Pine River Canoe Camping

This is a joint trip offered in conjunction with the Sierra Club River Touring Section. You don't need to be a Sierra Club member to go on this trip.

Here is more information from the Sierra Club's website:

May 4-5:  Pine R.  Class l-ll;   Boat Camp.  Join us on our 43rd annual Pine River trip. We will address the many challenges facing this wild river as we go forward. Registration Contact/Leader: Gregg Riemer:  608-216-5803, dunord@sbcglobal.net. Co-leader: Rich Krieg: 920-660-3557, richkrieg@new.rr.com.

May 6-7:  Pine R. extension.  Class ll;  Boat Camp with portages.  Continue downstream from our traditional Pine River trip. Options to continue 1 or 2 days. See Meyers Falls, LaSalle Falls and Breakwater Falls. We will discuss the history and future of the Pine River Dam. Registration Contact/Leader: Gregg Riemer: 608-216-5803, dunord@sbcglobal.net. Co-leader: Rich Krieg: 920-660-3557, richkrieg@new.rr.com.

To go on this trip, you'll need to have an R-2p rating in an open canoe, although we may be able to accomodate a limited number of R-1s as long as we can pair you up with a more experienced paddler. The rapids we run aren't all that difficult, but they can be long. We will be camping along the river as we go, so we will have all our food and gear in the canoes with us. Since this is an early season trip, the water and air can be cold, so we need to be cautious as an a tip-over could be very unpleasant.

As you can see by the info above, in the Sierra Club's eyes, this trip is technically split into 2 trips. Historically, most people opt to do only the first 2 days in order to avoid the portages. But since I (Gregg Riemer) am leading both legs of the trip, I need to be there for all 4 days. As such, if you want to do only the first two days, you'll need to arrange your own transportation.

Since I'll be busy organizing and registering the Sierra Club people on this trip, I won't have time to lead all aspects of the Hoofer trip. I can be Hoofer river leader on the water, but I'm hoping somebody else can step up and organize food and equipment for the Hoofer contingent.

I've paddled many rivers and the Pine is one of my favorite rivers anywhere, so you don't want to miss this opportunity. This will be an excellent introduction to semi-wilderness canoe tripping and would be good practice for other trips I hope to lead in Canada later in the summer.