Taking to the Water

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and dynamic speaker. 

She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile adventures exploring the Great Lakes and has authored three books about these adventures. 

To learn more about her work, or to engage her as a speaker, go to 

http://www.laketrek.com/great-lakes-speaker/

I've had time to kayak lately, so I've taken to the water.

I joined a large group of kayakers to paddle a 10.5 mile stretch of the Boardman River. If you've been in Traverse City, you've probably seen the Boardman winding lazily through town. 

This river is over 30 miles long and its headwaters are in Kalkaska. A section of the Boardman has  class 1-3 rapids as it descends into Traverse City!

The section I paddled was from the Brown Bridge Quiet area to Beitner Road. There were only class 1 rapids on this stretch, but several miles past Beitner Road are crazy with rapids.

Here are a couple of photos from that paddle:

And here are a bunch from a paddle I took on Cedar Lake west of Traverse City:

Paddling my Advanced Elements Kayak

Is that a loon?

Yep, a loon!

Spot the turtle

Underwater...

Whaleback Natural Area

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and dynamic speaker. 

She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile adventures exploring the Great Lakes and has authored three books about these adventures. 

To learn more about her work, or to engage her as a speaker, go to 

http://www.laketrek.com/great-lakes-speaker/

I moved to Traverse City three years ago to be near "my lake" (Lake Michigan) and, especially, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

While there are over a 100 miles of hiking trails within the National Lakeshore, there are many more miles of hiking in lands conserved by the Leelanau Conservancy and Grand Traverse Conservation District.

I am exploring all of these trails, trying to tick off new ones like in this previous post...(which is difficult, sometimes, because I am constantly drawn back to my favorites).

This month I vowed to hike Whaleback Natural Area just south of Leland. 
From out on the lake, this rise in the shoreline resembles a surfacing whale.

This trail is about 1.5 miles out-and-back with views of Lake Michigan along the way.

Lake Michigan with Pyramid Point in the distance

This trail passes through private land and runs adjacent to a vineyard before getting up into the wooded preserve.

There are wildflowers and patches of thimbleberry plants (surprise!). These plants are common in areas far north of here, but a patch persists this preserve.

Blazes mark the trail

Thimbleberry plants

Vineyard at beginning of trail

I continue to look for opportunities to contribute by doing trail clean-up and trail-blazing with the organizations overseeing conservation areas in the region.

Happy National Lighthouse Day

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and dynamic speaker. 

She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile adventures exploring the Great Lakes and has authored three books about these adventures. 

To learn more about her work, or to engage her as a speaker, go to 

http://www.laketrek.com/great-lakes-speaker/

August 7 is National Lighthouse Day.

This day honors the beacons that have lit the way for so many vessels on the waters around and within the U.S.

Here are just a few of the many lights I have passed on my Great Lakes Adventures:

40-Mile Point Lighthouse - Lake Huron

Fort Gratiot Lighthouse - Lake Huron (oldest in Michigan)

Point Au Barques Lighthouse - Lake Huron

Tawas Point Lighthouse - Lake Huron

Marblehead Light - Lake Erie (oldest in Great Lakes)

Charlevoix Channel Light - Lake Michigan

40-Mile Point Light (during my second hike/Lake Huron)

Big Sable Lighthouse (Lake Michigan)

Which lighthouse is YOUR favorite?

[Mine is Little Sable on Lake Michigan.]
For more info on National Lighthouse Day click HERE.