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 Boundary Waters Quetico Forum Trip Reports Trip Report - Canoeing Elm Creek Reply
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| Previous Messages: | |
| Author | Message Text |
| GregSC |
05/04/2020 05:45AM Thanks. Great trip. |
| windsc |
05/03/2020 10:02PM I canoed Elm Creek about 10 years ago in late April when the water was high. I started at the beginning in Plymouth at a dog park and ending at the Elm Creek rest stop on I94. Me and a friend had a blast. Yes there were many spots that were difficult to pass but if you like that kind of thing then its an adventure. There is one small rapids that we took near Nottingham parkway. At one point I fell in because my hood from my hoody caught on a tree that I tried to duck under. I stayed with the tree while the canoe kept going. The water was cold but it was in the 60's so I warmed up fast. Other good trips like this include: 1) Rice Creek starting at County Road H park and ride in mounds view and ending in the Mississippi river just south of I694. There are parking lots on both sides of the river just south of I694 2) Shingle Creek starting at intersection of shingle creek regional bike trail and Xerxes Ave N and ending in the Mississippi River. The time I took this was year before the stone arch lock and damn was closed. I pulled out at East River Flats Park near the U of M boathouse. The lock and damn in a canoe was a blast. There is a waterfall that kind of snuck up on me. The waterfall is in Weber Park. There is a long portage in the shopping center near Bass Lake road where you end the portage by going over a bike bridge that goes over Highway 100 3) The first part of the Kettle River when the river is above 4.5 feet. I started just north west of the town Kettle River and ended about 20 miles south |
| SaganagaJoe |
04/28/2020 08:03PM I used to live right near there (right by the Lawndale Avenue fire station with my grandparents) and have walked near that creek many times. Good memories. Glad you could paddle it. |
| BigOarDeal |
04/28/2020 01:28PM Thanks, all for reading! I'm glad I got to take you along for the ride! straighthairedcurly -- Thanks for the info! I didn't realize there was any restoration projects going on. If I lived a little closer, I think I would reach out and ask about clearing out the creek, but I think I live a little too far to justify it. Now if this stay at home stays into effect all summer, my tone might change! But thanks for the offer to help! Also, I haven't heard of Rica Creek. Was it pretty easy paddling? That sounds like a fun adventure for a future weekend. TreeBear -- Your statement about 'non-navigable' is definitely true, and honestly, I loved every moment of the non-navigable part of the creek. I mostly graded it as that for the benefit of others! So you've already done the next part I want to do?!? Crazy, I didn't think anyone else would have done it! I did a little recon where the bike trail crosses Elm Creek just past the dam, and it looked okay, but good to know it will be tough-going. I still want to get from the dam to at least where the creek goes under Elm Creek Rd in the middle of the park. And eventually the Mississippi. Thanks for the info. Hope you heal up soon so you can finish the rest of it! I'll post more photos on my next leg. |
| TreeBear |
04/27/2020 12:24PM Well this looks familiar, and "non-navigatable" is relative based on how much you enjoy suffering! Ha. This spring, I have paddled Elm Creek from the Maple Grove Arboretum to Hayden Lake. I took it in two trips since I was averaging about a half mile per hour with log jams (it gets real nasty between the dam and the highway and between rush creek and hayden). I was gunning for "paddling" the entire length of the creek in sections this spring (it starts near hamel) but I hurt myself on this last one, so I had to set that dream aside for a bit. Elm Creek is probably the most important watershed in the NW suburbs and has been taking a lot of heat from development the last couple decades. It's a really beautiful stretch of water. |
| DanCooke |
04/24/2020 11:00AM Thanks for the report. Looks like a fun adventure. |
| BearBurrito |
04/24/2020 10:29AM Great idea! Thanks for posting. |
| straighthairedcurly |
04/24/2020 09:30AM Very cool! I had never heard of Elm Creek before (other than the park reserve). When I investigated, I found this link: Elm Creek Watershed Far upstream it seems the City of Plymouth is doing a restoration project, but the creek looks very tiny up there. You could contact the MPCA Elm Creek Watershed contact person to find out any rules about being able to remove some deadfalls in the stretch you started on. We would be happy to help if you get the okay. We paddled the Rica Creek Water Trail last Saturday. It starts in Lino Lakes and ends in New Brighton. We started at Lake Baldwin and took out at Old Hwy. 8. I realized when we got done that I should have taken pictures...I always forget to do that when we are exploring new places. |
| jfinn |
04/24/2020 08:07AM Nice write up. I live about a mile from your put in and I applaud you since I run down that trail and eyeball the first few bends very often. Chocked with dead-fall so a brave effort by you. I have paddled most of the rest of the route (not under Weaver to Rice Lake) and l think about from the Dam north. Through Elm Creek some of those spots look like they might be tight as well, but since you went this far, I am sure you can do that. Maybe I'll give it a whirl! Nice photos. John |
| Spartan2 |
04/23/2020 12:28PM What a neat trip! And a nice trip report with beautiful photos. I, too, feel like I made the trip with you! Fun! |
| missmolly |
04/23/2020 12:14PM Here's what I loved about your trip report: I got to go along with ya! |
| Minnesotian |
04/23/2020 11:11AM Excellent trip report. I like your idea of exploring the smaller waters around town. |
| BigOarDeal |
04/23/2020 10:56AM New Trip Report posted by BigOarDeal Trip Name: Canoeing Elm Creek. Entry Point: Other Click Here to View Trip Report |
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