Upper St. Croix Explorations

      I suppose everybody knows by now that I love the upper St. Croix River valley. I have taken well over a hundred youth there to backpack, hike, camp, and canoe over the last twenty-five years. I have my favorite spots... certain islands, campsites and trails that I return to over and over. No one will be surprised to learn, then, that when Bill and Scott Keig invited me on a raft trip in areas further north than I was familiar with, I was falling all over myself to get my gear together.  

Sundown at Norway Point, our campsite at the end of day one.

     This weekend's trip took us through about thirty miles of river and included about sixteen miles I had never seen. There is no way to describe the pleasure I get from these trips.
 

You can call me 'Indy' for short. I don't like snakes all that much, either.

     We had a long-deserved break in the rainy spring weather and enjoyed nearly two complete days with sun. Because of all the rain, river levels were high, and paddling was a dream.

Bill and Scott on Saturday morning. The river was like glass.

     I brought along my GPS unit this time. It was quite useful to tell us our progress and whether we could just drift for awhile or if we needed to paddle.

Between the river running and the driving we saw eagles, otters, deer, foxes, raccoons, a porcupine, and a couple of the most perfect V-formations of Canada Geese I' have ever seen.

White water, blue sky.

     I'm so grateful for such far-sited legislation as the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act that preserves wild places such as the St. Croix valley. I always come back from these adventures refreshed and optimistic.