Right this minute sandbars are peeking out and in another 48 hours it'll be regular springtime conditions! Of course spring typically involves rain and it looks like we'll get a little of it Saturday night. That said, it won't be enough to effect water levels for the weekend and temps are in the high 70s/low 80s until Sunday so all trips are on.
Ryan
Things are looking up for this coming weekend! All of the rain we've gotten over the past week looks to be making it's way through the system and the week of relatively dry weather ahead means sandbars should be popping out just in time for Friday/Saturday trips. While the forecast currently calls for some rain overnight Saturday, we're too far out to take it seriously but at least the temps are touching 80 degrees all week!
Water levels are currently peaking after the snowmelt and recent rains. Too early to say if we'll be able to open as planned on May 11 but the water will be high regardless. As Spring progresses, keep an eye on the chart below. We want to see levels recede into (or very near) the white area to have campable sandbars.
It would appear we're about to pass through Third Winter (one of Wisconsin's 11 seasons) this weekend as snow is in the forecast followed by a week of rain.
Once we finally get warmer and the spring rains kick in we'll see water levels shoot up pretty quickly. I don't have a ton of data to go on but anecdotally, I imagine we'll see peak runoff happen around the end of the month and if we get one or two rain storms a week somewhere in the (relatively large) river valley we'll see waters stay high a little later into Spring than is typical. Though to be perfectly honest, I'm maybe 60% confident that's what'll happen. I thought last year was going to be a great start to the season solely as a reversion to the mean from the high water the prior two seasons but then we lost 6 weeks to flooding including Memorial Day and 4th of July weekends.
Fingers crossed I'm completely wrong and low water levels continue! -Ryan
For reference:
All of this cold weather has kept a decent amount of snowpack in the northern reaches of our watershed and we're about to get a ton of rain. This is to say that while the river is currently near record low levels for this time of year, I don't expect it to last.Winter, Fool's Spring, Second Winter, Spring of Deception, Third Winter, Mud Season, Actual Spring, Summer, False Fall, Second Summer, Actual Fall
Once we finally get warmer and the spring rains kick in we'll see water levels shoot up pretty quickly. I don't have a ton of data to go on but anecdotally, I imagine we'll see peak runoff happen around the end of the month and if we get one or two rain storms a week somewhere in the (relatively large) river valley we'll see waters stay high a little later into Spring than is typical. Though to be perfectly honest, I'm maybe 60% confident that's what'll happen. I thought last year was going to be a great start to the season solely as a reversion to the mean from the high water the prior two seasons but then we lost 6 weeks to flooding including Memorial Day and 4th of July weekends.
Fingers crossed I'm completely wrong and low water levels continue! -Ryan
As winter starts to fade, I've been getting a lot of questions from people that have never tried canoe camping before. While it sounds kind of exotic, like an extreme sport of sorts, it's surprisingly accessible. If you've got basic car camping gear, you can canoe camp (we help with the canoe). We've got a whole page on canoe camping for beginners, check it out if you think you want to camp out on the closest thing to a tropical island in the Midwest. For all of you old pros, see you out here!
Ryan
In the interest of full disclosure, we're currently expecting ~5" of snow tomorrow, BUT, these past few days have had great weather. The first nice weekend of spring (because meteorological winter ended 4 days ago) is my 2nd favorite part of the offseason (tax season is first, don't ask) because the reservations start trickling in. And because I can breathe easier when I look at our dwindling savings account. Nothing like a shot of sun and above freezing temps to remind everyone that summer is coming!
-Ryan
Cabin fever must be setting in, phone calls and emails have started their annual winter jump as people start planning out summer canoe camping trips. Meanwhile, I'll be buried in tax documents and spreadsheets for the next few weeks (continuing on the last few weeks). Strangely enough, this is my favorite part of the offseason - it might be the cabin fever...
-Ryan
I was reminded that we're officially 8 years old now! Wisconsin Canoe was officially incorporated on Jan 1, 2010. It's a little strange to think that this pet project wasn't expected to last more than a season or two. Going into our ninth year on the water I'm truly humbled by how well we've been received and that you all have kept us going (and growing!) for all of these years. Thanks for that!
Ryan
Tis' the season. Need a gift for someone that's already looking forward to warmer weather? We have gift certificates! Plus, buy a gift certificate between now and Christmas and we'll send you a dry fit t-shirt (your choice on whether to gift it or keep it for yourself, I won't judge).
Let us know if you have any questions!
Ryan
Our online system is now open for the 2018 season! There's no rush to book a trip, even the busiest weekends don't typically sell out until 3-4 weeks in advance, but if you like the piece of mind that comes with having the trip all set and ready to go, we're here for you! -Ryan