HCKC 2025 Summer Upper Peninsula MI

EVENT IS FULL, contact trip sponsor to get placed on the waiting list

Dates: June 28 thru July 6, 2025

Trip Sponsors: David & Susan Nord (Assisted by Linda Decker, Jim Heichelbech, and Tony Pascuzzi)

Trip Level: Level 3+

Join us for a week of sea kayaking on both sides of Michigan’s beautiful Upper Peninsula. We will paddle rugged Lake Superior locations in the Marquette/Munising region and then paddle in northwestern Lake Michigan near Fayette State Park along Niagara Escarpment in the area known as the Garden Peninsula. Expect to paddle along colorful sandstone cliffs with caves on Superior and white dolomite cliffs on Lake Michigan.

Campground Locations: We will base camp out of 2 locations:

PARTICIPANTS WILL NEED TO RESERVE THEIR OWN CAMPSITES.  Mark your calendars (sites fill up fast) - Reservations open January 2nd for both locations!

Important Trip Info: This HCKC sponsored trip is structured as a set of four to six (4-6) day trips that will average 12-14 miles per day with one 18 mile route (weather permitting).  Each day will include a midtrip lunch stop of 30-60 minutes. Participants will drive to a different put-in location each day and unload/load boats at that location. Each day trip will start and end from that location (no shuttles). Expect drive times of about an hour if we paddle Pictured Rocks. This trip will also offer participants casual opportunities to practice surf launching & landing, paddling in wind, turning in wind, draw strokes, rudder strokes (bow & stern), bracing, edging and boat control. We hope to encourage some fun learning opportunities as we explore. Due to the weather and other factors, the itinerary will be determined each day and communicated to participants as far in advance as the forecasts reasonably allow. All day trips are subject to change to maintain kayaker safety. Participants can choose whether or not to join each day’s scheduled trip. Trip Leaders may restrict or redirect individual participants on any given day, if necessary, to maximize individual and group safety.  If the weather makes padding unreasonable, there are lots of biking and hiking opportunities nearby.

Required Equipment:

• Sea kayaks 15’ or longer with full perimeter deck lines, sealed fore and aft bulkheads and/or floatation.
• Personal Flotation Device (PFD) & whistle, spray skirt, pump, and paddle float.
• Wetsuit and paddling jacket or dry suit.
• VHF radio (recommended), InReach or PLB  (if you own one)
• Extra food and water, sunscreen, insect repellent or head net, waterproof matches, headlamp, emergency blanket, first aid (especially epi-pens or required medications)

Daily trips will be selected to minimize weather impact, but routes may include any of the physical and environmental conditions listed below:

• Paddling locations may include open water crossings up to 2.5 miles, tour boats/recreational traffic, and limited landing opportunities due to rugged shorelines.
• Winds up to 15 knots (17mph) and/or waves up to 2 feet, plus confused wave patterns near cliffs.

Participants must be able to:

• Safely exit their kayak while wearing a spray skirt and participate in an assisted rescue.
• Maintain a pace of 2.5-3.0 mph in L3 conditions in any wind or wave direction (or accept a tow).
• Paddle for up to 3 hours without landing. (Expect 4-7 hours of paddling each day)

Marquette Based possible day trips (Tourist Park):

1. Presque Isle to Little Presque Isle (13 miles)
2. Presque Isle Black Rocks and Marquette Harbor (8-12 miles)
3. Bay Furnace-Wood Island-west Grand Island (15 miles) 45min from Marquette
4. Sand Point Trout Bay paddle (14 miles) 60 mins from Marquette
5. Miners Beach to Chapel (14 miles) 75 mins from Marquette or 80 min from Fayette

Fayette Based POSSIBLE DAY TRIPS (Fayette State Park):

1. Spider Cave – Snail Harbor (12 miles)
2. Sac Bay- Little Summer Island (10 miles) 15 min from Fayette
3. Fairport to Summer to Poverty Island (18 miles) 15 min from Fayette(optional longer route)
4. Fayette north to Garden Bluff (16 miles)
5. Portage Bay loop on east side of the peninsula (10-12 miles)

Registration:  Register here and e-mail David Nord  nordfamily@hotmail.com