Pine River Conditions and News

Welcome to the PRPC News and Specials Page. Stay up to date with river conditions, access updates, general announcements and special internet only offers.

Date: 01/28/2012

Oh, the dog days of winter on the river….well….. not exactly dog days. What got me off (figuratively) and on (literally) my keister at the keyboard to share a slice of the Pine River with you was that a few minutes ago I was drawn to the river windows by our squawking cockatiel, Each time she sees an avian predator she starts a squawking like Armageddon is upon us. Her alert allowed me to watch a mature bald eagle diving down to nab a squirrel… that barely escaped the out-stretched talons by scooting into a maze of exposed maple roots just above the river. As the eagle flared and flew back up to its perch his wingspan looked to be an amazing 8 to 9 feet. A number of squirrels, lucky, or not, regularly expose themselves across the river from our home as they feed on the kernel corn we sprinkle along the river bank. We do this so we can enjoy the antics of the resident whitetail deer as they vie for their share of the bounty. And we sure don’t mind helping them better survive the winter here. And the bonuses are many. To be able to watch the bald eagles that regularly perch outside our windows to fish, and hunt, is one of the biggies. The wow-factor of the Pine River just never ends. It keeps on giving all year long, year after year after year. River conditions: Tough to beat!

What’s New?

We’re really excited about having added six new Stand-Up Paddle Boards to our rental menu for the 2012 season.

For many good reasons, Stand up Paddling is the fastest growing segment of Paddlesports. It’s not quite walking on water, but you feel as empowered as if you were. A waltz like no other. We had a chance to enjoy these incredible Paddle Boards last fall and have absolutely fallen in love the them. The ease of paddling an SUP will surprise you, the stability will shock you, and the fun-factor will refresh you.

But it is the view from up high that will convert you. Being 5 to 6 feet above the water minimizes refraction and surface reflection and allows you to see all kinds of trout, turtles, and furbearers as you paddle over them. Just as intriguing is having the ability to see the complexity of underwater logjams, the river bed, it’s shape, form, make-up and colors. It’s a completely different experience with a clear view into the water you are paddling. Be forewarned, it is extremely addictive, extremely fun, and if you are anything like Jake, it just might make you feel like standing on your head.

For more info about our amazingly stable, amazingly fun Liquid Shredder SUPs, please visit Stand-Up Paddleboarding – Pine and Manistee Rivers

What Else Is New?

We’re also jazzed to tell you that late last summer we added a new section on our website which allows groups like yours to personalize any one of six different river t-shirt styles for their groups trip down the Pine.

They are a great way to set your crew apart. And as a bonus, everybody goes home with a wearable reminder of the incredible trip they enjoyed with you. So start making your plans today to take your trip to another level, elevate it with group tees and the miles of smiles they will produce. For more info and a look at more of these great river tees, please visit: PRPC Group T-Shirts Page

Reminders for folks paddling their personal craft: If you are bringing your own craft, you will need to buy USFS Parking Passes @$5/day, $15/week for your vehicles. Also remember that from May 15th to September 10th, you must obtain river-use permit(s) from the USFS. Permits can again be reserved through the US Forest Service Baldwin District Office for $2/craft. Call 231-745-4631 to check availability and reserve your permits. Or you can visit the Pine and Pere Marquette River Permit Policy Page on the USFS Web Site .

An interesting statistic …..24% percent of our rental guests actually own their own craft, but find it much cheaper and easier to rent ours. Why? It's easy and it saves you money. When you rent from us, we pay for your boat permits and parking passes. And the bigger upside is that not having boats on the top of your vehicle significantly improves your gas mileage, it saves you from having to load them, unload them, risk losing them, shuttle them around while here(or pay us to do your shuttle), and then wash them up and put them away when you get back home.

Please Remember: Alcohol and river-sports are a destructive mix. For safety, social, and resource protection considerations, please wait until you're off the river and off the road, before partaking of any alcohol. Please also remember that Styrofoam packaging or coolers, glass, water balloons, and firecrackers are prohibited on the river. Thanks for preventing litter by using your litter-bag and making sure all cargo is securely tied to your craft.

Previous News