Day Zero
Heading to the Start
NOTE: For the entirety of the trip I kept a journal, writing about each day prior to crashing for the night. Some of these make sense, others not so much, reflecting my state of mind for that day. For the remainder of the story, I’ll share my journal, as written, in italics followed up by my current memory of those days and the events along the way.
April 16th- Day Zero
(No Journal Entry for Day Zero)
I got up early, kissed my wife and kids good-bye as they headed to work and school. Then I started piling everything in the driveway. My dad had agreed to shuttle me to Detroit and see me off. His support for the entirety of the trip turned out to be instrumental, but at the time, I remember being thankful he was my shuttle driver. By the time he pulled up I had close to 110 lbs of boat and gear sorted and ready to load. Considering I weighed about #180, I was going to ask my Falcon to move close to #300 of gear and paddler across the state. Would she even float with all this weight? I sure hope so.
My Dad. Here he's about to serve lunch to a group I was guiding in Suttons Bay. My parent's support has always been amazing, and appreciated!
We took a long time getting to SE Michigan. We followed the rivers, scouting many of the road crossings, towns, and dams I’d be encountering along the way. We also stopped and visited Jim Woodruff, one of the mad scientists behind this event, at his home in Delta Mills.
Jim and I had been communicating via e-mail and a couple of phone calls for months. I knew very little of him at the time, other than he considered himself a Topologist, studying how humans have interacted with the topography of the land. I knew he’d been a personal friend and neighbor of Verlen Kruger*. At one-point in our conversations, Jim questioned the practicality of attempting this trip by sea kayak. Interestingly, I took offense at the remark and used that challenge as motivation on many, many occasions. In retrospect, my boat choice could have been a colossal mistake, and I learned why Jim had shared that opinion with me.
Jon with Jim Woodruff and in front of Verlen Kruger Statue-Portland, MI
Jim was also a writer and historian. He did extensive research on the original Hugh Heward paddle. He also documented Charlie’s attempt at the crossing in 2008, providing us all with critical information used to plan our trip. Jim did all his work from his home which sat on the banks of the Grand River, just downriver of Lansing, and directly across from Verlen’s home.
Verlen Kruger
I was full of excitement and anxiety as I knocked on his door, not knowing what to expect. Greeted by his daughter Karen, an energetic woman with a big smile, we were brought to the deck where we were introduced to Jim. I remember him being tall, frail, and very hard of hearing. I also remember his outfit. He was dressed as though he was going to start his own adventure, from his Tilly hat to the khaki pants and fleece top he wore. That meeting began a friendship that would open the door to many other great friendships and ultimately a future adventure called Tip of the Mitt. Jim has since passed away but until the day I can’t remember this trip, he’ll live in my mind as a spirited, grandfatherly figure with the ability to motivate others in ways they probably never imagined. RIP Jim, I miss ya!
One of the many bridges I'd be paddling under along the way
After leaving Lansing, we did some scouting of the Portage River and Portage Creek areas which make up the headwaters of the Huron and Grand River watersheds before heading to Brighton, where my Aunt Judy and Uncle Brian put us up for the night. Knowing the next day would start early, I headed to bed with butterflies from head to toe. I recall reading several issues of National Geographic that night, as I couldn’t find a way to fall asleep. Is this how other adventurers spend their last night before departure? Was I really ready for this?
* Verlen is an icon in paddlesports and one of Michigan’s lost adventure heros. Verlen’s accomplishments in a canoe are legendary. Through experience he designed the Kruger Canoe specifically for long distance river and flatwater paddling. His legacy and boat designs are kept alive by a cult-like following paddlers. It was a core group of these Kruger canoeists that comprised the other boats in the event and who continue to inspire me with their adventures. Verlen passed away in 2004 but his spirit was deeply engrained in the UHHC.