The Au Sable River, which winds through Grayling, MI, offers everything from great paddling to wildlife viewing to fantastic fishing. The PaCO group that traveled "up north" took full advantage of everything it has to offer. The area had experienced severe ice storms in Spring, but crews had done a great job getting the campground and rivers ready for fun.
Mary and Eric were the first to arrive on the 27th, and Lance got to camp just in time to set up during the last of the daylight. Tom and Helen arrived on the 29th, and Ruth and Liz got to camp on June 1.
The paddling through the ten days we were there was great - the river was fast, so it was more about steering than paddling, and each trip was about 20 minutes quicker than expected. Mary wasn't able to paddle, but did help to shuttle and choose paddles. These are the paddles the group did on various days:
Burton's Landing to Stefan Bridge - two hours. On the main branch of the Au Sable, this is the start of what's known as the "Holy Water" for trout fishing - all catch and release, lots of structures for fish to hide under. Paddlers will see lots of people fishing and sharing the beauty of the river.
Stefan Bridge to Wakely Bridge - two hours. This is also part of the main branch "Holy Water." It's a bit faster and has a few more curves - a really fun and beautiful paddle.
South Branch (along the Mason Tract) - about 4 hours, with some cool potential stops at a Chapel (river right) or Durant's Castle (river right). There's plenty of spots to pull over for lunch in your boat, and the water is shallow enough to stretch your legs. Put in at Chase Bridge, takeout at Smith Bridge.
North Branch - A beautiful paddle through dense woods, lots of pines, fewer houses. This stretch of river is a favorite among fisherman, and we consider it a well-kept paddling secret. It's just short of a 4 hour paddle. Put in at Lovell's Landing, takeout at County Road 612.
There was plenty of fun to be had outside of paddling. Eric got some good fishing sessions in, Mary went to Traverse City one day, Tom and Helen went to Gaylord for breakfast (because why not???). They got takeout to eat while watching the elk herd. Lance and Liz decided to take one day to go to Mackinaw Island, and since she was off the water, Eric had a chance to borrow Liz's boat for a test paddle. There was a good chance to see the Northern Lights on June 1st...dark comes late in Grayling, but just as night was beginning to fall, Tom and Helen got inspired to go on an adventure, and drove up to the Mackinaw Bridge for a better chance to see them. We waited at camp, they waited there...no luck, but Tom and Helen did meet some interesting photographers, so, like always, they had a good story to tell when they got back.
Eric got Ruth and Liz to join him for his regular stretching routine (and we have the pics to prove it...). They are a flexible bunch. The Crawford County library...the Deveraux Library, that is, offers free Wifi 24/7, so we took advantage of it, since coverage is scare up at camp.
We had a few really cold (33-35 degree) nights, and the sky was often hazy from the Canadian wildfires. Fortunately, Tom made a run into the woods - there was an abundance of downed trees from the storms that became our firewood. Between his chainsaw and Eric's axe, we had plenty of wood for cooking and warmth. On our one day of rain, Mary, Liz and Ruth went shopping downtown and visited a brand new lavender farm in Roscommon. The lavender wasn't in bloom, but we got to buy some products and see their guinea hens as well as the baby pheasants they were raising to release into the wild.
We had a feast for pot luck, as always! Tom and Helen had to take off, so it was just the five of us. We had Lance's salsa as an appetizer, Eric's special chicken thighs done over the fire, potatoes done in the fire, salad from Ruth and an amazing watermelon salad Liz brought (along with cookies, of course). Yum.
The wildlife was great, and Mary decided that Helen is a wildlife magnet. Among other things, she spotted a mink at Gates and had a beaver slap its tail right next to her boat on the North Branch! Paddlers also saw plenty of families of geese, a night hawk, mergansers, deer on the bank and crossing the river, more beavers, blue heron, an osprey, baby ducks and turtles. There are birds everywhere in Northern Michigan, especially this time of year, and Mary did plenty of bird watching. We had orioles in the trees right about our camping area for most of the trip, eating birch tree seeds.
It's become a bit of a PaCO tradition to have lunch at Gates when Stefan Bridge is a part of the paddle trip, since it's right next to the takeout. Gates is a great restaurant/lodge that's usually buzzing with people looking for their next big catch. Mary, Eric, Ruth, Tom, Helen and Lance all enjoyed at least one meal there. Ray's BBQ is also a favorite - they smoke all their own meat and have a good beer list. Their outside seating is right on the river, across from the downtown put-in the city built a couple years ago.
The trip was a good time for everyone. Great paddling and lots to do. We'll be back again for sure!
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