Day 232 07/25/2010
 
        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
Picture
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. 

Picture
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.  
Picture
I've said it before but, WOW!
 


Comments

Randy Orchards

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 10:09:42 pm

Jerry is indeed a friend of mine, I did not know
that he was going to meet up with you, Jerry was watching you as you paddled by his office on the way up the river just south of the Blue Water Bridges. Paddle On Jake....The Big Mac beckons you

 

Donna Bassett

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 7:12:44 am

Sailboats from the Port Huron Mackinac Island race are going by. I wish you were coming through the straits today. It's a beautiful sight and a beautiful day. We'll try and keep the fog away this week. Keep your eyes open for the Big Mac! ( I hope you write a book after your travels...)

 

Steven Krause

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 8:23:18 am

Well Jake, if you want to commit a crime now, you'll just have to disguise your identity. And use an assumed name. Like maybe Aaron or Luke.

 

Neil B

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 8:33:08 am

I agree with Steven. I've used this hidden identity tactic before and generally use my boss' name whenever I'm up to no good.

 

Liz Sweet

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 10:33:51 am

Jake, Be on the look out for a "herd" of jet skis. They are called the Water Warriors. They are raising money for Special Olympics Michigan. They will travel 400 miles, starting in Mackinaw City and end at Harsens Island. It may be noisy, but only for a few minutes. Listen for the sound of bees. Hope you see them....it is something to see.

 

Mark Gibbs

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 4:21:07 pm

Howdy, from Georgia Jake (way back in your rearview mirror). I got my Portage to Portage tee shirt and its great. Then, I got another one. Opps! They had a mix up on the left coast. Don't worry Jake and Jen, I'll send another check and I'll have a shirt to give as a gift to a paddling friend. Hey everyone, if you don't have your shirt yet, get your order in. They are good, heavy tee shirts with the route and the motto on them. Support Jake's trip before it's over.

Mark

 

Tootie

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 7:55:10 pm

Hello Jake.
Love the picture with the colorful sky. Am glad to hear you have people tracking you and looking out for you. That is very nice. We won't have to worry as much. Take care and safe paddling. We have been having storms again, so keep an eye on the weather.

 

Hugh and Kelly

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 9:00:30 pm

Hi Jake! Following you as you finish your journey. So great meeting you in Caseville at Sleeper State Park. Hope to see you in Green Bay. Be safe, and safe travels!

 



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