Zaagkii Project

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 over the weekend and spent Lake Superior Day on Sunday 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 on or about the first week of September.
Weitz is a native of Dubuque, Iowa and Castillo is a native of Madison, Wisconsin.
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


(Marquette, Michigan) – It's a 1,300 mile, two month odyssey - kayaking around the always beautiful and sometimes treacherous Lake Superior.

Ashland, Wisconsin residents Alissa Weitz and Brian Castillo are promoting the protection of Lake Superior - the world's largest freshwater lake.

The twenty somethings departed Bayfield, Wisconsin on July 1, 2008 and hope to complete their journey by early September.

They arrived in Marquette for Lake Superior Day 2008 - this year that was July 20 2008.

Lake Superior Day is sponsored by the Lake Superior Bi-national Forum and is held annually on the third Sunday of July.

Alissa and Brian 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 protecting Lake Superior and why the largest of the Great Lakes is so important..

The trek takes them through the Canada and the United States including Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Averaging 25 miles a day - with their longest day was about 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.

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

Weitz is a native of Dubuque, Iowa and Castillo is a native of Madison, Wisconsin.
Alissa is 26 years old and Brian is 23 years old.

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.
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The Kayaker's (Alissa Weitz, Brian Castillo) "Session on Superior" blog about trip around the lake:
http://www.sessiononsuperior.blogspot.com

Please check out their blog and our other videos about Brian and Alissa.
This video was made in cooperation with the Cedar Tree Institute, the Earth Keeper Initiative, the Earth Healing Initiative and the Turtle Island Project – all northern Michigan-based non-profits seeking to protect Lake Superior.
And special thanks to the Lake Superior Binational Forum for helping make this video possible..

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Supers:

Lake Superior
July 2008

Brian Castillo
Kayaking around Lake Superior
“Session on Superior 2008"

http://www.sessiononsuperior.blogspot.com

Alissa Weitz
Kayaking around Lake Superior
“Session on Superior 2008"

Marquette, Michigan
July 22, 2008

Brian Castillo & Alissa Weitz
In love with Lake Superior and each other
“Session on Superior 2008"


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Related Links:
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News coverage of Alissa, Brian:
Marquette:
http://www.miningjournal.net
http://www.miningjournal.net/page/content.detail/id/513083.html
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BlogsMonroe uses Marquette newspaper story & link - blog about Lake Erie area:
http://www.blogsmonroe.com/expatriate/2008/07/25/pair-attempts-to-circle-lake-superior-in-kayaks
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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
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WX Channnel:
http://uservideo.weather.com:80/item/GY56YQ4K0TH0B3CS
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Lake Superior Binational Forum
Lissa Radke, LSFB US Coordinator
715-682-1489
http://www.superiorforum.info
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Northland College in Ashland, WI:
http://www.northland.edu/Northland
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“Flying a kite” along Lake Superior
http://www.superiorforum.info/uploads/Kite_Poster.pdf
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Clean Wisconsin:
http://cleanwisconsin.org
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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
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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
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Other links related to trip:
http://caskaorg.typepad.com/caska/2008/07/superior-sessio.html
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UM Sea Grant
http://www.seagrant.umn.edu
http://www.seagrant.umn.edu/ais/fieldguide
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EcoSuperior Enviro:
http://www.ecosuperior.com
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Environment Canada:
http://www.ec.gc.ca
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This video made in cooperation with:
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Turtle Island Project official website:
http://www.turtleislandproject.org

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

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