Bear

A group of four of us, all reasonably experienced Class IV and up paddlers, ran this on 4/30/11. The water was high, despite the AW gauge page saying low: the gauge the AW reports is on the Jordan, nearby, and can be very different from conditions on the Bear. Best is to look at Northern Michigan Paddling Club's page, http://www.northernmichiganpaddlingclub.com, where they post updates on the visual gauge on the Bear at Sheridan St. That day it was over the top of the Sheridan St. gauge. There is reportedly 76 ft of drop on the 1.2 mile stretch in the park, and it appears that more than 50 ft of that is in the 1/2 mile right after the whitewater starts. At that water level the Bear is a Class IV steep creek run, very fast, tight, continuous and committing with no eddies and several holes that must be punched in that steep section. It's also quite rocky, so a flip is likely to earn you some bruises. It earned two of our group one concussion and one shoulder dislocation. The lower section from the boardwalk on river left to the takeout above the dam on river right is mellower, Class II+ at this level. We plan to go back and get a look at more typical flows later this season. The park is very nice, great hiking trails on both sides, and good viewing for those not inclined to take the plunge.