Day 226

Daily 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.