Kayak Classes in Fenton

From: Rob Taylor

Expanding Horizons Kayaking is now offering classes in three locations

- Brighton, South Lyon, and Fenton - and on various days of the week.

No excuses! Shake off those winter blues and get into a local indoor pool

to work on your kayaking skills.

Rob Taylor-----ACA Coastal Kayak Instructor

Phone: (810) 225-3652 --Mobile: (810) 355-6381

Email: taylorrj@ameritech.net

www.expandinghorizonskayaking.com

Winter/Spring2009 Class Schedule

Location	Class	Day	Time	Dates	Cost	To Register
Brighton High School 7878 Brighton Road, Brighton, MI 48116	Beginning Kayaking Session 1	Thursdays (4 weeks)	8-10 pm (classroom 7-8 1st night)	1/29, 2/12, 2/19, 2/26	$145/person $260/couple	Call Brighton Community Education, (810) 299-4130 or online at, brightoncommunityed .com
	Beginning Kayaking Session 2	Thursdays (4 weeks)	8-10pm (classroom 7-8 1st night)	3/12, 3/19, 3/26, 4/2	$145/person $260/person
	Beginning Kayaking Session 3	Thursdays (4 weeks)	8-10 pm (classroom 7-8 1st night)	5/7, 5/14, 5/21, 5/28	$145/person $260/couple
	Rolling	Sundays	1:30-5:30 pm	2/1, 3/15, 4/5, 5/3	$80/person	Call Rob Taylor at (810) 355-6381 or email taylorrj@ameritech. net
	"Over Easy" Open Pool Sessions	Sundays	2:30-5:00 pm	2/15, 3/22, 4/19, 5/10	$30/person
Fenton High School 3200 West Shiawassee Ave., Fenton, MI 48430	Discover Kayaking	Tuesdays	7-10 pm	2/3, 3/3, 5/5	$60/person $100/couple or parent & child	Call Southern Lakes Parks & Recreation, (810) 591-0080 or online at, www.slpr.com
	Beginning Kayaking Session 1	Tuesdays (4 weeks)	8-10 pm (classroom 7-8 1st night)	2/10, 2/24, 3/10, 3/17	$145/person $260/couple
	Beginning Kayaking Session 2	Tuesdays (4 weeks)	8-10 pm (classroom 7-8 1st night)	3/24, 3/31, 4/14, 4/21	$145/person $260/person
	Beginning Kayaking Session 3	Tuesdays (4 weeks)	8-10 pm (classroom 7-8 1st night)	5/12, 5/19, 5/26, 6/2	$145/person $260/couple
	Rolling	Saturdays	12:30-4:30 pm	3/21 & 5/9	$80/person
	"Over Easy" Open Pool Sessions	Saturdays	12:30-3:00 pm	4/4	$30/person
South Lyon High School 1000 North Lafayette St., South Lyon, MI 48178	Intro to Kayaking	Fridays	7-10 pm	1/30, 3/6, 5/8	$60/person $100/couple or parent/child	Call South Lyon Recreation Authority, (248) 437-8105 or online at, www.slrec.com
	Beginning Kayaking Session 1	Wednesdays	8-10 pm (classroom 7-8 1st night)	2/4, 2/11 2/18, 2/25	$145/person $260/couple
	Beginning Kayaking Session 2	Wednesdays	8-10pm (classroom 7-8 1st night)	3/11, 3/18 3/25, 4/1	$145/person $260/person
	Beginning Kayaking Session 3	Wednesdays	8-10 pm (classroom 7-8 1st night)	5/13, 5/20 5/27, 6/3	$145/person $260/couple
	Rolling	Fridays	6:30 - 10:30 pm	2/27 & 4/3	$80/person
	"Over Easy" Open Pool Sessions	Wednesdays	8-10:30 pm	1/28 & 3/4	$30/person

Class Descriptions

Intro to Kayaking or"Discover" Kayaking:Already own a kayak or thinking of buying a kayak and would like to paddle insafety with some basic skills? Then thisintroductory kayaking class is for you. This 4-hour course is oriented to beginners with minimal or no priorexperience. Topics will include safety & rescues, equipment, and basicmaneuvers. Students will learn how toexit their kayak in the event of a capsize. Several techniques for rescuing someone who has come out of their kayakwill be demonstrated. Paddling techniquefor moving a kayak in a straight line, turning a kayak, and moving a kayaksideways will be taught. Minimum of 3,maximum of 10 students per class.

Beginning Kayaking: These classes are an excellent complete beginner'scourse held in the safe and warm confines of an indoor pool. The class is a series of four weekly two hoursessions. The first session, be dressed for the pool session and at poolside onehour before the scheduled pool time for a safety/orientation session. Attendance at the first day is mandatory. This course will focus on basic kayakingstrokes that are applicable to both sea kayaking and white water kayaking. We will also work on self and assistedrescues, recovery strokes, sweep strokes and the beginning elements ofself-rescue techniques. Studentsshould bring swimming goggles, nose plugs and a towel along with swimming apparel.Participants under 16 must be approved in advance by the instructor.

Kayak Rolling Classes: This class will focus on the elements of hip snapdevelopment, high and low bracing and the Kayak Roll. Either the "C to C" or Sweep Roll will betaught depending upon student's capabilities. Strength is not important in learning to roll… it's all about boat fit,flexibility, and most importantly, proper technique. So if you are ready tolearn to roll that boat, here's your chance. The class will be scheduled for four hours, but please arrive 30-60minutes in advance to be outfitted with gear.

"Over Easy" Open Pool Sessions: Here's a chance to practice allthat you've learned in the Basic Kayaking and Rolling classes in the friendlyenvironment of the Brighton High School pool. Perfect all those different strokes, practice rescues, and work on that"bomb-proof roll" or just come hang-out with other paddlers and swap warstories. Certified instructors will beon hand to provide pointers if needed.

Oakland County Waterways

Waterways including lakes and rivers in Oakland County

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/oakland_35003_7.pdf

Surf your Watershed

http://cfpub.epa.gov/surf/huc.cfm?huc_code=04080203

Shiawassee Watershed -- 04080203

Shiawassee

Watershed Profile

Watershed Name: Shiawassee
USGS Cataloging Unit: 04080203
MI 4th Congressional District
MI 5th Congressional District
MI 8th Congressional District
MI 11th Congressional District

Citizen-based Groups at work in this watershed (Provided by Adopt your Watershed)

Water quality monitoring data from this watershed (Provided by STORET)

Environmental Websites Involving this Watershed

National Watershed Network (provided by Conservation Technology Information Center)

Assessments of Watershed Health

• Impaired Water for this watershed

• Assessed Waters by Watershed
  • Michigan

Information provided by the United States Geological Survey (USGS)

• Stream Flow (Source: USGS)
  
• Science in Your Watershed
  
• Water use data (1985-2000): Information about the amount of water used and how it is used.
  
• Selected USGS Abstracts

Places Involving this Watershed

Counties:
• Clinton
• Genesee
• Gratiot
• Livingston
• Midland
• Oakland
• Saginaw
• Shiawassee
National Estuary Programs:
• None
States:
• Michigan
Other Watersheds Upstream:
• Flint
• Cass
Other Watersheds Downstream:
• Saginaw

Visit the Envirofacts Warehouse to retrieve environmental information from EPA databases on Air, Community Water Sources, Water Dischargers, Toxic Releases, Hazardous Waste, and Superfund Sites Geographic searches include zip code, city, EPA Region, or county.

WetLands Inventory Maps

WetLands Inventory from the DEQ

http://www.deq.state.mi.us/documents/deq-lwm-water-wetlands-WInotice.pdf

AND

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/CGI_Genessee_PWI_139548_7.pdf

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/Oakland_prelim_wi_54425_7.pdf

American Water Works Association - Safe Water

Water Sources

Surface Water Sources: Multiple Inlet Ports Offer Water Quality Options

Groundwater Sources: Common Terms Associates with Wells

Highlighting Surface Water Contamination Sources

Potential Sources of Groundwater Contamination Revealed

http://www.awwa.org/files/Publications/Opflow/2008/February/OPF0208_Dept3HWW.pdf

http://www.awwa.org/files/Publications/Opflow/2008/March/OPF0308_Dept4HWW.pdf

http://www.awwa.org/files/Publications/Opflow/HowWaterWorks/OPF092006_Dept4HowWaterWorks.pdf


http://www.awwa.org/files/Publications/Opflow/HowWaterWorks/OPF082006_HowWaterWorks.pdf

Shiawassee River Trail

Great Website -- Shiawassee River Trail

http://www.oursouthernlakes.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=60&Itemid=160

Contact Us

Sara McDonnell
University of Michigan
Center for Applied Environmental Research
432 N. Saginaw St., Ste 1001
Flint, MI 48502-1950
810-767-7272 phone
810-767-7183 fax
smcdonne@umflint.edu

Watersheds of the Shiawassee River

http://www.springfield-twp.us/documents/ShiawasseeRiverWatershed.pdf

CLICK on picture with mouse to enlarge.
See the path from Oakland County to Saginaw Bay

Expanding the Paddling on Shiawassee River

The information was provided by Sara McDonnell,
Project Coordinator for the Center for Applied Environmental Research
at the University of Michigan - Flint.


"We want to promote the Shiawassee River as a water trail and
encourage people to kayak and canoe close to home," McDonnell said.

The first phase of the project undertaken by Headwaters Trails,
which runs by the Shiawassee River from Holly to Fenton, is already underway.
Their successes include installation of a canoe/kayak launch site,
development of a signage program, annual Holly to Fenton canoe races
and regular river cleanups and paddle trips.
Headwaters Trails is led by Sue Julian and Doug Lanyk.


"The Holly to Fenton section is being managed by Headwaters Trails.

They've already identified launches, emergency takeouts, and where signs need to be installed.

That's the first phase of the Shiawassee River trail," McDonnell said.

"There's funding secured for the signs from Holly to Fenton."


McDonnell also said because of the progress made in the first phase,

Southern Lakes Planning Initiative has taken on the next stretch of the river, from Fenton to Argentine.


"We'll be pursuing funding for signs from Fenton to Argentine this winter," she said.


McDonnell said a group, made up of representatives from Headwaters Trails,

Fenton Area Paddlers, Southern Lakes Parks and Recreation, the cities of Linden and Fenton,

Argentine Township, interested residents, teachers, individuals from the University of Michigan-Flint,

and those interested in the outdoors, met last April.


"(They) discussed the potential of extending the Shiawassee River Heritage Trial in Oakland County,

west through Genesee County by creating signage, recreation-based business, and continued river cleanups," she said.

Mayor David Lossing said people on the trail could stop at the launches and visit the different areas, grabbing a bite to eat on the way.

He said the city would do anything they could to help out this effort which would have a positive impact on the economy.

Councilor Ray Culbert said he thinks it's an excellent idea.

"(It would) really spur the growth of the economy," he said.

"It's such a wonderful asset, creating a regional trail," said Christopher Wren, city manager. "It's a phenomonal idea."

For more information regarding the river trail, visit www.oursouthernlakes.com.

Pentax Optio W60 - Waterproof digital camera

Pentax Optio W60

Rugged, Waterproof Aqua-Shooter

http://www.wired.com/reviews/product/pentax_optio_w60

Whether you're maxin' at a pool party, snorkeling a reef,
the Optio W60 has you covered.
Super-rugged and waterproof to 13 feet, this easy-to-handle,
10-megapixel aqua-shooter with 5X optical zoom makes
for a surprisingly good all-around compact.
Built for abuse, it's nearly indestructible.
Button layout easy to operate, even underwater.
Image quality is very pleasing.
Fine balance of feature set and price.

Camera Resolution: 10.0 megapixels
Optical Zoom: 5x
Digital Zoom: 5.7x
Style: Rugged, Ultracompact
Media Format: Flash, SD Card
Manufacturer: Pentax
Price: $330

Combine with sticky pod to shoot kayak movies
http://www.stickypod.com/osc/

GPS waterproof standards

WaterProof.. Submersible.. Spray proof.. What DO these terms mean?

MIL-STD 810 Immersion Standard, Military Specification equipment
MIL-STD 810 Blowing Rain, Military Specification equipment
JIS 2-8 Japanese Water Protection Specs similar to IEC529
CFR Title 46 Part 110.15 Aircraft Civilian specifications
IEC 529 European (ECC) water protection specifications

Of these, only IEC 529 (European Community Specification) and JIS2-8 (Japanese Industry Standard) have graduated test levels. These two specifications are very similar, but IEC 529 is gaining more acceptance in Europe which is a major market for many US manufacturers and is more defined in terms of the actual test. The table below gives a summary of the requirements for IEC 529 for WATER PROTECTION PROVISIONS.

Test
Level Definition
0 Non protected, No special protection
1 Protected against falling water Equivalent to 3-5mm rainfall per minute for a duration of 10 minutes. Unit is placed in its normal operating position.
2 Protected against falling water when tilted up to 15 degrees. Same as (1) above but unit is tested in 4 fixed positions - tilted 15 degree in each direction from normal operating position.
3 Protected against spraying water, Water spraying up to 60 degrees from vertical at 10 liters/min at a gage pressure of 80-100kN/m2 for 5 min.
4 Protected against splashing water. Same as level 3 but water is sprayed at all angles.
5 Protected against water jets Water projected at all angles through a 6.3mm nozzle at a flow rate of 12.5 liters/min at a gage pressure of 30kN/m2 for 3 minutes from a distance of 3 meters.
6 Protected against heavy seas. Water projected at all angles through a 12.5mm nozzle at a flow rate of 100 liters/min at a gage pressure of 100kN/m2 for 3 minutes from a distance of 3 meters.
7 Protected against water immersion. Immersion for 30 minutes at a depth of 1 meter.
8 Protected against water submersion The equipment is suitable for continuos submersion in water under conditions which are identified by the manufacturer.

*Note: IEC 529 level 7 is designated "IPX7" and is equivalent to JIS 7. The position of "X" being left blank indicates that the unit has no special mechanical protection.
*Note: Garmin typically uses the IEC-529 spec for the design spec for water protection level for their line of GPS equipment. Marine rated GPS equipment is usually tested to IPX7.

Garmin units in current production,

rated for submersion to 1 meter for up to 30 minutes.

taken from webpage : http://www.gpsinformation.net/rino/rinorev.htm

There has been discussion as to the degree of "waterproofness" of Garmin GPS receivers and especially the eTrex and Summit (Legend and Vista use essentially the same package).

Here is Garmin's statement on waterproofness:

Garmin reports (from a past review): "Our specifications for eTrex (and Rino) are that they are waterproof per IEC529-IPX7. IEC is a European specification published by the International Electrotechnical Commission. It is very similar to the Japanese Industry Standard JIS-8. IEC529 gives an excellent breakdown of the relative degrees of protection against water ingress. (IEC529 specification can be found HERE.) (A layman's breakdown of IEC529 can be found HERE.) By the way, our products are more waterproof than virtually everyone else's. We even test 100% of them in our factory. It costs a lot more, but we do it anyway to be sure what we ship meets IPX7. We understand and acknowledge that the marine environment can be very harsh. Even the brass contacts with nickel plating and gold over that will eventually corrode if left exposed to sea water long enough. That's the best contact material available, and we use it on all our external power contacts. All other marine electronic products in the $100-$500 class that we are aware of have this weakness. IEC529 specifies that the immersion test is to be done in fresh water, probably for this reason. The harsh environment does occasionally cause failures and we continually work on improvements to existing products while introducing new ones."

"The classification of IPX7 is for temporary (i.e. accidental) immersion in water. It is not for continuous underwater use. If the end user is looking for something that can be used underwater continuously, they need to find something rated IPX8 or JIS8. However, we are not aware of any or GPS or fish finder that is rated for IPX8 in any price category. You will see in the attached sections of IEC529, that "The manufacturer of the equipment should be consulted to determine the degrees of protection available and the parts of equipment to which the stated degree of protection applies." We recently did start to add to our packaging a note concerning the extended waterproofness of our battery compartments as the seal is rubber and over time and wear and tear, will not be able to maintain as good of a seal as when new. We have a vested interest in presenting truthful, correct information to all of our current and potential customers." (End of Garmin statement.)

Silverman Companies development

Silverman Companies new plan for developing on the North side of Grange Hall Rd.
Their revised plans include a very dense mix of residential and commercial use.
The plans DO NOT include previously negotiated plans for a connecting trail
from The Village of Holly to Seven Lakes State park.

Please call the township 248 634 9331 for more details.

Choosing a Kayak

http://www.epickayaks.com/extras/tips/equipment/choose-kayak

How to Choose a Kayak

In today's world there is a kayak designed to fit almost any recreational need. There are kayaks for white water, placid water, ocean waves, sit-in-side kayaks, sit-on-top kayaks, sea/touring kayaks, Olympic racing kayaks, fishing kayaks, marathon kayaks and ocean racing kayaks, kayaks for one person and kayaks for two. Whew! With so many options where does one begin? The best answer is to try before you buy ! Go on a guided tour from a local kayak outfitter, participate in a demo day held by kayak retailers, or visit your local kayak shop and talk about paddling.

In a perfect world all kayaks that are used on open water, ponds, lakes, estuaries, or oceans should have positive flotation in the bow and stern of the kayak. Two of the best ways to ensure positive flotation are with bulkheads, which create watertight compartments at the front and back of the kayak and will keep your kayak floating even if the cockpit is full of water, or with flotation bags that are placed and secured in the front and back of the kayak and perform as bulkheads in keeping the kayak from sinking. The need for positive flotation in a sit–on-top kayak is not essential since they are built as an airtight pontoon and will not sink if you fall off.

Proper outfitting for touring kayaks used in open water should include safety lines around the perimeter of the deck that allow you to grab and stay with the kayak in case you fall out or off. For a sit-in kayak, a crisscrossing arrangement of thick elastic deck lines behind the cockpit is essential since this is where you secure your paddle when performing a paddle float self-rescue in the event of a capsize. A good specialty outdoor paddle shop or outfitter can give instruction in these important safety aspects of kayaking.

Footbraces that are adjustable are an important feature so that you can rest your feet comfortably in the kayak against a proper support. In addition, a good seat and backrest will help you to sit upright when paddling and make you feel and look good on the water. In kayaks that are 12 feet in length or shorter, the backrest is usually very substantial. Kayaks that are longer than 12 feet usually have a lower-lumbar-support backband that allows greater freedom of movement for the paddler.

Most experts in the kayak world agree that a kayak under 12 feet in length does not go in a straight line very well when paddling in open water, so look for a kayak that is known to track well (go in a straight line). These kayaks will almost always be 12 feet long whether they are sit-in kayaks or sit-on-top kayaks. They are usually designed without rudders or skegs and are called recreational kayaks, as opposed to the longer kayaks that are called touring or sea kayaks. Whitewater kayaks are specifically designed to be paddled in rivers with fast currents and whitewater rapids. Whitewater kayaks are not used to paddle coastal areas, large lakes, lazy rivers, or oceans.

Some kayaks are equipped with foot-controlled rudders that assist you in staying on course. These are often found in touring/sea kayaks over 12 feet. A common misconception is that rudders are used for steering a kayak. While rudders can be used for casual steering to the left and right, rudders are actually designed to help keep you going straight when there are currents, wind, and wave action affecting your travel.

A popular activity with touring/sea kayaks is self-sustained travel along coastal areas, oceans, estuaries, or down lazy rivers with no whitewater. These touring/sea kayaks have hatches in the deck that allow for a week or two worth of groceries, fine libations, and all your camping gear. Another popular activity with touring/sea kayaks is fitness paddling and racing. A longer waterline length and a narrow beam (or width) generally means more speed with your double-blade paddle. Kayaking for fitness is exciting, cruising along with dolphins is fun, and you will learn to sprint if you kayak in gator territory.

Fishing kayaks are very popular and allow you to sneak up on your fish with all your favorite rods, bait, and tackle and are much less expensive than a power boat to operate. In the southeast fishing kayaks are usually sit–on-top models that allow you to get in and out easily in shallow water.

Kayaking is a wonderful lifetime sport and can be almost anything you want it to be. You can float down a river leisurely dipping your paddle in and out of the water basking in the sun. Shoot down rapids in Class I to V whitewater. Race long or short distances over the water. Let the miles glide under the hull of your touring kayak as you journey to your next destination. Paddle to your favorite fishing spot and bringing home the "fish for dinner." Some kayaks even make great photo platforms for wildlife photographers, allowing close encounters with wildlife and marine mammals. The point is, there's a great kayaking experience waiting out there for everyone.

Kayaks are made from different materials:

Polyethylene which is an almost indestructible plastic used in all types of kayaks. The major drawback with this material is the heavy weight.

Thermoplastics which are used by some manufacturers in short recreational kayaks and some touring kayaks. This material is lighter than polyethylene but not known for being very durable and is difficult or impossible to repair.

Fiberglass is used in touring/sea kayaks and is lighter than polyethylene, easily repaired, very durable, and gives better performance.

Kevlar is also used in touring/sea kayaks, however not because it is bulletproof, but because it is lighter than fiberglass and has the same durability and is easy to repair.

Carbon Fiber is the ultimate in lightness; an 18-foot-long touring kayak can weigh 36 pounds! This material gives great performance, is very tough, and is easily repaired contrary to widespread rumor that it is difficult to work with.

All kayaks are easily transported on the roof of your car, SUV, or truck. I never leave for a vacation (or a day at work) without my kayak. There are even bicycle trailers for kayaks. Kayaking is fun, healthy, and adventuresome. There's never been a better time to begin kayaking than today.

Chesaning Dam

News
$900K grant paves way for Chesaning dam removal

By MICHAEL PETERSON,
Argus-Press Staff Writer


CHESANING - The Chesaning dam is on its way out after a $900,000 grant through the Clean Michigan Initiative will help push funding for the Shiawassee River Restoration and removal of the dam.

State Senator Roger Kahn, R-District 32, has been very involved in the project and was instrumental in the push for the grant, said Bob Grnak, Kahn's media coordinator.“We think its the most wonderful thing ever,” Village Manager Marlene Schultz said. “It's not like a loan we have to pay back. We really feel fortunate and if it wasn't for Sen. Kahn we wouldn't have had this.

Total cost of the restoration - including planning, engineering and construction - is about $1.7 million. In addition to the grant, funding also will come from private citizens, businesses, the township and village.The dam has declined to the point where maintenance and repair is not a practical option.Tom Meder, coordinator for the Shiawassee River Restoration Committee, said they have been working on this project for seven years.

“The dam was deteriorating and something had to be done,” Meder said. “It has been repaired over the course of the last 30 years, but it is beyond repair now. We are going to remove it.”Engineers have developed a solution that restores fish passage, creates new river habitat, interconnects fragmented aquatic habitat and preserves the impoundment needed for the Showboat Festival, while eliminating the long-term liabilities associated with a failing dam.
Meder also believes the restoration will help to boost tourism.

“It will become a really prolific fishery now and people will be coming to use it,” Meder said. “Our campgrounds will literally be more useable because we will have fish right up near the campgrounds.”Meder explained the Shiawassee River goes right through the Chesaning campgrounds and with the dam fish cannot swim near the camping areas.

The dam was built in 1863 to create power for the grist mill and was a key element to Chesaning's success as a lumber hub in the mid-1800s.However, the dam is most notably used today for the annual Chesaning Showboat Festival, which is a major aspect of the cultural identity in the village.Meder is hopeful the project starts in the fall.

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

Paddling - Video Instruction - How To

Maps along Shiawassee River

WaterWorksPark in Holly, Michigan Map (click on yellow pin icon)


View Larger Map

3 Tubes RailRoad Bridge on Shiawassee River Map (click on yellow pin icon)


View Larger Map

Fish Lake Road take-out on Shiawassee River Map (click on yellow pin icon)


View Larger Map

Wilson Lake off the Shiawassee River Map (click on yellow pin icon)


View Larger Map

Fenton Mill Pond on the Shiawassee River Map (click on yellow pin icon)


View Larger Map

Strom Park in Fenton, Michigan Map (click on yellow pin icon)


View Larger Map

Dress to swim - everytime you paddle

Cold water removes heat from the body 25 times
as fast as cold air.

http://www.enter.net/~skimmer/openboat.pdf


COLD WATER + NO PFD = NO CHANCE !

http://www.tc.gc.ca/marinesafety/TP/Tp13822/menu.htm


Do not consider air temperature when
estimating the risk of cold water immersion!

Map - Holly to Corunna

CLICK on photo to enlarge and zoom in

A tremendous amount of data available at :
http://gwmap.rsgis.msu.edu/viewer.htm

Map

From Shiawassee River - (Can't find it ? scroll down )

Click on the map to enlarge and zoom in

Waterworks Park in Holly
http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/1244720/an/0/page/0

Strom Park in Fenton
http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board=EarthNature&Number=1244723&fpart=&PHPSESSID=

Paddling over a Dam - Just Plain Stupid

Michigan has about 2,500 dams, nearly 1,500 of them under six feet in height, according to the state Department of Environmental Quality.

Learn , study, take classes, paddle with friends, groups, etc.
Water is mischievous/ deceiving in the amount of power even light current has.

It' s a great article for discussion

http://www.mlive.com/flintjournal/index.ssf/2008/09/kayakers_death_in_shiawassee_r.html

And yeah, I did flip my boat in 32 degree water with a wetsuit on later that day below Delhi.
Fellow paddlers helped me out, no questions asked, no inquisition, just camaraderie.

We evolve and learn by taking risks while attempting to control as many external factors as possible.

Challenge people if they have safety equipment and why they aren't using it.
What's the worst that could happen...you get verbally abused for a second, so what.
I'm no paddling genius with an awesome roll and superman S on my chest, but I do care a little.

People also learn thru large paddle events -they see other boats, gear, equipment.
One thing that makes it tough is all the paddling/ rowing clubs are like islands.
Unless you visit (via e-mail) each club and invite them, it's tough to get a decent turnout.
Many don't even have webpages, they are just private lists of people who go out and paddle.
There is no one stop clearing house of paddling info in Michigan.
Canoe, kayak, sculling, whitewater, flatwater, surf, touring, racing, --thats a lot of territory !.

People are constantly buying boats and are in need of instruction, exposure to other boats,
safety protocols, in a nut shell " they don't know what they they don't know" .
How can you ask questions when your un-aware equipment like float bags exist for rec boats ?
If the guy at the shops like Dunhams/Dicks/ Cabellas etc. never told them the paddle can be offset for wind...
it all relates to a inherent problem with paddle sports in the Michigan-the land of water,water everywhere.

*When someone drowns falling off a powerboat because no vest is worn
-we the taxpayers pay for the body retrieval time, resources, etc.
No boatowner ever came up on murder one charges for negligent homicide,
had his boat impounded for the season, etc. etc.

We also pay monetarily when kayakers/canoeists do some foolish stuff.
Curious to hear comments, feedback, etc. either on the boards or via personal mail

Pics from 2008 Fall Color Tour Paddle

THANKS to all paddlers who came out
-- we had approximately 60 -70 kayakers/canoeists
and another big thank you to Heavners Livery
for additional rentals and shuttle service.

Sunny afternoon, light winds, temps in the mid 60's
all made for a great day.

Pictures of 2008 Shiawassee Fall Color Tour Paddle

http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/567721407KouRMx

October 5th - Fall Color Paddle

Come join us for a 7 mile paddle in northern Oakland County
along the Shiawassee River for some spectacular fall colors.

Date : Oct 5th 1:00 PM
Launch : WaterWorks Park in Holly, MI
Finish : Strom Park in Fenton, MI

SHUTTLE service available

CANOE RENTAL is available thru Heavners on site that day

- WaterWorks Park - 602 South Broad St, Holly, MI 48442-1674
It's on Broad Street aka (Milford Road) in Holly

http://www.headwate rstrailsinc. org/images/ ShiawasseeRiverM ap.jpg

http://www.headwate rstrailsinc. org/images/ SE_Michigan_ Inset_Map. jpg

There will be a short presentation in WaterWorks Park, 602 Broad Street in Holly, at 1:00 pm.
about the Top of the Shiawassee Heritage Water Trail.
Participants will start from there at 1:15 pm and be off the river by 5pm.
The route is seven scenic miles from Holly to Fenton, which takes from 2 to 4 hours
depending on paddling speed.

Heavner Canoe Rental is providing canoes and kayaks for rent on site at approximately $40 apiece.
People who want to rent should make an advance reservation by calling 248-685-2379
and find out the exact price at that time.

Headwaters Trails will be providing return transportation
from Strom Park in Fenton back to WaterWorks Park.
People who bring their own craft are asked to make a
$5 contribution to that service; for others, transport is included in the price of renting.

The river is high at this time and clear of obstacles, so passage over beaver dams
and around tight corners should be fairly easy.

The event will take place even if the day is cloudy,
so participants should dress for the weather.

In the event of thunderstorms, we will, of course, cancel as the
final mile across the open Fenton Millpond could be dangerous.
However, the crisp air and the sight of fall foliage along the way make
this one last treat before the winter season sets in.

Come join us for "Canoeing in Color."


Headwaters Trails, Inc.
Sue Julian, President: 248-634-3513 : sjulian@provide. net
Doug Lanyk, Vice-President: 248-634-4551 : dslanyk@comcast. net

Background info
http://shiawassee- river.blogspot. com/

We're pushing for a Heritage Water Trail from Holly all the way to Bay City
Right now it's navigable from Holly thru Fenton, on to Linden and Argentine.

Shiawassee River Task Force

Planning Activities

The Shiawassee River Task Force had its beginnings in 2000 with a Great Lakes Matching Grant from the Land Trust Alliance to Oakland Land Conservancy and North Oakland Headwaters Land Conservancy. The Task Force coordinates four conservancies in land protection and stewardship activities throughout the Shiawassee River watershed in Oakland County. Key partners include Oakland County Planning & Economic Development Services, Michigan Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, Michigan Nature Association, North Oakland Headwaters Land Conservancy, the Townships of Holly, Rose, and Springfield, and the Village of Holly. The local communities in the area have adopted innovative approaches to planning and zoning, such as cluster developments and resource overlay zones, to protect these sensitive features. Current activities include land and water trail development and continued protection and stewardship activities.

For More information please contact:

Shiawassee River Task Force
P.O. Box 51
Holly, MI 48442
Contact: Sue Julian, Coordinator
248-634-3513
sjulian@provide.net

Map of Shiawassee River in Argentine

Click on map to enlarge

Map of Shiawassee River in Fenton and Linden

Click on map to enlarge

Kayak Raffle - Walden Adirondack

HeadWaterTrails Inc. in Holly,MI is raising money thru donations, grants and raffle tickets for a
Shiawassee River mid-point landing located on Fish Lake Rd. in Holly.
The group will be selling raffle tickets for a Walden Adirondack kayak and accessories.
Actual drawing will be held December 12, 2008.

HeadWatersTrails Inc. on the internet
http://www.headwaterstrailsinc.org/about_us.htm

-Sue Julian, President:
248-634-3513
sjulian@provide.net

-Doug Lanyk, Vice-President:
248-634-4551
dslanyk@comcast.net

WALDEN ADIRONDACK








The Walden Adirondack Kayak Is A Favorite For General Recreation.
It's Large Cockpit Allows Easy Access And Plenty Of Room.
The Adirondack Also Has An Optional Retractable Rudder

Map - Shiawassee River - Fenton to Linden

Map - Shiawassee River - Fenton to Linden


http://www.umflint.edu/caer/images/fentonTOlinden.pdf

Put-In at Bush Park in Fenton

For those looking to launch their kayaks or canoes onto the Shiawassee River in Fenton,MI
--Bush Park offers a nice venue that is always open with no fees.
Bush Park launch site is best accessed off N. Leroy Street & 5th Street


View Larger Map

Genesee Regional Trail Council

It would be really neat if the Genesee Regional Trail Council made trails happen along the Shiawassee River and the local lakes.
HeadWatersTrails Inc. in Holly works at getting trails connected
beyween adjacent communities for all to enjoy the great outdoors.

http://www.co.genesee.mi.us/gcmpc-plan/Files/Maps/Trails%20Maps%20Updated/Fenton.pdf

http://www.co.genesee.mi.us/gcmpc-plan/Trails.htm

http://www.co.genesee.mi.us/gcmpc-plan/Files/Docs/Trails/Approval%20Trail%20Plan%

U of M - The Southern Lakes Planning Initiative

Sara McDonnell
University of Michigan
Center for Applied Environmental Research
432 N. Saginaw St., Ste 1001
Flint, MI 48502-1950
810-767-7272 phone
810-767-7183 fax
smcdonne@umflint.edu

Sara McDonnell thru Southern Lakes Planning Initiative has worked with HeadWatersTrails Inc. in Holly, Mi and Fenton, MI
to conduct paddling inventories, identification of assets and developing strategies for branding the Water Heritage Trail .


http://www.oursouthernlakes.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=60&Itemid=72

Update - Shiawassee River Conditions

A review by Doug Lanyk from HeadWatersTrails August 14th, 2008

My how things change.
Jimmy and I Took a trip yesterday evening from
Holly's Waterworks Park to Bush Park in Fenton.
My expectations were slightly low water and an easy paddle.
So much for my powers of precognition.
The water level at waterworks park was about 3 inches higher
than I would have thought. The recent rainfall that missed
my house must have hit somewhere else in the headwaters region.

It was a good start to the journey. The river was quiet
and the wildlife was repeatedly surprised by us quietly
gliding down the river. Numerous deer, fish, turtles,
and heron were motivated to seek further cover upon
being observed at close quarters.
There is a tree partially blocking the river just after
the 3 tubes. You can still paddle around on the the shallow side.
It's small and will be easily removed, but beware if you try it,
it's covered in poison ivy. The quiet paddle was just about
perfect until another downed tree just before Fish Lake Rd.
Last week Jimmy had to portage the tree. Last night we had enough
water to bump over it. Once again it was smooth sailing.

The next item of note was the water level in Haddon pond.
It was noticeably lower. The beaver created marsh following the
pond had lot's of fresh bank showing and a bit of challenging
paddling to go around trees we are accustomed to going over.
The reason for the low water level was soon apparent.
The big beaver dam is gone! I don't know if it had help
but the center of the old dam is now completely washed out.
No drop whatsoever. This has aesthetic ramifications.
The old dump that comes up to the river at that point
is now showing a whole lot of garbage.

Some new work near Scarbury's Ford was noticed too.
The ford itself had low water and we had to bump our way across.
The last beaver dam before the Fenton Millpond has been beefed up.
It's now bigger and badder than ever before.
It's about a one foot drop that we skated over.
The millpond itself was a pungent mess. It is severely grown over.
It was a bit of work to get the boats across.
After dumping our first load of picked up garbage off at
Strom park we were rewarded for our work by finding a
blue grass band playing at the bandstand in Downtown Dibbleville.

As we portaged the dam, lot's of curious people questioned us
about paddling on the river. It was a good opportunity for
educating more people about our efforts. Below the dam
we launched Jimmy in his canoe just before I did a seal launch
off of the rocks. It was fun when the the crowd listening to the
band brokeout in applause and cheers in the middle of a song.

From the Dam to Bush Park was a bigger challenge than the millpond.
The water had disapeared. It was very shallow for most of the rest
of the trip. Where we did the cleanup a couple of weeks ago it was
hard to tell we had been there.
The trees that were totally submerged when we cut those above are
now completely above the water. More garbage has been exposed too.
By this time it was getting dark and we were glad that my truck was
right there. A longer trip would have been less than fun.

Get outside.
Doug.

Shiawassee River Trail connects to Lake Ponemah

***__Click on image for a full size view___***

--Look carefully to follow the Shiawassee River (blue line)as it connects to Lake Ponemah on thru Bush Park in downtown Fenton, along the old mill pond to Wilson Lake (follow Grand Trunk Western Railroad tracks) over near Holly and from the WaterWorks Park on Broad Street in Holly.

Shiawassee River Trail gets longer

A big thank you goes out to all the volunteers who helped cleaning out the river in Fenton. Debbie (our organizer), Tom, Dave, Willi, Sharon, Pete, Jimmy, Sara, Andy, Maggie (our car spotter) and I got wet and had fun. At 6:00 we started in Bush park in Fenton and went up stream toSilver Lake Road. There were 3 major log jams and several smaller blockages to remove as well as a couple of bags of garbage, plus a chair, a bike, a municipal garbage can... Working near the park had it's advantages. We just had to bag the garbage and put it up on the bank in the park. The city of Fenton will pick the garbage up. By 8:30 we had made it back to our starting point. Several people had to head home at this point. Five of us continued on down stream to our trucks about half way to us 23. This portion had a cleanup a month ago. We still found a bag of garbage and a few trees to trim back. The river is surprisingly scenic for being in the city. There are only a few lawns in view considering we are in the heart of the city. Aside from the seasonably low water this will be a fun segment. There is a fairly brisk current moving you along. It was 9:30 by then and time to call it a day. Now the bad news. There is more work to be done. As near as I can figure we have 8 more blockages to clear on the way to Lake Ponemah. One of which is fairly substantial. The date picked to finish this off is Sunday August 3rd. More details to follow. Once again thanks for your support. We are within striking distance of having a 20 mile stretch of scenic river in paddling shape.

Doug Lanyk - HeadWatersTrails__Vice-President

Outdoor Life Magazine

Hi, Willi,

We’re writing to let you know that your project has been chosen as one of this year’s Outdoor Life Save-a-Stream projects. We are excited to help you get your work started and to hear of your progress over the summer.A kit will be going out to you this week, containing stream restoration materials to help you in your efforts. It includes contact information as well, should you need to talk to someone about the project. You can also e-mail me if you have any questions.

Thanks for all the work you do to keep our streams and rivers clean! We look forward to seeing photos or video of your results and to sharing reports of your progress with our readers.

Sincerely,
Camille Rankin
Managing Editor
Outdoor Life

A story of boat names

Interesting story taken from a paddling magazine :

Nowhere did anyone say that a sea kayak is a CANOE with certain attributes. Nobody I know (with the possible exception of John Wilde) calls their sea kayak a canoe. If this is the case, why are all the bodies which oversee sea kayaking (Australian Canoe Federation, NSW Canoeing Board of Canoe Education, etc.) listed as CANOEING organisations?

Blame it on the POM’s (for our overseas web site visitors POM is an Australian name for English persons - not complimentary. Perhaps derived from early convict "Prisoner of Mother England”, thus POME, or more frequently, POMMIE **stard. May also be a corruption of "Pong", meaning to smell badly. Pom’s bathe only infrequently and NEVER wash their socks).

The bloody Pom’s, with typical Imperial hubris, simply called all indigenous paddle craft ‘canoes’ (which word comes from the Carib Indian ‘kanu’, later Spanish ‘canoe’). This linguistic arrogance also resulted in that transcontinental traveller, the short-tailed shearwater, being called a ‘Mutton Bird’ and the highly prized abalone a ‘Mutton Fish’. Perhaps all the bully beef had affected their taste buds.

Of course, for many years, explorers had been using native American canoes for their expeditions. These light, swift craft were ideal for the vast system of lakes, rivers and streams the New World offered. The Iroquois and Algonquins could quickly outdistance any European boats and were in demand for exploration. But when the white men and their Native canoeists met up with the Inuit in Northern Canada, the kayaks blew their doors off.

The Inuit could paddle away from the Algonquins even more easily than the Algonquins could swamp the Europeans. Instead of finding out the true name of these racy craft, the unimaginative and linguistically challenged British simply called them ‘canoes’. Now we are left with the problem of sorting out all this intellectual laziness. The Poms attempted to solve the dilemma by calling canoes ‘Canadian Canoes’. This may work in the UK and Australia, but brings blank stares in North America where a canoe is a canoe and a kayak is a kayak and all the canoes in Canada are Canadian.

The origin of the name ‘kayak’ is a bit obscure itself. Zimmerly used the title ‘Qajaq’ for his excellent book on the Kayaks of Siberia and Alaska. Qajaq is simply Inuit spelling for ‘kayak’. Of course the Inuit had no written language, and this spelling was invented by missionaries. Zimmerly doesn't mention where the word came from in his book. It could well have been a local name which was picked up by the white men and spread by them as a generic term as a matter of linguistic convenience.

If I understood Larry Gray correctly as he spoke about his Greenland experiences, sometimes each specific type and even individual kayak had a certain Inuit name. Chris Cunningham wrote “Qajaq shows up in HC Petersen’s ‘Skinboats of Greenland’ glossary as the Greenlandic term for a kayak.”

The Aleutian ‘Baidarka’ offers no clues. Baidarka simply means ‘small boat’ in Russian, the language of the first explorers of that vast chain of islands.