Thursday, May 31, 2012
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Bushwhacker update 28
Whacked 2012
Words by Mark Przedwojewski
I think it was Dan Smith who suggested that we try a new route for the 5th annual Bushwhacker Challenge. We have been running it on the Pine and Chippewa Rivers in the Mt. Pleasant area for the last 4 years and we all had a great time getting to know and love both of these gorgeous waterways. After doing the same route that many times everyone kind of wants to do something new, so Dan’s new route was put on the table.
This new Bushwhacker route would have us start at the Verlen Kruger Memorial on the Grand River, head downstream 17 miles to the town of Muir to the mouth of the Maple River. Up the Maple some 63 miles to M-52, portage 5.5 miles south on M-52 to the Looking Glass River then down the Looking Glass 55 miles back to Portland, finishing right where we started from.
Everyone taking part agreed that they would not use any landteams or pitcrews of any kind so it would be a full on “Expedition Style” event. At the start we had 8 guys committed to the full route and a few more that were just planning on doing as much as they could before Sunday night. (That work thing often shortens a good trip!)
The start was at 9am Saturday morning, we had a good size crowd of family and friends there to see us off with lots of hugs and kisses and well wishing in the air. The weather was perfect with sunny skies and over 80 degrees being forecast for the afternoon. We had forgotten to enlist the now famous black powder gunshot start so the actual start was a bit underwhelming, but once the paddles and water started flying and the canoes started moving it all felt just like it should.
Mike Smith took an early lead and pretty much set the pace for the entire stretch of the Grand down to Muir. We had 3 dams to get over, all fairly simple up and over, everyone managed them well. When we made it to the mouth of the Maple there were 6 of us all bunched up, pretty good 17 mile sprint for a bunch of old timers. The above average temperatures we were dealing with meant that we needed to be drinking way more water than usual and this meant needing water resupply more often. I think everyone made it to the Maple River campground before running out, we all did a quick water stop there and jumped back on the water with the pace going fast.
When paddling upstream the best place to be is right along the shoreline. There is an eddy that is created when the flow is strong that will actually help push you upstream and because of this it makes it impossible to paddle alongside one another. We all took turns in the lead place on either side of the river as we leapfrogged our way up river. After a while though the pace evened out as we all realized we had many miles in front of us and the heat was also starting to take its toll on us.
A few minutes before dark we passed a camp spot that was being used by some of our friends and family and it was known that there would be yummy grilled chicken available if we wanted it. I happened to be in the lead spot at this time and was not willing to give it up just yet so I flew right by without stopping. I’m not sure if any of us stopped there as we all wanted to get as far up river that first day as we could because we all knew that the upper section of the Maple was going to be tough with the tangled mess of down trees, mud and mosquitoes. There were five of us that all stayed together all the way up the Maple past Hwy 127. Right around midnight, at Blair Rd., Jack and I kept going while Mike, Bruce Kurzhals and George Stockman all peeled off to get a few hours of sleep. Jack and I went on upriver another hour and then sacked out until 5am and were back on the water around 6.
The upper Maple from about Bannister on up is heavily choked with many, many downfalls. There is usually only a few choices when you come up to them as to how you will get past them. Some logjams can be negotiated by threading through them without getting out of the boat. This usually means you will be knocking lots of spiders down on yourself along with sticks and leaves and whatever else is living amongst the branches. Other jams can be crossed over by stepping out onto the logs and pulling your loaded boat right over the tops of them. Most times with this option we get going full speed and ram our bows right up and onto the logs, often teeter tottering the canoe sometimes being able to pull on branches to get over it without getting out of the boat. Most jams are so big and tangled that the only option is to go to one side or the other and pull around on shore. This results in bringing lots of mud back in the boat caked to the bottom of our shoes which creates a big mess on the floor of the boat. All these methods of getting around the obstacles have a certain degree of danger involved and in order to not hurt ourselves we need to slow down and pay attention to every single step we take. Add in darkness to the mix and the danger level jumps up to an almost impossible, impassable river.
Just before the village of Bannister we came up to a big downfall and decided that the best way around would be to climb up the steep bank to the railroad grade that just happened to be right next to the river. Once up on the tracks we could see a bridge about ¼ mile ahead that we assumed was the river, where we could once again put back into the water. When we got up to it we found it was just a small stream with the river nowhere in sight. Instead of going back and finding another way around that jam we decided to strap on the wheels and follow the tracks to Bannister and enter the river again just west of town.
By the time we put back in the river the sun was really starting to cook us and our water was running short. We needed to resupply our water jugs in order to keep hydrated so we were on the lookout for a friendly homeowner. This is exactly what we found just up river from the Elsie dam. A nice old man was fishing off a dock and when we asked if we could fill up with water he pointed us up to his son’s house where we found the very friendly Doubrava family. They were more than happy to help us out and even pulled up the blog page for us on their laptop so we could see how far behind the other guys were. After a short visit we were back on the water heading upstream. They ended up putting out a big water cooler with ice in it so the guys still on their way would have as much water as they needed. A huge Thanks to the Boubrava family for such hospitality!
The day went on with many more logjams to get over as we made our way up to the town of Ovid. We pulled into Ovid about 6pm and from what we learned from the quick look at the blog earlier in the day we knew the guys behind us were hot on our heels. I ran across the street to a small grocery store for more water and some baked beans that Jack requested and while I was gone Bruce pulled in. He also was making a quick stop at the store so Jack and I pressed on to try and keep the small lead that we had. Above Ovid is a nice stretch of mostly clear river passing through grassy farmland. The river sits quit low so the view is not all that great, but there were no logjams to deal with so it was very enjoyable. As we got closer to Baldwin road we could see that the wall of forest was looking very thick and from a scouting trip we had done in February we knew this last 4 miles of the Maple River up to M-52 was going to be tough. Back in February the water level was a good 2 feet higher than what we had now and we were unsure how this would affect the logjams. We hoped the lower water would make this section easier, but it was not to be, this next section would turn out to be some of the toughest river travel I have ever done.
It was getting late and the sun was dropping fast, the mosquitoes were starting to come out and our energy levels were at just about zero. The downfalls in this section were one right after the other, often we could only paddle about 20 or 30 feet before we had to get out again and pull around, over or through another jam. The river banks here were steep and muddy and even the woods right next to the river was choked up with big downfalls so once on land we still had to pull our canoes up and over big huge trees, this was tough, slow going! At full dark we had had enough, we were on land with the biggest swarm of mosquitoes I had ever seen in life.
Looking back on this moment later we realized that we should have stopped and made our camp right at that spot and then picked up in the morning to press on. We had only 3 river miles to go to get to M-52 and start the portage over to the Looking Glass. We did not stop, but decided to put the canoes on the carts and portage ¾ of a mile south through a very rough wheat field to Dewey Rd. were we could see lights from some farm houses. At this point we both were very sleep deprived and we started making pour choices. Going off of the intended route we knew would take us out of the first place spot, but between the lack of sleep the mosquitoes and the pain of 2 hard days we made the decision and took an easier route out of that godforsaken river.
About 200 yards from Dewey Rd. Jack’s cart started falling apart. He had failed to check the nuts on it before the event and now it was coming apart and pieces were being lost in the field. We ended up dragging it the last 100 yards or so up to the road and once there decided to stop for the night and get some sleep. It was just about 11pm and we both needed to sleep. We had pushed hard the last 2 days, 16 hours the first day and 19 hours the 2nd. Before we crashed I opened the can of beans and drank them right from the can, they were the most delicious think I had ever eaten in my life!
The next morning Jack walked to a few houses nearby to try and find a few nuts to fix up his cart with. He had zero luck so we loaded up his boat on the cart anyway to see if the weight of his outfit would hold the cart wheels to the frame. It worked as long as he did not make sharp turns and kept the cart on a solid surface.
We ended up adding a few miles to our portage by taking out of the river early, but by now we had come to terms with our decision from the night before and we were both enjoying the morning on the road. It was an 8 ½ mile walk over to the Looking Glass River and we saw Steve Smith a few times during our walk. He had heard we were having cart trouble and even brought over his cart for us to use if we needed to. Jack’s was working fine, but we did take it along with us just in case. On our way over to the Looking Glass at M-52 I checked my phone and saw that Dan had left me a message, he had gotten word that the upper Maple was almost impassable and mentioned that the upper looking Glass would most likely be the same, he was right. We put in on the Looking Glass anyway and within about 50 yards we knew we would once again be hitting the road. We took back out just across the river where we had put in and set up the portage wheels, we had wasted another hour ½. We did another 6 ½ miles of road portage down river to Woodbury Road, just south of Laingsburg. By now, about 4 in the afternoon, Dan and Brian Keel were also on the Looking Glass River. They had heard the news about how much fun Jack Bruce and I were having on the upper stretches and decided to get out of the maple at Ovid and did a 10 mile portage south to the Looking Glass. They were only a few miles ahead of us so Jack and I hit it hard and ended up catching them by about 6 pm. We paddled with them for an hour or so before we peeled off as they had plans to stop and camp one more night and Jack and I decided to hit it hard and finish before morning.
We hooked up the lights just before full dark and had a great run down the Looking Glass and into Portland. I had grown up just a mile from the Looking Glass River and had spent many hours in and around the river near Wacousta. I have paddled the Dewitt to Portland section numerous times, but never at night. This was definitely the most intense out of all my Looking Glass River experiences and I look forward to doing it all again next year.
We pulled into the memorial landing finish line about 4:30 am on Tuesday morning. We had run our route in 2 days 19 ½ hours. We logged 148 total miles, 15 portage miles and 133 river miles. We ended up skipping 4 river miles on the Maple and 9 river miles on the Looking Glass. We had about 67.5 hours of travel time and 11 hours of camping time. All in all it was a great event and as of now we will run it all again next year, let’s start praying now for higher water levels!
Huge Thanks to Brian Weber for keeping the info flowing to the blog. Extra special Thanks to My wife and kids who let me out to play. Big Thanks to Jack for putting up with all my Ding Dong ways out on the water and a
Big extra Huge Thanks to all of you that look in as we make our way up and down these rivers!!! Hope to see you all soon on the water!
Words by Mark Przedwojewski
I think it was Dan Smith who suggested that we try a new route for the 5th annual Bushwhacker Challenge. We have been running it on the Pine and Chippewa Rivers in the Mt. Pleasant area for the last 4 years and we all had a great time getting to know and love both of these gorgeous waterways. After doing the same route that many times everyone kind of wants to do something new, so Dan’s new route was put on the table.
This new Bushwhacker route would have us start at the Verlen Kruger Memorial on the Grand River, head downstream 17 miles to the town of Muir to the mouth of the Maple River. Up the Maple some 63 miles to M-52, portage 5.5 miles south on M-52 to the Looking Glass River then down the Looking Glass 55 miles back to Portland, finishing right where we started from.
Everyone taking part agreed that they would not use any landteams or pitcrews of any kind so it would be a full on “Expedition Style” event. At the start we had 8 guys committed to the full route and a few more that were just planning on doing as much as they could before Sunday night. (That work thing often shortens a good trip!)
The start was at 9am Saturday morning, we had a good size crowd of family and friends there to see us off with lots of hugs and kisses and well wishing in the air. The weather was perfect with sunny skies and over 80 degrees being forecast for the afternoon. We had forgotten to enlist the now famous black powder gunshot start so the actual start was a bit underwhelming, but once the paddles and water started flying and the canoes started moving it all felt just like it should.
Mike Smith took an early lead and pretty much set the pace for the entire stretch of the Grand down to Muir. We had 3 dams to get over, all fairly simple up and over, everyone managed them well. When we made it to the mouth of the Maple there were 6 of us all bunched up, pretty good 17 mile sprint for a bunch of old timers. The above average temperatures we were dealing with meant that we needed to be drinking way more water than usual and this meant needing water resupply more often. I think everyone made it to the Maple River campground before running out, we all did a quick water stop there and jumped back on the water with the pace going fast.
When paddling upstream the best place to be is right along the shoreline. There is an eddy that is created when the flow is strong that will actually help push you upstream and because of this it makes it impossible to paddle alongside one another. We all took turns in the lead place on either side of the river as we leapfrogged our way up river. After a while though the pace evened out as we all realized we had many miles in front of us and the heat was also starting to take its toll on us.
A few minutes before dark we passed a camp spot that was being used by some of our friends and family and it was known that there would be yummy grilled chicken available if we wanted it. I happened to be in the lead spot at this time and was not willing to give it up just yet so I flew right by without stopping. I’m not sure if any of us stopped there as we all wanted to get as far up river that first day as we could because we all knew that the upper section of the Maple was going to be tough with the tangled mess of down trees, mud and mosquitoes. There were five of us that all stayed together all the way up the Maple past Hwy 127. Right around midnight, at Blair Rd., Jack and I kept going while Mike, Bruce Kurzhals and George Stockman all peeled off to get a few hours of sleep. Jack and I went on upriver another hour and then sacked out until 5am and were back on the water around 6.
The upper Maple from about Bannister on up is heavily choked with many, many downfalls. There is usually only a few choices when you come up to them as to how you will get past them. Some logjams can be negotiated by threading through them without getting out of the boat. This usually means you will be knocking lots of spiders down on yourself along with sticks and leaves and whatever else is living amongst the branches. Other jams can be crossed over by stepping out onto the logs and pulling your loaded boat right over the tops of them. Most times with this option we get going full speed and ram our bows right up and onto the logs, often teeter tottering the canoe sometimes being able to pull on branches to get over it without getting out of the boat. Most jams are so big and tangled that the only option is to go to one side or the other and pull around on shore. This results in bringing lots of mud back in the boat caked to the bottom of our shoes which creates a big mess on the floor of the boat. All these methods of getting around the obstacles have a certain degree of danger involved and in order to not hurt ourselves we need to slow down and pay attention to every single step we take. Add in darkness to the mix and the danger level jumps up to an almost impossible, impassable river.
Just before the village of Bannister we came up to a big downfall and decided that the best way around would be to climb up the steep bank to the railroad grade that just happened to be right next to the river. Once up on the tracks we could see a bridge about ¼ mile ahead that we assumed was the river, where we could once again put back into the water. When we got up to it we found it was just a small stream with the river nowhere in sight. Instead of going back and finding another way around that jam we decided to strap on the wheels and follow the tracks to Bannister and enter the river again just west of town.
By the time we put back in the river the sun was really starting to cook us and our water was running short. We needed to resupply our water jugs in order to keep hydrated so we were on the lookout for a friendly homeowner. This is exactly what we found just up river from the Elsie dam. A nice old man was fishing off a dock and when we asked if we could fill up with water he pointed us up to his son’s house where we found the very friendly Doubrava family. They were more than happy to help us out and even pulled up the blog page for us on their laptop so we could see how far behind the other guys were. After a short visit we were back on the water heading upstream. They ended up putting out a big water cooler with ice in it so the guys still on their way would have as much water as they needed. A huge Thanks to the Boubrava family for such hospitality!
The day went on with many more logjams to get over as we made our way up to the town of Ovid. We pulled into Ovid about 6pm and from what we learned from the quick look at the blog earlier in the day we knew the guys behind us were hot on our heels. I ran across the street to a small grocery store for more water and some baked beans that Jack requested and while I was gone Bruce pulled in. He also was making a quick stop at the store so Jack and I pressed on to try and keep the small lead that we had. Above Ovid is a nice stretch of mostly clear river passing through grassy farmland. The river sits quit low so the view is not all that great, but there were no logjams to deal with so it was very enjoyable. As we got closer to Baldwin road we could see that the wall of forest was looking very thick and from a scouting trip we had done in February we knew this last 4 miles of the Maple River up to M-52 was going to be tough. Back in February the water level was a good 2 feet higher than what we had now and we were unsure how this would affect the logjams. We hoped the lower water would make this section easier, but it was not to be, this next section would turn out to be some of the toughest river travel I have ever done.
It was getting late and the sun was dropping fast, the mosquitoes were starting to come out and our energy levels were at just about zero. The downfalls in this section were one right after the other, often we could only paddle about 20 or 30 feet before we had to get out again and pull around, over or through another jam. The river banks here were steep and muddy and even the woods right next to the river was choked up with big downfalls so once on land we still had to pull our canoes up and over big huge trees, this was tough, slow going! At full dark we had had enough, we were on land with the biggest swarm of mosquitoes I had ever seen in life.
Looking back on this moment later we realized that we should have stopped and made our camp right at that spot and then picked up in the morning to press on. We had only 3 river miles to go to get to M-52 and start the portage over to the Looking Glass. We did not stop, but decided to put the canoes on the carts and portage ¾ of a mile south through a very rough wheat field to Dewey Rd. were we could see lights from some farm houses. At this point we both were very sleep deprived and we started making pour choices. Going off of the intended route we knew would take us out of the first place spot, but between the lack of sleep the mosquitoes and the pain of 2 hard days we made the decision and took an easier route out of that godforsaken river.
About 200 yards from Dewey Rd. Jack’s cart started falling apart. He had failed to check the nuts on it before the event and now it was coming apart and pieces were being lost in the field. We ended up dragging it the last 100 yards or so up to the road and once there decided to stop for the night and get some sleep. It was just about 11pm and we both needed to sleep. We had pushed hard the last 2 days, 16 hours the first day and 19 hours the 2nd. Before we crashed I opened the can of beans and drank them right from the can, they were the most delicious think I had ever eaten in my life!
The next morning Jack walked to a few houses nearby to try and find a few nuts to fix up his cart with. He had zero luck so we loaded up his boat on the cart anyway to see if the weight of his outfit would hold the cart wheels to the frame. It worked as long as he did not make sharp turns and kept the cart on a solid surface.
We ended up adding a few miles to our portage by taking out of the river early, but by now we had come to terms with our decision from the night before and we were both enjoying the morning on the road. It was an 8 ½ mile walk over to the Looking Glass River and we saw Steve Smith a few times during our walk. He had heard we were having cart trouble and even brought over his cart for us to use if we needed to. Jack’s was working fine, but we did take it along with us just in case. On our way over to the Looking Glass at M-52 I checked my phone and saw that Dan had left me a message, he had gotten word that the upper Maple was almost impassable and mentioned that the upper looking Glass would most likely be the same, he was right. We put in on the Looking Glass anyway and within about 50 yards we knew we would once again be hitting the road. We took back out just across the river where we had put in and set up the portage wheels, we had wasted another hour ½. We did another 6 ½ miles of road portage down river to Woodbury Road, just south of Laingsburg. By now, about 4 in the afternoon, Dan and Brian Keel were also on the Looking Glass River. They had heard the news about how much fun Jack Bruce and I were having on the upper stretches and decided to get out of the maple at Ovid and did a 10 mile portage south to the Looking Glass. They were only a few miles ahead of us so Jack and I hit it hard and ended up catching them by about 6 pm. We paddled with them for an hour or so before we peeled off as they had plans to stop and camp one more night and Jack and I decided to hit it hard and finish before morning.
We hooked up the lights just before full dark and had a great run down the Looking Glass and into Portland. I had grown up just a mile from the Looking Glass River and had spent many hours in and around the river near Wacousta. I have paddled the Dewitt to Portland section numerous times, but never at night. This was definitely the most intense out of all my Looking Glass River experiences and I look forward to doing it all again next year.
We pulled into the memorial landing finish line about 4:30 am on Tuesday morning. We had run our route in 2 days 19 ½ hours. We logged 148 total miles, 15 portage miles and 133 river miles. We ended up skipping 4 river miles on the Maple and 9 river miles on the Looking Glass. We had about 67.5 hours of travel time and 11 hours of camping time. All in all it was a great event and as of now we will run it all again next year, let’s start praying now for higher water levels!
Huge Thanks to Brian Weber for keeping the info flowing to the blog. Extra special Thanks to My wife and kids who let me out to play. Big Thanks to Jack for putting up with all my Ding Dong ways out on the water and a
Big extra Huge Thanks to all of you that look in as we make our way up and down these rivers!!! Hope to see you all soon on the water!
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
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"
Bushwhacker update 26
Our man in the field, Mike Doty rejoins Dan and Brian on the last 20 miles or so of the Looking Glass; great weather rolls in with cooler weather and blue skies.
Awe ain't that sweet Jack, all tucked in, snug as a bug in a rug; the boys rolled in about 3:00am and crashed right down at the Verlen Kruger Memorial.
I just want to say that there is a beautiful manicured lawn they could be sleeping on down by the Verlen Kruger Memorial; but yet they sleep on brick? Mark called and said he can barely remember Tuesday he was so tired. Mark plans to write up a trip report, I'll post when completed.
Awake bright eyed and bushy tailed they wait for the winner of the Bushwhacker to arrive "The Bruce" who finished mid-afternoon yesterday - completed all sections of the Maple and Looking Glass, which I am told make him like "Bruce Lee" undisputed champion.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Bushwhacker update 25
6:01am est
Looks like Jack and Mark finished per posts on FB from local on lookers; Mark's SPOT stopped working before Hwy 127; It's all a mystery till the cork is popped and all is revealed.
Nice effort boys! See ya out on the pond!!
I took a message from Mike yesterday after he had recouped a bit; he weighed himself before and after his ordeal, he had dropped 10 lbs in two days, now that is dehydration. ( hard to keep fluids down when you got the river bug)
Looks like Jack and Mark finished per posts on FB from local on lookers; Mark's SPOT stopped working before Hwy 127; It's all a mystery till the cork is popped and all is revealed.
Nice effort boys! See ya out on the pond!!
I took a message from Mike yesterday after he had recouped a bit; he weighed himself before and after his ordeal, he had dropped 10 lbs in two days, now that is dehydration. ( hard to keep fluids down when you got the river bug)
Buckwhacker update 24
George making his way up the Maple; photo credits to our man in the field ~Michael Doty
Jack stretching out his back and taking in some food, hydration and fueling the body is key.
Mark takes a gander back for a photo op; team work prevails as the going is tough; Camaraderie - bonds are formed - you're Krugerized.
Bruce @ Colony Road Bridge?
Mike getting a tan; notice his drinking tube in the bottom of the boat, could be he got sick from some bad water.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Bushwhacker update 23
Brian Keel reports 8:51 pm est
Dan and I are setting up camp near 127 on the Looking Glass; plan on finishing our push tomorrow. Paddled with Mark and Jack for awhile; they are going to keep pushing on to Portland.
Mark called and is giving huge accolades to Bruce!! Everyone is hoping that Bruce finishes as he really proved his mettle today. "The Bruce" or Sir Bruce to us couch dwellers; keep it moving!! wOo hOo!!
George called and has pulled out at M52; paraphrasing George; " I had so much fun pulling myself under and over those log jams; how much fun can one man have, I'm out!!
Dan and I are setting up camp near 127 on the Looking Glass; plan on finishing our push tomorrow. Paddled with Mark and Jack for awhile; they are going to keep pushing on to Portland.
Mark called and is giving huge accolades to Bruce!! Everyone is hoping that Bruce finishes as he really proved his mettle today. "The Bruce" or Sir Bruce to us couch dwellers; keep it moving!! wOo hOo!!
George called and has pulled out at M52; paraphrasing George; " I had so much fun pulling myself under and over those log jams; how much fun can one man have, I'm out!!
Buchwhacker update 22
Here's Jack giving a heavy ho as he pulls himself and Sea Wind over yet another dead-fall; do this 70 times a day and you have a personal understanding of what the Bushwhacker is all about. Notice the push pole on Mark's boat; imperative you have one and know how to use it going up hill.
Bushwhacker update 21
Bushwhacker update 20
Mark, first sign of trouble on the Looking Glass river; they don't call it the bushwhacker for nothing. Hardcore babe e hardcore.
Bushwahacker update 19
Bushwhacker update 18
One of the dramatic photos of the day was Dan Smith bushwhacking his way up the maple, this says it all; but then you hear tale of the man they call "the Bruce" who made it up all the way to M 52; hero status comes to mind; he wins hand down the bushwhacker award if I have anything to say about it.
Bushwacker update 17
I don't even know where to start it was such an event filled day with the Bushwhacker; One thing for sure this work thing I do gets in the way of blogging; OK I hit it hard with friends at Crawfish after work and knocked back 10 hot wings and a few beers... I'm just saying...
A word from Mike Smith:
I'm home and at least half healed, still feeling light headed with a queasy stomach. I'm guessing I picked up some bacteria off my water line which I use to drink out of like a camel back drinking system. It occasionally would fall in the bottom of the canoe which of course had river water, mud etc. All I know is late Sat. I started to getting a queasy stomach and thought it was from drinking to much Gator Aide so I stopped drinking that and went to straight water. Also during the afternoon I got a bad case of the hiccups and heart burn from hell! That caused some breathing problems. After reaching my goal of 50 miles the first day in 15 hrs. its time to pass out, the sleeping pad under the stars was perfect and felt awesome for this tired and drained ole body. But them pesky hiccups insisted on keeping me company thru the night, ever try sleeping with the hiccups? I might have slept an hr.
Launching at 6:20 Sun. morning I felt off kilter with an upset stomach and tired but ok to push on. As the early hrs wore on and I started eating and drinking I also started throwing up. My energy level dropping off as fast as the temperature was rising. The log jams and upstream paddling were demanding. By noon it was evident I'm in trouble. Temperatures pushing up to 90 the sun baking and taking its toll, continually puking up everything I drank and ate. Them damn Energy bars taste just as bad coming up as they do going down! George and I would often stop and drench our self in the cool water but with the temperatures soaring it just wasn't enough. We slowed down the pace, stopped and took a couple 20 minute breaks, stopped every 15 minutes but the stomach wasn't having any of it now the dry heaves have set in. I'm feeling delirium, sweating profusely, seeing things, and walking like a drunken sailor while out of my boat, cussing at myself to get it together and keep moving. Obviously that wasn't working, after taking another break George was getting concerned and said we should to go to a house across the river and pull out. That was around 2:00pm I wanted to push on for a little while longer hoping I would recover I hated the thought of pulling out. It wasn't long after that I realized George was right I was going downhill like a sinking ship forcing each paddle stroke gaining little doing it. The time has come this is it, I called Michael Doty who was in the area and he met us at a nearby bridge, thanks Mike, that was after 4:00 pm. I think we made 17 miles in 9 hrs. not good but not bad considering the circumstances.
In retrospect the chain of events over 2 days and nearly 70 miles were almost comical, not to funny at the time but non the less I would never have guessed anything like this would happen leavening me limping home ward bound beaten, bedraggled, confused and worst of all not making it to the finish line. All the planning, training, reading maps, physically and mentally preparing for the challenge wasn't enough this time around. As I found myself in the middle of a "Perfect Storm".
Thanks to everyone for the help and encouragement. Wishing the reaming teams the best, have a safe trip to the finsih line.
paddlepaddlepaddle
Mike
A word from Mike Smith:
I'm home and at least half healed, still feeling light headed with a queasy stomach. I'm guessing I picked up some bacteria off my water line which I use to drink out of like a camel back drinking system. It occasionally would fall in the bottom of the canoe which of course had river water, mud etc. All I know is late Sat. I started to getting a queasy stomach and thought it was from drinking to much Gator Aide so I stopped drinking that and went to straight water. Also during the afternoon I got a bad case of the hiccups and heart burn from hell! That caused some breathing problems. After reaching my goal of 50 miles the first day in 15 hrs. its time to pass out, the sleeping pad under the stars was perfect and felt awesome for this tired and drained ole body. But them pesky hiccups insisted on keeping me company thru the night, ever try sleeping with the hiccups? I might have slept an hr.
Launching at 6:20 Sun. morning I felt off kilter with an upset stomach and tired but ok to push on. As the early hrs wore on and I started eating and drinking I also started throwing up. My energy level dropping off as fast as the temperature was rising. The log jams and upstream paddling were demanding. By noon it was evident I'm in trouble. Temperatures pushing up to 90 the sun baking and taking its toll, continually puking up everything I drank and ate. Them damn Energy bars taste just as bad coming up as they do going down! George and I would often stop and drench our self in the cool water but with the temperatures soaring it just wasn't enough. We slowed down the pace, stopped and took a couple 20 minute breaks, stopped every 15 minutes but the stomach wasn't having any of it now the dry heaves have set in. I'm feeling delirium, sweating profusely, seeing things, and walking like a drunken sailor while out of my boat, cussing at myself to get it together and keep moving. Obviously that wasn't working, after taking another break George was getting concerned and said we should to go to a house across the river and pull out. That was around 2:00pm I wanted to push on for a little while longer hoping I would recover I hated the thought of pulling out. It wasn't long after that I realized George was right I was going downhill like a sinking ship forcing each paddle stroke gaining little doing it. The time has come this is it, I called Michael Doty who was in the area and he met us at a nearby bridge, thanks Mike, that was after 4:00 pm. I think we made 17 miles in 9 hrs. not good but not bad considering the circumstances.
In retrospect the chain of events over 2 days and nearly 70 miles were almost comical, not to funny at the time but non the less I would never have guessed anything like this would happen leavening me limping home ward bound beaten, bedraggled, confused and worst of all not making it to the finish line. All the planning, training, reading maps, physically and mentally preparing for the challenge wasn't enough this time around. As I found myself in the middle of a "Perfect Storm".
Thanks to everyone for the help and encouragement. Wishing the reaming teams the best, have a safe trip to the finsih line.
paddlepaddlepaddle
Mike
NEWS FLASH!!! NEWS FLASH!!!
6:15am est Mark reports
RECOMMEND ROUTE CHANGE!!
GET THE INFO OUT!! GEORGE, DAN, BRUCE, BRIAN - HEED THE WARNING
GET OFF THE MAPLE AT BALDWIN ROAD!! 4 MILES SHORT OF THE HWY M52!!
PASS THE WORD!!!
Mark and Jack hoofing it, 1/2 an hour pulling boats through a wheat field; Jack's cart broken looking for bolts to repair it; knocking on doors when it come daylight!!
Morale is low, Jack's cart trashed; Mark's hands swollen up like a plump sausages!
RECOMMEND ROUTE CHANGE!!
GET THE INFO OUT!! GEORGE, DAN, BRUCE, BRIAN - HEED THE WARNING
GET OFF THE MAPLE AT BALDWIN ROAD!! 4 MILES SHORT OF THE HWY M52!!
PASS THE WORD!!!
Mark and Jack hoofing it, 1/2 an hour pulling boats through a wheat field; Jack's cart broken looking for bolts to repair it; knocking on doors when it come daylight!!
Morale is low, Jack's cart trashed; Mark's hands swollen up like a plump sausages!
Bushwhacker update 15
5-20-12
11:00pm est
Mark left a message stating the Maple is impassable where they are and are hoofing; appears they are down off of West Dewey Road; Water is extremely low; It is bad enough that they are considering a route change. Stand by to stand by...
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Bushwhacker update 14
9:00pm est - Dan Smith Reporting
4 miles below Elsie
Brian and Dan working together to navigate the downed trees; off the river for the night, 13 1/2 hours was enough as Dan put it. Some of the drag overs took up to 30 minutes, quite an ordeal; They were all about managing core temperature; Dan said they took numerous swims through out the day to compensate for the heat.
Brian Keel broke his push pole, so he is busying himself making a new one this evening; nothing like a good piece of hickory, unfortunately he is probably working with something else appealing.
Team work prevails as it looks like they will be sticking together up until portage; they plan to make the portage by tomorrow afternoon.
4 miles below Elsie
Brian and Dan working together to navigate the downed trees; off the river for the night, 13 1/2 hours was enough as Dan put it. Some of the drag overs took up to 30 minutes, quite an ordeal; They were all about managing core temperature; Dan said they took numerous swims through out the day to compensate for the heat.
Brian Keel broke his push pole, so he is busying himself making a new one this evening; nothing like a good piece of hickory, unfortunately he is probably working with something else appealing.
Team work prevails as it looks like they will be sticking together up until portage; they plan to make the portage by tomorrow afternoon.
Bushwhacker update 13
Even on land they are still dragging canoes over log jams; this is one tough cookie of an event. The last two days have dished out a big heap of hardcore adventure; brutal to say the least.
Bushwhacker update 12
7:20pm est
The Bushwhacker will suck the life right out of you as Mark demonstrates by pulling leeches off after trudging through the back waters of the Maple River.
Mike Smith makes a wise move and pulls out of the event; over heated and throwing up are sure signs of fatigue and dehydration; he makes the right call and is home recovering.
Bob called in and left a message; he is off the river and heading home.
Bushwhacker update 11
5:00pm est
Both Mark and Mike have left messages; Mike states he is making about a mile an hour dealing with a real upset stomach and is unable to keep anything down. He was hoping to make another 50 miles today, but now realize that's not going to happen. Health and safety are a concern I believe Mike Doty is still in the area checking on things.
Mark left a message as well and states they plan to push on to the M52 bridge; the quest for water is on as heat and exhaustion are taking its toll.
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