{"id":26508,"date":"2022-04-18T01:00:35","date_gmt":"2022-04-18T08:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/community.nrs.com\/?p=26508"},"modified":"2023-03-04T12:36:21","modified_gmt":"2023-03-04T20:36:21","slug":"exploring-the-jewels-of-lake-superior","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2022\/04\/18\/exploring-the-jewels-of-lake-superior\/","title":{"rendered":"Exploring the Jewels of Lake Superior"},"content":{"rendered":"

An Unsettling Launch<\/strong><\/p>\n

We bounced and bobbed around, like five little specs on the greatest of the Great Lakes. Only 100 paddle strokes behind us and doubt already crept in\u2014what did we get ourselves into?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The five of us had just left Sand Bay, the launching point for our week-long standup paddling expedition in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, located in Bayfield, Wisconsin. The sprawling 720-square-mile area features 12 miles of mainland shoreline and 21 forested islands\u2014the \u201cJewels of Lake Superior.\u201d<\/p>\n

Our first jewel would be Sand Island, but it looked much farther than the map led us to believe. Distance is deceiving in a place as vast as Lake Superior, but it\u2019s not the only danger.<\/p>\n

Throughout the years, myriad weather hazards including extreme winds, waves, thunderstorms, fog, and currents have vexed local mariners. While monitoring the daily forecast with a VHF radio is essential, Superior is unpredictable. It forces you to rely on your senses and read the weather conditions unfolding around you. If it looks like trouble is brewing, shore is the place to stay.<\/p>\n