The North Branch We paddled the North Branch back in 2015 (specifically 5/1/15 and 5/2/15). After driving to Chatfield and locking up our canoe and paddling gear, we drove to Whalen where we left our car and got on our bikes. For most of the Root River there is an accompanying paved bike trail. WeContinue reading “In Two Parts: Canoeing Minnesota’s Root River”
Tag Archives: paddle minnesota
A Wedding, a Funeral, and Canoeing parts of the Red, Pine, and Mississippi Rivers
Erik and I planned a late May canoe trip in Minnesota months ago in conjunction with a family wedding near Nisswa, Minnesota. We knew we’d canoe part way home from the wedding on a section of the Mississippi Erik had done twice before but that I’d never done. We had the week off before theContinue reading “A Wedding, a Funeral, and Canoeing parts of the Red, Pine, and Mississippi Rivers”
Canoeing the Otter Tail River and the First Map of the Red
The past few springs we’ve set aside a few days to paddle some of Minnesota’s Water Trails. This year our initial plan was for the Little Fork, but alas the snow melted quickly, swelling the river, and then drought brought water levels to solid medium. There’s lots of rapids on that river and we onlyContinue reading “Canoeing the Otter Tail River and the First Map of the Red”
Canoeing Minnesota’s Crow River
The Crow River watershed is largely located within the area 100 miles west from the Twin Cities before it detours northeast to dump into the Mississippi and form the border of Hennepin County. While the river stretches upstream for countless unmarked miles and also includes a Middle Fork, only the North Fork beginning at theContinue reading “Canoeing Minnesota’s Crow River”
Paddling Minnesota’s Snake River: In Four Parts
Located in eastern central Minnesota, the Snake River flows largely south from McGrath to Mora before turning east and winding its way to the Saint Croix River. The watershed to the north flows into Lake Superior, but the water on the Snake will eventually make its way to the Gulf of Mexico. Spanning nine years,Continue reading “Paddling Minnesota’s Snake River: In Four Parts”
Canoeing the Big Fork Plus a Little
In pursuit of the Minnesota Water Trails, initially Erik and I planned to canoe the Red Lake River to the Red River to the Canadian Border with my mom providing a shuttle. Mother Nature had other plans with the flooded Red River creating what looked like a giant lake between Grand Forks north to theContinue reading “Canoeing the Big Fork Plus a Little”
Canoeing Minnesota’s Rum River
Over the long Memorial Day weekend of 2016, (taking Friday off from work) my husband, Erik, and I paddled the 154 mile Rum River. Erik’s parents, Barb and Steve, helped us with a shuttle. The Rum has a special meaning to me because when I was a kid, we had a cabin on the riverContinue reading “Canoeing Minnesota’s Rum River”
Canoeing the Minnesota-Ontario Border
In 2014, Erik decided this should be the trip. I wasn’t super stoked because (1) there aren’t any mountains on the route and (2) it would involve lots of camping, and at the time I felt quite adverse to spending several nights in a row in a tent. In the end, Erik didn’t have toContinue reading “Canoeing the Minnesota-Ontario Border”
Elspeth Ronnander 