All around Wisconsin, there are rivers and creeks swollen with rainfall. Flowering bushes and rocky outcroppings adorn their banks and rapids whorl in the muddy waters. There are songbirds and small mammals. And there are people, making their way downstream in kayaks and canoes.
Spring is one the best times to be on the water, said paddling fanatics Darren Bush and Timothy Bauer.
“There certainly is a palpable spring fever that takes hold this time of year,” Bauer said.
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Bush and Bauer recently joined WPR’s “The Larry Meiller Show” to talk about where they’re paddling this spring and how to prepare before a trip downstream.
In addition to their love of the sport, Bush is owner of Rutabaga Paddlesports in Madison and Bauer is author of “Canoeing & Kayaking South Central Wisconsin: 60 Paddling Adventures Within 60 Miles of Madison,” with another guidebook forthcoming. Bauer also contributes to the blog Miles Paddled.
Here’s where to kayak and canoe this spring
First and foremost, you can find Bush and Bauer on Driftless Area rivers this spring. Bauer said spring is the best time to see the rocky outcroppings along the bluffs before the foliage camouflages them.
“There is a sweet, little ephemeral window in springtime that really holds dear for me in the Driftless Area,” Bauer said.
At the top of Bush’s list is the beloved Kickapoo River. It’s a picturesque waterway that winds through towns like La Farge and Viola, before meeting the Mississippi River at Wauzeka.
The Kickapoo also runs through Wildcat Mountain State Park and the Kickapoo Valley Reserve, both of which offer camping.
Bush said he’ll also paddle Coon Creek, which cuts through Coon Valley, as part of his weekend Kickapoo trip.
Another one of Bush’s favorites is the Grant River. It flows south of Lancaster and empties into the Mississippi at Potosi.
“I call it the baby Kickapoo,” Bush said. “It’s got some similar bluffs, but I don’t see anybody on it.”
Bauer said springtime brings the “call of the whitewater” to him, so he’ll travel to northern Wisconsin to visit the rivers there before June. They run the risk of being drought-ridden and shallow by early summer.
Finally, Bush picked the East Branch of the Pecatonica River for a springtime float, which he thinks might surprise some people. The Pecatonica calls southern Wisconsin home. The East Branch is near Barneveld.
“It’s a muddy little farm ditch, but it’s my muddy little farm ditch, and I love it,” Bush said.
Keep safety in mind as you venture downstream
Overzealous paddlers beware: While the weather might be 70 degrees and sunny, the water temperature is around 45 degrees in the spring, Bush said. If you tip your boat, you run the risk of getting cold water immersion shock, where you feel like you can’t breathe.
If you’re going to hit the creek, make sure you dress properly and grab a personal floatation device.
It’s also important to gauge water levels, Bauer said. The desired water level depends on the river and how you want to paddle. If you don’t mind walking around banks, a low water level might be fine. A higher water level will give you rapids and drops.
“If you’re ever in doubt, ask someone,” Bauer said. “Ask a local. Make a phone call to a paddling shop, to a fishing place, sometimes even a bar or restaurant that’s on the river. They’re going to know firsthand knowledge.”
Editor’s note: Rutabaga Paddlesports is a business sponsor of WPR.
