Blog Posts

Epic Dinner!

Day 3 Summary: Hudson Mills to Dixboro Dam

Portages

Wildflowers of the Huron

Delhi

Day 2 Summary: Island Lake to Hudson Mills

Morning on the Huron

Jam Session!

Day 1 Summary: Proud Lake Recreation Area to Island Lake

Day 0: Visiting the Headwaters

Wilderness Wednesday

Gear Shakedown

Michigan Paddle Stewards Program

Pointe Mouille

Fundraising Friday

Throwback Thursday

Wilderness Wednesday

Tots Thru Teens Tuesday

August 1st, 2020

Music and Art Monday! While paging through an out-of-print book about the Huron, I came across a darling ditty written by Jay Steilstra. Here is the original piece and my friend Andrew's interpretation.

Not only do I have talented friends who can write music, but I also have friends who can play music! First, my friend and neighbor, Jessica, played the tune and chords on her piano. Then Alex, a former coworker and dear friend from our days at camp, was quick to play his own interpretation of this fun tune!

While not as talented as my many musical friends, I finally gave the song a shot on my ukulele. This song is catchy, and I've found myself humming it about the house as I prep for our trip.

Sunday, July 26th 2020

This week, I got our 15.5 ft Pelican Colorado canoe river-worthy! Years ago, my husband (boyfriend at the time) bought this boat, barely used, from a couple on Craigslist for $125. It was a GREAT deal and since its purchase, it has been on adventures from the Manistee to the Maumee.

The boat originally came with a center bench, which we decided we didn't want/need as it gave us less room for gear on multi-day paddle trips. I had the seat removed and a yoke installed, which worked for some time. However, we soon noticed that the canoe floor would bow upwards and displace the keelson on the floor of the canoe without said seat! When loaded down with gear, this hasn't been a huge problem, but it turns out that it's a not a good idea to mess with the structural soundness of a boat that one is about to take on a 5-day, 4 night trip that involves 11 portages!

As such, I undid the damage done by ordering a new seat and structural support. The install was straightforward, and now our boat is ready to go!

I also decided to add some custom vinyl decals to jazz the old girl up. She may get a few more before our trip is underway!

Enjoy the significantly sped up process below!

Saturday, July 25th 2020

Friday, July 24th 2020

Wednesday, July 22nd 2020: Family Fun at Argo Cascades

Tuesday, July 21st 2020: Family Fun at Argo Cascades

This past Friday, my cousin, husband, 4-year-old son joined me my first trip down the Argo Cascades. This set of man-made rapids runs through spillway of the Huron River that bypasses Argo Dam. When I first moved to Ann Arbor, this spillway was full of stagnant, weedy water and was nothing to get all that excited about. However, in the Summer of 2011, construction began on this new recreational feature. Here is a bit more history on the project:

In 2007, the City of Ann Arbor was faced with challenges related to Argo Dam, located on the Huron River on the City’s north side. Structural deficiencies had been discovered in the headrace and embankment considered to be part of the dam, and it was clear that repairs would need to be made. “The vision became one of opportunity,” said Colin Smith, Director of Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation. Rather than simply repairing the existing embankment, the City got creative. “How can we address the problem and come out with something that can improve the recreational experience for people at the Huron River? From that question came the Cascades,” said Smith. There has been a canoe livery in some form or fashion at Argo since the late 1800s; today approximately 40,000 people enjoy a river trip or pond paddle at the City’s liveries each year. With more than 500 kayaks and canoes for rent, the department operates the largest livery in the state. Prior to the Cascades project, Argo Canoe Livery was located on a quarter-mile stretch of stagnant water that ended at a concrete wall, a barrier which required visitors to portage down a series of steps with their canoes or kayaks to re-enter the river. “The portage was a source of great frustration,” said Smith. “For many, it was a reason why they either couldn’t or wouldn’t take our most popular trip, a two hour paddle from Argo to Gallup Park.” Construction on the project began in the Summer of 2011 to create a series of drops and pools that connect Argo Pond to the Huron River. The stretch includes nine drops that fall approximately 10 feet in elevation, eliminating the portage and creating a boat bypass channel. For the first time since 1830 (when the channel was built to power mills), Argo Cascades has returned the section of river to its previous free-flowing status. More than 500 residents voted online to name the project, now known as the Argo Cascades. Completed in 2012, the development has created “new recreation opportunities with tubes, rafts and kayaks,” Smith added. “It provides a bit of thrill with the moving water and drops, but is manageable by people with limited experience and people are thoroughly enjoying it.” The City now offers rafts that can accommodate up to five patrons, “which are great for providing guided nature tours down the Cascades and Huron River,” he added. The project also included paving a portion of the Border-to-Border trail that was in poor condition prior and was not ADA accessible. “The path is extremely popular and you see many people biking, walking and running on it. The Cascades has become a great gathering spot – people watch the activity, have lunch, sit on the rocks by the drops and read or catch some sun. Prior to this project this stretch of river was more of a place one passed through – not somewhere people wanted to linger.” Smith cites community support and dedicated staff as a major component of the project’s success. “The staff at the Canoe Liveries has been working extremely hard all season to help make the Cascades a success. Their enthusiasm, professionalism, safety training, and attention to customer service are essential in making the Cascades a great customer experience,” said Smith. "Cheryl Saam, the Recreation Facility Supervisor of Gallup and Argo Liveries, realizes the great recreational value the Huron River provides Ann Arbor, and in her ten years at the Liveries has been responsible for its tremendous growth, both in business and popularity. Without the great staff, the Cascades wouldn’t be anywhere nearly as successful.” The Cascades has been warmly received by the community. “ The City canoe liveries have seen a significant uptick in use and revenue since we opened last May,” said Smith. “People who typically came out once a year for a canoe or kayak are telling us they plan on coming every weekend! [ The Cascades] has really energized this portion of the river and park system that is so close to downtown Ann Arbor.”

Source: https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.mparks.org/resource/collection/099A0F9F-56F6-4DF2-BFA1-FAC42C2EDCD0/Argo%20Cascades%20Project%20-%205.1%20-%202013.pdf

With news that both Ann Arbor canoe/tubing liveries were closed due to a coronavirus scare, we decided this would be an excellent time to finally check out the Cascades while being able to enjoy some socially-distanced fun. I had previously purchased a double-tube online at Sierra Trading Post, while my cousin had single tubes for the other two members of our party.

We had a blast! We got on the river around 9:30 and did four runs of the Cascades, which took us about 2 hours with some breaks in between. Each "run" of the rapids takes 15-20 minutes, depending on how much we assist our tubes in making their way down the rapids. The longer we stayed, the more people arrived, but for a Friday morning, I found the crowds to be pretty tame. My 4-year-old and I had no issue wearing face mask as we walked up the trail that connects the start of the Cascade to the end.

Here are a few things that I learned from this trip....

• If you want to avoid crowds, especially those who are are more into partying on the river, weekday trips are best. The weekends can get crowded and congested here

• Morning trips are less crowded and more family-friendly. We noticed a significant increase in the crowds as lunchtime approached

• While the adults in our group were able to stand along most parts of the Cascades, there are some deep holes! Non-swimmers MUST wear a PFD, and for younger children, I would recommend sharing a tube. My 4-year-old loved using a double tube, taking turns with each adult as we went down the Cascades multiple times

• It is an easy walk to return from the end to the start of the Cascades. Little legs/people may tire of this walk, so keep this in mind!

• Depending on how someone comes down a rapid, the current may push their boat/tube towards your own. We kept masks handy in case we struggled to keep 6 feet away from others.

• You will have to work a bit to paddle/kick your way back into the river flow and rapids. My husband was surprised by the physical effort it took to go down the rapids quickly. If you're content to float and take a bit longer, it's a bit less work!

• For future trips, I plan on coming mid-week and as early as possible. The livery opens at 9 AM, and since my kid is up a the crack of dawn anyway, we may try for an even early start next time!

Tuesday, July 21st 2020

Tuesday, July 14th 2020: Our Fundraiser!

Saturday, July 11th 2020

Thursday, February 20th 2020

Monday, January 27th 2020

Friday, January 17th 2020: The Route

First and foremost, can I give a shout out to the folks at the Huron River Watershed Council for their work on the Huron River Water Trail? From a planning standpoint, they have done such a good job building resources to support a trip like this. Not only have I purchased copies of their waterproof river map, but their online, interactive map is fantastic and embeddable, as you will see below:

So, with all of these planning resources, what is our plan?

We are going to use the recommended 5-day trip plan, which seems very reasonable given my experiences on some stretches of the river. It is well thought out and paced, and should be totally doable for our crew. Here is the current plan:

Some of this trip will prove to be quite familiar to me, while other sections will be entirely new! I plan to write about my experience with familiar sections in later posts, and have plans to scout out some of the new portages and campgrounds before making the trip in August. Stay tuned for more!

Saturday, January 11th, 2020: Welcome to the Adventure!

Barring major catastrophe, illness, or misfortune, we have a date for our epic adventure.

We are going to take a canoe and paddle it the entire length of the Huron River!

What does that entail?

Here are the statistics, because I'm a bulleted list kinda gal:

• 104 miles of river (technically 101.8 actual river miles), which we'll just round down to an even 100 for the sake of this blog's name.

• It will take us 5 days and 4 nights to complete this journey

• An estimated 28 hours of paddling

• 11 portages, most over dams

• Varying water conditions, from swift river to occasional class II rapids to the flat backwaters behind dams

• This stretch of river has been recently designated as a National Water Trail!

Why are we doing this?

We have brainstormed a variety of goals for this trip, and here are some ideas that we're chewing on right now:

• To raise awareness of the Huron River and promote its use as a recreational resource

• To highlight the newly-created Huron River Water Trail

• To raise funds for the Huron River Watershed Council, who does great work for the Huron and were
  instrumental in developing and promoting this new Water Trail

• To help educate my own students and their community about the Huron River

• To create art (written and visual) based off of our journey

When are we going?

Mid-August, 2020

In the months to come, this blog will serve as a space where we can share our thoughts, our journey, and ultimately, our grand adventure. I keep using the words "we" and "our", because I am lucky enough to be planning this trip with one of the most amazing paddling and blogging partners that I could ask for: Heather Friedli. Heather is my former roommate and teaching partner from our days in YMCA Storer Camps' Outdoor Education Program, and all-around marvel. She's thru-hiked the entire Appalachian Trail, paddled solo in the Boundary Waters, and is an AMAZING and accomplished artist. Seriously, stop what you're doing and go look at her gorgeous artwork. Heather has graciously offered to co-author this blog with me as we get ourselves prepared for this journey.

It looks highly possible that we're going to have some other amazing folks joining us for the trip as well. Old camp friends, family members, and even coworkers have expressed an interest in joining us for a leg or two of our adventure. I'm already feeling such community support for this project, and it reminds me just how lucky I am to have so many amazing people in my life.

Speaking of amazing people, I plan to give many (but probably not enough) shout-outs to my dear husband and son, who are giving me the space and time to pursue this crazy dream of mine. They will be holding down the homestead while I do something big for me and my community, and that kind of support at home is something that not every woman is lucky enough to have.

So here we go, folks - thanks for joining us on this adventure!