Oh what to say about today. It was a chilly morning but we had a pleasant paddle into Grand Marais. There was a local festival going on complete with floatplanes taking off from the harbor. We landed with the intention of getting lunch and supplies before taking off. Our plans soon changed.
About 5 mind after landing on the beach we were approached by the DNR. We were questioned about our kayak-moreso as to why it was not registered in MN. Apparently since Michigan and Virginia (our states of residence) do not require registration we needed to register our vessel with the Minnesota DNR. We were given some numbers to call and informed that if we were on the water without registering we would be in for a $135 fine.
Ok, slight problem. We called the numbers. Offices were closed until Monday. Next we tried the local outfitter Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply. They helped us try to register online. We could not because we are not Minnesota residents. The owner tried talking with the DNR to come up with some option. A couple hours later we were left with three. 1)Wait until Monday and catch a ride to Lutsen to the nearest DNR office. 2)Catch a ride to the Canadian Border and skip the last 37 miles of shoreline. 3)Make a run for the border before dawn.
We were not exactly thrilled with any of these options. When we were told that we may encounter more than a fine if we ran we felt even more grim. Especially since we had been talking with the DNR all day, there was no way to sneak.
Finally a solution came through. We were issued a warning ticket with the stipulation that we would purchase a Minnesota registration once back in Michigan. It took hours to get to that point and were delighted to take the deal.
We then geared up from the outfitter and stayed at a campground in the harbor. Not the best time in Grand Marais but at least we had wonderful
People helping us along the way.
Thanks again to all the folks at Stone Harbor, you are a lifesaver!
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