I didn't count them but they had to number at least 1000. Ok, maybe 750 but not one less. I'm talking power draw strokes to keep from ending up in yet another big snag of tree branches across the swirling, maniacal river. It all started out so innocently too.

Our version of whitewater here in southern Michigan is when we get a few good days of real soaking rain, the headwaters of the Grand and Kalamazoo Rivers will rise up and really get moving. I'm sure those of you used to Class IV waters would snicker at our rush to ride the Class III creeks but it's all we have and you go when you get the call. This time I made the call to Todd and Joel after canceling the morning tour and seeing that the rains would stop in the early afternoon. I had some new Liquid Logic kayaks that were begging to get wet and wet they would get. And so would I.

The North Fork of the Kalamazoo River flows off a small dam from the north end of Farwell Lake where it is normally a lazy little creek that twists its way through southwest Jackson County before joining the South Fork and becoming a big boy in the village of Albion. The North Fork of the Zoo is one we'd done a number of times but almost never when she was "ripping royal" so we suited up and spotted the downriver truck in the burg of Horton.  At the last minute we decided to extend the trip by launching all the up to Farwell Lake. We knew that in summer the section we were about to do was reputed to be pretty shallow and twisty as well as a little buggy but figured with the water level up so high and 20 mph winds, we would float over any shallows and avoid any bugs. We were right about the latter.

The Liquid Logic Remix series kayaks are already legendary in their second year. Todd was sporting the new Remix XP with a hatch and I was in the Remix 69. Both of us were snugged down in the Bad Ass seating which Todd and I felt was without doubt the most comfortable outfitting we'd ever used in a whitewater kayak and maybe even in a touring kayak. With Todd's XP's generous rear hatch area we were able to pack several dry bags with extra gear and launch down a steep bank seal style. The Zoo was indeed cruising right along and within two minutes we could see she'd jumped her shallow banks and began flooding marshes and fields. It was fun trying to find the right line and main flow for the first ten minutes and we commented on how this section had gotten a bad rap and that even during low water it would be nice float.

I think I even went as far as saying we should bring some clients back in this little valley so they could experience one of the last little wild and natural rivers around these parts. No sooner than the words had left my mouth, we hit the first of what would be 20 or 30 U-turn pieces where the Zoo doubled back on itself with plenty of fallen trees and branches at each and every turn. Todd is the Hole Master and can get his big bod through the tightest space imaginable with the least amount of strokes or cursing. But even he was bushwhacking like we were on the Zambezi and the current was relentless and pouring millions of gallons of water over, under and around deadfall that would show no mercy.  We sort of take pride in snaking through deadfalls but had to begin the first of too many portages around these hairpin turns.

Popping the snug sprayskirts and crawling out is generally not that big of deal but we seemed to be in little "hell-holes" with no footing or purchase every time we got out and then struggled to find a decent place to launch again which of course required a spirited debate on which tiny scrap of water was the least vicious. I got pretty lazy after awhile and just decided to haul the Remix up on a log and crawl back in and launch right off the log. This worked twice but not the third time as I came off the log at a poor angle and the fast water immediately took over the bow while the stern was still waiting for my hind-end to get seated.  As I splashed around with a boat full of Zoo I think Todd and Joel were more disgusted than amused since they had to help me empty out 11 zillion gallons of water all the while the Zoo was trying to pull us under some deadfall. "Ok boys" I said, "no more stunts-I'll follow your leads."

The next lead from Todd went straight into a 3-layer barbed wire fence stretched across the Zoo next to a house with three gun turrets built out in the fields.  (What kind of guy lives here!) We pulled up on shore and not one of us had any cutters or that fence (illegal as hell) would have been history. We finally found a small area where we could just squeeze the boats through layer 1-2 of barbed wire and drag the boats down along side it for 20 feet and then slip back into the Zoo. Not for long as the same clown had built a road for himself right across the river and left two little culverts for the Zoo to channel its waters through. After this portage we all figured the Zoo was gonna open up and straighten out for us as we were pretty close to where we had always launched in the past. Pretty close turned out to be another half hour of panic induced power draw strokes and a few times roping kayaks up over logs too big to wrestle with.

FINALLY we slid under the bridge we usually started from and knew the waters to be more hospitable from that point on and were looking forward to kicking back and letting this wave train push us into Horton while we rested our whining shoulders. The Zoo was braiding like the Yukon and we saw some Sandhill Cranes on the nest and a giant Blue Heron trying to make sense of the huge surplus of water. "Ah, now we're talking" I said. "Easy Street with a homeward current." Only now the 20 mph wind was right smack in our face!  And it stayed there the remainder of the last miles into Horton with actually waves building up against our bows. If you've ever tried keeping a whitewater boat going straight on open and straight sections of a river you know it's a lot of work. At least it was for Joel and I but Todd had a cool Power Skeg on his XP the dog. But after 1000 power draw strokes (I'm sticking by that number now since I can no longer feel my hands) the headwind was simply brutal. I couldn't let up on a single stroke or I'd go backwards or spin around. Not fair!!

But like most all little expeditions, the last mile was simply charming with no wind as we came into town in a narrow channel in tall grass just like the Everglades sans the gators but with some humongous carp hammering against our kayaks. And after a hot shower, a little Old Wiser's and tasty dinner which I didn't lift a finger to cook, the North Fork of the Zoo seems like it will stay wild for a little longer since we'll leave its top section to the herons.

Bruce Clevenger Senior Guide and Instructor, QWS