On July 10
th Laura MacFarland, the Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator with the River Alliance of Wisconsin, and around 15 members of the River Alliance and Friends of the Platte River came to the Driftless Area to enjoy a few hours on the Little Platte River. Launching from the bridge on County O, they started their 2.5 hour journey. Along the way, everyone was able to see how thick the Japanese hops are along the riverbanks. Everyone was also able to experience tight curves, riffles, pools and an area where a tree blocked about half of the river. This tree turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip because this obstacle was the cause of Tammy Enz and Mark Sethne going for a swim. Laura appreciated a couple of people from the Friends of the Platte River going for a dip to show everyone that there was nothing to fear in the water! After everyone exited the river at Church Road, we packed up the boats and headed to Potosi Brewery where we enjoyed appetizers, good conversation, and some of the finer hops in life. It was a fabulous day, with a wonderful paddle, and a great crew of people.
