Trip report by Ron Coyne
Photos by Ron and John
People: Ron, Jocelyn, John, Lois, Tracie, Jackie, Linnaea, Gail, Marlene
The day started out overcast with a cool breeze in the air and the skies threatening rain which thankfully never came. John and I had a laugh about where our rain gear was left. Note to one’s self: bring items which you may not use; you never know and it is a long reach to the closet at home.
Our trip started out with my following John to clear any obstructions along the route. We came across some low hanging branches and got out of our kayaks to clear them. The river is colder than I remember it being when in my younger days. Upon re-entering my kayak I got a great pointer from John to get in from the downstream side of the kayak - which saved me from landing in the drink. Thank you, John.
It was a real learning experience to follow behind and watch him navigate down the river ahead of me, especially since we have the same model kayak. I want to thank everyone I have paddled with for all of the help and advice you have given so freely to me. Most of all, with a safety conscious group, I never felt the slightest risk of being in danger.
As the day progressed, the sun peeked out and the day warmed to a perfect temperature. Everyone managed to negotiate the underwater and overhead obstacles without getting dumped. I would highly recommend this section of the Manistee to anyone who has a sense of adventure and wants to learn to maneuver their boat better. The scenery on this part of the river is absolutely beautiful and I found a little soul cleansing along the way. All in all, great weather, great scenery but most of all a great bunch of people I am happy to call friends. It does not get much better than this.
