Thursday, September 17, 2009
Upper Betsie, County Line to Fred's Landing
Participants: Lois Goldstein, John Heiam, Judy Swartz, Maxi Neugebauer, Mark Workman, and Jocelyn Trepte. Three kayaks, three solo canoes.
All presented at the put-in at the appointed hour save Mark, a newer member, but he readily received a pardon for being a bit late having come all the way "up north" from Grand Rapids and finding us in spite of encountering a disorienting detour.
This was another perfect day in the long string of them we have had this month. No swims, unintended or otherwise, but we got our feet wet many times. There were two portages (though I did manage to avoid one of them by just barely sliding my canoe under the end of one log that totally spanned the river).
Lunch spots are few on this stretch and involve more wet feet . And the take-out entailed someone standing in the water up to her knees and feeding boats up the bank to waiting hands. Thank you, Lois, who adds "Not a trip to do later in the fall."
The salmon were running and frequently startled with much splashing as we passed shallow gravel beds. Fishermen were fewer than expected and two showed us their catch, whereupon I wondered out loud if there might be a chance one would jump into my canoe. Alas, "my" fishing elicited no offers.
At one point we thought spotted an immature eagle, but later we had a definite sighting as another with visible white head and tail feathers flew upriver close overhead.
Joe Pye Weed was still in bloom, and the Red-Osier Dogwood was sporting its blue and white berries. A few trees were just starting to turn, but most striking was the one solitary Cardinal Flower in a most unusual location, a tall sentinel growing on big old fallen log which jutted out into the middle of the river.
My mission to find a piece of driftwood I had coveted from last season was a partial success. When I had given up hope, there it was! Though some had dropped away, part of it is still cool and I'll visit it again.
Jocelyn