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Community Corner

A Perfect Day for a Paddle

Holly to Fenton Adventure Paddle draws first-time through expert paddlers to the Shiawassee River.

About 80 paddlers took advantage of the warm weather and fast river Sunday by taking part in the Holly to Fenton Adventure Paddle in the Shiawassee River.

Residents along Fenton’s Mill Pond watched as canoeists and kayakers paddled past their homes. The parade of boats was part of the seventh annual Headwaters Trails Adventure Paddle, a canoe/kayak race and leisure paddle along a 7-mile stretch of the Shiawassee River Heritage Trail between Fenton and Holly.

“What a great day for this event,” said Sue Julian, president of Headwaters Trails. “The weather was perfect. And we had some racers complete the course in record-breaking time.”

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Breaking the record of one hour and 19 minutes was father-son team Tom, 55, and Chad Cannon, 14, who paddled the river in one hour and 10 minutes.

“As soon as they launched, we all looked at each other and said, ‘Wow!’,” Julian said. “The faster current from the elevated water levels could have played a part in their record-breaking time, but a lot of it was their technique—their ability to paddle together in sync.”

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At 1 p.m., 42 watercraft floated downstream as part of the more leisurely pleasure paddle. This category of participants was created for those who are new to the sport as well as more seasoned paddlers looking to experience the river trail on a less competitive level (most usually finish in less than three hours). Some brought their own canoes and kayaks, while others took advantage of rentals through Heavner Canoe & Kayak Rental.

“We want this event to be enjoyable for everyone,” said Julian. “Before the race, we cleared debris and low hanging trees and branches along the trail and cleaned out the tunnels beneath the roads and train tracks.

"Because of the higher water levels, there are a few places some people might find intimidating. In particular, there is a set of three tubes that you have to steer your way into where the water is turning—a bit of an eddy— and, at another spot, we have about a one-foot drop with some light rapids. To make sure everyone stays safe and feels comfortable, we stationed volunteers at these points to help if needed.”

Most of the seven-mile course is shallow with several twists and turns (some tight) along the way. The last mile and a half is through Fenton’s Mill Pond with the finish line at Strom Park. A shuttle was available to help transport people and equipment back to the parking area in Holly.     

“Our total was 52 watercraft and about 80 people,” said Julian.

She added that a few people join the paddle at Fish Lake Road.

"We really don’t encourage putting in there because parking can be very dangerous," Julian said.

To help with this problem, however, Julian said Headwater Trails recently purchased an acre on Fish Lake Road where they plan to construct a launch. However, it will cost about $80,000 to build and take some time to raise the money and make sure everything is up to code, she said.

“We’re also proud to announce that on Saturday Doc Fletcher (the author of books about canoeing and kayaking in Michigan and Wisconsin) followed our cleanup crew down the river and was impressed with what he saw. People once thought this route was unpaddleable; now, we’re going to be included in his next book!”

Here are the results of the race:

Experienced Class
First Place -- Tom, 55, and Chad Cannon, 14: 1 hr 10 min
Second Place--Mike  and Matt Savoy: 1 hr 15 min
Third Place-- Ken and Bruce Foss: 1 hr 23 min

Solo/Kayak Class
First Place--Mark Irish: 1 hr 20 min
Second Place--Eric Short: 1hr 22 min
Third Place--Todd Minock: 1hr 32 min

Novice Class
First Place--Chris Demeray and Jason Hamilton: 1 hr 55 min

For more information about Headwaters Trails, visit www.headwaterstrailsinc.org or find them on Facebook.

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