Knowledge enhancer round six

As the month rolls on, shorter days and cooler nights grace our presence from time to time... This weeks' fact is dedicated to Lake Effect, not the book about being a deckhand on the great lakes, but that glorious weather pattern which draws moisture from that deep fresh water, to lay down inches upon inches of white gold in the winter. (Or in some cases bountious precipitation in the spring/fall for another delectable pattern known as 'creeking/river running season').

Any lover of the winter season must appreciate that Lake Superior produces the greatest lake effect snows on earth. (Significant lake effect snows are a rare phenomenon, occurring--besides on the Great Lakes--only on the east shore of Hudson Bay and the west coasts of two Japanese islands.) Lake effect snows extend 20 to 30 miles inland, primarily on the Ontario shore southeast of Marathon, and from Sault Ste. Marie to the Wisconsin-Michigan border. Average annual snowfall in Michigan's Keweenaw exceeds 200 inches in places.

So before you lace up the mukluks, plop on the snow shoes, or drop that knee to the ski this winter, make sure you are well versed in the local geography/topography of your adventure land. That will ensure you enjoyment of the outdoors keeps you happy and far from being lost. Like Ralphie says, "there's no berry quite harsher than being lost in the wilds during the winter."

Until next time, keep doing what you do and those days filled with health, happiness and laughter...

Knowledge enhancer round five

Wild world of factoid followers... This weeks' enhancement of knowledge is brought you with ever appreciated clarity of the clarity in Lake Superior...

If you've paddled these mighty waters, whether in the ambient Apostle Islands or in the stupendous shield of Canada, you know you can see down dare under the water quite a ways...

In fact, the average underwater visibility of Lake Superior is 27 feet, making it easily the cleanest and clearest of the Great Lakes. Underwater visibility in places reaches 100 feet. Lake Superior has been described as "the most oligotrophic lake in the world." (A great combination of letters to score you BIG in scrabble)

**(For an even greater enhancement of knowledge the word 'OLIGOTROPHIC'is an adjective of Ecology. (of a lake) characterized by a low accumulation of dissolved nutrient salts, supporting but a sparse growth of algae and other organisms, and having a high oxygen content owing to the low organic content.
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.)**

Thanks for checking out the goods keep that health, happiness and laughter infused in the daily experience....& for Ralphie's sake, make sure you let others know where you are berry picking so you don't get lost...

Making of a Melee

As the month has begun to wear on, our present locale much further delayed than we intended we began to realize that making it to our friends wedding come August 15 could induce a bit of an epic adventure to our current status. Our present lifestyle has involved greyhound buses, rental cars, friend visitation, car poolage, little children, more friends and a glorious union of Craigville and Schaeffer Nation.

This wild inducer of surreal actuality has been our reality:

8/11/2008
Arrive Wawa, Ontario at Naturually Superior Outfitters to pick up food box, logistisize our options. In this present locale we are treated with unpresidented hospitality, generosity, a delicious lunch and amazing accomodating energy. We figure out our travel options, plan for a Greyhound ride away from the eastern Lake Superior back towards the other side of the lake. We pack up our essentials and head store our boats on their rack. They've got a groovy concert going on, which we indulge upon and then a staff member takes us to his home to revel in the olympic games until we are dropped at the bus station around 1:30AM style.

8/12/2008
It's bloody early. No one is around here. The bus station = bench on sidewalk with a Greyhound logo behind us. Bus arrives late (after 3:00 AM). Due to nature of our travels we were unable to purchase a ticket before hand, on internets we are instructed to pay the bus driver. He seems slightly confused by all of this and takes some of our money, which he will then give to the other bus driver when they switch over and then at our final desitnation will walk with me to ticket counter and settle up the proper ammounts... Little sketched with this, but sleep deprived and needing to get on that bus we take what we can get.

Still early, but we stop (4:30AM) to swap bus drivers. I get pulled out by the man, and chat with the new lady bus driver. Seems all right and we board our transportation station on wheels. The next six hours are a blur of sketchy highway, bashing on Americans (bus driver and her sister-who, far as I could tell was just along for the ride, had lots of solid material against the good 'ol U.S. of A- good times). Ok so here we are on this bus, its cruising, sub consciously I am hearing all these 'great' things about the states, blah this and that, thinking, as awkward as this is, we are in the middle of bum diddly um nowhere so there is no way we are going to say we are from the states and have this driver (who may be a timebomb) leave us and our belongings on the side of the highway. Back to sleep for a little while.

Not so exactly sure, but I am quite positive our 90+ minutes of lateness was created largely in part by the several smoke breaks the 'bus' had to take. Despite the ridiculous nature and desire to get out move on I actually found myself feeling that anticipation of somehting amazing about to happen, like on that T.V. show where they hook people up with homes and mouthing "Move that Bus!". Very few times in my life will I say I was anxious to get to Thunder Bay- this was one of them.

We arrive in Thunder Bay, where our next objective was to get to Minnesota... I know what you are thinking, why didn't you just take the Greyhound? Good question, probably because it would have taken us BACK to Toronto, crossed at Buffalo New York and then journied for two days until it made it to Duluth. In Tunder Bay (as the locals call it, or maybe I just fell for it, "oh yah, you wanna sound like a Canadian eh, you'd better get rid of da H in Thunder Bay") there is this ironically named business called "Happy Time Tourism" which was recommended to us by the Tunder Bay tourism folks. They were reccommended because they have a bus that travels down to the Grand Portage Casino and service to Duluth... We were told folks use it all the time. So we're here thinking, well heck, its our best bet to get to Minnesota and then on our way to the glory land. Talking to this company (and I will refer to it as the company so not to disclose the individuals name), they made no mention on the phone that this bus was for CASINO customers only, that was told to me in a quite non professional, agitated profiling demeanor (denouncing the bus was for PAYING CUSTOMERS not TRAVELERS) after we took a 45 minute city bus ride over to their place by the airport. (sahhhwwwwheeeet!) I even offered to pay this place to take us on the bus, but to no avail she told me we could come back tomorrow and pay $75 each way to get to Duluth. We're sitting in the mid day sun, menacing what to do next, when I see an Avis car rental...

Long story short we went to lunch at this place 'Penalty Box', bar with a hockey rink in it- WILD, did some economical figuring and determined all things aside, plus convenience (as this was Tuesday and the bus would not leave until Wednesday) it was indeed cheaper to rent a car. Avis, of course did not have the kia rio they orgionally enticed me with, and provided us with a 2008 Red VW Jetta, which meant of course this car would be going the speed limit or slightly under. Ok, so we're cruising down to meet with friends in Minnesota to carpool to this once in a lifetime event, when BAM!!! Just kidding, nothing happend, wanted to make sure this story was worth your while... Got a little hasseling at the border, but that's to be expected eh?

Tuesday before sundown we are in Ely Minnesota with some friends and a bed to sleep in. For the next few days we would enjoy the North Country, learn about wildlife sounds, owls, a beaver and wolves before proceeding down to the Mason area for da weddin.

8/15/2008
Make that journey a down to the land we all know so well - clear skies, not much wind, sunny. Perfect day for a wedding. Don't exactly know how to bust out a play-by-play of our experience, but it was glorious. Perhaps we'll leave it at that. Some damn fine people making a damn fine couple fixing to spend a bountiful life together.

8/16/2008
Amidst the haute sun we clamber back into the car (eventually) after meeting friends, replenishing the caloric necessity, swimming in the lake and head to Ely to pick up the rental car for the next days' journey. Nothing too eventful on this stupendous Saturday, some travel, beautiful MOONRISE.

8/17/2008
Bid our Northern Minnesota experience farewell for now and retrace our steps back around that there lively lake to get in and PADDLE!!! Yowsa. Hopefully no issues at the border, and a plesant bus ride back to the land of WAWA.

So do we close this tale like a mastercard commercial?
Bus from Wawa to Tunder Bay: Canadian Dollars
Rental Car to Ely: More Canadian Dollars
Delicious Mexican food in Ely: US dollars
Seeing two amazing people commence and begin a glorious life together and getting to write a biligerant tale about the entire thing: priceless

As of this point in time we are thinking we will be out for another 3.5-4.5 weeks; weather dependent. Communication will probably be spotty, but you can always leave a messege, which we will check periodically.


Other than that, do what you do, be who you be and keep those days filled with health, happiness and laughter...

CONGRATULATIONS NEWLY WEDS!!!

FELICICATIONES ALAN Y STACY!!!!

Just a brief shout to our friends and congratulations to thier union of lives!! Glad to have been able to be there - we weren't going to miss it for anyhting...

Bountious remainder of the summer your way and keep those days filled with health, happiness, and laughter...



You warm our hearts...

Kayak Cruising

Most of the time when we get to a computer we're trying to make the most of the time, keeping the big picture in play; e.g. where we've been, what's been going on, what we're doing etc...

With lack of frequency do we discuss what its like on the water, what goes through the noggin, how amazing this experience has been...

We're out there paddling, floating admist this ambient azure power subsequently living the dream. A reality which no creative coreographed group of words can bring true appreciation out of.

People ask what we talk about on the water.

Most of the time we tell them we don't talk, which has pretty much been the case, on the water for me (Brian) there is an appreciated element of silence. Just existing, paddling, partaking in that perpetual motion achieved by bladed travel speaks volumes to the inner. That, I believe is what I have always loved about paddling, being one with your craft, your gear and moving silently through the geographic locales of your desire.

Sure, days exist when the wind is blowing its heart out, over the plains, down the valley, over the lake and right into your face. It feels intrusive, abrasive and down right mentally if not physically debilitating- but you keep moving, you keep paddling, making ground (even if just a little bit) because that's what we do, we paddle. We're paddlers. Time exists in a different realm out there. An hour can feel as though it is an eternity and several hours can flash by momentarily, its all perspective.

Usually when its hauling there is music flowing through the cerebral hallways up dare in the noggin. However it seems as though my RAM only holds the chorus of those popular songs which defined a generation, one which came a few before my own. Those words, feelings, meanings whether from the past or present entice the experience generate energy and fuel the forward motion...

Through that added energy determination, passion and prowess for what we are doing makes it all seem worth it. Worth it to endure this experience through whatever hardships we encounter we can press through to magnificent rewards. It is mind boggling to think of an entrancing re-occuring experience to be paddling though four or more foot waves... To feel the water flow by you, to watch the horizon disappear, to be high above all the other waves, to see nothing but water and crest in front of you, makes it all worth it. The blade bites into the incoming garuantee of cold liquid, pulls you and boat forward so the bow may break through that wall of water providing momentum so that you in turn with the rest of the boat may break through and continue on your way; ready for the next one in just a few moments. As miles melt beyond blades, the changing sights, it makes it all worth it. The journey, the experience, the stories...

It's all part of something. Something we'll continue to participate in so long as our bodies, boats and minds allow... For there isn't much more of a simpler divine pleasure than messing about in boats.

Creating Commentary

So you wanna make a comment?



We've gotten some interesting emails, phone calls etc through the previous few weeks regarding the leaving of commentary on the posts... No worries, we'll try to break it down simple style right here:

Click on the "comments" dealy at the bottom of the post.
Once you do that it will take you to a screen where you may type your comment.
You will have to copy the jumble of letters for the security code.
You do not need an account
From there you may leave the comment as anonymous, or click on the little option which says Name/URL- that is where you may leave your name
Click publish

Badda bing, badda boom, you've exercised your right to free speech. WRITE ON!

Just can't get enough or away from dis here type of shoreline, impressive and itinerary dictating... ROCKIN!!


Kickin beach located a few hops, not so many skips, a jump or thrice from our billy goating session...


Billy goatin' around some 'not quite soft' rocks making sure the legs still work after a burly battle through a 15+ kt headwind in the morning...