Wild weather at the Great Lakes Sea Kayak Symposium

Unloading boats at the Great Lakes Sea Kayak Symposium.

The words of Herodotus, inscribed above the door of the New York City post office, might well apply to this year's Great Lakes Sea Kayak Symposium*: "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night..."

We arrived in Grand Marais, MI just before a deluge that signified the end to a string of hot, humid days and the start of a period of cooler weather. The rain pounded so hard on the metal roof of the symposium headquarters in the community center, people had to shout at close range to be heard. Outside, ominous clouds began circling over Lake Superior, and the US Coast Guard announced a water spout offshore.

Ominous clouds circling offshore at Grand Marais, MI.

But the wet and wild weather didn't dampen the enthusiasm of coaches or participants.

Hey, it's a water sport! These students couldn't be stopped.

Over the next three days, we paddled in wind and waves, as well as on flat water. We sweated in light clothing and shivered in dry suits. It was a weekend tour of midwestern summer weather, and a great demonstration that neither snow nor rain nor heat not gloom of night stays these paddlers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.

*More posts about this symposium will follow in the coming days.