East Coast Paddlers

Memorial Weekend 2012

2012-01-09T13:15:00.002-05:00

East Coast Paddlers

Memorial Weekend 2012

Please join us again for a weekend of paddling, eating, fun and relaxation up here in beautiful Benzie County. Cathy and I hope you’ll come on up to enjoy the woods and lakes of our adopted area. If you can get up here on Friday May 25, you can join us for a paddle on Lake Dubonnet near Interlochen. Here’s what the visitor’s bureau has to say;

Absolute seclusion, undeveloped shoreline, thriving populations of pike, perch, bluegills and bass - Lake Dubonnet is a fisherman’s paradise. Kayakers seeking a quiet escape also can enjoy the solitude here.

A quick drive on U.S. 31 north from Beulah reveals what local anglers like to keep under wraps: a pristine 1,000-acre lake that has some of the best fishing around. To find Lake Dubonnet follow Wildwood Road deep into the trees until you pull up in front of Lake Dubonnet State Forest Campground. The lake is to your left, along with parking and a boat launch.

Stop paddling, breathe deeply and take a moment to savor the situation - yes, you pretty much have this lake to yourself. Once your canoe or kayak is floating serenely on the water, drink up the scenery made possible by Lake Dubonnet's almost entirely undeveloped shoreline.

As you drift about, notice the flooded timber, lily pads and thick clusters of weeds scattered throughout the lake - these are hot spots for fish. Northern pike, perch and muskie are a few of the species that call this lake home, as well as monster-sized hybrid bluegills in the early spring and an impressive population of largemouth bass. And don't forget to paddle past the lake's marshy, pine-dotted "wandering" island. Local lore claims it's the world's only floating island; while this may or may not be true, the drifting land mass is still worth a look-see.

Any boat that you have is appropriate for this paddle. We’ll be heading for the lake at 2:00 PM, so please join us. After the paddle we’ll enjoy dinner at The Tangled Antler, just down the road from our house. We plan on having a campfire each night. We have limited indoor sleeping bag space, but we have plenty of room for your tents, trailers and RV’s.

Depending on what looks like the best day weatherwise, we’ll head up to Old Mission Peninsula and paddle out to Power Island in Grand Traverse Bay. For this trip, you should have a boat at least 14’ long with watertight hatches. This is about a 7-8 mile round trip and we’ll have lunch on the island. There will also be time for you to do some island hiking if you wish. If you prefer a bike ride instead of paddling, Cathy will lead an 18 mile bike ride up to the lighthouse at the tip of Old Mission Peninsula. The peninsula has many orchards, vineyards and wineries and is a favorite route of riders up here. Either way, biking or paddling, bring a lunch. We’ll all start our day from the same location.

Here’s a short piece on Power Island from Traverse Magazine;

Seen from the northwest, Power Island and its tiny neighbor, Bassett Island, lie in the clear waters of West Grand Traverse Bay, beside the narrow Old Mission Peninsula. The islands are only nine miles north of the resort community of Traverse City.

A 204-acre preserve of forests, wetlands, bluffs and beaches on West Grand Traverse Bay in Michigan, its only human residents are the county park ranger and his family who stay in the summers to keep an eye on things. But for boaters and paddlers, it’s one of the most popular destinations on the bay – thanks to its sheltered location at the mouth of Bowers Harbor.

On summer weekends, in particular, the island’s tiny harbor is filled with kayakers who cluster in the shallows off its southern edge to enjoy the limpid Caribbean-clear waters and picnic on the tree-shaded beaches.

The interior of the island is a treat for hikers: miles of well-maintained trails lead through the dense beech-maple forest (home to fox, bobcats and a diverse population of songbirds) to a high ridge known as the Eagle’s Nest and along the wild western shore with its steep bluffs and rocky shoals.

To the north, there’s even another, smaller island: little 2-acre Bassett Island, which in low-water periods is linked to its larger neighbor by a causeway of sand, gravel and boulders. Here, the Grand Traverse County parks department maintains a small five-site rustic campground. It’s a strange experience to camp out on a “desert island” so close to the mainland that you can watch the lights of the homes and restaurants that line the opposite shore.

Bassett Island’s career was slightly different. For years it was known as Haunted Island because of a tale (probably apocryphal) that it was inhabited by the ghost of an Indian girl who had been marooned there for some breach of tribal etiquette. In the late 19^th century it was purchased by a Civil War veteran named Dick Bassett, who built a small cabin, raised his own food, and was considered a mysterious hermit. In 1901 a steamship company bought the island and erected a two-story dance pavilion that was a major attraction for excursion boats until the early 1930s.

If the weather looks iffy, we’ll alter plans and paddle a section of the Manistee River from Hodenpyl Dam to Red Bridge. Most people think that this section is the most scenic part of the whole river. It features 150’ tall banks and wide sweeping turns. The distance is 12 miles, and the current is mostly swift. The river is wide enough so that any boat is good for this trip. Bring a lunch to enjoy.

On Monday, we’ll paddle a more intimate river, The Betsie. We’ll look over our maps and see which section we’d like to tackle this year. A shorter boat would be best for the twists and turns of the Upper Betsie.

All meals for the weekend are potluck and buffet style. Bring food to share. Cathy and I plan on making breakfast for Saturday AM, it could be pancakes again or maybe a surprise. The coffee pot is always on. We’re hoping that the young couple who made gourmet oatmeal for us the past few years will attend this year and treat us to another helping. Did I mention beef brisket?

If you have a spouse or friend who doesn’t paddle, there are plenty of other fun things to keep them busy. As in the past couple of years, we’ll rent a porta-john to help ease the septic tank load and we’d welcome a small monetary donation to help offset the cost. Please RSVP if you plan on coming up. If you have questions or need directions, email George at ggranlund622@gmail.com

XC Ski Trip to the U.P.

2011-12-12T12:53:00.001-05:00

XC SKI 2012

February 24, 25, 26, 2012

This coming February we’re going to explore beautiful Alger County. If I know the East Coast Paddlers, I know that you like terrific scenery, good food, something new to experience, and to be outdoors. Alger County and the Munising area in the U.P. has it all. After you see what’s up there, you’ll want to come back. The kayaking is great, but when the lakes are frozen the skiing is great too. We’ll get out to Valley Spur, the Pictured Rocks Trails, and McKeever Lakes Trails for skiing. The area has 17 waterfalls to see. We’ll snowshoe hike to Laughing Whitefish Falls or Miners Falls to view them in winter.

If you don’t snowshoe, I’m sure that those who do can break trail and your skis will be fine. We’ll make The Dogpatch Restaurant in Munising our home base for hearty, if not totally healthy, food. For lunches, you have the option of having award-winning Muldoon’s Pasties bake a fresh pasty for you to take along on the trail. Stuff one in your pants like the old miners used to, and it’ll keep you warm. Don’t fall though! Munising also has a homey coffee shop (The Falling Rock Café) that features a variety of wonderful micro-roasted coffees. Our motel is The Munising Motel (906 387 3187) right on M-28 in Munising. You need to call them for your room reservations and mention East Coast Paddlers to get the group discount. Leave a voice mail and they will get back to you. If you wish to share a room, designate a caller to make a reservation for you. Contact me ggranlund622@gmail.com to be put on the ski trip list and I’ll keep you up to date on what’s new. As of 12/12/11 the motel has 6 rooms available. If we fill up 4 rooms, we get their group discount. We will be competing against snowmobilers for rooms, so commit NOW as February is NOT their offseason.

Itinerary

Friday February 24

Meet at the H-58 Trailhead for noon skiing on the Pictured Rocks Trails. 12:00 P.M.

Arrive and check in at the Munising Motel

Dinner at The Dogpatch Restaurant

Saturday February 25

Breakfast at The Dogpatch

Full day of skiing at Valley Spur Ski Area

Dinner at The Dogpatch (Brownstone Inn Optional)

Sunday February 26

Breakfast at The Dogpatch

Checkout of Munising Motel

Snowshoe/ski hike into waterfalls

Optional skiing at McKeever Hills

Journey home

Details

Munising Motel (reserve NOW)

(906) 387-3187

www.munisingmotel.net

Falling Rock Café

www.fallingrockcafe.com

Muldoon’s Pasties

(906) 387-5880

1246 W. State Highway M-28

Ski Maps

Valley Spur

www.valleyspur.org

Pictured Rocks

http://www.nps.gov/piro/planyourvisit/crosscountryskiing.htm

McKeever Hills

http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MEDIA/stelprdb5109912.jpg

Laughing Whitefish Falls

http://www.fishweb.com/maps/alger/waterfalls/laughing_whitefish/map.html

Buffalo River Trip 2012

2011-11-15T09:35:00.003-05:00

Join The East Coast Paddlers on The Buffalo River
Buffalo River Trip 2012

If it’s been a few years since you’ve paddled the Buffalo River in northern Arkansas, you need to go back. If you’ve never done it, you’re in for a treat. Plans are in the works for a weeklong journey to America’s first National River, the Lower Buffalo. We’ll be paddling the 80 miles between Woolum and Buffalo City. There is no whitewater along this stretch, but the current is usually swift and pool and drop in nature. We’ll be backcountry camping for three nights and four days. Campsites are beautiful and plentiful (and free). The dates aren’t set yet but the trip will last 8 days including travel time, and will occur some time in early to mid-April. If you wish to go but have constraints on the dates, let me know soon and we can make adjustments. Easter Sunday is on the 8^th next year. Either canoes or kayaks of any length capable of carrying your gear are suitable. Your skills should be beyond rank beginner and you should be a

ble to navigate a river. Email George Granlund at ggranlund622@gmail.com if you are interested, and I’ll keep you up to date on the plans and dates.

Trip Report Buffalo River 2004

Take pure, clear, flowing water: send it down a 132-mile meandering course; pour it over rapids; strain it through gravel bars; drift it through long pools; let it caress tree-covered banks. Then punctuate the shores with frequent, tall multicolored bluffs; and fill the countryside with steep, wooded hills. Now interject countless turtles sunning on logs; watch dozens of buzzards lazily looping across the sky, be startled by a bass breaking the water surface; and observe a heron stalking the river’s edge. Finally, place yourself in a kayak drifting down the river surrounded by the peaceful and inspiring mood of these natural elements. Now you have the essence of the Buffalo National River.

Flowing water, relatively free from pollution and impoundment, was the primary purpose of Buffalo River becoming the nation’s first National River in 1972. The Buffalo River is one of the Nation’s last major rivers that are still free-flowing. Its ancient current gives life to well over 300 species of fish, insects, freshwater mussels and aquatic plants. In addition to the thriving aquatic life, on land there are many more natural wonders to behold: caves with hidden formations, untrodden passageways, pits and sinks and underground waterways; tall cliffs that create long waterfalls; old pioneer farmsteads that provide foraging for numerous wildlife species such as elk and whitetail deer, wild turkey, bobwhite quail and many other species of wildlife waiting to experienced.

Thus sayeth the promotional literature from the park service. And it’s all true. Sixteen of us made the long drive from chilly Michigan to pleasantly warm Arkansas on Good Friday. We ranged in age from eighty-something John to twenty-something Linnea, and in experience from 5th time down the river to many first time Buffalo River paddlers. Because of other commitments, Phil drove in from Utah and he and Theron caught up with the rest of the group at the outfitters. We used Buffalo River Outfitters, located in Silver Hill, Arkansas, hard by the Buffalo River. They provided us with the shuttle drivers needed to drop us off at Woolum.

Woolum is just a place name on the river and is about as far up as is navigable with canoes and long kayaks during most of the year. That far upstream, the river is fed almost totally by rain runoff along with a few springs. During low water, you would have to put in at the US 65 bridge and bang along the rocks until the small tributaries fill up the river. There is a website that gives current and historical river levels (http://www.buffaloriverandrain.com/levelreport.html)that you can reference to see what the conditions are. Compare the levels with April 17-20, 2004. On those dates, the river levels were nearly ideal for paddling.

Jim Sage, Jim Ledtke, and Margie Black provided vehicles for transportation to the Buffalo and we unloaded in the rain in Woolum. The sky was pewter during most of the day and we paddled less than 10 miles downstream the first day to try to get camp set up before the skies let loose. It wasn’t a convenient campsite given the potential for a rapid rise in river level. The river has been known to rise a foot an hour when it’s raining heavily in the mountains upstream and we didn’t want to witness that firsthand.

The first day paddling and camping together gave us a good opportunity to get to know one another and share experiences. John Kalam (I hope I spelled your name right John) has been around the world and has more stories than the rest of us put together, so we had hoped to glean some insight to the world from him. Unfortunately, he fell ill and decided it was best to take out at Tyler Bend and recuperate rather than taking a chance on the rest of the river.

On Easter Sunday, the sun was bright and temperatures hovered around 70 degrees. That brought out the many turtles, or “sliders” as they are known locally. They were sunning themselves on logs, and sometimes we’d startle them as we paddled by, and then a dozen or so would slide, plunk, or tumble down into the water.

That night we stayed near a river access point called Maumee North. This provided another gravel bar to camp on, but with proximity to nice, clean outhouse facilities. An example of our tax dollars at work. An architect, Bill Ahlstrom was meticulous with his campfire construction. Both of the last two nights, he set up wonderful fires for us to sit around and share wine, food, and stories of past adventures.

For those of you considering a trip down the Buffalo, I need to mention that you can camp anywhere, fires are permitted, no itinerary or permits are required, and there are no fees. As we all know, that’s exceedingly rare in these times of increased regulation and “user fees”.

I can’t speak for what everyone saw, but in terms of wildlife, I saw a heron rookery, wild turkeys, striped bass, suckers, bald eagles, turtles of course, kingfishers, many osprey, hundreds of buzzards, a salamander, and a very few black flies. At night, we heard coyotes howling, owls hooting, and someone else snoring. And at about 5:00 a.m., a very loud whip-poor-will commuted downriver to our campsite to wake us up each morning. During our last day on the river, the wind tested our mettle.

Even though the river snakes around and we faced nearly every point on the compass, the wind seemed to always be in our face. We guessed that it was a steady 20 MPH and was gusting to 35 MPH at times. The bright sunshine helped to ease the strain, but most of us will be talking about the high winds during that last day for some time. When we got to the takeout at Buffalo City, John was there to greet us and everyone got together for hugs, a group picture, and to say our goodbyes. It’s tough to capture a great trip in words- we met new friends, shared a little adversity, enjoyed the good life one more time, and catalogued some memories.

Buffalo River April 2009 Trip Report

In some respects, a paddling trip is like a jigsaw puzzle. How the trip turns out depends on many individual pieces such as the paddlers, the weather, the water conditions, the food, and accidents and incidents. The paddlers for this trip included 11 people from around the state who are, in some manner, affiliated with the East Coast Paddlers. John Neal and Steve Conlee came from over near Port Sanilac, George Granlund came from up north in Beulah, Tom O’Connor and Sue Pellerito made the journey from Ann Arbor, John Moffat came from Novi, Dave Rhodes from Flint, Bill McCormick from South Haven, Nina Kowalski from Swartz Creek, Charlie Robertson from Middleville, and Bob Shockley doesn’t quite know where he’s from but it’s either Midland or near Russellville, Arkansas. Our club has quite a reach. We gathered in Buffalo City Arkansas and met at the White Buffalo Resort www.whitebuffaloresort.com. They provided us with three shuttle drivers. Our driver, Joey, entertained us with stories of river floods and Ozark antics told in the twangiest of drawls. Thankfully we had Bob Shockley along in our van to act as interpreter.

Coming from a long Michigan winter, we all looked as pale as dead fish and were looking forward to some Arkansas warmth and sunshine. Our first day on the river did not disappoint. We put in at Woolum under a bright sun and temperatures in the low 70’s. The current was moving along at 5 MPH and in 2 hours we pulled in to camp at a gravel bar. One of the best things about the Buffalo National River is its’ shortage of rules and regulations. We could camp anywhere along its’ banks. The Buffalo was designated a National Scenic River in 1972. In fact, it was the first such river to be given that designation. And scenic it is. We ended the day around a campfire built from the plentiful driftwood found along the banks. The driftwood is the result of the many floods that knock down trees and regularly sweep them downstream. We felt little guilt in having the fire because the next flood would wipe all traces of it away. Little did we realize that the next flood would occur the next day. We had some overnight drizzle and were reprieved only long enough to cook breakfast and strike camp. During the course of the day the rain kept falling and the river rose and the temperature dropped. Mid-way through the day we spotted the sign indicating the village of Gilbert. Gilbert is a delightful Ma and Pa Kettle-type burg located up the hill just out of the flood plain. In warmer weather we’d have enjoyed a leisurely lunch on the porch of the post office/antique shop/ store. Today, however, we shivered and grumbled until we spied an OPEN sign at the Gilbert Café. We packed in amongst the local patrons, dripping water all over their floor. Imagine what the management of a place like Bennigan’s might have said to our group? The kind folks in Gilbert brought out hot drinks and dry towels and wished us Happy Easter. A warm radiator has never felt so good. One kind couple bought us coffee and Easter Cake and admonished us about how the river is notorious for leaving flooded paddlers stranded in trees. Reluctantly, we ventured into the rain again and paddled the remaining 12 miles to Maumee South, an established campground high enough to thwart the flooded river. Some of us struggled to bring a fire to life and a little cheer to the end of the day. On our third river day, the rain gradually diminished but the current kept increasing. We were in a hurry to find a camp to try to dry our gear out and we found one at Rush Landing. We strung multiple clotheslines up under a pavilion and set our damp tents up. Earlier we had paddled through some Class I and II rapids with no problem as the cliffs began getting steeper and taller. If the rain would only stop, the scenery would be glorious. Overnight a high pressure system moved in, clearing the skies for the rest of our trip. Day four on the river was going to be a short one, so some of us went hiking through some mining ruins dating back to the Civil War. Immediately upon setting out on the river we were faced with 2’-3’ standing waves that were caused by the river being constricted and forced through a chute. We could hear the rapids a quarter of a mile away, so we scouted along the opposite river bank and then gingerly made our way through the flooded underbrush. None of us is proficient in rapids and our gear was made for big water not whitewater, so we think we made the right decision. We were sure that the rest of the trip would be clear sailing but that was not to be. Less than two miles downstream, we were caught by surprise in a series of small whirlpools followed by another set of rapids. Sue and Nina were caught sideways and went over. To their credit, they were both dressed for immersion and kept calm as they rode out the rapids. They had to float downstream for nearly ten minutes before Nina was brought back aboard by Steve and Sue could be towed to shore. We learned a few lessons about how we could have been better prepared. We need better throw/tow techniques and need to have all gear tethered to the boat. Our last evening on the river was spent on a wide sandbar thirteen miles from the White River/Buffalo River confluence. The river had stopped rising but was now flowing at about seven miles per hour. We had no trouble keeping a nine mile an hour paddling pace and the miles flew by. Upon rounding the final bend to Buffalo City the jigsaw puzzle was complete. Eleven East Coast Paddlers enjoyed, and sometimes endured, all that nature had dealt us. We saw eagles, buzzards, turtles, a chorus of hoot owls, peepers, rain, sunshine, cold, warmth, bluffs, gracious Arkansans, campfires and the River. What a wonderful picture is was.

Resources

Buffalo River

www.nps.gov/buff

White Buffalo Resort

www.whitebuffaloresort.com

River Levels

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis

Photographs

www.picasaweb.google.com/George622

2011-10-25T19:51:00.000-04:00

2012 Calendars
Once again calendars are being offered highlighting trips taken by the Eastcoast Paddlers through the year. Pictures are being accepted now to be considered for inclusion. Send your high quality photos to the Eastcoast Paddler's e-mail account.

Calendars are being offered for an estimated cost of $10.00 each. If you would like to order one, please e-mail the site. If you will not be able to pick your calendar up at the Christmas party, please make sure you include your address when you place your order.

2011-10-25T19:46:00.002-04:00

ECP Christmas Party
Join your paddling friends on Thursday, December 8 at 6:30 for the annual Christmas party. The fun will be held at the Bay County Community Center, 800 John F. Kennedy Drive.

Please bring a dish to share, your table setting, and a $10.00 gift if you would like to participate in the gift exchange.

This meeting is not only a way to celebrate the season, but will also be the meeting where elections are held for President. If you are interested in running for this office, please e-mail the club or let them the night of the party.

Grandma's Sour Cream and Raisin Apple Pie

2011-09-22T12:51:00.000-04:00

2011 Harbor Beach Chili Cookoff pie winner! So glad you enjoyed the pie. Here is the "secret" recipe:

(1) unbaked pie shell (mine was home made but Pillsbury is ok to use)

(4) cups thinly sliced apples (Rome) but I used some Granny Smith & MacIntosh

3/4 cup sugar

Mix together and put in a couple Tbsp of flour

Sprinkle apples with cinnamon and a little nutmeg to taste

Chopped pecans or walnuts

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg

l/2 cup raisins (I used golden)

Mix above together and then mix in with the apples

Topping

1/2 cup brown sugar

l/3 cup flour

1/4 cup butter

Cut butter into the sugar & flour - Set aside; don't put this on top of pie yet

Put the apples & sour cream mixture into pie shell. These can be left out, but I put them in for the contest or you can use walnuts.

Place pie in a 400° oven and bake for 25 minutes. Take out then top with a few chopped pecans and cover with your topping and return to oven for 20 more minutes. Note: watch the topping and your crust rim so that it doesn't burn.

Enjoy

Linda McLean

Ultimate Irresistible Granola

2011-09-13T20:35:00.001-04:00

From Pat Nelson: A truly tasty treat for breakfast, or any time, actually. I especially like mine mixed with some Greek yogurt. Enjoy!Ingredients

5 cups rolled oats
1 cup blanched slivered almonds
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup sesame seeds
1 cup wheat germ
2 cups shredded coconut
1 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
1 cup canola oil (I use coconut oil)
1 1/2 cups honey
1 cup raisins or dried blueberries
1 cup dried cranberries
(I also added some flax seed & chia seeds)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
In a large bowl, stir together the oats, almonds, walnuts, pecans, sesame seeds, wheat germ, coconut and sunflower seeds. In a small pan over medium heat, stir together the oil and honey. Cook and stir until blended. You could also do this in a large measuring cup in the microwave, heating for about 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Pour over the oat mixture, and stir to coat evenly. Spread out in an even layer on two cookie sheets.
Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until the oats and nuts are toasted. Immediately after it comes out of the oven, stir in the raisins and dried cranberries. Let stand until cooled, and stir again to break up any large clusters. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks, but I guarantee it won't be around that long!

The link for it is:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/ultimate-irresistible-granola/detail.aspx
Second recipe, very similar, but uses quick oats and cinnamon...

6 cups Quick oats

1-1/2 cups Coconut

1 cup Chopped nuts-almond, walnut, pecan

1 cup Sunflower seeds

1 cup Wheat bran

½ cup Flax seeds (ground)

½ cup Honey

½ cup Coconut Oil

1 tbs & 1 tsp Cinnamon

Bake @ 350 for 30-45 minutes, turning every 10 minutes.

As soon as you take out of oven,

Add 1 cup raisins, dried cherries or blueberries.

Other possible add-ins:

Sesame seeds, poppy seeds, chia seeds

Lake Michigan Islands

2011-08-31T13:19:00.005-04:00

Lake Michigan Islands

With a combined age of over 250 years, none of the four of us fits the mold of the adrenaline pumped thrill-seeking kayaker who is featured in the stories found in Sea Kayaker magazine. We’re long past the age where we need to go cascading over waterfalls or paddling around Iceland. But still we feel the need for a challenge that includes the possibility of failure. Princess Cruises aren’t our cup of tea. Our challenge was to paddle from Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore to Mackinaw City via the beautiful islands of northern Lake Michigan.

Our gang of four was made up of Tom O’Connor from Ann Arbor, Bill McCormick from South Haven, Charlie Robertson who hails from Middleville, and me from beautiful Beulah.

The Manitou Islands are visited often. And Beaver Island has regular ferry service and 551 year round residents. But most of the other islands along our route are seldom visited. Those islands are either too remote or don’t have a lot of scenic draw to get more people to visit them. We hoped to see all of them along our journey.

We had more than a little trepidation prior to departing. Some of the crossings were long; one of them was more than twice what any of us had ever done before. Long crossings can be dangerous because of the length of time we would be exposed to the possibility of strong winds and big waves. The huge fetch is another factor that allows waves to build up a lot of strength before they get to us. Help is a long way away and, as good as our U.S. Coast Guard is, if things went bad, we could be in the water a long time. We prepared for the trip by putting in hours of practice time and took shakedown trips on the Great Lakes. Our equipment included VHF radios for everyone in order to communicate with sailors and boaters, along with a SPOT satellite tracker to call for help and keep loved ones apprised of our progress. We also filed a float plan, and carried flares and other signaling devices. But technology can only take a paddler so far. We also worked on our rescues and paddling skills so that a rescue would not be needed.

Sleeping Bear Point sits below the shoulder of the Sleeping Bear Dunes. It is a windswept piece of land jutting into the Manitou Passage with views west toward Wisconsin, north towards Cathead Point, and south towards Pt. Betsie. Schooners piled high with lumber, potatoes, fruit, and other goods as well as steamships made their way past this point southbound for Chicago or northbound with passengers and finished goods.

The Manitou Passage represented for seamen an opportunity to save time and replenish supplies, but it also had a darker side in which numerous schooners and steamers were caught in storms and fog and were run aground or sunk.

The tremendous traffic through the Passage required a life-saving service to aid ships and their crews. In 1901, Congress appropriated the money to build a Life-Saving Station at Sleeping Bear Point. By 1931, moving sand dunes and shoreline erosion forced the station to move to its current location near Glen Haven.

Today, the Sleeping Bear Point Coast Guard Station is owned and operated by Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The buildings have been restored to their pre-1931 appearance and are open to visitors.

We began our adventure with an eight mile crossing to South Manitou Island. We launched into water that was calm in the lee of the tall dunes, but as soon as we cleared Sleeping Bear Point, we encountered a southwest quartering wind and 2 foot waves. Just as it has guided mariners for a century, the bright white hundred-foot tall lighthouse on the island served to guide us. Two and a half hours later we stopped for a snack and to talk with hikers and campers waiting for their ferry to Leland. It was four more miles over to North Manitou, the larger of the two islands in the park. It was hard paddling round Dimmick’s Point because of the wind and the fact that the shoal stretches for hundreds of yards into the lake. Finally we made it around and could see the boat dock and village four miles to the north. When we arrived, not much was happening there and no ranger was in evidence, so we left our camping fee and float plan stuffed in the door jamb. One thing these two islands feature is an abundance of poison ivy. A person can’t go far from the water before encountering it, but park service rules require campers to be a minimum of 300 feet from shore. Sure enough, the next day I had the dreaded red, itchy patches on my legs. Apparently the park service doesn’t feel that the slogan “Take poison ivy, leave only footprints” is as catchy as the rash is.

The eighteen mile crossing to South Fox Island had been weighing heavily on our minds ever since the trip was suggested. Though the dunes on the island are nearly three hundred feet high, they are barely visible from North Manitou. Our NOAA weather radios informed us that we’d have some wind late in the day, and no bigger than 2-3 foot waves. I had my doubts, but Tom said “let’s do it”, so we shoved off. The mileage slowly clicked off on our GPS’s as we kept an eye on each other and held a steady 4 MPH paddling speed. Off to our right, the Leelanau Peninsula slowly shrank away. Too our left, we could only imagine Wisconsin. Patience and planning are keys in making long water crossings. The wind and waves weren’t terribly challenging, and we had to tell ourselves to relax and enjoy the trip. We celebrated the halfway mark with a snack and plenty of hydration. That brings up the problem with being “overhydrated”. Those of us who had to go enroute rafted up and relieved ourselves. Being all guys (old guys), we had our pee bottles available and took care of business while rocking and rolling in the waves. Once again underway, South Fox slowly got bigger and we were excited to see the old lighthouse guarding the southeastern shore.

South Fox Island, probably one of the prettiest islands of the Great Lakes, lies about 16 nautical miles north-northwest of Lighthouse Point in Leelanau County, Michigan, making it the most isolated island in Lake Michigan. The State of Michigan owns one third of the island, which includes the lighthouse complex under the jurisdiction of the Department of Natural Resources.

The island is crescent shaped and has 11 1/2 miles of shoreline and is nearly unspoiled wilderness. There is some evidence that French explorers visited North and South Fox Islands in the early 1600s. South Fox has no natural harbor. A lighthouse was erected in 1867 on the southern tip of the island. It was abandoned and left to decay in 1959.

Developer David V. Johnson has a large residence and many guest homes on the island’s north side. Mr. Johnson owns 2,204 acres of the island’s 3,400 acres. In 2001, he built a paved runway that can handle jets. At one point he proposed swapping North Fox Island, which he also owned, with the state, for the third of South Fox that he did not own, but he settled in 2003 for a consolidation deal which traded 218 acres of state owned land on the southern part of South Fox for 219 acres on the north and central parts of the same island.

South Fox Island boasts some of the most spectacular freshwater maritime scenery in the world, including towering dunes, virgin cedars, and untouched beaches

We explored the lighthouse compound, the Native American graveyard and the boathouse which was being restored. After what now seemed to be a short crossing of 4.5 miles, we arrived at North Fox Island. The island is desolate and now, thanks to Mr. Johnson who paid to remove tons of junk from the island, a beautiful place. He has since deeded the island to the State of Michigan, so that we all may enjoy this unique place.

The water offered a relaxing swim and we encountered little of the smelly algae and zebra mussels that covered the beaches on the Manitou’s.

With our longest crossing behind us, we got bolder and the eleven mile crossing to Beaver Island (largest in Lake Michigan) seemed less daunting than it might have a week earlier. The wind didn’t give us much of a break though, and once we cleared the lee of the island we were faced with a west wind of 20 MPH and waves that built to five feet (although in my memory, they were ten feet). We headed for what looked like an uninhabited beach on Beaver for a late lunch and much-needed rest before rounding the southeast side of the island. Our lunch came to an abrupt end when we heard the rumbling of thunder in the distance. Our plan was to have an “easy” day today and travel eight more miles to camp at the township campground. A very nice campground, it features the cushy amenities of a creaky hand pump, picnic tables and clean outhouses.

The next morning, we paddled north to the Village of St. James. Most of the island’s 551 year round residents live near the village that features a very nice grocery, a bar, motels and a coffee shop, Dalwhinnie’s, that has wonderful brewed coffee and sweet rolls as big as your head. We landed our kayaks right across the street from the coffee shop and didn’t feel guilty at all enjoying not one but two of the wonderful rolls. Once out of St. James Harbor, we bypassed Garden Island and headed to Hog Island five miles to the east. Hog has many shallow bays around its’ perimeter but we wanted to be on the east side of the island so that we could see what the wind was doing to the water that we planned on traversing the next day.

The forecast didn’t look good and was, in fact, accurate this time. We listened as the marine weather prediction deteriorated from a small craft warning to a gale warning. The island is relatively flat with only one contour line showing on our maps so we couldn’t get much of a feel for where our next destination of Waugoshance Island was. Charlie is a GPS expert so he set about determining the desired bearing in both magnetic and true North and educated us about declination and all things navigation.

Although we could see the Mackinac Bridge Towers on the horizon, for three days we couldn’t get there from Hog Island. So we contended ourselves with exploring, napping, reading, cooking, calling home and chasing off the ants and spiders that were everywhere. Our schedule allowed eight days for the trip knowing that we’d probably be wind bound at least one day. It turned out that even after three wind days we needed another day or two that we didn’t have, so on our last day we fought a stiff headwind and choppy seas back to St. James Harbor to purchase ferry tickets aboard the Emerald Isle over to the mainland. Our ferry trip to Charlevoix saw waves breaking over the bow of the 130 foot long ship which confirmed our wise decision to call it a trip and go home.

Thanks to all of our wives who held veto power over the adventure and special thanks to Cathy who literally held the (van) key to getting us on and off the water.

Submitted by George Granlund

Rosalie's Beef Brisquet

2011-06-29T21:01:00.000-04:00

4 – 5 lb beef brisket (not corned beef brisket) Both Sam’s Club and Costco have good cuts and they are relatively inexpensive. I have found that the regular grocery stores around here either don’t have it or it’s very pricey.

Liquid smoke

Place brisket in pan lined with tin foil and pour enough liquid smoke to cover meat- close up tin foil
Cook at around 225 – 250 for 5 – 6 hours or until tender.
Pour off liquid smoke, let cool ( I put mine in fridge overnight or at least for a day) and then slice thin while trying to maintain shape of brisket.
Place brisket back in a tin foil lined pan and pour your favorite barbecue sauce over and in between the slices of meat.
Cover complete with foil and cook again for about 1 - 2 hours at same temp.

Rosalie's Jazzed-Up Couscous

2011-06-29T20:58:00.000-04:00

Start with the "Harvest Grains Blend" blend from Trader’s Joes. I added sautéed peppers, onions, garlic and I think mushrooms. Can’t remember now. Salt and pepper and anything else you can think of that you like. Maybe some dried cherries or the light raisins. Some of the raisins from the broccoli salad found their way over to the rice mixture on my plate and it was very tasty.

For the dressing I used an off the shelf balsamic vinegar salad dressing because it was late and I was lazy. However, it is even tastier if you take the time to reduce a good balsamic vinegar until it’s nice and thick and then add olive oil. For a cold salad it is good to make it the night before so the flavors can blend.

Escanaba in Da Moonlight - Trip Report

2011-06-20T17:32:00.004-04:00

We left Bay City 9:00 (on time!) last Thurs. June 16th with coffee, cinnamon roll in hand and high spirits despite the rainy morning. Made a quick stop in Gaylord at Jays where some of us made a dent in our wallets. Next stop lunch in Mackinaw City for tasty whitefish and of course, the world famous fudge. Over the bridge we go, high-ho-high-ho, grabbing some pasties, a UP staple for our lunches the next day.

Arriving in Gwinn around 5:30 p.m. and meeting up with a couple more of our group we now numbered 10 strong. We made our arrangements to camp, $5 per tent & unloaded our boats, setup tents and made the shuttle to Boney Falls Dam. We found some good UP grub at Jack’s Hideaway Tavern while enjoying watching a local Horseshoe league & listening to some great songs on the Juke box.

We awoke to a beautiful Friday morning grabbing some coffee and grub packed up and on the river about 10:30 after a little snafu wrestling with a too big sleeping bag or a too small dry bag not sure which but thx to John Neal and his loan of a extra large dry bag & help from Deb & Bob we were on our way.

We enjoyed lunch on the river of cold Pasties that we had boughten the day before. Went exploring and Deb T. spotted a flock of yellow and black butterfly’s that entertained us as we ate lunch, let us know what they were Deb. We made a couple more stops on the river exploring the beauty and doing a little fishing. Jack S. and Fred K. have some unbelievable fish stories to share if you are interested in the unbelievable :o))). We pulled into the Sawmill to camp for the night around 4:30 after 14.8 miles on the river.

We setup camp at the confluence of Sawmill creek and the river for a beautiful camping area and an extra bonus of rushing water for background sound. Gathering for our all paddlers pizza party we chopped, cooked and chowed down…mmmmmmm, washing it all down with the nectar of the Gods.

Settling down around a great campfire thx to Fred K. for braving the bugs and others for sawing. We enjoyed gourmet Samore’s made with Mackinaw Island fudge & mammoth marshmallow’s as we waited for the full moon to come up and we waited and waited until Bob S. informed us it wasn’t coming up until 11:15! Some die hards stayed up to howl at the moon but most of us went to bed listening to the Whipper Will croon us to sleep.

Saturday morning another beautiful day on the river with varied wildlife sightings… fish, deer, eagle, Osprey, misc. birds, otter, beaver, tons of dragonflies’s, & butterflies. The river was low in some areas on this portion of the river causing some to get out and walk their boats in a few spots. On both days we had rapids class 1 & II with many rocks thrown in for fun, right John? Let’s just say we left a little plastic in the Escanaba River from the bottom of our boats. After 13.2 miles we arrived at Boney Falls Dam about 4:00 with rain clouds threatening so we took Fred up on his gracious offer to let us crash at his place for the night and get freshened up for the trip home the next day.

Thx everyone for making this a great trip…Karen

Look Good In ECP Logo Wear

2011-05-15T14:12:00.003-04:00

East Coast Paddlers Logo Wear

It’s been a few years since the club has ordered clothing with our own East Coast Paddlers logo on it. You can, however, get an article of clothing embroidered with the logo. The place to do it is the Workwear Store in Saginaw. The store is located at 1708 N. Michigan Avenue across from Covenant Hospital. Their phone number is 800 229-0988 and their web address is www.workwearstore.com. They have a catalog online with a lot of great clothes. You may want to call and ask for Jared Sanderson, as he set up our original order and is familiar with the logo. They can also embroider your hometown or name while they are doing the logo. A typical cost for putting on the logo on a shirt or jacket is about $5.75 plus tax. They can also adjust the colors to provide contrast to you apparel. I’ve found that, if you can’t be a good paddler, at least you can look good wearing the ECP logo.

Short's to Short's

2011-04-30T15:44:00.005-04:00

Short’s To Short’s was Lo-o-o-o-o-o-ong

Who would have believed that over 150 paddlers would be standing at the boat launch in Bellaire early on a Friday morning in April, eager to get on the water? Especially when the day was sandwiched between two storm systems bringing “a wintry mix”, and high winds.

But six East Coast regulars; Jim Ledtke, Bill McCormick, Tom O’Connor, Nanc Pfruender, Charlie Robertson and I grabbed our commemorative beer mugs, took our places for the group picture and launched right on time. The sun was shining and spirits were high.

Shorts Brewing Company

Here at Short’s Brewing Company, we have been hard at work planning the 2011 Short’s to Short’s Paddle. This year’s event took place on April 29, 2011. This is an annual event to symbolize the efforts we put forth, here in Northern Michigan, to provide the entire Great Lakes State with Short’s Brew! The paddle makes several connections to honor our seven years of business and the link between our original Bellaire Pub and our Elk Rapids production facility. There is a lot of water between Bellaire and Elk Rapids! Twenty seven miles, in fact!

The river leading out of Bellaire is winding and, early in the morning, lightly navigated and quiet. We were able to greet and pass many of the rec boats, inflatables, and canoes on this stretch. We hugged the east shore of Lake Bellaire and marveled at the sunshine and number of paddlers who took the day off to be here. Not working today seemed to be a wise decision. The lake then narrowed to a river again and we made our way past the Dockside Restaurant where the river empties into Torch Lake. At this point, many paddlers took out and left the strengthening wind to the rest of us. If you haven’t seen it, Torch Lake is huge. In fact, it’s the second largest Michigan inland lake. It’s nineteen miles long and over 330 feet deep at its deepest. When the wind gets cranking from the north, the lake is something to see. During our paddle we had a light chop pushed by a tailwind so we cut across the lake, bypassing Alden while making our way to shallow Skegemog Lake. Our first stop was at the mouth of the river leading from Torch Lake to Skegemog. We had been overheating with the wind at our back, but while eating our lunches we became chilled and reluctantly had to move on. It felt good to be out of the wind on the river leading to Skegemog Lake. The river is quite shallow and stump-laden but a little bit of slaloming led us to Elk Lake. Torch Lake’s tailwind turned into Elk Lake’s headwind and we leaned into our paddles for the eight mile long home stretch. Grinding out the last miles on a long paddle makes you think all kinds of weird thoughts. My thoughts included why the Geneva Convention has outlawed keeping prisoners in stress positions for long periods of time. Sitting in a boat in the same position for 7 hours seemed to constitute cruel and unusual punishment to me. Finally, the finish line in Elk Rapids came into view and, thankfully, help was there to pry me out of my boat.

I hope that the Shorts To Shorts becomes a Michigan paddling classic. It has many of the qualities that paddlers like; optional distances to paddle, rescue boats patrolling the lakes, no fee, low cost shuttles, a variety of scenery, friendly faces, and, best of all . . . beer.

Submitted by George Granlund

Apalachicola Trip Report

2011-04-16T09:48:00.005-04:00

For a Good Time, Call Barb at

1 (800) SOPCHOPPY

The Trip

Nine of us joined Barb Decker’s Apalachicola paddling trip in April, meeting at the city park in Sopchoppy, Florida. Sopchoppy, for those unfamiliar with Florida geography is located in the panhandle of Florida, sort of between Pensacola and Tallahassee and a little south of them. The beauty of Sopchoppy is its’ proximity to the Apalachicola National Forest. The National Forest contains a dozen or more rivers that meander through forest and swampland eventually making their way to the Gulf of Mexico.

Barb meticulously planned the routes along the rivers, making sure that we had a variety of paddling experiences. Shuttle planning alone was no mean feat. One of the shuttles was 35 miles one way along some of the many dirt roads in the forest. She presented us with many paddling options each day that no one was disappointed with.

The Food

If the East Coast Paddlers aren’t among the best paddlers ever to hit Florida, we are among the best fed paddling groups to ever visit the Sunshine State. Everyone seemed to bring their specialty food suitable for hungry paddler. We enjoyed excellent spaghetti dishes, fresh salads, stuffed fajitas, Bob Slade’s bacon and eggs for breakfasts, gourmet oatmeal, Joe’s Camp Coffee, and some surprises you’d never expect to see while camping. There were no freeze-dried meals here. In addition to Patty Pape’s fresh Florida strawberry shortcake, Joe Skornia outdid himself with his Dutch oven. Somehow his chunk of cast iron magically produced delicious pineapple upside down cake and a taste tempting peach/blackberry/blueberry cobbler, the likes of which Sopchoppy may never see again. John Neal always seemed to be up to his elbows in ground beef, onions, and sliced peppers. The wonderful smell alone was worth the price of admission.

The Rivers

Just the names of the rivers conjured up adventure; there was the Lost River, Sopchoppy, Ochlockonee, Wakulla, St. Marks, Wacilla and a few more. It seems like the natives like a lot of syllables in their place names. In four or five more Florida trips Barb might even learn to pronounce Ochlockonee (Ock-lock-nee). Most of the rivers are winding with the exception of the Wacilla which is a pretty straight shot after leaving the springs that feed the river. The water is crystal clear and the springs must pump out millions of gallons of water a day. Nestle wants to put a bottling plant there but, as in most other locales, is facing stiff opposition from kayakers and other extremist keepers of the earth. Much of the river is edged with cypress trees, some of which are impressively large with many “knees” extending out for acres. There is quite a bit of swampland too, which makes for excellent alligator, snake and bird habitat. Some of the rivers had a mysterious red tinge, probably coming from nutrients in the underground springs. Patty asked a biologist about the increased weeds that seem to be choking parts of some rivers. She was told that the suspected culprit is Tallahassee and its’ water treatment methods, or lack thereof. We saw the most alligators on the Wacilla, and quite a few snakes on the St. Marks River. The Lost River was notable for its’ difficulty. After only 100 yards, Roger Stanley and I opted to pull out and go sightseeing instead. While we were lounging along the Gulf Coast beaches, the rest of the crew was fighting their way through a twisting, cypress-laden watershed, taking an hour to slog through each mile. When they returned to camp, poor Jim Janowicz looked like he had been through 5 consecutive episodes of Survivor and got voted off. Just mention “Lost River” to Jim, Joe Skornia, or Bob Slade and they’ll tell you a story, I’m sure.

The Town

The town's name is a corruption of "Lockchoppe." Which was derived from the Muskogee lokchapi. Lokcha means acorn and api means stem. This was the old Indian name of the nearby river.

Sopchoppy came into existence in 1894. After the CT&G Railroad Company had built a railway through the area, they platted the town on property they already owned in the area, across the river from Greenough. To encourage people to settle there, the railroad engaged in a significant advertising campaign, exaggerating the quality of the soil and climate. Sopchoppy’s current population is 426 wonderful people, with 111 families residing in the city.
The town itself is a throwback to simpler times. The IGA is straight from the 50’s, and you don’t need to worry about traffic on Main Street. Sometimes it seemed like the dogs ran the town. The mutts were friendly, and let us know that leash laws are for Yankees. The town has a recording studio and it was apparent that music is a big part of local life. We attended two concerts at Posh Java, a fair trade coffee house. One night a couple of musicians visited us at our campsite, played some music, and invited us to a concert. We were made to feel welcome. You can keep Tampa, we’ll take Sopchoppy.

The Weather

The weather was great each day with temperatures ranging from the mid-50’s to the mid-80’s. We had no rain except for the one night when we had a helluva wind, lightning and rain storm rip through the area. It lasted for a couple of hours and limbs crashed all around our tent sites. Unfortunately for Patty, a sizeable limb crashed onto her tent ripping a large hole in the fly and a smaller on through the tent itself. But by noon the next day, the sun was out again and life was good.

Worm Gruntin’

You can look it up. Worm Gruntin’ is an actual phenomenon, and the center of the Worm Gruntin’ universe is Sopchoppy, Florida. Their annual festival just happened to occur the last weekend of our trip. As with any festival you need to have music and food. But not just any chicken dinner will do in Sopchoppy. There were mullet sandwiches and deep-fried catfish. Bill was hoping for deep fried night crawlers (90% protein) but that was not to be.

Fact: Most worm grunting methods involve vibrating the soil, which encourages the worms to the surface. In 2008 researchers from Vanderbilt University demonstrated that the worms surface because the vibrations are similar to those produced by digging moles, which prey on earthworms. The same technique is used by many species of bird, which devour the worms as they appear above ground.
The activity is known by several different names and the apparatus and techniques vary significantly. "Worm grunting" generally refers to the use of a "stob", a wooden stake that is driven into the ground, and a "rooping iron" which is used to rub the stob. "Worm fiddling" also uses a wooden stake but utilises a dulled saw which is dragged along its top.
Techniques vary from sprinkling the turf with water, tea and beer to acupuncture, music or just "twanging" with a garden fork. (source: Wikipedia). If you want to seen some actual Worm Gruntin’, just Google YouTube Worm Gruntin’ for some real action.
Salted Oysters

The last day of the trip was spent in salt marshes looking for ‘gators, and many were seen. The tide made all of the difference in the ease of paddling. Going out, the group floated obliviously over the oyster beds, but heading back to the car the tide was going out and the oyster beds were exposed. The BP gulf oil spill hasn’t seemed to have endangered these oysters as they were everywhere, and their shells are razor sharp. Cut yourself on one of these bad boys and you may be in for a long and serious infection. But the worst that happened to us was some shredded plastic on the hulls. This is no place for fiberglass, Kevlar or wooden boats.

Canadian Ski Weekend 2011

2011-01-17T17:17:00.004-05:00

Canadian Ski Weekend 2011

We swapped our paddles for skis and had a great time. Twelve of us ventured north of the border and enjoyed the outdoors together. Most of us met at the Hiawatha Highlands ski area just inside Soo, Ontario’s city limits. In spite of the limited snow that they had received, the trails were groomed beautifully.

My carload got there late due to tire problems, so we skied (I looked up that word) the flat loop. The sun was out and the woods were beautiful. We then ventured north to McCauley’s Motel which is adjacent to Lori’s Restaurant in Haviland Bay.

Lori serves up a hearty meal and both the motel and restaurant are super-friendly. The special of the evening was whitefish right out of Batchawana Bay. The rooms at the motel are Spartan, but adequate. Lori’s breakfast was more than enough to get us going and some of us headed for Stokely while some went to Searchmont to enjoy their downhill slopes.

We marveled at the bright sun at Stokely and were happy with the groomed trails and group discount on trail fees. Missy and Jeff took advantage of lessons (something we all could have benefitted from). Tom G, Tom O, Duke Yost and I headed out and visited the brand new warming hut. It’s the nicest one I’ve ever seen. We hit a little ice on the way back which made for an exciting downhill and a little freestyle gymnastics.

The hot showers felt great back at McCauley’s and supper was Canadian spaghetti and meatballs, followed by Packer football on their newly installed cable TV. On Sunday, some skied at Stokely and the rest of us headed down to Hiawatha for another go at their trails. One difference on Sunday was the -4 degree F. temperatures. There wasn’t a lot of standing around.
These are only my impressions of the weekend. I hope that others who went will put their 2 cents in and send a trip report to Theron. He can attach it to this one and it will make for a better report. I had a great time and I hope that everyone else did too.
George Granlund

New Year's Eve Paddle

2011-01-01T11:03:00.003-05:00

Au Sable River Paddle

Auld acquaintance was NOT forgot on the Au Sable River by the East Coast Paddlers on New Year’s Eve. And Niwe acquaintances were made too. For the past 6 years, one constant has been our New Year’s Eve paddle on the south Branch of the Au Sable River (as pretty a stretch of river as there is in Lower Michigan). The variable of the trip has always been the weather. It has ranged from well below freezing with ice shelves lining the shore to this year’s 48 degree temperatures with thick fog and rain for much of the 10.3 mile trip. And it was still fun.

Fourteen of us put in at Chase Bridge where we immediately floated into the beautiful Mason Tract, a protected stretch of river revered by trout fishermen throughout the state. There were few obstacles and only a little bit of drizzle until we reached “The Durant Castle” about 3.5 miles downstream. We stopped for lunch and enjoyed a seal launch off of the ice shelf back into the river.

The rain began right after lunch so we didn’t slow down much for the remainder of the trip. We were all prepared for cold and wet weather so the rain posed no problem.

One unique aspect of the East Coast Paddlers is the members who congregate at each paddling event. It’s a little like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’ll get. On this trip Rodney came from Grand Rapids and brought Linda from Lansing. Tom came from Ann Arbor, Karen from Davison, Dave from Flint, the Seibert’s and Cindy rolled in from Bay City, and I came over from Beuliful Beulah. In addition, Karen invited five guys (why are we not surprised?), who came from the Flint and Manistee areas. Every paddling event is like a reunion—we like to hear about each others families, travels, and new equipment. The East Coast Paddlers are a great group of people. Thank you one and all, and on to 2011!

Kayak Backband Retrofit

2010-12-11T16:46:00.002-05:00

by George Granlund

I bought a new Valley kayak earlier this year and found out that Valley is notorious for their flimsy backbands. The seat bottom on my new boat was great and the fit and finish of everything else is what you might expect from Valley. But the back band would not stay in position when entering the cockpit, and it gave virtually no lumbar support. I was told by Valley that the backband was designed that way so that I could lie back when rolling. That sounds great in theory, but I figured that 99.9% of the time I’m paddling rather than rolling, and I prefer comfort rather than utility.

Designing and making a better backband had been in the back of my mind since buying the boat, and I finally came upon the solution while making rain barrels for my gardens. The barrels are made from a Delrin-like material that is ¼” thick, and very durable. The 50 gallon barrel is curved in such a way that matches the curvature of the cockpit back and, more importantly, my back.

I used a portable saw to cut a slice from the barrel and began fitting it to the cockpit. Mounting the backband to the seat supports presented the greatest challenge because I didn’t want to start cutting and drilling the fiberglass supports. Every seat support is a little different, so I cut some flat plastic material from the barrel top and fit it to the seat support, which makes for a very strong connection. I inverted the flimsy Valley backband to fit onto the new plastic band for cushioning and the new backband works great. My fallback plan was to cut some closed cell foam and glue it to the new band for increased comfort. Seaward makes a similar backband for over $100, but mine cost under $10.00 and I’ve still got a great topless barrel for scrap or enough plastic material for another 15 backbands.

Putting Together a Repair Kit

2010-11-14T19:00:00.002-05:00

by George Granlund

Even if you’re just going out on the water for an hour or two-- “$#&@ Happens”! Hope that it doesn’t happen to you. If you haven’t broken things while paddling, either you don’t paddle much or you live a charmed life.

What if you break a paddle in waves or 10 miles from home?, break a rudder line when the wind starts howling?, punch a hole in your boat on that rock you didn’t see?, or lose a hatch cover in a wave? “Nah, it won’t happen to me” you say. “I’m paddling with someone,” you say. “I’m careful”, you say. We’re talking safety here, and convenience, and making it back home WITH your boat.

Different boats and different conditions may require different repair materials. Boats are typically made from rotomolded polyethylene plastic, fiberglass, or Kevlar. There are a few oddballs out there like Eddyline Carbonlite material, and wooden boats. But they can be fixed too. At least enough to get you home. Know what kind of boat you have and get the materials necessary to repair it.

First of all you ought to have a replacement for each type of fastener that you have on your boat. Usually screws and nuts made for water exposure are made of stainless steel. Boater’s World, West Marine, and most hardware stores carry stainless fasteners. Get 1-2 of each type. Take the fastener off your boat if you have to and bring it with you to the store to match. Many times you can develop a leak at a fastener. Get one or two rubber or plastic faucet washers to help seal the leak. You will also need tools, so buy a SMALL set of tools that will work on your fasteners. No point in putting a big Crescent wrench in your kit when one small open-end wrench of the correct size will do. You’ll likely also need a Phillips #2 screwdriver, but don’t put it in if all of your screws are slotted. A Gerber Multitool is nice, but heavy. Look at your needs before you put one in your kit. I carry a multitool because it has a pliers, wire cutter, and all of the screwdrivers I need--but I hate the weight.

A short length of thin, nylon line can serve as a replacement end toggle or a temporary fix for a rudder line. Or it can be an eyeglass retainer, or a paddle leash, or a PFD repair material. Same with a 4’ length of ¾” nylon strap. That can help to secure a hatch cover, or act as a tie-down on your deck. Also take along 3’ of ¼” bungie cord for the same reason.

To repair a broken paddle shaft, think broken arm. Make a splint out of anything you can get your hands on, like a few green branches or some tent poles. Tape them on with duct tape or use zip ties to secure them. Duct tape--- wrap 6-10’ around a dowel and put it in a Zip-Loc. Zip Ties---carry a dozen or so of various sizes. These things are strong. I’ve used some to repair rudder lines, patch a broken seat strap, fix a skirt, and many other things. Buy a bunch and share with friends. Speaking of rudder lines, carry a spare and everything you’ll need to replace it. Better yet, put new ones on every year or so and carry your old one as a spare. If you use a skeg, carry a spare and the tools needed to replace it.

Hole or Crack in the Boat

While I’ve never holed a rotomolded (polyethylene) boat, I have helped repair fiberglass and CarbonLite hulls on trips where there were no alternatives. Good old duct tape will usually seal a crack well enough to get you home. This happened on Bob Shockley’s CarbonLite boat when we had big waves and an 8 mile crossing to complete. We dried off the hull and put two layers of tape inside and out. It helped to rough up the hull a little with 100 grit sandpaper before we taped it. On fiberglass, you can get a repair kit from Gougeon Brothers (System 3) or go to a car supply place and buy a kit for doing fiberglass repairs. Even Meijer’s carries this. Throw away the extra packaging and put the repair stuff in a ZipLoc. You may want to practice at home before its’ crunch time. Small holes could be patched with a dab of hot glue heated with a match or lighter. Take a glue stick along. A small tube of sealant like AquaSeal works on most poly boats. Experiment with the glue on an old plastic milk carton, it’s the same material as your boat. If it sticks on the carton once cured, that’s the stuff you want. Protecto-Wrap window flashing tape will stick to just about anything and it is waterproof. I bought some at Menard’s. It’s not expensive and you get far more than you need so you can share some with a friend. It’s better than duct tape, and way sticky.

Lose a hatch cover

Take along a heavy duty (contractor) trash bag or piece of VisQueen large enough to overlap you largest hatch opening. If you lose or develop a hole in a hatch cover, tape the trash bag over the opening and tape it to your deck. Not perfect in that your tape loses adhesive each time you open your hatch but it may get you home.

Super Glue

I’ve used it to reattach the bungie that goes around my skirt where it was separating. I’ve also use it to repair Brenda’s glasses on Isle Royale. They weren’t pretty when they were done but, if you wear glasses and they are broken on a trip, what are your options? In an emergency, it could also be used to close a wound. Don’t laugh, I saw it done on ER.

Awl and Thread

Bill McCormick can tell you that my awl and thread helped to repair his skirt. It will also work on a tent, weak straps, clothing, etc. I found mine at Harbor Freight for cheap. You should also take along a small sewing kit for long trips.

Use the list as a guide, but what you take depends on how long your trip is and how remote from help you will be. You might want to put together two kits, one for day trips and one for camping trips. Things that can happen at any time are broken rudder cables, lost fasteners, holes or cracks in boats, and broken paddles. Have what you need to fix those things---tape, Zip Ties, tools, lengths of nylon line and strap, and replacement fasteners.

Everything here will fit into two empty plastic peanut butter jars (large size). The transparency of the jars allows you to quickly find what you need. Old Nalgene bottles also work well but are heavier. I put tape around the top/bottle connection to keep it watertight. You may want to put essentials in one bottle for day trips and everything else in the other bottle for multi-day trips.

G-Flex Epoxy Repair Kit
Epoxy Putty Stick (Water-Weld)
Protect Wrap Window Flashing Tape
Pliers
Knife
Screwdrivers
Gerber Multitool (optional)
Fasteners
Hot Glue Stick
Sandpaper
Rubber gloves
Nylon line and strap
Plastic fittings (match what you have on your boat)
Assorted Zip-ties
Heavy trash bag or plastic sheet (or piece of tarp)
Spare skeg or rudder cable and tools
Piece of milk jug (acts as a mixing board or repair patch)
Awl/thread and small sewing kit
Super Glue
AquaSeal or equivalent
Disposable lighter to melt hot glue

"Hey, I'd Eat This At Home" Book Review

2010-10-30T13:02:00.003-04:00

For most people, being comfortable at home is easy. Fancy a snack? Stroll to the kitchen; take a knife from the drawer to slice what’s left of the loaf of bread. You’d like something with it? Grab some cheese and salad from the fridge, and whatever else looks good. It doesn’t take much. When the ingredients are gone, you can run to the store for more. Away from home those routines changed. You paddled or hiked to this pristine beach, nobody in sight, and you want a snack. You could eat anything, but your choices are limited to what you brought. Actually, that’s not entirely true. Your choices are limited by the ingredients you have, but the greater your imagination, the more choices you have.

I’ve known Michael Gray for more years than I have fingers, and I’ve run into him in all corners of the country in different seasons. He is like a monarch butterfly, with north-south migration routes on both the east and west coasts. Wherever he pauses, he unpacks a little food, a zip-lock with something marinating inside, a tiny bottle of olive oil, a remnant of a smoked fish. Want to eat? Out comes a small cutting board, a sharp knife, a clove of garlic, and half a red pepper; next a small pan and burner. Within a few minutes the smell of gourmet cooking rises into the air. We could be outside a cabin in South Carolina or on an Oregon beach-it doesn’t matter. It is the same kind of experience. Michael knows how to combine whatever simple ingredients he has into enticing dishes, wherever he is, and he knows how to carry all he needs.

Michael’s expeditions, camp-cooking demonstrations, and seminars at sea kayaking symposia have become legendary. They are so popular that people often don’t realize Michael belongs on the outside of the seminar tent, not inside. What he shares in techniques and tips, what he rustles up with a pinch of seasoning, is what he rustles up when he is in his real element; multi-day sea kayaking or canoeing, hiking, fly-fishing or simply on the road. He eats well wherever he is.

Being realistic, he needs to know how much he must carry if he is only catering for himself or how that changes if he is with five others. He needs to know when to eat things, which ingredients will still be edible after a week on the water, and which herbs and spices are easy to carry. Cooking on expedition is an art. You carry everything so you do not want to waste anything. Leftovers are like dollars in change from a twenty dollar bill. Michael is the ultimate make-a-meal-out-of-leftovers cook.

For years people have asked Michael how they might remember all the tips and tricks, the details they need to know to cook like he does. “I’ll write a book!” he’d reply with a laugh! For years people asked “Have you finished that book yet?” He’d grimace. Writing a book is like raising a child, with all the awkwardness and joy and investment of time. It took years before Michael finally settled down to it. Now he has achieved a monumental task, grabbing a many-legged monster and pressing it between covers.

The essence of Michael’s wilderness catering, food preparation, cooking, and seasoning is here, along with a series of recipe ideas. Browse the book, pick a recipe you fancy, and jump into it with both feet! The world of living out and living it up is all yours!

Author Michael Gray, from my hometown of Beulah, has written and just published the definitive camp-cooking book. In addition to his many tasty recipes, he write about what to include in your camp kitchen, what’s important in making camp coffee, and how to select portable produce. This is a well written, literate book that’ll help to spice up your next paddling adventure. Order it from Michael’s website www.uncommonadv.com or from www.amazon.com for $18.95.

Russell Farrow writes “Getting this info from Michael is like getting a private guitar lesson from Eric Clapton!”

Submitted by George Granlund

VHF Marine Radio Basics

2010-10-16T20:47:00.001-04:00

VHF radios provide kayakers with an option of getting immediate recognition when in a life threatening situation. However, you will find their practical applications to be quite handy and of regular use. Hand held walkie-talkie type VHF radios are convenient for kayakers to use.
They have different channels used by the U.S. Coast Guard, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, marine organizations and mariners of all kinds. They are not to be used on land.

Channel 9 on your VHF is a hailing channel; it is used for initiating communications. One boater will call to another on this channel for a very brief exchange and switch to an alternative channel if there is more to say.

Channel 16 is for distress calls, and is listened to around the clock by the local Coast Guard stations. To make a distress call: Say: Mayday, Mayday, Mayday. Give your name and tell them you are in a kayak and the color of that kayak, if in a group tell them the number of boats. Give your location and describe the nature of the emergency.

If you are in range you will receive instructions from authorities, otherwise you will be lucky if a near by boater hears your call. For safety reasons all vessels that have a VHF radio monitor 16 when not actively using other channels for communications.

A hand held VHF radio has a range of about five miles. You cannot send or receive a signal over high hills and tall islands or around cliff-like points of land; essentially it is line-of site and works very well over open water.

Channels for non-commercial use, such as kayakers, can be used freely for group communications. These channels are: 68, 69, 71, 72, 78 & channel 9 are used as an alternative hailing channel shared with commercial users. Do not use the other channels that are available on your VHF as they are for distinct commercial, governmental and navigational purposes. Most hand held lower power radios do not require that you have a FCC license. This applies only to small recreational vessels and kayaks will fall under this category. Unlicensed operators are not allowed to use a radio to talk to foreign vessels or use the radio in waters of another country.

Another handy property of the VHF radio is access to NOAA weather broadcasts. You can get a weather report round the clock in a continuous loop recording that is updated regularly. The reports are often marine oriented such as expressing wind in knots, so you should try to familiarize your self with the lingo and geographical locations particular to the reports that you will be listening to prior to venturing into the field. There are several weather frequencies or channels to choose from abbreviated as WX. You will likely only be able to pick up one or two broadcasting stations in any one place.

In group paddling situations it is wise to have a lead kayaker and a sweep kayaker each with their own radio. This will allow the front of the pack to talk with the back of the pack to help keep the group together and in communication. Other paddlers in the group should be encouraged to use their radios too if they have them. At the start of your trip assign a working channel from the non-commercial channels for your group to use. Make sure all who carry a VHF in your group know what the working channel is, and know that they can fall back on 16 or 9 as a hailing channel if necessary.

It is customary and required that users of VHF radios monitor channel 16 for safety reasons. A radio watch on channel 16 and or 9 in busy boating channels would be wise to keep abreast of the movements of large vessels that are hard to predict their speed and direction. Also there is a chance that communicating with boat operators would be helpful top all those involved.

As kayakers, with low watt radios and limited battery life, you will likely be of little assistance in an emergency situation. Therefore I would suggest that maintaining a radio watch of 16 for that purpose would be a personal judgment call. Monitor it if you want to hold to the regulations, or use a scan function that many radios are equipped with, or don't be bothered with it. I do not believe there would be any consequences for a casual recreational user, as long as you can sleep at night. ;)

If your radio is equipped with a low power setting, as many are, use it when ever possible. This makes good sense. Not only will you conserve battery power, but also you will reduce polluting the frequency and make it easy for others to use the same frequency in your area.

It is customary and required that you use your radio call sign at the beginning and end of each transmission. Assuming that you do not have a FCC license, and call sign issued by the FCC, the point is moot. You could identify your self with a handle in that manner. In my experience this protocol is not often followed even among the bigger vessels.

It is also recommended to keep communication brief and avoid chit-chat. While this makes sense to some degree, to save batteries and reduce pollution, do not feel inhibited to use your radios to communicate with your comrades of things that are of importance to you. This could be to find out how tired and hungry the group is, let the leader know you are sea sick, trade tips with fishermen, and of course report on topics of interest and safety. While it is wise to keep a group of paddlers close enough to shout to each other for safety reasons, Sit-On paddlers will tend not to bunch up as close as Sit-In paddlers. Sit-In paddlers need to be close because they often require assisted rescues. However such rescues are almost unheard of among Sit-On paddlers.

Select a radio that is considered waterproof and protect it in a waterproof radio bag. If you carry a VHF keep it handy where you can reach it. Ideally on your person (I tuck mine into my vest) but a deck bag, center hatch or backrest pocket is good too. Use the lanyard, the radio will sink like a stone, add a clip and or lanyard as necessary. Most radios that are billed as waterproof are actually only guaranteed to be waterproof, meaning the company will replace a radio that has been soaked enough to kill it. Kayaking is a wetter endeavor than these radios are meant for. Engineering a radio to truly waterproof is quite a challenge, so make sure to protect it in a waterproof bag made for radio use regardless to the claims. You will be very wet indeed when you may find yourself in dire need of the radio.

There are many makers of bags for radios, select one carefully. Make sure it will fit your radio, they come in many sizes. Check to see if it is for a right hand antenna or left hand sided antenna, believe me this makes a difference. Most VHF radios will have a knob or two that needs to be manipulated with your fingers, therefore most radio bags have a finger pocket, so you can put your finger in the bag and with the thumb out side twist the knob. With out this feature it will be almost impossible to the adjust volume, turn on the radio and use other features. This pocket will sometimes get inside out and look like a little nose or ear, just push it back in. Bags for radios will seal at one end with a variety of closers. I am sure most are up to snuff, but quality counts. A compact bag (and radio) will help you keep it handy, ready to use. These bags are not immune to leaks! Inspect carefully before and after each use. I carry a small peel and stick patch, like the kind used for bike tires right inside the bag. They are clear, so I can still see the radio and its features. They must be applied while the bag is dry. The patch is temporary, meaning it will last for your trip, but next season it will likely be coming off. A permanent patch can be achieved with a vinyl repair kit, for air mats & beach balls, depending of the materials, use a clear patch.

I have mentioned battery life above, and I feel that it needs more addressing. Many VHF radios have rechargeable batteries. Some can use standard disposable batteries. If your radio uses a rechargeable you must take good care of it. Follow all the instructions on discharging, recharging and maintenance to keep your battery at optimal performance. Eventually it will finally die for good, about two years, maybe more, regardless of care and usage. On extended touring trips it may be necessary to take more than one battery for each radio. Most batteries can last a couple of days, depending on use, before the battery needs a recharge. A spare can be helpful, as there are few, if any at all, places to charge up on a wild coastline. This of course necessitates conservation of power. You may even be relying on the VHF for weather forecasting. If you are lucky you may have a radio that can use disposable batteries and you can take along as many as you feel you will need. It would still be wise to use the radio conservatively in a wildness setting far from stores. For long-term storage of a radio, remove the batteries. Whatever power source you have, make sure the radio is fully charged before any trip. Put in new disposable batteries, or make sure you have a fresh charge on you rechargeable. Rechargeable batteries will loose a charge over time.

There are many channels that your radio can work with. Above I have identified the recreational use aka non-commercial channels, but you might want to know what the other channels are for and why you don't need to use them. Channel 6 is for ships to communicate weather, navigational and other safety related warnings and use for rescue operations. Channel 22 is for the use of the United States Coast Guard. Channel 13 is for ships to communicate about maneuvering, to avoid collisions and to talk to draw bridge operators. Channels 5, 11, 12, 13, 14, 20, 65, 66, 73, 77, & 77 are for messages concerning handling, movements and safety of vessels near ports, harbors and other limited space waterways. Commercial vessels (Working boats; fishing, ferry, barge, cruise ships, etc..) use channels: 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 18, 19, 67, 79, 80 & 88. State and Local government authorities use channel 17. Mariners sometimes need to place a phone call while at sea. They use the Marine Operator channels; 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88. Environmental conditions are broadcast (only) on channel 15, such as sea conditions, hazards to navigation and notices to mariners.

Bear in mind also that the radio frequencies are a public place. You should exercise courtesy and always speak in a manner that is socially acceptable. I believe that use of bad language is fineable crime, so keep it clean.

The above writings are not my words. I compiled things that I felt someone new to VHF's should know. They seem to be right on the mark.

George Granlund

Hiawatha Trip Report

2010-10-09T19:01:00.008-04:00

Hiawatha Water Trail

Pictured Rocks Kayak Trip

By the shores of Gitche Gumee,

By the shining Big-Sea-Water,

Stood the wigwam of Nokomis,

Daughter of the Moon, Nokomis.

Dark behind it rose the forest,

Rose the black and gloomy pine-trees,

Rose the firs with cones upon them;

Bright before it beat the water,

Beat the clear and sunny water,

Beat the shining Big-Sea-Water.
from the Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The shining Big-Sea-Water indeed! Longfellow wrote those words without ever having seen Lake Superior or the Pictured Rocks area.

His friend Henry Schoolcraft spent a great deal of time surveying the U.P. and documented his observations in field notes. Longfellow wrote Hiawatha after reading those notes. We can’t even imagine what he might have written if he saw the same glorious sights that Bill McCormick, Barb Decker, Mark Pobocik and I saw during our recent kayak trip along the Hiawatha Water Trail. We were at a loss and were simply stunned by the beauty of the area. I’ll try to capture some of our trip in words but it’s more the Netflix version rather than the IMAX version, for sure. Words fall short.

Bill and I picked up our permits at the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore headquarters in Munising and met Mark for the car shuttle back to our starting point in Grand Marais. Barb was already there at Woodland Park getting us a campsite and looking for the easiest launch point to begin our trip. If you’ve never been to the beach or harbor in Grand Marais, you should see it. Clean sand beaches as far as the eye can see. I guess at one time there may have been a “grand marais” or big marsh here, but beaches rule now.

We enjoyed our final civilized meal before the trip at the Sportsman’s Bar and headed to the beach to watch the sun go down. There is not a whole lot else to do in this quaint village but, judging by the many fellow sunset watchers, it’s a popular pastime nonetheless. NOAA weather warned of a strong line of thunderstorms expected to move through overnight. We battened down the hatches and hoped that the strong winds wouldn’t linger into next day when we were to begin paddling.

Around midnight we heard a distant rumbling, and for a little over an hour the skies lit up over Lake Superior as the wind and rains drove through the campground. By morning, the storm had played out and we were left with a light drizzle and a low haze. The winds had diminished considerably and we set off on the first leg of the trip, along eight miles of magnificent Grand Sable Dunes. The park service says; At five square miles, the Grand Sable Dunes are perched atop the 300-foot high Grand Sable Banks. Since being left by enormous glaciers, the Grand Sable Dunes dwarf comprehension. They are indeed impressive, with sandy striations broken up by remnants of birch forest. We have other dunes in the state, but none quite like these. The thing that we liked best about the dunes was that they shielded us from the 25 mile an hour south wind. We stopped at the Au Sable Light Station for a break before bearing southwest along the shoreline that was gradually changing from sand dune to sand beach. The beach stretched to the horizon and is aptly named Twelve Mile Beach. Since the H58 access road was closed due to reconstruction, we saw few people enjoying the beach and no other kayakers.

There are a few kayak accessible campsites available along the shoreline that are shared with backpackers. The one that we chose to stay at was called Seven Mile campground. Reservations are always required at least two weeks in advance for any camping and the officials we spoke with made it clear that they frowned on arriving a day early or staying a day later—even if paddling conditions were bad. This is a situation that needs to be addressed with the Park Service. A few options for paddlers are needed as our movement along the Lake Superior shoreline is almost totally weather dependent. With our permit in hand we landed along the beautiful beach, set up camp, and enjoyed a refreshing (cold) swim.

Our second day on the water would prove to be the scenic highlight among four days of exceptional views. Winds were threatened again, but we awoke to calm seas and sunshine. Our plan was to round Grand Portal Point, one of the few exceptions to an otherwise linear coastline. Grand Portal features numerous caves and arches which we were able to explore and marvel at. The cliffs along here are a sheer 200’ drop into the lake. The seepage from the minerals buried in the rocks along with the millennia has created a palette of colors impossible to describe. On a windy day, a kayaker could never approach the cliffs because of the enormous rebounding waves, but on this day, we were rewarded with low undulating waves that resulted in the caves making deep, soothing water sounds, again, impossible to describe.

The day’s miles also gave us an opportunity to paddle under Spray Falls. This remote waterfall is best viewed from the water although it may be seen from along the North Country Trail. Spray Falls plunges about 70 feet over the Pictured Rocks cliffs directly into Lake Superior. The 1856 shipwreck "Superior" lies at the base of the falls in 20 feet of water. We had a campsite reserved at the Mosquito River Campground which was only two miles past Grand Portal. We met quite a few people here as it is right along the North Country Hiking Trail and many folks hike the 1.5 miles in from a parking lot to enjoy the sunsets and to see the waterfalls along the route. We met Ranger Sue here. She was packing heat, a Taser, a bulletproof vest, and Mace. And we don’t think she was worried about bears. Needless to say, even Bill was polite. We were informed that we had too many tents on our site and that we needed to take our clothesline down. Something about a “no undies” zone. To be fair, she checked everyone in the campground and encouraged us to obey the posted rules and to “please come back”.

On our third day, we only had eleven miles to paddle. But we didn’t want to leave, everything was so beautiful. A short distance from Miner’s Beach we saw the wonderful Bridalveil Falls. Bridalveil Falls are only viewable by water. Lucky us. This is a seasonal waterfall that slows to a trickle in the summer and fall. Because of recent rains, we saw the falls in all its glory. Bridalveil Falls is often featured on postcards and publications about Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

I’d been haranguing the group the whole trip about stopping in Munising for pasties. Once we rounded Miner’s Castle, we could see Munising in the distance and we made it to Muldoon’s Pasty Shop right before the noon kayaker pasty rush. We each enjoyed at least one of the Cornish delicacies (Muldoon’s is the #1 pasty shop in the U.P., according to the National Pasty Pie Association). To prolong our Pictured Rocks experience, we headed over to Grand Island for one more night in the area. Along the way we paddled over the shipwreck Bermuda in Murray Bay. A merchant schooner of 394 tons, she was launched at Oswego, NY, in 1860, and sunk with no loss of life in October of 1870. Although this wreck lies in only 30 feet of water, it is protected from ice and wave damage. The result is an intact 145 foot schooner sitting upright and waiting for kayakers.

The day had warmed up into the 80’s and we were each turning brown after four days of sun. The water in the shallow bays surrounding Grand Island was 10 degrees warmer than the open lake and we could lie in the water and enjoy it rather than becoming hypothermic. It seemed that we were the only overnight visitors to the island and, as the families of boaters left, the evening quieted down as we enjoyed our only campfire of the trip.

We awoke to perfectly flat water the next morning and paddled the remaining three miles to the mainland. While Hiawatha, the Indian, was only a fiction in Longfellow’s mind; Hiawatha, The Water Trail, is very real and it’s waiting for us to return to.

If you go:

U.S. & Canadian Coast Guard Required Safety Equipment

2010-09-12T19:56:00.000-04:00

This list does not include requirements that pertain to power boats:

U.S. Coast Guard Requirements

Required safety equipment on nonmotorized boats under 26 feet long:

Personal Flotation Device: One type of Coast Guard approved life jacket must be on board for each person on the boat. Also must have one Type V, throwable type of PFD.
Visual Distress Signal: One orange distress flag and one electric distress light, or three hand-held or floating orange smoke signals and one electric distress light, or three combination (day/night) red flares: hand-held, meteor or parachute type.
Sound Producing Device: A sufficient way to make a sound signal, like a whistle or an air horn, but not a human produced noise.
Navigation Lights: Required to be displayed sunset to sunrise.

The rules also require a fire extinguisher if flammable or combustible liquids are stored on board; I doubt any kayakers or canoers have been ticketed for having a camp stove but no extinguisher.

Canadian Coast Requirements

For human powered craft (canoes, kayaks, rowboats, racing sculls, etc.):
Personal Lifesaving Appliances
1. One (1) Canadian-approved personal flotation device or lifejacket of appropriate size for each person on board
Note: A personal flotation device or lifejacket carried on board a human-powered pleasure craft operated in whitewater must be inherently buoyant.
2. One (1) buoyant heaving line at least 15 m (49’3”) long
3. One (1) reboarding device

Note: A reboarding device is only required if the vertical height that must be climbed to reboard the pleasure craft from the water is over 0.5 m (1’8”).
Visual Signals
Only required if the pleasure craft is over 6 m

4. One (1) watertight flashlight

5. Six (6) Canadian-approved flares of Type A (Rocket Parachute), B (Multi-Star) or C (Hand)
Note: Flares are not required for a pleasure craft that:

is operating on a river, canal or lake in which it can never be more than one (1) nautical mile (1.852 km) from shore; or
has no sleeping quarters and is engaged in an official competition or in final preparation for an official competition.

Vessel Safety Equipment
6. One (1) bailer or manual bilge pump
OR
Bilge-pumping arrangements
Note: A bailer or manual bilge pump is not required for a pleasure craft that cannot hold enough water to make it capsize or a pleasure craft that has watertight compartments that are sealed and not readily accessible.
Navigation equipment
7. One (1) sound-signalling appliance that meets the applicable standards set out in the Collision Regulations
OR
A sound-signalling device
8. Navigation lights that meet the requirements set out in the Collision Regulations
Note:

Navigation lights are only required if the pleasure craft is operated after sunset, before sunrise, or in periods of restricted visibility (fog, falling snow, etc.).
For a human-powered vessel, this requirement can be met with a watertight flashlight
You can learn more about the requirements for your pleasure craft by consulting the navigation lights section of the Safe Boating Guide

9. One (1) magnetic compass
Note: A magnetic compass is not required if the pleasure craft is 8 m (26’3”) or less and is operated within sight of seamarks (navigation marks).
10. One (1) radar reflector is required under certain conditions

Trip Report: Pigeon & Sturgeon Rivers, Aug 27-28

2010-09-09T23:21:00.002-04:00

More nearly perfect weather no reasonable person could ask for than what we had for this trip. We arrived Friday, August 27 at Pigeon River State Forest but unfortunately the trip organizer (me) was the only one who didn't know where the campground was, so it took a while for the group of four to coalesce. Craig Thurston, John Neal and Jim Janowicz had all ridden together, so between them they were able to figure it out. We finally decided to camp at the Round Lake area rather than the main campground, which was becoming clogged with fifth wheels and children. The Round Lake campground, on the other hand, was totally empty and serene, with a view from every site of a lovely little lake.

It was getting a bit late by the time we reached the put in for the Pigeon but there were no other members waiting for us. Some concerns were expressed about whether we would finish in the dark but the current was running swift and the trip took considerably less time than originally projected. This, despite the numerous snags, sweepers, shoals, strainers and probably some other alliterative obstacles we ran into. Literally ran into, in some cases.

The Pigeon is a rather narrow river and although the current was quick it was rather shallow. This meant that we scraped bottom in some places and that larger boats, like Craig's 16-footer, were at something of a disadvantage. Boats 10-12 feet or less would have been better suite; unfortunately, the rest of us were in 14 foot boats, so we got a lot of practice trying to make quick turns. And disentangling ourselves from snags, freeing ourselves from sand bars, and occasionally emptying a boat after an impromptu swim. There was also that log that completely blocked the river. I had picked this section based on the theory that a nearby canoe livery would have been keeping the stream cleared, but they seem to have been slacking off.

But, as I said, the weather was nearly perfect - low 80's and a cool breeze coming up the river, so who could complain? We found a nice spot for a snack and when we reached the take out spot we had logged about 11 miles in 4 hours, really none the worse for wear. The trip organizer (me) wisely determine that the best option for dinner was to drive into town, which was roundly seconded by the rest of the group. We went to a local restaurant that was having an all-you-can-eat fish fry, then returned to camp ready for a good night's sleep.

Saturday dawned bright and clear and turned out to be nearly a copy of the day before, ideal for paddling. We broke camp and found a diner for breakfast and, suitably fortified, arrived at the Sturgeon River launching spot in downtown Wolverine by late morning so we were able to put in more or less on time and were pleased that Bob Slade was able to join us, so now we were five.

Where we had seen only a few other boaters on the Pigeon, the Sturgeon turned out to be more popular, There is a canoe and kayak rental shop in town and there were half a dozen or more people at the put in. We came across groups of kayakers, rafters, tubers and someone in an inflatable easy chair during the trip; considering the difficulty we again had in maneuvering the narrow, swift river, we might have been better off tubing it, too. After swims by several parties (not me!), Bob's Herculean feat of unblocking the channel of a fallen log, and heroic assists to some other floaters, we made it to the end in 3-1/2 hours, ready for ice cream.

Several of us had learned a great deal more about river kayaking and emerged from the experience with a good reason to buy another, shorter, boat, so it was certainly a successful trip.

Learning to Brace

2010-08-30T21:38:00.001-04:00

Submitted by Ray Denno

When learning the brace, most people put too much emphasis on the paddle. The paddle is a small part of the brace. When you lose your balance to the right, relax your head and drop your ear towards your right shoulder. as you do this, pull up on your right knee. You will only need a slight pressure on the paddle if you do it right.

Remember: Right, Right, Right. Right ear to right shoulder, lift with right knee. If you tilt your head to the left, away from the water, as most beginners do, your head creates more weight out over the paddle--driving the boat back down. If the head comes up, the boat goes down! Work with a friend in the pool, have them hold your paddle with just their fingertips, not much pressure is needed on the paddle.

Keep your arms relaxed and paddle held at chest level or slightly below. Lean to the right and dink your head to the right and raise the right knee while putting light pressure on the paddle. This sequence should start about the time your elbow just touches the water. Dinking the head is just another way of saying, drop your head to your shoulder. What you are doing is simply pulling the edge of the boat that is going under water, back up to a level position, the head being the last movement in the process.

Should you flip all the way over, just push the hand on the bracing side up as high as comfortable toward the surface (in this case, the right side) and repeat the sequence and you will have done the "C to C" roll. Be sure to drop the knee opposite the lifting knee--so you don't lock up both knees, as this would cancel the rolling motion. After you master the brace, try intentionally missing the brace and turn it into a "C to C" roll. This will give you more confidence in both recoveries.

Once you learn the brace and the roll, you will feel comfortable in big water and wind, and actually look forward to them. This will give you the experience needed for long trips on the water. If you would like help in this, I would be glad to help as well as others in the club would.

Suggested Equipment for Cold Weather Paddling

2010-08-30T21:27:00.000-04:00

Compiled from East Coast Paddlers members

The first list is aimed at paddling in cold weather with a reasonable degree of comfort; the second list becomes very important if someone goes in the water. These are items the groups should consider taking, although each person doesn't need to take all of them. Also see the information on preventing hypothermia.
It is always a good idea to have a Float Plan and leave on it on your windshield. Some other ideas we like:

Have participant list, with emergency phone numbers
Dress in layers
Polypropylene underlayers
Wool socks
Dry suit (or wet suit)
Rain coat w/hood
Water-proof hat w/brim
Latex gloves to wear under pogees or neoprene gloves
Neoprene mittens or paddling gloves
Second pair of gloves - for warm hands when you stop
Ear muffs
Mukluks (e.g., Chotas)
Foot warmers
Beaver hat w/flaps (a hot fashion statement!)
Thermal blanket or Space Blanket
Second pair of prescription glasses
Rope (for boat, also rescue, also emergency)
First aid kit
Sunscreen
Chapstick
Flashlight, extra batteries
Cell phone (turned off! -- only for emergencies)
Lighter, waterproof matches and fire starter
Knife, small saw or hatchet -- for firewood

When Someone Goes Swimming...

If someone goes in the water you must be able to warm them up quickly. This involves getting the person inot dry clothing, keeping them warm, making a fire and preparing some warmthing warm to eat or drink.

Piece of Plastic (ground cloth)
Have Extra Clothes and Socks in Dry Bag
Towel
Dry Bag for Wet Clothes
Hot Drinks in Thermos
Chocolate
Campstove, Pot, Water, Soup, Tea, Tang, etc.
Materials for starting a campfire:

Firestarter made from candle wax and dryer lint, poured into egg carton
Sterno
Flares for Fire Starters
Fire Logs w/lighter