Grand Rapids Area Sport Paddlers

2011 Paddle UR Stuffing Off Details....

2011-11-15T09:36:00.001-08:00

21st Annual Paddle UR Stuffing Off

Date: Friday, November 25th - 10 AM.
Put-in: at 11 Mile between Jewell & Grange Roads
Take out: Park at the Dam in Rockford (behind Arnie's Restaurant)

Leave the Black Friday hoards behind you and join us in a fun-filled trip down the Rogue!

For a Map & More Details click [Here]!

We will meet at the put-in at 10:00 AM and shuttle vehicles into Rockford around 10:15-10:20 AM. We'll hope to be on the water by 10:30-10:45 AM. If you do not make it to the put-in in time to shuttle your vehicle, you can most likely beg a ride from someone after reaching the take-out.

Typically the temps peak with the highs in the mid 30's. Dress warm, in layers, and bring some spare clothes to take with you on the river. Spare clothes come in very handy if you or someone near you decides to take a swim along the way!

We'll stop once along the way for a brief snack/pit-stop near Summit and 12 Mile RD. After we make it into Rockford, we'll portage over to one of the local watering holes to warm up a bit with food and libations.

Be aware that there is a possibility that your boat will scrape over multiple rocks or other obstructions. You should be prepared to get out of your boat at least once during the trip to portage around an obstacle in the river. If you're interested in current river levels, You can track the Rogue Rivers flow rate [HERE]. This gauge is downstream from where we will be, but it gives a pretty good indication of whether the river will be running low or high.

Directions to Put-In From Grand Rapids:
Take US-131 to the Rockford Exit (10 Mile RD)
Turn West onto 10 Mile Rd NE (away from Rockford)
Stay on 10 Mile Rd NE (East) for approx - 3/4 mile
Turn RIGHT (North) onto Jewell RD - 1 mile
Turn LEFT (West) onto 11 Mile RD (just before Jewell ends)
Turn RIGHT into dirt road launch area after about 200 yards (If you go over the bridge/river, you've gone too far!)

Wabasis Paddle on Saturday the 15th!

2011-10-14T15:24:00.000-07:00

Due partly to some confusion on my part and the weather forecast, we're changing the Wabasis Color paddle to Saturday the 15th. Sorry for the confusion this has created for anyone planning to paddle on Sunday, but it works out best for Kim and Robert as well has giving us a lot better weather forecast.

Places to paddle tihs weekend...

2011-10-06T13:05:00.000-07:00

The West Michigan Coastal Kayakers (WMCKA) is having there annual meeting THIS WEEKEND in Mesick at Northern Exposure Campground. You need not be a WMCKA member to attend. Feel free to come for the weekend or the day! Lots of paddling options. Great location, and event greater weather, friends and food. For more information, go to www.WMCKA.org/events.

Fall Paddling Schedule

2011-09-14T16:32:00.000-07:00

Please make sure to mark these two events down on your calendar...

~~Sunday~~Saturday, October 1615th

Revel in spectacular fall color while paddling the outlets and hidden ponds of the largest lake in Kent County!

On ~~Sunday~~Saturday, October 1615th (note the change in dates!), we'll meet at the public access just off Wabasis Lake Road. (See Map - http://g.co/maps/68ex) We'll meet around 1:15 for a 1:30 start for paddling 3 to 4 hours while enjoying the splendid fall color. (This is an earlier start as those late fall afternoons can be a bit chilly.) We hope to have two groups; one for people who like to work it and get some miles on their paddles and one for people who enjoy an easier pace.

When the paddling is over, you're welcome to come to Robert and Kim's home for a potluck BarBQ and relaxing around the fires until 9:30-ish. We'll provide pulled pork if you'll help with the side dishes and desert. We will also provide a B.B.O.W. (Big Box 'O' Wine) if you want or you can B.Y.O.B. Bring along an instrument if you are musically inclined. We need to bring back the after paddle party music making.

Friday, November 25th

Paddle UR Stuffing Off on the Rogue River - Meet at the usual spot at 10am, we'll do the usual paddle and festivities. (I'll post all the details sometime in October).

A Wild and Crazy Summer

2011-09-14T16:26:00.000-07:00

So when I posted my previous post back in June, I had the best intention of paddling at least every other week on Lake Michigan and getting in 10-15 miles of paddling each week.

Well, three months later I can say that plan failed miserably. Family vacations, other obligations and poor timing with weather throughout the summer resulted in not much paddling. For the first time in over 20 years I didn't paddle a stroke in the month of July. However, I can't say I missed paddling that much (gasp!), as one of the vacations was wonderful get-a-way which offered a lot of non-kayaking activities to keep the family active. A second vacation in August did result in a week of getting back in the boat and working on the paddling form. I'm hopeful that the Fall will allow me to continue some regular paddling workouts.

This past weekend I traveled up to St Joseph Island, Ontario (a 45 minute drive SE of Sault Ste Marie), to Gary De Kock's St Joseph Island Rendezvous. The Island is rather large with a diverse assortment of scenery from rock ledges at water's edge, to frog inhabited marshlands to nice sandy beaches. Gary offers 2 days worth of pre-scouted paddling trips to various points of interest on the island.

Saturday morning started out a bit cool, but by the time we were ready to put in, the temps had warmed up into the low 70's under clear blue skies and light to moderate wind from the south. Our group of 18 paddlers were paddling from end of Otter Road along the West side of the Island to the visitor's center at historic Fort St Joseph.

The one-way trip was a little over 8 miles with the option of taking out at the Fort or doubling back to the put-in for an extra workout. This route follows the US-Canada border and the shipping channel, so we got to see lots of freighters (and the occasional Coast Guard Patrol). A light headwind kept the group focused on getting the Fort were five of us stopped for a quick snack break before doubling back.

In the evening, Gary and Linda hosted the Pizza and Pie Party at their cottage (or camp as the locals say). It was a wonderful evening to get to know those from the group that you didn't get to talk to during the day.

Sunday gave us a bit warmer weather, but also a bit more wind out of the SW. Our padding group was down to eight for the route took us from Big Point Park around the SE part of SJ Island and into the old town of Milfordhaven. Once we rounded Big Point we came head-first into the wind. For most of the next couple of hours we paddled with the wind pushing against us. It was more annoying then anything else.

The scenery was still wonderful - blue skies above us and dozens of islands dotting the blue water all around us. Our plans to head across to one of those islands for lunch were swapped for stopping on a small rock-laden beach with a small spit of sand to lay our boats on.

After resting up a bit, we were ready for another hour or so into the wind before heading up a narrow bay to Milfordhaven and out take-out point.

After loading up gear, boats and a brief stop back at Gary and Linda's we all headed over to the restaurant at the Island Springs Golf Resort for a bite to eat. A good meal with great conversation filled with laughter was had by all. Afterward I jumped in my car for the 5.5 hour trip home.

I had a great weekend, paddling a total of 28.4 miles over the 2 days.... well worth the drive!

GRASP News

2011-06-04T06:36:00.000-07:00

So, I've been thinking a lot lately about the status of GRASP. Currently, I'm working towards a trip I'm putting together for next year which will cover 110 miles from Sleeping Bear Dunes to Wilderness State Park taking the route of the Michigan Archipelago. This is going to require that I spend a lot of paddling - and paddling hard.

Because of this, I'm thinking that I'm going to need to suspend my efforts in the recreational-side of GRASP paddles. There are A LOT of groups that do that already (see list below), and I don't feel like spending the effort to organized paddles that are already happening in the Grand Rapids area.

You all are more then welcome to join, but please be aware, that these will be workout type paddles, paddling 4-5mph for most of the allocated time. It will be a good chance to get your paddling muscles into shape! :-)

If you're on Facebook, join the GRASP Group [HERE]!

Hope to see you on the water!
Karl
Other Groups....

West Michigan Coastal Kayakers Association Sea Kayaking (Open Flatwater) Group
Vous Crew Yahoo Group - Canoe/Kayak
West Michigan Paddlers Yahoo Group - Whitewater/Recreational Kayaking
West Michigan Kayak Club Meetup Group - Recreational River Kayaking

2011's Late Start

2011-05-09T05:40:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been an interesting Spring. Some warm days, lots of cold days, and A LOT of clouds and RAIN!

For a lot of different reasons, I haven't felt much like hauling the boat out and paddling until just recently. Last week Friday afternoon I managed to get out and paddle for the first time since November. This is probably the longest drought of paddling I've had in over 20 years.

It was great to get out though. My body seemed to get right back into that paddling groove and by the end of the paddle, my arms were spent, but my mind was recharged.

In any case, I've scheduled a paddle for this Wednesday night on the Thornapple River (see the link to the right). There's a chance of rain, but I'll plan on paddling rain or shine unless there is severe weather threatening the immediate area.

I'll try and get another couple paddles on the schedule this week. At least a couple "floats" and several trips out to Lake Michigan for some "Adventures" on the "High Seas"!

2010 Paddle UR Stuffing Off

2010-11-03T10:10:00.000-07:00

20th Annual Paddle Your Stuffing Off

Date: Friday, November 26th - 10 AM.
Put-in: at 11 Mile between Jewell & Grange Roads
Take out: Park at the Dam in Rockford (behind Arnie's Restaurant)

Leave the Black Friday hoards behind you and join us in a fun-filled trip down the Rogue!

For a Map & More Details click [Here]!

We will meet at the put-in at 10:00 AM and shuttle vehicles into Rockford around 10:15-10:20 AM. We'll hope to be on the water by 10:30-10:45 AM. If you do not make it to the put-in in time to shuttle your vehicle, you can most likely beg a ride from someone after reaching the take-out.

Typically the temps peak with the highs in the mid 30's. Dress warm, in layers, and bring some spare clothes to take with you on the river. Spare clothes come in very handy if you or someone near you decides to take a swim along the way!

We'll stop once along the way for a brief snack/pit-stop near Summit and 12 Mile RD. After we make it into Rockford, we'll portage over to one of the local watering holes to warm up a bit with food and libations.

Be aware that there is a possibility that your boat will scrape over multiple rocks or other obstructions. You should be prepared to get out of your boat at least once during the trip to portage around an obstacle in the river. If you're interested in current river levels, You can track the Rogue Rivers flow rate [HERE]. This gauge is downstream from where we will be, but it gives a pretty good indication of whether the river will be running low or high.

Directions to Put-In From Grand Rapids:
Take US-131 to the Rockford Exit (10 Mile RD)
Turn West onto 10 Mile Rd NE (away from Rockford)
Stay on 10 Mile Rd NE (East) for approx - 3/4 mile
Turn RIGHT (North) onto Jewell RD - 1 mile
Turn LEFT (West) onto 11 Mile RD (just before Jewell ends)
Turn RIGHT into dirt road launch area after about 200 yards (If you go over the bridge/river, you've gone too far!)

Howlin' Good Moonlight Paddle

2010-10-19T17:49:00.000-07:00

Friday, October 22 · 7:00pm - 10:00pm
Location: Leslie E. Tassell Park - 2900 Thornapple River Dr, Cascade, MI

Put-in will be at 7:10pm. We'll paddle at least one-hour upstream (there's not much current) and then turn around and paddle back to our cars. Please dress for conditions, bring a light and spare clothes.

2010 Wabasis Lake Color Tour

2010-09-29T06:20:00.000-07:00

Revel in spectacular fall color while paddling the outlets and hidden ponds of the largest lake in Kent County!

On Sunday, October 17th, we'll meet at the public access just off Wabasis Lake Road. (See Map) We'll meet around 1:15 for a 1:30 start for paddling 3 to 4 hours while enjoying the splendid fall color. (This is an earlier start than last year. Those late fall afternoons can be a bit chilly.)...

When the paddling is over, you're welcome to come to a private residence ~3 miles north for a potluck BarBQ and relaxing around the fires until 9:30-ish. We'll provide pulled pork if you'll help with the side dishes and desert. We will also provide a B.B.O.W. (Big Box 'O' Wine) if you want or you can B.Y.O.B. (Maps to the party will be given out at the lake, or leave a note here and we'll get you one).

NOTICE: We are paddling SUNDAY this year due to prior commitments. This is a leisurely paddle suitable for beginners but it can be chilly this time of year so you'll still need proper clothes and safety equipment. The most important piece of equipment for this outing is likely to be your camera. We all get great shots every year. AND, the hostess just bought a new string bass for those of you who wanted to haul music and guitars.

Next Events

2010-08-21T13:47:00.000-07:00

I've thought about scheduling another couple paddles for September, but I'm going to be pretty busy getting my kids back to school as well as getting a few things going for WMCKA.

We'll most likely be doing another Fall Color Tour on Wabasis Lake in October (probably October 23rd), and for sure the Paddle UR Stuffing Off trip the day after Thanksgiving (November 26th).

Lake Michigan Paddles

2010-08-21T13:38:00.000-07:00

Mark, Jim, Dave and I had a nice paddle out on Lake Michigan this past Tuesday night. The waves had been really big earlier in the day, but by 7pm the wind was light and the waves were dying fast.

With those conditions, everyone wanted to paddle "out and back", so we set a course of 300º and paddled away. After about an hour, we stopped to rest about 1½ miles offshore from PJ Hoffmaster State Park and viewed the smokestacks from the powerplants in Muskegon, Grand Haven and Pigeon Lake.

After paddling back about 10 minutes, Jim noticed some orange lights on-shore. They were reflections of the sunset behind us. A backwards glance revealed that half the sky and lake were on fire from the sunset. If I'd have taken my camera, I could have had some awesome pictures. But they never would have done justice to the beauty that we saw in person.

Wednesday, August 4th - Grand River - Knapp NE to Rogue River

2010-08-02T05:02:00.000-07:00

Meet at Knapp NE and the Grand River at 6:30pm. We will try and spot cars at the boat launch at Knapp NE at 6:50pm then be back to launch shortly by 7:20pm.

View 2010.08.04 GRASP Knapp to Rogue in a larger map

Tuesday, July 20, North Beach Park, Ferrysburg

2010-07-18T15:13:00.000-07:00

GRASP will be paddling on Lake Michigan on July 20th. We will launch at 7:00pm and return to the beach no later then 9:45pm.

Please be aware that we will probably be paddling up to a mile from shore and that there are inherent risks involved including drowning and death. To minimize the risks to you and others, read, understand and have all of the following skills and equipment:

Skills:

You must be able to wet exit your boat.
You must be able to stay in your boat for at least two hours.
It would be nice if you have practiced being rescued, if you haven't expect to practice this skill out in Lake Michigan during the paddle.
If you are not feeling 100% healthy, please pick another night to join us.

Equipment:

Your boat should be 16 feet or longer. Shorter boats may have trouble keeping up with the group.
Your boat must have fixed bulkheads or flotation - it must not be able to sink if swamped with water.
You must have a sprayskirt for your boat.
You must wear your PFD.
Lake Michigan's surface temperatures are still on the cool side (76F on 7/18/10). You should dress for swimming in this water.

View North Beach Park, Ferrysburg in a larger map

Wednesday, July 7th - Grand River - Ada to Knapp NE

2010-07-05T04:33:00.000-07:00

Meet at M21 and the Grand River at 6:30pm. We will try and spot cars at the boat launch at Knapp NE at 6:45pm then be back to launch shortly after 7:00pm.

View GRASP - Ada (M21) to Knapp NE in a larger map

Tuesday, June 15, North Beach Park, Ferrysburg

2010-06-06T06:18:00.000-07:00

GRASP will be paddling on Lake Michigan on June 15th. We will launch at 7:00pm and return to the beach no later then 9:30pm.

Please be aware that we will probably be paddling up to a mile from shore and that there are inherent risks involved including drowning and death. To minimize the risks to you and others, read, understand and have all of the following skills and equipment:

Skills:

You must be able to wet exit your boat.
You must be able to stay in your boat for at least two hours.
It would be nice if you have practiced being rescued, if you haven't expect to practice this skill out in Lake Michigan during the paddle.
If you are not feeling 100% healthy, please pick another night to join us.

Equipment:

Your boat should be 16 feet or longer.
Your boat must have fixed bulkheads or flotation - it must not be able to sink if swamped with water.
You must wear your PFD.
Lake Michigan's surface temperatures are still quite low (60F on 6/5/10). Dress for immersion.

View North Beach Park, Ferrysburg in a larger map

Map for June 2 - Thornapple Cascade

2010-06-01T06:02:00.000-07:00

Meet: 6:45-7:00 (See map to Below)
Launch: 7:00
Take-out: 8:45ish

View GRASP - Thornapple River Launch in a larger map

Past, Present and Future

2010-05-28T17:36:00.000-07:00

So, since I haven't been able to paddle much the past couple of months, I've been doing a lot of thinking...

The biggest turnouts I gotten for GRASP paddles over the past 2-3 years has been for the one-way trips down rivers. The worst turnouts are for the up-and-back trips on the Grand and Thornapple Rivers. My problem is, the up-and-back paddles offer me the best value for my time as it maximizes my time on the water (something I don't get much of these days). I've also noticed that there are several other paddling opportunities going down rivers during the week, most notably Powers Outdoors Thursday night paddles down the Rogue.

I'm also working on getting in shape for an 7-9 day paddling "expedition" that I'm planning on doing in 2012. It'll be a 110 mile trip following the Michigan Archipelago. In order to get ready for that, I need to putting in more paddling time on Lake Michigan so that I get back into shape on the "big" water.

So, here's my plans. I'm going to schedule a once a month GRASP paddle downstream on a local river (starting in July) and once a month padding out on Lake Michigan. If you want to join me/us out on the big lake, I need to hear from you ahead of time so I can make sure you (and I) know what to expect that evening! Be aware that I'll be looking to paddle for at least 2 hours on the lake and will probably be spending all of that time in the boat away from shore.

I'm Back on the Water

2010-05-13T07:34:00.000-07:00

I made it out on Reed's Lake last night to see how my abs would respond to 5 weeks of not paddling. It seems that all is well as I'm feeling just peachy today!

So, I will be at the Knapp ST NE boat launch (about 2 miles east of Knapp's Corners) next TUESDAY night (5/18) ready to paddle at 7pm. I'm really looking forward to getting back into some type of paddling schedule!

2010 Evening Paddles

2010-03-11T17:44:00.000-08:00

I started thinking about putting the 2010 Schedule together a couple of weeks ago. Problems is, I've got a bunch of meetings coming up on Tuesday and Wednesday nights which are typically when I've done the paddle nights. Today another problem presented itself in that I'm going to be laid up and unable to kayak for about 6 weeks after having surgery in early April.

So, now I'm thinking that I'll go ahead and schedule the evening paddles for the 1st Wednesday night and the 3rd Tuesday night of each month starting in April.

This would mean that April 7th would be our first paddle night.

I'll post the full list of dates and locations here soon.

Paddle UR Stuffing Off

2009-11-20T17:08:00.000-08:00

19th Annual Paddle Your Stuffing Off

Date: Friday, November 27th - 10 AM.
Put-in: at 11 Mile between Jewell & Grange Roads
Take out: Park at the Dam in Rockford (behind Arnie's Restaurant)

Leave the Black Friday hoards behind you and join us in a fun-filled trip down the Rogue!

For a Map & More Details click [Here]!

We will meet at the put-in at 10:00 AM and shuttle vehicles into Rockford around 10:15-10:20 AM. We'll hope to be on the water by 10:30-10:45 AM. If you do not make it to the put-in in time to shuttle your vehicle, you can most likely beg a ride from someone after reaching the take-out.

Typically the temps peak with the highs in the mid 30's. Dress warm, in layers, and bring some spare clothes. Spare clothes come in very handy if you or someone near you decides to take a swim along the way!

We'll stop once along the way for a brief snack/lunch near Summit and 12 Mile RD. After we make it into Rockford, we'll portage over to one of the local watering holes to warm up a bit with food and libations.

Be aware that there is a possibility that your boat will scrape over multiple rocks or other obstructions. You should be prepared to get out of your boat at least once during the trip to portage around an obstacle in the river. If you're interested in current river levels, You can track the Rogue Rivers flow rate [HERE]. This gauge is downstream from where we will be, but it gives a pretty good indication of whether the river will be running low or high.

Directions to Put-In:
Take US-131 to the Rockford Exit (10 Mile RD)
Turn West onto 10 Mile Rd NE (away from Rockford)
Stay on 10 Mile Rd NE (East) for approx - 3/4 mile
Turn RIGHT (North) onto Jewell RD - 1 mile
Turn LEFT (West) onto 11 Mile RD (just before Jewell ends)
Turn RIGHT into dirt road launch area after about 200 yards (If you go over the bridge/river, you've gone too far!)

September Paddles

2009-08-24T06:43:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: I'm going to cancel the paddle on the 3rd and "merge" it with the Full Moon Paddle with Donovan on Friday the 4th.

I've put a paddle on the schedule for September 17th. It will be at 7pm on the Thornapple River in Cascade. (Click for Map)

Since the sun is now setting a bit earlier, you should probably bring a light to display on your boat if we're out after sunset (Coast Guard regulations).

Good SunDaze

2009-08-16T17:57:00.000-07:00

Every have one of those days?

I got off to a late start packing up the boat at home for this afternoon's trip through downtown on the Grand. On the way to Sixth Street Park I realized that I had forgotten to pack a PFD... well, it's over 90 degrees already and I'd probably not want to where it anyway since I'm not going to be doing a lot of rolling in the river to cool off...

We unloaded boats at the park and took off to spot the cars at the takeout. On the way there, it started to rain... hard... Hmmm... maybe we won't be paddling after all!! The rain stopped before we got off the highway in Grandville. We spotted the car at the boat launch just downstream from Wilson Ave, then piled into my car for the trip back up to the put-in. About half-way back I suddenly realized that I hadn't unpacked my paddle from the car... because I hadn't packed it in the car to start with! Nobody had a spare either! Thankfully John & Barb Straatsma allowed me to borrow Barb's paddle while John paddled their double alone. A bad day saved by paddling friends... Thank You Barb & John!!!

The trip down the river was fun. We all had to paddle a bit "aggressively" to miss "touching" the west-most bridge column at Bridge St. A couple people got a good bucket of water tossed in their boat while going through the chute at the 2nd weir. Beyond those two things it was a blast going through the city on the Grand highway.

Grand Paddle on the 16th

2009-08-10T04:02:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, August 16th I'll be paddling from just below the 4th St Dam to Johnson Park (see link/map to the right).

While most of this stretch is an easy float, the first mile will require shooting about 4 small weirs that drop 1-3 foot each. Most of these will not be a problem, however you will likely scrape your boat on one of them and you should be able to paddle and maneuver your boat in a moderate current if it becomes necessary.

Meet me at 2pm if you're interested.

7/21/09 - On the Grand tonight

2009-07-21T08:16:00.000-07:00

We'll be on the Grand River tonight starting from the Rogue River launch near Northland Drive and West River Drive. Click on the link to the right for more details.

Feedback

2009-07-09T07:34:00.000-07:00

I'm tossing around a couple if ideas for future events. Please leave a comment to repond....

On July 21st we're schedule to take the Grand River from the Rogue River to Riverside Park. The distance on this trip is around 6.2 miles or about 2 hours of paddling (not floating) downstream.

Question #1: Should we shorten this trip?
Question #2: If yes, how?

For August, I'm thinking of doing a trip down the Grand River through downtown Grand Rapids. This trip would be slighty shorter at 5.7 files or about 1 hour, 45 minutes down to the takeout.

Question #3: Does this sound good to you?
Question #4: If so, is a Wednesday night OK, or should we do a Saturday or Sunday afternoon?

Thanks for your input!
Karl

Sign-up Link is now fixed

2009-07-09T07:32:00.000-07:00

I spent a few minutes today fixing the link to the right (Under what is GRASP?) that lets you add your information to the GRASP listing.

Next up, Thornapple - 84th to 48 on July 7th

2009-07-05T13:43:00.000-07:00

The Plan: We'll drop the boats off at the put-in at between 6:45-7:00pm and run as many vehicles as possible down to the take-out at 7:00-7:20pm. We'll then pile all the drivers in 1-2 cars and come back to the put-in and getting on the water by 7:30pm! We should be off the water around 8:45-9:00pm.

We will attempt to drive to somewhere for refreshments after this trip - most likely somewhere in Cascade unless Sam's Joint will still let us in the door (Sam's closes at 9pm so at this point I'm still open to suggestions).

View 2009-07-07 - GRASP 84th-48th in a larger map

09.06.17 - Last nights Rogue River Trip Report

2009-06-17T12:39:00.000-07:00

Unless I missed counting someone last night, we ended up with 14 people padding down the Rogue River from Rockford down the the Grand River. The river wasn't quite as low as the last couple of years, but it still ended up being a bit of a bumpy ride in places. Still, I think everyone had a good time on the water.

Specifics: 6/16/09, ~190CFS, 14 paddlers, shuttle start 6:15, on-water 6:45, off-water 8:45.

2009.06.16 - Rogue RIver - Rockford to the Grand

2009-06-16T08:14:00.000-07:00

A reminder to be at the put in by 6pm so that we can unload boats and shuttle cars as quickly as possible. I'd like to be underway, on the water by 6:45pm.

The river might be low tonight, but not near as low as it was when we did it the last time last July. Still, be prepared to run into a rock or two.

2009.05.31 - Paddling Schedule

2009-05-31T13:39:00.000-07:00

I've tweaked the schedule a bit to give us a bit a variety.

June 2 - Will be the regularly scheduled paddle on the Thornapple at Cascade.

June 16 - Paddle down the Rogue to the Grand. A bit earlier then years past to try and take advantage of higher water levels, later daylight too... we'll also start a bit earlier on the water this year too.

July 7 - Back on the Thornapple, but this time going from 84th Street down to 68th. We'll spend some time playing around in the eddies below the drop at Reuhs Park. Bring some dry clothes as we might just have time to portage over to Sam's Joint for some refreshments.

Let me know if you have any other ideas for paddles.

Canceling tonights paddle (4/21/09)

2009-04-21T08:10:00.000-07:00

Well, the weather looks pretty bad, and I'm not feeling 100% myself, so I'm going to cancel tonights paddle on the Grand River. We'll try again on May 5th in Cascade.

2009.04.21 - Paddle on the Grand at Knapp NE

2009-04-14T17:16:00.000-07:00

Follow the link under schedule to the right and you'll find a map to the put-in. Since last weeks paddle was canceled, I'm hoping that many of you show up for this one. I'd like to plan out the year a little bit, so come prepared with your ideas of what water you'd like to get out on during a 2-hour time frame on a week-night.

If you can't make it, I'd still like to hear your opinions. Leave a comment using the link below!

Weather

2009-04-07T12:26:00.001-07:00

Right now the weather isn't the best for an easy paddle on the Thornapple. Temps are supposed to be around 34F with a 15-20mph wind.... along with the current water temperature, it's probably dry-suit (or at least wet-suit) type weather. Feel free to email or leave me a comment if you're planning to join me tonight.

09.04.07 - GRASP Paddle Evenings Begin

2009-03-30T07:08:00.000-07:00

Date: April 7, 2009
Time: 6:45-7:00pm
Where: Thornapple River - Cascade (See map to Below)
Launch: 7:00
Take-out: 8:45ish

This will be the last evening paddle of 2009!

View Larger Map

WMCKA Pool Sessions

2008-11-07T15:52:00.000-08:00

The West Michigan Coastal Kayakers Association is offering pool sessions over the Winter. The first session is Saturday, November 15th. Go to wmcka.org for more information!

Paddle UR Stuffing Off coming up on Nov 28

2008-10-23T09:12:00.001-07:00

For at least 18 years we've been paddling down the Rogue River on the day after Thanksgiving. A couple of years ago we had temperatures in the 50's, but that was very unusual weather for the day. Typically we have much cooler temperatures and occasionally we even have a bit of rain or snow falling on us too.

Here's a map of the area with a few details.
Click here for Larger Map and a lot more details!

Fall Color Tour & Potluck

2008-09-29T17:26:00.001-07:00

Join us on Wabasis Lake on October 18th. We'll meet at the boat launch and be ready to paddle at 2:20pm. We'll make our way down Wabasis Creek to Little Wabasis Lake before heading back to the boat launch. Afterwords we'll portage over to a nearby private residence for a potluck dinner. If you're interested in the dinner you'll need to let us know your coming. Leave a comment and I'll contact you with more details.

Fall is here

2008-09-24T06:10:00.000-07:00

Fall officially started yesterday. That means the sun sets at about 7:30 in the evening and in turn makes getting out and paddling after dinner a "Night Paddle". Daylight paddling will pretty much is relegated to the weekends until after Daylight Savings Time returns in the Spring.

I'm still trying to get something together for a weekend in October. I'll send something out via email if any plans gel.

2008.09.17 - Last Evening Paddle

2008-09-20T06:16:00.000-07:00

There were two of us who paddled the last GRASP Evening paddle on the 17th. Perfect conditions for paddling... I'm not sure why only two people showed... maybe it's the shortness of daylight.

2008.09.17 - Last Evening Paddle

2008-09-10T06:05:00.000-07:00

Meet: 6:45-7:00 (See map to Below)
Launch: 7:00
Take-out: 8:45ish

This will be the last evening paddle of 2008!

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