2nd Annual Sturgeon River Clean Sweep - August 9, 2011
WOW! What a day. And to think, I nearly canceled. We had every sort of weather but snow.
It was supposed to rain and thunder in the Wolverine area during the 2nd Annual SRCS but the radar looked ok on Monday night so I decided to go for it.
I was surprised that everyone was pleased about the decision. We were looking at a long drive to Wolverine with the possibility of paddling in the rain, wind and lightning. But when we got there, it was cool, calm and sunny. Later it rained a little, thundered, stopped, got hot, rained some more, thundered some more, cleared up, the wind turned 180 degrees from our backs into our faces and it got cold.
Big Bear Canoe Livery in Indian River made a special effort to help us since they don't send trips to Wolverine very much. Jamie from Big Bear told us the interesting story of the company on our way back to Wolverine for N. White Rd. Bridge. John stayed at the putin to protect the women.
Mark and Val, paddling tandem, walked around on the logjams like cats and got every can, bottle, scrap of paper, piece of plastic and cloth that they saw. And they saw A LOT! The number of cans and bottles they removed from the Sturgeon was epic. They are my river cleaning HEROES!
Mary Lee, Dawn, John, Karl and Norm worked hard, too, and COMBINED found at least as much as Mark and Val.
One of the best things we found was a very ripe old aluminum road sign that Karl took home to make parts for his homemade canoes. Norm brought in a hammock-chair, ropes, poles and all that he found plastered against a tree stump.
We removed 10 bags of trash from the river. 6 "AMERICAN RIVER" sized bags tightly packed and 3 large, 39 gallon, black ones plus one full bucket. That is a lot of trash!
And were we tired! We didn't think that N. White Rd Bridge would ever arrive.
About 1/2 mile up from the takeout, Mark and Val encountered a family of 3 in a rental inflatable "canoe". It was really just a very large inflated kayak. We had seen them earlier and given them some pointers but they hit an odd deadfall that was floating and bouncing in the river and it flipped them. The 9 year old went under the boat and the tree and didn't come up and Mark went in after him. Mark described it as a "NASTY" situation. He's a HERO again! Mark then talked to the boy and got him to calm down enough to get back in the boat with his parents which he was reluctant to do. Funny how the little things we do can make such a big difference.
When Mark, Val and the renters arrived at N. White, we called Big Bear for a pickup for them. They had had it!
Thanks to BIG BEAR CANOE LIVERY for the complimentary shuttle and for picking up the trash we left at Rondo Landing and N White. They are very pleasant and cooperative people to work with. The 4 bags we had left upstream at Scott Rd Bridge were placed in the Meadows Bar and Grill dumpster with their permission but they were closed on Tuesdays.
After taking care of the trash and loading up the vehicles, we headed over to the Roadhouse Bar and Grill in Wolverine for some burgers, fries and pop and some fun times together before heading home.
Thanks to all of you who took the time and effort to work on this project. It was a wonderful day that almost didn't happen, and the Sturgeon is in far better condition that it was when we arrived.
Norm