Otter River Paddle May 6, 2006

At the put-in, we were trying to get up the courage to slide Dean down this clay mud bluff in his kayak to the river. Dean is wheelchair bound due to an injury he suffered when he fell out of a tree years ago.

Dean Juntunnen, Al Koivunnen, my son Muir, Kris Brown and myself paddled on the Otter River from Aspen Rd to past the bridge on M26. It seemed to be a long 13 miles, but some nice water and some fun little rapids with sharp turns and a number of log jams that Dean’s chainsaw with Muir operating made quick passage for our boats.







On the first log jam Muir wasn’t quite quick enough in moving off the jam when the tree he was cutting on came loose and gave him a couple of wet feet.
Some time later Muir's sunglasses slipped off his head and into the rushing river. I had told him previous to the loss that he didn’t need them, as it was a gray and rainy day. He didn't want to bother putting them away!
About 2/3 of the way we were going through some fast water at a sharp turn and Muir and Kris, in Muir’s 16 ft Old Town canoe hit a large snag on the outside of the turn and Kris lost his balance and capsized the canoe. Muir grabbed the chainsaw and then the canoe and they pulled it out to the bank where they could empty it and re-secure their gear.

The put-in was at the end of a dirt road and it had a high clay bank that the rain had turned into sticky goo. Getting Dean down the bank after roping down the canoes was complicated psychologically by the presence of a cross and debris of a car that had brought someone to their death after driving over the edge and down to the river. But we made it!

The take-out spot was also somewhat difficult as the State had "improved" the bridge by taking out the little access parking area and put crushed limestone rocks along the banks and steel guard rails that stopped access at both ends of the bridge. Dean knew a fellow just down the river who was willing to let us pull out at his property and also lend his 4-wheeler to pull Deans’s kayak, with him in it, from the river to the car and trailer.
We stopped for lunch at the MTU Forestry Club "Lodge" that was an old fish hatchery; an old brown-painted log building in run-down condition. All of the rivers and branches I had done with Dean this spring were running red with clay, and we would often pass large clay bluffs that were eroding into the river. The otter ran clear, though there were some clay banks. We arrived back at Houghton, just in time for Lynn’s dinner. Muir hovered over the woodstove for ½ an hour to warm himself thoroughly.It was early to bed after a full day on the Otter River.


Heading back to the car from the river. I portaged my canoe - this was too easy with the 4-wheeler pulling.