You better think (think) think about what you’re trying to do to me
Yeah, think (think, think), let your mind go, let yourself be free
Oh freedom (freedom), freedom (freedom), freedom, yeah freedom
Freedom (freedom), freedom (freedom), freedom, ooh freedom
Hey, think about it
You, think about it
-aretha franklin

So now that our time is coming into focus, you know. .”things to see, people to do. . .” Mr Blades and I could finally talk about pinning down our first day for the Door County Circumnavigation.  The one thing we know for sure is that we need to arrive back in Rowley’s Bay for the Door County Sea Kayak Symposium on Thursday , July 10th. Of course since it’s close to home, and I’ve become much less “plan” oriented. . . I really didn’t take into account that just 130 miles is STILL 130 MILES. Suddenly I’m playing with my calculator. . .

At 130 miles you need 4-5 days. At 4 days you have to make at least 32 miles (51km) per day. For an average pair of paddlers that comes down to 4, 8-9 hour days.  So to make it all work out we pretty much have to have 4 long days of good weather. 5 days takes the pressure off, and 6 days makes it leisurely. Of course it looks like we’ll have 4 days tops. Chances are we will have to make a decision about Washington Island on the Tip of Door Peninsula. If we’re doing well we go to Washington, if we need to make up time we’ll skip it.

The other thing we have to deal with of course is sleeping. Door County has a very mixed reaction to paddlers. In some areas it is very rural and laid back, in other areas the shoreline is built up with vacation homes and condos. Many of those folks are not all that pleased with kayakers. (Apparently we clog the intakes on their yachts!) Of course the plan is to commando camp along the way. Hell, it’s summer. . who needs a tent unless the weather goes bad?! However I also put out a few emails to local paddlers looking for tips and ideas about good places to snooze.

Some of the cliffs in Door

Then of course is the weather, the land and the “sea”. Winds tend to come in from the north west around here so we don’t usually have the kind of waves that build up on miles of open water. There are no tides to speak of. Still, weather happens. Most of Door County has nice sandy beaches or wooded shores, yet some areas are rocky and other areas are high white cliffs.

In the end even a short trip must be thought through with the same seriousness as a much longer trip. First you cover all your bases before you launch, then you get down to enjoying a few days on the water. And that’s the whole point.

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