Tuesday’s Pine River trip, led by John and Lois, was nearly postponed due to the weather report, but we braved forth and were rewarded with occasional peaks of sunlight through a mostly overcast day. The trip was a poignant one: the river was so clean we didn’t know whether to celebrate or be disappointed by the lack of things to pick up, and most of the trash found was quite old. (Thankfully there’s always the Sturgeon and the Jordan . . .)
Mike hung back as sweep, leaving Tracie to take the lead both metaphorically and physically as a great spotter and trash collector. Her guidance and cues were instrumental in pushing Mariah to the lead in a trash-collecting competition only Fred was participating in (which did nothing to lessen her victory). Linda and Barb kept to the mid-front of the pack so as to not miss any of the excitement and ensure a good find for themselves. Competitive fervor aside, Sue was arguably the most committed of collectors, paddling straight into more than one giant bramble of felled trees for a prize. June, not to be outdone, discovered a bubbling spring near the riverbank midway through the trip (never before seen!! We’re charging money!), and Jocelyn documented the find with some great photos.
At the take-out Gail won the award for "most wet" with an elegant exit from her kayak, while Mariah won the award from most drama when she sprained her thumb lifting a boat and enjoyed a brief visit to Urgent Care. Be SAFE out there!
All in all another exciting day on the Pine!