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Traverse Area Paddle Club

Remember: all TAPC outings are listed on our event calendar and are color coded using this scheme:

 

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Trip Reports

June 14 Manistee, 131 to Baxter

Published on 6/14/2011
A gorgeous day and good company made this trip down the broad and challenge-free Manistee a paddling pleasure.

In 3 canoes were Bob Fitch, Lois Goldstein with John Heiam, and John Walton with his daughter Claire visiting from California. The remaining kayakers were Betty and Mike Gardiner (back from Arizona) Tracie Lord, Linda Pelkey, Marv and Marlene Puska, Angie Willis, and Judy and myself.



A truck pulling a power boat pulled up just as we got to the launch ramp.  Oh, oh -- there goes the solitude.  But they got their boat in the water and took off upstream in the time it took me to carry one load of equipment down to the water's edge.  Has anyone tried putting a completely ready-to-go kayak on a trailer to get launch time under a couple of minutes?

The wind can be a problem on this broad river, but this time it was mostly a tailwind.  The open vistas let us see a pair of eagles circling overhead, which some members creatively interpreted as an aerial mating dance.





The trouble-free cruise down the Manistee can either be wonderfully relaxing, or unchallenging.  For those looking for more challenge, take a garbage bag along and go for a couple of those shiny objects which stick in your eye.  The river looked quite clean, but there are always a few.

If you have a spray skirt and lack good judgement, you can also spice up your lunch stop with an "otter launch" from the nice high bank.  This was my highest yet with water up to my armpits.





Written by Fred Swartz
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