Houghton, MI to Redridge, MI:     Daily miles 18.9, Total miles 18.9

First day in the books. Got up at 6:30 after a sleepless night. The anxiety was terrible. We have been planning this for months and to be on the doorstep was almost too much. Finished up the last few things at the house and headed to Houghton. We met Arnie from Downwind Sports who hauled our boats down to the Portage for us. We can’t thank him enough for all the support he has given us for this trip. If anyone is in Houghton please stop by Downwind and thank him for us. After packing the boats, we said good-bye to our friends and paddled out onto the Portage around 9:30 am. The Portage was calm with a light breeze and some fog. We struggled to get our rhythm down the whole three hours to the breaker. We paddled onto Lake Superior at about noon. With our first strokes on the big lake, we met my parents for lunch and rested for about an hour then headed down the lake. Superior had a much different feel with small 1-3 foot, rolling waves. The shore line was gorgeous with 30-60 foot cliffs and waterfalls spilling out onto the lake. Got pretty sore and tired as the miles passed and was solidly beaten when we saw the smokestack at Redridge. It was still 2 miles off but good to see our destination. Unfortunately, as soon as we saw the stack the fog rolled in and it disappeared. We struggled into the fog for what seemed like forever until we saw my mom standing on the shore. My parents cooked us a meal and are hanging out for a bit before heading home. We are camped on the beach with the fog blowing in and out with our wetsuits and clothes hanging on some driftwood. It feels good to get a day in. The first step is always the hardest.

Redridge, MI to Willard Point, MI: Daily miles 17.1, Total miles 36.0

Last night after my folks left Hannah and I just laid around and gave each other back rubs. I was pretty sore and didn’t feel much like moving. I got a pretty lonely feeling as the reality of the trip set in. I will be out here for 3 months. That seems pretty daunting on day 1. I am really glad Hannah is here or it would be much harder. I miss our little dog a lot. She has been a major part of my life in the past year and it is hard being away from her. Woke up this morning around 6:30 a.m. but didn’t feel much like moving. We laid around until 8 a.m. and then packed up camp. Much of the soreness of last night had worn off but I still felt tired. We were on the water by 9:30 a.m. and paddled along some beautiful cliffs where we ice climb in the winter. There were several water fall that poured into the lake and the water was calm with almost no waves. We stopped once for lunch after 7 miles then decided to try the crossing across Misery Bay to 14 Mile Point. It is about 9 miles across and maybe 2.5 from shore. It started well and the first 5 miles was easy. After that I had to pee pretty bad and was still a long way from shore. I paddled away from Hannah trying to finish the crossing quickly so I could get out of my boat. After 25 minutes of paddling hard and putting some distance between Hannah and I the wind and waves picked up. It was only 2-3 foot waves but being miles from shore made me nervous so I decided to wait for Hannah to catch up, just to keep things safe. When she got to me, we continued on but decided to cut in toward shore because we were tired and I still had to pee. The remaining miles to land were a struggle. We eventually made it in and were pretty beat. We decided to call it a day rather than paddle the few miles on to 14 mile point. We cooked up some Tortalini with dehydrated sauce, set up the tent and gave each other back and shoulder rubs. It is starting to feel more real now.

Willard Point, MI to Ontonagon, MI: Daily miles 19.3, Total miles 55.3

Last night after I finished writing, Hannah and I took a walk before retiring to the tent for the night. Just as we were going to sleep we heard a boat pull up and cut the motor. I got a little nervous and worried before I heard someone shouting my name. Turns out a friend from school, Mike Pindral, was out fishing and stopped to wish us luck. We slept in late this morning to rest some aching muscles. It was slow going getting ready and we didn’t hit the lake until 10 a.m. The fog rolled in fast after a sunny morning and we spent the rest of the day hugging the shoreline because we couldn’t see more than 15 ft. We stopped for lunch on 14 Mile Point at the abandoned light house. Ate Couscous and rested for a while. We took it real slow for the rest of the day in order to rest a bit and not wear ourselves out before we hit Ontonagon. Made it to town about 8:30 p.m. and set up shop on the beach at the outskirts of town. We don’t know who owns this and we are just hoping we don’t get hassled. We saw a lot of diversity in the shoreline today, from sand beaches to towering cliffs. The lake was calm all day and except for the impenetrable fog it was a nice day. Now I am beat, really sore and about to fall asleep to the hum of the cardboard factory.

Ontonagon, MI to Union Bay Campground, MI: Daily miles 17.1, Total miles 72.4

Slept well last night and didn’t get hassled for sleeping on the beach. Woke up at a reasonable time, 8:30 a.m. but didn’t get rolling until late because Hannah and I had to take turns walking the 3/4 of a mile to a gas station to use the bathrooms, one of the drawbacks of not sleeping in remote areas. We hit the water around 10 a.m. in the bright sunshine. We paddled past the break wall and out of Ontonagon with the Porcupine Mountains looming in the distance. The sun was hot and the water was glass calm, so the paddling was great. My arms are pretty sore and tired and it makes writing a little tough but I think the pain will pass. I officially have to admit that I think I am going bald. The new areas of forehead that have appeared above my visor got really sun burnt because I didn’t know they were there and subsequently didn’t apply any sunscreen. My rear hatch took on a bunch of water today and I can’t figure out why. I had to pump out about 2 inches of water when we stopped. Some of the food got a little damp. I don’t think I rolled up my dry bags enough. We pulled into the Porkies State Park about 5 p.m. and decided to get a site in the campground rather than search for a place to set up the tent among the rocks on the shore. I don’t like camp grounds much, too many giant RV’s and partying, plus we got weird looks for not having a car and sleeping in our tent, and you have to pay for them. The shower was nice though. The shore was a lot more developed today with houses along most of what we paddled. It was mostly sand beaches with some rocky areas mixed in. Great weather and calm waters made for a nice day. Hopefully the campground will quiet down and we won’t get the predicted thunderstorm. I think I am dreaming on both accounts.

Union Bay Campground, MI to Little Carp River, MI: Daily miles 14.3, Total miles 86.7

Today was a day full of weather. Okay so weather happens everyday, but today’s was extra noticeable to me.  I got both my wishes last night. The campground was quiet and it never stormed. Woke up around 8 a.m. to a calm lake and sunshine. We were slow doing all the usual morning things and didn’t actually get on the water until 10 a.m. Almost immediately the wind picked up and we were driving into a 15 knot headwind. It took a real toll on us. Our pace was cut and our effort increased. As the day wore on we wore out. The waves built as the wind continued to blow. It started with light one foot chop and built to 3 foot waves. By noon we were beat. We stopped on a cobble beach for lunch and rested for an hour. Still feeling tired we paddled into an increasing wind after our rest. At about 3 p.m. we could see a darkening on the horizon and the wind started gusting in our faces. The darkness rose up and turned into a thunderstorm. We could see flashes of lightning and rain in the distance so we pulled our boats onto shore and set up our tarp to wait out the rain. Hannah made some tea and we rested, listening to the weather radio, as the rain poured down. Apparently just north and south of us was getting severe weather with strong winds and hail. Our storm only lasted an hour or so and the sun came back out. The black flies while not at their worst, were pretty irritating while we sat. I am super impressed with the Badger balm bug repellent that we have. It is all natural and worked as well as most of the nasty chemicals. I sat in a swarm of flies and barely got bitten. After the storm the wind died down but the waves got bigger with some 4 foot rollers. We cruised down the shore as it turned into a beautiful evening. We set up camp in the trees just off the beach in a spot I have stayed many times. It doesn’t really feel like I have been out here 5 days. The time is passing strangely. It seems like I have been doing this forever and is pretty natural, but it also has been very good so it seems pretty short. I must be falling into the swing of things.

Little Carp River, MI to Little Girl’s Point, MI: Daily miles 25.0, Total miles 111.7

Longest day so far. Slept well but didn’t really feel rested when I woke up at 8:30 a.m. It has been tough getting up and moving the past few days and today was no exception. We hit the water about 10 a.m. and found a glass calm lake. We made quick miles down to Presque Isle at the western edge of the Porkies. We wanted to stop for water but couldn’t find the campground. We continued on to Black River Harbor where we stopped for lunch. We rested about an hour then moved on. By the end of the day both Hannah and I were really tired. We were paddling for what we thought was Little Girls Point, expecting the end of our very long day, only to find that we still had a 2.5 mile bay to cross. The disappointment and exhaustion were too much and we pulled over to rest. After an hour of sitting on a nice cobble beach that was tucked into a long line of sandstone rocks, we headed across the bay. We had to switch our watches to Central time, so we landed at 7 p.m. but it felt more like 8 p.m.We are camped at the county park on a site that sits about 20 feet over the cobble beach and lake. We had to haul our boats up to the site because there were some high school kids partying down the way and they worried me a bit. I must be getting old.Passed the 100 mile mark today. Finally feels like we are getting somewhere. We have spent the last six days cruising by landmarks I know and love so I never feel like I am getting away. Being 100 miles in really sends home how far we have to go. If the rest of the trip goes even close to how well it has gone so far we will be the luckiest people ever. It is our last night in Michigan for a while. We head into Wisconsin tomorrow. As I sit here watching the sun set over the gently rolling lake listening to the sound of the waves softly crashing and the chirps of the spring peepers, I am reminded of how much I take for granted, and how great the lake and the U.P. really are.

Little Girl’s Point, MI to Long Island, WI: Daily miles 26.3, Total miles 138.0

Our first day in Wisconsin, our first marathon paddle, and the end of our first week on the lake. The day started slow like all the rest. The time change yesterday really threw me, so I didn’t sleep well and woke up at 5:30 a.m. I managed to go back to sleep until 7 a.m. but had a hard time convincing Hannah to get rolling. We hit the water at 10 a.m. and headed around Little Girls Point. We were going to head to Saxson Harbor but when we rounded the point and saw the glass calm bay we decided to hazard the crossing. It was over 8 miles to the next point but we made it with no problem. From there we talked about pushing into Bayfield tonight but after another crossing and a few more miles we decided that 33 miles was just to much. We paddled down the sandy beach of Chequamgon Point and stopped for lunch on the beach. We saw an otter which is always fun. They are one of my favorite animals. It played in the surf a little before disappearing.We moved on and spent the rest of the day paddling along the beach weaving in and out of the surf. It was fun to play a little as we moved forward. We are camped on the beach tonight. Called home and talked to my parents which was nice. Heading into Bayfield tomorrow. It is nice getting another bigger mileage day in, feels like we are getting into shape. The rest day tomorrow will be just what we need.

Long Island, WI to Bayfield, WI: Daily miles 9.1, Total miles 147.1

Took almost an entire rest day today. Felt great to relax but it was hard on my motivation and tough to see another calm day on the lake go by without moving very far down the shore. We finally got going at a decent hour this morning. We were up at 6:30 and on the water by 7:50 a.m. The paddle was easy on calm water. We rounded Madeline Island and could see Bayfield on the mainland. There was a lot more boat traffic than we were used to and we had to watch out for the ferry boats. It was tough finding a spot to pull out in Bayfield as the shoreline is pretty developed. When we got off the water we ran some errands at the outfitter and got some lunch. Hannah’s teacher from high school lives in town so we stashed our boats behind Trek and Trail, the outfitter near where we landed, and Jeff came to pick us us. At his house we showered and rested. Bayfield is pretty nice. It was very calm and relaxed with nice weather. We ate a good fish dinner and settled into his writing cabin for the night. Although this break was great and my body probably needed it, I always hate breaking my momentum. The comforts of life outside the trip become tempting and add to the danger of stopping. It would be easy to get used to sleeping in a bed and reading books on a sunny porch. This trip offers extra incentive not to stop, with beautiful weather as fleeting as it is, I feel bad not taking advantage of it. But for all it’s misgivings it was a great rest.

Bayfield, WI to Little Sand Bay, WI: Daily miles 18.2, Total miles 165.3

Not the kind of day you want coming off of a town stay. We seemed to be in a funk all day. The day started well after a good nights sleep. We had breakfast with Jeff and he took us down to the lake. We stopped at the post office first to mail home a few things and our first weeks worth of journals. Jeff shot some photos and bid us farewell as we hit the water around 10 a.m. After only a few miles the wind picked up and the lake got a little choppy. We were only able to stop and rest once all day due to cliffs and ownership issues along the shoreline. It made the reasonably short day awfully tiring.We pulled into the bay, where we knew there was camping. Upon landing on the beach we found a sign that said “NO KAYAKS”. Great. We found a landing 300 ft down but it wasn’t a welcome site and set the tone for the entire campground. For a place that is well renowned for it’s sea kayaking, the Apostle Islands, or what I have seen of them, haven’t been very friendly toward paddlers. This campground seems to be designed to discourage kayak campers. The tent sites are placed as far away from the landing as possible, the whole setup is built for RV’s. It wasn’t what I wanted to deal with after a long day on the water. We would have moved on but the next campsite was another 7 miles. Trying to get to bed early, but the crowd getting drunk by their big RV’s will probably make that tough. Did I mention that I don’t like campgrounds?

Little Sand Bay, WI to Bark Point, WI: Daily miles 21.8, Total miles 187.1

Ten days on the lake! Woke up early today in hopes of racing the predicted storm.We were on the water by 8 a.m. and paddling in light wind and 1 ft chop.The miles passed quickly and red sandstone cliffs prevented us from landing all morning. We paddled by some amazing sea caves just before our first break. Many were big enough to paddle into. Due to the water and our goal of getting some miles done before the storm hit we didn’t really get to explore. They were really cool and I am sure we will be back some day to give them a proper look.The last half of the day was tiring and included crossing two bays, Siskiwit, and Bark. We landed at a boat landing on Bark Point which was the only public piece of land and a break in some fairly large cliffs. It was early, about 1 p.m., but rather than getting stuck next to the cliffs when the storm hi we elected to stop. We aren’t sure whether we will get hassled here but we think that camping is not allowed.We sat under the tarp for awhile before deciding to set up the tent before the rain came. The rain started at 6 p.m. We read for awhile, I gave Hannah a back rub and we just generally rested.A guy who had come to put his boat in the water came down to warn us of the impending storm and see if we wanted a ride it out with him and his wife in their cottage. While a really nice offer we decided to stay in the tent to keep near the kayaks. Would have been nice though. My arms are a little tired which is surprising since they haven’t been in days. I think I am gaining fitness. I am definitely gaining confidence. I felt comfortable when the waves reflecting off the cliffs made for confused seas. After 10 days this tent is beginning to feel like home. Jon and Kendra are meeting us tomorrow in Port Wing to paddle with us for the weekend. It will be nice to have a little more company even though Hannah has been wonderful so far. I couldn’t ask for a better adventure partner.