Once again we headed for Roscommon for a bit of yard work and kayaking. On Saturday morning we headed for Chase Bridge where we put in to run the Mason Track http://www.flymartonline.com/article205.html It is my favorite section of river and even on crowded days, weekends, it is not bad because of all the curves. You are pretty much isolated.
This weekend was much different! We got a late start and arrived at the bridge at around noon. I have never seen so many canoes and kayaks, not to mention drunks and potential drunks.
It amazes me but in most animal species the females try to find the fittest and smartest male to father their children. I have observed that the average post puberesent male thinks the girls want the dumbest of the bunch. They seem to think that it is the male that gets drunkest and can puke the fartherest will get the girl and sad to say, it seems to work.
What we commonly do is I drop off the kayaks and gear and leave it with Mary while I haul the trailer to the other end. I had the trailer custom made to accomadate one canoe, two kayaks and my Honda Helix Scooter. This way I can dump off the kayaks, drive to the take out spot, leave the truck and trailer and ride the Helix back to the put in end. It works great!
Saturday was an exception. There was absloutely no place to leave the kayaks and I sure the heck didn't want to leave Mary there with all the pigs. The dang fools were already drunk.
We decided to take the next run down river. Smith Bridge to McMasters Bridge. It is a beautiful run and there is normally very few canoes or kayaks to be seen. This is getting a ways from the liverys and they do not like hauling the canoes that far.
We got to the Smith Bridge Put in spot, which is where we usually get off the river after running the Mason Tract and it was almost deserted! Great!
I offload the gear and Mary and head for the McMasters takeout spot.
After dropping off the truck and trailer and returning to the kayaks, we head down river. Right away we start seeing more boaters. It was supprising but there were few compared to the upper run. Man was that river gonna be a mess after those hogs trashed it!
It took us about 5 hours to make the run and what a mob! We picked up a lot of trash and I fugure much of it was from turnovers because I found quite a few full bottles and cans.
On this run the South Branch enters the Main Branch of the Ausable about half way through the run and there were probably a hundred other people on it. There were actually pretty decient and were mostly just having a great time. The main branch is much bigger than the south branch and it was easy to paddle through the crowd.
It was sure a beautiful day, hot and sunny and I was able to get in the river and scroung around for trash. We must have hauled out 60 or so along with a lot of just plain junk.
We got home and I was tired but I had a bunch of Hosta to plant and I had to extend the electric fence over to the new bed. I worked myself too hard and was exhausted by 8pm.
We sat on the deck and watched the deer come in. The doe with the triplets showed up again and as we watched one of the little suckers went over and tried to eat the Hosta's. I am here to tell you that the electric fence works! I could hear the crack setting on the deck and that little guy will think twice before he eats Hosta again.
Sunday morning we usually get ready and head home but I just mentioned to Mary that the Mason Tract was probably trashed by all the drunks. That got her to thinking. Once a trash picker always a trash picker and neither of us can stand a dirty river. The last time we ran it it was pretty clean and most of the trash I got was from going into the deeper holes.
She said, "Lets go early tomorrow and I can still be home in time to get my transcription done" Yeah right. Early for her and early for the rest of the world is certainly different. I told her that if she wanted to we could go but it was gonna be a tough ride home. Oh, I will help you drive, says she. Yea right.
I will finish this later
This weekend was much different! We got a late start and arrived at the bridge at around noon. I have never seen so many canoes and kayaks, not to mention drunks and potential drunks.
It amazes me but in most animal species the females try to find the fittest and smartest male to father their children. I have observed that the average post puberesent male thinks the girls want the dumbest of the bunch. They seem to think that it is the male that gets drunkest and can puke the fartherest will get the girl and sad to say, it seems to work.
What we commonly do is I drop off the kayaks and gear and leave it with Mary while I haul the trailer to the other end. I had the trailer custom made to accomadate one canoe, two kayaks and my Honda Helix Scooter. This way I can dump off the kayaks, drive to the take out spot, leave the truck and trailer and ride the Helix back to the put in end. It works great!
Saturday was an exception. There was absloutely no place to leave the kayaks and I sure the heck didn't want to leave Mary there with all the pigs. The dang fools were already drunk.
We decided to take the next run down river. Smith Bridge to McMasters Bridge. It is a beautiful run and there is normally very few canoes or kayaks to be seen. This is getting a ways from the liverys and they do not like hauling the canoes that far.
We got to the Smith Bridge Put in spot, which is where we usually get off the river after running the Mason Tract and it was almost deserted! Great!
I offload the gear and Mary and head for the McMasters takeout spot.
After dropping off the truck and trailer and returning to the kayaks, we head down river. Right away we start seeing more boaters. It was supprising but there were few compared to the upper run. Man was that river gonna be a mess after those hogs trashed it!
It took us about 5 hours to make the run and what a mob! We picked up a lot of trash and I fugure much of it was from turnovers because I found quite a few full bottles and cans.
On this run the South Branch enters the Main Branch of the Ausable about half way through the run and there were probably a hundred other people on it. There were actually pretty decient and were mostly just having a great time. The main branch is much bigger than the south branch and it was easy to paddle through the crowd.
It was sure a beautiful day, hot and sunny and I was able to get in the river and scroung around for trash. We must have hauled out 60 or so along with a lot of just plain junk.
We got home and I was tired but I had a bunch of Hosta to plant and I had to extend the electric fence over to the new bed. I worked myself too hard and was exhausted by 8pm.
We sat on the deck and watched the deer come in. The doe with the triplets showed up again and as we watched one of the little suckers went over and tried to eat the Hosta's. I am here to tell you that the electric fence works! I could hear the crack setting on the deck and that little guy will think twice before he eats Hosta again.
Sunday morning we usually get ready and head home but I just mentioned to Mary that the Mason Tract was probably trashed by all the drunks. That got her to thinking. Once a trash picker always a trash picker and neither of us can stand a dirty river. The last time we ran it it was pretty clean and most of the trash I got was from going into the deeper holes.
She said, "Lets go early tomorrow and I can still be home in time to get my transcription done" Yeah right. Early for her and early for the rest of the world is certainly different. I told her that if she wanted to we could go but it was gonna be a tough ride home. Oh, I will help you drive, says she. Yea right.
I will finish this later
