Day 248

Daily Stats
Start: 5:30 AM - Oconto, WI
Finish 2:00 PM - Green Bay, WI (Zeller’s Kayak Shop)
Time: 8:30 hours
Daily dist: 23 miles
Total dist: 5000+
Companions: None
Weather: Thick fog and steamy hot, 80’s
Notes: Reached extended family in Green Bay

After six hours of paddling along the last twenty miles of shore leading into Green Bay, I must say that I can only guess what it looks like. Excited to be reaching the end of Lake Michigan and the beginning of the next phase of this trip, (not to mention loads of family in town) I hardly slept a wink on the beach of the town park where I spent the night. Finally giving up on trying to sleep, I broke camp at 5:00 AM and launched into thick fog by 5:30.

Not just a picture of the fog. If you look close you can see two lake sturgeon playing catch with an unfortunate perch.

Although it was one of only a handful of flat calm mornings I’ve seen in the last few weeks, which was a relief, the fog added a whole new element to navigating my way down the coast. One can only wish it was as simple as staying within sight of shore and following it south to Green Bay. However, shallow water and weeds tend to steer a kayaker off shore in search of deeper water. Consequently the shoreline quickly vanishes into the fog leaving you staring blankly into a featureless grey cloud in every direction. At times like these you could be a quarter mile from shore or twenty miles from shore and you wouldn’t know the difference.

Rather than fuss with my GPS, I simply worked with my map and compass. Those tools, combined with a watch and the knowledge that I cruise at a fairly consistent rate of 3.5 knots, allowed me to know (with a fair amount of certainty) where I was at all times. It was actually a fun challenge to try to hit the ends of the two long narrow peninsulas that project from the west shore of the bay. After finding and rounding the end of the second point, I continued on toward town by steering a little extra west to avoid the mouth of the Fox River by a wide margin. This maneuver helped me avoid any boat traffic coming and going out of the harbor who could not have seen me with they‘re eyes or radar. After another hour of paddling I hit land (at what I believed was a point west of the river) then turned left and headed in. A mile further I discovered that I was indeed correct and at 12:00 noon I entered the Fox River thus ending the Great Lakes leg of this trip and beginning the last push toward Portage.

My cousin Lydia waving hello from shore

Along with a TV reporter from a local news station, waiting for me a the city boat ramps at the end of the river were my Cousin Jenny and her daughter Lydia. Soon after I landed we were joined by another cousin Carolyn and her husband John. My parents had planned to be there to see me arrive but got lost on their way in to town as they followed the directions from their GPS… go figure. After a bunch of big hugs and handshakes I answered a few questions for the reporter and hopped back on the water so he could get a little more video of me paddling around.

Captain Mitch on the Foxy Lady

From the boat ramp I continued up the river passing by my cousin John and Carolyn’s dinner boat the Foxy Lady where John was already there checking on the boat. Another mile of paddling brought me to Zellers Kayak shop where I pulled off the water and ended my day.

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By early evening more family had rallied including my uncle Jim and cousin Brenda and my older brother Aaron and his wife Aurise along with their two boys who I couldn’t wait to see. The whole mob of us descended on a local restaurant and had a great evening. From there I rode home with Aaron to his place in Manitowoc, Wisconsin to take a couple days off with the chance to hang out with the younger two of my four nephews whom I barely know and am looking forward to making up for lost time.