The Unexpected & Amazing Journey
​That Led To The Start of Michigan Waterways Stewards.

Who knew the start of Michigan Waterways Stewards began with the first stroke of a double bladed paddle on a small lake in Minnesota in 2016. A journey that would cover thousands of miles on many the most scenic rivers and lakes across the Upper Midwest, and extreme long-distance racing in states from across America.
When Stout moved back to Michigan, landing in the Capital City, he discovered a new approach was needed to steward our treasured and vulnerable waterways. Miles of rivers were filled and lined with litter, trash, and other unwanted debris, and often choked with river-wide obstructions.

Deeming our Capital City Region rivers' conditions unacceptable, he set out to make Michigan's inland waters and adjoining greenways the envy of our Great Lakes states. He takes a community-wide, year-round, community-wide, collaborative approach toward waterways stewardship.

​Below is a photo journey of what led up to the start of Michigan's Waterways Stewards and its first two years of waterways stewardship here in our Capital City Region. We hope you find it of interest and pleasant to view. We hope it inspires you.

​TABLE OF CONTENTS
Personal Introduction  Pages 3 thru 8
A Sampling of Thousands of Miles Paddled   Pages 9 - 66
Great Lakes Journeys
Lake Huron  Pages 67, 68
Straits of Mackinac  Pages 69, 70
Lake Michigan - First Crossing  Pages 71 - 75
Lake Superior  Pages 77 - 83        
Lake Michigan's Open Water  Pages 86 - 93
Capital City Stewardship
The Need  Pages 94 - 107
Many Hands Make Light Work  Pages 108 - 115
Review by the Numbers  Pages 116  
The Rewards
The Best of Our Capital City's Rivers  Pages 117 -  134
Red Cedar River thru the Lens of MSU Photography Club   Pages 135 - 145

THE NORTHLAND ADVENTURER aka The Lake Rider

To learn more about Stout's paddling adventures on many of America's most scenic rivers and lakes across, visit his website titled, "The Northland Adventurer."