river left where there is an obvious path leading to just below the falls.

The Flambeau River has something for every paddler and is sure to go on everyone's list of favorites.

Paddle the Flambeau has a great website where you can look at the most up to date water levels, trip logs, maps, and much more. You can also order a free Flambeau River guide on their website.

Paddling Northern Wisconsin by Mike Svob also outlines each section of the Flambeau and includes maps of each section.

Winding Rivers Canoeing will be having an ACA River Canoeing course on the Flambeau River June 10th-12th, 2011. We will be camping on the river and learning a variety of new skills! Check us out for more information.

Leave No Trace

By Nick Pritchard

I hope that everyone has heard of Leave No Trace by now but when I see things like this I have doubts. The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics (the Center) was formed in 1994 with cooperation from numerous public and private organizations with the purpose of promoting environmental responsibility from everyone.

The Center's mission statement is "The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics is an educational, nonprofit organization dedicated to the responsible enjoyment and active stewardship of the outdoors by all people, worldwide."


To help promote environmental responsibility the Center developed the 7 Principles of Leave No Trace:

1. Plan Ahead and Prepare
2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
3. Dispose of Waste Properly
4. Leave What You Find
5. Minimize Campfire Impacts
6. Respect Wildlife
7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors

The 7 principles remain the same for all environments but the means we take to follow these principles may differ. For example, desert environments have different considerations than the Boundary Waters. The Center has developed reference cards for all of the different environments. These cards are very inexpensive and are a great thing to take into the back country with you. For a more in-depth explanation of the principles you can purchase a skills book from the Center's online store or take their free online course.

While you can learn the basics from the materials available from the Center's online store and their website there is no replacement for taking an Awareness Workshop from a certified instructor. These courses range from several hours to a full day or more and can be incorporated into almost any trip or held on their own. They are a great way to draw from the knowledge of someone who is truly passionate and these principles and environmental responsibility.

If we all take a few extra minutes to familiarize ourselves with the 7 LNT Principles and practice them religiously we can have a dramatic effect on our impact of the places that we love. 

As always feel free to ask us if you have any questions!  

Packing For A Trip

By Nick Pritchard

Spring is on its way and that means spring trips are coming up fast! It also means packing for all of those trips which can be a little tricky sometimes, particularly if you are just getting into paddling. Packing is one of the most difficult things about backcountry camping if you don't know what you need and what you don't. The best way to find out what you need and what you don't is by experience but that's not always so easy.

If you want to pack efficiently you need to know how each piece of your gear performs under a variety of conditions. If you don't have much experience with a piece of equipment go on some day trips prior to your big trip. It is best to try your gear out in both the rain/cold and sun/hot. You also need to know what you realistically use and what you can leave behind without putting you or your group in danger (ie. just because you don't use your first aid kit doesn't mean you can leave it behind!). 

I like to start packing several days to a week before I leave for my trip. This allows me to do several things; check over all of my gear, I can think about what I need throughout the week and just keep adding to the pile, and take the time to assess what I really need and what I really don't. If I can't add something to my pile right away (ie. jacket because you need it for the rest of the week) I start making a list of what I still need to get. Once I have a pretty good pile going I start to pack my gear away into the appropriate dry bags/packs. 

When I am packing up my gear I am constantly thinking about when I am going to use this piece of gear and I try to place the gear in a logical order so I don't have to dig to the bottom of my bag to get my breakfast out. I also consider what are "smellables" and keep all of those items together and separate from my other gear. 

If your gear is taking up too much space go through it again and pull out the "wants". If your gear is still not fitting talk with your other group members and see how much stuff they are taking and ask them to help you dial in your gear. Other group members can be very helpful with trimming down your equipment, however, don't let them strip you of things that you need. For example, if you are a chronically cold person make sure you have enough clothing to keep you comfortable without going overboard. Everyone should have approximately the same amount of equipment for the same trip. 

Remember that you the one that has to carry all of that gear to camp or over the portages so be safe in your packing but be realistic too!

Feel free to ask us any questions you may have!