Yesterday we woke up to and fell asleep to the force of nature as thunderstorms grumbled by. The smell of the rain on the thawing soil and the sound of rolling thunder were welcome signals that winter is finally coming to a close.
As the morning storm cleared, my husband, my brother and his two best friends and I took a trip down the Grand Lake Outlet, a small river that carries excess water from Grand Lake out to Lake Huron. If you'd like to make this excursion yourself, you'll need to drop your canoe or kayaks off at the dam on County Road 638 near US-23, take your hauling vehicle down to the parking area on Thompson Harbor Road, and catch another vehicle back to the start at the dam.
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| Grand Lake Outlet Dam in the summer - it's flowing much better now! |
As we arrived at the dam and embarked on the journey, the first thing I noticed was the earthy, wonderful smell and sounds of spring all around us. Dozens of ducks shot out from the marsh in pairs, likely guarding nests, as we passed by. A large, noisy formation of cranes flew overhead, followed by a gaggle of geese. There are several places to put your kayaks ashore and walk onto the land, and we stopped at each, savoring our journey. One particular stopping point is located in a beautiful cedar grove and makes a great place to camp. As we stood among the tall, fragrant cedars we fell silent as we noticed just how many birds were surrounding us. We could hear one group of cranes upstream and another group downstream, chickadees, ducks, geese, robins, and various others we couldn't identify. Nobody said a word for some time as we absorbed the sun's warmth, the sounds, and the beauty surrounding us.
After this first stopping point began the series of mildly challenging rapids. Though the day was warm, certainly none of us wanted to go swimming in the chilly rushing water! The chance of taking a "polar dip" makes navigating the small rapids and rocks exhilarating, even though it's no white water rafting. In between rapids, I enjoyed gazing at the bottom of the stream through the crystal clear water. In some sections, "swamp logs" litter the bottom, perhaps evidence of Presque Isle's beginnings in the logging industry.
After a few more stops, we finally made it to the marshy area near the end of the stream. Several smaller streams branch out from the Outlet and snake through the grassy marsh. I was feeling brave and ventured off on some of the side routes, unsure of where I'd end up, but I always made it back to the main stream. In this area, beaver huts and other mounds made by muskrats or other aquatic mammals abound. Shiny little pieces of crushed shells left by these animals glittered on the bottom. Gliding slowly through this area, I was reminded of why our wetlands are so special and deserving of preservation and protection.
We shoved our kayaks ashore again at the parking area, this time to take our keys, cell phones, and other valuables back to our vehicles before we braved the largest rapids that would shoot us out into Lake Huron. The stream flows very fast here, the turns are tight, and large rocks and logs make for additional obstacles. After a few deep breaths, we all paddled off into the rapids, sure that at least one of us would end up wet. But, fortunately, we all made it out safe and dry, and reluctantly lugged our kayaks back to the trailer.
Experiences like these are what makes Up North living so spectacular. Not just anyone has the pleasure of doing all of these wonderful things in their own back yard. Visit the blog often for more Northern Michigan adventures throughout the spring and summer, and feel free to share yours too!
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