Marty Richards is back with us for the Pine River report this weekend.
Marty, a little bit different scenario than a week ago, isn't it?
Well, I had somebody here about a week ago ask me, they said, so why you're doing weekly Pine River reports?
Does it really change that much?
absolutely changes.
Oh my gosh.
So and I kind of knew that and that's why we wanted to do the Pine River report is a week, a couple of rainfalls and everything changes.
So
You know, we're recording here on Thursday and the Thursday of rodeo weekend and Son of a gun things have changed drastically because we had so yesterday we had storm come through with wind We've had a couple of days of rain We were fortunate last weekend because we just hadn't had rain for quite a while So a lot of that soaked in you could kayak.
Yeah, you know last week quite well things went well well now
ground has gotten a little more saturated.
We had a storm yesterday with wind and now we're getting more rain today.
We're probably going to discourage folks from really
putting kayaking as your first option go-to thing to do because there are a couple things that have happened.
Anytime we have wind like we did yesterday on Wednesday, that tells us there's going to be a couple of trees down.
We don't know where they're at yet because of course we haven't been able to get out there.
It was storming yesterday, raining today.
We'll have to try to get out and see what's going on tomorrow.
We we know already there are a couple of trees that are down that we did not have to contend with on the section from Bowens Mill to Mill Pond Park So we know that's got a little bit of a blockage going on that wasn't there previously and then Rockbridge the section that really was wide open and looked great
rock bridge down to county sr or it's it's it's got three names the boat landing there it's on state highway 80 so i call it the state highway 80 landing it's also at the intersection of sr with steamboat rock uh if you look on google it's located as the steamboat rock landing which it's not right there actually it's a little bit of ways from it but that section from from rock bridge
down to steamboat rock or that landing right on State Highway 80.
That has been our best stretch that was the most wide open, but the water is going to be high there for this weekend.
So quite honestly, I would probably encourage folks to find other activities, which there's plenty going on this weekend.
But kayaking, if you're set and determined this weekend that you want to go kayaking, then I would say you better be a really good kayaker.
You better be experienced.
And I don't mean you went once a year.
I'm talking you've kayaked rapids, you've kayaked different places.
It's something that's in your nature.
So I really, really would discourage folks this weekend until we've really gotten out there to see what's going on unless they're an expert level or very, very good kayaker.
You want to not put the emergency people in jeopardy either because then we had that situation once where somebody needed to be rescued and you kind of put their lives on the line too.
Yeah, the problem is people might think, well, it's only in the Pine River.
What the heck?
Well, if you think back to what we've talked about where we clean the river to where you can
get through we don't clean the river so it's this wide open yep you're good to go there's still a lot of obstacles and I've seen it in a normal current situation so now the water's high
The current's stronger, it's coming faster, and you come up to a blockage that you have to steer around where there is an avenue to get through.
Now that current's gonna mess with you, and all of a sudden you're tangled into a tree, and I have seen kayaks get tipped to where people now are going into the water.
under that blockage.
So not a good situation.
We don't want to put emergency responders into a bad situation.
I just for this weekend, I think you should probably consider looking at other avenues.
And there are many, right?
There are a ton.
I will say real quick.
If you think you're that expert level and you do want
to go kayaking this summer, I'm sorry, this summer, this weekend, and this changes again.
So next week, it'll probably be a much different discussion.
Call 13 Pines RC, the kayak outfitter, 608.
six zero eight zero nine three two.
Jen has been doing a great job of keeping me informed in how the river looks.
But then they too can help you with should you go or is it a go or no go situation.
But yeah, the alternative then we've got a ton of stuff going on this weekend.
You know, it's this is a great weekend to go out and enjoy the rodeo.
The Wisconsin State High School Rodeo is running Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
I'll be honest, I had not been to the Wisconsin State High School Rodeo that's been in Richland Center most of my lifetime until about five years ago.
And I was blown away by how real the action is and how awesome it is.
So I strongly encourage folks, if you are looking for an activity, the Wisconsin State High School Rodeo at the Richland County Fairgrounds,
They've got a Friday night, a Saturday night, and then a Sunday afternoon performance.
And you can get all these details from our website, greaterrichlandtourism.com, you just go to our calendar of events.
If live music's your thing, this is the weekend to be here because there is a ton of option for enjoying live music.
Dan Sobronic and John Smith are on the garden stage at
The Central Boarding House, Margie's got them playing right there on Seminary Street.
That's Friday night.
They start at 6.30.
But also Bonfire Music Festival starts tonight at Driftless Music Gardens.
They do have single day passes.
I think that's something locally we forget about.
But you can go out to Driftless Music Gardens.
They have a single day pass that you can go, you know, if sleeping on the ground is not your thing.
And I've done my share.
of it, I graduated from it, and I no longer do that.
But I have gone fairly regularly out to Driftless Music Gardens to enjoy their acts.
And you can get that single day pass, go out, enjoy their acts, and they've got a little bit of everything that people would enjoy.
And then also the parade.
Don't forget the Dairy Days and Rodeo Parade on Saturday morning that kicks off at 10.30.
Since I'm organizing that, I should be there at the right time.
Hopefully.
But that is the Dairy Days and Rodeo Parade.
We've got a lot of entrance for that.
Feeling pretty good.
That'll be a high entertainment value as well.
And then also on Sunday for folks, if you're a Frank Lloyd Wright old file, the 80 German warehouse.
always has their tours on Sunday that folks can enjoy.
And you can always also on Friday afternoon go there after 3.30, they have live music and you're able to get kind of a sneak peek of the 80 German warehouse as well.
So those are, you know, there's plenty going on and there's really a wide range of music options this weekend.
So I just encourage this is probably that weekend that, you know,
kayaking is not probably the first option for entertainment.
And we do Ash Creek Forest, if you want an outdoor exploration experience.
The Ash Creek Forest out on State Highway 80, there's 354 acres of marked trails that you can go hiking.
There's building ruins from the original farms that were there.
It's just, that's a really enjoyable experience as well.
Or you can go have a burger at the branding iron
and kick back.
You know, the branding iron is ready.
You could go up there and have just one of the best fish fries around and then Saturday night, you know, I didn't check.
So Lisa won't forgive me on this one, but they do the wood fired pizza nights and I can't remember off top my head if this is a wood fired pizza night or you can have, you know, their own farm raised hamburgers that are outstanding as well.
You can't go wrong.
No, it's, it's, you know, the branding iron.
I really enjoy personally just because I know it's great food.
It's a really enjoyable environment and, you know, just a nice time overall.
You bet.
And beautiful downtown Lime
Ridge.
Beautiful downtown Lime
Ridge.
Well, enjoy the weekend, Marty.
You bet.
Thanks much, Bill.
You too.
That's it for the Pine River Report today.
