What Pirl Did On Her
Summer Vacation
~ ~ Saturday, July 31st 10:35 am. Shop-Ko parking lot, Eau Claire, WI ~ ~
Getting some things I'd forgotten for the trip and stopped at the in-store coffee shop for a pick-up and overheard the convo a couple other fellow Shop-Ko-ers were having on the Seattle's Best promenade.
"Wow. The temperature dropped last night."
"Yes it did."
Which actually sounded more like,
"Ooo it got code lass nite."
"Ya'betcha."
Old dock in Superior, WI. Always loved it as a kid driving thru- it's monstrously huge.
A view of Duluth (on the hill) from Superior. Such a neat looking city- the pic can't do it justice at all.
~ ~ Saturday, 2ish ~ ~
God it smells great up here. Like pine trees, cold water and iron ore. I'm stopped at a café along county 61. I can see Lake Superior out the window. It's 2:20 and I'm having my first beer of the trip. Tastes great.
The further north I go the more the deciduous trees start to get outnumbered by the conifers and the more relaxed I get. I feel dirty tho, like I've dragged the city w/ me on my skin and I'm sloughing off layers as I go, leaving oily, rainbow puddles in my wake. It's quiet too- my car is making all the noise on the highway. If I didn't love blasting my tunes so much I'd turn off the radio. The guilt of noise pollution isn't enough tho- it's adding to my trip- it's me.
Btw- I had a pistachio encrusted walleye sandwich w/ lemon basil on a cranberry & walnut bread w/ a side of sliced cantalope. :-9
Good beer and hockey- 72 miles.
Just one of the many roadside stops up to the Gunflint.
A really fuzzy picture of the full moon my first night at camp. Looks like the freaking sun it's so bright. Why did I leave my tripod at home?!
~ ~ Sunday Aug 1, 9am ~ ~
Went to bed last night listening to loons. They call each other across the water and other lakes. The low, lonesome howl has to be one of the most haunting sounds on earth. If I didn't know it was a loon making that noise I'd be afraid that my number was up and it was death calling me across the lake.
The wind sounds like heavy rain in the trees.
The moon last night reflecting off the glassy lake, the fog steaming off the water- nature in its glory is amazingly eerie.
~ ~ Monday Aug 2, dinner-time ~ ~
Waiting for dinner- brats and chili. Haven't eaten this good (and this much) in ages. Steaks and potatoes last night, eggs bacon and even toast this morning.
Flour Lake, where our campsite was.
Bald eagle seen while fishing.
~ ~ Tuesday morning ~ ~
Canoe trip yesterday has left me sore, on top of clearing out the portage trail on Sunday- my muscles are barking but I'm so relaxed all the same. We came up on a loon and her 2 babies while out fishing yesterday. Cute as hell, tho Jr #1 seemed pretty smug that Jr #2 couldn't climb up on mom's back like he had.
~ ~ Wed. morn ~ ~
My watch has been off since Sunday. I have no idea what time it is anymore. Nice.
Yesterday was paddle paddle paddle, heave, step step step, splash, paddle paddle paddle, heave, step step step, splash, paddle paddle paddle, heave, leave, step, climb, and reverse. We portaged our canoes from Hungry Jack Lake to Bearskin, to Duncan. Once we crossed Duncan we left the canoes and climbed up to a waterfall (beautiful- didn't bring the camera tho for fear of being a clutz) then down to the shore of Rose Lake and looked across the water to Canada. Looked friendly.
After a quick dip and scrub back in Flour we went out to eat at the Trail Center. It's your all around general goods store, bait shop, bar, restaurant, tourist trap- Northern Minnesota style. The place was decorated w/ stuff from the gunflint- old chainsaws, beaver pelts and pictures of Mounties. Thought of all the dS'ers. *g*
All the stars were out that night- even the satellites.
~ ~ Thursday morn ~ ~
Welcoming 28 in the boonies- not bad.
Yesterday we drove around, to the end of the trail and back. Along the way we saw 2 moose – one male, one female- 2 foxes, and a mink that ran across the road. Apparently it's extremely rare that I saw all of this. Nice that nature could cooperate for me.
As we drove we saw more aftermath from the "Blowdown" of '99. So many trees were killed during that storm- the estimates were in the 10s of millions I guess. The undergrowth is green and lush but there are so many dead trees sticking up like a forest of great bushy toothpicks.
What? You can't see it????
Well how 'bout that one??
He was being very nice- posing for the camera and everything.
~ ~ Saturday morn ~ ~
Last full day up here. Going to miss the campfire, the smell of the woods, the loons. But... I honestly can't wait for a long hot shower so I can scrub every inch of myself. Also, I've been wearing the same clothes long enough.
We've mostly been fishing and playing Euchre the last couple days. Drove up the road a couple times for ice and other provisions. The people are so nice around here. Three little old ladies at the store attached to the laundromat- all charms and smiles when we come in to raid their milk cooler. Chicago has really jaded me.
The other night we went up to Honeymoon Bluff to watch the sunset. It's a huge cliff that overlooks Hungry Jack Lake. Absolutely spectacular view.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
As a helpful guide, here's the best map I could find online. It sucks, it shows about 1% of the lakes and rivers that are actually there- and I'm not over exaggerating... well, ok, perhaps 2%.