Isle Royale... Up North Garden of Eden

Two weeks ago I woke up in my tent to a fog filled morning, listening to the loons sing somewhere over the water. My dad and I the day before, had the most terrifying paddling of our lives as we kayaked around the northeastern point, with 6-8 foot waves coming from two directions, in fact I had two break right over me and my kayak. Fortunately we didn't have to eskimo roll at all. The place we were at was Isle Royale, one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. It is a place of wonder, of solitude, and experiencing the beauty of God's creation. To quote a journal entry from a shelter notebook on the island: "I don't see how anyone can look at the beautiful surroundings around them and say that there isn't a God!" I wish I could post all of the pictures but I'll limit it to a few. In the third picture you can also see the Greenland style paddle that I made out of a regular 2x12 from Home Depot. It was the fourth one I have made and I hope to turn it into a nice little side business once I get a few more tools to help cut down the time it takes to make one...currently about 15-20 hours. Our trip included a 56 mile boat ride just to get to the island from Copper Harbor, MI, 3 portages, with kayaks weighing 150+ pounds fully loaded, rocks, trees, cliffs, a fox, and moose dung. I also managed to make 1 pair of underwear last 5 days before I switched to my second pair. When you have limited space for food, clothes, and shelter, it is amazing how many times you can wear clothes over again. For me, the best part was the lack of any stress whatsoever while on the island. Our days consisted of purifying water, paddling, hiking, and plenty of reading while the sun set. After two years of being stressed out over work and graduate school, this was definitely what I needed. I encourage anyone with the opportunity to go hike or kayak the island!