There were four of us guys looking for adventure. Dave L., Tim K., Wayne K. and me. We talked about taking a canoe trip down the east branch of the Ontonagon River. It was decided that we would go all the way to Ontonagon. The number of miles was unknown, and we didn’t know if it was navigable. Dave would hitch a ride back to where we started and then come get us. We didn’t really know where we would start from. It was springtime and it was not very warm yet. We managed to get one canoe from Toivo; Wayne got another from his dad. Toivo’s canoe was a big aluminum 2-seater and Wayne’s was a low-sided yellow fiberglass canoe. We loaded up Dave’s truck with our food, sleeping bags and extra clothes. We put our clothes in garbage bags to keep them dry. Dave had a yellow and white early model Ford pickup truck that was kind of tired but what the heck. We headed out towards Mass City.
We checked out a spot downstream from Mass City to see about the condition of the river. I think Wayne had gone down the river from this point on a different trip. The banks were really steep, but the water was not moving very fast and there weren’t any rapids. The river looked good from where we were at, so it was suggested that we go up stream. None of us were river master’s or knew anything about the river up stream. According to the map, we could go to Mass City and add some length to the trip. So, we went outside of the city limits toward the river. We found an easy access spot off the end of a farmer’s road which was actually a county road. We got permission from the farmer and brought all of our gear to the river. By this time, it was dark already, so we slept in the field with the cows. It was decided that Dave and Tim would ride together in the big aluminum canoe, and I would go with Wayne. With how heavy I was with my winter coat and sorrels, we had to load some of the extra stuff into the big canoe with the other guys. I sat up front because Wayne knew how to navigate the rapids and river better than I did. In the morning, we launched the canoes into the fast flowing waters. It was all brown and stirred up with sticks and had other debris floating past.
As we moved out into the current, I was aware of how tense I was. It was just kind of creepy. If you can imagine this: the river all stirred up and flowing fast, you can’t see the bottom, there’s debris floating past, swirling all around and worst of all, the water line only a few inches below the gunnel. It was not very warm out and I thought about how cold it would be to get wet.
After we had gone a little way, we observed that my weight wasn’t a very big help at all. Wayne was a little lighter than I was, and that made it harder for him to steer. He was managing the canoe okay but after a bit we came up on some good-sized rapids. I hung on a little tighter and expected the worst because of the high waterline. I watched as the bow cut into each rapid, almost going under. We managed to miss most of the big ones, but you couldn’t beat them all. A couple of rapids jumped into the canoe onto my lap, taking my breath away. A couple more and we had to stop. It was time to bail out. As I got wetter, the bow wanted to plow a little deeper into the water, creating a better chance that we were going to take on more water. It happened and I got wetter and colder and began to shiver. I didn’t know if my navigator was getting upset at all because this heavy guy up front of his canoe was causing us to drag bottom, bow first. We got hung up on a rock but not until it creased and cracked a portion of his fiberglass canoe. Wayne had to dig his paddle in so we wouldn’t get swept downstream sideways. Well, right away we swamped. After bailing out, I had to jump into Toivo’s canoe. I sat in the middle with all the gear. Wayne was able to keep his cracked canoe pretty much out of the water now that I was out of it.
Along the river we had seen some real huge clay banks going up about 60 or 70 feet. They were red in color and mostly on the corners of the river. I got some real nice pictures with my camera. The trip thus far was pretty interesting despite how cold I felt. Along the river, the scenery was distracting me. Most of the time I just gawked at the sights. We saw ducks, a bald eagle and a lot of other types of birds. On the corner of the river where the high clay banks were, the water current was really lazy. Then, when we had to change direction, we had to traverse more rapids. The corners gave us a break. Sometimes the rapids would be too shallow, and Dave and Tim would have to get out and drag it through the shallow waters. Everyone was pretty much wet by this time, but it seemed that I was wettest. After a bit my attention was diverted to my feet. When I wiggled my toes, the water in my soggy sorrel liners would circulate and bring colder water to my skin. How cold I felt, wearing a big heavy winter coat with water running down the small of my back. We didn’t laugh or speak much. We crabbed about this or that but were more intent on what was to come around the next bend. Maybe we silently admitted defeat from the river and cold temperatures. I know I wondered about the outcome of our adventure.
The next bend in the river told me really quick. Here the river narrowed down and with a hard turn to the right, we plunged under, getting soaked again. The rapids were like a staircase and real narrow. They were an open invitation to the bow of the canoe. The bow of the canoe plunged under again scooping up all the cold icy water the canoe could hold. We bounced this way and that, losing some of our food that was in plastic milk crates that were not tied down. We made it through that rapid and entered a calm area. The dominating current that floated our waterlogged and un-steerable canoe ushered us right towards a huge boulder protruding out of the water. The noise of the rushing water was terrific. We had to holler to be heard. We struck the boulder head on and then the back end swung around to the left and under we went. The canned goods, food, pop, etc.… took off downstream. Our clothes and sleeping bags were tied to the cross bars of the canoe so we didn’t lose them. Struggling to keep my head above water, I became tangled in the rope tied to the canoe. While trying to get loose, I ended up on the upstream side of the boulder with the water filled canoe on top of my legs. The ends of the canoe were out in the fast-rushing current threatening to pull me down stream. I panicked thinking that as cold as I am and weak as I was, if swept downstream, I’d be a goner. All my strength was pretty much gone as I frantically…..