Michigan Week of Rivers

We departed Carp River CG and headed to a familiar spot, Clementz's Northcountry Campground near Newberry MI.  We have stayed here twice before; it is a very nice park and it is close to several good paddling rivers and a few other nice attractions.  Our objective was to paddle several local rivers while we were here.

Our camp at Clementz's Northcountry CG

By the time we got parked and settled, it was a little late to go paddling, but we did take a road trip about 25 miles north to Tahquamenon Falls State Park.   Tahquamenon Falls State Park is a very nice park, perhaps the most popular state park in the Michigan state park system.  It features an Upper Falls area and a Lower Falls area on the lower Tahquamenon River, near its mouth on Lake Superior.

Upper Falls

Your "Advanenturers" at Upper Falls

We spent a few hours walking and touring the falls, then had dinner at the Tahquamenon Falls Brewery and Pub,  on the park grounds.  We had a nice dinner and enjoyed a growler of Fall Tannen ale at our table.  When we left we ordered another growler of Black Bear Stout to enjoy later.  Or so we thought!  The next afternoon it was revealed that they had drawn us a jug of root bear instead of the stout we had ordered.   DANG!  We were disappointed, but both Wayne and Dorcas like root beer, and said it was very good.

One of the Lower Falls

The next day we paddled the Tahquamenon River.  We paddled the same section of the Tahquamenon River in September last year, but this day we put in at a spot about three miles upstream of our previous put-in.  The Tahquamenon is a very scenic river.  It flows through the Superior State Forest and there is no development.  It meanders through a mix of grass prairies and wooded areas.

Wayne and Lynda on the Tahquamenon

On the "Tahq"

Our route on the Tahquamenon

We had originally signed up for 4 nights at Clementz's.  We soon realized we could spend much more time paddling here, plus we decided we did not want to move during the weekend, so we signed on for 2 more nights.  After a layover day, where we lounged around camp and read books, we headed north to paddle the Two Hearted River.  Again Dorcas and I had paddled this river last September, but Wayne and Lynda had never been there.  The Two Hearted River was made famous by Earnest Hemingway in his short story Big Two-Hearted River.  Ironically, Hemingway was actually describing the near-by Fox River when he wrote the story.  However, he liked the name of the Two Hearted River more.  This paddle involved one of our more difficult shuttles, involving more than 32 miles of gravel and sand roads.  We dodged reckless 4-wheelers and aggressive timber trucks intent on putting us in the ditch.  We also passed through miles of area devastated by an intense forest fire.  After leaving a car at our take-out at the mouth on Lake Superior, Wayne and I returned to the put-in where the ladies were guarding the gear.  The river starts as a fairly tight, wooded stream, but opens and widens as it goes.  The river is a famous trophy trout stream, but we didn't see any trout and only one fisherman along the way.  About two thirds the way down the river we entered the burn area, where there were numerous charred snags, but we also saw a thick green mat of lush ferns along the ground, illustrating nature's rebirth.

The put-in on the Two Hearted

Our route on the Two Hearted River

On the Two Hearted River

Matilda's looking the wrong way!

Mouth of the Two Hearted at Lake Superior

After another relaxing layover day we paddled the Manistique River.  We had not paddled the Manistique before, but it looked very inviting in the guide book.  We put in at a DOT wayside on M-77 just south of Germfask and paddled 9.8 miles through the Seney Wildlife Refuge, taking out at Mead Creek Campground.  Unfortunately no significant wildlife was seen on the river, although Wayne and I did spot a porcupine while running the shuttle.  The river banks were mostly wooded, but the river was wide and there were no blow downs blocking the river. It was another outstanding paddle. 

Yet another picture of Dorcas' and Matilda's back

The whole week the weather has been outstanding, clear and sunny, with highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s.  Of the rivers we paddled this week Dorcas said she liked the Manistique the best.  Wayne's favorite was the Two Hearted; mine was the Tahquamenon.  I guess they were all winners.

Can you believe it?  They named a river after a beer!!!