Equipment & Clothing List Chances are you’ll be paddling during one of the splendid, sunny days that Lake Superior boasts. From experience, though, we know the weather conditions can vary greatly on any given day of a tour. For your safety and comfort you should come prepared by bringing the following: Long underwear top (Capilene or polypropylene works best) Wind/Rain Jacket or paddling top Shorts (ideally of the “quick-dry” variety) Footwear (aqua sox, or wetsuit booties are ideal, but an old pair of tennis shoes is fine--they’ll get wet!) Light Stocking Cap T-Shirt Swimsuit Sun Hat Sunglasses H2O Bottle Sunscreen Trek & Trail Provides: Kayak Sprayskirt Paddle PFD Paddle float Bilge pump Farmer bill wetsuits (if needed).

Introduction to Sea Kayaking Your Introduction to Sea Kayaking trip will meet at Trek & Trail’s outfitting center at the Old Cooperage building across from the ferry landing in Bayfield at either 10:45 am or 1:45 pm on the day of your trip Thank you for choosing Trek & Trail as your guide to an exciting outdoor adventure. We are glad that you have chosen to join us for an introduction to kayaking along Gitche Gumee’s scenic shoreline. This trip covers safety considerations and other essential information about sea kayaking, which is useful to keep in mind before you explore the beautiful, yet sometimes unpredictable waters of the Great Lakes. This short trip introduces you to paddling strokes and technique, weather awareness, and it gives you just enough of a paddle to give you a taste of what sea kayaking is all about. The itinerary for our two hour intro includes instructional time and a short paddle up the shoreline north of Bayfield. You’ll start this trip with a basic introduction to paddling on Lake Superior. Your guide will discuss a few simple safety concerns you will need to keep in mind to be a safe paddler. After your safety discussion, your guide will introduce you to the equipment you will be using, and then will instruct you in the forward, reverse, and turning paddling strokes. Once you feel comfortable with these fundamentals, it is time to make your unique voyage along the scenic Bayfield shoreline, and possibly visit one of the fabled shipwrecks of the area. We employ the use of double kayaks – stable efficient crafts with which to journey on Lake Superior. This makes it a very accessible activity for families, as well as for the older outdoors person. This course will not make you a proficient paddler; however, after you’ve had this introduction you may have a better idea of whether sea kayaking is for you. Hopefully, when your tour is complete and you are back on the mainland, your interest in kayaking will grow and we’ll see or guide you again on Lake Superior’s fantastic waters. Our tour allows us a clear view of several of the Apostle Islands, including Basswood, Madeline, and Long Islands. The area is flanked by two accessible shipping routes that run through the islands into the Ashland area -- the north and west channels. It is rare now to see a large ore boat in these waters (maybe two or three a season) but in the old days of the mighty steamers these channels were busy with various commercial activities. If you have concerns regarding equipment you’d like to bring along, or your Introduction to Sea Kayaking in general, please call us at 800.354.8735. We want you to have an enjoyable and memorable experience.