Traverse Area Paddle Club

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Trip Reports

Oct. 16 Pine River, Elm Flats to Peterson

Published on 10/16/2010

We used Mark Miltner to help with the shuttle, and insisted that he take a photo of our group before he took off. There we were: John surrounded by five women - Lois, Tracie, Roseanne, Angie and Maxi. John kept wondering why he hadn't been able to attract so many females in high school, and now, after 32 years of marriage, how come this was a common occurrence? Beats me - I didn't know him in high school.

We all arrived within 5 minutes of each other at Elm Flats, and were ready to run the shuttle 5 minutes early. It was downright brisk....29 when we crossed the Boardman near home, and all the way up to 32 by the time we arrived at the Pine. But the sun was out and by the time we took out at Peterson, the temp was up to 64. So "layers" was definitely the operative word for the day. I began in a fleece hat, ended up hatless. I also removed fleece gloves, a windbreaker, and at lunchtime at Dobson, the silk turtleneck. My sprayskirt stayed on all day, and that helped keep me dry and comfy. Special thanks to Angie, who had rainpants to loan to Roseanne when her sprayskirt leaked. Everyone else was similarly disrobing throughout our journey. The fall colors were a bit past peak, but still it was gorgeous to be on the river, with the bright blue sky backing up the evergreens and red, yellow and orange leaves still clinging to tree branches.

There were a few dicey spots, but everyone made it through them with no problems. Perhaps the greatest obstacle involved getting around a couple of the other groups using the river. When we took out at Peterson, we had to maneuver around a bunch of boats that were blocking the shoreline (as their owners just sat and watched us struggle). Mental note: when we stop at an access point for any length of time, we need to make sure that we are not obstructing the way for other paddlers. That way we avoid being "river rude". (Thanks for the correct phrase, Angie!)
The Pine River is very clean now, and we all enjoyed being there for a leisurely paddle after working so hard this summer cleaning it. Here's to more adventures on this jewel of Michigan! We all felt grateful to be able to paddle such a lovely stream so close to home.

Written by Lois

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