better late than never

a list of unhinged guide things I've done lately

From deep, deep in the thick of back-to-back overnight guiding and a trip back to Michigan to see my family, then blowing off computer work to paddle, I definitely missed a Substack last week.

Which is okay: it’s okay to sometimes get caught up in the real world and let things like an online newsletter fall through the cracks. I’m actually glad— life’s been really busy lately, and fun, and exhausting.

a list of unhinged kayak guide things I’ve been up to lately:

1. I’ve basically moved to Sand Island, Wisconsin. The last two weeks of July I spent more time out there on that island than I did at home. I’m also now extremely familiar with exactly what big West and Southwest winds do to that channel (familiar growing familiarer)

   

   from Sand Island-- left, sand island sea caves. right, cowboy camping

2. I picked up a four night overnight trip full of 13 year old girls (a camp) right before visiting my family and right aft

   er another overnight because, well, I need the money and there’s no time like the present! Many children cried. Sea kayaking is honestly just too hard for their tiny bodies, and the mental toughness of “this is hard but I need to do it and I can do it” just isn’t there at 13. To be fair of course, I’ve also seen many adults for whom the mental toughness thing could probably also be true.

3. Less than 12 hours after that trip ended I hopped in a car and drove 8 hours back to Michigan to visit with my family for a long weekend.

   

   michigan

4. Then, on Tuesday I hopped back in the car, headed back to Superior just in time to catch some friends for a paddle and to spend some time having fun in Bayfield

5. Andy and I have started to try and figure out where we’ll be and what we’ll be up to for the winter— we’ve spent the last few years moving around and trying on different places and now we’re pretty much ready to find a place to be. It’s really exciting to be in the process of finding a more permanent place, but also a little stressful to trying to get everything sorted out while also in the thick of guiding season.

   

   sunrise, sea caves

6. I’m starting to feel tired. I’ve got one more big overnight trip (happening as you read this!) and then I get my first true break in almost over a month. The fast pace is super fun, but my back is starting to hurt and I’m at the part of the season where I feel bone tired in a way that a day or two off can’t really fix.

7. Oh, I forgot my tent on a Sand Island trip!!! It was too hot to sleep in my sleeping bag so I used a tarp as a blanket (bug protection) and slept on my sleeping pad with my bug net on. My hands weren’t covered and I got 24 mosquito bites on one hand while I slept. Score! long story short— double check you’ve packed all your things correctly, even if you’ve done in a hundred times.

   

Thanks for sticking around even while things are super busy over here! I’m hoping to have a chance to get back to writing more detailed newsletters soon, but in the meantime…

great lakes fall adventure ideas:

• Check out a weekend guide to Minnesota’s North Shore!

• Plan a Michigan Fall color trip on the best hiking trails in Michigan

• Plan the ultimate Wisconsin Waterfall Road trip

join a fall group trip!

• Come on a Women’s Canoe Camping Wilderness Adventure in the Boundary Waters September 27-30

• Join a Women’s Rock Climbing Adventure (beginner-friendly, group camping nearby email me to join the camping group) September 21-22, Tettegouche State Park!