Apostle Islands: Weathered and Wonderful

Bayfield left us with several pleasant experiences on the eve & morning of our departure.  An overgrown jungle-like trail taking it's followers to a place where the water cascades, and further on to an iron bridge with wobbling sensations, where from we raced one another's leaves to the trickling river below.  Moments of sun came out above the town, and the shock was in the quickness of our response to it's warmth.  Within seconds we were sighing with relief and hanging out the unceasingly damp towels and such things. 

Another stroll led us yet again to the fish-boil fire in the city only 2 blocks from our anchoring spot.  What a delight it is to soak up such a mighty dry warmth knowing the moments to follow lead oneself to a soggy and quite mildew-filled 27' floating thing.

The Sunday bells tolled upon our arrival to the little chapel.  Our initial reaction was a (you could say, questionable) glance to each other, as we were met with robed men carrying a cross in a regal procession into less-than-a-dozen sort of congregation.  In recent times, as the process of my spiritual refinement has come, I have grown to enter into places with an open-heart and an intrigued mind for learning through observations.  As I listened with my heart, more and more, I saw the deep, penetrating, and absolutely genuine beauty that this extremely modest congregation carried.  In the past, I would have sat scoffing at this seemingly "ultra-religious" setting, and rather than that sort of familiar arrogance of my near past, I found myself moved to the point of tears and spoken "amens."    We were invited to the church's home nearby for the sorts of goodies that warm the soul and people that warm the heart.  As the trees displayed the winds picking up, Corey and I got the itch to leave, and were warmly sent off into the seas. 

Reefing the main and throwing up the storm jib, we practically flew with a lightness of heart we hadn't felt in long-days.  Not only was the sun shining brilliantly above our heads and the wind blowing in such a way that the lenses of my glasses rattled with oncoming gusts, but we skipped across the water at hull-speed with the smallest amount of sail up as possible.  For the first time in our sailing lives, we looked forward to the heavy gusts rather then dreading them.

We zipped past the rolling green islands, as other full-sailed vessels passed us.  Seemed to me that everyone's grins were reaching their ears on this day.

Well...all except Corey's; it seems his grins only shine when he knows the camera isn't pointed his way.  ;)

We tucked into the bay at Raspberry Island. Following yet another small trail, the sense that the foliage was yet again pulling us and embracing us as we tested our land-legs, feeling the wonderful sensation of feeding the muscles long-hungry for exploration.   It ended in a lone-ranger's place, complete with croquet and a vegetable garden.

The skies melted into a perfect dusk of purples and pinks as I sang my heart out across the waters.  Singing every Psalm I know (1-7), I had a true sense that these words were directly to the heart of the Maker of such a spectacular  360 degrees scenery.  

Since our arrival to The Apostle Islands/Bayfield, we have found this place surely lives up to it's title of THE sailing capital of this Superior Lake.  That being said, we found our battery juice-less from our minimal use of motoring and maximal use of sailing.  So the evening brought a Corey-candle-lit reading of a terribly written mystery story, mixed with the joy of knowing it was my birthday in the morning.

As if on cue, the SUN SUN SUN SUN SUN woke us delightfully early.  As I surfaced from a reFRESHing jump in the lake, I was not only met with the smell of my birthday-chocolate-chip-banana-cinnamon pancakes (even heart shaped!), but with a steaming mug of tea for the thawing of the body.  

As we sailed effortlessly off the anchor, the gleaming sun above, I couldn't help but notice how everything had evolved into a perfect climax of this day.  I mean, even the bananas ripened on time!  As we flew, full sailed, across the channel, surrounded by islands...I absolutely burst with bubbling laughter and joy.  The orange goggles were placed before my eyes, as a sign of summer's arrival.  Even the smell of my straw hat reminded me that summer, July 29th had arrived.

We cruised up to Devil's Island, the place of Superior's greatest sea-caves.  It was as if the swells of the lake echoed to the core of this island, as we drifted past with awe.  Another thing about sailing in the Apostle Islands, is that 90% of the time the channels are 150 ft of water without any hindrances, and in that same theme, we were able to approach these caves without the anxiety it would usually cause.

We were soon followed by a "circus boat" that unloaded with half a dozen young teen boys.  After dropping our trusty danforth, taking some time to find a nook between the slate slabs below, we geared up in our beloved dry suits and grabbed our snorkeling materials.

Even Nerve Cap (the dinghy) had his own anchor for this special time. Though the waters were absolutely chilling, nothing could take away the joy that we were surrounded by some of the coolest natural architecture possible.  Well, nothing except the terrible things a mask can do to a countenance I suppose.

We felt like two extreme-sports goers with a rowboat full of gear, toughing the cold waters as our bodies drifted up and down with the lake's swells.  I was beside myself  as we sailed off into the channels once more .  I was delighted that our cockpit was full of snorkeling gear and things hung to dry.....while of course hitting 5 knots under full sail!  

Arriving slowly at a drifting pace as the wind slowed, we pulled into Rocky Island.  Another tiny foot-trail, embraced by the foliage, brought us to quite an anti-climactic place.  Well, I suppose it was a climax seeing that it was the top of a huge erosion-formed mountain, but anti in the fact that the trail just straight up ended, and that was it after a solid 30 minute trek through mud and mosquitoes.  Regardless, we, being Corey and Meg, plopped right there where the trail ended...on the edge of this spectacular view and toasted two beers in the sake and honor of birthday celebrating.

That evening, around the time I was feeling lonely for the "family" element that has long been vital to the essence of a birthday, things took a delightful turn.   So, to set the scene, three luxury motor boats parked at the island's little dock (one even complete with a literal dozen jerry cans of fuel and hanging baskets with flowers).  We had started a fire and I was asking one of the boats if they could spare some salt....and before I knew what was happening, a man from the other boat was handing me a plate of cooked fish that was caught that very day!  What a birthday dinner!

Sometime later, a 16 foot boat pulled up, with a giggling couple, piling plastic bags and armloads of clothes and cookware on the dock to carry to their campsite.  We were getting acquainted with this couple, when Corey happened to notice Nerve Cap floating off and into the bay.  (Apparently the ferry's wake pulled it entirely off shore!)  Luckily we had just made the right friends, and Nerve Cap was rescued in no time.  Whew...I can say it would have not been a 'Happy' Birthday to arrive back at the beach, in the dark, to find no sign of our dinghy! 

While we were hanging on the dock chatting with this couple in the victory of the dinghy rescue (meanwhile enjoying the yet-again spectacular sun-setting dusk sky), two couples from two of the boats were walking very slowly, staring at us, with quite suspicious behavior.  I just figured they were just "doing their thing" and we were "doing ours" when....they started THE song:

Happy Birthday...etc etc....Happy Birthday dear.....whoever-you-are-from-Marquette....Happy Birthday to you!

And in their hands, they carried two mini cakes with two candles (cause of the suspicious behavior) complete with whipped cream and raspberries AND a bottle of wine!!!  For casually mentioning my birthday earlier and not having hardly exchanged pleasantries...I was overwhelmed with gratitude and the sort of joy that comes from being honored so unexpectedly!   So the evening proceeded with what you could say was an impromptu birthday party with 4 couples that knew not another, around a fire into the late star-lit hours of the night. 

 A birthday to be always cherished and remembered.

The morning following had no comparable qualities...the grey fog and rain had returned.  However, the skies cleared and we had yet another climactic sail through the grand Apostle Islands.

And summer was finally starting to look a little like it should.

So could things have turned more beautifuly, to have the climax of our summer on my 23rd birthday? What a blessing.  You see, the days can't come much better than this one had, so as we sailed, our decision is as follows.

Return to Bayfield and departure is in the morning.  East and homeward bound.  More grey skies foretasted and we're ready to return to our "regular-young-adult-summer-lives" for a while before duties come and employment blesses us with some stability of some sort. 

In the meantime, the journey home can always turn over new leaves and bring new perspectives, so this isn't the end!
M