In Paradisum
I set aside 10 days in Duluth before beginning the trip. My now good friend Paul let me camp in his yard overlooking the lake.
I got acquainted with the gear I’d bought over 10 months based off internet recommendations. I was not a friend with the REI returns department. I spend days packing and unpacking the boat debating weight, balance, and access, needing every cranny and both decks for storage.
I also introduce myself to Lake Superior, getting a feel for the vast sweetwater sea. In the surf, I practiced paddle strokes, edging, wet exits, scrambles, bailing the boat; first with empty hatches and then fully loaded. I navigated (poorly) with my deck compass and my Garmin in the deep fog of Saint Louis estuary and Park Point.
As the 10 days closed, those who offered support came up to say goodbye. My parents, Jean and Kevin came. Paul was there as well of course. He’d been a wonderfully generous host. A 5:30am planned departure turned into 7am, but otherwise the day was transcendent.
Paul was convinced the glassy water and radiant sunshine was an omen from a higher power. He said “I don’t believe in God but know that you do. So, maybe it’s a sign.” I appreciated the sentiment and am a practicing Catholic, but I take a dim view of folks proclaiming that God intervenes on our behalf. I never bought that God helps you score a touchdown or get rich. God certainly doesn’t order up good weather for a kayaking trip. Or so I thought.
Anyways, with a morning like this, who was I to argue?
I overdid it the first day, paddled 30 miles with a break in the middle to respond to emails. I didn’t find a place to pitch a tent until 11pm. It turned out to be the yard of an Airbnb. The Mexican family staying there interrupted my morning coffee. The father had grown up in the desert hearing of freshwater lakes so vast you couldn’t see the other side. His family surprised him with a trip to the greatest lake of all. I was interrupting their moment. Instead of chasing me off for freeloading, they invited me in for breakfast. I politely declined but still tear up from their generosity.
June 9-15, 2023
Route Map - Duluth to Bayfield
