Traverse City News and Events

A Historic Ride Across Lake Michigan

June 27, 2015

A ship passing through Lake Michigan during the night this week might have come across a surreal sight: five stand-up paddleboarders, huddled together in the middle of the lake under the glow of the Northern Lights, passing back and forth a thermos of hot tea 30 miles from the nearest shoreline.

The paddle-boarders in question were five Traverse City residents, who successfully fulfilled their mission Wednesday to paddle across Lake Michigan from Algoma, Wisconsin, to Frankfort. The journey took 24 hours and pushed the riders to their limits as they battled wind, waves, hypothermia and fatigue in their quest to raise $10,000 for the Alliance for the Great Lakes.

“I don’t think any of us could have done it by ourselves,” says Kwin Morris, who helped organize the trip. “Each of us hit a stretch where we were struggling, physically and emotionally. We helped pick each other up and pushed each other to keep going.”

Morris, Jeff Guy, Joel Mueller, Nick Darga and Joe Lorenz left Wisconsin on 14-foot paddleboards Tuesday at 10:30am, accompanied by three safety boats and a production crew from Ford Motor Company. Ford sponsored the trip as part of the company’s “Go Further” campaign. All of the participants were experienced paddleboarders and wanted to take on a challenge high-profile enough to raise awareness and funds for the Great Lakes.

But even with months of training and preparation under their belts, the 60-mile voyage strained the riders’ endurance. After the trip was delayed last fall due to poor lake conditions, the team felt confident they’d found a favorable weather window this go-round. As is often the case in Michigan, however, the “forecast was completely wrong,” says Guy. “We never got the southwest wind we wanted.” Instead, head winds forced the riders to paddle on their left side for almost 20 hours of the trip, often pushing them off course.

Further compounding issues, “I don’t think any of us were prepared for how cold it would be,” says Morris. Though the team had dry suits and protective foot gear, air temperatures plummeted into the 40s after sunset, with water temperatures hovering at 38 degrees. “There were several of us who were borderline hypothermic,” says Morris. “Our faces were white, we were shaking. It sucked (the energy) right out of us.”

The aforementioned tea – passed around at one of the team’s hourly 10-minute breaks – helped, as did exhortations to keep powering through. Ironically, says Guy, the group’s toughest stretch came during the last 12 miles, when Frankfort was finally in sight.

“The wind got really strong and the waves kicked up to three and four feet,” says Guy. “It was brutal. That’s where a couple of us fell in.” Agrees Morris: “The lake was giving us one last blast. We were tired already, and that’s when the worst conditions hit.”

For those waiting on shore, the wait was equally agonizing. Guy’s brother, Dan, says his parents were “nervous wrecks” waiting for their son to appear on the horizon. “I know most everyone who had a family member out there didn’t get much sleep that night,” he says. “The anticipation was definitely building once they appeared in the distance and kept getting closer and closer.”

When the riders finally reached the beach just before noon Wednesday, emotions were strong among both the team and the gathered crowd of friends, family and residents. “Coming up on that lighthouse and seeing people cheer, I teared up,” says Morris. “To put yourself out there as hard as you could go and see everyone there to greet you…it was very emotional.” Recalls Dan Guy: “It was almost like they’d been through a traumatic experience together. There were a lot of tears all around.”

A few days later, after some rest and recuperation, Morris and Guy say they’re still recovering physically but are proud they made the journey. “It was the trip of a lifetime,” says Guy. “I’m really glad we did it.” The team will also soon have documentation of their achievement when Ford compiles its footage into a video of the trip.

So would the guys do it again?

“I don’t think anytime soon,” laughs Guy. “It was so hard. But a year or two from now? It’s possible.”

Photos provided courtesy of Kwin Morris

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