The Wisconsin Dells is often described as a place of amazing natural beauty and wonder. Yet like so many other “wonder spots” that wear that label “natural beauty” , the label often seems more like an old price tag someone forgot to peel off. Remnants of that natural Wisconsin Dells are certainly still there. You’ll find them hidden in gullies between water parks or hinted at in sandstone outcrops jutting over a mini-golf course. But most of what first drew visitors to “the dells” has long been blasted, flattened and paved in the never ending search for wealth. What remains for the nature lover is tucked in along the banks of the Wisconsin River. Just mind the tour boats.

Yesterday we took a large group of paddlers out to explore the upper section of Wisconsin Dells. The river is designated by upper and lower depending on what side of the hydroelectric dam you happen to be on. The upper section of the river is most famous for its large sandstone rock formations and the many deep finger like canyons that branch out on either side. The now flooded canyons are filled with water which at times reaches a depth of over 80 feet.

From a backwater launch we paddled out into the main channel and worked our way against the flow. The slow but powerful current is such that one would hardly notice its existence other than at the end of the day you realize you feel as if you’d paddled much further than you actually had. Along the way we would dip into small dark crevasses covered in pine needles and new ferns laid out under a ceiling of White Pine and Hemlock. It’s not unique to find bits of snow and ice in these deep fingers that will linger into June. This year however, the snow seems to have all melted away.

We continued north toward a more open section of water, one I was told was sporting a strong 2 foot chop the day before due to stiff winds racing a bit out of sync with the north to south path of the river. On this day the wind was did not seem to bad from our position deep with the high cliffs and pine. Still from my position as sweep my paranoid mind noticed a pit of flicker on the horizon line that stood out against the background of blue-grey sky and the foreground of ripped flow. I traded positions with the other guide so as to get a quick look.

I’ve found over time that I’m often a more paranoid paddler than most. A weather forecast, a cloud bank a sudden cold wind will set my alarm bells off. Not in that “Emergency!!” sense but in more of a niggling background tingle. At least for my own personal comfort I need to look those things in the eye and assure myself that it’s either paranoia or reality. Thus my run to the front of the line.

I joined the front boats just in time to meet a tour boat coming around a corner. I was aware that the little wake it would create may not bother me, but certainly could cause a potential problem for the least skilled among us. I could also see that the water was becoming a bit more lumpy but still it was hard to get a sense of it beyond the cliffs. I entered into some general chatter about how I would deal with boat wakes when I was first paddling. How if I were really unsure I would just point my nose into the wake. We paddled on.

As the boat passed and the wake rolled in I paddled out to catch the larger waves for a bit of a splash as the rest of the group plunged bravely forward. Everyone was doing just fine. At the same time we had paddled out from the protection of the eastern ridge. The wake of the tour boat blended into the higher waves of the unprotected water in one continuous experience. We had entered open water chop which was intensified as it reflected off the western wall causing a nice bounce that reached its pinnacle right under our little troop. Just for effect the sun slipped behind thick clouds causing the temerature to drop and the water to darken.

What are you imagining here? 3 foots, 4 feet or more? Nothing near. Each of us would imagine a wave that would cause tension relative to our skill level of course. In reality the wind was brisk but not screaming and the waves reaching maybe 1.5 feet at times were minor splashy fun to paddlers with some experience. However to paddlers out on their first “real” outing this would be a potential disaster. This was a beginner level group. When used to flat calm conditions these “monster” waves suddenly coming out of nowhere can be really scary!

I’ve found that most often the way to temper the mood of a group testing their boundaries a bit is to chatter. If you keep the group interacting they most often seem to blow right through a tense spot before they know what happened. So with some giggles and silly conversations we paddled on through the chop and worked our way a short quarter mile into a protected spot for lunch. Everyone was a bit chilled and wound up, but obviously proud of themselves for their accomplishment.

In the background of any small guided day trip there is of course an undercurrent of organization. The coaches or guides often meet up here and there both on and off the water for little updates and decision making. Before we went back out we talked over the weather and noted the wind was still picking up. We noted the skills of our group and put together a plan to get them back around the corner through the chop and back into the protected calm. I went forward again to hang with some of our newest kayakers and my partner guided the canoes which tend to give their paddlers more difficulties in such conditions.

For the next 10 minutes or so we rode a mostly following current back into the canyons. My biggest concern was that some paddlers would struggle to get around that first corner against the oncoming wind, however everyone made it easily. The occasional wide eyes would appear as the waves changed from an oncoming, to broaching angle. Still they all moved forward with determination and were soon back into the flat water where we waited for the canoe group to catch us up.

Once gathered and back into calm quiet conditions the sun came back out from under the clouds. (Isn’t that always the way??). We continued south and on through the fabled narrows. Once the terror of loggers, the narrows is a spot where the whole of the Wisconsin river is crushed into a 58 foot wide area, now some 90 feet deep. Even today this section of the river can hit class 3 conditions with a strong wave train and 4 foot drops. On this day however the passage was flat and only the accelerated current hinted to the constricted condition of the water.

Through the narrows we landed on a nearby beach to organize the last part of the day. Most were excited to spend another hour or so on the water while others were ready to call it a day. From here we parted ways. I escorted the early group back to the launching area while the rest went out to see what they could see further down the river.

* photos taken with SeaLife ECOShot