Wisconsin Canoe came about as a means for a couple of college kids to continue avoiding the real world (stay in the real world?) just a little bit longer. We’ve been guiding all kinds of trips for various organizations since 2005, most notably backpacking, canoeing, rock climbing, and mountain biking for Mountain Lake Adventures and the Wisconsin Hoofers. Then we started offering canoe rentals in the Spring of 2010 after we were approached by an outfitter going out of business. Since the purchase of those first ten canoes, weekend canoe trips on the Wisconsin River have booked up weeks in advance and have spurred us into tripling the fleet for 2011 and again for 2012.
Our early success has been directly attributed to the quality and all around awesomeness of our guides/drivers/customer service and many a late night email answered. In addition, the development of our online reservation system and introducing realtime website features such as current river conditions and current shuttle availability have made a tremendous impact in the ease of access to information for people interested in canoeing the river. There was also that time we gave out free t-shirts….people loved those.
As we continue to build the business and improve our systems, we’re looking forward to exploring other ideas for Spring Green and Southwest Wisconsin – things like bike rentals, trail development, and improved access to other adventure sports. The future looks pretty sweet indeed.
Staff Bios:
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Matt “The Navigator” Kaufmann – Give this man a shovel and a five gallon bucket and he will build a trail like nobody’s business. Matt is a driving force in the Ice Age Trail trail building community operating as a crew leader for Wisconsin’s very own National Scenic Trail. And now that he’s just finished up his Geography degree from UW-Madison, he’ll probably finish the remaining few hundred miles single handedly while pointing to spots in the night sky with his other hand proclaiming Iridium Flare there in 30 seconds (and there will be). Update: Navs has become a full time employee of the Ice Age Trail Alliance in Cross Plains, WI. |
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Amy “Amy Cakes” Schmudlach – Baking extraordinaire and the nicest person you will ever meet in your life. Plus she speaks French. When not collecting life jackets or greeting customers, Amy got a degree in Rehabilitiation Psychology at UW-Madison, but more important than that, she has the uncanny ability to put up with Ryan for months on end. Update: Still around but now also working on getting her bakery moving - see Maple Baking Company |
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Colleen “Miss Universe” Anderson – Also with a degree (in Zoology, Biological Aspects of Conservation, and a certifcate in Environmental Studies) from UW-Madison, Colleen is probably the most reliable and committed of us all. If you need something and she can help, she’s there (which probably has something to do with her being a part of the Army National Guard). You can usually find her doing something sweet like kayaking, rock climbing, biking, or cleaning microscopes in the lab. Update: Colleen is currently serving overseas in Afghanistan. Hopefully she'll be back behind the wheel of the bus for the 2013 season. |
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Ryan “Schmud” Schmudlach – Most likely to be found anywhere but the office, Ryan avoids anything resembling work like the plague. However, given his degree in Economics from UW-Madison, it was inevitable that he’d be put to use on the business side of our canoe operation. Doing fancy things with spreadsheets is a secret passion for someone that chooses jobs based on dress codes (business casual need not apply). Update: Still not wearing shoes, still avoiding work. |
