Rocky Island is aptly named. So is Little Sand Bay. Such is the honesty of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore near Bayfield, Wisconsin. The only thing that isn’t truthful is the count. Despite the fact that there were 12 apostles, there are 22 islands, mostly because their “discoverer” Charlevoix couldn’t count. Piety and math skills are not necessarily correlated.
I’m in the middle of planning a trip up to the Apostles in a few weeks. We’re taking a handful of novices who have never done any cold water paddling (Superior rarely surpasses 42-44 degrees F). It’s requiring a bit of forethought, and since we’re responsible for the safety of half a dozen newbies, it’s occupying much of my mindshare right now. Good think I have Jon, a former Superior guide and expert organizer. Who is burning the candle at both ends. Familiar, that.
The best thing about the trip will be that the air and water temps will be fairly close, making dressing for immersion easy without turning a dry suit into a sweat lodge. So in many ways, that’s my favorite time to paddle up there. It can also get ugly fast, so we’ll be taking extra precautions, using stable tandems to pair stronger and weaker paddlers.
Now my mind is occupied with food.
We’re not backpacking, but nonetheless space is an issue, so I’m starting with lighter stuff and adding the luxuries later. Right now, I just sorta want it done.
Still, this is what I have to look forward to. Sweet.
Respectfully submitted,
Canoelover