Category Archives: Other circlers

Two bicyclists finish their 500-mile “Trans Superior Tour”

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Molly and Rich Hoeg (source http://www.crazyguyonabike.com)

Just learned from the Lake Superior Binational Forum about the recent nine-day, 500-mile Trans Superior Tour by Molly and Rich Hoeg on bicycle in part to “highlight the importance of Lake Superior to their lives” (Forum).  Thought I’d share their information while I continue to process my own photos and narrative from the rest of my own Lake Superior trip.

Click here for the website devoted to their Trans Superior Tour, and click here for their blog that includes this Tour.  Note that as I indicate, these two photos are from their Tour website.

I was just a couple days ahead of them and would have loved to meet them on the road!  Here is the route they took:

Route that Molly and Rich bicycled August 2012 (source: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com)

The bicyclists Kris and Zach finished their Great Lakes trip!

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Thanks to an article by Sara Matthews on Great Lakes Echo, I just learned that Kris McNeal and Zach Chase finished bicycling around the Great Lakes. Yes, bicycling.  Around the entire Great Lakes!

Can you even imagine completing a journey like that?!  Sara writes they completed  5,700 miles in 97 days ending their trip in Duluth last weekend.  I have a link to their trip, Big Water Bike, on the right side of this page under “Others Circling the Great Lakes”.

Huge congratulations, Kris and Zach!

Bicyclists Kris McNeal and Zach Chase pass half-way point

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As I mentioned last month, Kris McNeal and Zach Chase left Duluth on May 1, 2012 intent on bicycling the 5,300 miles around the lakes in three months.  I just learned they’ve passed the half-way mark and are now in Michigan on the way to Alpena (click here for their progress map).

Can you imagine doing this?!  Very amazing.

You can follow their adventures at Big Water Bike.  Also watch for the documentary that will be based on their travels.

Another lake journeyer on expanded trek

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Loreen posted a map of her 2012 adventures

I’ve been following the journey of Loreen Niewenhuis since she started walking Lake Michigan in 2009.  I also read her book about the walk that I purchased at my local Ann Arbor independent bookstore, Nicola’s.  Then today I read an update about Loreen’s 2012 adventures in an article by Catharine Hadley.  All I can say is wow!  Hope you take the time to read the article especially about how the walking makes Loreen feel.  I share those feelings and I’m sure they will resonate with others.  You can follow Loreen’s journeys on her blog and by liking her on Facebook.

In terms of my own journey around the lakes, plans and preparations are in full swing.  Spring fever has a strong hold on me and I’m excited about my August adventures circling Lake Superior.  Right now I am completing various projects at home and in world of digital photography.  Then in a few weeks I’ll have my motorhome, Ecovision, dewinterized and upgrade her house batteries.  I’ve begun making detailed plans for the journey as well as writing a Great Lakes islands book proposal that I sketched out years ago and has now been requested by a publisher.  Much fun and, of course, lots of hard work.

Fortunately, I have 25 years of Great Lakes policy work to draw on and I’ve been to various locations around all of the lakes.  I was born in Detroit and began boating on Lake St. Clair with my family when just a baby.  I have lived all but three years of my life in Michigan, which is the heart of the Great Lakes ecoregion.  Over time I have grown to love the lakes more deeply and to become even more committed to their long-term conservation and well being.  They still take my breath away.

Very soon I will start sharing here regularly so please stay tuned.  You can sign up to follow this blog and also check out the full scope of my various activities including photography at karenvigmostad.com.  In addition to @circlethelakes, I Tweet @aboutthelakes and @abouttheislands.

Sounds like an amazing circle tour to follow

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Kris McNeal (left) and Zach Chase. (Photo by Kris McNeal)

I like to support others who share a passion to get up close and personal with the lakes.  I just read an article in the Duluth New Tribune about Kris McNeal and Zach Chase who will be circling all five lakes this year (to download PDF of the article click here).  On bikes.  Averaging 60 miles a day.  Wow.  You can follow their Big Water Bike trip online and I’ll link to their travels in the right column.  They take off May 1 in Duluth and plan to return August 5th. They’ll be videotaping their journey along the way and will create a documentary.  So wish them well, and perhaps I will run into them in early August as they head back to Duluth.

Route map of Big Water Bike