03 May Shelby’s “Biggest KAC Take Away”
Wow. Time is elusive….
Somehow over a dozen years have flip-flopped by since Keweenaw Adventure Company first hosted me as a customer on a most memorable Porter’s Island Paddle. So memorable, in fact, that I returned to the Harbor a couple years later and took a position with KAC, and with Sam, too – they were, simply put, a “package-deal.”
Adventuring Isle Royale, while still “dating” back in 2011.
Being Sam’s partner in life inevitably meant being a partner in the business, as KAC was growing beyond its britches and Sam needed help. And despite not being a mountain biker or sea kayaker, I had a decade-long career in the Environmental Communications/Education field behind my belt, so I viewed my role at KAC as a continuation of such. In essence, my work as administrator facilitating adventures afforded me the opportunity to witness the transformative affect this area grants to adventures. It is a rich region that ultimately serves as an awesome training ground for education and stewardship for lands and waters everywhere.
…my work as administrator facilitating adventures afforded me the opportunity to witness the transformative affect this area grants to adventures.
As I wrote in a recent blog post, Future Adventure Tourism in Copper Harbor:
All together, the Harbor is a vibrant ecosystem of inter-relationships that mutually benefit from one another. None of us would be way out here, basically in the middle of nowhere, without one another’s curiosities, talents, efforts and sacrifices. We work, live and play upon a communal landscape, where we explore and connect to nature – in fact, the biggest common denominator of both residents and tourists alike is a love-for-nature.
And in an era in which Nature Deficit Disorder is now really a thing – as are nature Awe Walks and Grounding (also known as Earthing) – immersing oneself in the beauty and nature of the Harbor, is an amazing privilege that everyone from everywhere equally deserves.
Sharing a paddle with a dear friend who had never been kayaking before!
With that, I am beyond grateful to have had the opportunity to host your adventuring here at KAC, and it’s my wish to impart encouragement for you to not only keep on with your adventuresome-self, but perhaps also consider taking on the role of an adventure host sometime — pay-it-forward! That’s my biggest take away from my days at KAC — the sheer importance of sharing-in-the-adventure, whether as an administrative facilitator, guide or fellow participant.
… the sheer importance of sharing-in-the-adventure, whether as an administrative facilitator, guide or fellow participant.
Take it from me, it is incredibly rewarding to introduce a neophyte to something new, perhaps to nature itself. To provide someone with the gear and equipment they might not have the privilege of having, to provide someone the instruction and knowledge they didn’t know existed, to provide someone a refreshingly new perspective that only recreating in the great outdoors can give! Consider inviting someone who doesn’t get outside much to join you outside – a neighbor, a friend, a kid who has only screen time vs. time in the woods.
… provide someone a refreshingly new perspective that only recreating in the great outdoors can give!
Starting an adventure off right with mandatory “map-talk!”
When you first came to KAC, it wasn’t for a bite-to-eat or a bed-to-sleep-in, you arrived with an expectation of adventure – of an experience that would be a highlight (if not “the” highlight) of your entire vacation. We’ve always tried to provide something for everyone with our diversity of offerings, and catering to your vast expectations and needs certainly has kept Sam and me on our toes. With nearly 5,000 waivers signed annually, we have gone the extra mile in an effort to ensure fun and unforgettable times, yet first and foremost, safe times.
When you first came to KAC, it wasn’t for a bite-to-eat or a bed-to-sleep-in, you arrived with an expectation of adventure…
And in return for this labor-of-love? We have been truly humbled to have been granted and entrusted with the responsibility you’ve placed upon us — no doubt, it’s been an adventure-of-a-lifetime ensuring your memorable, meaningful and out-of-harms-way 5-star experiences.
… truly humbled to have been granted and entrusted with the responsibility you’ve placed upon us…
With that, we cordially welcome KAC’s new owner, Raymond Landsberg, to taking on the role as your next adventure-host-with-the-most. Just as you have given us your respect, trust and in many cases friendship, we encourage you to build a new bond with Raymond, too.
Signing off… with the utmost care, and with hopes to bump into you in the Harbor sometime soon — please stop me to say “hello” and SHARE about your most recent adventuring!
~shelby
Atop Brockway Mtn., welcoming a “new day!”
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