Until I moved to northern Wisconsin, escaping the sounds of humanity was basically impossible. As quiet as it was in some places there was always the drone of a far-off lawnmower or the hiss of distant tires on pavement. Motor boats. But up here you can indeed find places to only hear the sound of nature. While I’m not as adventurous a paddler as Kerry and his wife, I try to find remote areas that are free from development.
For a lot of its course, the Flambeau river is. Above the dam that makes the Turtle-Flambeau flowage the river twists back upon itself like an anxious snake. It is very shallow in spots and can only be paddled easily in the fall after a rainy summer. I tried last year, but I grounded the kayak a few times, especially when trying to make turns. Maybe I’ll go earlier in the season, but oh, the fall. The whole river is like this. Miles of it until it hits the Manitowish river which is also undeveloped for a lot of its run.
My favorite thing to do is paddle up as far as I want to go and then drift back, just using the paddle to steer.
Specific Feedback Requested
I don’t include my boat in most of my pictures, but I do for some because it tells the story of where and how I got there. Thoughts?
Technical Details
Is this a composite: No
Handheld w/polarizer turned partway on to keep some richness in the leaves.
Lr for processing - come exposure & wb correction, a bit of a crop because there was a lot of empty sky. Brush to bring up shadows in the darker areas. Luminance range mask to even out the sky somewhat. Orange & yellow luminance level increased. Some texture added, but reduced clarity to keep overall softness.