Our First Time Kayaking the St. Marys River | We learned Fast

In short: This was our first time kayaking this river, and the river taught us fast. New water is its own thing, you do not know the current, the dead falls, or the tight spots until they are right in front of you. So we took it careful, read the water as it came, and picked up the lessons the way you always do out here, by doing it. This is what learning a new stretch really looks like.

Letting a new river teach you

There is nothing like dropping in on water you have never run. You can look at a map all day, but the river does not care about your map. So the move is simple, go slow and let it teach you. I watch the current ahead to see where it pulls and where it slacks off, keep my eyes on the surface for logs and stumps sitting just under the water, and pick my line early instead of fighting it at the last second. You do not muscle a river, you work with it. Take the first stretch easy until you learn how it behaves, and pretty soon you settle right in.

Reading the water and the dead falls

Black water hides what is under it, and that is where a new river will get you. A dead fall stretched across can look like a wall, but there is almost always a gap if you read it right, a spot to slip the bow through and kick off a log to swing where you want to go. A kayak turns quick and slides through tight places, which is a help when the trees close in. The whole game is staying calm, keeping your weight balanced, and taking it one obstacle at a time. We bumped a few, learned from every one, and came out the other side knowing this river a lot better than we did going in.

What we learned fast

By the end of the day this river had handed us a good handful of lessons, the kind you only get from being out on it. Wear the life jacket, tie your gear in, and do not get ahead of yourself on water you do not know yet. Every new stretch makes you a better paddler if you go into it humble and pay attention. That is the whole point of getting out here, not that it goes perfect, but that you come home knowing more than you did. We learned fast, and we will be back to run it again knowing what it holds.

Questions about running new water

Kayak or canoe on tight black water?

A kayak turns quick and slides through tight places, which is a real help on a twisty stretch where the trees keep closing in and the dead falls stack up one after another. A canoe carries more gear and rides steadier through open water, so it has its own advantages depending on the trip. Either boat works fine if you read the water and keep your weight balanced, because the boat matters less than knowing how to steer it through whatever the river hands you. On a tight black water river especially, black water hides what is under it, so a dead fall that looks like a solid wall usually has a gap you can find if you look for it, a spot to slip the bow through and kick off a log to swing where you want to go. The whole game is staying calm, keeping your weight balanced, and taking it one obstacle at a time, no matter which boat you are in.

What should a first timer bring on a river day?

Wear your life jacket, no exceptions, and carry water along with a little food for the day. Keep a dry bag packed with a change of clothes, a fire starter, and a way to call for help if you need it. Tie your gear into the boat so that a spill does not cost you everything you brought. Before you launch, tell somebody your plan and when you expect to be off the water, so someone knows to look for you if things go sideways. Beyond the gear, do not get ahead of yourself on water you do not know yet. Every new stretch of river will make you a better paddler if you go into it humble and pay attention to what it is showing you. The point of a river day like this is not that everything goes perfect, it is that you come home having learned something you did not know when you put in.