MONTREAL RIVER, EAST BRANCH (Iron Co., WI, 2 mi. north of Hurley)

LENGTH 3.25 mi., CLASS II-III (IV), GRADIENT: 93' per mile from the first set of rapids to the takeout

SEASON: A week or two in early spring.

PUT-IN: Hwy. 2 bridge over the river at the WI-MI state line

TAKEOUT: bridge over the river just east of State Line Road

GAGE: Tape measurement from the low steel beam on the downstream river left side of the bridge. 6' is a high-water run. Around 7'8" the run is still fun but starting to get a little rocky. If you plan to run the waterfall you probably want to hit it at a lower level.

FUN FACT: 25' Interstate Falls

FIRST DESCENT:

SHUTTLE: From the put-in, drive 1.5 mi. west on Hwy. 2 and turn right onto State Line Rd. Follow this road north for 1.8 mi. and take a right onto a road that crosses over the river.

This is a short run with a big waterfall. In the spring the river has some nice continuous rapids. The rapids are not difficult, but the large number of trees that form dangerous sweepers can make this run rather technical. The ability to execute quick moves and grab eddies that can barely hold a single boat are necessary skills to obtain before committing to this run.

There are two significant drops on this run. This first set of falls tumbles over a very rocky slide. It has been run, but it looks like there are more than a few places to get your boat firmly wedged about halfway down the drop. You can portage on either river right or left.

The next significant drop is Interstate Falls (also known as Peterson Falls and Montreal Falls). When a house comes into view on river right you will want to get to shore quick before you reach the point of no return This 25' drop has been run on the right, but it is usually portaged. If you do run it you do not want to land on the rocks just above the water's surface on the river left side of the drop. The difficult part of this drop is the approach. It is not a trivial move to get yourself lined up and going straight over this waterfall. In picking your line over the falls spend time figuring out how you are actually going to get there and carefully evaluate your ability to make the moves. A powerful eddy on river right just before the lip can set your boat way off course at the last second. It may look like an easy waterfall for anyone with the courage, but it also requires expert skills to negotiate safely.

If you run Interstate Falls, the rest of the run will be somewhat less eventful but there are plenty of strainers and some nice rapids to deal with before you reach the takeout.

19 May 1996, 3'9" (old gage on takeout bridge from low chord on upstream right side) an excellent level

20 Apr 1997, decided not to run, 5'8" (put-in gage) and 3'6" (takeout gage)

3 May 1997, Guy Babbitt, Steve Corsi, Harry House, Tom O'Keefe, Eric Platenberg 7'8" (put-in gage)