<![CDATA[Portage to Portage Paddling Project

<![CDATA[Portage to Portage Paddling Project - Blog]]>Fri, 30 Jul 2010 09:29:08 -0600Weebly<![CDATA[Day 236]]>Thu, 29 Jul 2010 22:44:39 -0600http://www.portagetoportage.com/1/post/2010/07/day-236.htmlOff the route but still on the water

Ok, I have to admit that this morning the wind wasn't blowing so hard that I couldn't have launched and slugged out a few miles before it would have blown me off the water. However, last night when I was checking the weather and was on the fence about making a go/no-go decision, Tom suggested that if I stayed another day we could go for a paddle on the Black River one of his local favorites. That was all I needed to help me make up my mind. One of the things I wanted to do on this trip was see and experience the paddling destinations that the locals enjoyed (on and off my route) and this would be one of those rare opporunities.

So, today Elaine helped Tom and I set up a shuttle on the Black River which is about 30 miles from their home in Rogers City. The Ikkuma enjoyed the day off while I paddled a 12 foot plastic "recreational" kayak that wouldn't normally been my first choice but that I soon discovered was ideally suited to the shallow twisty water and relaxed pace we set on the river. During our four hour float down only a few miles of river we enjoyed awesome northwoods scenery around every bend while being treated to sightings of ducks, herons, muskrats, and even a doe with her (still with spots) fawn. By the end of the day any doubt that I had thinking I'd made the wrong decison by taking the day off was long gone. We had a great time on a fantastic little river.

]]><![CDATA[Day 234 and 235]]>Wed, 28 Jul 2010 02:00:00 -0600http://www.portagetoportage.com/1/post/2010/07/day-233-and-234.htmlDaily Stats
Start: 5:45 AM - Ferron Point (Two miles north of Rockport, MI)
Finish 2:45 PM - Forty Mile Point (Seven miles north of Rogers City, MI)
Time: 9:00 hours
Daily dist: 31 miles
Total dist: 4600+
Companions: None
Weather: W and SW winds 10mph clear skies and 80’s
Notes: Some of the most georgous shore I've seen so far... anywhere

Yesterday I only had about twenty five miles to go to reach Rogers City where I would be staying with Tom Odgen whom had heard about me via his son out in Westfield, WI. When I had talked to Tom a couple nights before about where to catch up with each other he had mentioned Forty Mile Point Lighthouse which is seven miles past Rogers City and would have meant a 30 mile day. At first I shunned the idea and suggested that I’d meet him on the beach in town. However, that was before I woke to another amazing day on Lake Huron and had yet another great day on the water. By noon when I rounded the point south of town I had certainly not had enough of the amazing scenery. So, I called Tom and asked if he’d still be OK with driving up to the lighthouse to pick me up. It was a short drive for him so that became my ultimate destination for the day and I got to enjoy three more hours on the water.

Wild and empty shore line. I can never get enough of this.

Waiting for me on shore when I arrived was Tom and a reporter from the local newspaper. Tom, who has done several long distance bicycle tours, knew exactly what a person would be craving when they got off the trail on a warm day like today and had a thermos full of ice water for me. It hit the spot. After a quick interview with the reporter, Tom and I loaded my gear and boat into and on to his truck and headed back to his house to meet his wife Elaine. After dinner we headed down to town for some ice cream and to see some of the sights.

Our first stop was out to the limestone quarry to which Rogers City owes its existence. Tom warned me that it was a very big hole but, nothing aside from a comparison to the Grand Canyon could have prepared me for the enormity of the gap in the earth’s crust that man and machinery have created. It was huge, miles across, and quite deep. Monster size dump trucks zoomed back and forth across the bottom looking like Tonka trucks compared to the barren hole itself. In the distance we could see the piles of crushed stone and towers at the loading port that I had paddled by on my approach to town earlier in the day.

That is one BIG hole in the ground

From the quarry we went down to the marina where I recognized a couple of sailboats that had passed me in a long string of sailboats coming out of the marina in Presque Isle about 15 miles to the south. We stopped and I called down to a few guys standing on the nearest boat if it was indeed the same group I’d seen earlier in the day. Sure enough it was, we got to talking about their race, which came up from Detroit over the last couple days, and my tour (which came up from Detroit over the last week or more) and ended up all walking over to a nearby snack bar to get an ice cream cone.

Me and Tom (on right) with three of the guys from the sailing race.

--- I have developed a sort of hierarchy of boaters that I see on the water. Ranked in regards to politeness, seamanship skills, and overall good people; (after other paddlers) sail boaters are on the top of my list. Cigarette boats and jet skis share space on the very bottom. Actually… I have dreams of cigarette boats and jet skis on the bottom. ---

While we chatted one of the sailors warned of what he called “thickening” weather that was on its way in. We could already see the leading edge of the front that he said was due to hit us in the early morning hours trailing behind it more wind than we’ve seen in a while. I hadn’t looked at the weather beyond today so when we got back to the house we pulled up the weather and, sure enough, a few showers were due to pass in the morning. But, more importantly, the wind was due to be blowing strong out of the NW all day. My general rule is that if the wind is at or above 15mph and is blowing right from the direction I want to go, it’s just not worth going out. That is exactly what was being predicted. Tom and Elaine said they didn’t mind if I stayed another day and Tom even suggested that we could drive down to Alpina to see the maritime museum so it became an easy decision to take today off.

Tom and Elaine on the windy beach.

I did harbor a small thought that if the winds magically didn’t build I could still get back on the water in the morning, however when I woke to falling rain and the wind rustling the trees outside the bedroom window, I knew it’d be a good day to stay off the water. After a wonderful breakfast of blueberry pancakes prepared by Tom, we drove down to Alpina and toured the museum. It is a great place chronicling the history of the great lakes shipping industry via the stories of the many, many shipwrecks that have occurred in the lakes. Complete with a mock up of a great lakes schooner that “is floundering in a storm” which you can go inside to see what the cramped quarters of one of those sailing ships was like. They do such a good job of convincing you that the ship is in a storm with flashing lights simulating lightning and lamps swinging on the walls inside the ship that you find yourself swaying on your feet to keep your balance.

Pretty to look at... but would have been a rough go.

Later in the evening the three of us drove down to the shore to get a look at what I had missed by not being on the water for the day. All I can say is that as we looked at the torn up whitecapping water with the wind straight out of the NW blowing spray way up the beach, that I made the right decision to stay off the water. Once again, luck (or divine intervention) put me with folks like Tom and Elaine on a day when I would have otherwise been stuck on a beach by myself.

Now we’re watching the winds predicted for tomorrow (only slightly better) to see if it will be worth getting back on the lake or just waiting until Friday when NOAA weather is predicting what they call “nearly ideal boating conditions.” That sounds good to me.

Elaine admiring the wind swept water

]]><![CDATA[Day 233 (Happy Anniversary Amy & Luke)]]>Mon, 26 Jul 2010 02:00:00 -0600http://www.portagetoportage.com/1/post/2010/07/day-233-happy-anniversary-amy-luke.htmlDaily Stats
Start:        5:15 AM - South Point (near Negwegon State Park)
Finish        12:15 PM - Ferron Point (Two miles north of Rockport, MI)
Time:        7:00 hours
Daily dist:    22 miles
Total dist:    4200+
Companions:    None
Weather:    Started out breezy out of NW then W clear skies and 80’s
Notes:        Perfect weather and an all around great day! Also, Happy Anniversary Amy & Luke! (7 years)

One would assume, perhaps for reasons of security or safety, that it would be the difficult days that I would feel like I’d like to have somebody along with me on this trip. Strangely the opposite is true. It’s the very nice days when everything seems to fall in place to make this endeavor seem like a pleasant vacation that I wish I had somebody along for the ride. Today was one of those days.

Last night, with only fifty miles to go to Rogers City where I’ll be staying with a host for the night, I decided to run two (somewhat shorter than my recent average) twenty five mile days on my way in. Today started with a somewhat bumpy crossing of Thunder Bay with ten mph northwest winds blowing down the length of the bay. After three hours of rolling water things calmed dramatically as I rounded North Point on the north side of the bay. There I started down what turned out to be one of the most beautiful sections of shore line I’ve seen on the Great Lakes so far. Few paved roads access this somewhat remote shore line meaning the cabins (which are spaced shoulder to shoulder everywhere else) are spaced up to a half mile apart leaving long stretches of unbroken and undeveloped shore line in between. The trees, as I continue north, are changing from broad leaf hardwoods to thicker pines and cedars which form a dense green backdrop to the gin clear water that seems to glow from within with a dozen shades of blue. Because it was a Monday, and because there just aren’t that many people around, I only saw two boats while I was on the water and both of those were small commercial fishing boats on their way in after tending their nets. The scenery combined with the peace and quiet of no boat traffic made for a wonderful day of paddling.

All cleaned up and feeling great

With twenty five miles as my goal for the day I was figuring on about an eight hour day. However, when I saw the completely undeveloped beach on Ferron point I decided to call it a day an hour and three miles early. This unbroken mile long beach, without a house, dock, or sign of human influence is a rare find, and I didn’t want to pass up the chance to stay here for just a few more miles. So, at noon, I landed and set about taking advantage of a dry breeze and bright sunshine to air out and dry all of my gear. Because I break camp so early, most mornings by tent (and other gear) is still wet with dew when I roll it up. Consequently all of my stuff rarely gets a chance to completely dry and was starting to smell like it. While my gear airing out I grabbed a bar of soap and got myself cleaned up (including a shave).

This long broad beach also gave me a rare opportunity to go for a bit of a hike. So often I’m on such a tiny bit of a beach that I don’t have room to explore, it was a treat to get out and see some of the natural surroundings. A few hundred yards down the beach I found a trail that led into the woods which I followed a quarter mile back to a logging road that paralleled the beach through thick cedars that covered sand dunes that were blown up a long long time ago. The road seemed to continue on endlessly, so I turned around after reaching a small shallow pond that flanked the road.

small pond behind the beach dunes

Once back on the beach I found a nice shady spot and lay down on the golf ball size stones there and took a nice nap. Napping comfortably on golf ball size stones may sound strange but, I was that tired, and the stones pressing into my back felt great, like a massage. The nap was followed by a hour or so spent reading a book then dinner with a view of Middle Island floating on multi hued blue water…

Like I said it’s days like today that I feel a little guilty about being out here alone. At least if there was somebody else along I wouldn’t feel like I was the only one having this much fun.

]]><![CDATA[Day 232]]>Sun, 25 Jul 2010 21:40:43 -0600http://www.portagetoportage.com/1/post/2010/07/day-232.html        Double Post! Be sure to check out Day 231 post below...
Daily Stats
Start:        5:30 AM - Au Sable Point (Between East Tawas and Oscoda)
Break:        12:00-4:00 PM - Harrisville State Park
Finish        3:15 PM - South Point (near Negwegon State Park)
Time:        10:15 hours
Daily dist:    33 miles
Total dist:    4200+
Companions:    Jerry (friend of Randy from Port Huron)
Weather:    Started out breezy out of NNW then windy from NE then calm
Notes:        Once again the wind ran almost the entire compass

Jerry joined me for about an hour this morning

Now would be a very bad time for me to commit a crime. I’d simply have no place to hide. At about 8:00 AM this morning a half mile from shore miles from anybody I know I came upon Jerry (who is a Friend of Randy Orchard who I stayed with last week). Jerry was in the area helping his mother move and figured he’d see if he could catch up with me. He checked the lake at a little park in Au Sable and sure enough there I was paddling by. So he jumped in his truck and leap frogged ahead of me then paddled south to meet up with me on the water. We paddled together for about a hour during which time I think I talked his poor ear off. I’ve come to realize that I get a bit… chatty when I’ve been solo for a couple days. Later in the day I pulled out at Harrisville State Park to take a break and was set up on a picnic table cooking lunch when up came a man I’d never seen before who said “hi Jake.” Apparently he is a member of a Michigan paddling club who had seen on of the e-mails that my friend Steve had sent getting the word out about this trip. Like I said, I can’t hide.

Today was a pretty good day overall. The wind was already up when I launched early this morning and by 11:00 AM it was blowing out of the NE hard enough to make paddling north almost not worth it. So I pulled out at the state park to take a break and let the wind hopefully die down. After lunch while I was enjoying a nice nap on the beach the wind did drop to almost nothing. Not being one to waist good paddling weather I jumped back in the kayak and pulled out 12 more miles before the day was through.

The view from my tent tonight

The scenery around here, I must say, is amazing. Lush tree lined shores, sandy beaches, rolling green hills in the distance, and for me the most notable thing lately has been the sky. With all the storm fronts that have been passing through lately the clouds and sky have been incredible. On lake Erie the skies were mostly clear as I passed through and the most memorable thing was the flat calm water that ended almost every evening. On Lake Huron it has most definitely been the sky I‘ve never seen so many textures and colors amongst the clouds, and I‘ll never forget it.

I've said it before but, WOW!

]]><![CDATA[Day 231 Saginaw Bay Crossing]]>Sat, 24 Jul 2010 02:00:00 -0600http://www.portagetoportage.com/1/post/2010/07/day-231.htmlDaily Stats
Start:        5:30 AM - Caseville, MI (Sleeper State Park)
Finish        3:15 PM - Au Sable Point (Between East Tawas and Oscoda)
Time:        8:45 hours
Daily dist:    35 miles
Total dist:    4200+
Companions:    None
Weather:    Mixed weather everything from windy and grey to fog to calm and rain to sunshine.
Notes:        Almost scrubbed crossing attempt because of early winds but they diminished and I made great time all day.

Even though I had to move all my gear from camp, across the highway, down to the beach, and into the hatches of the Ikkuma it was still an early 5:30 AM when I pushed off from the beach at Sleeper State Park this morning. The morning calm I had hoped (and was predicted) was not to be. Instead a brisk 10-15mph NW wind was already licking up one foot waves that were tumbling onto the beach. One of the rules I adhere to for crossings is no winds over 15 mph especially starting out. For a long while I considered scrubbing my crossing attempt for today.   Yet, when I checked the weather radio it still predicted winds of only 5-10 mph. As I launched into that wind I realized that a cloud bank was passing overhead replacing the partly cloudy skies with grey overcast. There was a chance that once that front passed over head the winds could diminish. Also, because Charity Island sits only 10 miles from shore a bit more than half way across the 17 mile crossing, I had a safety stop if things should get worse. With a safety stop and a favorable prediction, I decided to at least give it a go. Thankfully I did.

After bouncing along in choppy seas for about two hours I was sliding into the lea of the island about three miles out when the wind started to drop. By the time I reached Charity Island the lake had calmed to a moderate chop and I could see no threat of thunderstorms on the horizon. At that the decision was easy to press on the next seven miles toward the other side putting Saginaw Bay behind me. An hour further still the lake became flat calm. It was great. For the rest of the day the lake remained calm and the paddling great as the weather changed from overcast, to foggy, to foggy and drizzly, to light rain, and back to just overcast.

As I neared point Au Sable I could see development about a quarter mile inland behind the beach. Yet, the beach was mostly disserted with dune grass and short trees providing a way to hide my tent and not attract too much attention. Thankfully I landed and managed to set up camp just as a heavy downpour passed through. The rain, keeping to the mixed bag of weather, was followed by broken blue skies and warm sunshine.

What a difference a day of rest can make. It was a great day of paddling and I felt better both physically and mentally than I have in the last several days. It certainly does feel good to have Saginaw Bay behind me. Now Mackinaw is clearly on my radar.

old shipping terminal

]]><![CDATA[Day 229 and 230]]>Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:50:53 -0600http://www.portagetoportage.com/1/post/2010/07/day-229-and-230.htmlDaily Stats
Start: 5:30 AM - Port Hope, MI (Huron County Campground)
Finish 1:15 PM - Caseville, MI (Sleeper State Park)
Time: 7:45 hours
Daily dist: 29 miles
Total dist: 4200+
Companions: None
Weather: Partly cloudy with highs in the 80’s wind light and variable.
Notes: Had considered crossing the bay but went with plan B

Anybody who has been reading this blog for a while, or who is a kayaker themselves, knows that the weather is the force that steers me more than anything. Today held weather that was about as perfect for paddling as you can find. Calm winds, moderate temperatures, and a few clouds. With that I was making great time rounding the top of the thumb of Michigan. -- Everybody around here calls it “The Thumb” even the NOAA marine weather forecasts -- I knew from the marine radio that the weather was supposed to turn for the worst tomorrow, meaning that for the next couple days this may be the best weather to do the crossing. With that in mind I was considering crossing Saginaw Bay (a crossing of about 15 miles or so) today. However, I wanted to get far enough into the bay to make the crossing a bit shorter before I started across. That would mean about 30 miles of paddling BEFORE starting a 15 mile crossing. That’s a lot of paddling.

The thought of crossing today depended totally on if the weather would hold out long enough to pull it off. To see more detail of what the weather held for the rest of the day I phoned Amy back home and she got on the computer to get an hour by hour of what the weather was supposed to do. Sure enough there was big weather on the way but it looked like things were supposed to remain calm until 7:00 PM. That was just enough time to pull it off… just enough.

Perfect day to put in big miles

So “Plan B” was hatched. My map showed Sleeper State Park very near the jumping off point to cross the bay. It was the perfect spot to spend a day off resting up before getting back on the water (with renewed energy) to do the crossing. I landed there and checked into a site then called Amy to let her know that I wasn’t going to do anything crazy. She was relieved because she had just re-checked the weather and found that the front was moving much faster than was originally predicted and my weather window was about to close. It was a smart move and I thoroughly enjoyed a hot shower and cozy camp when the rain started falling in the early evening.

One thing I have to say is that the staff at Sleeper State Park are amazing people. Being in civilization I had hoped to get my electronics charged up. Unfortunately my extension cord was too short to reach from my tent which was set up in the only high spot on my site. When I checked back in to the office I learned that it was too late to move sites so I’d have to figure something out. Amazingly the woman that checked me in (Caitlin thank you so much) asked her manager if an extension cord could be loaned to me. A few hours later, to my surprise, the manager set me up with a cord that would allow me to plug in and get my equipment charged before I set back out on the water. They made my day.

Day 230 (off the water - a much needed break)

If I thought Caitlin made my day yesterday you could have imagined my surprise when she showed up at my camp site early this morning with cupcakes (from her mom) and a note with words of encouragement to send me on my way. She and her mother had checked out my web site and thought the trip was remarkable and thought the cupcakes would be appreciated. Boy… were they right!

The card and cupcakes from Caitlin and her mom. Thank you so much

My big plan for the day was to sort through my gear to purge out any items I haven’t used in a while to be sent home. A general rule is that if I haven’t used it in two weeks (excluding first aid and repair items) I probably don’t need it. Today I removed a couple souvenir items, used maps, and a couple things I realized I haven’t used in the last 3000 miles. If I haven’t used it in 3000 I’m sure I won’t need it in the 400 odd miles between here and Wisconsin. Of course sending the stuff home required a visit to the post office which was four miles away in Caseville. As luck would have it my neighbor in camp offered up his bicycle to make the run into town, saving me a long walk.

It's not top shelf but way better than walking.

My experience with that neighbor, Hugh, is a story in it’s own. When he arrived I helped him get backed into his spot (not that he needed the help) and we got to talking. He noticed my kayak and asked if I’d heard about the guy that was paddling 5000 miles around the country. I replied “I AM that guy.” He just about fell over, he actually had heard about me on the radio. Go figure. Hugh rides a Harley and is always looking for a place to ride. After showing him some of the beautiful rides I know of in California I also showed him where Portage WI is and he may just ride over to see me reach the finish line next month.

Can you believe it… next month. Put August 28th on your calendar there is going to be a celebration for sure.

]]><![CDATA[Day 228]]>Wed, 21 Jul 2010 22:38:39 -0600http://www.portagetoportage.com/1/post/2010/07/day-228.htmlDaily Stats
Start: 8:30 AM - Forester, MI (Forester County Park)
Break: 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM - Harbor Beach, MI
Finish 7:00 PM - Port Hope, MI (Huron County Campground)
Time: 8:30 hours
Daily dist: 27 miles
Total dist: 4200+
Companions: None
Weather: Partly cloudy with highs in the 70’s NW wind 10+
Notes: Great start with an awesome breakfast prepared by Deborah.

Deborah at the helm

As it turned out last night Deborah got held up in traffic and didn’t make it to the campground until after 10:00 PM. She did have all the fixings for the dinner she was so excited to cook for me but it was just too late. So, this morning we had Lake Huron Whitefish… for breakfast… and it was good.

Whitefish, not just for dinner anymore

Deborah is the woman who just about moved mountains to find someone to help me out as I went through Detroit. Months ago when my friend Steve had put out an e-mail to local paddlers trying to round up help for me, Deborah had eagerly volunteered a place to stay and a home cooked meal. As luck would have it, when I called her to check in early last week she was in her car on her way up north for a kayak symposium. Undeterred and still determined to help me out (while she was on the road) she made a bunch of calls and tuned up Ed with whom I did stay and had a great time. After she had gone through so much trouble, I still wanted to meet this mystery woman. Figuring she’d be coming back down from the symposium sometime after the weekend, I e-mailed to see if we could still meet up. Long story short she was still keen to meet me (as I was her) so I pulled out at the county campground so we could meet on neutral kayak/car ground.

After the great breakfast I got back on the water and headed north in the already building offshore wind. After six and a half hours of paddling I pulled out at Harbor Beach, where I am right now, (and where I knew I’d have cell coverage enough to get this post up). The towns are getting smaller and more spread out as I continue north so I think these mid-day stops in town may become the norm in order to stay connected. The paddling has been great and the scenery nice too. The best part is an almost complete lack of jet skis, ski boats, and yachts that were constant company on Lake Erie. The silence is wonderful.

After this break I’m figuring on continuing on up the shore for a few more hours. I had plans to push on to some undeveloped land about ten miles up but the wind is building so I don’t know if it’s really within reach. I guess we’ll see where I end up when I get there.

----- Addendum -----

While I was taking a break writing up this days post I checked my e-mail and found a note from a woman named Kris. Who owns a kayak store (called thekayakstore.com) on the north shore of Lake St. Clair which I passed through a few days ago. In her e-mail Kris expressed how disappointed she was that she missed me on the way through and that she‘d still like to meet me if it was possible. Long story short after calling around on my behalf to find a camp ground where we could meet, she discovered the Huron County Park Campground just seven miles from where I was taking a break and arranged for me to stay there. Then Kris and her husband drove all the way up to meet me and took me into town for pizza.

Ending up at the camp was incredible luck. The nice sand beaches I’d been paddling past for the previous day and a half gave way to marsh grass right to the water. Having a known high and dry spot to pull out rather than searching into the dark was great. The manager of the campground Butch and his wife Cheryl were also great in making sure I was situated and comfortable, they even let me set up in an unofficial spot so I could keep an eye on my boat.

Where I ended up putting my boat was an adventure in it’s own. What looked like sand turned out to be knee deep mud which I ended up dragging the Ikkuma through for about 25 yards to solid ground. When I was through I was covered with caked on mud, thankfully a water spout was nearby so I could rinse off.

Me with Kris and Wally

]]><![CDATA[Day 227 (Phone in Update)]]>Tue, 20 Jul 2010 17:24:31 -0600http://www.portagetoportage.com/1/post/2010/07/day-227-phone-in-update.htmlJake is in the Forester County Campgrounds experiencing a poor internet connection. Probably the most ideal paddling conditions he has experienced the entire trip so far. He really didn't want to stop but called it a day after 24 miles to hook up with Deborah who was instrumental finding help to get him through the Detroit area.
]]><![CDATA[Day 227 (Full Report)]]>Tue, 20 Jul 2010 02:00:00 -0600http://www.portagetoportage.com/1/post/2010/07/day-227-full-report.htmlDaily Stats
Start: 6:15 AM - Lakeport, MI (Lakeport State Park)
Finish: 1:00 PM - Forester, MI (Forester County Park)
Time: 6:45 hours
Daily dist: 24 miles
Total dist: 4200+
Companions: None
Weather: Mostly cloudy with highs in the 80’s almost no wind until I was off the water.
Notes: One of the most placid days of paddling so far. Meeting Deborah at camp.

What a difference a day makes. Yesterday in six hours of paddling I went only 15 miles before calling it a day because it just wasn’t worth working so hard to gain a few miles. Today I enjoyed some of the most placid paddling I’ve had in the entire trip and in only a bit more time than yesterday I went 9 miles further and with much less effort.. The going was so good, in fact, that I could have stayed on the water all day.

Lake Huron

However, last night I got a text message from Deborah (the woman that was so helpful in lining up support for me in Detroit) she was going to be on her way down from the U-P and wanted to meet me and make good on her promise to cook me a meal. Not being one to turn down a chance to meet another paddler, much less a meal, I checked my maps and found this county campground where she could catch up with me in her car. Right now camp is all set up and I’m catching up on some map work and am about to catch a much needed nap after a string of very busy days. As I’m writing this, Deborah is on her way in from up north. I’m actually looking forward to finally meeting the woman that helped get me past the last urban hurdle in this trip. And the food… of course.

]]><![CDATA[Day 226]]>Mon, 19 Jul 2010 20:24:42 -0600http://www.portagetoportage.com/1/post/2010/07/day-226.htmlDaily Stats
Start: 7:30 AM - Marysville, MI
Finish 2:15 PM - Lakeport, MI (Lakeport State Park)
Time: 6:00 hours
Daily dist: 15 miles
Total dist: 4200+
Companions: None
Weather: Mostly cloudy with highs in the 70’s head wind out of the NE at 10+ mph.
Notes: Entered Lake Huron at about 10:00 AM too rough for pictures

For the last three days I’ve been working hard against the persistent flow of first the Detroit River then the St. Clair river with my speed dropping well below my usual average. Today I only had about six miles of upstream paddling remaining on the St. Clair before I would be able to enjoy the “non flowing” water of Lake Huron. Unfortunately easier paddling was just not to be.

Randy waving good by from the beach in Marysvile

Yesterday both Randy then his friend Steve adamantly recommended that I cross over to the Canadian side of the river just below the bridge in order to catch the eddy that flows upstream on that side. When I saw how swiftly the river flows below the bridge I knew I’d need all the help I could get so I headed their suggestion and ferried over to the Canadian side of the river.

---- SPECIAL NOTE TO ALL LAW INFORCEMENT OFFICERS ----

Let it be known that I only paddled into Canadian waters, under no matter or circumstance did a actually touch land on the Canadian side. Lord knows what threat to our national security such a devious act could pose. It would have been completely irresponsible of me to put the proud men and women of our great nation at such risk and I dutifully refrained from such actions.

My ten minute visit to Canada

---- NOW BACK TO THE STORY ----

In slack water on the Canadian side I paused for a moment to put on my paddling jacket and eat a few mouthfuls of trail mix figuring by the building wind that it may just be too lively out on the lake to do it out there. From there I followed the eddy easily up to and under the pair of bridges that span the river between the US and Canada. At the second bridge it felt like something grabbed the back of my boat. It was there that the eddy ran out and the combined forces of the river current and a stiff wind out of the northeast worked to try to keep me from entering the lake. It took a half hour of very hard paddling to gain the couple hundred yards that would put me into the lake. As I paddled ferociously I kept waiting for the pull of the river to subside but it just didn’t seem to. It was then that I realized that it wasn’t so much the river flow I was battling but now the force of the wind that was blowing directly in my face. There would be no easy going for me once again today.

It always looks nice from the beach. It was a slog out there believe me.

It was against that head wind that I slogged for nearly four hours to gain only eight more miles to the Lakeport State Campground. The wind was showing no signs of letting up and hours more effort wouldn’t yield much more gain, so I decided to cut my day a bit short and stop where I knew I could find good camping and a bit of civilization to spend the rest of the day.

Unlike other state parks it wasn’t too much hassle to get set up here. When I checked in at the ranger station they said they’d actually gotten a phone call earlier in the day from someone that was asking if I had shown up. I don’t know who it was but apparently they were in a town in Canada. Once I was done with all the chores of getting the boat secured and camp set up I took a nice long shower to try to get some of the $23 worth out of my camp site fees. I had just returned to camp and was fussing with my tent when a large diesel engine was idling in the lane next to my camp and not going anywhere. I looked up to find Randy and Teresa (the folks I stayed with last night) sitting in their pickup truck.

Teresa and Randy visiting me in camp

Randy had been on shore watching me work against the river flow, wind, and rough water. He figured accurately that I wouldn’t be going much beyond this point in conditions like that. Especially knowing that tomorrow’s weather is supposed to be much better. Seems how it’s actually a short drive from their house they decided to drive up and see how I was doing. We hung out in camp for a bit then Teresa invited me to join them for dinner in Lakeport. So a quick drive to town took us to Duffy’s (very Irish) pub and grill where I almost made them regret having and AYCE fish fry on the menu.

With a belly very full of fish Randy and Teresa returned me to camp and bid me good luck on the rest of the journey. I suggested to Randy that I could give him a map of all the spots I planned to camp the next few nights to make finding me for dinner easier but judging from his laugh I’m apparently on my own from here.

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