Wisconsin Canoe came about as a means for a couple of college kids to continue avoiding the real world (stay in the real world?) just a little bit longer. We’ve been guiding all kinds of trips for various organizations, most notably backpacking, canoeing, rock climbing, and mountain biking for the Wisconsin Hoofers. Then we started offering canoe rentals almost by accident in the Spring of 2010 after we bought a bunch of old canoes from some guy in Illinois. Since the purchase of those first ten canoes, weekend canoe trips on the Wisconsin River have booked up weeks in advance and have spurred us into expanding the fleet (36 boats for the 2011 season - now including kayaks). Our early success has been attributed to the quality and all around awesomeness of our guides/drivers/customer service and many a late night email answered. In addition, we've brought things not often seen in the canoe rental world, things like the internet, and a website. Actually, we've been able to put together an online reservation system, and website features that let you see up to the minute river conditions or trip planning materials. People who might be driving your next shuttle or answering an email:
Matt “The Navigator” Kaufmann – Give this man a shovel and a five gallon bucket and he will build a trail like nobody’s business. Matt is a driving force in the Ice Age Trail trail building community operating as a crew leader for Wisconsin’s very own National Scenic Trail. And now that he’s just finished up his Geography degree from UW-Madison, he’ll probably finish the remaining few hundred miles single handedly while pointing to spots in the night sky with his other hand proclaiming Iridium Flare there in 30 seconds (and there will be). Amy “Amy Cakes” Luck – Baking extraordinaire and the nicest person you will ever meet in your life. When not collecting life jackets or greeting customers, Amy is working towards her dream of running a bakery, but more important than that, she has the uncanny ability to put up with Ryan for months on end. Colleen “Never had a nickname” Anderson – Also with a degree (in Zoology, Biological Aspects of Conservation, and a certifcate in Environmental Studies) from UW-Madison, Colleen is probably the most reliable and committed of us all. If you need something and she can help, she’s there (which probably has something to do with her being a part of the Army National Guard). You can usually find her doing something sweet like kayaking, rock climbing, biking, or cleaning microscopes in the lab. Ryan “Schmud” Schmudlach – Avoids anything resembling work like the plague. However, given his degree in Economics from UW-Madison, it was inevitable that he’d be put to use as the brains of the operation. Doing fancy things with spreadsheets is a secret passion for someone that chooses jobs based on dress codes and whether or not they will allow his shorts and homemade sandals through the door (business casual need not apply).
