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Dave and Amy are slowly adjusting to life off the trail. For now they have traded they kayaks seats for office chairs, and are busy scheduling school visits, and tying up loose ends. Sometimes they just throw up their hands and say I wish we were paddling, but do they really have anything to complain about? I don't think so!

There will be a slideshow/pizza party at North House Folk School in Grand Marais, MN on Thursday, November 2nd.

Come on down to North House on Thursday evening to eat some delicious pizza and learn more about their two months of travel on the Big Lake. We’ll provide the dough and sauce, and stories—you bring your favorite toppings, cheese, and spirit of adventure. If you have any questions give us a call at 312-505-9973.

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We enjoyed exploring one of the many caves in Squaw Bay near the Apostle Islands National Lake Shore.

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We made it to Grand Marais! A friend captured our smiles as we made our last paddle strokes.

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The fall colors are gone now, but the forest floor is still covered in a thick blanket of rich browns.

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On many mornings our kayaks are covered in a dusting of snow.

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Amy can often be found curled up in her sleeping bag when the wind is howling and the snow is falling. She is like a bear in hibernation - waiting for better weather.

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We have been seeing more and more Canadian Geese as the weather gets colder. At times huge flocks fill the sky, but we always wonder because we see them flying East, West, and sometimes even North, but hardly ever straight South. Where are they going, and how do they find there way? Can you help us answer this question?

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On calm days it feels like we will breeze around the rest of the lake in no time, but when the wind blasts us in the face all day our pace slows to a crawl, and it can be hard to press on hour after hour. Luckily a few windy days are usually followed by calmer weather.

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Sometimes the most beautiful things are foot prints left by lapping waves, which disappear as quickly as they are made.

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This view sure is different from one that we get in our kayaks. This is Miner’s Castle in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. As the waves pounded against the cliffs below us, we were sure glad to be taking in the view from above.

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During our tour of Grand Island, Carl Behrend took us out on his pontoon boat, the S.S. Minnow to see the shipwreck of the Bermuda, a 136 foot two-masted schooner which sank on October 15, 1870. This is a photo of the deck of the Bermuda that we took by putting our waterproof camera into the water as we floated over the wreck.

A hike from our campsite near the Hurricane River out to the Au Sable Point Lighthouse gave us a chance to see part of another shipwreck that had washed up on shore.

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A sea gull feather came to rest in the dune grasses high above the lake.

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This gnarled piece of driftwood as weathered many storms, and now rests high on a sandy beach.

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Wind and waves kept us trapped for 5 days, waiting for the weather to break.

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We are leaving the Canadian Shield bedrock behind, and heading into a new geologic section of the Lake Superior along the Michigan shoreline. We hope that the clear blue water, and beautiful vistas like this one near Wawa will continue, but we are unsure what we will find. Amy and I have never seen the south shore, and have no idea what to expect. We have heard about beautiful sand beaches, and hope the rumors are true!

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Cool, rainy, windy weather has kept us in wind bound in our tent for several days. This change in weather has also brought an eruption of fall colors. The hills lining the lake are now blanketed in reds and yellows, making the landscape even more breathtaking.

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Can you believe it was calm enough to eat lunch out on the water?! We got hungry in the middle of a crossing, and since there were no waves in sight and land was another six miles away, we busted out the Packlite crackers, cheese, and peanut butter. Here is Dave assembling his sandwich on top of his sprayskirt.

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Kayaking in the fog can be both enjoyable and nerve-wracking. After spending a warm sunny day paddling, we watched fog roll in from mid-lake. Soon we were engulfed. The shoreline got blurry as we continued along. During this serene time, some hikers emerged nearby onshore. They told us we “looked pretty cool” and took our picture.

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Fall is here! The crisp morning air, and the leaves around us are changing color. As we’ve dipped down further south along the eastern shore of the lake, the hills have taken on a reddish tinge from all of the maples decked out in their autumn splendor. Dave found this maple leaf washed up on shore at our campsite near Agaway Bay.

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The white sand beach stretched for several miles at the northeastern end of Ashburton Bay. Used to steep pebble and cobblestone beaches near Grand Marais, Minnesota, we didn’t quite know what to expect from a shallow sand beach. With the beaches we’re familiar with, the waves break right on shore, immediately (and sometimes forcefully) dumping you onto the stones. However here, the waves were breaking 50 yards out from shore. Unaware of how shallow this area was, we were surprised by these early breakers. Dave successfully rode one into shore. Amy wasn’t so lucky, getting turned sideways in a wave, she tipped over in about one foot of water and had to pull her swamped kayak up to the shore.

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From this spot in Victoria Bay, we had a view of the Slate Islands as well as the large point we would have to paddle around the next morning. After setting up camp, we sat down to a hot meal on the beach and watched the water in the bay calm. A full moon rose in the east and we were tempted by the idea of paddling in its light. But the many miles we had paddled in the daylight plus the food in our bellies and the warm tent gave us an excuse to rest for the night.

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After spending several hours of paddling in two to three-foot waves, we decided to search for a sheltered bay so we could stretch our legs and grab a bite of lunch. We didn’t expect to be this fortunate—behind some islands on the west side of Ashburton Bay, we found this spot. We could hear the wind and crashing waves from this little nook, but the water was completely still.

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We left our campsite in Victoria Bay just as the first few rays of sunlight were peeking over the horizon. Just as quickly as the sun appeared, it disappeared behind a blanket of clouds. The sun would occasionally emerge through the clouds an as we paddled in wind and waves as we felt like we were chasing its warm glow.

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Tucked in a remote bay near Flour Island, we found a beautiful campsite. In addition to having a perfect rocky beach for landing, already chopped firewood, and a great spot for the tent, we found this rock arch. Dave couldn’t resist snapping a few photos of it right as the sun was setting.

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On Tuesday we camped on the east end of Pie Island, before waking up at 5:30 AM for the 7-mile crossing to the Sibley Peninsula. We had the whole beach to ourselves, except for a beaver, who sauntered by, 10 feet from our tent, as we were eating dinner. We had breath-taking views of Sleeping Giant Provincial Park and Turtle Head point from our front door.

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We have been getting up early to try and be on the water before the wind picks up, and seeing the suns rays dancing across the water at the start of the day makes getting up early a little bit easier.

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After finishing the crossing between Pigeon Point and Victoria Island, we found ourselves in Canada. We paddled behind the shelter of a long string of islands with the biggest of all, Pie Island, looming in the distance.

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As we got ready to leave our camp at the mouth of the Brule River, we were relieved to see a calmer lake. We packed our kayaks as quickly as we could to get out on the water

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After spending several hours of paddling in two to three-foot waves, we decided to search for a sheltered bay so we could stretch our legs and grab a bite of lunch. We didn’t expect to be this fortunate—behind some islands on the west side of Ashburton Bay, we found this spot. We could hear the wind and crashing waves from this little nook, but the water was completely still.

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