Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Pat Stinson (left), snowdog Hoxey, and Chris Stapleton float down the Pine River in a raft paddled and steered by Jake Miltner of Pine River Paddlesports. Photo by Jake Miltner.

By Christine Stapleton

On one of those rare January days when the sun was shining warmly, skies were blue and the wind was resting, my friend Pat and I experienced a magical winter rafting trip on the Pine River. The float was guided by Jake Miltner, and we requested the company of his snowdog Hoxey. Wintry wonders awaited all of us.

Jake and his wife Alaney are the owner-operators of Pine River Paddlesports Center, founded by Jake’s father Mark Miltner 40-plus years ago. They offer summer and winter river rafting trips and all kinds of rental equipment to float on the Pine and Manistee rivers. The center’s three-season headquarters is located east of Wellston off M-37 and includes a sporting goods store and a campground.

Advertisement for Oliver Art Center is in various shades of blue. At the top left is a black square that says Oliver Art Center. The center of the ad at the top says Winter Fun at the Oliver! Beneath it is a drawing of a couple of pine cones with sprigs of greenery and superimposed on top are the words Winter Market. Local artisan-made gifts for all. November 9 thru December 30. There is an image of a lighted Christmas tree and a person wearing a clock standing beside it admiring it. The next announcement in the ad is about The Haunting of Ebeneezer, an acoustic concert retelling of Charles Dickens' classic holiday tale. Tickets are on sale now. There is a Q.R. code in the ad that someone can point their smart device at using the device's camera to be taken to the website to purchase tickets. Or click on this ad to go to the oliver art center's website. At the bottom of the ad is a third announcement, this one of a Festive Family piano concert. An evening of music with Kit Holmes. There is another Q.R. code to point a smart device at in order to get details and tickets. The Oliver Art Center is located at 132 Coast Guard Road in Frankfort.Advertisement shows a wintry background of blue and white with evergreen trees at the bottom. It is snowing. The words say: Meet Children's Author Don Hansen signing his new book Meg and the Manistee Christmas during Manistee's Victorian Weekend. Friday, December 6 thru Sunday December 8 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Hoot and Honey Bookstore at 358 River Street in downtown Manistee. There are two reviews about the book. the first is from Derek age 40: Wonderful story with a great message! The local places and attractions throughout the book really puts the story at home for me. End of quotation. the next review is from Mallory, age 8: I liked how Meg got to see Santa on a ship going through the bridge so she KNOWS Santa is real! The word knows is in all capital letters to emphasize the word. The book and others Don Hansen has written are available at Hoot and Honey Bookstore in Manistee, the Book Mark in Ludington and on Amazon.Advertisement for Saint Ambrose Cellars in Beulah. The company logo of a beer with a womans face and large wings is at the top. A photo of the cellars red barn in winter with snow surrounding it and on the roof is beneath the logo. The sky is bright blue and the logo seems to float in the sky. Below the barn is a black box with yellow writing with the words: mead, beer, wine, food, live music, disc golf, indoor and patio seating. Open 7 days a week. There is a Q.R. code with the words scan me next to it for smart devices to point their cameras at and be taken to the events. Next to it the words say check out our event line up and weekday specials. Located at 841 South Pioneer Road in Beulah. Phone 231-383-4262. Click on this ad to be taken to the website.
Jake Miltner, wearing a life jacket, knitted cap and warm mittens, of Pine River Paddlesports, is seated in the rear of a raft, snowdog Hoxey by his side. Guided trips are offered as well as rafts and equipment so you can paddle yourselves down the river. Photo by Christine Stapleton.
Jake Miltner, of Pine River Paddlesports, is seated in the rear of a raft, snowdog Hoxey by his side. Guided trips are offered as well as rafts and equipment so you can paddle yourselves down the river. Photo by Christine Stapleton.

Settling in

The winter rafting trip, however, begins near the Walker bridge within the Manistee National Forest. I met Pat at a service center at the intersection of M-37 and M-55. We drove together to the landing, several miles south. Not knowing what to expect, we were ready with heavy winter clothing, blankets, water bottles and cameras. Another couple arrived about the same time, and we pulled on the offered life jackets and piled in our raft ahead of theirs. Jake instructed us to sit on the sides, not the interior, and he hopped in the back and pushed us away from shore. We never spied the other raft again until we reached a large bend in the river toward the end of the trip.

A raft piloted by Alaney Miltner of Pine River Paddlesports rounds a bend in the Pine River near the end of the guided rafting trip. Photo by Pat Stinson.
Photo by Pat Stinson.

 

Wintry wonders

The Pine River’s water flowed slowly and smoothly, giving us plenty of time to observe the wintry wonders along our way.

Some of our memorable river moments included three different eagle sightings, close and spectacular. The water along the edges of the banks, and in and out of the trees, was frozen into honeycombs and small icicles. They sparkled as the sun danced along with us.

 

 

Jake was a wealth of information about the history of the area and the river. He pointed out some of the different vegetation, including brilliant red-osier dogwood, and even showed us a hidden, small waterfall. He also told us about the behind-the-scenes work they do to keep the river navigable. Sometimes they use a boat to get to trees that need cutting after they have fallen across the river! Other trees over the river create beautiful archways or low bridges for critters, with plenty of headroom for river travelers.

A bent tree forms an archway over the Pine River that rafts pass beneath. Photo by Pat Stinson.
A bent tree forms an archway over the Pine River that rafts pass beneath. Photo by Pat Stinson.

Hiking back

The trip was a little more than an hour long and because of the beautiful weather we stayed warm and dry. We got out near the Lincoln bridge. Jake offered us a ride back to the car, and we let him take our gear but opted to walk the two miles back on the Silver Creek Pathway.

Beaver sign on a big tree along the Silver Creek Pathway. Photo by Christine Stapleton.
Silver Creek Pathway is frequented by beavers. Photo by Christine Stapleton.

This is a gorgeous trail along the river, with many climbs to panoramic river overlooks. There were two small and scenic bridges to cross. At the end, we took a minor wrong turn but managed to find our way back to the start, where we were warmly greeted and given delicious homemade cookies.

I can highly recommend this Pine River rafting adventure of wintry wonders. It’s obvious the Miltners love what they do, and they made our outing special and enjoyable.

Christine Stapleton is the broker-owner of Stapleton Realty. She lives on a farm with babydoll sheep, affectionate barn cats and three high-spirited border collies. In winter she enjoys ice fishing, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, and lately has rediscovered her love of downhill skiing.

Read more stories/see photos by Christine Stapleton HERE.

 

Write A Comment