High Water

We had a lot of snow in the Roscommon Michigan area this year. We have had our place up there
for three years and it was much more snow than we were used to. While it is beautiful, it is a
pain in the ass if you have to shovel it.


One of the nice things about it was that it really brought the river up in the spring, this
year,when the snow melted. This changes the whole character of the river, which is usually a
gentil secenic meandering river through the hills and cedar swamps of some of Michigans Ausable
country. The river, the South Branch of the Ausable River, was up at least two feet and was
moving fast. I do not mean to say we had a raging white water river here but it sure different
than in the summer and fall.


In the summer, when we spend a lot of time on it it is a beautiful run. A novist can easily

paddle down it and feel safe, which they are. Hell, if you tip over the water is only a couple

feet deep but the attraction to me is the wilderness it goes through.


This streach is 16 miles of constantly winding river and it passes through miles of jack pine

and hardwood forest. There are cedar swamps along its banks. You are constantly working your way

around fallen trees, many of which the Department of Natural Recorces have dropped for Trout

habitat. Every spring they have to come through and open the river, cut the trees that the winter storms have dropped across the river.

The river will be completely blocked from canoe travel at times. They also have to tear out the

handywork of the local Beaver as they like to take over the river too. I have seen them block

the whole river, extending a blowdown, in a nights work.

Mary and I drove up on Thursday night, planning our first trip of the year the next morning. It

was to be a beautiful day and we were excited.

The next morning we got up and had breakfast and she started packing the drybags as I headed out

to load the Kayaks. We like to go prepared and as this was our first trip of the year and the

water was much higher than we were used to,she packed extra cloths and a cigarett lighter etc.

We had storage room and it was smart to be prepared.

I usually take bags to clean up the river but we had no plans on messing with it on this trip.

We only picked up six cans on our last trip of the year and there had been very few people on

tlhe river since. When we started paddling that streach of river it was common for us to pull a

hundred cans and bottles out on a trip. It is usually a three and a half hour trip, taking it

easy but we have spent as long as 7 hours on the days I have to spend half my time retreving

trash. We didn't expect much and this was just gonna be a relaxing trip.

What we have to do it use two vehicles. I have a Honda Helix scooter and I follow Mary to the

river. It is a 250cc bike and will easily carry the two of us. We dump the Kayaks off at the Chase Bridge and then I have to follow her to the Smith Bridge, where we get off the river. There we leave the truck and return to the Kayaks on the
scooter. Works great. The river is a 16 mile run, as I have said and by road it takes about 14

minutes each way. It is a fun ride but I am always happy to see nobody has stolen our gear in

the meantime. It rarely happens but I had a dang expensive diving mask, which I use to get

bottles and trash out of the few holes in the river, stolen one day.

On Friday morning everything went great. I could see Mary was a little nervous as she had never

paddled anything moving quite so fast but I told here to stay back a little and follow my track.

I explained to her that you have to look downstream and plan your route ahead of time, not

react to things but plan for them. That only goes so far as the river was as twisty and a dang

snake and there are hundreds of fallen cedar and white pines in the river. Most are the same

ones that were there the previous year but they come up on you faster in the high water.

The trip was as beautiful as it could have been. It was sunny and there were a lot of ducks and

a beaver to be seen. The trip was one of the better ones that we had had with onely one

supprise.

If you read my earlier story of my trip in January with my brother Gary you know we had run into

an ice dam, about half way down the river. Now we found out what caused it. The river was

completely blocked by a fallen tree. Water was still flowing downriver but the river was blocked

to traffic. I came around a turn and there it was. I started looking for a way around it. I

figured we were gonna have to get out and drag the Kayak's over it. I thought I saw a small gap

along the left bank and headed for it. It was just big enough for a kayak so I squeezed

through. Turning around I looked for Mary and she was up against the dam of treelimbs and logs.

She saw how I had gotten through and fought her way back up stream a bit so she could follow my

route.

This was really no problem but it answered the question I have pondered since my hike out of the

woods in January. The ice dam had been caused by this log dam. It had blocked the river and

then the ice had piled up behind it for a mile or more.

The rest of the trip was nice but uneventful. Beautiful day and great company. The only thing

that marred it was all the trash. We counted over a hundred bottles and cans and since we had

cleaned it up the previous year, where the hell had it all come from? Danged if I knew.

It was a great day on the river, as most are. The river was high but there was no whitewater to

contend with and it actually made it better, in my veiw, because we didn't drag bottom in the

few wide spots, as we did in the summer's low water.

We were pretty pissed at the trash though and decided that Mary was gonna take Monday off work

and we were gonna do some trash picking.

Monday morning we prepared for the trip. I loaded the kayaks and Mary did the packing of the

drybags. Since the previous trip was so uneventful she decided to not pack so much. Hummmm??

Bad idea. I saw we only took one bag but didn't give it much thought. What she had left out is

the dry cloths and lighter. This was to prove to be a mistake but live and learn, right? :)

The weather forcast was for rain and a bit of wind. I didn't look at the temperature forcast.

Mary asked if I still wanted to go and I said to pack the rain parkas and everything would be

fine. Heck, we had made the run in the rain before and had a ball. It just adds a new element

to the trip.

I had on a tee shirt and swimming trunks, Over the trunks I had sweat pants. I would be fine as

the cold doesn't usually bother me as much as a normal human. She was smart enough to bring a

coat for the ride from Smith Bridge on the scooter. Damn good thing too!!

We dumped the Kayaks and headed for Smith Bridge to dump the truck, for the pickup. Man I

noticed the wind was pretty bad as it dang near blew me off the road! I was clippin along at

about 60mph and a gust of wind blew me half way across the highway. Geeesh! I had to slow down

to about 30mph and had a death grip on the handle bars. Mary was following me and she backed

off a bit, worried that she might have to pick up the body if I crashed.

It was a cold ride, wearing only the T-shirt, I will tell you. Dang, this was a lot different

that Friday but I actually didn't give a thought to calling off the trip. There is not much that

I would have called it off for once I had decided I was going. Mary is pretty tough.

We dumped off the truck and headed back on the Helix. I was getting a bit cold and knew Mary

was freezing but she didn't complain. She is great that way. She doesn't complain and waits

until later to get even. :O)

I forgot to mention that there had been some bad weather since Friday. High winds and

thunderstorms on Sunday night. Last night!

I noticed that the water was up a bit more since Friday too. Duh?? Thunderstorms mean water.

We loaded up and I told Mary that she had to follow my track, to stay back a bit and she was

gonna have to dig that paddle in a little deeper and put some back into it as the water was

swift.

It was cold and very windy but we had thrown on the slickers as a wind break, I was comfortable.


I was a little in the lead when we came around a bend and there was a dam tree, all the way

across the river! It was under water in the middle but there was not much flowing over it. I

saw no way around it and yelled to Mary to follow me and I hit it head on and went right over it

as I should have. It startled me for a minute as the water was really flowing there and there

was a lot of noise, I was clear.

I looked back to watch Mary follow my lead and to my shock, she was broadside to the dam log and

crashed into it. In panic she grabbed a small limb and held on. In doing so she leaned back a

bit and the kayak filled up and started under the dam log, trying to carry her with it.

Her eyes were like saucers and were rivited on me. I don't know what she was saying but I

yelled to hold on and don't let go. I rammed my kayak into some brush on the right shore and

struggled to get my overgrown ass out of the thing. I wanted it secure so I would not have to

go hunting for it but I was really scared she would be drug under the log too. That could be

bad!

I kept hollering for her to hold on and tried to keep eyecontact with her. I could see her

head, shoulders and a bit of the bow of the yellow kayak but that was it. I jumped out of the

kayak and headed across the river, which was about waste deep. That water was c_O-L-D!! If my

vascetomy and emididimitis didn't do the job, that dam ice water sure did! I ain't never gonna

father another kid, I will tell you that right now! That water had some major shrivvle power!

I lunged across the river and kept yelling for her to hold on to the dam log for another minute

or so. I finally got to her, on the downriver side of the log and grabbed he by the sholders.

I told her she was ok now but was not sure yet.

Damed of she didn't have her paddle, bag for her contacts and some other bag in her hands. She

was drowning but was not gonna lose her contacts! I hauled her out of the kayak and across the

log. It was not all that easy as the power of the river had her pinned into the kayak, which was

doign its best to go under the log. After I had her on the log and settled down, I led her

across the river to my kayak. Geeeesh was it cold! I got her safe and headed back to see if I

could rescue the kayak, which was almost completely under the log and bottom downstream. This

meant that the full strengeth of the river was directly into the dam kayak. It was really wedged

under there and getting worse as the current washed out the sand.

I was freezing my ass off by this time but I had the job to do I guess and I guess the adrenalin

was still surging. The tree had dropped on a bend in the river so I was standing on the inside

of the bend and hauling with all my strengeth at the end of the kayak. Since I was on the

inside of the bend, I had muck up to my frozen parts. Oh great! At first I was not moving it

much but soon it started coming a bit, maybe an inch or two at a time.

I looked toward Mary and saw she had gotten into my kayak. She was yelling something and

pointing downstream, where I saw something floating. Now what in the hell did she figure I was

gonna do about THAT!! Christ, I was up to my arse in frozen mud, trying to drag a dam sunken

kayak out of the water and she wants me to retreve some dam twinkie bag or something. I yelled

that I was rather busy. I think I might have used a couple discriptive ajectives about then

that for some reason, I got away with. You know, the ones you don't use in church? Maybe the

cold water was effecting her too. I know I was her hero the rest of the day... and night!

I got back to the task at hand and finally had the thing sliding up into the shallow calm water.

The kayak was ok but full of water and weighed a ton! Geeesh! I am knee deep in icewater and

mud and could hardly budge it. Everytime I moved my feet the mud threatened to pull my shoe's off. I slid it half out of the water on a long and finally managed to

roll the thing over and dumped the water. Man was I releaved!

I waved to Mary and started shoving her kayak across the log and then across the river to her.

At least the icewater washed the clinging mud off my frozen arse.

I got to her and asked, "What the hell floated down the friggin stream that was so friggin

important at that time?" She said, "That digital camera you bought me for Christmas" I

thought, that 500 dollar digital camera I bought her for christmas???

She said that she had it in a ziplock bag and it just floated downriver. Man it had time to go

a hell of a long way down that river. I helped her get into her own kayak and said that we

would just have to watch for it and hope for luck. I got in mine and headed downstream,

watching for the bag with camera. I figured it was a waste of time but at least I had not lost

her.

We paddled about a mile or so, maybe less and I saw a bag snagged on a downed tree on the left

bank. I headed for it and hauled it out with camera intact. I held it high and she was as

tickled as I was. It was pure luck but it had gone our way that time.

The first place we could get out was at what is called the castle. There used to be a manson

there but it had burned down years ago. Now there is a big dock there and picnic tables and

such.

Needless to say we were cold so we putin and hauled out kayak's up on the dock. We got into our

drybags and guess what? No dry cloths and no lighter to build a much needed fire.

Mary was frozen because she is like normal women, she can not tolerate cold all that much. I

pulled off my soden sweats and rung them out. She did have that coat with her though and we

quickly got her in it. We had some big dry towels with us and I had some of those hand warmers

that I took on my January trip.

She also had on a we bathingsuit. I got her kayak cleaned out and put one of the towels on the

seat. She sat in it and then I lay a towel on the floor for her to put her bare feet on. I

then took a couple of the handwarmers and activated them. I tucked them under her feet and then

took a couple more and lay them on her frozen feet. Then I wrappen the towel over them. That

ought to keep them warm.I took the rain slicker and got it over the coat and she was ready. It

was not raining at this point but the slicker would break the wind, which was picking up as the

temperature was dropping. Had it made now!

I explained to her that if she ever got into that situation again that one of her main conserns

was that the kayak stay level. Just to hold it level and I would get to her. I also told her

that she had to put some effort into her paddling because it was not like summer when all you

were doing is steering the kayak, in this fast current you had to be going faster than the

current to have steering control and you had to paddle hard. Well maybe there was still ice plugging her ears.

I was dressed in a wed bathing suit, a wet t-shirt and a rain slicker. I had wet shoes on too. I

was all set. Man I was cold but in my experience, I would be ok as long as I kept moving.

I shoved her off and told her to follow. Again I told her to read the river ahead of her and to do what I did. She said OK.

Off we went, with her following. I have to give her credit. She had had the piss scared out of

her but she did not complain a bit. She was still game, she ain't no quitter.

I looked down stream, after a bit and saw where there was a tree, coming from the left bank and

reaching over half way across the river. Downstream from it, about I am guessing 60 ft, was a

tree,reaching out from the left bank about the same distance. We would have to snake through

but it would be easy. All we had to do it go around the first on the left and then head to the

right side to miss the second one. the water was smooth and it should be no problem. I turned

my head and yelled for her to dig deep!!

I made it through easily and headed to the bank to make sure she made it ok. Nope! She was

paddling too weakly and was soon solidly against the dam tree! I yelled, "How in the **** did

you do it again?" Man she was gonna roll again and I rammed my kayak into shore and bailed out.

Bailing my 250lbs out of a dam kayak is no mean feat in itself but I was scared. We had miles

to go with no houses between us and the takeout.

The water was deeper here and it was a challange to get across the river and I was yelling to

hold it level. I finally got across the river and then walked upstream to the tree. I saw that

er eyes were rivited on water and she was thinking of nothing but keeping that kayak level. I

had to wade out to her, bellybutton deep, and calmly told her she was doing a great job of

keeping the kayak level and I would get her clear. She had to stay calm and to her credit

again, she seemed calm. Well maybe transfixed on keeping the kayak level. I got beside her and

she smiled. Everything was ok. I walked her along the tree and shoved her into the current.

She then paddled over to my kayak to wait for me. I waded over and asked how the hell that had

happened. She said she just didn't know. I knew and it was because she was not paddling

agressively enough. She said ok and I gotta admit she was a stroking the rest of the trip.

I was now very cold and the wind was picking up. Dang wind seemed to be coming directly up the

river and we had a long way to go. It was cutting right through me is seemed but what the hell,

we had about 6 miles to go and nobody was gonna come and get us. It would have been great to be able to have a fire but we didn't pack the lighter. I dug all through the stuff we did have and there was not a dam thing for me to put on. I think there was a pair of socks but my shoes were soaked so why bother. I was not sure if I would be in the river again anyway.

I was doing ok, as I started paddling I started warming up a bit. We had a long way to go and there was nothing to do but enjoy it.

We finally arrived at the dam that had caused the ice backup in the winter. I saw it coming and yelled to Mary to stick to the left bank and to follow me. I could tell by now that she was a bit frightened but she nodded and followed me.

We bought the kayaks last year and have spent a lot of time in them but not under these conditions. In the summer we usually only used the paddle to stear and with the gentil river, was easy. I think Mary’s confidence had taken a beating on this run though. She just didn’t have the experience. I must have a thousand hours in a canoe so the kayak was no problem but she didn’t have that behind her.

She did good though and we both got by the dam easily.

The next stretch was faster but protected by high cliffs on either one side or the other. The wind got down in there but was not too bad. I was paddling where I normally drifted but that was to keep warm. I sure the heck was nice an cool J

There are a couple areas that that hills fall away and it is like a big blowdown area. The river is shallow and it is much wider. The wind got to me there. I was freezing my arse off and strating to shake! Dang! I am too old for this crap, I am a thinking.

I yelled back to Mary that I was gonna have to start stroking hard to generate some heat in my body and she yelled ok. I started paddling hard and it began to rain a little. Oh great, I thought. All I need is snow now and on cue, a few flakes started to fall. Wet t-shirt, wet shoes, wet bathing suit, rain and now snow. Yup, dumb old Royal at it again!

I was getting tired but the wind was right into my face now and I had to keep stroking. I could see where the next sheltered area was and it was not far now. I stroked up into the lee of the hill and under a hanging tree and stopped to rest, swinging my kayak to look back to see that Mary was ok. She was fine and a coming on. She is a strong and tireless paddler, once she knows what to do.

I was warmed up nicely by the time she arrived and we set off again. Dam this was a long river. I never noticed it before. All I wanted to do is get into that dang truck and get the header on.

The next thing we came to was a Chapel that is built in the woods, on the water. It is a memorial to George Mason (we were on the Mason Tract) who donated all the land along the river to the state. About 16 miles of river frontage and many acres of forest. I wanted to keep going, I had seen the chapel before. Mary had to Pee. Dang, now I had to pull into shore and wait while she went to the outhouse, up behind the Dang Chapel.

I knew there was another flat area a mile or two below the Chapel and when she got back I told her that I was gonna have to just paddle my arse off, once I got there, or I would get hypothermic. She said ok and we headed down stream again.

It was not long and there the open area was and there were little waves being kicked up by the dang wind. There ain’t supposed to be no dang waves on no dang little river! I took off a stroking and it was miserable. I am dang lucky I had that little rain parka on though. It is one of those little plastic things you buy for 5 bucks. We always keep one in the kayaks.

I was getting pretty dang tired and cold by this time and about half way through this flat area my arms started cramping up a bit. This told me two things, maybe three, I was getting cold, , I was getting tired and I was paddling wrong. You are supposed to paddle with your back and lats, not your arms. I was using my arms and they were tired. I started concentrating on how I was paddling and actually I think it helped me forget how dang cold I was.

We finally got past that low area and the next couple miles, to the truck, were uneventful. It was in the shelter of the hills and pretty comfortable. Never the less, by the time we arrived at the truck, I was starting to shake.

I had used my remote starter to get the truck going, while still on the river so by the time we beached and I ran to the truck, there was heat available. Aaaah, lovely heat!

I backed the truck to the river and hurriedly jumped out and started loading the kayaks and other equipment. That didn’t take long and we jumped in the truck and smiled at each other. She asked, “Are you ok?” I said, “Hell yes, we lived through it!”

Well it was not quite over for my dumb old arse. I still had the scooter to ride home, in my wet t-shirt, my wet bathing suit and my wet shoes. It was only about three or four miles from the scooter at Chase Bridge to home but the wind was still blowing like hell and it was cold. The rain and snow didn’t last but a couple minutes and it was just cold wind now.

Mary, showing her intelligence, suggested that we just go home and get warm. Change clothing and come back later to get the scooter. Good idea I thunk. Problem is, I am stupid.

Mary, thinking that was the plan, looked at me with that (you’re a dumbass) look, when I pulled in next to the scooter. I figured I could ride the silly scooter a few miles. Heck, I was pretty well thawed out by now. She just shook her head. From experience she knew I would do what I wanted when it was stupid.

I hopped out and put on the helmet. Started the scooter and off we went, with Mary following.

I froze my ass off!!!! I got so dang cold that I was shaking like a friggin leaf. As I passed the cemetery I looked for an open grave to jump in. I decided I would leave the scooter at the dump, which was half way back but when I got there my dumbass kicked in heavy duty and told me that if I made it half way, a real man would not wimp out now!! I should not have listened to my dumbass alterego. He had never given me any good advice in 64 years and I don’t figure he ever will but I drove right on past.

By the time I hit our road I was hunkered down behind that dang windshield and shaking so bad that I had a hard time controlling the scooter! That is the honest truth. I dropped to about 20 mph and just kept telling myself, “Just a little farther dumbass, Just a little farther dumbass!”

When I got off that scooter, at the garage I was a little shakey. Mary was behind me in the truck and I just charged into the house headed for the shower. I turned that bad boy on full and started a shuckin cloths. Like I had a bunch on, right?

Mary walked in and I asked her to check the water temperature. I was too cold to do it myself. That is all I would need to do, scald myself. I have done that but that is another story.

I stood in that hot stream for a long time. I was in heaven.

Later, setting in the living room and warm, I asked Mary if she had had fun and she smiled and said yes. Like I always say. If you live through it it makes a good story.

I am not the least bit sorry for the day on the river. I have sure the hell been in worse situations but at the time, I didn’t think so.

It was a great day on the river.

I contacted the kayak shop, where we bought them and he said it was common for new paddlers to paddle too easily and they get in trouble.

We are gonna take some lessons this spring. Mostly for Mary but I am sure there is a lot I can learn.

This was one long story and for those of you that stuck with it, I hope you enjoyed it.