Trace Christenson

Battle Creek Enquirer

Labor Day is a memory, school has started, the temperatures are dropping and leaves are beginning to change color.

It's a perfect time to paddle a kayak in southwest Michigan.

"We do a lot of Facebook and email blasts to our regular customers and we constantly remind them to come back to enjoy the fall colors," said Julie Fox of U-Rent-Em Canoe Livery in Hastings.

Fox is the second-generation owner of the business providing boats and tours since 1966 for people who want to paddle the Thornapple River.

But Fox and others who provide similar services on other rivers said most people store their boats after Labor Day.

"We are in our third year and we have not gotten a single call since Labor Day," said Shawna Grimm, who with her husband, David, owns En Gedi Campground River Resort and Canoe Rental on the St. Joseph River in Leonidas.

Those who rent kayaks and canoes and those who use them agree that many people decide Labor Day is when the fun stops on the water.

"It sure is a good time," said Michal Ann Benedict Enders, organizer of the West Michigan Kayaking Club. "It is so beautiful. The trees are spectacular and there is nothing better."

An organizer of the nearly 1,000-member group, Benedict Enders said she tries to be on the water in the fall "as much as I can."

"The rivers are winding and there is the smell and the leaves are coming down on the river and you have that intimate fall experience that is really special," she said.

A drive may be the most common experience for people to see the changing colors in the fall but Benedict Enders said a boat trip is even better.

"You get a more intimate experience with the foliage and the experience on the water than you do with a drive," she said.

One of the popular fall river trips for the kayaking club is Saturday. The trip on the Flat River between Greenville and Belding is two or four hours depending on where people want to stop, she said.

"It is one of our largest outings," she said.

She said paddlers also enjoy the Thornapple River in Hastings and areas around Battle Creek.

"The Kalamazoo River by Battle Creek is lovely," she said. "The up-north rivers like the Flat and the Rogue area are always great and the Grand River is pretty on a crisp fall day."

Fox said many people miss an enjoyable time on the water when they store their boats and decide not to spend time in a kayak as the temperatures cool.

"The water is clear and there a lot of people who would not have thought about it," she said.

"It depends on the weather but the color should be at its peak in the next couple of weeks. It is beautiful, our stretch of river. Many of the locals don't understand how lucky we are to have such a great river."

The Travel Michigan website offers email updates on fall color at michigan.org/fall.

Grimm said they have not been able to attract many people to the river in the fall despite some ideal conditions.

"The St. Joseph River is calm and quiet and if you are going, you are looking at the beauty of nature," she said. "It's really beautiful."

For those going on the river, there are suggestions for fall trips even though many are the same for all kayaking:

• Wear layers of clothing.

• Take water and a snack.

• Know how long you will be gone and check the river conditions and weather.

• Go in pairs or with a group and stay in contact.

• Ensure phones, keys and other valuables are in a watertight container and it is secured to the boat. ("We have had people with perfectly dry phone, keys and sunglasses floating down the river," Benedict Enders said.)

• Have a flotation device, safety equipment like a whistle, and a change of clothes.

Benedict Enders said any time of the year, including fall, is good for kayaking.

"The only season I am limited is winter and that is just because most of the rivers are frozen," she said. "But if you haven't been out in the fall it is a good time to get the boat back out and enjoy."

Contact Trace Christenson at 966-0685.

MORE INFO

• West Michigan Kayaking Club, Grand Rapids

meetup.com/ West-Michigan-Kayaking- and-Canoeing-Meetup- Group

• U-Rent-Em Canoe Livery, Hastings

urentemcanoe.com

• En Gedi Campground River Resort and Canoe Rental, Leonidas

engediresort.com