In Love with an Island...

Karen Nicholas: Adventurer Extraordinaire

 This piece was written by Karen Nicholas, our kayaking guru on Madeline Island.  It's difficult to put into words the draw of island or the beauty of the naturescapes but I think she did a pretty great job...

The Islands, Lake Superior….

I fell in love with the islands 13 years ago.  One late August day, I was looking at a map of the Midwest and the islands jumped out at me. I said to my husband “That looks like a fun place to boat!”  Three days later we were launching our boat at Little Sand Bay, crossing over to Sand Island. 

 The first sight of the sea caves on Sand Island made my heart jump and my mind fly; how were these formed and are there more?  It was an amazing moment and I will never forget that first feeling of awe from the scenery of the rocks.

The geology of the Apostle Islands dates back to over a billion years ago.  The gorgeous red sandstone caves, pillars, sea stacks and cliffs were once flowing sand settling in this part of the Superior basin.  After the last glaciers receded, Lake Superior has beaten the rocks into the formations we see today. In fact the islands are a true testament to geology still in motion.

Editors note:an excerpt taken from Hamilton Nelson Ross' La Pointe describes this Lake Superior region "as probably the oldest of the known world, the first to emerge from a global ocean.  Because of its geological age, it's subjection to some of nature's most violent treatment and to subsequent erosion, part of the earth's most profound secrets have been exposed here to human eyes"

On our first trip to the islands we camped on Sand, Devils and Oak Islands.  We toured Devils Lighthouse and kayaked the Devils Island sea caves.  We visited the Manitou fish camp, cruised over to Stockton and looked for the shipwreck in Jullian Bay.  We hiked the island trails and relaxed on the islands beaches.  It was a 4 day trip I will never forget and for that reason, I became a frequent visitor to the area.

 In 2008 I completed my US Coast Guard Captains license and became registered with the Apostle Islands National Lake shore so I could professionally guide clients by boat into the islands.  In 2009 we opened the Adventure Vacations, Boat Charter and Surf Shop on Madeline Island.  We have daily boat and kayak adventures departing to see and experience the beauty of these islands.  We bring clients kayaking in sea caves, snorkeling over ship wrecks, touring lighthouses and hiking island trails.  You can join us for a retreat adventure with Madeline Island Yoga Retreats or learn more about  Adventure Vacations on our website .  It will be an Island Experience you will never forget.

Join us this summer and book your Yoga and Kayak retreat:   contact amy@cleanspirityoga.com with questions today.