Ten of us (Jackie, Leigh, Henry, Lois, John, Gail, Harold, Fred, Judy and Dan) met on a windy, cloudy day at Elm Flats, more like early spring than like midsummer. The weatherman had predicted a cold but sunny day. The cold part was true, but it didn't get sunny until we were taking out, at around 2 PM.
While the shuttle was taking place, Harold did an area clean-up and discovered a rather touching plaque. It had small pink glass hearts embedded in it, and a name inscribed on it: Phillip. It looked very much like a tombstone, perhaps for a pet who might be buried somewhere near the river.
The river was muddy due to the recent rain, and it was hard to see below the surface. Few things were gotten from the river bed. The river seemed cleaner than usual at midsummer, perhaps because the weather had kept people away. We found a moderate amount of trash, including a small American flag and tiny goggles, perhaps the size that Barbie (Doll) would wear.
Jackie is new to paddling and was never on the Pine before. We were all very pleased to see her do so well on this somewhat difficult river.
Judy S.