July 2, 2009 - Little Manistee River
There's nothing "little" about the Little Manistee River. It is, without a doubt, the toughest and most technical river in the group of rivers we paddle most often. We all look forward to paddling it with a bit of anxiety. It would be a fast and tricky little river, even without the log jams, half fallen trees, bushes growing out into the current, sharp bends with swift current carrying us where we don't want to go and stumps, rocks, and dead-falls to keep it interesting. With all of these obstacles, it's not a river for the faint of heart or a beginner without the skills to make fast decisions and to act on them even faster.
Sara Cockrell hosted the trip for the four of us, Jocelyn, Roseanne, Norm and David Fred. She kept us together in constant sight of each other for safety and led the way while David was sweep. No one flipped but we had a few close calls along the way. It was originally scheduled for Tuesday but the forecast for rain scared us off. Today was cool and misty with an often brisk NW wind, but it felt good and no one needed their rain gear.
We portaged 3 to 6 times (some of us more than others) when the current didn't match our skills and when the log jams were not passable. We repositioned one tree after Sara tried to do the limbo under it but it was too low. Sara cut the tree in the middle of the river from her canoe while Norm sawed the bank end to enable it to swing out of the way. It took a few minutes but was definitely worth it.
The Six Mile Bridge, which was eroded during last June's flood, was being rebuilt but we were able to pass under the crane and steel girders without a problem. No other paddlers were on the river and we only saw 4 fishermen and passed by quickly.
Norm enjoyed his last paddle before his 70th birthday in three days. Not bad for a 70 year old guy to be able to paddle the LMR. In addition, this was Roseanne's homecoming paddle, Sara's going away (for the summer), Jocelyn's last one while she has family visiting, and David's christening on the LMR. So, it was a celebratory day for all and certainly a contrast from the gray & gloomy skies! We all had a great time together and look forward to doing it again in the fall.
