The river is high & I'm getting ready to leave town, so one last chance to paddle before fall.
WARNING: There is a big logjam 20 minutes past Rondo, 50 yards long with 300 trees totally blocking the river. Jamie is hoping the river will re-route itself since he doesn’t have enough time or manpower to clear it. He primarily runs Trowbridge to Rondo, and Big Bear runs S White down. Jamie has cleared a portage path river right, which he figures has been well-used. The river slows so not a problem but not easy getting out & back in. He lives near Rondo & hasn’t noticed any yellow Big Bear vans there, so they’re probably not using that section of the river.
The Sturgeon River is one of the most challenging in NW Lower MI, narrow with fast current, tight bends with many obstacles, logjams, rocks, riffles & shallow, narrow gravel bars. Each paddler must be able to manuever on their own, since it is not possible to watch over everyone in the group with so many tight horseshoe turns so close together. We have rescued many paddlers on this river, who did not have the necessary skills, and had to abandon their trip.
This is a 11-mile, 4 hr paddle from the park in downtown Wolverine (northwest side of the bridge) to Fisher Woods, just south of Indian River. We will meet approx 10:00AM, unload boats, then shuttle 10:15-10:30AM. We will stop along the way for lunch. All paddlers should wear PFDs and be dressed in appropriate clothes for the weather. Make sure you also have bow & stern lines, bailer, dry bag of warm clothes, snack for extra energy, and skills to manuever across river quickly to avoid obstacles, including sweepers, stumps, rocks & overhanging branches. Kayakers should have a skirt for their boat to keep dry.
Here are meeting times & places for carpool, if you make arrangements with me in advance: Chums Corner Walgreens at 8:00, East Bay Roadside Park across from Bayview Inn at 8:20, or Rapid City turnoff at 8:40 AM. My favorite drive there is to Boyne Falls, then right (east) on Thumb Lake Rd, for gorgeous golden tamaracks in fall.
If inclement weather, call me before you leave home since trip could be cancelled.