Nine paddlers (Lois, John H, Fred, Judy, Jeff, Vickie, John W, Camille, Dan) had a wonderful afternoon on the Betsie. Seven of us fueled up with lunch at the Cherry Hut in Beulah, most opting for the healthful cherry burger and cantaloupe combo. The group met at the dam just outside of Benzonia under a cloudless sky and 70 degrees. We were greeted by a good size, beautifully colored water snake sunning itself in the launch area.
Judy and I got ahead of the others by 15 minutes and literally had the river to ourselves. I was the novice in the group and Judy impressed on me the importance of paddling backwards in the current to slow the kayak down. This came in very handy, as there were a few tight spots to get through. It seemed all too soon we were at the take-out point, but it was 2 hours after we started. Others reported seeing trout, deer in the woods and variety of waterfowl.
Five of us ended the afternoon with snacks and a beer on the patio of the Roadside Inn in Benzonia.
Submitted by Dan Wittkopp
Photos by John Heiam
This beautiful water snake was lying right in front of our boat launch.