Archive for the ‘Travel’ Category
September 13, 2011 – Vacationland Burning Up
Just across the lake from where we sleep for a week (and sometimes exactly where we sleep in a tent) a massive forest fire has already estimated to have burned 100,000 acres in the Boundary Waters in Northern Minnesota. The Pagami Creek fire blossomed into an inferno on Monday.
Photo Credit Greg Seitz
Here’s a photo from the narrows between Lakes Two and Three during the fire taken last Sunday, before the fire really got ramped up. According to news reports, the fire makes its own downdrafts and creates three foot waves on relatively small lakes. Also, Kawishiwi Lodge owner Frank was in the news as firefighters used many of his outfitting canoes to set a backfire to prevent the fire from heading north and getting to the Fernberg Trail (being in a fire is probably the only time you’d want a aluminum canoe instead of a fiberglass).
Here’s Linda paddling the same narrows during a trip in 2008. We can now tell our grandkids, “we were there before this all burned.”
Here’s another shot from the same year, with the same distinctive island and tree visible in the first photo showing the fire. Here are all the photos on the High Hopes Blog to Lake Three.
Here’s a satellite shot from NASA. Just for scale, this photo shows the northern shore of Minnesota, parts of Lake Superior and the coast of Northern Wisconsin.
This map shows where the fire started. For the whole map view with frequent updates, see the national wildfire incident map.
August 13, 2011 – Treats from DC
Claire arrived home today, after evading the storms that brought the wreckage to the Indiana State fair. We were tracking her flight online and watched as the line of storms approached Chicago from the NW and her plan approached O’Hare from the southeast. With the plane at a few thousand feet and only a minute from landing, the plane icon suddenly turned away and headed away from the storm front.
The plane landed in Champaign-Urbana, which is about a 15 minute flight. They sat there for an hour, then headed back to O’Hare, taking a circuitous route over Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, and finally back to O’Hare. Of course, she missed her connecting flight home (and the next two scheduled flights) but did manage to catch the last flight out of Chicago for the day.
Before she left, she asked us to choose a cupcake variety from Georgetown Cupcake.
The boxes of cupcakes, ushered through security and three landings and take-offs.
A peek inside one of the boxes – mine was the blueberry cheesecake on the upper left. Mmm-mmm.
one year ago…”Look for Linda on HBO”
August 8, 2011 – Emma Returns from Boston
While we were in the Boundary Water, Emma had a much different experience – in and around Boston.
She was a youth leader on a church trip to Boston, to the roots of the Unitarian Universalists and founding fathers (many of them both!). This is the first Universalist church in the US, in Gloucester.
They visited some historical sites important to the beginnings of the church in the US.
They also took in other historical sites, like the with this guide on the Freedom Trail – evidently, if he had to choose, he would choose Emma!
They lounged in the fountains at Frog Pond in Boston Common, bordered by Beacon Street, and next to UU headquarters.
They enjoyed a high-speed, choppy ocean whale-watching (and barf watch as well).
A visit and swim in Walden Pond was also on the agenda.
Finally, who could turn down this wonderful seafood pizza in Boston?
August 7, 2011 – Paddle Out Day
Today was a day just to paddle out. We had reservations at a bunk house, so we didn’t have to worry about finding a campsite or driving home 10 hours.
But first there were 6 portages to cross. The 2nd and 3rd were a bit intimidating. It might not look bad in this photo, but from the waters edge, it seemed like straight up – a challenge with an 18.5 long canoe on your back!
The portage trail itself was a bit bouldery and still wet from the night before. Luckily, the only time I tripped was without the canoe on my back.
Here’s some extra fancy purple fungus on the trail. Sometimes asparagus and some other things are purple when they are cold, but it had been warm, so I think purple was the normal color for this guy.
The day was mostly overcast, and we stopped for lunch at this campsite, which had the closest fire grate to the water I’ve ever seen at a BWCA site.
one year ago…”Children of the Corn”
August 6, 2011 – Last Night in the BWCA Brings Rain
The morning broke like all the rest on the trip – calm and warm.
That was welcome as we had about three miles of Winchell Lake left before we portaged to some smaller lakes that wind wouldn’t matter as much.
After a little more than a half day of paddling and some swimming and fishing, the skies finally unloaded on us.
I’m not sure you can call it a camping trip without rain. Martin was eager to try out his new raingear, at least for a short time.
It was time to break out the tarp for a bit of protection around the kitchen.
Martin insisted that I take this photo for Claire, who had given Martin this freeze-dried ice cream for his birthday. There you go Claire – this package traveled well – from DC to Iowa to BWCA.
August 5, 2011 – Camping on Winchell Lake
Our next night was on Winchell Lake. Winchell is a long lake, about five miles long with steep elevation on the south side, fronting the Misquah Hills.
Martin was a trooper on the portages. On the first portage he asked if he could take this backpack. He hauled it all 14 portages on the trip over 700 rods, a bit over two miles.
Here, the boys are waiting for the fish to stop by on their lines. In the background, a fire relatively recently passed through, thus all the dead trees. The fire jumped the lake and kept going.
The fishing paid off – here Martin shows two of the fish he caught for a fresh dinner!
There’s not much that’s more relaxing than floating in the middle of a northern lake on a warm day. The temps were in the mid-80′s which is a tad warm for this area, but the humidity was low, so it was still pleasant.
The boys getting ready to start a fire – always a popular past-time.
This site had a great bear tree. The pack is hung up for the day, relatively safe from critters stealing the food at night.
one year ago…”Thingamajig Thursday #219″
August 4, 2011 – Wilderness Journey Begins Up the Gunflint at Poplar Lake
We left Tettegouche and had final stops in Grand Marais for last minute groceries, permits, bait and the like and hit the water by about noon. We took off from Poplar Lake, where the other duo rented a canoe.
Here we are, moments before we head out.
Here’s the route – we had no specific plan, but the white is the route we ended up taking – Poplar to Lizz to Caribou to Horseshoe for night one camp. Then off to Gaskin to Winchell for 2nd night camp. Then from Winchell to Omega to Henson to Gaskin for 3rd night camp. Finally last day from Gaskin to Jump to Allen to Horseshoe to Caribou to Lizz to Poplar.
Lizz Lake, our official BWCA entry point.
Martin manning the bow.
James, my Dad partner on the trip enjoying a cup o’ morning on Horseshoe Lake.
Martin manning the breakfast griddle with a pancake almost ready to go!
one year ago…”Getting Ready for State Fair-Like Event”
August 3, 2011 – Tettegouche Part 2
Our campground was within easy walking distance of a number of waterfalls on the Baptism River.
Here’s Two Step Falls in the fading light of day.
A most popular past-time for 10 year-old boys is throwing rocks in water – here you can catch part of the splash of the latest rock to be launched.
Further upstream the boys found a large log that was stuck in the river and first tried to help it downstream, and then later, maneuvered to direct bubbles in the stream.
Martin thought that perhaps using a lever might help the project. This is in front of the High Falls of the Baptism – the highest waterfall in Minnesota – a great place to play.
In the evening, I took a stroll down to the lake to take in the sunset over Lake Superior, and sprinted out to Shovel Point.
The view from Shovel Point, looking back down Lake Superior towards Palisade Head. It was an exceptionally calm and quiet night on the lake. As a native Duluthian who moved away as a toddler, but moved back for high school and undergrad, the lake exerts a pull on me, even after all these years. I was happy to spend even this little bit of time alone on the cliffs overlooking the lake in a rather rare calm and pristine mood.
one year ago…”From the “Berries Like the Rain”
August 2, 2011 – Boys Week Out Begins!
Martin and I journeyed north with another dad and ten-year old for a father-son wilderness excursion! As it is over 500 miles to the final destination, we took it in a couple of days. The first day we drove to Tettegouche State Park in Northern Minnesota.
There are some nice journeys on the narrow, if not beautiful backroads of the North Shore of Lake Superior.
One of my favorite sightseeing points is Palisade Head, now part of Tettegouche State Park. It’s a wonderful cliff overlooking Lake Superior.
Here, Martin dares to peer over the edge!
Finally, Dad and Martin on the top. Shovel Point is in the distance and a destination for later in the trip.
July 16, 2011 – On the Water
One of the attractions of a week on the lake is the clean water.
Martin tests out a kayak.
Linda revels in the water – free to swim anywhere in the lake devoid of motorboats and jetskis.
Martin and I out for a beautiful canoe ride on a calm evening.
Emma and I out another evening soaking up the lake and forests.
July 15, 2011 – Dock Life
A large part of our life on vacation revolves around sitting on the dock.
Emma and Kate greet canoers on their journey.
It’s pretty much a law of the universe that the smallest person gets thrown off the dock.
Dock jumping hardly ever goes out of style.
Neighbors one cabin down fish near sunset.
Our travel compatriots relax on the dock – our cabin is straight up behind the dock.
A view of the dock facing out to the lake.
July 13, 2011 – Emma’s First Parentless Overnight
This year was Emma’s first parentless night in the BWCA.
Here they are at sendoff from the dock.
At their campsite as the parents paddle away.
Is their anything more thrilling than cooking your own wilderness meal?
They had a great campsite overlooking the lake.
They passed hanging the food pack up in the bear tree.
July 12, 2011 – Fishing Waters
One of the things I most look forward to is fishing in beautiful surroundings.
Here Martin shows off a baby northern pike he let go.
The nicest fish of a pretty lousy fishing week – the biggest of three smallmouth bass caught right together in some swift water – this one was 19 inches and was released.
Me in my natural habitat – on an island in a channel, baiting up.
The rapids entering into Lake One from Lake Two.
The head of the rapids from Lake One, heading to Confusion Lake. I could spend a lot of time wandering down this river to the next lake!
July 10, 2010 – Loon Baby on the Lake
We’ve finally arrived at the cabin a few miles south of the Canadian Border. Right across from our cabin is a small island. This year there is a nesting loon pair on the island.
The sight of a baby loon on a parent’s back to protect it from being eaten by large fish, is one of the neatest views in nature. We’re here for a week to soak up the water, woods, and cool weather.
