June 11 Boardman clean-up
Lois Goldstein | Published on 6/11/2020
There were just four of us: John & me, Marlene (with Marv serving as chauffeur), and new member Mitch Treadwell. We spent two hours on a gorgeous summer afternoon cleaning the Boardman River between Shumsky and Beitner.
Highlights included hauling out a huge (maybe 10' by 20') plastic tarp, grabbed and cut up by John, and then transferred to a big bag in my solo canoe. Marlene and Mitch managed to find numerous old beer cans (including two full ones), and a wide variety of flip-flops and liquor bottles. It was cool and kind of windy, but we had the river to ourselves, and I didn't even mind spinning around numerous times in the canoe. It was like being in a hard-shell tube, but with control.
Mitch was using an old Perception Dancer kayak, and while looking for trash under a bush, his hat got knocked in the water. This was just upstream of the low bridge. Just downstream of the bridge he was looking for his hat in some brush, and he leaned upstream for a moment, and he was in the water. When the current is that strong, you can't lose your concentration for a moment. We recovered all his trash, but the river claimed his sunglasses. So later this summer, we'll need someone to go back and find the navy Patagonia baseball cap and slightly broken sunglasses. It never ends!
We all had a great time and have the satisfaction for a job well done!
Report by Lois, photos by John
Lois in her Mohawk 13 Solo
A mother wood duck and her chicks. Thanks to Mitch for pointing them out.
Marlene and Lois
Lois
Marlene and Mitch after some trash
Iris along the banks
Our trash which was mostly a big plastic tarp and assorted flip flops, water bottles and beer cans.
