Daily Stats
Start: 7:00 AM - Princeton, WI
Finish 1:00 PM - Marquette, WI
Time: 7:00 hours
Daily dist: 15 miles
Total dist: 5000+
Companions: Mark and my brother Aaron
Weather: Clear skies, 80’s, calm winds - amazingly beautiful
Notes: The first “real” paddle with my brother Aaron.
Start: 7:00 AM - Princeton, WI
Finish 1:00 PM - Marquette, WI
Time: 7:00 hours
Daily dist: 15 miles
Total dist: 5000+
Companions: Mark and my brother Aaron
Weather: Clear skies, 80’s, calm winds - amazingly beautiful
Notes: The first “real” paddle with my brother Aaron.
It’s interesting, after such a long trip seeing so many amazing places, the simple and sometimes silly things that stand out in my memory… The first sunrise over the Gulf of Mexico, a cormorant trying to swallow a fish so big his neck wasn’t strong enough to lift it, the smell of frying bacon wafting from the windows of passing tow boat kitchens when I paddled down the cold lonely Mississippi last winter…
Aaron approaching on Lake Puckaway
As simple as the day was, early this afternoon as I watched my brother Aaron approaching in his kayak, I knew it would be one of those I will long remember. I’ve been on the water with Aaron three times before this. The first was Neil’s bachelor party in Florida which was a quick outing on West Lake during which I spent my time rescuing multiple guys from capsizes in the mucky shallows. The second was an hour long session on an overgrown farm pond of a lake where I gave Aaron a rolling lesson. The third was aboard a dragon boat for the annual YMCA dragon boat races in Manitowoc. Despite those other times on the water, today was the first time I ever really paddled with Aaron where we were actually paddling somewhere with a purpose.
After putting out a last minute call for people to join me on the water today, I got three takers. Mark (who has now paddled with me six of the last eight days), my mom’s cousin’s husband Tom, and my brother Aaron (who was coming down to pick me up at the end of the day). The storms that passed through two days ago had the river pushed up and flowing a little faster than normal. So, instead of driving to Princeton to paddle all the way upstream with me, the plan was for everyone to put in at the take out in Marinette and paddle along Lake Puckaway until crossing paths and paddling back.
After putting out a last minute call for people to join me on the water today, I got three takers. Mark (who has now paddled with me six of the last eight days), my mom’s cousin’s husband Tom, and my brother Aaron (who was coming down to pick me up at the end of the day). The storms that passed through two days ago had the river pushed up and flowing a little faster than normal. So, instead of driving to Princeton to paddle all the way upstream with me, the plan was for everyone to put in at the take out in Marinette and paddle along Lake Puckaway until crossing paths and paddling back.
Foggy morning with floodwaters up into the trees
Ultimately, the very same storms that drove the river back up had knocked down a bunch of branches in Tom’s yard so he got stuck doing clean up and couldn’t join us. That left Mark and Aaron trying to join me today. Mark got an earlier start and caught up with me at about noon. Aaron was about a half hour behind and found us at 12:30. Making very good time on the tranquil (flat calm) lake, it took us only a half hour to make it back to the boat landing. It was just a short half hour but it was great to be able to share the water once again with a new friend and for the first of what I know will be many times with my brother Aaron.
Aaron and Mark enjoying the calm water on Lake Puckaway
At the boat landing we loaded my gear and kayak on my truck and I drove Aaron back to where his truck was waiting in Green Bay. From there Aaron went home and I continued on to my parent’s house in Wausau. The plan now is for me to take the next three days off to rest up a bit and get myself and my gear organized before the last four day push into Portage.
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