Lake Superior Solo Rowing Expedition
Expedition Description
Overview
In the summer of 2024, I set out to cross Lake Superior. Overcoming the weather and wilderness required a reliable vessel and significant endurance, creativity, resilience, and mental toughness.
The Inspiration
In the summer of 2023 one of my lifelong friends biked from East Lansing, MI to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, CA. On his 3,000 mile journey he remarked how much he learned about himself and what was important to him in life. In hearing this, I was inspired to embark on a journey of my own. After considering many options, I decided on rowing the Great Lakes, which ended up shrinking to rowing Lake Superior. I had never built a boat, rowed, or been on a solo trip for more than 2 days.
Preparation
The design, build, and testing done on my first rowboat is detailed in my Adventure Rowboat One Build (link). I prepared through a combination of physical conditioning, navigational study, and logistical planning. I trained on rowing machines, memorized maps, studied weather patterns, and sourced all of my essential supplies. My food strategy was designed around caloric needs, nutritional value, mass, and ease of preparation. To stay organized and safe, I sorted my items into into three categories: safety critical, mission critical, and desires. This system allowed me to instantly asses the importance of any piece of gear, and more importantly, gauge my current situation. It allowed me to determine if I was simply uncomfortable, facing a misison-comprimising issue, or in a safety emergency. This mental framework became an essential tool for decision-making and problem solving under pressure on my journey. (pic of gear laid out)
The Journey
In my mind, the expedition split into two profoundly distinct experiences. The first was defined by the steep curve of learning and the failures that come with it. The second was defined by the beauty of working through the pain and piece-by-piece, exercising those hard-earned lessons.
The First 11 Days
Departing from Duluth, MN, I was well rested and excited to get along my way. I made great progress my first day, opened up some sores on my hands, and ate my first meals on the go. The first night I slept restlessly, not used to sleeping in the boat. Day 2 I made significantly less progress and faced some hazardous weather in the afternoon. My testing came in handy, knowing that with the full adventures worth of provisions on board I couldn’t tackle as large of waves. It was on day 3 that the true magnitude of the challenge really made itself clear. I was tired, sore, my hands bled every time I moved them, and just overall low on energy. It was clear that I wasn’t eating enough and was operating in an unsustainable calorie deficit. I was experiencing growing pains in terms of learning how to row and the mental burden of navigation always playing a role. This echoed through the next few days. It was incredibly difficult, and I wanted to give up. I told myself that I’d make it to day 10, or Houghton before I was allowed to stop. I made staggered progress, rowing more than 30 miles some days, and others less than 5. Through the Apostle Islands, along the Porcupine Mountains, and toward the Keweenaw Peninsula. I ended day 10 just south of Freda, north of Rockhouse Point, where I set my mind on rowing to Houghton the next day. On that day 11 row, things started to click. I felt comfortable at the oars and fought through moderate weather with confidence. Reaching Houghton that evening, I felt accomplished in making it to another city. While I knew it wouldn’t be easy, I also knew I had what it took to make it across the lake.
From Houghton to Mackinac
More about the trip.