Tire-Free Rivers: Saint John River #92-95, New Brunswick, Canada

Tire-Free Rivers

Saint John River, New Brunswick

Saint John, Numbers #92-95

Ken Corbett, Numbers #92-95, Saint John River
September 25, 2008

I poled down along the shore of Riverside Drive today. I thought I had gotten all of the tires along this stretch last summer, but I found seven more altogether I missed before. No doubt there are several more I didn't glide over in my boat too.

I took only the four easiest ones, and left the other three for another day. I can only haul so many with my canoe on my cart at one time anyway.

I wonder if I can make it to Saint John #100 by the end of tire-removal season. I'm not sure, because I'll be away for most of October. I know where they lie.

Once I drop the hook into the tire, I let the current take me downstream, and the hook is set under the rim. I used a lot of rope. I had to hold the rope with one hand to play it out and keep a bit of tension so the hook wouldn't slide off the the tire. After a few feet downstream, I poled to shore with the other hand. The angle to shore keeps the hook set in the tire's rim.	Once you get to shore, haul it in. You may have to give it a heave to loosen it from the mud, but it will come. It's best to pause your retrieval in the last four inches of water so you can use the water to splash the mud out from under the rims. Use the hook to rock the tire from side to side, dislodging the mud gradually. Hooks are cool!	Once the mud and slime are washed off, Number 92 is an attractive Goodyear whitewall.
Number 94 was high and dry on shore. I flipped it over with my hook. All the centre mud and reeds came out.	Then I tilted it upright, and used my small spade and gravity to pry out the sausages of mud under the rim.	Then, I cut the mud out chunk by chunk, and shook out the last bits of gravel. Ready for the recycling plant in Minto.

Tire-Free Rivers is a non-profit volunteer crusade. Tire-Free Rivers is not affiliated with anything else. Nobody makes any money doing this.