- Right side again?
- There are many ways to explore nature
in the North Woods.
- I'm part of the Lady Yakkers.
- And paddling a kayak down the Manitowish River
is one of the best.
- It is an absolute delight.
[music]
- Especially when you're joined by 20 of your best friends.
Every Thursday in summer, this group of women
known as the Lady Yakkers
[laughter]
finds a new section of water to kayak.
- That is true.
- Melinda Pearce joined the group in 2003
when a neighbor invited her to come along.
- It wasn't so much the paddling.
It's the ladies that were so awesome.
They just are genuinely so nice and ...
It's the ladies that makes the group.
- Now Melinda helps organize and schedule their trips.
And they're not afraid to tackle some rougher water.
- I think ours is the adventure group.
They're always up to trying more rivers.
- There's always an opportunity to see some wildlife.
- Hi, tree eagle. - Is he still there?
- There's certain people that are bird watchers
and they can identify when they hear something.
But if you want to see the wild life,
you have to get in the front of this group
because some of the people in this group
just like to yak.
That's why we're Lady Yakkers.
- There have been times
when we've had a leader take us somewhere
and half of them aren't paying attention at all
to the interesting things we could be learning.
We're just busy chattering the way we usually do.
- Not that I want to admit that too much, but it is well earned.
Great stories are told.
What happened last week.
Da da da.
Or the grandchildren have been visiting.
Tell me what happened.
- Sounds like a bunch of geese
coming across the lake when we come.
[chattering]
- Well it sounds like they're all having fun.
- Melinda says they put a new twist on
the definition of "silent sport."
- Because we're not motorized, it's considered a silent sport.
And I understand that we do like to yak.
- So it wasn't me.
- But this is more than just a social outing.
- Hey girls, let's put our paddles up.
One, two, three.
Whoo!
- Melinda says there's empowerment
in an all-women group.
- There's some women
who are very strong women of the North Woods
and they want to be able to do these things
without the help of men.
They're in, a lot of the older ones,
are in the generation of "the husband is always there to help"
and they are finding that they can do this without them.
It's kind of nice for those ladies.
- Sometimes I have asparagus in there.
- Melinda is one of the few Lady Yakkers who isn't retired.
- Even working, I made the condition of
"I have to be free on Thursdays."
So, no.
Doctor appointments will never get in the way of my kayaking.
- And she has no plans to give it up.
- I use it as a decompression time.
It's like, relax, breathe in, look at the scenery,
enjoy friends and it's just--
I'm totally relaxed at the end of the day.