I begin this post by saying thank to everyone for all their support throughout this journey. The trip has been a year in the making filled with excitement and planning. Bryan has worked hard to make it all happen. As we all know, sometimes things are out of our hands. After a series of events of bad luck, including equipment failure, bad weather, snow, statistically the windiest season the last five years, Bryan has developed tendon problems in both his forearms.  It has been a hard decision but Bryan has decided to suspend the trip so that he will not cause permanent damage.

Bryan took time off two weeks ago to repair the kayak and to help rest his arms in hopes that both problems would be fixed after a week of rest. Strong winds and waves aggravated the condition and despite the time healing, his forearms were unable to fully heal, causing them to become worse instead. He has begun physical therapy this week to help begin feeling better.

In the three weeks on the water, he experienced wonderful support and kindness from so many of you! The latest support came from Matt and Hannah, who will be paddling Lake Superior in the next week.  We wish them all our best and hope we are able to return some of the support and kindness that Bryan experienced.

Bryan is home now working on healing. He is doing well and is looking forward to healing his arms and getting off the vitamin I. We hope for a speedy recovery and that the news from the doctor will be helpful. Thank you again for all that you have done for us over the past year.

Ilena

• My SKUK/NDK Explorer’s seat is 1/4″ to the port on the back and 1/8″ to the starboard on the front. To take it out or not to take it out? #
• The bigger question: Is the kayak twisted? Tried leveling via hatch rims assuming they’re in level means the boat is twisted significantly. #
• @CampWildGirls I missed you. I’m currently near Silver City, MI. in reply to CampWildGirls #
• Just finished setting up FastStone Image Viewer on my expedition netbook. It works nicely as a portable ap. http://www.faststone.org/ Fast. #
• @kayakinstructor I’m paddling an NDK Explorer. Epic sponsored the trip with paddles. I didn’t ask for a kayak. in reply to kayakinstructor #
• @DanAtBrandt Things are good. I’m resting, fixing the kayak, and working on a few projects that needed to get done. Back on the water Sat. in reply to DanAtBrandt #
• @mountainkat I’m a slacker by nature. Can’t help it. Working all day to fix some issues that needed fixed. This is harder than paddling. in reply to mountainkat #
• Trip updates would be much easier if Verizon sponsored me with a wireless plan, smartphone and 3G. Anyone know anyone at Verizon? #
• @canoelover It’s so hard to figure out exact costs but somewhere around $150 per month, plus phone, plus 1 to 2yr commitment. in reply to canoelover #
• @SeaKayakStMarys Plus is google maps, it’d be easy to find grocery, post office, and laundry in each town. in reply to SeaKayakStMarys #
• @AleksisK I thought about that, but my family is curmudgeonly and either don’t have a plan or go with a company that doesn’t have coverage. in reply to AleksisK #
• Carbonfiber is hard to wet-out completely, and NDK/SKUK encountered that problem exactly where my kayak’s seat is cracking. Dry cloth. #
• @Source_to_Sea That’s why I like the idea of 3G combined w/ a 2.5 pound netbook & 6 hours of battery life. On wind days stream Netflick. in reply to Source_to_Sea #
• Sea to Summit and Jetboil products are now in my hands. @PembaServes always reps the best lines. Super psyched about the PCS. Thanks! #
• @Source_to_Sea Verizon has a usb 3g connector, but 901 can be hacked to add it. Charging in town. Solarroll if needed. #
• RT @kayakinstructor: A truer statement has never been written on a card and held up to a camera on Red Square. http://tinyurl.com/pxxbkx #
• @MarthaVan Thanks. The good news is that I packed up a bunch of stuff before I left. We were hoping to rent a room for the summer. in reply to MarthaVan #
• While waiting for the epoxy to dry, I tackled hand washing my sleeping bag. I got years and years of dirty out, but, holy cow, the work. #
• @mhjell Hopefully how to make a NDK seat much more comfortable. in reply to mhjell #
• Zen saying: The kayaker paddling forward paddles forward. #
• New estimate for completion of the US shoreline of Lake Superior and passing the Soo Locks is June 5th. A nice bite sized goal. #
• And did I mention that my down sleeping bag is the cleanest it’s been in 7 years. http://bit.ly/YWhIV #
• Day 21: Big city temptation. Buying stuff is more stuff to carry equals slower boat. #
• Day 21: Superior mirage today. The shoreline is projected upside down in the sky making all the hills have wispy flat tops. #
• Day 21: 3 miles. Feels good to be on the water again and moving down the shore. Arm only hurts a bit. #
• At 14 mije point at an oldw burnt down light. A surprise find on a long empty MI Lake Superior coast. #
• Day 23: 27 miles. Hot paddle on a mirrored Lake Superior. Typical Bryan: I measured 24 miles & gps says different. Spring flowers out. #
• Scent of flowers- strong headwind slows progress #haiku #
• journel duties – the writer sifts his feet in sand #

This week, I’ve decided to take a rest. My thoughts are that I can rest a nagging pain in my arm, let the blisters heal completely, rework some food drops, and fix the crack in my kayak’s seat before it gets too big. Additionally, I have the time to install a backband into the kayak that I like.

This is a new kayak for me and although I did get to paddle it before the trip, I didn’t get to paddle it for 8 to 10 hour days to figure out what I wanted to change in outfitting. After the first 300ish miles I figured out that my foam pillar backband didn’t cut it. The decision at that point was to put a backband in that didn’t pinch my butt between the seat and backband or take the seat out and put a Happy Bottom Seat Pad into the boat.

I actually find the NDK seats comfy, so I wanted to get a backband that would work. I ordered an IR Reggie backband, which is what I have in my Romany. For fun, I took the IR band out of my Romany while I waited for the replacement to show up. It pinches my butt.

To fix the problem I compared the height of the seat back to a few other kayaks and figured out that it’s way too high. File and sandpaper in hand, I worked at lowering the seat about 1/2″ and more in places. I redefined the curve of the seat back to be much more comfy. It now works great — no pinch. A great approach for those experiencing the same problem and who don’t want to remove the seat. I actually recommend that NDK deepen their seat in the back, and lower the top for every boat. They’d have a better seat.

The other problem is the developing crack. I sanded and chipped away the gel coat to find dry carbonfiber. When making an object out of fiberglass or carbonfiber, like my seat, the manufacturer has to wet-out the cloth with an liquid epoxy which hardens and solidifies the cloth into shape. Carbonfiber is extremely hard to tell if it’s completely wet-out. In this case, NDK didn’t get everything wet-out, so I have to do it for them and then repair the gel coat. With drying time, this is about a full day of work.

It’s sort of nice to have time off, but the problem with taking time off is two-fold for me. It moves the finsih date into the first week of October and I’m getting very very very antsy. I want to be on the water.

On the personal side, I do get to spend time with Ilena, which is good. The bad side is that I found out that my landlord is putting our house on the market, so we may have to move before the trip is finished if the house sells. Grand Marais is an extremely hard town to find a rental that is affordable, so we’ll see what happens. I almost wonder if finding jobs elsewhere and moving out of town wouldn’t be easier than finding a new place to live in the area.

For those concerned, I’m not even close to giving up, and I could have put-up with these issues on a shorter trip or if I was just attempting one lake, but one thing I learned on the AT was that if you had an issue and didn’t fix it, it’d still be bothering you weeks and months into the trip. So, I’m fixing it now.

• Day 10: Paddling along a long lonely beach lined by leafless trees and beached driftwood. Even the wind blows bittersweet today. #
• @canoelover Sounds good. In theory Agawa should be Sept. in reply to canoelover #
• @familyonbikes Thanks! I had hours today to compose that in my head. in reply to familyonbikes #
• Wind bound 4 2 days sucks. #
• Day 15: 3 out of 6 days wind bound. Today gusts to 50 mph & waves look over 8 to 12. Tent is holding. Someone do a sun dance. #
• Day 14: I made a mistake. I started the trip as a sprint, when this is a marathon. It’s taken a toll. 18mile & gales all wkend. #
• Day 11: 27 miles. Sometimes I want to think Lake Superior and I will be friends, but she is just a lake & and has no meaning. #
• Decided to take a couple days off to take care of issues with the kayak & systems. Back on water by next weekend or sooner. #
• Trying to decide what to do with the seat inn the kayak. Repair will take about a day. It’s in sideways. (Good work NDK) Maybe I’ll pull it. #
• @DerrickQuix For the price they charge it’s unbelievable that SKUK/NDK boats are built this poorly. J-word?My Estonian yak is better built. in reply to DerrickQuix #
• @SeaKayakStMarys Some issues with yak: Poorly designed new skeg, poorly seated coaming, starved seam tape, broken carbon seat, and more. in reply to SeaKayakStMarys #
• Been noticing that people living by Lake Superior and working on the lake seem to have two views of it. They love it with a sense of spite. #

Saxon Harbor seems so long ago, but it’s only two days of travel away. The weather has been terrible with winds over 50 mph and cold temps, frost, and snow. If my friend Steve reads this, he’ll comment that it’s because I’m camping. His theory is that bizarre weather occurs when I’m camping and he has plenty of stories to prove it.

The morning I left Saxon Harbor, I paddled along a shoreline that changed from sandstone cliffs to lower hills with mix sand and cobblestone beaches with limited safe landing options. The entire day spent paddling in light chop and 15 knot SSW winds gusting to 25 knots. Combined with the nearshore NOAA marine radio report of the oncoming storm of doom, the landscape seemed slightly ominous to me.

This last week, because the forecast has been so windy from the northwest and cold, I’ve just started calling the NOAA report the scary report. I cringe every time I turn the marine radio on, but it’s almost compulsive to turn it on for a listen just in case something rosy is forecast. “Small craft advisory in effect from…” is the typical squawk out of the radio.

On my way to the Porcupine Mountains, I stopped at Black River Harbor where a tank of a fishing boat docked. The dirty white, iron rust bucket named the “King Fisher” belched out a dark diesel cloud. Inside the rusty body, the deck hand, a early thirties or late twenties year old, mopped the deck and greased the parts needing greased. His long hair tucked under a camo hat complimented his missing front teeth that showed when he smiled.

“It keeps me out of trouble,” he replied when asked how he liked working on a fishing boat. It was his fifth voyage, and first full week. A busy week where he helped pull the boat off of the rocks it ended up on after someone released it from the dock.

The fishing operation netted for whitefish, but took in Lake Trout as casualties. The dead Lakers thrown to the seagulls, because the price for their meat at $0.45/pound was much less than the $1.35/pound for the whitefish.

I asked the deck hand about the shoreline ahead, and he confirmed what my chart told me, but he couldn’t recall a campground in the area, which is what Google maps told me. “If you go back out, you’ll see bigger waves than two feet. I had ‘em up to the deck on this boat today,” was the deckhands last warning as I left the harbor for the Presque Isle River area.

After finding the river in 1.5′ waves, I couldn’t find the campground, so ended up setting up camp in a flat area away from the river. Then spent the next two days waiting as the winds kicked up to the roar of a jet engine and the waves pounded the shore. To pass the time, I listened to the only radio station I could get, WTIP, my hometown station. Two days alone, wind bound, with the hometown station playing made me long to be home and messed with my head. The questioning began…

On day 14, the weather broke and I raced to Union Bay Campground along a sand and cobblestone beach shoreline, which sifted to upturned ledge rock with no landings. 18 miles later I pulled out at the campground, talked to the ranger, set up tent and waited for the next storm. Ilena came over for the weekend to help me weather the storm. With gusts up to 50+ mph, temps in the 30Fs it was a hard day, and the weather didn’t let up until mid-day Sunday.

A sticker on someone's car in Bayfield, WI. Bite your town's money maker in the foot, eh?

On Sunday, I decided to take the week off, fix problems with the kayak, like the broken seat, change out some gear that hasn’t been working for me for gear that I’ve used and trusted for years and for ultralight systems that I know work. I’m also resting the body. I have a few nagging issues that developed in the aggressive start of the trip that need to heal, like my blisters on my hands and a few weird aches. I’m also reorganizing food drops this week to boost the calories significantly. I’ve lost over 10 pounds in the first 16 days of the trip.

I’ll be back on the water next Saturday warming up with a 16 mile paddle from Union Bay to Ontonagon, MI — and I thought that Grand Marais, MN was remote; Ontonagon is truly at the end of the world — Hopefully, I’ll get to eat at Syl’s Cafe again. They have the biggest pancakes and serve up a huge plate of food for the price. Makes me feel embarrassed at the price of eating out in my hometown of Grand Marais, MN.

See you on the water soon.

Day 10: I covered 24 miles from Bayfield to Saxon Harbor today and found wi-fi at Saxon Harbor.

Over the weekend, Ilena came to visit in Bayfield. We drove to Ashland and stayed a night in a hotel, did chores, and resupplied with gear. It was hard to see her leave in my car on Sunday afternoon. But the world did conspire to keep her nearby for an extra hour. She drove my car and something happened on the drive down that caused the rear wheel to strip itself of rubber. We had to change the tire.

It turned out that the tire was pretty much rusted on and without a hammer, it wasn’t going to come off. So, while I worked at it, Ilena recruited the Madeline Island Ferry Captain and his BFH (Big Frak’n Hammer) to help out. When he showed up he looked the part of an old gray bearded salty captian, and within 30 seconds the tire was off. Then he proceeded to let me in on a bunch of secret ways to free your rusted on tires. It was much appreciated.

Lately, I’ve had encounters with some animals. The other day, two bald eagles near their next dive bombed me. And I ran into a wolf outside a campsite, and I also had a close encounter pincher fight with a crawdad.

In the next few days, it looks like I migght be getting some bad weather, but if not, I’m heading to the Porkies and then the Portage Canal. Cell coverage is minimal here, so don’t expect any updates for the next few days.

• Day 4: Gooseberry sucked me in. took pictures & thinking of staying. Bigger than I thought. 2-3 ft waves. #
• Spent all day learn about CCC history at Gooseberry State Park, MN. Amazing stone buildings. #
• On a compass heading into a fogbows pot of gold until Two Harbors lighthouse took over. #
• Day 5:Duluth! Staying with guide book author Andrew Slade & family. #
• Landscape so different on WI shore. Clay hills falling into lake. Water color of willie wonka. #
• Day 6: 26miles. Sand beach campsite with breaking waves. Had to spend 2 much time on tent to get it 2 hold in sand & wind. #
• Have a 34F wave spash into yr relief sucks. Attacked by 2 nesting eagles. Water is clear again. Apostles next. #
• Day 7: WI’s Apostle Island’s red sandstone sea caves are a must see. Kayaks jump on a plane now. Made my top 10 list. #
• Day 8: Bayfield after 19 mi and snow. Saw a gray fox and a mirage of running horses. Don’t know what is colder feet, butt, or hands. #
• @CampWildGirls Nice. Bayfield is really pretty. It’s cold here today. in reply to CampWildGirls #
• @AmNorthCoast I hope your drysuit showed up. I could have spent days at the caves just photographing them. in reply to AmNorthCoast #
• @mountainkat The eagles dive bombed me. I paddled under their nest on a point and they were pissed. I thought I was going to loose my head. in reply to mountainkat #
• RT @twitterhaiku: kayak on water / circling all the great lakes / long journey ahead / @bryanhansel #followfriday #haiku #
• @basecamper I’m posting photos and using trip tracker when I get free wi-fi. Some will go up today. in reply to basecamper #
• @uucamper I crosscountry skied all winter for training and general fitness training. For a trip this big you have to train on the water. in reply to uucamper #
• Lots of concern about my bllisters. Let me count them: 19. Some are healing. They key is to keep my hands dry, which means no gloves. #
• @megankress Nothing like a little salt in the wounds. I had this happen on my Mississippi River trip for the first week. They healed quickly in reply to megankress #
• @philipwerner Taking the day off and maybe the next day on how they look. I’ve been working on them. My right hand is almost healed. in reply to philipwerner #
• RT @avoytilla: RT @tweetmeme Leg One Finished Grand Marais to Bayfield | Around the Great Lakes http://bit.ly/Od49t #
• @MarthaVan Had a couple of nice Action Wipe baths this week. Very nice at the end of the day. Too bad you can’t action wipe smelly clothing. in reply to MarthaVan #
• Day 9: Rest day in Ashland. Ilena came over and we drove down to get a hotel. The town of Bayfield is closed in May. Sunny & 50F. #
• @KevinJacobsen Shoot I missed this. I left at about 7:30am. The Slades were very accommodating and feed me well. Plus good coffee. in reply to KevinJacobsen #
• @DanAtBrandt Blisters are better this morning. I have two that are pretty deep that I’m going to have to watch, but they look okay today. in reply to DanAtBrandt #
• RT @rdavidian: North Country Trail is a work in progress. Progress in the right direction is always fun to watch. http://bit.ly/10nLsU #
• Day 9: Resupplied & ready for next section. Ilena left but not before we needed help from the ferry captain to fix the car. #

I’m huddled under my sleeping bag in the Apostle Island waiting as the temperatures drop below 30F with an accompanying storm front that the NOAA Near Shore Marine Forecast tells me is going to bring snow and 2 to 4 foot waves. In the background I can hear the sound of calming waves and around me the chirps of birds and hardly a breath of wind — a relief from the last six days of wind.

The last seven days have been a whirlwind of travel, adapting my habits and learning new systems of camping to deal with new equipment and responsibilities, and have served a bit of a trip shakedown and training segment. It’s a relief to have made it to the point where I’m at right now, and things seems just to click last night on day 6.

Everything kicked in last Friday. I took the day off of work at Lutsen Resort , packed up my gear, and got ready for a going away party. Ilena and I meet up with a group of friends at Hugie’s Tacos in Grand Marias, MN, one of my favorite restaurants, and then had a fire in my front yard. My friends Holly and Todd whipped up wicked strong Mojitos. I consumed two of these minty summer Cuban drinks and knew I was in trouble for day one. At 10pm, we all came into the house to watch Kevin Jacobson’s news story on me. It ran four times on Friday. Everyone liked it. Then Todd and Susan broke open the bottle of champagne and the toasting began. Everyone toasted. John Amren, owner of Superior Coastal Sports, toasted, “Here Here Wow..” In my tipsy state, that toast seemed like a good idea to tweet. Remember what they tell you about not tweeting when you’re drinking.

The next day turned out even more people when you count the number of people watching on the harbor webcam. I paddled away, but first paddled towards the breakwall just below the lighthouse, so I know I’ll cross my path when I return. I made good time to Cascade Lodge where I was to meet up with Ilena for lunch at noon. Carin, a friend and work associate, her husband Luke, and their daughter Ruby just happened to be driving by heading for Duluth when they saw me pulling off the water. They ran down to say hi. What a great chance meeting. Ilena got there shortly after and we ate. I had a big breakfast burrito. Then the wind started and it was a haul to Lutsen Resort, the official, because I told everyone I was going to camp there, first campsite. I pulled in about four and short after, my friend and photographer, Jeff Scott showed up to celebrate the start of the trip. We got our tents set up just as Ilena showed up, and then shortly after Scott Harrison and Nancy Burns of Lutsen Resort brought beers down. Adam and Mica Harju showed up and despite their and our Mojito hangovers, between 7 of us we did manage to gulp down the beer.

Scott and Nancy are veterans of many long canoe trips up in the barren lands, and Scott reminisced about some of the trips they had up there including one where they had to haul 600 pounds of food. And one where the met a solo man rowing a Gruman canoe with a rearview mirror set-up, who was confused about his compass readings. He thought he was going crazy, but it turned out the be a local magnetic disturbance.

On day 2, I made it to Sugarloaf Cove. Jeff spent the day out photographing waterfalls, which were ranging. I had earlier in the day gone through the Temperance River which had 4 foot standing waves in it as the mingled with the 1 to 2′ waves on the lake. I lost site of land and everything around me for a bit as I paddled through the current. At the campsite that night, Jeff made us two big pizzas in his backpacker oven. When we woke up in the morning, there was frost over everything. We moved our tents to the beach to let them dry off in the sunrise, and Jeff made pancakes.

Day 2 also involved one of the prettiest hidden gems on the northshore of Lake Superior in MN. From the Onion River to Tofte the lake is characterized by cliffs, small caves, pocket beaches and a few coves. In one location, a waterfall plunged directly into the sea.

Day 3 is a blur. I’ve paddled much of the day before, so I just wanted to put it behind me. I went all the way to Split Rock Lighthouse and stayed in the run down watertrail campsite. I spent about 45 minutes working on the site to make it camp-ready and then walked down to the backpacking site which was pristine. I should have check it first. I developed a few muscle aches and most of the 19 plus blisters on my hands this day. Luckily at the end of the day, I had a strong tailwind which developed 2′ seas to help push me along. The boat felt a little wonky though.

The next day, I left Split Rock and paddled down to Gooseberry. I wanted a picture of the waterfalls and I wanted a break from the steep Lake Superior 2′ to 3′ foot seas, strong wind, cold water and air. The first of that size I’d been in this year (except for the brief time in the Temperance River current). I made my wave up to the office and meet Carla (?), a kayaker who just bought a fiberglass kayak. Then I walked around the park and read up on the CCC history there. There are many stone buildings and picnic tables at the park that the “CCC guys” built. They’re in good shape too. I ended up spending much of the day in one working on computer stuff. I turned the day into a short day to work out my computer systems.

Just after dinner time, a strong thunderstorm blew through the area. I coward in my tent remembering what my WFR instructor said. He said the number one cause of death among outdoor education professionals is lightning. The storm brought endless lighting, echoing thunder. The tent shook from the wind.

In the morning Paul Sundberg, park manager and nature photographer, visited with me and got a picture for park records.

From Gooseberry, I paddled to Duluth. The 38 mile day was non-stop travel. I went from the remote part of the shore to a busy shipping area. The first ship of the trip was the blue research vessel that has shown up in some of my pictures previously. And according to guide book author, Andrew Slade, who let me stay at his place on Park Point, the vessel is the sister ship to the one that went down in the book, A Perfect Storm.

Andrew and Sally Slade showed me a little trail magic and made me breakfast the next morning. It was a welcome reprieve from the business of the first few days of the trip. The extra calories and coffee they feed me are still kicking me along to Bayfield.

They saw me off and I paddled into Wisconsin, and chocolate red waters. The shoreline between Duluth and the Brule River is completely different from the northshore. On the northshore, you have stone beaches, cliffs, and crystal clear water. On this section, you have red clay cliffs slumping in the the lake, dark water, and shallow waters. At the base of each clay cliff there’s a sand beach. Did I mention shallow water? I had to travel off of shore a bit to stay out of the weird breaks that the 1 to 3′ waves would break over. The boat handled better when I moved weight from the front to the stern hatch. The Explorer is a nice kayak, but it’s no Romany.

I camped on a nice beach past the Brule, and I tried to get out of the wind somewhat, but it was blowing hard enough for NOAA to issue a small craft advisory, so it was hard to do. I spent time reorganizing, deciding what I really don’t need to send home, and I dried out everything that was wet from the rain of the last three days. I also took a three Action Wipe bath, which felt great. Too bad it does de-stink clothing. The sunset was fantastic.
By Herbster, the shoreline transformed again, to less red clay cliffs, lots of red sandstone, beaches, and crystal clear water. It’s hypnotising to watch the patterns in the sand under the clear water. I paddled a good distance today to get from the Brule to the Apostle Islands, but the best part was at the end when I paddled the sea caves. I’ve been wanting to paddle this section for years, but just didn’t motivate this way. There are caves, arches of all sizes and you can paddle through many of them. If you’re a sea kayaker, this must be on your to-do list. Fly here this summer and do it. I wish I had time to paddle out to Devil’s Island to see the caves out there. They’re suppose to be better.

In the morning I head over the Bayfield or Little Sand Bay in 4′ waves. I’ll have to cross a shallow section between Sand Island and the mainland, which looks interesting on the chart. There will probably be breaking waves in there if the 4′ waves show up.

Then it’s a day off to rest, resupply, and see Ilena. The first leg of the trip that served as a trip shakedown is almost over, and I’m starting to have energy at the end of the days and not hurt so much and just want to crawl into bed. Still, I can’t wait for a day off just to hang tight and explore Bayfield.

Waves were only 2′ this morning. Messed up Trip Tracker and trying to fix it.

• Wish I had time to learn more about solo outrigger canoes. They look so fun. Next year. http://bit.ly/2fbxg #
• spring kayak outfitting / the strong smell of vinyl bond / in the air #haiku #
• @Openocean Love the lay-up they have going on. Sweet looking canoe. I’m definitely going to find somewhere to try these out. in reply to OpenOcean #
• Make your own nose plugs. I made one and they’re really good. @DerrickQuix where’s my nose plugs?? http://bit.ly/t9St2 #
• @kayakinstructor Those plugs have a cult following in town. They’re much better than anything I’ve ever bought. in reply to kayakinstructor #
• @Everest_2010 Good luck with the fund raising. I was shooting for $10,000, but it’s a hard year. in reply to Everest_2010 #
• RT: @GreatLakesGuy The Grand River Expedition, a 225-mile 13-day float down Michigan’s longest river, begins July 14, 2010 in Liberty, MI #
• RT: @kjwikle: Watch Surf Kayaking Lake Michigan Sticky Pod Mount on Vimeo! http://vimeo.com/4376509 #
• Trying Inkscape to vectorize my hand drawn map for a new brochure set I’m working on. Wish I could implanted an instruction chip in my head. #
• Thanks for the Aquapac 100% waterproof electronic cases. These are sweet. @MattCrawford @aquapac #
• The king of tradition @duluthpack is now on twitter and has a blog! I still love my custom made Northwoods with a belt. http://bit.ly/gnOJW #
• Having the pre-expedition jitters tonight. I’m tired, but I just don’t feel like hitting the bed. #
• @SeaKayakStMarys I know. I went out for a 4 mile paddle with a film break in the middle; the jitters were gone until I got to the car. in reply to SeaKayakStMarys #
• @ms_yeti You’re not planning a new expedition? in reply to ms_yeti #
• @Jagernot Thanks! I’ll be in Michigan in a short few weeks. You should wave as I paddle by. in reply to Jagernot #
• Should have started the trip today. Following waves to 2′ with a nice tail wind. Beautiful day on the northshore of Lake Superior. #
• Finishing up final projects at work before I leave for 5 months takes tremendous motivation. #
• Bunch of videos showing kayak strokes: http://tinyurl.com/cx478s #
• RT I’m going to be on TV. @KevinJacobsen: @Bryanhansel The story will air Friday evening on both NBC 6 and CBS 3. Not sure what times yet. #
• RT Pretty cool little wave. @stevefisher: Sicky little vid http://bit.ly/nLJZx #
• @mountainkat I’m in a kayak. (NDK Explorer) http://bit.ly/f8zc5 in reply to mountainkat #
• @shustonphotos Thanks! in reply to shustonphotos #
• A symptom of swine flu? Spam seems to be up this week. 250 new piece of spam caught by gmail since the 25. #
• @mountainkat I launch on Friday and have one official day left at work until my leave kicks in. And I need to pack. in reply to mountainkat #
• My #mp3 player blew-up. They don’t make players that run off of AA or AAA batteries anymore. What to do. #
• @mountainkat I wrote Friday, when I meant Sat at 8am CST. My brain is mush right now. Wanna watch the webcam: http://bit.ly/YklZ1 (IE only) in reply to mountainkat #
• @mountainkat I used a little “presentation zen” during my last photo workshop. Worked like a charm, but it was a bit harder to do. Liked it. #
• @mountainkat Five days of fasting sounds pretty tough. Good luck! in reply to mountainkat #
• @KevinJacobsen I was just using the old MS-DOS command prompt the other day, trying to remember tricks to make typing faster. A past blast. in reply to KevinJacobsen #
• @KevinJacobsen I spent 2 or 3hours typing this to make maps: bsb2png.exe xxxxxx.kap xxxxxx.png About 1/2way I remember the right arrow trick in reply to KevinJacobsen #
• @SeaKayakStMarys How long does that thing take to charge in direct sun? in reply to SeaKayakStMarys #
• Co-workers wishes of well being for me, a kayaker, “Don’t get wet.” #
• @seindal Unfortunately, I have a pretty basic phone without mp3. So, no luck there. in reply to seindal #
• Check out the sweet picture of me we took for this newspaper article. Nothing like beach rock just a few feet below. http://bit.ly/19VqR8 #
• RT Nice multitasking. Thanks, Kevin! @KevinJacobsen You’re story will run @ 10pm Friday on CBS 3 and NBC 6! … now back to the newscast. =) #
• @canoelover I love my Brunton solar roll, but it’s extra work. I’m not taking it, but might have it shipped out to me. in reply to canoelover #
• Pilgrimage | Around the Great Lakes http://bit.ly/H1ibw I love listening to middle English. #
• @philipwerner The Presidential Traverse is one of my favorite parts of the AT. Dealing with the hut system was a bit of a pain. in reply to philipwerner #
• What I like about Grand Marais, MN is that the post office is about a block from the bank, grocery, kayak shop, and harbor. #
• RT I need his hat @thenfb Film Suggestion! Stairway to the Sea – The great Jacques Cousteau sails around the Great Lakes http://bit.ly/htTSL #
• Dryland rolling video. It’s a bit low quality. If anyone finds it worthwhile, I’ll post higher quality. http://bit.ly/3nqIi #
• I now own a cell phone. I guess I loose curmudgeon status. BTW, the word curmudgeon has been around since 1570. #
• @NomadRip It looks good on land. It makes sense on land, but I’m still not sure how to make on land translate to water. in reply to NomadRip #
• Another article about little old me. I guess I have to do this thing. =) http://bit.ly/14z4Lf #
• @aquapac I got a small Kycoera K126C. It’s 4″ by 1 3/4″ and a little over 1/2″ thick. in reply to aquapac #
• RT @YachtPhoto J…photographing the perfect Aquapac case for my Sony ebook reader. I can now read in the bath with worry, hurrah!!! #
• Backpackinglite editor Ken Knight is missing on the AT in VA. http://bit.ly/U4bf2 #
• RT @KevinJacobsen: @bryanhansel The Story will also air on the Northland’s NewsCenter at 5:30 and 6 on CBS 3 and NBC 6. #
• Lots of RT and FF from all of you today. I’m humbled and appreciate it. I hope you’ll continue to follow along all summer as I paddle along. #
• RT @Breaking_Waves: These folks are on their THIRD summer of canoeing the Canadian shore of the Great Lakes! http://www.freshwaterdreams.ca/ #
• @KevinJacobsen Just saw the news segment. It was great. I look really nervous. #
• @mountainkat We have a little party planned for the night around a campfire. To bed early. in reply to mountainkat #
• @TSS2010 Thanks Chris. Only a year until you’re on your way. Hope you have a great summer in Greenland. in reply to TSS2010 #
• Here Here Wow! @SuperiorCoastal #
• @mountainkat Thanks! We had a great campfire and then watched the report on the Duluth new station. in reply to mountainkat #
• @megankress Thanks Megan. I can’t tell you how much I love my drysuit. in reply to megankress #
• Going away party is over. Thanks everyone. Gonna miss Grand Marais for 5 month. #
• On the Duluth news: http://bit.ly/CNeqf Thanks @KevinJacobsen #
• First 10 miles faster than expected ~ waiting for friends 4 lunch #
• @uucamper Yep. Clockwise around all the Great Lakes. There’s a map on the website with dates, etc… http://www.aroundthegreatlakes.com in reply to uucamper #
• @Jagernot Thanks. I’m in camp now tired from the day. in reply to Jagernot #
• Day 1: Fast morning, ate breakfast burrito at Cascade Lodge (MN), head winds to 20mph made afternoon slow. In camp, waiting for the stars. #
• Lutsen to tofte cliffs caves and pocket beaches. #
• Day 2 #
• 16 miles Letting my body rest. 20 to 25 in morning. #
• Day 3 woke up to sunrise frost skim ice on th lake #
• 2 F16s flew over before I got 2 Tettegouche. Tail wind 4 afternoon. #
• Day 3 28.5 miles. Hand blisters bad. Seeing Split Rock felt good. #

Bryan with boat loaded and ready to go.

It was 41 degree F, partly cloudy and winds out of the West as Bryan began to pack his boat for his five month journey. A small crowd turned up to wish him well. He was filled with great excitement as he headed off into the Lake Superior, paddling out from the Harbor. As he ventured off he headed West. The wind picked up slightly and the sun came out. He stopped at lunch time for a short rest and lunch at Cascade Restaurant with Ilena. After some much needed food, he suited back up and ventured out into a strong West head wind. Several more hours of paddling and he arrived at his first camp spot, at Lutsen Resort to meet up with a friend, Jeff and Ilena. Good food and company with a few visits from friends, made for a good evening for Bryan.  It was early to bed and early to rise for Bryan on his first night. Bryan hit the water on his second day with continued 10-15mph West winds, making paddling a challenge. By late day the wind calmed some, helping to ease the challenges of the wind and the new adventure. Tonight Bryan will be having a treat from Jeff, homemade camp pizzas and brownies. It should be a nice evening. The temperatures have warmed to the 50′s and the evening is looking calm and cool. Bryan would like to thank everyone for their support and hope you will continue to follow along on his journey.

Next Rest Area Grand Marais, MN

The journey begins. Paddle on!

Written and Edited by: Ilena Berg