Circa 1963 WISCONSIN WATER TRAILS Publication 104-63 Maps Canoe portage kayak

Description

Circa 1963 WISCONSIN WATER TRAILS Publication 104-63 Maps Canoe portage kayak.
Excellent condition or better.
57 pages.
WISCONSIN
WATER TRAILS
Flambeau and Brule, Chippewa and Manitowish, Peshtigo and Nameka-
gon. The very sound of the names, French and Indian, evokes images of
bright water on dark rocks, white foam in the eddies, blue woodsmoke
against the green of pine, and keelmarks in the sand at a hundred portages.
These are the Water Trails of Wisconsin, the trails of the Indian in his
birchbark, the missionary and explorer probing unknown wilderness, and the
trapper seeking beaver and otter. They were the highways of history before
there were roads, the channels of commerce and exploration, the only way in
and the only way out of the great Northwest.
The rivers haven't changed greatly, although there are cottages and resorts
and cities here and there on the banks, and dams or bridges spaced along
their length. But the missionary and the trader are gone, the trapper and the
Indian occasional at most, and the only explorers are modern canoeists on
voyages of personal discovery.
The water is still bright on the rocks, the foam still spins and bobs in the
eddies, the woodsmoke is as blue as ever against the pines, and keelmarks
still appear in the sand. Those who see and experience these things know in
their minds that others have been there before them. In their hearts, though,
they are the first.
That is the adventure to be found on Wisconsin's Water Trails.
Planning a Trip
The secret of a successful canoe trip anywhere is planning. Plan where you
want to go, how far, and when. Plan what to take and what not to take, which
is almost as important. Plan what you want to do along the way.
This is not to take away the fun and adventure of the unexpected. Instead,
if you plan properly, you will have time to take the unplanned side trip, to
stay over an unplanned day at a chosen campsite, to fish a little longer where
the smallmouth are biting.
Planning will get you over the humps, or most of them, and make your
trip more enjoyable, memorable, and successful. It will help you to avoid
accidents, needless risks and discomforts.
A good first step is to study this book and whatever other sources you can
find, to select a Water Trail appropriate to your abilities, interests, energies,
and time. It would be foolish for an inexperienced Scout group to try a trip
on the upper Flambeau, just as it would be disappointing to a white-water
fan to paddle down the Pecatonica. Canoeing is a safe sport, dangerous only
when people take foolish chances. Planning prevents this.
While planning, a vital point on many streams is water level. Dry stream
beds make poor Water Trails, and several of the rivers described in this book
1
10,000-23; R-5,000-23; R-10,000-12
----------- 2 -----------
get pretty dry at times. When water level is especially important, it is men
attendants, resort operators, or other knowledgeable people, before you start.
tioned in the text. Check with local Conservation Department personnel, dam
A river is no place to learn canoeing. Do this on still water. There are good
handbooks and manuals, and some boys' camps, YMCA's, and local Red Cross
chapters offer lessons. Practice with your own canoe, if possible, and get your
paddling muscles in shape. Some of them aren't used for anything else!
Equipment
Equipment is a book subject in itself. The canoe should be sturdy, not too
anticipated, not
short to be safe or too long to be handled, and if portages are
too heavy. Compromise may be necessary. Take three paddles per canoe.
They're easy to lose. A 12-foot pole with a small shoe is handy in shallow
water. A painter or tie-rope at each end is helpful, and a longer line can be
used to ease a canoe through some rapids as an alternative to portaging.
Wisconsin law requires an approved life preserver for each passenger.
These should always be worn in dangerous deep water, as in crossing a rough
lake, and by small children and weak swimmers at all times. Waterproof
match containers, insect gear and dope, a good map, and a compass-this has
been said and written a thousand times yet some people forget. Good maps,
the best for most rivers, are the "Topographic Sheets" sold by private suppliers
and by the Wisconsin Geological Survey, Science Hall, Madison 6, Wisconsin.
A free index sheet will tell you what's available and which sheets to order.
Gear for repairing your canoe can be the difference between walking out and
paddling on. Get whatever the manufacturer of your canoe recommends.
All equipment and food that can be damaged by water should be enclosed
in something waterproof, to keep off rain, leak water, and the river in a tip-
over. Everything should be lashed to the canoe.
Food is another big topic, and one that is treated at length in scores of books
and articles. One reminder-keep it light if you plan to carry it. On some
trips it is possible to replenish supplies along the way, and once in awhile you
can get eggs or milk from a farm family. Fresh fish of your own catching can
be a big help, but it's risky to count too heavily on the catching! Some water
should be carried, for springs are hard to find and just as hard to rely on for
purity. River water is better reserved for washing.
For safety's sake, here are a few pointers:
★ If the canoe tips, hang on. Any good canoe will float; you may not. It's
always farther to shore than it looks.
★ In swift current, maintain control by not drifting. Paddle faster than the
current, or back paddle. This way, the current can be used to help you
turn.
2
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MANITOWISH
WATERS
REST LAKE
STONE LARE
LEGEND
ASPIDER LAKE
+43
CLEAR LAKE
DAM..
RAPIDS.
LANDING.
CAMPSITE ....A
PORTAGE RIGHT.. PR
51
ISLAND LAKE
BOULDER
SCALE IN MILES
TOWER
d
BOULDER LAKE
BOULDER JUNCTION
N
Manitowish River Water Trail
Trip No. 1
FISHERMAN'S
LANDING
HIGH LAKE A A
B
SH TRAP LAKE
NIXON LAKE
High Lake to Rest Lake-The Manitowish River trip is one of Wisconsin's
star routes, a combination of lake and river travel, good fishing, and marked
campsites on state land.
A good starting point is the north end of High Lake, where it touches State
Forest Road B. There are a number of other good put-ins where roads cross
the route or pass near well-used landings. Boulder Junction is the logical head-
quarters for this area, but there are many resorts and other facilities where
supplies may be obtained.
There are only two portages on this trip. The first is at an old logging dam
about two miles east of the State Forest Road M bridge. The second, a rapids
and old dam, is just above the Highway K bridge west of Boulder Junction.
These rapids are too shallow and rocky for successful running. It is easiest
to carry west on K a few hundred feet and then cut south again to the river
at a point just below the old dam.
The distance by water from High Lake to the dam at the outlet of Rest
Lake, where Highway 51 crosses the river, is about 30 miles. Probably most
of the mileage is on lake rather than river. The trip can be squeezed into two
days, or stretched into a week.
Campsites along the route are on state land. Some have tables and fire-
places. Resorts and cottages are numerous on the lakes and along the roads.
This is not fast water, and there are no rapids to be run. Good fishing may
be had, including muskies, and there should be many chances to glimpse wild-
life. From Rest Lake, it is possible to continue down the lower Manitowish
to the Turtle-Flambeau Flowage and the Flambeau River.
5
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1 Manitowish
2 Manitowish
3 Turtle
4 Flambeau
5 Flambeau
6 Flambeau
7 South Fork Flambeau
8 Big Elk
9 Bear
10 Trout
11 Flambeau Horsehead
12 Three Lakes Eagle River
13 Wisconsin
14 Wisconsin
15 Wisconsin
16 Wisconsin
17 Wisconsin
18 Tomahawk
19 Lemonweir
20 Pecatonica
21 Baraboo
22 West Fork Chippewa
23 East Fork Chippewa
24 Chippewa
25 Chippewa
26 St. Croix
27 St. Croix
28 Namekagon
29 Namekagon
30 Totogatic
31 Yellow
32 Clam
4
33 Bois Brule
34 Brule
35 Menominee
36 Bad Marengo
37 Wolf
38 Wolf
39 Fox
40 Fox (Little)
41 Waupaca Chain of Lakes
42 Waupaca
43 Pelican
44 Peshtigo
45 Rock
46 Yahara
47 Kickapoo
48 Black
to
at
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Peshtigo River Water Trail
Trip No. 44
Highway C to Green Bay-For the ca-
noeist who desires a stream with ever-
changing northwoods scenery, long
stretches of tall pines and hardwoods, good
fishing and many a breathtaking dash
through white waters, this river trip has
definite appeal. The country traversed is
very picturesque and quite wild, and the
trip includes a few dams, flowages, and
steaming rapids.
Although some trips start at Cavour, the
usual put-in place is County Trunk High-
way C or the upper end of Caldron Falls
Reservoir. Water levels along the Peshtigo
fluctuate considerably, and it is a good idea
to check conditions before a trip. There are
a number of portages indicated on the map,
and except for experts, a portage is also
advisable around the rough water about
three miles below Johnson Falls. Use the
right bank.
The Upper Peshtigo is considered one of
the toughest and most adventurous of all
white-water river trips. The lower portion
is more peaceful. The trip can be extended
downstream through Peshtigo all the way
to the waters of Green Bay.
Restrictions by the Wisconsin Public
Service Corporation on the use of the Cald-
ron and High Falls Flowages include no
fires or overnight camping except at Twin
Bridge County Park on High Falls. There
are numerous well-kept landings on these
flowages.
----------- 6 -----------
ter Trail
Trip No. 24
Chippewa Lake to Cornell
-The Chippewa is rich in
history, scenic beauty, and
recreational opportunity, and
makes a delightful canoe
trail. As with so many other
rivers, water levels can make
or break a trip, and should
be checked.
Below the put-in at the
Winter dam, the current is
brisk. There are no bad
rapids until just below the
dam at Radisson, where
about one half-mile of diffi-
cult water requires a portage.
Campsites are available at
Ojibwa Roadside Park and at
Brunet Island State Park
near Cornell, as well as here
and there along the way.
There are also several public
----------- 7 -----------
Chippewa River Water Trail
Trip No. 25
Cornell to Mississippi River-This stretch of
the Chippewa makes picturesque cruise water,
most of it smooth sailing. There are rapids and
dams, too, though attractive sections of quiet
water make up for them. Some of the country-
side is settled, but there are long wild reaches
as well.
The west bank below the Cornell dam is a
good put-in spot. There are rapids and riffles
from below the dam to the head of the small
Jim Falls flowage. The Jim Falls portage is a
long one, around the dam and the rocky, nearly
dry streambed that stretches for almost a mile,
to the diversion channel. The channel has guard
locks which require a short carry, and leads
directly to the power house dam. Here, the ca-
noes must be carried down a steep incline to the
river, which is rough and rocky.
Not far below the Jim Falls dam, the back-
waters of Lake Wissota begin. The shortest
route to the outlet is along the west shore. The
portage is a long one, for again the river is
nearly dry below the dam for some distance.
Below the power plant, the water is rough.
Around a big bend, the city of Chippewa Falls
comes into view.
The smaller dam in the city also requires a
portage, on the west side. Put the canoe back
in the water at Duncan Creek where it runs into
the Chippewa. Again there's a stretch of rough
water, then a series of pilings, and a few miles
farther, an exciting rapids.
The one dam in the larger city of Eau Claire
is the last real obstacle. Make this carry on the
east side, around the buildings. From this point
down to the Mississippi, about 40 miles, it's an
easy cruise. There are both cliffs and sandy
shores, with some fine smallmouth fishing and
plenty of campsites. The last section, down-
31
C