June 1 Pine River
Published on 6/1/2011
We had a very convenient shuttle from Mark Miltner. We got to leave both cars at Peterson, since he was able to transport us and our boats to the put-in. So we launched at Elm Flats earlier than normal. That was particularly appreciated, since John and Lois had driven to Cadillac earlier in the morning to pick up the watercraft permits. Fred and Judy arrived in plenty of time. Fred continued pursuing his life goal of not getting his feet wet, but I think he couldn't avoid it when we found a huge downed tree spanning the river shortly after the High Bridge. We had to portage over it....no big deal. We saw only one fisherman and one other paddler, who was eager to join the club since he wants to help with this summer's Pine River cleanup trips.
We had a leisurely lunch at Dobson, and were challenged by the windy conditions all day. It was particularly exciting for the solo canoes, since often the wind said "Go that way" when we really wanted to go this way. We obeyed Mother Nature and went that way. The sunshine all day was delightful, and we didn't see much trash, which was gratifying. A great day on a gorgeous river....we all agreed that we are SO lucky to live nearby to a National Wild and Scenic River. And of course, there was the requisite Mesick ice cream stop afterwards. Come join us next time!
Written by Lois