 Loon Lake to Canoe Launch on Elizabeth and Airport Rd: Date: 6/01/2008 Distance: 4.9mi Avg Speed: 2.2mph Time: 2:43hrs Notes: This is a great beginner run. you put in on loon lake at the state launch off Dixie hwy. (Dixie and Farner) You will paddle down through the historical society park on Hatchery Rd , then you enter the Drayton Plains Nature area. There is a gate at the entrance to the recreation area that regulates the water coming out of loon lake, but it is a very easy portage. after the gate there are no other obstructions. expect to go under a few roads and see a few spiders. |
 Canoe Launch on Elizabeth and Airport Rd to Cass Lake (Dodge #4 State park): Date: 5/21/2008 Distance: 4.6mi Avg Speed: 2.0mph Time: 1:54hrs Notes: This is one of my favorite after work runs. you can drop off at the canoe launch with a 6 pack and float through the winding marsh that empties into Cass lake. This stretch of the river becomes very shallow during the summer and is the best after a heavy rain. Check the gage height and discharge rate from the USGS site on the the links page site #04160900 CLINTON RIVER NEAR DRAYTON PLAINS, MI. The gage is located on the M59 overpass. if the gage height if feet is less than 2ft you might want to try a different run. expect to see great blue herons, great egrets, muskrats king fishers and a deer or two!! if you like nature this is an exellant relaxing paddle. |
 Down Town Pontiac to Adams Rd: Date: 5/26/2008 Distance: 6.6mi Avg Speed: 3mph Time: 2:02hrs Note: since it is not advised to try and kayak or canoe under the city of Pontiac (there is a tunnel that carries the river under the city) we skipped that adventure and put in off Eastway Dr off Auburn Rd. this is just past the 1st sewage treatment plant and before the 2nd one in down town Pontiac. This section of river moves a little faster than the north western sections and we had to park a car in the dead end on Eastway then carry the boats down a pretty steep bank to get to the water. no obstructions. if leaving your car at a dead end in Pontiac and carrying your boat down a hill is not your idea of a good time you can put in at River Side park located at Squirrel and Auburn. The pickup point at Adams you will have to park your car on the shoulder of the road. there are not any signs that say you can not park there and we have not gotten a ticket yet!
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 Adams Rd to Yates Cider Mill: Date: 5/13/2008 Distance: 9.5mi Avg Speed: 3mph Time: 3:02hrs Notes: Some class II waters can be found on this run. there where about 5-6 impassable log jams. This section of river also has some of the most fun turns to carve. aside from having to get in and out of our boats a half dozen times we all agreed this was a good run. from Avon and Livernois to Yates the river drops 100 feet closer to sea level! if you are not a confident paddler you should learn how to brace and edge before you set out on this section. A spray skirt, sponge and bilge pump are also good items to bring.
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 Ryan Rd to M59: Date: 5/4/2008 Distance: 5mi Avg Speed: 2mph Time: 2:45hrs Notes: The Rochester Utica State Park is a great start point there are only a few parking sports so go early! a few log jams but not as many as Adams to Yates. it took some time to get the cars set up but we were setting up at 4:30 pm so rush hour did not help.
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 M59 to Hayes and Utica Rd: Date: 5/9/2008 Distance: 7.7mi Avg Speed: 3mph Time: 2:41hrs Notes: There is a small park on the north side of m59 off Auburn Rd this is a great spot to drop in. this run was our 2nd longest run and probably the best. there where no log jams or other obstructions. although when going through a golf course I would recommend a helmet! there were times I was sure the golfers were aiming at us! lots of cool nature going through the Dodge Brothers Park (#8)
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 Combined Trip Map this is most of the whole trip on one map. My Garmin Mapsource skills are not the best yet so I am missing a few segments. |
 River Side Park to Yates Cider Mill Date: 6/18/2008 Distance: 13mi Avg Speed: 3mph Time: 4:29hrs Notes: Wow 13 miles our longest single trip to yet. River Side park in Auburn Heights is a great park. there is a bathroom to change in and you can park close to the water. The river was moving fast there was only one log jam that we had to portage, by we I mean Sean and I, somehow Mark made it through. this was the 1st time on this section of the river for my new Hurricane Tampico 135L. The boat handles like a smaller boat until you go parallel to the current! I left the cockpit three times when stuck in the trees! The bottom of my boat took a pounding from the rocks. I'm not sure that the Trylon hulls are the way to go for shallow fast moving water. My Aquapac Whanganui preformed as advertised. I had my camera, phone, wallet, cigarettes (yes I smoke) and it all stayed 100% dry ever after 3 wet exits in fast water. We were going to put the warning sign at the Yates Dam back up. The sign that hangs across the river before the dam has been down since winter. The Clinton River Stewarts had put it back up! There were also a few new trees take out marked by an 08 carved in the stump thanks Dale Goolsby for getting that junk out of the way! |
 Shady Side Park to Lake St. Clair and back: Date: 9/27/2008 Distance: 17.4mi Avg Speed: 3mph Time: 6:15hrs Notes: The last section of our river trip!! We decided to wait until the north western sections of the river where too shallow to have a good trip before we ventured out into the deeper sections of the river. the trip was awesome and perhaps the most fun of all the river trips we took this year. the water was slower the river was wide enough for 2-3 boats to track side by side. an amazing amount of yachts and sail boats of all sizes. We stopped for lunch at Metro Park and then cut across the bay to the man made canal that heads up under I-94 and back to shady side. GPS was a must have for this trip. Once out in open water it was clear that without GPS, navigation would have been problematic. however we made almost a straight line right to our target of the canal. We can't wait to go on this trip again!!
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