Menominee

The 'full run' tends not to be done by most serious whitewater boaters. Rather, they forego all the flatwater (and 'Sand Portage', aka Fourth Pier), and instead carry-up from the take-out to do only 'the gorge'.

The first rapid is known as Sand Portage or 4th Pier. The legend is this was known as Sand Portage because the Indians wore the rocks into sand with the countless times they used the trail on river left to portage the gorge. As the river enters 4th Pier, it is divided by an island (which many locals enjoy camping on). Most of the flow goes river-right of the island, and most boaters do too, since it is generally possible to attain to the features in the left channel after running the right (main) channel.

There is a glassy wave at the lead-in, and a micro eddy on river-left. It is pretty fun to dart into the eddy and catch as long of a surf as you can on this wave. Below this wave. there is another wave on river-right that is fun to surf, followed by a large eddy on river-left. Hit this eddy for access to the play features in the run-out from the left channel.

The first is a wave known as the Lone Ranger. It is located just furthest upstream where the flow from river-left of the island rejoins the flow from the channel to the river-right of the island. You have to work a little to get up to the wave, but its a nice surf when you do. At levels above 3000 cfs a second wave, Kemosabe forms just below the Lone Ranger. This one is much easier to get to, and very fun. Just below Kemosabe is a small hole known as Shallow Hal. Its fairly shallow, but nice for flat spins and blasting. Low angle cartwheels are possible here too. When the river is flowing around 4700 cfs, Shallow Hal becomes Wave 47, which provides much awesome fun.

Just downstream (in the combined channel) is another hole known as Bloody Knuckles. This is a very bouncy/dynamic hole. I've seen some good boaters do some pretty cool things here, but it can be a difficult time staying in control of the hydraulic. Its sticky enough that if you flip in the hole, there's a good chance you'll still be in it when you roll up. At levels around 3,000 cfs it becomes very sticky and difficult to get out of. Also the surfers left of this hole is pretty shallow and is where Bloody Knuckles tends to dish out bloody knuckles.

Below Bloody Knuckles is a small ledge with a few play possibilities. There is a hole towards the river-left side of the river known as EZ-Loving. If you're trying to learn how to flat-spin this is a great spot, as it naturally tries to throw you into a spin. It is also nice for blasting.

Overall 4th Pier is not worth the visit unless the gorge is flowing at or above 1800 cfs. If the gorge is below 1800 cfs, I'd recommend doing a park and play in the 3rd-1st Piers.

Just downstream of Chicken-Ender is 2nd Pier and the 2 Sisters. A river-left rock-ridge pushes most of the flow to river-right. There is a diagonal hole just above 2nd Pier that funnels into a hole known as Justin's Bane which can be a very difficult hole to work out of. The recommended approach to 2nd Pier, therefore, is to enter it river right of that diagonal hole to take the drop straight-thru. About a 5' drop into a wave/hole known as 1st Sister is followed fairly quickly by another hole, the 2nd Sister. At levels from 1300-2500 this hole is extremely flushy, but can be entertaining to put your boat in and see not only what you can do, but how long you can stay in there. At lower flows, it tends to be more friendly and appropriately retentive for better play.

Below 2nd Pier are some small boulder garden rapids, before the river wraps to the left, where there's a huge eddy on river left. This eddy is a great spot to practice stern squirts, and a convenient place to get out for the shortest carry back up if you want to hit the main gorge again.

Continuing downstream you reach the final feature, 1st Pier, AKA Terminal Surfer. At high flows, this is a massive recirc which will stop and surf a 12-man raft! The hole is basically in the center of the river, so you can sneak around it either to river-right or tight river-left. If you decide to play this hole it is recommended that you surf this hole on surfers right (river-left). The center of the hole is flushy (at playable levels) and thus can be the best place to exit. The surfers-left (river-right) side of the hole is generally quite trashy and has stripped many boaters of their pride and scared the crap out of them. That said, some guys do play this side as well.

Just below 1st pier is a large somewhat swampy backwater on river left. Paddle across this to shore where you'll find a trail leading up to the parking lot.

Fairly immediately after 'Terminal Surfer' you'll want to paddle to the river-left shore to either carry back to your vehicle(s) or to carry up for another run!