Day 237 07/30/2010
Daily Stats Start: 5:45 AM - P.H. Hoeft State Park Finish 3:00 PM - Zela Point (Bois Blanc Island) Time: 9:15 hours Daily dist: 36 miles Total dist: 4500+ Companions: None Weather: NNE then E winds up to 10 mph, partly cloudy, 70’s Notes: The 40 Mile Light park was closed so we went back to the State Park to put in.  Keep land on your left for 4000 miles, then... From the very first time I mentioned this trip, my brother Luke has cued up his best Forest Gump impersonation and teased me in a slow ramble “Hi.. my name is Jake… I’m goin paddlin. It’s easy… I just keep land on my left.” Remaining ever so clever, Luke even suggested a very simple approach to navigation when he signed my boat on launch day last December. He summed it up in two words and added an arrow for good measure… <-- TURN LEFT.  Well, today with my crossing of The Straights of Mackinac the rules have changed. For the first time in this trip (on open water) I now have land on my right as I will until I reach Green Bay. Honestly, it feels strange. When Tom and I arrived at the Forty Mile Point Lighthouse park at 5:30 this morning we discovered a pair of locked gates with a sign stating that the park opens at 10:00 AM. Undeterred, and not wanting to wait five hours to launch, we drove back three miles to the nearby state park and launched there. With a quick farewell Tom headed home and I loaded my boat and launched into slightly choppy water with an already favorable breeze out of the northeast. With the wind slightly at my back I made up the three miles I lost in just a few minutes and continued on my way toward the Mackinac Straights. At noon, with a slight chop on the water and the Mackinac bridge on the horizon, I crossed from the lower peninsula of Michigan across the straights to Bois Blanc Island. I don’t know if the island pledges its allegiance with the upper or lower peninsula all I do know is that at camp tonight I’m only about ten miles from the bridge and Lake Michigan.  Look closely there is a very big bridge on the horizon CommentsLyn Stachovak 07/30/2010 9:19:12 pm The bridge is awesome! Wait till you can get a really good look at it. Have fun and enjoy Mackinac Island. Have some of the amazing fudge while you're there too. I didn't buy any when we were there a couple of weeks ago because it was 90 in the shade and I thought it would be a sloppy mess by the time we got it back to our campsite in St Ignace. Lynn 07/30/2010 9:35:43 pm Gee, Jake...the pictures are wonderful....that day off was good for you!!!and a gift to all of us!!! Charlotte Key 07/30/2010 9:53:32 pm Be careful crossing the straits.. can get real rough and choppy, but sounds like you have a plan. Your mom is right, that bridge is something to see. Took me over an hour to get across it over July 4 holiday coming back from Huron Beach north of Rogers City, to the UP. Was real windy that day too, made me nervous being on that majestic bridge. I hope you will pick your weather when you cross. Aaron Stachovak 07/31/2010 8:06:00 am Careful going under the bridge - When Aurise and I paddled it a few years ago we were stopped by the police and asked if we had explosives on board. 07/31/2010 11:22:24 am Hi Jake, Leave a Reply | Best of the Blog
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