AuSable 2007
- Thread starter BEARS BUDDY
- Start date
Leaving tomorrow after lunch to spike in at Bud's cottage near Frederic. Get up Sunday morning (Mothers' Day) and have breakfast at Big Boys in Grayling MI. Go to Penrod's Livery and launch.
I'm treating our shuttle driver and his wife to breakfast. I've cautioned him that it doesn't relieve him of the honor to take her to dinner later the same day.
I'm nearly packed, and am getting ready to do some chicken on the deck this evening. Maybe one, teensy weensy beer along with that.
I'm treating our shuttle driver and his wife to breakfast. I've cautioned him that it doesn't relieve him of the honor to take her to dinner later the same day.
I'm nearly packed, and am getting ready to do some chicken on the deck this evening. Maybe one, teensy weensy beer along with that.
Kayak Jack said:
Well folks that is a new one me , cooking a chicken on the deck and I have been using a frying pan or the grill , silly me.
In the summer , down here , some folks have cooked eggs on the hood of there vehicles , does that qualify as a chicken?
Jack , When you cook it on the deck , doesn't it get sandy or covered in leaves cooking it that way?
Is that a deck as in Navy language ( you civilians in the Air Force would call it a floor) or the type of deck people have outside there homes? Inquiring minds would like to know. :roll:
Jack , You and the Guy's have a good time and don't forget that little bag of the sand from Outhouse Key that you smuggled back up nawth, It will remind you that you are camping in some wilderness. In a pinch it could even be used as a salt substitute since it is natural sea salt and sand. Season your food and scrub your teeth at the same time. Chomp , chomp , chew , chew , grit , grit , cuss , cuss ....... :lol: :lol: :lol:
Chuck.
Carol loaned me a George Foreman electric grill for use on the deck. sigh It worked pretty good. Ain't cast iron, but pretty good.
I upended my mukluks and cussed you out, Chuckie. Half of Outhouse Key came pouring out onto my hassock. Great trip, lousy soil for growing potatoes or strawberries.
I taught Katie how to work the water filter tonight. That will be one of her camp chores. She'll also help pitch and strike camp, take photos, and pour tea.
We leave tomorrow for a week. You guys try to keep Chuckie & Old Yaker straight, ehh?
I upended my mukluks and cussed you out, Chuckie. Half of Outhouse Key came pouring out onto my hassock. Great trip, lousy soil for growing potatoes or strawberries.
I taught Katie how to work the water filter tonight. That will be one of her camp chores. She'll also help pitch and strike camp, take photos, and pour tea.
We leave tomorrow for a week. You guys try to keep Chuckie & Old Yaker straight, ehh?
Hi Jack,
Have a good trip mate, and stay safe.
Please tell Katie, old hairy wants to see lots of piccies.
Have a good trip mate, and stay safe.
Please tell Katie, old hairy wants to see lots of piccies.
12 May 07 Saturday: Katie and I departed about 13:00, had a quick lunch at McDonald's in Haslett, fueled up, and got to Bud's cottage near Frederic about 16:10. (For any civilians reading this, 13:00 is 1:00 pm. For any marines, that's when Mickey's right hand points to the 1, and his left and to the 12.) Jim & Betsy Pifer came over. We discussed dinner, and decided to eat at their house. I had brought a large pack of frozen hamburger. After dinner, we walked to their gazebo on the river.
13 May Sunday (Mothers' Day): We all (Jim Pifer, Al Wells, Katie, and me – plus Al's brother Robert, Betsy Pifer, and Tom & Nancy Brooks) rendezvoused at Big Boy restaurant for a large breakfast. We then went to Penrod's Canoe Livery (800 GO RIVER http://www.penrodscanoe.com/ or email Jim Humes at [email protected] ) to load boats and launch. Sunny weather. Katie enjoyed canoeing a LOT. Birds, beaver, muskrat, an eagle - WOW!
14 May Monday: Rained last night. Katie got wet & cold. Tom Nancy Brooks took her in. They live about 3/10 of a mile away from our first camp site, so we walked up there and she is with them for a few days. Katie collected another Grandpa & Grandma. She seems to do that quite regularly. I missed her immensely. Took pictures for her - ducks, geese, deer, etc.
We continued to have light rain all day. A light woolen shirt under my nylon shirt felt good. Good rain gear is essential for expeditionary-type outings . I brought too much food again. First day or three I don't hardly eat a thing. Power bars, though, are very good out here. Katie chows down on them too - as well as jerky. (As I remember, the guys ate them regularly when we were on the keys in Florida.)
I've been running my GPS and dropping bread crumb trails. It's interesting to see the plot of bread crumbs on the electronic topo map (www.expertGPS.com) and see where I pulled over to stop, took shortcuts through slack water areas, and timing. Each bread crumb dot has information attached to it: date, time, heading, speed, and elevation. I had it on all week, about 71 miles of drifting and paddling, and used only 18% of its capacity.
Camping at White Pine CG tonight, just upstream from where the South Branch enters the main stream. These are known as the Holy Waters of trout fishing. I have no idea why, because you can't keep what you catch. To me, that's like packing for a canoe trip, getting the boats in the water, then climbing out. DUH!
We took a 2.5 mile walk after dinner, and I walked a good mile this morning.
15 May Tuesday: Not very many Canadian geese this year. This time of year, we usually see geese with many little goslings, and ducks with many more little ducklings. All breeding seasons seem about 3 weeks later this year. Going to Parmelee Bridge tonight. Walked 1.7 tonight.
16 May Wednesday: Paddled from Parmelee to Mio. Jim Pifer departed at Camp 10 bridge. Al and I walked into town for dinner at the Au Sable River Restaurant. Tom and Nancy Brooks, their Granddaughter Courtney, and Katie came. Katie will finish the trip with us. I'm very glad to have her back so she can see the wonders of the river. Walked 4.5 miles.
17 May Thursday: Departed camp 09:40, Finished portage 10:35. Saw eagle, goslings, muskrat. Katie is thrilled to see eagles. Goslings are her favorite, I think. She notices how well the adults guard and guide the little ones. She learned some lessons about being a little one – and about being a parent just by watching for about three minutes. Katie got good pictures of beaver stumps, trees with bark eaten off, and brought some chips the beaver had gnawed out to drop the trees. Show and tell time at school and Brownies.
We stayed in Cathedral Pines CG. A few years ago, my late wife and I heard a bear nearby. Nothing roars like a bear. It had smelled our hamburg we were frying up. Luckily, it never came into camp.
18 May Friday: We saw two turtles sunning themselves today. Katie got pictures. Saw a mink, more eagles, kingfishers, ducks, and a muskrat today. Camping at Gabions CG. I showed Katie where a big, tom turkey woke up her Grandma and me a few years ago. She played all over the camp ground and walked all over too.
19 May Saturday: It's a short trip from camp to the take out. It started a light rain as we were packing the vans. A pair of swans were on the lake, and one took off, flew about 25 feet out from us and Katie got a picture of it in full flight as it arced past our position.
All in all, I enjoyed the trip. Katie was a good helper in camp, and carrying gear back and forth. She was the official photographer for the trip. And, she was supposed to be the official water filter operator. But, about a pint and a half into the operation, she got bored pumping the filter assembly. I figured that if I didn't want to die of dehydration, I'd best take it over.
13 May Sunday (Mothers' Day): We all (Jim Pifer, Al Wells, Katie, and me – plus Al's brother Robert, Betsy Pifer, and Tom & Nancy Brooks) rendezvoused at Big Boy restaurant for a large breakfast. We then went to Penrod's Canoe Livery (800 GO RIVER http://www.penrodscanoe.com/ or email Jim Humes at [email protected] ) to load boats and launch. Sunny weather. Katie enjoyed canoeing a LOT. Birds, beaver, muskrat, an eagle - WOW!
14 May Monday: Rained last night. Katie got wet & cold. Tom Nancy Brooks took her in. They live about 3/10 of a mile away from our first camp site, so we walked up there and she is with them for a few days. Katie collected another Grandpa & Grandma. She seems to do that quite regularly. I missed her immensely. Took pictures for her - ducks, geese, deer, etc.
We continued to have light rain all day. A light woolen shirt under my nylon shirt felt good. Good rain gear is essential for expeditionary-type outings . I brought too much food again. First day or three I don't hardly eat a thing. Power bars, though, are very good out here. Katie chows down on them too - as well as jerky. (As I remember, the guys ate them regularly when we were on the keys in Florida.)
I've been running my GPS and dropping bread crumb trails. It's interesting to see the plot of bread crumbs on the electronic topo map (www.expertGPS.com) and see where I pulled over to stop, took shortcuts through slack water areas, and timing. Each bread crumb dot has information attached to it: date, time, heading, speed, and elevation. I had it on all week, about 71 miles of drifting and paddling, and used only 18% of its capacity.
Camping at White Pine CG tonight, just upstream from where the South Branch enters the main stream. These are known as the Holy Waters of trout fishing. I have no idea why, because you can't keep what you catch. To me, that's like packing for a canoe trip, getting the boats in the water, then climbing out. DUH!
We took a 2.5 mile walk after dinner, and I walked a good mile this morning.
15 May Tuesday: Not very many Canadian geese this year. This time of year, we usually see geese with many little goslings, and ducks with many more little ducklings. All breeding seasons seem about 3 weeks later this year. Going to Parmelee Bridge tonight. Walked 1.7 tonight.
16 May Wednesday: Paddled from Parmelee to Mio. Jim Pifer departed at Camp 10 bridge. Al and I walked into town for dinner at the Au Sable River Restaurant. Tom and Nancy Brooks, their Granddaughter Courtney, and Katie came. Katie will finish the trip with us. I'm very glad to have her back so she can see the wonders of the river. Walked 4.5 miles.
17 May Thursday: Departed camp 09:40, Finished portage 10:35. Saw eagle, goslings, muskrat. Katie is thrilled to see eagles. Goslings are her favorite, I think. She notices how well the adults guard and guide the little ones. She learned some lessons about being a little one – and about being a parent just by watching for about three minutes. Katie got good pictures of beaver stumps, trees with bark eaten off, and brought some chips the beaver had gnawed out to drop the trees. Show and tell time at school and Brownies.
We stayed in Cathedral Pines CG. A few years ago, my late wife and I heard a bear nearby. Nothing roars like a bear. It had smelled our hamburg we were frying up. Luckily, it never came into camp.
18 May Friday: We saw two turtles sunning themselves today. Katie got pictures. Saw a mink, more eagles, kingfishers, ducks, and a muskrat today. Camping at Gabions CG. I showed Katie where a big, tom turkey woke up her Grandma and me a few years ago. She played all over the camp ground and walked all over too.
19 May Saturday: It's a short trip from camp to the take out. It started a light rain as we were packing the vans. A pair of swans were on the lake, and one took off, flew about 25 feet out from us and Katie got a picture of it in full flight as it arced past our position.
All in all, I enjoyed the trip. Katie was a good helper in camp, and carrying gear back and forth. She was the official photographer for the trip. And, she was supposed to be the official water filter operator. But, about a pint and a half into the operation, she got bored pumping the filter assembly. I figured that if I didn't want to die of dehydration, I'd best take it over.
Grandpa Jack,
Please tell Katie how much we all wanna see her pichurs.....yer pichurs too. Far az I recall nobody haz posted pichurs of the Au Sable. Did ya tell Katie the rain wuz Chuck's fault? :wink:
regards
bearridge
A virtuous life is its own punishment. Anonymous
Please tell Katie how much we all wanna see her pichurs.....yer pichurs too. Far az I recall nobody haz posted pichurs of the Au Sable. Did ya tell Katie the rain wuz Chuck's fault? :wink:
regards
bearridge
A virtuous life is its own punishment. Anonymous
I am glad Jack had some of the sand left over so he could feel like he was camping in the wilderness. :lol: :lol: :lol:
I will bet Katie really enjoyed the wildlife and scenery on the trip , something everyone should be able to enjoy before it is gone.
It sounds like the perfect river to take a youngster on so they can get use to the environment with it's sights , sounds , smells and critters.
Chuck.
I will bet Katie really enjoyed the wildlife and scenery on the trip , something everyone should be able to enjoy before it is gone.
It sounds like the perfect river to take a youngster on so they can get use to the environment with it's sights , sounds , smells and critters.
Chuck.
Sounds jest like a geezer trip. :mrgreen: :roll: :mrgreen:oldsparkey said:
regards
bearridge
If you wish to glimpse inside a human soul and get to know a man, don't bother analyzing his ways of being silent, of talking, of weeping, of seeing how much he is moved by noble ideas; you will get better results if you just watch him laugh. If he laughs well, he's a good man. Fyodor Dostoyevski
I forgot to add that boredom had set in a time or two. Our entertainment crew didn't make it this year. Last year, we had a tactical submarine lurking in nearby waters a couple of times.
Kayak Jack said:
Last word I had was the sub is still looking for Outhouse Island down there in the Gulf of Mexico with our pizzas. Talk about slow delivery.
My guess is the tide change got them , or they are still waiting for Susie's Cafe to cook them. :lol: Chuck.