That's a wrap! We have completed the final Pine River cleanup for 2020 (though we often pick up trash even when it's not an official cleanup). This one went from Peterson to Low, our second time there this season. Our group of 9 very experienced river-pickers got about 5 large bags of stuff. Highlights: more water bottles than beer cans, a super-heavy rental kayak paddle, towels, shoes, lighters, two thermos bottles, and best of all - a fifty dollar bill!
Shuttle provided by Marv, gorilla tape and pump courtesy of Marlene, and Donna gets the "great attitude" award for managing with a leaky kayak. Permits from H-M NF, boats from PRPC. Assistance from lots of wonderful paddlers; we couldn't do this without you!
Report by Lois, photos by John, Jocelyn & Linda.
At the start - thumbs up! PRPC loaned us the 2 red kayaks and the blue canoe.
Standing: Mike, Marlene, Donna, Linda, Gail, John
Kneeling: Lois, Jocelyn, Kathleen
Jocelyn and Marlene begin the process while the shuttle is running.
Gail wins! She is giving it to a young lady she knows - for college expenses. She found it floating next to shore just after she pointed out a beer can that required John and me to spear it from our canoe.
Success at a log jam!
Donna and John working on a repair to her leaky rental kayak. Luckily, Marlene had Gorilla Tape. John wiped it dry with his Sham-wow, and then "cut and pasted". Donna said that she was getting only 1/10 the amount of water inside the cockpit afterwards. She was a good sport about the entire episode.
Jocelyn was getting out of her canoe, the log she was balanced on started to sink, and the canoe started slipping away so she just hopped back into her canoe. She is VERY agile!
Gail was heading up a slope to retrieve a seat pad that turned out to belong to a camp where she once worked as a nurse.
Jocelyn stabilizing Mike's boat as he gets back in.
Kathleen shows off her unopened Oberon. Her teeny boat fits into places that others can't go.
Mike has excellent balance too. Notice: we all have pipe insulation on the shafts of our grabber sticks, so that when (not if) they fall in the river, they will float.
Now it's two thumbs up, and still smiling at the end; special thanks to the folks at Pine River Paddlesports Center for boats and shuttles, and to the rangers at the Huron-Manistee NF for permits for boats and vehicles.
