Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Urban canoeing

I'm going to put forward a proposal here, and we'll see what you guys think of it. First some background. Last weekend I went canoeing on the Minnehaha Creek. Now this was a fun thing, not just because we brought a cooler of beer along for the ride, but because the creek itself runs through the city. While at some points your environs become secluded enough to make you forget that, at others it becomes quite obvious. Hell, we even made a pit stop at Taco Bell. The whole experience is quite different from a canoe trip through the wilderness. It made me think of this:



For a long time I've thought it would be cool to do a trip on the Rouge River, and now that I'm thinking more seriously about it. Miles of senic parks feeding into a mass of demonic industry and eventually the Detroit river, what could be better?

It wouldn't be that hard, just a day trip thing (although camping out on Zug Island would be pretty sweet). I don't know how high the water has to be or how long a period of the year you can feasibly canoe the Rouge, but I do know people do it, so at least it's possible.

So I'm just trying to check interest here. Who's with me?

5 comments:

synthetictom said...

I love that sketch! I just watched The Beard one a couple weeks ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYuOurhglz8

Canoe trip sounds awse, but I don't think I'm making it to Michigan until Labor Day. When you thinking of doing this?

joe man said...

Well, I didn't have a time planned. I was thinking of heading home for July 4th-ish, but I'm not sure about that. I've got a summer class starting in a few weeks so I won't be able to get back to MI for anything more than a long weekend until August.

Chifweto said...

Joe! I am coming home in the middle of july. If you do this in august I am all about it. I may even be able to rustle up a canoe or two and I already have the bear traps.

deutschland said...

im down and way too late. what say ye we plan another semi annual midwestern gathering in the spirit of debauchery and general merriment (can't remember what that was actually called, i th ink i'm close)?

lizgrass said...

For some reason I never "subscribed" to this, so I forgot about it. But now I'm catching myself up and -- YES! I want to canoe on the Rouge. Or just canoe in general!!!