Sep
17
Sturgeon Bay – Gray’s Reef light – White Shoal light – Waugoschance light – Temperance Island 8/26/10 posted by John Fleming The Endbridge Oil Kalamazoo River disaster put an abrupt end to my usual midweek upstream-paddling workout. If I could smell the oil, I wanted to either help somehow, or get the hell out of …
Sep
08
Each Summer there are weeks and weeks of flat water on the Great Lakes, to the point where the kayak surfing junkies are ready to start sacrificing puppies to the weather god for a 3 foot wave. September has given up her jewels like an oyster with a hiccup. I managed to get out three …
Aug
11
It’s 8am on Cannery Beach, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. It’s me, a chain smoking heavy equipment operator, and nobody else. He says that no overweight tourists will be at the beach until about 11, and he wants to lift the cannery up off the ground before they get there. By the end of the day, my body and physics degree will both agree that the crane and I have each expended about the same amount of total energy. To which my liberal arts education replies, “but I have been across the sea.”
Jan
25
Ice Cliffs on Lake Michigan near South Haven January 2010, originally uploaded by Go Kayak Now. I had an excellent paddle along the cliffs on Saturday afternoon. I tried to explore all the areas where the cliffs were highest and were the brash ice was loose. Paddling amongst the flows and pancake ice is a …
Jan
21
The ice is beginning to get interesting along the shore of Lake Michigan. We have a thaw on that might allow kayakers to get out and see the ice. I am thinking of heading out during the day on Saturday. Some serious considerations for safety must be taken into account if you would like to …
Oct
20
At the end of August I wrote my first post, about paddling to Ile Aux Galet (Skillagalee) island, which started out intimidating but turned into a ton of fun, surfing back to the mainland. Besides about 10,000 birds, the only thing on the island is a beautiful 1888 lighthouse, which is still active. http://www.michiganlights.com/skillagaleelh.htm So I …
Oct
04
My Surf Kayak Monkey Face from Keith Wikle on Vimeo. I think surf kayaking is cool. Luckily, I know I am not. Try not to look in the mirror too often, you may laugh at what you see. This was a great day surf kayaking on Lake Michigan this August. Steep six foot waves and …
Sep
30
My first day in the surf boat was early last April, on a much ‘smaller’ day. Everything was in the 30’s: air temp, water temp, wind speed. It was gnarly and the boat didn’t fit at all. But even with cramped feet, it was fun. And then some silly little four footers trashed me until my …
Sep
12
View of crystal clear Lake Michigan over the shoals on South Manitou Island from my Nigel Foster Sea Kayak The Manitou Islands of Lake Michigan are the Lower Peninsula’s greatest treasure. Michigan, funnily enough get’s a reputation as an industrial rust-belt state, that frankly it doesn’t deserve. I hope in some way, it keeps this …
Aug
31
<object width=”400″ height=”300″> <param name=”flashvars” value=”offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fkeithwikle%2Fsets%2F72157622199160082%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fkeithwikle%2Fsets%2F72157622199160082%2F&set_id=72157622199160082&jump_to=”></param> <param name=”movie” value=”http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649″></param> <param name=”allowFullScreen” value=”true”></param><embed type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” src=”http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649″ allowFullScreen=”true” flashvars=”offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fkeithwikle%2Fsets%2F72157622199160082%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fkeithwikle%2Fsets%2F72157622199160082%2F&set_id=72157622199160082&jump_to=” width=”400″ height=”300″></embed></object> Ile Aux Galets (Island of Pebbles), aka Skillagalee, is a very small island about 7 miles offshore from Cross Village, near the NW tip of Michigan’s lower peninsula. The island sits atop a large shoal. On the …
