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.

The latest from Dave (a.k.a. "89 Cent")

Forecast is perfect: Highs in the low 80s, lows in the high 50s - AND NO RAIN.

Just found I had ordered one too many kayaks - one for "Deb" and one for "Abbey''

Ooops. Me and Big Jim had a big laugh about that one.

6 DAYS!

The yesteryear collection

A few photo highlights from years past...

Seven days and counting

A week from now someone will be dancing on a picnic table.