This experienced group of Lois, John, Tom, Woody, Gail and Linda W paddled this very beautiful stretch of the Pine River. Everyone noticed that the river was cleaner and clearer than anyone had ever seen before! The current was quick as usual and river water level high. In many settings Gail and Linda chose to beach their boats and wade in the water to more quickly pick up cans on the bottom. Lois and John found spearing was the often most effective way to gather tin and plastic trash. The goofiest finding was by Woody and Tom who dug out of the river bottom a well embedded pink piece of plastic only to find out it was part of the handle of a much larger water bazooka squirt gun with a buried 10 foot water supply tube!
It was also a great day for nature glimpsing: including a muskrat pulling a willow branch upstream during our lunch break, many Cedar Waxwings, occasional Kingfisher, and an all brown young Bald Eagle. Plants seen included Swamp Milkweed, Crown Vetch, Swamp Thistle, Spotted Knapweed, JoePye Weed, Black-Eyed Susans, and Blue Vervain.
As the trip ended everyone was looking forward to other outings.
Trip report by Tom; photos by John
The view of the river downstream from our put-in at Elm Flats
Presenting a gas card to Alaney Miltner
The group at the put-in
Woody & Tom attacking cans at a log jam
They had to take off quickly, so at the end they missed the final photo, but Gail smelled like fish, so she didn't want to get close to the rest of us.
