Umm.... Gale Force!

After gallivanting through Fishtown and Glen Arbor, with Martin, Dana and I thought we would give 25 knot winds and 35 knot gusts a shot. Once we got back to our camp we dressed and loaded the boats. Pushing off seamed to be quite a challenge as it took us multiple attempts before we were successful. As we paddled out it soon dawned on us that we were not going to make it very far in the strong headwinds blowing us backwards. We pushed on for about a half hour. Realizing that we only went two hundred yards and every muscle in our bodies hurt, we decided to turn around to set up camp for the evening and listen to the weather report.

The forecast was calling for gale force winds lasting through Tuesday. Since Dana is in a wedding on Saturday and his mom planned on coming to get us on Wednesday, we figured- why sit on the beach for two days when we can't paddle anyway? So Dana called and asked his mom to come and get us. Sunday morning, she and Uncle Jim showed up to greet us just as we pulled our kayaks up from the beach. We unloaded everything and strapped the kayaks to the top of Dana's vehicle. We were on our way and out from the grip of the cold, windy, lake.

Come to find out when we got stuck on the beach because of the winds we were in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. One of the rangers Approached us Sunday morning and asked us what we were doing. We informed him of our cause and why we were stuck on the beach. He proceeded to educate us that all campers must comply with the regulations of entering the park through designated areas and that they must also purchase a short tern or seasonal pass. In addition, intended campers must use designated camping areas only and may not pitch tents just anywhere. So chatting with the friendly ranger turned out to be rather informative and we just wanted to share that with you so that you may all avoid expensive penalties.

I will meet with the Chippewa County Red Cross Board on Thursday and will also try to set up media spots for the following weeks. This is also a good time for us to ditch our unused gear and grab the stuff we forgot. Sunday, May 24th is when we will begin again, and the weather is predicted to reach average temps for this time of year by the end of the week : )

Stay tuned...

Sean

Kamikaze birds (day 8)

Today, we made it off of Leelenau State Park and paddled 24 miles to the far end of Good Harbor Bay. Along the way we paddled through Cathead Bay and by ancient steep cliffs. The conditions were breezy with an unusual SE wind, but even more unusual were the white bodied, black headed, and tropical orange beaked birds that flew above us. All of us sudden they would turn vertical, towards the water, and dive straight in. It was really neat to watch them dive bomb from 40 feet, I am assuming, for small fish. These birds were all along the cost and I have not seen them before, nor do I know what they are, but they were exciting to watch!

Something even greater transpired as we were setting up camp. I pulled out my phone to listen to my messages and there was one from our friend Martin Korson from the Chippewa County Rotary. He said that he was going to be in the area and that we could stay at his parents house if we would like. I hurriedly called him back to let him know that we would gladly accept the invitation and we gave him coordinates to where we were at. He found us with his GPS and we we on our way to a warm meal and shelter for the evening.

Once we got to his parents we met his family and chatted as they prepared a hot meal. Over dinner we told stories, laughed, and ate lots of tasty food. Martin's dad even broke out there very own, home-grown pickles, onions, and potatoes that were out of this world juicy delicious. Afterwards we slept in the spare room in the luxury of warmth.

In the morning we woke up to rain and wind outside. So I turned on the weather radio and confirmed our doubts about paddling as the forecast called for gail force warnings until late the next day-Sunday. So we took our time moving along and ate a warm hearty breakfast with Martin and his brother Tim. Afterwards, Martin took us to historic and quain "Fishtown" in Leeland. Then we made our way to Glen Arbor to check out the situation of the waves and wind and it didn't look so good, but we were going to give it a shot anyway. So Martin took us back to the lakeshore.

Thank you Korson family for your welcoming us into your home and for treating us so well! We really needed it!

Grand Traverse Bay

What do ya know...another morning rise to be greeted by frost. Ugh! Though, this time we slept with our clothes so that they wouldn't be frozen and we placed our gear in the cockpit of our boats so that it would be protected. Then, we covered it with our spray skirts and laid grass over top of that. All of the preparation paid off as we got dressed in warmer, non-frosty gear.

After protein bars and water we headed out. When we left we knew that there were going to be SW winds at 10-15 knot and 2 feet waves, but we didn't expect 20 knot gusts and 3 feet waves. The SW winds had enough time to build some choppy waves by the time they reached the mouth of the bay and it made it difficult for us to stay on course as we paddled. Let me tell you...when you are in the middle of a bay where land is a blur and 5 miles away from the front and back of you, and you can't see anything to the right or left...it is a pretty scary feeling. All you can do is keep paddling and hope one of those waves doesn't sneak up on you causing a capsize because people are a long ways away.

By the grace of God we made it over in three hours-exhausted, but safe and healthy. We landed directly on Leelenau State Park to wait for a food package sent by Dana's mom. The campsites are well kept and the rangers are very friendly. We planned on being here for a day and a half, but we made it two and half days because of weather. The view from our campsite exhibited the bay in three shades of blue as the rays of the sun sparkled from the water. Right around the corner was the historic well preserved Traverse Light House.



One of the days that we were stuck our friend Tim Stark came to pick us up for pizza in Northport. The pizza was good and the community was intimate and pretty.

Cheers

Great morning for an 8 mile bay crossing (day 4)

Brrr.....we woke up to frost. Frost covered our kayaks and our gear, and everything exposed to the chilling air. Thanks to our friend Dr. Ed Johnson from the Chippewa County Rotary for allowing us to borrow the marine radio because we expected the bitter conditions. Though it didn't make it much easier gearing up in the cold at 4am. We got up early to take advantage of the morning calm because we were crossing the Little Traverse Bay,which is 8 miles across. After a brittle protein bar and some ice cold water we packed up camp and geared up to push off by 6am.

After a short warm up run we got into position and pushed off. The sun was still behind the hills, however it was beginning to light up the sky along with the help of the florescent bright blue moon. Together, the sun and the moon reflected a brilliant violet-gray color over the misty glass like surface of the lake. I felt like I was in a dream or on another planet. Then, I remembered that I was living reality and that we were attempting to make an 8 mile open water crossing, so I returned the focus back to the task at hand. We paddled endlessly for 2 1/2 hours until we reached the other side. After a quick call to the Charlevoix Coast Guard and family to let them know we were safe, we ate a meal of Ramen noodles and pancakes and headed back out.

There was a bit of a head wind, but the sun was shining and it made for a pretty good paddling day. Along the way we saw swans and eagles, and even a relatively large snake. We paddled through a couple of small bays and took in the glorious creation surrounding us.



We came to rest on top of a sand hill in the mouth of Grand Traverse Bay. We will attempt that 10 mile crossing tomorrow.

Note to self: Sean and Dana don't like small craft warnings!

The second day of our trip was a short and eventful one. It began at 9am (we needed the sleep from the excitement from the day before) with pancakes and oatmeal. While we were packing camp the weather radio was giving the forecast and we heard that there were strong winds from the West which produced a small craft advisory in our area of intended paddling. From what we saw it looked fine, so we thought that we would give it a shot and hug the shore in case things got out of hand.

About a mile into our paddle we encountered white caps and swells of about 2-3 feet. Not a huge deal as long as we weren't battling a head wind. Further we experienced larger waves and less predictable patterns of their type. All fun and games until we started getting 6-8 foot waves coming in all forms and from all angles. We had waves rolling under us and waves that we could look straight up at and then would crash on top of us. We paddles nearly right next to each other, but the swells and waves made the other person disappear. At this point some waves would hit us and turn us a full 90 degrees. We thought that it would be a good idea to pull over and set up camp for the day since it was getting "too wild." So we set our sights on a point about 200 yards away and aimed our bows for the destination.

I said a prayer that we would get there safely, and right then, I saw a large low flying eagle shoot out from the pines, and like an airplane lowering its landing gear it lowered its talons and ... whoosh! it grabbed a large fish right from the water and kept on flying with it in his grip. I yelled, " did you see that?" I thought that it was a sign and we would be blessed with safety. About a minute later a big roller approached me and I prepared for it. Unlike the others this one didn't let me up. instead it pulled me under. My brace wasn't strong enough and before I knew it I was looking up at the sky from underwater, upside down in my boat. I pulled the skirt and bailed. Luckily Dana was nearby and he paddled along side as we performed a two person rescue. I got back in my boat and threw on my skirt quickly as water kept crashing on top of us. During the heavy impacts of the waves crashing into and onto us, my paddle float was washed off and it floated into the distance. Dana and I held onto each others boats and rode the waves to shore. We set up camp right on the beach where we landed. We were cold, shook up, and tired, but safe.

The power and roaring of the waves sounded like Niagara Falls and lasted into the cold, dark night.

Departure Day

5:30am on Friday, May 8th came awful early know that today was our day. The day to go and fulfill what we set out to do back in September. The day to follow through with our commitment. Not in the classrooms, meetings, or in front of the media, but in the all powerful and awe inspiring state size lake. Where we were all alone and and at the discretion of the lake.

While we were began packing our kayaks family and friends congregated to show watch and show their support. I must say that is was much more difficult packing and organizing with everyone looking over your shoulder. As a result I might have forgotten to speak to a few people, which I am sorry for, and I forgot a few important items, like spare propane canisters and my rain coat...ooops! No worries. Everyone was surprised at how much we could fit in our boats. It never goes in the same way twice.



Once everything was packed we hugged and kissed everyone as we all wiped the tears of joy and fear from our faces and we assured them that we would see them soon. After a few questions from reporters we put on our gear. Dana's uncle Jim gave an emotional beautiful prayer and we took seat in our kayaks as friends pushed us off shore. "Bon Voyage. See you soon!" we exclaimed as we paddled under the Mackinaw Bridge and off into the distance.

No looking back now. No last minute preparation. No last goodbyes. Just myself, Dana, and the lake. We were off, into the known and unknown. On our way to paddling 1,000 miles of one of the biggest lakes in the world!

Our first day we paddled the Straights of Mackinaw, around Waugoshance Point, and through Sturgeon Bay to locate our first camp on the back side of Wilderness State Park. The view was spectacular with a one of a kind sunset and we set the tent up on top of a small sand hill. After pulling our boats to safety and changing from our wet gear to wool sleeping clothes we dined on the delicacies of Ramen noodles, pan fry bread, pop tarts, bananas, and water filtered with our very own hands from the lake. After clean up and journaling it was headlights out...

Why we paddle

To watch in high quality please go to Woods and Water Ecotour's youtube page.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDR7P7cFmcg&feature=channel_page

Big College Grad!

I am happy to announce that Dana graduated college yesterday! All of his hard work and dedication earned him a Bachelor's Degree in Parks and Recreation. Along with nearly 600 students, Dana was part of the 2009 graduating class of Lake Superior State University. On top of his cap he gladly displayed "Paddle for a Purpose." The commencement was pleasant with an interesting group of speakers including author Steve Hamilton. Hamilton challenged graduates to think about one thing that they could make a promise to themselves to follow.

“If I can do one thing today it is to ask you right now to think about what that one promise to yourself might be…What is the one thing you know in your gut that you want? It may not be practical, it may be crazy, but you know you want to do it because it is the one thing that that will make you feel later like you’re really living and not regretting that all this time has passed by."

Well, I think that Dana and I are following that dream right now and will be living it out all summer long, on the big lake.

Congratulations Dana, we are all proud of you!

Sean

Canadian portage

So, the other day Tim, Dana, and I met John Shibley of LSSU down at the St. Marys river for a photo shoot. We paddled towards John, away from him, and parallel to him. Some at casual paddling speed and others at full paddling speed that John was able to capture with slow shutter capabilities. Then, we dunked ourselves to see how long we could stay underwater in the frigid temps. We didn't last very long. After a couple of rolls we called it a shoot. Shortly after Tim wanted to document a brief video about the cause and in his own unique way he created the dialogue and background that made sense and would look good for the project. Hopefully we'll see that soon!

Since it was such a nice day and we were all dressed up for paddling, not to mention that Tim was anxious to get out on the water to test out his dry suit, we decided to paddle the St. Marys from Sherman Park to Rotary Park. Dana headed home to finish end of the semester projects and Tim and I loaded gear and made our way to Sherman Park. I knew it was going to be one of those challenging trips when we got to the park and it was closed. Rather than turn around and submit we knocked on the door of a nearby residence to ask them if we could park in their driveway for a couple of hours until we return from the paddle. The friendly people suggested that we use their second driveway just next door and we were on our way. Once we pulled the kayaks from Tim's vehicle we loaded our gear and carried them about two hundred yards to the beach. From there we geared up and pushed off. Once we paddled away from the beach and into the river we noticed that we had company right behind us. A freighter was approaching so we of course got the heck out of the way and let them pass. We had an astounding 360 degree view of the carrier as it passed by so carefully. It was going so slow that we could have paddled to keep up if we tried hard enough.

We set our sights on a red buoy about half way across the river and paddle to it. Once we got there we tried to make out where the Canadian Locks were. I used to work at the Soo Locks Boat Tours so I remembered going under the train bridge to get to the locks. We made our way to the train bridge and paddled by a few fishermen, "any luck," I yelled. They said, "not yet." As we paddled up to the train bridge a loaded train railed through. We just stopped paddling and took in the sight of being under the train. It's not everyday that you can see a train from underneath. We paddled into the locks not knowing what to expect. We thought someone would come out and tell us what to do or throw a rope over to hold on to or something. We waited....nothing....so we waited some more..... Then someone came walking towards us. We thought for sure that this was the person to instruct us on what to do. "Please don't tell us that we have to get out," I yelled. Turns out the guy didn't work for the the locks, but he did confirm our doubts...."the locks are closed." Ouch! I guess we should have called...haha.

So Tim and I did what we needed to do. We pulled our boats out of the locks via a ladder and portaged to an unused boat landing a few hundred yards away. I must say the Canadian passersby were very friendly and offered a helping hand with getting the boats to the landing, even though we were in their country illegally...ooops. It sure was a great feeling of security to be back in our boats and on the water. We paddled the rest of the way rather quickly from the downriver current and as the sun was to our backs it created beautiful colors in the water as well as the sky. It was a great sense of accomplishment to make it back to Rotary Park in decent time, considering the obstacles we overcame. I thought to myself how amazingly adventurous this summer will be if we had that much excitement in such a short trip down the river....

Sean