NEW Upper Peninsula Travel Guide :)
+ other good links and things from way up north
Happy Sunday and happy 2025! I hope you had a great start to your new year! In the time between Christmas and now, I went to go visit my family in Northern Michigan and spent some time traipsing around the icy, foggy woods there before hopping back in my car, driving north across the bridge, across the Upper Peninsula again and back home.
Lately I’ve been more sedentary than I like to be usually, leaning more into writing and painting and knitting, audiobooks and cooking and cleaning and “slow down” tasks than spending a lot of time outside. I’m always a little like this in the winter, but for some reason this winter especially I feel more into slowing down than usual.
I think there’s a lot of pressure to be going and outside and adventuring all the time— if you’re the sort of person who reads a newsletter like this I’d bet you’ve felt that once or twice in your life. Anyhow, this is me, your friendly neighborhood outdoor guide, telling you that it’s okay if when it’s cold out all you have in you is to read and cook after work. You don’t need to be firing on all cylinders, all the time.
Here’s what else I’ve been up to + lots of good links:
*NEW* Upper Peninsula Travel Guide
The past five or so years I have lived up the North Shore of Minnesota, and gone a few times a year to visit my family in Traverse City. Sometimes I make it a marathon drive and blaze through Michigan’s Upper Peninsula like I’m trying to set a speed record. Other times, usually in the summer, I slow down and make a week of it.
READ: Upper Peninsula Travel Guide
In the past I’ve made a lot of my longer guides into eBooks and charged for them— I recently made most of my eBooks free for all Newsletter subscribers (if you need help accessing email me at hello [at] madelinemarquardt.com or enter an email below to get it sent to you).
Personally, I think that one of the best ways to make the outdoors more accessible as to make as much good information as possible free. Still, I put a lot of time and effort into creating these resources, and need to make sure I’m not out money on them (I still often am lol). These resources are now free thanks to paying subscribers, folks who use my affiliate links, and brand partners.
*NEW* Backpacking Checklist and Guide for Beginner Backpackers
Fun fact about me: I did not grow up outdoorsy. I started working as a guide after college, and then built my skills and comfort level up from there as an adult (ish, 22). When I first started backpacking there was SO much I wish I knew beyond just what to pack, and this article covers those questions including…
preventative first aid and why it’s important
meal planning and prep
how to actually pack your backpack
what NOT to pack
how to plan your first route
READ: Beginner Backpacking Guide and Packing List
Thoughts on winter kayaking & the internet…
When I first started dreaming up a life on Lake Superior I was a senior in college feeling very discontent with my life— I didn’t want a job where I barely saw the sun and a white house and a big wedding and all of those things that I thought I did when I was 16. I wanted to see the world. At lunch tables I would research kayaking on Lake Superior, stunning images of the winter where it looked like the Arctic.
One day, I’m going to do that, I told myself.
It took me about six years of work coastal kayak guiding, building up my skills and slowly building up my gear, getting to know Lake Superior in all seasons, before I made it to the video above. Here’s the thing:
I always wonder and worry, when I share things like that on the internet that because I so often share activities and resources of things beginners can do, that people will assume that this is something they can do on vacation as well, and the reality is it’s not. The icepack is unpredictable, people won’t rent gear for this because it’s expensive with a lot of liability, and even myself I wouldn’t take out anyone I didn’t completely trust on the water, because this isn’t a situation I’d want to guide in and assume liability for someone.
And people definitely do assume that because it’s on Instagram it’s something you can just do. So does that mean I shouldn’t share it?
I don’t know. I think I probably still will, because it was photos like those that inspired me to get out there at all to begin with, and I think that’s important too, to dream big.
Lake Superior adventure events: mark your calendar!
Okay so you want to get into winter paddling, or camping, or whitewater, or midwest adventure in general and you don’t know where to start:
Take an intro to sea kayak safety course with Lost Creek Adventures! This is where I’ve worked as a guide, and I wholeheartedly recommend them— based in Cornucopia, Wisconsin.
Lost Creek is putting on an Intro to Whitewater Course April 21-24
Greg at Lost Creek is also putting on a snow camping workshop Feb 28-30
February 5-8 check out the Michigan Tech Winter Carnival, Houghton
Michigan Ice Fest Feb 12-16, Munising
Beargrease Dogsled Race, Duluth, Jan 26-28
Have an event to share? Shoot me an email at hello [at] madelinemarquardt.com
join a women’s paddling trip with me as your guide this summer 👀🚣🌊
For summer 2025 I’ll be bringing back (and bringing more!) women’s paddling adventures with my friends at Chicas Abroad! I met the Chicas team while guiding in the San Juan Islands and had so much fun working for them that I decided to join the team.
for all of these trips, the code Maddy25 will get you $50 off! I make a small kickback at no additional cost to you:
June 24-29, 2025: Sea Kayaking in the Apostle Islands
Bringing back last years Apostle Islands sea kayaking adventure! I ran two of these last year and they were truly both so much fun— the first trip we had wild weather got paddle the Bear Island sea caves, some of my favorite in the park. The second trip the weather was… perfect? It was eerie beautiful and I honestly look back on it as one of my favorite trips of all time as a guide. These trips are always extra fun because of the people though :)
code Maddy25 for $50 off
August 6-10, 2025: San Juan Islands, Washington
When I first met the Chicas team, it was when I was a coastal kayaking guide in the San Juans! I was the sea kayaking guide for the sea kayaking portion of this exact trip, while Jocelyn took on the Chicas coordination and logistics portion with Chicas. I’m so stoked to be running this trip again, this time joining for the entirety of it, along with Jocelyn, who is so much fun! This is truly an awesome trip— come see orcas and wildlife and camp in one of the best places there is!!
code Maddy25 for $50 off
August 22-25, 2025: Boundary Waters, Minnesota
Come explore Minnesota’s BWCA, paddle into a remote BWCA lake, basecamp and hop on the Border Route Trail to beautiful, remote BWCA overlooks! Here, we’ll focus on practicing reading topographical maps and introductory canoe camping skills. This is a great trip to join if you’re a beginner paddler, or a more skilled canoe paddler looking to learn from experienced guides to set yourself up leading your friends in the future! This is a super small group, with me and another female guide along for the best possible hands on learning experience.
code Maddy25 for $50 off