Actually the only difficult part was ... when John Walton and I arrived at the home of our intrepid leader, Jack Kurtz, who lives on the river. There we had to figure out how to load his canoe onto John's car, already encumbered with two canoes, all the while being unceasingly attacked by clouds of mosquitoes! Wish I had gotten a photo of Jack standing there to welcome us wearing a headnet!
We put in on the North Branch at Dam 4 and took out downstream on the Main AuSable at Parmalee. The paddle was delightful. Both rivers were higher and faster than normal, and we finished in four hours of paddling what Jack had expected would take five. We weathered occasional sprinkles and, on the big river, more often than not, actually enjoyed a following wind. Late afternoon found us at a local watering hole, Lost Creek Sky Ranch.
Jocelyn
John and Jack at the Dam Four put-in
Jack and John paddling on the North Branch
No white tail from this curious one
Canada Geese - both parents incubate and then care for their goslings
John and Jack with the three canoes reloaded at the take-out
Jack, Jocelyn, John award the day an A+