Kayaking around Lake Superior: The longest day

Sunday, July 1, 2012

The longest day

I woke up with the shoulder feeling ok.. Ibuprofen works good. I had planned a day of 22 miles so leaving at 9:30 am seemed ok. The conditions were perfect. Getting through the property of the Huron Mountain Club seemed a breeze. I got to where I was going to camp but it just seemed so early..like 2:15 or so. I looked at the map and contemplated trying to go all the way to Second Sand Park in Sand Bay down always on the Keweenaw Bay side of Point Abbaye. It would put me a day ahead and there was enough light left in the day. Off I went across to the end of Point Abbaye. Oh.. forgot to mention my skeg drop cord broke as i launched this morning so I tied i up and had only partial skeg drop which had been fine for the day's conditions but a pretty strong tail wind came up on the crossing and I had my work cut out staying on course in quartering 2 foot seas. Right at the end of the point it was all confused and 3 feet but soon I was in the calm of the lee side. Now I had only the nearly 20 miles left to go to sand bay. I was quite exhausted and was really going slow due to my lame shoulder. Wondering where the Park was I paddled toward a group of people thinking maybe it was the park? As I got closer I saw that it was a gathering of family etc.. I asked where is the Park and he said over there but why? .. Do you need a place to stay? I said sure and next thing you know I'm meeting the rest of the extended family of Phyllis and Dick and a few neighbors.. Dinner was over but they heated up left overs for me and showed me where..inside I could sleep. Come morning I was heating up water for coffee and oatmeal and Phyllis came out with a cup of coffee for me and invited me inside for breakfast! Thank You So Much!!
... I'll start with photos from the end of my long day ...