Day 229 and 230

Daily 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.