Power!

The power plant near Glen Park where the Kinni meets the South Fork.

Bonus Shot

What the heck. There's nothing wrong with two in one day. I like the waters flowing over some water vegetation here. Kinnickinnic northeast of town in the middle of a short stretch of knuckle-busting shallow water. My hands still hurt from this kayak trip.

Looking down the Kinni

The Kinnickinnic as it flows south from town to the St. Croix.

South Fork at Glen Park

A series of small falls as the South Fork enters the main body of the Kinnickinnic at Glen Park.

Maple, Sycamore, or ?

Gotta get out my tree books here. My daughter grabbed this leaf and immediately identified it as maple. I don't necessarily disagree, but it has an odd feel to it. It has a maple's red, but the look is black maple or something else entirely.

Upriver from Town

It is impossible to get a good picture on the Kinni, especially with an eight-year-old navigator running the other paddle. When the good shots arise, the water is flowing too quickly; when the water is deep and calm, there's nothing but green. Don't get me wrong, green is nice. It is probably the color we midwesterners take for granted, because we got a ton of it. Crops are green, trees are green, and most of our planted plants are mostly green. It's the other colors we have a shortage of. Some gorgeous reds and oranges along the river today, but they were to be found exclusively by rapids. I do have some pictures, but they suck.

South Fork

Walking the South Fork from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls (hereafter: UWRF) campus to the Kinnickinnic is a perfect afternoon trip. Expect to climb over tree falls and expect bugs (but, really, not too bad). More importantly, expect little contact with humanity and lots of animal tracks. You probably won't see much for animals, save a few birds, but know that the depths next to you probably contain lots of little eyes watching you travel noisily by.

Kinnickinnic

The river flows into the town of River Falls from the north as the Kinnickinnic and from the east as the South Fork. Once connected in town at Glen Park, the river flows to the St. Croix, then to the Mississippi, then to the Gulf of Mexico. It is not a rambunctious river, and whatever activity is to be found is generally man-made or the result of a fallen tree. It is walkable in most spots, and few activities more wonderful can be found then to spend a day making your way through town on the South Fork.

Kinnickinnic