January 2012

Water Water Water!  Everywhere! 
Wow, like we have had so much rain in January, but I have not had the chance to paddle any of the high water.  So if you can't paddle what do you do?  Ski and drink beer!

I did get up to Caberfae near Cadillac MI twice this year, once the weekend of Jan. 7th and again the next weekend.  (Sun/Mon Jan. 15/16)  Skiing was good both weekends, but now back to the WATER!  The field and woods out back are really swamped!  Friends were up at Caberfae and Schuss/Shanty Creek this past weekend and all had great snow, but down here it is just WET!  The river has been holding at some good levels all around the 2 foot mark, went up to 2.75 on Monday the 23rd.  The temperatures have been very mild for this time of the year, but soon they say the temperatures will start to drop and the snow will be back.  

Thought we might try and make a run the last weekend of January, but we didn't.  Should have, it got nice later in the day with the sun out and relatively mild temperatures.  Joined Rob to help Dale dig out his basement to put in the weep pipes for drainage in the basement of the 'project house'.  Sunday the 29th brought a couple inches of snow to make it look like Winter again, but now they say it will hit 40 degrees this week and it will all melt! (and run into the river!)


(Caberfae from January weekend trip)

Checking out the overlook with Caberfae Peaks in the background with Bill T and Dale G

I don't often drink Mexican beer, but when I do I drink it with this guy!

Off (Blog) Topic:  Just wanted to put a few notes here about the Motor City Brew Tour I went on with my friend John Z on January 14th.  The trip left from Royal Oak and headed up to Frankenmuth, MI.  First stop was Frankenmuth Brewery where we enjoyed a tour of the entire facility and operation, including the "Beer Cellar" which was part of the original brewry circa 1862.  There was a slight SNAFU with the cooling and dispensing system, so we enjoyed water with our pizza until they opened up some of the bottled beer for us to sample, it was very good!  I was able to get a growler filled with dunkel for Jim E just before the problems began and then got myself a growler of "Batch 69" IPA just as we were leaving when the system came back online! 

 From there we stopped across town at Sullivan's Black Forest Brewery where I got a growler of their Pirate Porter, very good.  Sullivan's brewer 'was sleeping' (or was it "sleeping off" something? LOL!)  so we only had samples there. On the way back to Royal Oak we stopped at The Redwood Lodge (off Hill Road and M-23 exit where it splits off I-75).  We enjoyed a sample pint and others at special 'happy hour' prices.  I skipped the tour here and opted to drink a few beer's with some new friends who John introduced me to and who are also avid MCR Paddlers! We'll definitely be hooking up with this fun group for some paddling and beer drinking!  Back in Royal Oak we finished up the night at the Royal Oak Brewery and ended a great day!

John Z at the "Beer Cellar"

At the Redwood Lodge with John, Curt, Lori, Chris and Jack

On tap at the Frankenmuth Brewery

A "Beer Angel" spotted on the brew tour at Frankenmuth.  (use your imagination, see the halo and white wings?! )

Brewing looks more like a 'science' than an 'art', but we know it's a bit of both!
(notice the "EASY" button, that is the last step in the process!)

Samples at Sullivan's Black Forest Brewery

Me enjoying a beer at the Redwood Lodge

Our tour guides Steve and his lovely wife!

December 2011 and into the New Year

December was a wetter than usual month around here, but there were not as many river trips as you might think.  Here is a river report by Dale on the first trip of the month which took place on Saturday, December 10th:
Hello Late Fall River Enthusiast 11:00PM Sunday
There are no portages required on the A&L to Ryan Road section of the Mighty Clinton River. A blockage at the Vortex of Death was altered enough for a boat to make it through.

A river wide tree crossing the river near the shooting range stimulated a seasoned paddler to use the under the tree method to get by it. In case you are unaware of or forgot, with the under the tree method, one simply runs straight into to it, allow the boat to go broadside against it, waits until the boat fills with enough water to sink, then hang on the tree as long as humanly possible, allowing onlookers ample time to observer the inevitable. Once our seasoned paddler and his boat finished their under the tree maneuver our seasoned paddle did a most excellent boat and self rescue. The therapeutic immersion stimulated our seasoned paddler to paddle at a pace not seen earlier in the day.

We dined on sausage cooked to perfection on an open fire under a bright sun at The Best Beach on the Clinton.
A New Years Day paddle is scheduled. More later
That was the only documented river trip until our New Year Day Paddle Feast, here is a river report of that:
Hello Sports Fans 4:18AM Monday
No portages were required on Sunday's (2.1 level on the Auburn Hill Gage) paddle trip from A&L to Yates.

Their were several close calls, but fourteen paddlers successfully paddled without falling into the river. A fire started before our arrival by our shuttle bunny, was waiting for us at Rock Island. Several folks hiked in and met us. We dined on exquisite cuisine cooked over an open fire and some served on a log.

Unknown to me, prior to yesterday's enlightenment, the Rapid just past the confluence of Paint Creek has a name, it's name is Voodoo Rapid and the large rock in the middle of the river down stream is Voodoo Rock. Although the wind was not brutal at ground level on Rock Island the last six of us to leave the fire heard and obseved three trees crashing down on to the forest floor. Yesterdays paddle trip was the best one this year. More later
Dale

Around the Campfire

The whole group, paddlers and hikers!

The "Stragglers" watching trees fall

The cooking tripod

The New Year paddle trip was one of our best, certainly the most attended so far.  We were trying to remember how many years we have been paddling on the 1st, we are guessing 6 or 7 years for sure.  The river was "right around 2.0", maybe 1.97 or at least that is what I thought the gage was at, in any case it was a decent flow and the surf waves were fun for the kayaks!  We certainly had quite a feast, we had Beef Tenderloin Bites, Lemon Garlic Chicken, Sausages, Ham Roll-Ups, Crab Dip, Shrimp and Beer!  There were 14 paddlers and 8 hikers on the island, quite a party!

The weather started out pretty nice for January 1st, but the temperature was dropping the whole trip and the wind was howling!  We heard and saw several limbs cracking off trees in the woods.   The last of us made it in to the landing at Yates just before dark.  Dale and I stopped at the Coachman Lounge, our favorite after river stop.  Ok, so it's the only one around! LOL! 

Monday morning brought snow and cold weather in the morning, nice that we were able to make it down in as near 'Spring Like' conditions you can get on January 1st!  Happy New Year and See You On The River!

Rick

John Burak, aka  "Unipaddler"

Dale Goolsby aka The Captain (among other things!)

Upstream view from 2nd St. off the bike path using 'pop art' setting

Kak Rapid, or what is left of it.  You can still get pop-ups if you cross under the log and turn sharply around the tree.