Black River Planning 2

We will leave the city after work on Thursday, October 13 and meet Craig  at Castle Mound Campground where we will spend the night. The trip from St. Paul to Black River Falls is about 140 miles or 2:30 hrs.

Shuttle

• I checked out Falls Taxi (715-284-4511) for the shuttle of the two drivers. They charge $1.75/mile. If they charge us the full fare from Black River Falls and back (about 50 miles), it would be $87.50, rounding it up to $100 for a tip, or about $20 each. Seems in line.
• I tried to call the Riverview Inn in North Bend (608-488-5191, http://www.riverviewinn.biz/), they do not open before 5:00 PM Tuesday through Sunday. I will try after 5:00 PM sometime this week.

Canoes

Ben and David will make reservations at the U of MN Rec Center for a canoe package if they can't borrow one form a friend or neighbor. For the 16'6" Royalex Bell Northwind (almost identical to my Galyan's Woodsman III) it's $35 for the first three days and then $15 for additional days which is hard to beat.

Meals

• Thursday Dinner: David's Delicious Hotdish
• Fri Breakfast: potluck continental?
• Fri Dinner: Craig's Kettle Surprise
• Sat Breakfast: Joel's Jummy Blueberry Pancakes with this year's sponsorship bacon
• Sat Dinner: Christian's Crispy Steak Sandwiches
• Sun Breakfast: Ben's Bagel Smörgåsbord

Oh, heavy rain in Black River Falls over the past couple of days, an inch or more. The fact that during the three-week dry spell the water seemed pretty stable between 300 and 400 cfs makes me think that we are safe from low water, as the minimum flow recommended for canoeing at Wisconsin Paddle Guide is 200 cfs.  According to USGS, it is between 800 and 900 cfs right now, September 27, 2011.

For further information on the Black River see also in Svob's Paddling Southern Wisconsin Black River 5 and 6 for some additional recommendations and a good trip description for the segment we are planning to do. This book is out of print but the link goes to Google Books where one can peruse. By the way both of Svob's books on paddling Wisconsin can be found on the used book market for about double they sold new. Time for a new edition?


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