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Y! MyWebFive lessons for getting the most out of your canoe adventure
Monday, July 07, 2008
A lazy afternoon canoe trip down the sun-speckled Little Miami held all the twists and turns to make a perfect summer adventure. To get the most of your family's canoe trip, check out a few tips to know just what is beyond the river bend before you go.
Lesson 1: Good directions
Canoeing companies line the Little Miami River, offering similar but specialized experiences for everyone, from the newest paddlers to the most experienced kayakers. Have your heart set on a specific company? Get good directions, and call ahead for pricing information, where to park and how to get back to the car.
Morgan's Canoe Livery gave personal service and a relaxed atmosphere. Gary Morgan, one of the owners, said Morgan's is the original canoe livery in Ohio.
Morgan boasts an educational experience and professionalism on the river: "Once you have the ability to do it correctly and control the boat, then you can chill out and enjoy the fun part of being out there — to relax and enjoy nature."
Pulling into Morgan's was like stepping back to second-grade summer camp: hundreds of kids darted in and out of the river, rafts ready and energy levels high. In late June, Morgan's had 150 Centerville High School students take a river trip, something the livery specializes in.
Families picnicked, prepared for riverside camping trips and loaded on sunblock. Six couples climbed into a white van when the tan, curly-haired van driver yelled, "All aboard" to take us up river. Canoers can opt for a short 90-minute ride, spend three to five hours, take an all-day trip, or select a two-day option with camping. The driver took us and the clanking canoes to the top of our 10-mile route, and dropped us off with a canoe brief and some priceless advice: "Don't forget to get off 500 meters after the fourth bridge." Mental note: pay attention to directions. A one-way river can be trickier than you think.
Lesson 2: Beware the rope
swingers and turtle nests
The meaning of relaxation truly hit after the lunch cooler was secured, the paddling patterns coordinated, and the lifejackets tightened. Miles of river awaited, with no noise save a large turtle plopping off a log, or multiple duck families herding around confused ducklings. Besides the turtles, swamp-bathing herons were among the most exciting happenings in the first hour. If you don't mind risking a little lake water in your camera, you could get some great pictures.
A few bridges down, we had company. Large groups of canoers pack coolers and link boats, making for great river blocks and (very) temporary friends for small talk and outbursts as they float by.
Lesson 3: Get beached
And by beach, I mean rocky shore. Morgan said the Little Miami shores are one of the best places for fossil hunting.
Beware of logs, moving water and losing objects as you exit your boat. But do pack a picnic, and prepare to stop a few times down the river. Do not pick a place to stop as it approaches less than 10 feet away. A failed landing only results in a boat floating backward, making steering somewhat challenging. However, spontaneous beach stops can lead to great life advice, as we found out after beaching at the toes of a young rock-skipper resting on the shore.
In classic Forrest Gump fashion, he said, "Sometimes there just aren't enough (flat) rocks."
Rock skippers are particularly friendly in the middle of a relaxing riverside afternoon. But don't get too comfortable.
Lesson 4: Never trust a man
fishing in the rapids
Toward the final mile of the trip, a man stood on a rocky beach that jutted into the river. Coincidentally, this was the same place the river sped up, twisting and bubbling with some minor rapids. His fishing pole stood beside him, and he waved excitedly, smiling as we passed. His cheery disposition made the huge thump we felt on the side of the boat more hilarious: The "fisherman" was loading water balloons with a squirt gun and using passing canoers as target practice. Boaters beware.
Lesson 5: Safety first, no exceptions
Morgan said his livery takes on the responsibility to check the river after storms to ensure new riders' safety.
Morgan's employees seem to have a mantra they swear by: No one has ever drowned in that river wearing a life jacket. Although children are required to wear them, adults often don't, sacrificing safety for sunbathing.
Morgan also warned that cabrewing (drinking beer during a canoe ride) is becoming a thing of the past as Morgan's values a "family-friendly atmosphere," and is working with the Warren County Sheriff's department and prosecutor to crack down on having open containers on the river.
"Some people relate paddling with (cabrewing), but that's changing because it is a state and national scenic river, and it's breaking federal law. There's a stiff penalty," he said.
Contact this reporter at abarlow@DaytonDailyNews.com.
Area canoeing and kayaking:
Aaron's Canoe
and Kayak Center
Contact: (937) 882-6925 or www.aaronscanoe.com
Waterways: Mad River
Location: Springfield
Cost: $22-$39 per canoe, depending on number of canoes in the party and water trail chosen. Group discounts available. Competitors coupons (up to 50 percent off) accepted.
Hours: Spring to fall, seven days a week, weather permitting. Departure times depend on water trail.
Barefoot Canoe
Contact: (937) 698-4351 or www.barefootcanoe.com
Waterways: Stillwater River (West Milton) and Great Miami River (Tipp City)
Locations: West Milton and Tipp City
Cost: $28-$38 per canoe, depending on location
Hours: Spring to fall, seven days a week, weather permitting.
Bellbrook Canoe Rental
Contact: (937) 848-4812 or www.bellbrookcanoerental.com
Waterways: Little Miami River
Locations: Bellbrook
Cost: $29-$48 per canoe, depending on water trail length (5 lengths available). Group discounts available.
Hours: April-October, weather permitting.
Birchbark Canoe Livery
Contact: (937) 652-2663 or www.birchbarkcanoe.net
Waterways: Mad River
Locations: Urbana
Cost: $24-39 per canoe, $15-20 per kayak, $8 per person per tube, all depending on trail length.
Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily
Little Miami Canoe Rental
Contact: (513) 899-3616 or www.littlemiamicanoe.com
Waterways: Little Miami River
Locations: Morrow and Oregonia
Cost: $9-21, depending on trail length. Children riding in a canoe with two paying adults are free. Third adult half price.
Hours: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekends and holidays, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays
Loveland Canoe and Kayak
Contact: (513) 683-4611 or www.lovelandcanoe.com
Waterways: Little Miami River
Locations: Loveland
Cost: $34-40 per canoe, $24-28 per kayak, $13 per tube, depending on trail. Group discounts available; children ride free in parent's canoe.
Hours: Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Morgan's Canoe and Outdoor Centers
Contact: (513) 932-7658 or www.morganscanoe.com
Waterways: Little Miami River and Whitewater River
Locations: Oregonia, Ohio, and Brookville, Ind.
Cost: $25-40 per canoe or kayak, depending on trail
Hours: Open daily during season
Rivers Edge Outfitters
Contact: (937) 862-4540 or
www.riversedgeoutfitters.com
Waterways: Little Miami River
Locations: Starting points are in Beavercreek, Bellbrook and Spring Valley, all ending at the Rivers Edge Outfitters just north of Waynesville.
Cost: $27-$50 per canoe, depending on number of canoes in the party and water trail chosen.
Hours: Spring to fall, seven days a week, weather permitting. Departure times depend on water trail.
Safety equipment included in cost of canoe rental for most places. Reservations strongly recommended for all venues; required for some. Call ahead.
— List compiled by Amy Tiedge, Staff Writer
