Mighty Clinton River (MCR) !!: Vortex of Death Opened!

Wow, what a weekend! The water has been holding over 2 on the Auburn Hills gage all week and it looks like it will continue for a while. I had plans for Saturday afternoon, but Dale & Co. were planning for a 10am launch so I did an early run and caught a shuttle back to the top when they were setting up their trip. I do not recommend solo runs, but sometimes you have to. There were only 2 problems, one at the By Pass, a tree was leaning in from river right and you had to limbo through some weird current to get under. The other spot was the Vortex of Death!

I put in near the Veteran Memorial gazebo on the SE corner of Avon & Livernois at 8am. The put in area is not so great anymore because you used to be able to cross the walking bridge and get down to a grassy slope and slide into the river. Now that area is blocked off by walls and there is a bunch of rocks. I jumped down from the seawall onto a bit of grassy land, but there is not a lot of room and there are rocks there too but I managed to get launched without falling in!

The trip from there down to Area 13 was fast, I probably did it in 13 minutes as the name implies! After that I made my way to Rochester Rapid and the surfing was really nice again. Once you get in there you can stay pretty easy. I asked a guy on the bank what time it was and it was only 8:30am so I was on track for a 10am meeting at Yates. Next was Paint Creek confluence and then Voodoo Rapid. VD rapid was very nice and you could almost take a nap in there while surfing! Voodoo Rock was just right for a boof move but I didn't get a spin off it. From there I sped down through Kak and on to Rock Island where I stopped and had a coffee. Since I didn't have a watch with me I wasn't sure what time it was, so knowing I still had to face the VofD portage, I high tailed it down the river.

The VofD has been a problem for years now and we have been able to keep a channel open on river right, but that puts you right into the middle of the actual vortex when it is there. Lately logs have been accumulating on the right and making it unpassable in lower water. The right side portage is muddy and involves going up a slight hill and way around back to the water to put in. The river left portage involves getting out at a very precaious spot. The bank drops off steeply and water is pushing you as you try to exit your boat, not so bad in a canoe when you just step out but quite a challenge in a kayak!

Once through the VofD portage I was quickly down to the portage at Yates falls. The gage reading was around 2.4 that morning and the falls still looked pretty nasty so since I was solo, I portaged around. I guess I'm glad I was solo since I wouldn't want to do the falls anyways!

Jerry and Dale were at Yates and I got my ride back to the top (A&L). These guys were joined by Phil and his dog, they launced around 10:30am and were off to do quite a job on the Vortex of Death!

Below is Dale's river report, these guys deserve kudo's for all the work they put in this day. I wish I could have made the run with them to help, but as I said I had other plans.

Hello Fellow Paddlers 8:43AM SundayTheir are no mandatory portages on the A&L to Yates Park section of the Mighty Clinton River, as of 7:30PM Saturday.
Two troublesome woody debris accumulations were addressed Saturday during our nine hour descent. The majority of our woody debris management took place at the Vortex of Death. A fourteen foot canoe can now go though the former blockage sideways, the annoying portage is unnecessary, at least till it plugs up again.
Our crew, Jerry, Phil and myself, met Dave T, with his chain saw in hand, at the Vortex where we used the wench, Molly, to pull ashore large logs. Two private boats stopped and helped briefly. After five and a half hours work, two swims and two cut fingers it was open again. The most significant piece of woody debris and the last to be adjusted, was a large stump with a portion of the trunk. After all the debris around it was removed it and it was unsuccessfully wenched in, but successfully loosened, Jerry and Kert climbed on it and rocked it and got it moving, both falling into swift water after it spun. The stump was last seen about a quarter mile down stream from the Vortex.More later
Dale
Now for some pictures

Avon & Livernois from near the Veteran Memorial gazebo, notice that corner where there used to be a grassy slope for putting in, not any more. You can see the drain pipe on river right, it is still good for a seal launch if the water is up into the pipe, I think there is a big rock down there.