Pine River 2009

Dave disappeared with the vibrator ring before I could get a shot of it, but there's plenty of other Pine River memorabilia in here. I should mention that "High as F%#k" is available on iTunes...



Here are a few from the Friday pre-trip, compliments of Ten Drinks. Note the obligatory shot of Dave's butt. Now we're officially on the Pine.

Pine River filmmaking at its finest

This video from Bob's Dick Tracy wrist cam captures the Pine River experience better than any video I've ever seen. Soft focus, off-balance - perfect!

Speedy recap

OK, here's what I was able to glean from Dave regarding the various aspects of his Pine River sandwich....

"The Pine? We were there, we Luthered really hard, we had a campfire. But we DID NOT canoe. The river was closed because of high water. It was only about 16 inches from going into the campground those days - and it rained most of the time we were there.

And after that and before my big Pine trip, the area got hit by the STORM OF THE CENTURY - washing out roads, river banks, trees, etc. Silver Creek campground did get flooded, and only reopened after lots of govt. work the day I got there.

When I got up there for that one, water levels were medium high but highly canoeable. But the river was closed because of all the log games and mudslides. It opened for our Saturday trip (just the lower stretch), and we had a wild ride. All those obstacles and people clogging the obstacle areas meant lots of people went under - some numerous times. Not me. But this will be one for the books.

(Dobber did almost die - although the reports vary, and lots of bowlers got very wet. There's a great story about abandoned Bowman canoes, too.)"

I've since heard hilarious details of Dobber's near-death experience and am awaiting the video feed from Bob's Dick Tracy wrist camera. But for now, here's Speedy's recollection of stranded and abandoned Bowman canoes, and a story about Spalding and the Deadhead, who I'm sure are already at Club 37.

Anybody out there?

Hmmm, Pine River chatter has dropped off conspicuously since the actual rendezvous... Meanwhile those of us who didn't make it this year have been waiting for news. Did you get on the river (or off the river in a timely manner?)Who won the cup? Was there really widespread flooding in Hoxeyville? Is everyone still at Fife Lake? Send me pictures or links, and I'll post them. Here's one entry from Dave's further adventures up north:
Sez Dave: "Here's a picture -- from eastern Missaukee County. My grandfather's cousin John went up there in the 30s and became the Butterfield Township supervisor. His legacy is a 4-mile stretch of bad road. All McVetys everywhere are related. Only a few have their own roads."

Straight from the experts

Sometime this summer my son, Ben, hauled out a copy of "Canoeing Michigan Rivers" that had been gathering dust on a shelf since I got it for Christmas several years ago. This damn useful book has maps and information on put-ins, rapids, liveries and travel time for 45 Michigan rivers - including the Pine. Here's what our intrepid guides Jerry Dennis and Craig Date had to say about the Mighty Pine, even back in 1986:
"While the rapids don't amount to much by most whitewater standards, scattered bushel-size and larger rocks and bedrock ledges create small standing waves and require a fair amount of maneuvering. Usually rated class I or Class II in high water, these moderately challenging rapids create their share of mischief. Although we do not recommend the Pine for anyone without basic maneuvering skills, beginners often float it and come away telling stories that serve to enhance the Pine's reputation for being a difficult river. We have heard of no drownings or serious injuries, but the potential for them certainly exists for careless or inexperienced paddlers."
Heh, heh, heh.
The book also includes the international scale of river difficulty, including what makes a rapids Class I, Class II, and so on. What I found interesting was the note at the bottom that says if the water temperature is below 50 degrees Fahrenheit or the trip is an extended one in a remote wilderness area, you get to jack the river difficulty up one notch. By that standard, I figure two drunk people in a canoe in high water on the Pine would be equivalent to at least a Class IV rapids...

All Pine, all the time

OK, I've recovered from my adventures along the Luther highway and my stunning come-from-behind effort to win the cup. More importantly, I've uploaded a bunch of photos, which you can see and/or download here. In the meantime, here are a few of my favorites:

" Here, let me just top ya' off a little..."

Guardian of the cup - really Spalding, you can just hang onto it. Or get it to Bob.
(Notice the Wal-Mart pies are still nowhere in sight.)

Ticks, two-week-old Wal-mart pie, and terms we've learned from teenagers

In the spirit of moving Dave's butt off the top of this page, I'm posting to let anyone who stops by know that I'll try to get the 2007 Pine River Rendezvous documented sometime this week. Many thanks to Jim and Juli for the river pictures.