SLATE RIVER ( Baraga Co., MI, 12 mi. east of L'Anse)

LENGTH: 4.5 mi., CLASS: IV, GRADIENT:

SEASON: A week or two in early spring.

PUT-IN: Arvon Road, at a point 4 miles south from Skanee Road. A road turns off of Arvon Road to the east and over a bridge that crosses the Slate River.

TAKEOUT: Skanee Road bridge across the Slate River

GAGE: The old bridge has been replaced. The new cement bridge has a beveled edge to the deck of the bridge. Measuring down from the edge of this bevel a reading of about 10'3" is about the minimum flow. You'll likely want a bit more (i.e. a shorter measurement down to the water) but use caution as small changes in stage here can dramatically change the character of the run.

FUN FACT: big drops and a canyon

FIRST DESCENT: Harry House, Bob Obst, John Bowman, and Matt Kuckuk during the spring of 1980.

SHUTTLE: Park a vehicle at the takeout. Then drive about 4 miles south up Auron Road, which runs along the west side of the river.

There are a number of options for this run but you can easily turn it into a nine hour adventure if you have the time. We try to get up past the bridge that cuts off to the east from Arvon Road. If the road is in decent shape you can drive upstream from the bridge past a little swamp that crosses the road and unload on the bank of the river.

If the road is still snowed in this may not be an option but you can always hike your boat up as far as you want to go. There are several fun ledges upstream of the bridge including Black Slate Falls, but the first significant drop is Quartzite Falls, also known to boaters as Banana Peel, which is just downstream from the bridge. The river pours over a 5' ledge but continues on down a slide over 50' in length with another 15' of vertical descent.

The action mellows for a bit as you pass through "the city", a section where the channel meanders considerably and goes past a number of cabins (some bypass this section by running a double shuttle or put-in directly below it). The action picks up again with more ledges until you come to Ecstasy Falls. This drop consists of several ledges and slides one on top of another for a drop of approximately 70' in only 150 yards. Below the drop are some more ledges with some nasty holes that have to be negotiated. Bill's Hole kept Bill Obrien in a long surf. Even after he finally bailed the boat stayed in the hole surfing its little heart out.

The river passes over more ledges and eventually mellows out slightly for a short stretch. Once it starts to pick up steam again you are headed into the approach to Kuckuk's Plunge, a 15' drop into a pool with a 5' drop immediately after it. There are a few more intermediate rapids before you come to Smooth Creamy Thigh, a nearly perfect slide that takes you on the smoothest 15' descent you'll ever take in kayak.

Immediately after this drop you can take out on river right to portage or scout the canyon section. This sections is for experts (class V) with the added complication of canyon walls that can make portages in the canyon difficult or even impossible in spots. Although the drops are formidable the real danger is strainers. Plan your escape routes and carefully evaluate the water level before committing to the run. The final drop of the canyon is Slate River Falls, a 25' drop that is usually so full of logs that only a crazy man would even go near it. You can climb back down to the river after this waterfall and boat the flatwater to the takeout.

For additional information check out the American Whitewater website. The run is divided into two sections as separated by the flatwater below Quartzite Falls.

http://www.americanwhitewater.org/rivers/id/2595/
http://www.americanwhitewater.org/rivers/id/2596/

23 April 1996, Guy Babbitt, Steve Corsi, Mike Evanston, Mike Giddings, Harry House, Bill Obrien, 10'3", a good level

27 April 1997, Guy Babbitt, Steve Corsi, Mike Evanston, Harry House, Bill Obrien, Tom O'Keefe, 10'6", a little low