Paddlesports recreation and dam removal

Dam removal  often  puts fishing concerns above those of the paddlesports industry and recreation.

Based on extended analysis of data collected for the Outdoor Recreation Participation Report using
the responses of over 40,000 Americans ages six and older - paddlesports is rapidly growing in the USA

17.8 million Americans ages 6 and older participate in kayaking, canoeing, and rafting

Kayaking has enjoyed steady growth in spite of the economic slump growing 3% each year.

The survey is the largest of its type examining participation in sports and outdoor activities.

http://www.outdoorindustry.org/images/researchfiles/2009%20Paddlesports%20Report.FINAL.pdf?79

Paddlers bring extensive revenue to communities via purchases for lodging, gasoline, restaurants, etc., etc.

Obstacles to fish ARE OFTEN obstacles to Paddlesports also - and our voice is powerful in $$$$  !

Fix wet electronic kayaking gear with Silica Gel

We all have family and friends that own and use a variety of cellphones, mp3, gps, camera, watches, remote key fobs, etc. Inevitable some of those items get wet, dropped in the pool, the toilet, a puddle or perhaps dockside as someone launches a kayak.

Dry them out with a bit of silica gel and a zip lock bag

http://www.examiner.com/kayaking-in-detroit/fix-wet-electronic-kayaking-gear

Kayaking 40 miles in one day on the Shiawassee River

Pictures and GPS data from the Earth Day Adventure - 40 kayak miles in a day - Argentine to Corunna

http://bit.ly/ ArgentineToCorunna    Geo-tagged, dated, and mapped

http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/577443260canNMX
(  Nice clean high resolution pics from the trip  )

Google Earth and Panoramio
http://www.panoramio.com/user/4402540

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Kayaking Shiawassee River: Argentine,MI to Corunna,MI

I trust everyone had a wonderful Earth Day.

Steve H. Willi G. and I sure had a full one. Our Shi-trio Started 6:00
AM to spot a vehicle in Corunna MI. We then started at our last finish
point at McCaslin Lk. Rd. in Argentine. With an extra special amount of
gear to handle a variety of possible conditions we launched at 8:45.
The weather was clear sunny and brisk. It was almost 30 deg. when we
hit the water. The great news was tempered by the fact it wasn't
perfect news. There were 20 trees down blocking our path on the first
segment going to Byron. This was so much better than the hundreds of
trees I observed 2 years ago. Having lots of fun scooting under trees
or hopping them we made slow but steady progress. It took until noon to
finish the first 8 miles. If we can find just a few volunteers this
will be opened up to the less adventurous paddler.

After a quick lunch in Byron learning history from the residents and
spreading the word of the State Heritage River Trail we were off. The
portage needs some work but isn't worth more than minor complaints. We
found the confluence of the main branch and the South branch of the
Shiawassee and traveled up stream on the South branch just to say we
did. The last tree we had to hop was about 10 feet after the river
joined. At this point the Shiawassee changes from an intimate little
meandering stream to a full fledged river. Although blockages do occur,
mostly the trees that fall into the river don't reach the far bank
leaving a good passage. We sped past the launch point at Byron H.S. and
Headed North towards Walnut Hills Campground the next access point. At
this point we were making great time, (Willi will post his data
sometime.) so we sped past and headed for Geeck Rd. Park. This proved
to be a bit longer stretch than our energy reserves could easily
handle. Catching lunch #2 respectfully on the shore of some private
wooded lot a mile further we found the park. Onward we cranked. The
entire segment from Byron to pas I69 has moderate to fast current.
After Geeck Rd. Park more and more gravel and stone geology started
giving us minor white water or swifts. Just enough to make you pay
attention but not enough to be dangerous. This was quite fun. Not to
far past Newberg Rd the Shiawassee Town (Shiatown) pond starts ending in
a very nice park at Shitown. Time for another snack and a little bit of
playing at the base of the dam. This could be fun at moderate to high
flow rates but we did not have the proper safety gear. I'd want
helmets, throw bags, heavy skirts, and competent partners to handle this
stuff at high water. The next segment to Vernon and on to Corunna is a
long quick paddle. We were starting to run low on energy and muscles at
this point. Shiatown was about 32 miles into our trip. More moderate to
quick current was welcomed and stayed with us up to the gravel mine a
mile and a half from Corunna. They have a concrete road across the
river! Willi and I were so tired by this point we struggled to crawl
out of our boats to cross the road. It was after that we noticed you
can pass on the left. We new there was little energy, brains, or
motivation left. The sun was setting and we were getting cold. Steve
had gone ahead to get his van at the park in Corunna past the dam.
Speaking of the dam As we limped into town with the last of the day
lingering in the sky we noticed that there in nothing to stop you from
paddling over the dam except the roaring of the water. Don't do this at
night folks. We pulled out and waited for Steve to bring the van around
to load up Finish time 9:00 PM. Condition exhausted hypothermia, and
hungry. Distance 40 Miles.

The wildlife was not prolific but varied. Dear, beaver, muskrat, mink,
porcupine, a books worth of birds, amphibians.and fish kept us in
wonder. The fact that we saw maybe a dozen people all day was great
too. I would advise trying out all the sections of the Shiwassee as they
are varied and interesting. I will not advise doing 40 miles in a day
before the river is cleared.

One last note. We walked into the Wrought Iron Grill in Owosso at
10:30 We had been looking forward to a good meal at a known excellent
restaurant . The bartender advised us that the grill was closed (go
figure) and we should talk to the owner in the blue shirt. This
wonderful man interrupted his conversation with friends to listen to a
plea from 800 lbs plus of hungry men and helped us out. He figured out
a meal that he could make without trashing the whole kitchen, and came
out with enough food to stop even our ravenous apatites We had the
rapt attention of all the patrons as we explained how great a time we
had on the river. It was time to go home. I got into bed about 1:30 AM
this morning.

What a wonderful Earth Day!

Sincerely
Douglas Lanyk

June 6th, 2010 - Shiawassee River Paddle Event

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http://playak.com/calendar.php?eid=1548
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Kayaking Rapids on Shiawassee River ?

On November 1, the Village of Chesaning had Mayor Pro-tem Damion Frasier and River Restoration Committee member  
Neil Pullman maneuver kayaks over the newly created rock fishway to celebrate its dedication.

As the year ended, Mayor Joe Sedlar, Jr. had received word that the
U.S. Fisheries & Wildlife had requested use of the video Deana Sedlar recorded ,
showing Frasier and Pullman floating gently over the rock fishway to celebrate the project’s completion.


FREE EXPOSURE FOR CHESANING – The U.S. Fisheries and Wildlife will be promoting Chesaning
on their external affairs web site, according to Chesaning Village Mayor/President Joe Sedlar, Jr.

According to Sedlar, his wife Deana had recorded the Nov. 1 dam dedication where Doug Pullman
and Damion Frasier charged kayaks over the newly constructed rock fish ladder in the Shiawassee River.

The short film had been posted on YouTube, but the U.S. Fisheries and Wildlife liked it so much,
they requested an original copy to post on their web site.

As a result, U.S. Fish and Wildlife will be identifying/promoting Chesaning on their web site,
Mayor Sedlar told the Chesaning Village Council during their Dec. 15 meeting.

Video available here :

http://recovery.doi.gov/press/bureaus/us-fish-and-wildlife-service/alpena-national-fish-and-wildlife-conservation-office/
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I MAY BE WRONG - but I didn't see a vest or PFD, any emergency crew for Ice Cold Water Immersion

throw ropes, swift water rescue, etc., etc. and this is what they want to promote ???????

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NEW Video - right from the DNR

http://recovery.doi.gov/press/bureaus/us-fish-and-wildlife-service/alpena-national-fish-and-wildlife-conservation-office/
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A 300 ft. structure with natural waterfalls, the u-shaped drops are very, very close
to one another making maneuverability for play boating almost  impossible.

I'm told it was done for the old timers nostalgic for the Chesaning Showboat.
A ""social issue"" for the impoundment waters for the riverboat in Chesaning.
Somehow I just don't see some ancient ol' riverboat ride that great a thing in 2011.

Time moves forward -- holding on to everything from the past hinders progress.

 

This is near Cole Park in Chesaning, Michigan

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=43.185035,-84.111859&spn=0.003704,0.006539&t=h&z=18&msid=111387343905039436857.00047c496acdb50628848
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The Examiner.Com Publication

My latest venture into internet publishing, check it out

Detroit Kayaking Examiner

http://www.examiner.com/x-23194-Detroit-Kayaking-Examiner

FREE subscription via RSS reader

http://rss.examiner.com/RSS-23194-Detroit-Kayaking-Examiner.rss

Fenton Area Paddlers

It is kayaking time again.

We will have a meeting at

Legends Sports Café on Wednesday, April 8 at 7:00pm.

Legends is located on Thompson Rd and US23. Join us in the planning of our weekly evening group and weekend paddles. We usually paddle a local lake during the week and go further a field on weekends, alternating between Saturdays and Sundays. We also need volunteers to plan weekend get-aways. Additional adventures are prompted by individuals notifying other paddlers for impromptu paddles from time to time. Do not worry if you do not have a kayak. Many regular paddlers have extra kayaks that those new to the sport can borrow.

Please join http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/Fenton- area-paddlers/

to find out about upcoming paddles

You can also call Maggie Yerman

(810-735-9570) or email her yerantmag@yahoo. com for more information.

Pearling your kayak

His bow pearled while he was surfing and he ended up missing the eddy because he was upside down.

Pearling refers to the action of the bow, or stern, of your kayak diving under the water instead of floating on top. Pearling can happen for a number of reasons and is sometimes even done on purpose. If your kayak suddenly pearls and you were not expecting it or take actions to bring the bow or stern back to the surface you will most likely either get quickly flipped over or sent straight over onto your face.

Pearling on a wave sometimes happens when the wave is too short for your kayak. If you find yourself in this situation you will need to constantly be on an edge and continuously carving back and forth on the wave.

Pearling on a wave can also happen when a wave surges and pushes you down further in the trough of the wave. The easy fix for when this happens is to throw your kayak up on edge. With minimal surface area on the edge of your kayak compared to large surface of the deck of your kayak the buoyancy of your boat should bring the bow or stern right back up to the surface in no time. The trick is to be able to do this fast enough that you don’t get blown off the wave or react quick enough that the bow or stern does not get shoved too far down.

Pearling in flat water happens when you are too heavy for your boat or too much of your weight is forward. The easy fix for this is to shift your weight further onto the stern of the boat. This makes it harder to take strong powerful strokes and makes balancing a bit more of a challenge but it usually keeps your bow above water. However, if you are trying to do a trick such as the Plowing Ender then you will want to keep as much weight as possible on your bow.

Entering or exiting an eddy is also a common place to pearl. This is especially true at high volumes where there is a much more distinct line between downriver current and eddy current. In order to keep your bow from pearling when crossing in and out of an eddy you will want to make sure you do a peel out and lean in the direction of the current you are going into. Punching straight into or out of an eddy in a high volume river or creek typically is a recipe for a flip. However, if you are in a low volume playboat or a squirt boat then this line between eddy and current is a playground, just like a good hole is to a playboater.

Some kayaks are more susceptible to pearling while others are designed specifically not to pearl. With big volume and rounded bows and sterns creek boats are much harder to pearl then other kayaks as flipping in a creek is never a good thing. The opposite of this is a kayak with very thin but wide bow and stern. This shape is typically found on play boats where getting and staying vertical is essential.

Supposedly the term pearl came from surfing where one would throw the end of their surfboard into the on coming wave in order to make the board dive into the water.

http://www.niftytricks.com/kayak/dic/pearl.html

Ion-Mask waterproofing technology

Mobile phone you can use in the shower

Soon there really will be no escape from mobile phones. They can be used on the world's highest mountains, on planes and even underground, but phone manufacturers now want customers to use their products underwater.

Electronics companies plan to use military technology, developed to protect soldiers from chemical attack, to make mobile telephones and other equipment waterproof.

Phones treated with the coating will be protected from moisture, rain and accidental immersion, according to the experts behind the technology. Tests have shown that treated phones can be used in wet environments without damage.

It could enable text addicts to use their devices in the shower. But it also means, of course, that you will have no excuse for refusing to take that early-morning call from your boss.

The technology involves an invisible coating that is chemically bonded to the surface of the instrument, repelling water and preventing it from seeping into the device where it could damage circuitry.

It has been developed by Ministry of Defence scientists at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory in Porton Down, Wilts. A spin-off company, P2i, is in discussions with three leading phone makers about using the coating, Ion-Mask, on their products.

"Mobile phones and MP3 players are too small to be fitted with seals to make them waterproof, so water inevitably can creep in," explained Ian Robins, a development director at P2i. "By making the surface repel water, we have been able to take devices that fail the normal… shower tests, and make them pass.

"Obviously, how waterproof a device is depends on design, but we can ensure that water doesn't seep through joins or small gaps. Some electronics companies want the individual components to be treated too, so they have a much greater level of protection."

The technology works by bonding a protective layer to the device using a plasma - a gas that has been electronically charged. The chemical properties of the layer allow it to repel water and oil. It was developed for treating soldiers' uniforms, so they would repel toxic vapours and liquids in a chemical or biological attack.

While Ion-Mask coating is still used on military gear, it will soon appear in sports equipment for the first time. The shoe giant Hi-Tec has announced that it is launching a range of footwear that will be treated with the Ion-Mask technology.

Rather than absorbing water and dirt, moisture will instead bead off the surface of the specially-designed shoes.

For electronic devices, protection from water is also important. Water damage is one of the top reasons for insurance claims on mobiles, with more than 1.2 million being dropped in lavatories, drinks or put through washing machines last year.

A spokesman for Carphone Warehouse, the UK's largest mobile phone retailer, said: "Most owners are looking for fashion and functionality when they buy a phone, but if it was waterproof too, it could provide a unique selling point."

http://tinyurl.com/382qj3

EcoTourism - DownRiver Rebirth in Detroit, Michigan

A great video explaining the wonderful paddling resources in the Detroit, Michigan area.

read more | digg story


http://www.crainsdetroit.com/video/brightside_7.html

Metropolitan Affairs Coalition (MAC)of Detroit, Michigan