White Water Rafting in Wisconsin on the Peshtigo....... and finding uses for a winch beyond the apocalypse

In a season confused last chance at winter trip we headed up north during April.   Greg's appeal was to shoot guns and put the Jeep's winch to use on the wooded trails; The prospect of my first white water rafting trip during the highest and most dangerous part of the season sealed the deal for me.  Of course I approached it applying the same motto as my latest ski endeavors, "I freaking better not fall. It's way too cold for that crap!!!"  Upon arrival at the river, the rafting guides' warnings of possible hypothermia coupled with their guarantee that 15 of our total group of seventy would fall Into the water, heightened the excitement, adrenaline, and pressure to not fall.  I really do realize that I'm a little crazy.... All I can say is that I'm lucky that I've found good friends who'll sit right next to me in the raft and on any adventure in life.

On Friday after work we headed up north to spend the weekend at the cabin of our friend up in Silver Cliff, WI. It was a new experience for me because it had no electricity or running water, just a nice fireplace that kept burning 24-7.  It reminded me of "The Little House on the Prairie" with the addition of two small bunk rooms that fit four comfortably in each.

After a hearty Saturday morning breakfast and shooting an array of weapons, we headed out on the rafting expedition with Kosirs Rapid Rafts. I definately recommend them for rafting in northern wisconsin.  For only something like $40-50 we each rented all the equipment including wet suits and rain jackets. 

From the homebase and the bar, they shuttle everyone upriver to the rafting starting point where they give you a brief lesson about what to expect and set everyone into the water in rafts of two or three persons or these dangerous little things called "fun yaks," which honestly looked far from fun and incredibly dangerous.  While we were all fighting for our lives, the "funyakers" as they were called, flighted and flipped around, falling or nearly falling out of their rafts at every rushing wave.  Anyways, the entire group, in our case nearly 70 people, rafts downstream and ends at the homebase and bar.  The length of the trip depends upon the water flow.  April, when the snow is melting, is considered peak season. The normally 3-4 hour trip down the river took us only 1.5 hours.   At the end of the trip everyone heads into the bar where they show pictures and videos from the adventure. 

This is our group heading into a big drop

This is us ALMOST falling, but not quite....

... because this is after our miraculous recovery!

This is a favorite of my friend Corrin as she is about to jump overboard

Of course, the two men styled through it like it was nothing.

The last portion of the trip was a sort of "apocalypse survival skill course" (an alternate name could be "putting to use of expensive purchases that may otherwise only come in handy during the apocalypse"). We set out to go off-roading in the snow.  My take was that there  was an unspoken understanding that we would drive two jeeps out into the snow to trails that we knew would be unsurpassable.  There we would get stuck and then the guys would have fun getting them out.  

It was quite fun.  Eventually it got dark and the work became tedious and we headed back to the warm, cozy cabin.

After a weekend of adventure we headed back to the city and our normal lives where we hoped to finally see some signs of spring after the long, dark, cold winter.