Pere Marquette River, MI

“Tell me about the Pere Marquette. We're headed to Ludington next week and plan to canoe it. I guess there is a "loop" on the river, as the current is pretty slow.

Tell me more. Tell me about other things to do in the area.

Thanks”

“OMG... you will have a great time! I paddled this with a crew a few years ago (i was in my kayak) it was a brilliant trip. sassafras and birch set the trip up (shuttle for the cars and all) and we paddled for i think three days camping along the river. you will have a GREAT time. it's a beautiful river.”

“...btw, i am not sure about a "loop" on that river. that doesn't sound right. the current is pretty slow but there are a few minor rapids. it can get shallow in spots. we paddled out to lake michigan. there was a section where the river spread out into marshy open areas. these were tricky to navigate and i think there was one very minor portage.

also, the river is lined with private land where you can not camp. you need to make sure you can tell when you are on public land because it's illegal to camp on private land without the owners permission.

there were lots of fishermen when we were there. it was salmon fishing season. there were fish running under the boats.... wild! birch bartered some cheesescake cow patty made for some salmon which he cooked over the fire. i wolfed as much down as i could... he cooked it after everyone had eaten dinner but i held back on my freeze-dried junk food for the fish and consider myself the big winner here!

i forget where we put in. there was a trip page but i can't find it now. sassafras and birch know the story here.

i am so stoked you are going here. you will have a great time!”

“A river "loop"? Hmmmm. Does it have a delta or something? Otherwise, loops become oxbows - those poor, neglected stagnations such as the Mighty Altamaha's Montgomery Lake, where a certain George Perry landed the world record largemouth bass on June 2, 1932 - a day that will live in infamy, and a date that is an official Georgia state holiday.

The fish would have been mounted and displayed at the state capitol, but alas, it was during the depression afterall, and the Perry family were quite hungry.

It is commonly known in these parts that the contents of the great fishes belly included a 40 pound salmon, a four foot alligator, and a 14 year-old Michigan boyscout.
last edited: 7/22/09 4:19:31 AM”

“Smiley the canoe livery will have info on a day route or will pick you up after so many hours. It's a gorgeous river, no loops that I recall unless it's way up in the head waters. What livery are you using? Give me a holler if you want me to dig out the pamphlet from the one we used.

Make sure you go up to the lighthouse and take the tour and the pizza place in town is AWESOME.”

“The Kentucky Bend is a good example of an oxbow meander. Within a relatively few years, it will be isolated from both KY and TN - putting it west of the river, and exclusively in Missouri, KY.”

“So yes, there is a loop. Its near the mouth of the river in Ludington.

http://www.pmexpeditions.com/Marquette%20Loop_files/slide0001.htm

So we paddled upstream first, which was actually nice. Until the wind started. Then it became a b!tch. Kayaks would have been better, but being in a canoe sucked. Oh, and the young man at the livery put us in our canoe backward, and we just thought the canoe was wonky, but we kept going broadside. A quick stop-n-switch fixed that.

The whole paddle trip was around a wetland, and a blue heron led us the entire way. I got a few pictures and videos of him. Saw a few turtles too, but not much else.

I'll try to get my pics up soon.”

“Amazing!”

“I wouldn't do that loop again. I'd go upstream and do a longer stretch.

And Sass, that pizza place was good! Thanks!
last edited: 7/31/09 4:53:36 PM”