Big Water 2008

Thunder Bay never looked so good!

August 2nd we arrived home at 1:30 in the afternoon.

What we did.  In the summer of 2008 we, David Mcgratten and Karl Wilson, started a kayak expedition around Lake Superior, the worlds largest freshwater lake. Lake Superior has an average temperature of 4 degrees Celsius or 40 degrees Fahrenheit. It also regularly has waves of over 6m (20 feet) with storm waves up over 9 m (30 feet). We started in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada on May 28th at 10:13.  We paddled over 2200 km, 1370 mi, along the cost past undeveloped forest, cottages, towns and cities. After 67 days we arrived home on August 2nd at 1:30 pm

Why we did it.  For both of us we have grown up in Thunder Bay and everyday we have looked out across Lake Superior, our own inland ocean. It is a lake that can sink a 700 foot tanker in less than 15 minutes one day, and then be as clear as glass the next. This lake embodies the desire that we all have for adventure, risk and for the pursuit of the unknown. For those involved in the outdoors there is always a desire for the betterment of our own skills, to push our limits, and to discover a little more of who we are, and what our place is in this vast world. For these same reasons we are going to set out on this trip understanding the risk but knowing that the benefits are far better. We do not want to just put a notch in our belts and hold our heads high with pride but to humbly see nature and understand just a little bit more of ourselves and the part of the world we call home.

Where did the name Big Water come from?  The name Big Water comes from the Ojibway word Gitchigumiwhich literally means big water.  The natives who lived and worked on this lake understood the power of Superior.  It is a lake which inspires awe for its size and unpredictability.  This is a lake with over 2200km of shoreline and where the waves can easily reach heights of 9 meters.  It only makes sense that we call our expedition what has long been the  name for the lake, Big Water.

Check out our where we camped on the trip by clicking on Lake Superior below.

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