Bushwhacker update 27

 Only the true champion could wield Excalibur - three cheers for The Bruce!

All the elements of a Sir Thomas Malory Classic; The story of "The Bruce" is told.

In his own words:

Only an hour into the event I new I was going to finally  finish my first Bushwhacker. As I paddled toward Webber dam finding myself toward the back of the pack, a monarch butterfly gently glided across the bow of my boat. I took it as inspiration from Verlen and continued on with determination.
.

As I entered the Maple at 1 pm and began the long trek to M-52, I caught up with George Mike S. and Mike D. and we stopped to top off our water bottles at the campground near Matherton. While I was waiting for them fill up, I decided to do a little fishing.  I spotted a fishing rod and real floating cork end up in the water and there was a catfish on the end of the line! I fought it for a few minutes and then gave the rod to a kid on shore who was not much of a fisherman and eventually lost it.
 .

The three of us stopped in Maple Rapids for ice cream toward evening and the excitement of the remaining hours of that day was contagious.  It was a beautiful wide river with abundant wild life a warm setting sun and renewed vigor from our break.
.

Only an hour into the event I new I was going to finally  finish my first Bushwhacker. As I paddled toward Webber dam finding myself toward the back of the pack, a monarch butterfly gently glided across the bow of my boat. I took it as inspiration from Verlen and continued on with determination. 

.

As I entered the Maple at 1 pm and began the long trek to M-52, I caught up with George Mike S. and Mike D. and we stopped to top off our water bottles at the campground near Matherton. While I was waiting for them fill up, I decided to do a little fishing.  I spotted a fishing rod and real floating cork end up in the water and there was a catfish on the end of the line! I fought it for a few minutes and then gave the rod to a kid on shore who was not much of a fisherman and eventually lost it.

. 

The three of us stopped in Maple Rapids for ice cream toward evening and the excitement of the remaining hours of that day was contagious.  It was a beautiful wide river with abundant wild life a warm setting sun and renewed vigor from our break. 

.

I got separated from George and Mike S. at a huge log jam near Bannister the next day. They wanted to hoist their boats up 10 feet onto the railroad tracks and portage down them to the next bridge. I chose the 6 foot bank full of poison ivy instead. Turns out it was the bridge to nowhere and they had to back track.  I waited for George that evening above Ovid but he never showed. I was on my own now with a phone that wasn't working too. 

.

By 9a.m. on Monday I hit Warren Road and the Bushwhacking began in earnest.  Half way to Ruess Rd. I suddenly stopped seeing tracks from Mark and Jack. I figured they just  pulled their boats through the bordering corn field up to Ruess to save some time.  I didn't know they gave up and headed straight to M-52 by road! I am glad no one told me this was getting to difficult. I just kept plugging away and eventually was preparing for the big pull by 12:45 P. M.

.

  During the portage Steve Smith told me of the route change but I was tired of pulling the loaded boat and decided to put back in at the end of Tyrell road instead of going clear up to Woodbury like Mark and Jack did.  I soon began to pay for that choice. for the next 4 hours I went under,over and through at least 50 log jams. By evening I was making stupid mistakes. My legs were stiff from the portage and I fell a couple of times carrying both packs at once. I decided that night to pull clear to Hollister in the morning where I new it was "smooth" sailing there after.

. 

Another 6 mile portage and I was at Hollister  by 9 a.m. laughing and giddy because I knew I would finish by dark.  I had never paddled the section from Wacousta to Portland but it was the best scenery of the whole trip and I was greeted at the finish line with a very warm welcome from fellow paddlers. I was astonished to find out that I was the last paddler to finish as I saw no sign of anyone ahead of me since the previous day. But I was soon informed and it turned out that the guy who came in last was declared the winner for the 2012 Bushwhacker race.   

.

 I got separated from George and Mike S. at a huge log jam near Bannister the next day. They wanted to hoist their boats up 10 feet onto the railroad tracks and portage down them to the next bridge. I chose the 6 foot bank full of poison ivy instead. Turns out it was the bridge to nowhere and they had to back track.  I waited for George that evening above Ovid but he never showed. I was on my own now with a phone that wasn't working too.

.

By 9a.m. on Monday I hit Warren Road and the Bushwhacking began in earnest.  Half way to Ruess Rd. I suddenly stopped seeing tracks from Mark and Jack. I figured they just  pulled their boats through the bordering corn field up to Ruess to save some time.  I didn't know they gave up and headed straight to M-52 by road! I am glad no one told me this was getting to difficult. I just kept plugging away and eventually was preparing for the big pull by 12:45 P. M.
.

During the portage Steve Smith told me of the route change but I was tired of pulling the loaded boat and decided to put back in at the end of Tyrell road instead of going clear up to Woodbury like Mark and Jack did.  I soon began to pay for that choice. for the next 4 hours I went under,over and through at least 50 log jams. By evening I was making stupid mistakes. My legs were stiff from the portage and I fell a couple of times carrying both packs at once. I decided that night to pull clear to Hollister in the morning where I new it was "smooth" sailing there after.
.

Another 6 mile portage and I was at Hollister  by 9 a.m. laughing and giddy because I knew I would finish by dark.  I had never paddled the section from Wacousta to Portland but it was the best scenery of the whole trip and I was greeted at the finish line with a very warm welcome from fellow paddlers. I was astonished to find out that I was the last paddler to finish as I saw no sign of anyone ahead of me since the previous day. But I was soon informed and it turned out that the guy who came in last was declared the winner for the 2012 Bushwhacker race.
 .

-"The Bruce"