Lois, John, Marlene, Betty, Jocelyn, Mike Gardiner, Mike Rodenberg, and Danny launched into the Jordan to cool off. Mike Gardiner decided paddling wasn’t quite cool enough, so he immersed himself shortly after launching. He declared the river refreshing. Between Old State Road and Webster there were some downed trees that had been cut to allow a narrow passage, but the current was very strong, and it tried to pin paddlers against another tree. Our group made it through successfully, but another group had a capsized so I (John) stopped to help him. Later, Danny picked up a pair of floating flip-flops and brought them to the next access site. When Danny described the situation to the folks waiting at the access – one lady in the water and another lady waiting for her - the people at the landing said, “That’s my Mom and my Aunt”. After the paddle, six of us went to the Foundry Bar and Grill in East Jordan for a nice evening meal.
A word of warning to people planning to paddle the Jordan.
The river has one very tricky spot, and the water is deep and fast at that location, so it is not a good place for beginning paddlers. After the weir, the current slows considerably because high water levels in Lake Michigan have backed up the river. The landing at Rogers Road has some silt in the river bottom near shore, so bring something to clean off your feet, or take out at the weir a little upstream.
Photos by Jocelyn
Lois
Betty
Mike Gardiner
Marlene
John followed by Mike Rodenberg
Mike Rodenberg
The guy John helped
John (wearing the white shirt) helping to empty the kayak
The narrow cut forced everyone into this tree
Mike Rodenberg avoiding the tree
High Bush Cranberry
Iris
