WjColdWater
Senior Member
My wife and I are newbies to truck camping and kayaking. We survived both. We packed up our dog, Paige, and a few day’s provisions and headed north. Our first stop was at friend’s lake cabin near Watersmeet, MI. We spent a day and a half visiting and pontooning on their lake. The weather was awesome, warm, and sunny with a light breeze. The weather was also perfect for bike riding for enjoying colors. It was wonderful to catch up with old friends.
Day two we relocated to Rohrs Wilderness Tours Campground located south in Conover, WI. The campground was not crowded (off season), well maintained, and spacious. They specialize in kayak and canoe tours and teach in-depth instructional classes on both. Marsha and Jeff are the owners and wonderful hosts. They recommended a beautiful little site for our Grandby on Blueberry Lane. Camp was set up, fire was built, and cocktails were enjoyed using our Kermit chairs and table.
Day three was planned for a 1hour (two miles) kayaking adventure on the headwaters of the Wisconsin River. Marsha gave us a short safety instructional class on basic kayaking/safety on the headwaters. The river conditions were ideal and perfect for newbies. We shoved off and headed down river. The river is narrow and gentle with an average depth of 2 to 4 feet. Carol led the the way and I followed. We saw Great blue herons and a pair of Wood ducks. Navigating turns with overhanging bushes took some practice. There were narrow spots with downed trees to navigate. Overall, we felt safe and enjoyed the paddle. At the haul-out location, we were to call Marsha for pickup. Unfortunately, we had Carol’s phone instead of mine which contained her phone number. We also had no internet service to look up her number. (Newbies!). Luckily, Carol’s instincts kicked in and flagged down an ATV rider for assistance. They laughed and notified Marsha that we were ready for pick up. She arrived shortly, laughing, and asked for my assistance in loading the kayaks.
Northwoods camping early fall at its best!
Day two we relocated to Rohrs Wilderness Tours Campground located south in Conover, WI. The campground was not crowded (off season), well maintained, and spacious. They specialize in kayak and canoe tours and teach in-depth instructional classes on both. Marsha and Jeff are the owners and wonderful hosts. They recommended a beautiful little site for our Grandby on Blueberry Lane. Camp was set up, fire was built, and cocktails were enjoyed using our Kermit chairs and table.
Day three was planned for a 1hour (two miles) kayaking adventure on the headwaters of the Wisconsin River. Marsha gave us a short safety instructional class on basic kayaking/safety on the headwaters. The river conditions were ideal and perfect for newbies. We shoved off and headed down river. The river is narrow and gentle with an average depth of 2 to 4 feet. Carol led the the way and I followed. We saw Great blue herons and a pair of Wood ducks. Navigating turns with overhanging bushes took some practice. There were narrow spots with downed trees to navigate. Overall, we felt safe and enjoyed the paddle. At the haul-out location, we were to call Marsha for pickup. Unfortunately, we had Carol’s phone instead of mine which contained her phone number. We also had no internet service to look up her number. (Newbies!). Luckily, Carol’s instincts kicked in and flagged down an ATV rider for assistance. They laughed and notified Marsha that we were ready for pick up. She arrived shortly, laughing, and asked for my assistance in loading the kayaks.
Northwoods camping early fall at its best!
