St. Croix National Scenic Waterway - 2013
The St. Croix National Scenic Riverway is federal holding along the Minnesota and Wisconsin borders. The upper St. Croix is narrower, wilder, and faster. Our four day trip started from Fritz Landing and ended at Riverside Landing, finishing at Highway 70. The trip was a total of 66 miles.
The trip started at Fritz Landing on the Namekagon tributary of the St. Croix. Because we were reduced to 5 people, we took two boats, with three people in one boat. As you would expect late season, the water level was pretty low starting out. We traveled 16 miles, and camped after Riverside Landing after joining into the St. Croix River proper. It was a relief to join into the main waterway, as the water levels were significantly better.
The second day we continued west on the St. Croix River, passing the Lower Tamarack and Thayers Landings. The scenery continued the upper Wisconsin landscape of low rolling hills, thick deciduous forest, and open grasslands. Apart from the bridge crossings and small numbers of fishermen, we felt very removed. We camped just before reaching the edge of St. Croix State Park. Having been into the routine for a few days, we began day three we another alteration of who sat in which boats. The odd man out who sat in the middle of a canoe always felt guilty that he wasn't paddling. But the change of canoe partners was nice for guys to talk and interact with different people. While I knew everyone pretty well, not everyone knew everyone else. We saw quite a bit of wildlife; a lot more than we would expect. We say numerous bald eagles, many closer than we have every seen them in the past. While we don't have a picture, we saw a swimming squirrel. Finally, although I've been in the backcountry for many years, and in many different places, I saw my first bear. At first, we thought it was a moose, but then when we saw the form and arched back, we were all certain what it was. We camped on Day Three after the Snake River and Soderbeck Landings. Expecting other paddlers to seeks a campsite close to the Highway 70 put-out, we were anxious to obtain this location.
That night we had a large rain storm. Fortunately, we had a number of things in our advantage. First, our campsite had a privy nearby. This afforded us some greater comfort while rain was pelting down. We also took slightly larger tents, such as a three man and four man tent. The extra space was nice while we were cooped up in the tents. Finally, I had the forsight to pull the canoes further out of the water, and invert them on the higher embankment. A significant increase in the water level may have pulled the boats of the bank.
The next morning, with everything still wet from the previous night, we had a light breakfast, and made arrangements to get under-way. It was a short paddle to Highway 70, and a long delay to wait for our outfitter to pick us up. However, we got back to the outfitters location, showered, and had a nice dinner in Grantsburg before returning to Chicago.