Earlier this week my friend Barbie and I broke out of our respective houses for some non-quarantined kayaking. It was just what I needed as I hadn't been out on the water yet - at all - in 2020. She'd been down the river before, but this was my first time.
If you haven't been, it's a beautiful trip. We managed to pick a day with picture-perfect weather (70s, mostly sunny with a light breeze) and met at the take out around 10 a.m. We checked in with the Northwoods Resort and took a one-mile trip in a van with a pleasant (masked, thank you!) gent up to the put in. Though the two points are less than a mile by car, the actual trip is 7.5 miles curving in a wavy almost-loop through Hiawatha National Forest.
There were several groups on the river, but not so many that it felt uncomfortable, and for the most part, we said hello and kept moving. The river was high and ran at a good, leisurely pace, and though I definitely felt like we'd done some paddling when we were through, it wasn't too much of a challenge for someone who hadn't been out in a while. We drifted along, chatting and catching up, all while admiring the magic of Michigan.
We saw a mink, as well as turtles, a great blue heron, a couple of sandpipers (?), ducks, an enthusiastic furry friend who took a dip, and fish (Northern pike & yellow perch?). Many fish. So many fish I had to stop pointing them out or my paddling partner might have tipped me out of our kayak!
I charged my camera battery the night before, so naturally forgot it in the truck during the trip; these were taken with my phone.
