15 TAPC members enjoyed a gorgeous sunny day paddling from Hodenpyl Dam to Red Bridge. However, there were a few "bumps" in the road. The Hodenpyl launch site was such a zoo that Lois vowed to NEVER again schedule a Saturday trip in July! The parking lot, stairway, and put-in were jammed with camp groups, outfitters, canoe/kayakers, and our TAPC group. The launch site was so crowded, we walked our kayaks thru hip-deep water to stage our craft out of the frenzied mayhem (see pic). While waiting for the shuttle drivers, Lois took the opportunity to give the new Arkansas Traverse City RVers some useful basic instruction in ferrying.
We finally launched around 11:00 am for a lovely 3.5 to 5 hour paddle. The front of the pack was led by a couple of speed demons who hurried down the river due to time constraints. The rest of the group enjoyed a leisurely uneventful paddle to our lunch spot sighting turtles, mergansers, ducks, and plenty of Canada geese.
Shortly after lunch, about 7 miles from Hodenpyl, things got very interesting (& wet) for Peggy, one of the AR newbies, who got tangled and pinned in a strainer on river right. Fortunately, John & Fred were close behind and were able to practice their river rescue and lost paddle finding skills. (See pics). All ended well, and the back of the pack arrived at Red Bridge resulting in a 5 hour paddle.
Peggy Myles
P.S. The AR people joined the TAPC this past spring to be able to have fun with us on the northern Michigan waters. The middle of the group had a leisurely paddle while waiting for the rescue team. We took a wonderful swim break and all practiced our ferrying skills without benefit of a boat! At the end we found some hunky guys to help haul our kayaks out of the water. Thanks to Sara for the shuttle so all our cars were at the takeout point; she's a river angel!
Here are some photos of the paddlers (by John)