Guided Winter Rafting trips are offered on two of our superb northern rivers, the Jordan and the Sturgeon. What an amazing way to enjoy our streams outside of the traditional paddling season! On the Jordan, Melanie & Dan at Jordan Valley Outfitters (in East Jordan) can take you on a guided trip, while on the Sturgeon, Big Bear Adventures (in Indian River) and Sturgeon River Paddlesports (in Wolverine) can serve as your tour guides. It was Sturgeon River Paddlesports and its owner, our old friend Jamie, that we chose for our winter rafting expedition down the Sturgeon. Jamie and his pal Rick were the guides for each of our two rafts, 5 of us in each raft.      

 

The Sturgeon is (along with the Little Manistee) the fastest river in the Lower Peninsula, with a peak gradient drop of 14' per mile. The stretch of the river where the trip takes place is through a gorgeous, ancient forest. It was a thrilling 90 minutes, winding our way down the narrow stream, steering around and sometimes bouncing off of fallen trees and other debris before us. Paddling for the paying customers is fairly minimal - a difficult thing to get used to for river veterans - only paddling in unison when directed by our guides. However, with Jamie and Rick in control of your voyage, this allows you to focus on the gorgeous snow-covered scenery, while their expert steering is sprinkled with humor and stories of the area. In Jamie's 18 years, and Rick's 12 years, of guided winter raft trips, no customer has ever fallen into the Sturgeon - good to know when you're going downstream in the dead of winter.

 

Out of 10 friends who participated in this January excursion, all 10 expressed a resounding "YES!" when asked if they'd like to do this again. The Sturgeon River Paddlesports website is www.sturgeonriverpaddlesports.com or call Jamie at 231-525-6878.  

   

A great wildlife viewing paddle adventure awaits you on Crockery Creek, located just

a few miles east of Grand Haven, 10 minutes from Lake Michigan. The suggested site

to launch is just a few feet northeast of I96 at exit 10 / Nunica. From there, we took a

4 mile float south to where Crockery Creek empties into the mighty Grand River.

 

You find yourself meandering down Michigan's version of Loo-siana bayou country,

padding beneath and around leaning branches, midstream deadwood, and plenty of

trees jutting out of the water (some of this due to the early season high water levels).

The frequency of the obstructions make this an enjoyable paddling challenge and not

well-suited for beginners.

 

A herd of at least 30 deer stampeded next to us, treating us to a beautiful sight 'n sound.

This was truly special, not unlike watching a scene from Lonesome Dove with Captain

Call, Augustus & the boys driving a herd of horses across the prairie.  

 

At the 1.4 mile mark, we counted 23 nests some 50' high in the trees above us, nests of

the Blue Herons. While some birds stayed in the nests with their eggs, others took to the

sky above, squawking their distaste for our intrusion into their lives. It was quite a sight!

Since Blue Herons use the same nests for several years at a time, there is an excellent

chance that this sweet wildlife viewing opportunity will be yours for some time to come.

 

At the 4 mile mark, the southward flowing Crockery Creek merges with the Grand

River flowing from your left to right on its way to a junction with Lake Michigan. You

paddle for a quarter mile across the Grand to the 118th Street DNR access site on

the south side of the Grand.

 

Canoes and kayaks may be rented from Karen and Bob Chapel at Lakeshore Kayak,

phone 616-566-1325 and website www.lakeshorekayakrental.com.

 

 

One of the sweetest little streams you'll ever float is the Mecan (ma-can) River in south

central Wisconsin. The river averages a narrow 15' to 20' wide and features a deceptively

quick current that slingshots you quickly around the tight turns. Plenty of deadwood and

low hanging branches give you a fun run for your money. The clearance is so minimal under

some of the small farm bridges that you have to squeeze under, there was a cheer for each

boat that made it successfully. The stories told on the ride to our launch site by Mecan River

Outfitters Godfather, Paul Harvey, were half the fun (now we know the rest of the story).

The old time tavern feel of the Buckhorn Lounge in the nearby town of Princeton (you'll dig

their Hillbilly Wind Chimes) does your soul good, sitting on the Buckhorn's back deck over-

looking the Fox River (the Mecan flows into the Fox a little SW of Princeton). Overnight in

Princeton at Ellison's Gray Lion B&B for a short walk back from a belly full of Schlitz (no

PBR on tap, so a fine plan B) and pizza at the Buckhorn.   

The fabulous Fox River was our 4Day getaway destination. Our hosts were Northland Outfitters

on M77 in Germfask, 75 minutes west of the Mackinac Bridge in the beautiful Upper Peninsula.

We launched from the Fox River Overlook, about 6 paddling hours upstream from the Seney

Township Campsite. Although there is no whitewater or rapids on the Fox, this is one of Michigan's

most challenging streams, a narrow & fast flowing river, featuring frequent tight turns and quite a bit

of deadwood to paddle around or over. The Fox is a wonderful wilderness experience! During our

4 days on the water, there was not another paddler in sight - you are deep into a wonderful seclusion.

Plan to work as the logjams are plentiful, but the Fox is so spiritual and so beautiful, that you'll want

to come back again & again.

 

There are a few day trip options on the Fox:

1. 2 hours - Fox Overlook to the Fox River State Forest Campground

2. 4 hours - Fox River S.F.C. to the Seney Township Campground

3. 6 hours - Fox Overlook to the Seney Township Campground

 

You can take 2 or 3 days to run the Fox from the Seney Township Campground down to 

Northland Outfitters in Germfask. It takes us approximately 12 hours for this stretch. There

are no designated campgrounds along the way, and the only public access of any kind here

is at M28 - only 20 minutes downstream from the Seney Township site.

 

25 minutes beyond M28, you enter the Fox River Spreads. You'll know that you're at the

Spreads when the Fox splits into two smaller streams - and each of those streams splits, and

then splits again. The river becomes so narrow that you can reach out and touch the brush

leaning into the river from each shore. Take any one of the splits in the Spreads and know that,

within 30 minutes, all of the splits will reconnect. A very cool experience!

 

Less than a two mile walk from the Seney Township Campground is one of our favorite

taverns, Andy's Seney Bar. Located on M28 in Seney, Andy's is about 150' or so east of

where the Fox River flows beneath the M28 Bridge. To quote from the classic 1985 song,

"Some get there by canoe, some get there by car, they're all looking for Andy's - Andy's

Seney Bar". Andy's opened in 1978, the same year that we took our first 4Day canoe trip

with Northland Outfitters. An evening (or a day) at Andy's will be full of good times, with

table top shuffleboard, Pabst Blue Ribbon beers, and maybe doing a shot or two of George

Dickel Tennessee Whisky right along with Andy. If you do a few rounds of Dickel with Andy,

and your shoes are missing the next morning, save yourself some time by looking for 'em at

Andy's first.