Into the Wilds (3rd in a series about Isle Royale)

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/

This May, I was honored to lead the first organized all-women team on a Moosewatch Expedition on Isle Royale.

My team: Me, April Wilbur, Julie Timmer, Joceline Pasaylo

I have hiked on an expedition four times. This was my first time as team leader.

We cooked dinner and breakfast in camp

This island is a National Park. It is remote and wild. Teams do most of their hiking off-trail and camp in remote areas. 

The island has a mixture of trees

It's difficult to convey how wild and rugged this island is. Rock ridges run the length of the island, often rising hundreds of feet like in the photo below.

My team gives scale to this place

The hiking here is rugged. The views magnificent.

We hiked to the northern shore and had views of Lake Superior at our second camp

In May, snow and ice still persist. 

This stream still wears a cap of snow

We hiked through an area that had burned years ago along the Minong Trail.

Burn area on the Minong

We had some amazing sunsets during our week.

Sunset on the north shore

Where it All Began...

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/

It was on this date 

TEN YEARS AGO

that I began my trek around Lake Michigan.

I am amazed that it has been a decade since this all began.

Standing on Chicago's Navy Pier for the beginning of this 1,000-mile hike, I didn't know if I could do it, had never done anything of this magnitude before. 

I would hike along the edge of my favorite place and get to know it completely...

all its many moods...

...the many creatures living along the edge of this Great Lake...

...the beauty along the way.

I arrived back in Chicago after 64 days of hiking (averaging 16 miles/day).

 And I got to celebrate with friends and family and followers of this amazing journey.

This adventure led to my first book:

It went on to be a Heartland Indie Bestseller!

[Available wherever books are sold -- support your local INDIE bookstore!]

Also available as an audiobook HERE.

This first adventure led to two more:

I have given over 200 presentations about my Great Lakes adventures! 

Learn more about me and my dynamic presentations about our magnificent Great Lakes HERE. 

Lake Trek 8th Anniversary

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: 

A 1,000-Mile Walk on the Beach  [A Heartland Indie Bestseller]

A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Walk   [Winner of the Great Lakes Great Reads Award] 

A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Island Adventure  [Long-listed for the Chautauqua Prize]

 

To learn more about her work, or to engage her as a speaker, go to http://www.laketrek.com/great-lakes-speaker/

Today is the 8th anniversary of my hike around Lake Michigan.

Lake Michigan rocks along Sleeping Bear Bay

This 1,019 mile hike encircling my favorite Great Lake expanded my understanding of this place...and of myself.

Wild weather near Saugatuck, MI

This hike took 64 days

and I averaged 16 miles per day.

Whew!

Limestone edge of Michigan's U.P.

Crossing the Mackinaw Bridge

This amazing adventure is chronicled in my first book, A 1,000-Mile Walk on the Beach.

The Heartland Indie Bestselling book about my Lake Michigan adventure

(available wherever books are sold)

And this first journey led to two more 1,000-mile adventures exploring our wondrous 

Great Lakes.

The three books in my Great Lakes Adventure series

Learn more about me, my adventures, and our Great Lakes HERE.

Island Adventure Anniversary

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and Great Lakes speaker. She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile adventures exploring the Great Lakes and has written three books about the Great Lakes [A 1,000-Mile Walk on the Beach *a Heartland Indie Bestseller*, A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Walk *winner of the Great Lakes Great Reads Award*, and A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Island Adventure]. To learn more about her work, or to book her as a speaker, go to http://LakeTrek.com

The book about this adventure

 Today is the second anniversary of the completion of my Great Lakes Island Adventure.

Here are some highlights:

South Bass Island

Glacial grooves on Kelleys Island

Isle Royale

Kayaking the Apostle Islands

Hiking Grand Island with my niece and nephew

Belle Isle

Chain coral on Manitoulin Island

Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island

Final steps of my 1,000-Mile Great Lakes ISLAND Adventure

4 Events in 2 Days!

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and Great Lakes speaker. She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile adventures exploring the Great Lakes and has written three books about the Great Lakes [A 1,000-Mile Walk on the Beach *a Heartland Indie Bestseller*, A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Walk *winner of the Great Lakes Great Reads Award*, and A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Island Adventure]. To learn more about her work, or to book her as a speaker, go to http://LakeTrek.com

September was a busy book tour month.

And it ended with a blitz of 4 events in 2 days!

Plainfield Senior Center

I was pleased to return to two senior groups in the Grand Rapids area. I had given my 

Great Lakes Walk presentation previously, but they asked me to return to give my 

Great Lakes Islands talk!

Over a 100 seniors gathered to hear me in Plainfield

Christine Friedt introduces me

I then spoke to a self-described 
"social group with a camping problem," 
SOLAR, 

*School for Outdoor Leadership, Adventure, and Recreation*

in Livonia. 

And the capping event was at Troy Public Library.

Troy Public Library

Thanks to these venues for hosting my presentation, and to all the people who came out to hear me speak!

Treasure Island on Lake Mindemoya

While on Manitoulin Island, I kayaked to the largest island in a lake on Manitoulin.

Kayaking to Treasure Island on Lake Mindemoya

Yep. An island on an island.

A perfect day to kayak

Exposed roots from a tree blown down in a storm

Limestone underneath water

Manitoulin Island is the largest island in the Great Lakes basin. It is also the largest island on fresh water in the world. I spent almost two weeks exploring the island and can't wait to share it with you in my upcoming book, 

   A 1000-Mile Great Lakes Island Adventure.

A Kayak for my GREAT LAKES ISLAND ADVENTURE

When I began planning my new adventure

1000-Mile Great Lakes ISLAND Adventure

I decided I would kayak part of the journey to see some of these islands from the vantage on top of the water.

I've done a bit of kayaking over the years, but didn't currently own one. Since my journeys take me far from my home base, I wasn't looking forward to having to hoist a kayak on my car and drive with it tied down up there.

SO, I researched the newest, high-tech inflatable kayaks.

After reading the reviews, I approached 

ADVANCED ELEMENTS

about partnering with me on this adventure by supplying one of their kayaks. It arrived in this canvas duffle:

Here are the specs:

LENGTH 10’5"  WIDTH 32"    

WEIGHT 36 LBS. PERSON/S 1

MAX. WEIGHT 300 LBS. CHAMBERS 7FOLDED SIZE 30" X 17" X 10"

And here is a video showing the easy transformation from duffle to kayak:

Promotional Consideration Given

The Adventure Concludes!

The final 15 miles of my 
1000-MILE GREAT LAKES WALK

took place in Niagara Falls, Ontario, along the Niagara River Recreational Trail. 

On October 19-20, I hiked with a fantastic group of people who came to the falls 
to join me for the final miles of my adventure.

We had lovely weather the first day, hiking among the bright colors of fall.  Our break the first day was at a winery along the way. We stopped for wine and cheese. 

That's classy hiking!

My sister (Leslie), Me, and my cousin (Milene)

Hiking amidst the fall leaves

Niagara River merging with Lake Ontario

Hikers Day 1 at Brock's Monument

Hikers Day 2

Overlooking the Niagara River

Hikers celebrate the end of the hike

The Falls

I'd like to thank everyone who came to Niagara to celebrate the finale of my hike, people who have followed my adventure, and to all of you who care about our Great Lakes.

I will continue to blog about issues effecting our Great Lakes.

The book about this hike, 

A 1000-MILE GREAT LAKES WALK,

will be released in early 2013.

Please watch for it at your favorite independent bookstore, and watch the sidebar here for my upcoming book tour and speaking engagements.