Lake Superior said no to kayaking the Apostle Islands sea caves, so we headed to Washburn

There was a sign at the top of the steps leading down to Meyers Beach explicitly warning everyone that there was a small-craft weather advisory in place. The more important message was implied: Kayaking to the sea caves in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore would have to wait.

This was disappointing, but not unexpected. Meyers Beach, which is west of Bayfield, is the prime launching point for visiting the lakeshore's sea caves. My friend and comrade-in-paddles David Paulsen and I had been planning this quick kayaking getaway for months. But we also had been monitoring the U.S. Weather Service's Marine Zone Forecast for weeks, and meteorologists warned of turbulent waters.

The trip, which called for an overnight stay on Aug. 9 and paddling on Aug. 10, coincided with several fronts moving in and out of the area. No big storms, but whitecaps caused by brisk winds from the west were frothing Lake Superior as far as the eye could see. (I can only presume the winds were worsened by all the hot air coming out of Minnesotans as they yammered on about how "this is the year" for the Vikings, like they do every August.)

Instead of the iconic Apostle Islands paddle, we shifted our goals, taking two kayaking trips on the calmer Chequamegon Bay. Earlier in the day, we paddled north of Ashland. There were waves, but no whitecaps. The bay was protected by northern Wisconsin mainland to the west. We noodled around a wetland area and Fish Creek west of Ashland. While not the Lake Superior sea caves, it was grand fun and worth a trip north on its own.

And after our Apostle Islands paddle was fully thwarted on Saturday afternoon, we gave the bay another shot, this time north of Washburn.

Finding a Lake Superior paddling partner

When I first paddled to the Apostle Islands sea caves on a guided tour in 2017, the experience so resonated with me that I can only describe it as a natural high. One hit, and I became a sea-cave junkie, man.

The tour, through Bayfield kayaking outfitter Trek & Trail , was outstanding. But like an addict, I wanted more. I yearned to paddle to the caves in my own boat, not tied to a group. But there was a problem with that notion. Her name is Kris and she is my wife of 33 years.

Kris has a lot more backcountry experience than I have. Her rule for any kind of dangerous endeavor that involves going into wild, unpredictable areas is that you must do it with a partner. I tried to argue that paddling to the sea caves isn't really a "wilderness" experience, but even I know that argument rings hollow.

Lake Superior is alluring, but It's cold and volatile. Thanks a lot, Gordon Lightfoot, for making Superior's temper famous and giving my wife a solid backing for her argument. A kayaker who isn't prepared, even on a short trip along the shore, can quickly be overcome by hypothermia . You really should partner up for any significant paddling voyage.

"I don't care who you go with," Kris has said, "but you've got to go with somebody."

Enter Paulsen. We've been friends for decades now, and we have taken several trips together up to the Bayfield area. When Paulsen purchased a couple of quality used 14-foot kayaks, I celebrated.

I found my somebody.

Washburn is steeped in the spirit of surfing innovator Tom Blake

Paulsen and I constructed this trip around paddling to the sea caves. We agreed it would be an overnighter, because Paulsen lives in the Milwaukee area. He would pick me up in Wausau on his way north, and we would complete the drive late Friday afternoon/early evening.

The marine weather reports indicated the winds might calm down later in the day on Saturday, so we decided to paddle the relatively calm waters around Ashland in the morning. If you've ever driven through Ashland on U.S. Highway 2, you've likely noticed Maslowski Beach . It's perfect for launching kayaks.

From the beach, we paddled parallel to U.S. 2 to the west, then crossed under it to explore the wetland area on the road's south side. It's a reedy, primal area, and as we crossed under the road and into the tall grasses, we saw a bunch of birds, ducks and long-legged, long-billed wading species. Egrets, I think, but I can't say with authority because I am only a half-assed birder .

Even as we explored those areas, we hoped the conditions farther north at Meyers Beach would temper as forecasts predicted. When we arrived at Meyers Beach, it was obvious that Superior had dashed our hopes. I wondered why forecasts that thwart my plans are always right, but the ones that are encouraging for my outings tend to be wrong. Oh well, that's Wisconsin.

We shrugged off our disappointment and drove back down to Chequamegon Bay.

We found a great launching point in Washburn, near the end of Central Avenue, across from the Washburn Marina. This was a popular place, with plenty of other kayakers coming and going. There were guided groups learning to paddle coming in and out. Not too many that we had to wait to launch, but enough to give us some comfort that our decision to paddle here instead of the northern shore was the right one.

Washburn is the hometown of Tom Blake, a legend among surfers as an innovator who developed a hollow, lighter surfboard . Decades ago, Blake carved the words "Nature=God" into the rock of the shoreline north of Washburn. I found the carving once, near Houghton Falls State Natural Area . I aimed to find it again.

We paddled along, into various notches and shallow caves. I found Blake's carving once before, but I hiked in from land and blundered upon the sport. This time, searching from the water, we had no such luck.

There were people along the shore almost the entire route we took, nearly six miles out and back. They were swimming, jumping off rocks, sitting on platforms built into the rocks. Paulsen and I noodled along, stopped and listened to waves lapping against sandstone. We took photos. Paddled through tunnel like gaps.

On the surface, the whole overnight trip was a flop. We wanted to get to the sea caves. We didn't. As a consolation prize, we wanted to see Blake's carving. We didn't.

But as we paddled back to the Washburn beach, we certainly didn't feel like we failed. I would argue that we felt the spirit of Tom Blake. We certainly melded with nature. God was there, too, I contend.

I think Paulsen agreed. "This is transcendent!" he said at one point.

We'll be back.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Lake Superior said no to kayaking the Apostle Islands sea caves, so we headed to Washburn