Love Story: Young WI kayakers circle Lake Superior and celebrate their love

Ashland, Wisconsin residents Alissa Weitz, 26, and Brian Castillo, 23, will soon be completing their 1,300 mile journey around Lake Superior.

They are a couple in love with Lake Superior and each other - on a modern day lover's adventure.

They arrived in Marquette in late July and spent Lake Superior Day hiking with friends and swimming including jumping off the tall cliffs at the city’s “black rocks.”

A big part of their quest is educating the public about the environmental value of Lake Superior.

Averaging 25 miles a day - with their longest day over 40 miles.

They encountered water temperatures as low as 38 degrees, fog outside of Marquette, rough waves outside of Houghton, Michigan that prevent them from rounding the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula - and instead cut through the Keweenaw Waterway.

They left Ashland, Wisconsin on July 1 and hope to complete their two-month journey around the first week of September.

Weitz is a native of Dubuque, IA & Castillo is a native of Madison, WI.

Graduates of the Northland College outdoor education program in Ashland, Wisconsin, the couple were competitors working for different kayak guiding companies when they met two years ago and fell in love.

They are documenting their adventure at:
http://www.sessiononsuperior.blogspot.com

Thanks to Down Wind Sports in Marquette, Brian picked up a new kayak due to problems with the one used during the first part of the trek. Sea Kayak Specialists of Marquette provided tools and space to repair their equipment.

This video was made in cooperation with the Cedar Tree Institute, Earth Keeper Initiative, Earth Healing Initiative and Turtle Island Project, all northern Michigan non-profits protecting Lake Superior.

Special thanks to the Lake Superior Binational Forum for helping make this video possible.

News coverage of Alissa, Brian:
Marquette:
http://www.miningjournal.net
http://www.miningjournal.net/page/content.detail/id/513083.html

BlogsMonroe:
http://www.blogsmonroe.com/expatriate/2008/07/25/pair-attempts-to-circle-lake-su...

Ashland paper:
Marquette Photo:
http://www.ashlandwi.com/articles/2008/07/24/news/doc4888981f7b087681234763.txt

Story prior to trip:
http://www.ashlandwi.com/articles/2008/07/02/news/doc486b8dfe3df63322933742.txt

WX Channnel:
http://uservideo.weather.com:80/item/GY56YQ4K0TH0B3CS

Lake Superior Binational Forum
Lissa Radke, LSFB US Coordinator
715-682-1489
http://www.superiorforum.info

Northland College in Ashland, WI:
http://www.northland.edu/Northland

Clean Wisconsin:
http://cleanwisconsin.org

Down Wind Sports:
http://www.downwindsports.com/index.html
http://www.downwindsports.com/about.html
http://www.downwindsports.com/paddling.html

Owners: Bill Thompson, Todd King, Jeff Stasser and Arni Ronis

Marquette: 906-226-7112
514 N. Third Street
Marquette, MI
49855

Houghton: 906-482-2500
308 Shelden Ave.
Houghton, MI
49931

Sea Kayak Specialists:
http://www.seakayakspecialists.com
http://www.seakayakspecialists.com/html/about_sks.html
http://www.seakayakspecialists.com/html/contact_us.html

Sea Kayak Specialists
PO Box 94
Marquette, MI
49855

Sam Crowley
http://www.glsks.org/sam_crowleypage.htm

Nancy Uschold
906-250-4238

Other links:
http://caskaorg.typepad.com/caska/2008/07/superior-sessio.html

UM Sea Grant
http://www.seagrant.umn.edu
http://www.seagrant.umn.edu/ais/fieldguide

EcoSuperior Enviro:
http://www.ecosuperior.com

Environment Canada:
http://www.ec.gc.ca

Turtle Island Project official website:
http://www.turtleislandproject.org

Earth Healing Initiative:
http://www.EarthHealingInitiative.org

Cedar Tree Institute: Michigan Earth Keepers, Manoomin Project & 2008 Zaagkii Wings & Seeds project
http://www.cedartreeinstitute.org

Earth Keeper TV
http://www.youtube.com/yoopernewsman

Turtle Island TV (youtube)
http://www.youtube.com/MunisingWhiteHorse

Earth Healing TV
http://www.youtube.com/user/EarthHealingTV