I’m interested in kayaking a nearby river in Michigan. It’s unrated as far as I can tell, probably because it hasn’t been declared navigable. It appears to meet the criteria (deep enough, wide enough, etc.). I’ve scouted it and it looks open enough. I can put-in from national forest land and take out at a public dock at a lake. Does anybody (especially Michigan people) have experience with this kind of thing? Any advice?
Be Careful…
especially if this stream flows and drains fast from run off. The tendency of these fast flowing streams is to erode banks and drop trees, creating sweepers and strainers, as well as log jams. When the water high is enough to run, it tends to be very fast. You can quickly come to a strainer and not enough room to maneuver out of the way.
If you run such a stream, it’s best that you’re able to scout before hand, which a lot of folks don’t do. Scouting from the river assumes you have clear views – not always there is small streams. Also means you can maneuver quickly into an eddy to scout or to get out of the current before an obstruction.
Anyway, I could be totally off on this and your stream is a very flat and mild.
sing
Rated?
Is it whitewater? Quickwater? Quietwater?
The only ratings I’m aware of are for dificulty of whitewater. If that’s what you are asking about your best bet is to hook up with local paddlers and ask them.
exploring unknown rivers: up/down
Water permitting I am exploring my local rivers in northern Colorado like Big Thomson, St Vrain, Poudre or South Platte. South Platte is wide and open, so the main problem is to find water there. However, other rivers have a character of small narrow and twisty creeks, although, they may run a lot of water occasionally.
My favorite way to explore them is to paddle upstream and then downstream, so I can scout all obstacles, fences across the river, etc. If can paddle upstream I can usually run safely downriver. Of course, sometimes, it is quite challenging way of paddling.
Examples from exploring Big Thompson River:
http://users.frii.com/uliasz/wayfarer/big_t/bigt.htm
Almost all Michigan rivers are rated
There are several guidebooks and any river of consequence is almost certainly not only rated but described in some detail. How about a name?
Barbed Wire
Not sure it’s an issue in Michigan. In Utah, Idaho and Wyoming ranchers and farmers often draw wire accross small streams to keep their cattle in and hunters etc out. This can be a real problem in a fast flowing stream with high banks. Make sure you scout it very carefully. I would have thought almost all streams in Michigan have been rated by paddlers. Check with some local whitewater boaters.
Yup…
Ran a small stream up in northern NH that really didn’t have much description and it only flows high enough for a run after some rain. Not only did we encountered lots of deadfalls, some totally blocking the river, but some barb wire that ran across the river illegally by a dairy farm.
The stream in the back on my cabin in ME can be runned in the spring run-off. The problem is that the stream bed is very narrow. When it gets going, it is really cranking with lots of fallen trees and backed up logs all over the place. Sometimes, these log jams create major flooding of the surrounding land and the one major road going up by my place. Of course, the little pool behind my cabin becomes a nice little playhole. Maybe, I should just practice my play moves there. 
sing
It’s one of the many Pine Rivers
It’s the Pine River in Alcona County. It goes into Van Etten Lake in Iosco County. It’s shallower and narrower than the Au Sable. I would call it quick but not terribly.
I would call it quick
I don’t have a lot of experience to compare it to. I don’t think there are many local paddlers. Lots of people do the Au Sable and local lakes, but I don’t know of any local groups.
that Pine River
Is there now a public access site?
Are you going south from one of those roads such as Buhl which run into a two track that runs parallel to the Mikado/Glennie Road? I used to fill up my water bottles from that spring - because when I had my apartment downtown the Harrisville City water was rather tasty!
Are you an Alcona local?
New to the area?
Just a frequent visitor?
Your best bet would be to stop by the Mikado Township Hall and ask about. There is a branch of the County Library system in that building as well. I think one of the clerks at the Harrisville Branch lives out that way or could put you in touch with someone who has more information. (If the lady who used to run the Mikado branch library is still about - she will know about that Pine river)
Walked down there years ago with friends from downstate, beautiful area.
Take pictures and post them - I would love to see them.
this one I think runs through state land
The other Pine River - over West by Baldwin has canoe liveries, trips, and land you are not supposed to land on. That water was by my 16 year old unafraid eyes, fast and rough in spots.
This Pine River in Alcona I think runs mostly through state or federally owned land.
There are lots of two tracks in the woods near this Pine and trails a plenty over in the woods near Glennie. Beautiful area.
You’ve got the right Pine River
At the end of Andrews Rd. off Cruzen road is an 80 ac. parcel of national forest land. That’s where I can get access. This is downstream from where the three branches have met and it appears to meet the criteria for ‘navigable’, but it runs over private land from that parcel on. I found a list of rivers that have been declared navigable and this wasn’t on it, but that means it could go either way in court. If a landowner tries to prosecute me for tresspassing, he runs the risk of the stream being declared navigable and thus opened for fishing.
That’s only the South Branch of the Pine and I might run that stretch also, but it is very narrow. It goes through the Kirtland Warbler Nesting Area, so it can’t be run from May 1 - Sept 10.
Been here since '00, just recently decided to get on the rivers.
Based on the aerial photos, it’s wooded right down to Van Etten Lake with few bridges. I’m more interested in exploring than running fast, but I think it might be too shallow and fast for upstream paddling.
Too shallow and fast?
Sounds like a good poling stream. Now all ya need is a canoe and a pole!
I have a canoe…
… and I don’t think I’d have any trouble getting a pole, but it sounds too much like work. 
What the DNR says
about part of the river:
“On the waters of Pine river, township of Oscoda, county of Iosco, state of Michigan, from its point of entry at the Iosco-Alcona county line, thence southerly for a distance of approximately 1½ miles to its mouth at Van Etten lake, no operator of any vessel shall exceed a slow–no wake speed.”
So don’t paddle too fast.
I know where Cruzen Road is
There may be Indian owned land around that area, if my memory serves me correctly.
Are you retired up there?
Will you be looking for paddling partners this summer?
I’ve friends to stay with or a tent for tent camping so I don’t wear out my open doors in Harrisville. I’d like to paddle Jewel Lake in Barton City as well as other waters around there and wouldn’t mind exploring the Pine either.
Have you found Negwegon State Park yet? My kayak is not a sea kayak but I’d really like to paddle the shore alone there! Then there is the Black River also - have you paddled it?
Au Sable - everyone paddles but not everyone is warned that when the siren goes off the water comes pouring out of the damn.
Alcona County for me was a very special place.
That’s good advice…
… at my age (48), I don’t think it’s an issue.
Indian Land?
-“There may be Indian owned land around that area, if my memory serves me correctly.”-
Wow, I hadn’t thought about that. I don’t know how to determine that. I’ll have to check a plat book.
-“Are you retired up there?”-
Yes. We ‘retired’ a little earlier than most (got sick of working).
-“Will you be looking for paddling partners this summer?”-
Sure.
-“I’ve friends to stay with or a tent for tent camping so I don’t wear out my open doors in Harrisville. I’d like to paddle Jewel Lake in Barton City as well as other waters around there and wouldn’t mind exploring the Pine either.”-
Are you from Harrisville? Jewell Lake is very close. There’s a campground there.
-“Have you found Negwegon State Park yet? My kayak is not a sea kayak but I’d really like to paddle the shore alone there! Then there is the Black River also - have you paddled it?”-
Yes, we’ve found Negwegon. I’ve hiked a little there. I get a little bored with paddling still water (well, really I’m lazy and like the option of not paddling). The Black River is on my list to scout. It’s not listed as navigable either.
-“Au Sable - everyone paddles but not everyone is warned that when the siren goes off the water comes pouring out of the damn.”-
First I’ve heard of that. We plan to paddle somewhere along the Mio to Alcona Pond stretch as my first river trip with my wife. Not sure if it will be canoe or kayak yet.
-“Alcona County for me was a very special place.”-
We love it here.
How did you find…
… what the DNR says about the river? I’m interested in that section and the 8 miles upstream of there.
Alcona was my adopted home
Greetings to you in Alcona,
I was brought to Alcona in 1986 by the County Library Board. The library was in the lower level of the county building then. I lived downtown in a building directly across from the IGA for a few years and then my dad helped me buy a home, which unfortuntatly I lost due to renting it to bad renters including my sister.
Two of the county commissioners got upset when I wrote for a Federal Grant for the library and we received twenty grand they couldn’t touch.
The library there has always had a lot of class, and so did the library board members who hired me.
It was a good time to be in Harrisville. Dr. Constantine still had his office and museum - the building with the big telescope near the state park.
My assistant filled me on local history.
The place was very gracious and kind to me and I worked hard and loved every minute of it there.
Anyway two county commissioners set out to make my life miserable and one day I was doing some research on how to help folks find jobs. I went to Alpena to the unemployment office for information for others and while there found two announcements from the Department of Defense. So I filled one out, someone who worked at WAFB who also lived out by Mikado called me and offered me the job at the air base (no interview and lots more money). My board members told me to not pass up an opportunity like that. So I resigned and went to work for the DoD and got moved to Columbus Ohio.
Until my sister screwed up the house and I couldn’t afford to maintain it, I had always planned to move back one day.
Now I plan to come up to visit the Bundys and others in both Harrisville and Mikado. Probably will camp at either Jewell Lake or at the State Park. Not sure when but I need to come up this summer and get my Harrisville fix.
You are living in a wonderful place, mostly honest people, loving setting, and I wish you the best.
Perhaps we can meet up and paddle this summer. linda.keith@dfas.mil