Up North - Cabin, Super Full Beaver Moon, and Maggie

Jenny, Maggie, and I went up to Jenny and Andrew's cabin on Gust Lake in Cook County to close it up for the winter, to see the super full beaver moon, and to look for moose. Click here to watch the video montage.

The super full beaver moon did not disappoint. There were some clouds but they only added to the effect. The "beaver" designation is from indigenous people describing this season's full moon used by beavers to finalize their lodges for the winter.

On Thursday we hiked the Daniels Lake Trail from Clearwater Lodge to enter the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. We made it to the BWCA after all!

The trail starts off very wet and marshy but becomes clear and dry and arrives at Daniels Lake in about 2 miles. We saw LOTS of moose tracks but no moose ☹️

Daniels Lake

East Bearskin Lodge's Instagram account had mentioned that 2 moose were around the lodge so on the way back down the Gunflint Trail, we stopped to explore. The US Forest Service was conducting a prescribed burn right next to the lodge, so we weren't too optimistic on seeing the moose. The lodge is closed for the season, but we asked someone cleaning up if they'd seen the moose. They had just seen the pair the day before. We drove around and around but still nothing!

We went into Grand Marais on Friday for some shopping and lunch. All this time, Maggie enjoyed exploring the cabin and its famous "catwalk."

Dave, a Gust Lake neighbor, introduced a very friendly fox to us before he left for the winter.

We all enjoyed the wood-burning stove (which kept the cabin very cozy). We ate well, played cards, and read books. It was a lovely break from the city.

Click to view the video montage.