Post Trail Report
Day 1:
We stepped off on our hike the morning of September 18, 2021, at 8:30am. Alec Vella spotted a toad and picked it up. It pooped on him, and his demeanor changed from happy to sad. After we crossed South Hill Road, we found a stump that Troy called the Toilet Tree! It was cut in such a way that it looked like the lid was up and there was a rotted hole for the bottom of the toilet! We encountered some heavily overgrown spots and Troy turned to tell us about some small stumps in the path and he fell down. He scratched his leg and bumped his head but was all good.
Right around the 4 mile mark the scouts spotted an orb weaver web that was illuminated by the sun. It was beautiful. Shortly after that we were climbing up a hill where the path was washed out. The ground kept crumbling under my feet and no matter how much I scrambled and stumbled I fell down, going uphill. We caught up to the group ahead of us and enjoyed a short picture break at the railroad tracks. We took a lunch break at the Proud Lake Equestrian Trail Staging Area. While there I met with another adult hiker and spoke about seeing the ISS, the moon and two planets (Jupiter and Saturn).
When we finished the hike at the Proud Lake boat launch and when we dropped our packs to put the canoes in the water, it felt like our inner balance was mis-calibrated. The adults agreed that it felt like stepping off a treadmill and feeling like you’re still going! Jacob Elbode and I paired up and put in and led the way across Proud Lake and Moss Lake all the way to the first portage spot! There were a lot of people out on the river, and it was nice to see people. We made it to our camp, the Upper Pines, just before 5pm. Almost 6 hours of hiking and an hour of canoeing, with small breaks and we are done with day 1!
Day 2:
We pushed off at approximately 9:45am. I sat on my tent for cushioning, and it was nice! Jacob and I continued as canoeing buddies and we had some pretty heady conversations along the river. We talked about what I was like at his age (17) and what his plans are for after high school. He asked me about my college years and we talked about his future. I enjoyed the time spent with him.
We floated under North Main Street and saw many classic cars parked above us. Shortly after that we came across a bag floating in the river. We practiced some aquatic conservation and picked up an almost full bag of Jalapeno Doritos! We also saw two dead deer floating in the river. Yuck!
The portage at Hubble Pond was a harrowing experience! The water was disgusting and full of scum and the stairs were pretty high up. I feared throwing my back out when lifting the canoe, with our loaded packs up onto the rollers. Once we had it up the steps, across the path, and down the other side, I felt relief. We put back in and took pictures of the waterfall/dam. The rest of the trip went smooth and this was a wonderful adventure and I am very happy to have completed it!
Joshua Thomas- 2021-58C – Troop 211 –Michigan Crossroads – Council Chippewa District – Age, 46 – Assistant Scoutmaster – #4184
