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hello stranger midwest adventure

  • 25 Best Things to Do Sleeping Bear Dunes, Michigan

    October 24, 2023

    the best hiking, overlooks, beaches, places to eat, kayak, and more in the Sleeping Bear Dunes

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  • Views from Little Sand Bay, family beach campground on the great lakes

    15 Incredible Campsites on the Great Lakes

    March 9, 2023

    Looking for the best places to camp in the Great Lakes? Check out the most beautiful Great Lakes Campsites & Great Lakes camping trip ideas!

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  • image of wilderness systems pungo at sunset in Big Island Lakes Wilderness

    Wilderness Systems Tempest 165 Review

    May 4, 2022

    Sponsored by Wilderness Systems This summer, I’ll be sea kayaking from Washington to Alaska 1300 miles along the Inside Passage, and my weapon of choice is a Wilderness Systems Tempest 165. The first sea kayak I…

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  • Image of a van on backgrounds on a road trip near Lake Michigan in full fall foliage

    How to Take the Best Great Lakes Fall Road Trip

    October 22, 2021

    Looking for the best fall road trip in the Great Lakes? To hit all of the most beautiful places in the fall at peak color, keep reading!

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  • clear water and ripples with Empire Bluff in the background taken from the water at sleeping bear dunes

    Is Geotagging Ruining the Outdoors?

    April 29, 2021

    Is Geotagging ruining the outdoors? Your refusal to share outdoor locations and trails might be less about protecting the environment than you think.

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Maddy ✨ Midwest Adventure

maddymarq

guide & writer exploring the midwest🏕
📍Wisconsin Northwoods
inquiries: hello@madelinemarquardt.com
↓ FREE exploring the Midwest eBooks ↓
My fav kayaking adventures of 2024✨🌴🌅 1- My fav kayaking adventures of 2024✨🌴🌅 1- kayaking under the northern lights just about an hour north of Detroit 2- winter kayaking in Wisconsin 3- this was a absolutely wild time— after getting nailed by some big thunderstorms on PM half day trips, a bunch of us guides went back to tow empty boats (our paddlers had gotten a ride back in a van) the rest of the way to the take out. It was SO much work and we finished around sunset. A stranger had a beach fire right by where we landed, so we chatted for a little and snapped a photo, before getting back to work and cleaning up the sandy mess back at the shop. It’s funny, because the photo definitely makes it look like we were having a cool evening, not deep deep in boat moving logistics. 4- winter paddling just a few days ago, magical!! 5- devils island, Wisconsin. This was such a cool day 6- my favorite beach in the apostles. We got poured on but I was into it 7- one of my favorite campsites :) 8- another of my favorite campsites 9- basswood island 10- fall paddling with eagles 11- from my first whitewater kayaking trip :) 12- canoeing grandmas lake #kayaking #lakesuperior #adventure
this was literally an out of body experience🌊🛸 here’s how to winter kayak⬇️ ❄️ for winter kayaking, in addition to all the typical paddling safety gear such as a PFD and safety kit, a drysuit is a must! A winter coat will not keep you warm when wet. I pretty much ONLY recommend ANY winter kayaking to people using dry suits. ❄️ neoprene gloves and booties can help keep fingers and toes warm!! ❄️winter paddling on the Great Lakes (lake superior especially!) comes with a lot of added risks including shifting ice pack, large wind and waves, and increased hypothermia risk ❄️I work as a Lake Superior kayaking guide! I don’t run tours in the winter; this is primarily because 1) the season where it’s ice free enough to paddle is short 2) rental dry suits aren’t super financially realistic for most companies 3) there’s a lot of added liability in the winter. For similar reasons, I also only winter paddle with other experienced winter paddlers and won’t take anyone out under the table (I get asked a lot!!) ❄️as always, check the weather before launching for wind and waves particularly, and always carry three ways to call for help without a cell phone (ie, GPS/beacon, flares, marine radio, whistle, signal mirror, ect) 🌅 even kayaking on Lake Superior in the summer is considered a coastal kayaking trip (rather than recreational kayaking). Booking a guide is recommended and/or a safety course including deep water reentry and rescues. Winter paddling can be super magical, but it’s a skill you need to build toward. I’ve spent 6+ years working and training as a coastal kayaking guide and slowly acquiring all the gear needed to make days like this a reality— it doesn’t have to take you as long, but if you’re starting from scratch it likely wont happen tomorrow. And that’s okay— some good things take a lot of work— for me winter kayaking on Lake Superior is one of them. 📍Anishinaabe Nation Land #lakesuperior #winter #midwest
send this to your friend who hates living here🤷 send this to your friend who hates living here🤷🏼‍♀️ #midwest #adventure #hiking
that $455 permit😅🌵🥾🏕 honestly, I think that $455 permit😅🌵🥾🏕 honestly, I think the cost of the permit to backpack Havasupai is totally worth it. The Havasu Canyon Trail runs through the Havasupai Tribal Nation Land, and all of the Grand Canyon is the homeland of the Havasupai people, and has been for the last 1000+ years. In the 1900s, the Havasupai were forcibly removed from the rest of the canyon by the National Parks Service separated from their gardens and cut off access to hunting. In 1975, the Havasu falls area and campground was returned to the Tribe, on the stipulation that the area remain open to tourists. a remote community located 8 miles into the canyon with no road access, the Havasupai People had very few options *other* than tourism. Fast forward 50 years to today. The hike down is beautiful, with well-maintained facilities and a lively campground. The whole experience is incredible, and I would easily recommend it! the $455 permit seems pricey, but is totally reasonable when considering the effort it takes to maintain the popular campground 10 miles deep into the Grand Canyon, and the needs of the community to maintain it. #havasupai #arizona #grandcanyon #backpacking
last winter up north❄️🫶 last winter was one last winter up north❄️🫶 last winter was one of the warmest winters on record up here with record low snow— I still managed some wintery adventures, but it definitely wasn’t the same as usual 1- hiking the sea caves trail on the Bayfield Peninsula 📸 @rachel_moon__ 2- winter at High Falls on the Baptism River— a classic favorite of mine 🫶 micro spikes needed 3- exploring frozen river canyons ❄️ 📸 @rachel_moon__ the rivers only freeze enough to hike on for a short window in the winter so it’s best to do a lot of research before frozen river hiking/ skiing and consult a local on real time conditions. You can find more info on frozen river hikes on the North Shore in my exploring the north shore ebook, which is emailed to you for free when you sign up for my newsletter 🫶 4- winter kayaking on superior 5 & 6- exploring the Keweenaw Peninsula with @visit_keweenaw 7- hiking up the Gunflint Trail Region 📸 @rachel_moon__ 9- winter day hiking setup 🫶 I’ve been working on expanding and updating all of my winter hiking resources! Find these in my bio 🔗 under “free trail guides” 10- another shot from my visit to the Keweenaw last winter, this one didn’t make it off my camera in the initial cut 🙈 11- sunset on the lake 12- a fire 13- caribou rock trail 📸 @rachel_moon__ 14- snow & @stegermukluks 15- another shot that didn’t make it off the camera until now, this one from when my sister visited 16- a small roadside waterfall in the Keweenaw 📍Anishinaabe nation cultural and traditional homelands
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