Howdy folks! This is Camille with a recap of our trip down the Upper Little Manistee River. I'm a native of West Texas and I came to vacation in the North Woods.
I also came to learn how to kayak which is how I came to be with the Traverse Area Paddle Club on this day. We put in our canoes/kayaks at Driftwood Valley Campground.
John Walton and I arrived first, thanks to our navigation system. We saw deer and a turtle on the way there. Cool. The fog added extra ambience after a night of thunderstorms. I've almost forgotten what that's like, since we haven't seen a decent amount of rain in awhile. Don't mind my fascination with all things wet, wild, and green; I just came from Hot and Hundred degrees! Anyway, I digress. After cars were taken to our take out spot and drivers returned, we set out. Looking back on the day as a whole, I can say there were more obstacles in the first part of our day than after lunch. It was my chance to practice what I'd learned in my previous two trips. First was the importance of slowing down so I had a chance to see how to get around an obstacle before becoming part of it! Second, was the importance of ferrying, and not just forward but backward as well. This was made apparent when Fred, John Walton and I came upon the others at a log jam. Fred saved the day by sawing through the downed tree. Alas, he had to get his feet wet to do so.
Lunch was a quick affair at Bear Track campground because the Mosquitos were biting at lunch too! After lunch the weather warmed up and the river seemed to widen and slow down. Fred and John didn't find much trash on the river. A few of us saw a particularly large salmon which was too fast to get more than a glimpse. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting the varied, interesting, and well-travelled people on the trip. There was Pam, Fred, and Lois with whom I spent the most time. I learned a lot from each of them. Fred loaned me his paddle which was shorter and lighter. What a difference! John Walton showed me how to lean and paddle into the curves of the river. The rest of my paddling companions were usually far ahead and included John H., Marvin, and Kati. I enjoyed my time with the Traverse Area Paddle Club and I'm looking to spending more time when I return. Adios Amigos.
Photos by Kati and John