Trip Reports

June 29 Pere Marquette River

Linda Woodruff joined Lois and John on an excellent adventure on the Pere Marquette River from Bowman Bridge to Upper Branch.  We saw a clan of 21 geese, a few deer, some mergansers, one other paddler, and a couple of guys from the Huron-Manistee National Forest and Trout Unlimited doing a bit of tree rearranging, so fishing dories could pass through.  We encountered several newly downed trees, which required a bit of maneuvering on our part.  I think that folks in rental boats will have some trouble, but we were able to pick our way through, even with our longer kayaks and solo canoe.  It was a warm day (up over 90 degrees), but we were cooled by a nice breeze and wonderful shade!  Everyone took a dip when we stopped at Rainbow Rapids for a lunch break.  Weekdays, even in the heart of the summer, are never crowded on this section of the river.  We shall return!
Report by Lois, photos by John