Here is a taste
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Saturday, August 9, 2014
BWCAW Annual Trip - or Half-Assed Knot (Day 4 - Sunday August 2)
Sunday was our last day and paddle back to civilization. The weather did not look so great but it turned out to be nearly perfect. The clouds meant it was not hot. I was hoping for a tail wind but that did not happen. There was a little bit of head wind occasionally but nothing like when we paddled in.
When we got back to MacFarland Lake, we saw fish swimming/jumping through the fast moving water between the Pine and MacFarland. Brian got out his fishing rod to do some easy catch and release.
What was a 4 hour paddle in was just a 3 hour paddle out. That is partially due to having gotten accustomed to how to paddle the kayaks.
We drove back to Grand Marais for a bite to eat and to check out the Grand Marais Art Fair. I was hoping to see an old boss of mine who has moved to Grand Marais. I did not see her.
We then went back to Jenny and Andrew's cabin to unload and store gear at the cabin before heading back to Minneapolis. It did finally rain on the way home but we were driving in my truck so did not care.
It was another great trip. Many thanks to Brian and Jenny for making the whole experience so much fun and full of memories.
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| Dramatic sky |
What was a 4 hour paddle in was just a 3 hour paddle out. That is partially due to having gotten accustomed to how to paddle the kayaks.
We drove back to Grand Marais for a bite to eat and to check out the Grand Marais Art Fair. I was hoping to see an old boss of mine who has moved to Grand Marais. I did not see her.
We then went back to Jenny and Andrew's cabin to unload and store gear at the cabin before heading back to Minneapolis. It did finally rain on the way home but we were driving in my truck so did not care.
It was another great trip. Many thanks to Brian and Jenny for making the whole experience so much fun and full of memories.
BWCAW Annual Trip - or Half-Assed Knot (Day 3 - Saturday August 1)
Saturday was another beautiful day. Not too far from camp was the portage to East and West Pike Lake. Half way on the portage is the Border Trail. We were not going to portage the kayaks because that is tricky so we paddled to the portage and hiked the Border Trail to the West Pike Lake overview.
We found out where the mosquitos were. They were on this portage and trail. Mosquitos absolutely love me unfortunately. At least by the time we got up into the trail the mosquitos calmed down.
The trail has a lot of elevation changes... most of them steep. We walked through a beautiful pine forest section and had two amazing lookouts. The final one was of West Pike Lake.
When we got back to camp, we decided to play around in the water. I tried swim and swamping the Canak. Brian practiced using a paddle float to self-rescue. Jenny did her 15 minutes of swimming. And I tried the Rob Row portage yoke.
We found out where the mosquitos were. They were on this portage and trail. Mosquitos absolutely love me unfortunately. At least by the time we got up into the trail the mosquitos calmed down.
The trail has a lot of elevation changes... most of them steep. We walked through a beautiful pine forest section and had two amazing lookouts. The final one was of West Pike Lake.
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| West Pike Lake |
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| Trying to capture the height and majesty of these beautiful pine trees |
When we got back to camp, we decided to play around in the water. I tried swim and swamping the Canak. Brian practiced using a paddle float to self-rescue. Jenny did her 15 minutes of swimming. And I tried the Rob Row portage yoke.
BWCAW Annual Trip - or Half-Assed Knot (Day 2 - Friday August 1)
We had such amazing weather. It was calm on the lake so we decided to paddle to the west end and hike over to Johnson's Falls. We had been there years ago and remembered how pretty it was.
I don't think we realized that there are three major water falls. As you hike up, there is another and another... and at the top is a beautiful view of a calm stream.
I slipped on a wet rock while trying to take a photo of the second falls. I hit the rock hard which knocked my camera out of my hand into the water. I reached for it but it was gone. The water was rushing crazy but I kept feeling around in the rocks and walking down the cataracts.
I then realized I had busted up my right forearm and was bleeding but I wanted to find my camera. The searching with my hands underwater as successful. I find the camera and it is still working!
We had lunch and played in the water and had a fantastic time before heading back to camp.
On the paddle back Jenny and Brian fished and I took photographs of the shore. There was a loon pair and one loon baby on the lake. We came on them on the way back to camp. The loon parents are teaching the young one how to fish.
Jenny caught a good-sized Northern Pike which I had to get the hook out of. We decided not to keep it thinking that Brian must have been doing pretty good catching small-mouthed bass.
Back at camp we found that a large walleye had been filleted and left at our campsite. We were not to happy about that thinking someone left it on purpose knowing it was obviously a campsite. When Brian got back, he did not have a kayak full of fish... he had none. Brian went to get the food bags down and said that obviously someone had been at our campsite because the food rope knot was "half-assed". I confessed that it was my half-assed food knot and perhaps an eagle or seagull had found the fish and dropped on our campsite rock for later. We are still laughing about the half-assed knot remark.
I took the fish back into the woods. When I later was walking over to do some fishing in a different place along the shore, a bald eagle flew out from where I had thrown the fish. So perhaps the bald eagle had dropped it and was back having found it again.
That walk through the woods was when I scraped my forehead on a tree and opened a pretty good gash. It bled quite a bit but not so much that it was alarming. We carry a first aid kit and I got my forearm and head taken care of.
We witnessed a new phenomenon on this trip. Since the mosquitos really were not that bad in the evening we were able to sit outside of the tent to watch the sunset and then the stars come out. I was sitting out on the shore rock and noticed dozens of dragon flies zooming around.
As I watched I realized the dragon flies were catching gnats and mosquitos in mid-air! Brian, Jenny and I laid out on the rocks and watched the amazing feat of dragon fly squadron taking on the gnats and mosquitos.
I don't think we realized that there are three major water falls. As you hike up, there is another and another... and at the top is a beautiful view of a calm stream.
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| The valley stream that is the head of Johnson's Falls |
I then realized I had busted up my right forearm and was bleeding but I wanted to find my camera. The searching with my hands underwater as successful. I find the camera and it is still working!
We had lunch and played in the water and had a fantastic time before heading back to camp.
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| Brian in the "spa" |
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| Water iris |
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| Loon parent |
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| Queen Anne's lace |
Back at camp we found that a large walleye had been filleted and left at our campsite. We were not to happy about that thinking someone left it on purpose knowing it was obviously a campsite. When Brian got back, he did not have a kayak full of fish... he had none. Brian went to get the food bags down and said that obviously someone had been at our campsite because the food rope knot was "half-assed". I confessed that it was my half-assed food knot and perhaps an eagle or seagull had found the fish and dropped on our campsite rock for later. We are still laughing about the half-assed knot remark.
I took the fish back into the woods. When I later was walking over to do some fishing in a different place along the shore, a bald eagle flew out from where I had thrown the fish. So perhaps the bald eagle had dropped it and was back having found it again.
That walk through the woods was when I scraped my forehead on a tree and opened a pretty good gash. It bled quite a bit but not so much that it was alarming. We carry a first aid kit and I got my forearm and head taken care of.
As I watched I realized the dragon flies were catching gnats and mosquitos in mid-air! Brian, Jenny and I laid out on the rocks and watched the amazing feat of dragon fly squadron taking on the gnats and mosquitos.
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
BWCAW Annual Trip - or Half-Assed Knot (Day 1 - Thursday July 30)
This year's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, BWCAW, trip was last week. This time it was just 3 instead of the usual 4. So we decided to use kayaks instead of canoes. Kayaks meant we needed to be more careful of how much we packed. Kayaks generally have less storage space. It turns out there are hybrid canoe-kayak vessels. So we rented a Rob-Roy and a Canak...both are hybrids. You'll see pictures later.
We also decided to enter and journey in an area that Jenny was not familiar with. We went up the Arrowhead Trail to enter at MacFarlane Lake. If you look at a map of Minnesota, the upper east portion wraps around the top of Lake Superior and looks like an arrowhead.
MacFarland Lake is a public lake with cabins mostly on one side. We entered on the east side and paddled west. The western tip joins with Pine Lake which is the entrance to the BWCA.
Pink Lake is very long...7 1/2 miles and only a mile wide it is widest. There was a bit of a head wind which we had been warned about. Also, there are not many camping sites on the lake and we were really banking on staying here and not having to portage.
We had a campsite chosen from the map but when we got there, we did not like the location. It was in the trees which meant little breeze and lots of mosquitos. We headed to the next site. On the way two bald eagles landed in trees right next to the shore. It is always awesome to see eagles up close.
While we were distracted by the eagles another pair of canoeist showed up. Jenny and I set off for the next campsite because we didn't want to lose it. It turned out to be a fantastic site and we got it.
The long 4 hour paddle ended with a quick campsite set up. Jenny cast her fishing line right from our shore and on the second cast caught a really nice small-mouthed bass. Thinking it was going to be an easy dinner, this one was tossed back in. It turned out to be our last chance.
The lake was fantastic and the day had been long so we ended with a fun time in the water.
We also decided to enter and journey in an area that Jenny was not familiar with. We went up the Arrowhead Trail to enter at MacFarlane Lake. If you look at a map of Minnesota, the upper east portion wraps around the top of Lake Superior and looks like an arrowhead.
MacFarland Lake is a public lake with cabins mostly on one side. We entered on the east side and paddled west. The western tip joins with Pine Lake which is the entrance to the BWCA.
Pink Lake is very long...7 1/2 miles and only a mile wide it is widest. There was a bit of a head wind which we had been warned about. Also, there are not many camping sites on the lake and we were really banking on staying here and not having to portage.
We had a campsite chosen from the map but when we got there, we did not like the location. It was in the trees which meant little breeze and lots of mosquitos. We headed to the next site. On the way two bald eagles landed in trees right next to the shore. It is always awesome to see eagles up close.
While we were distracted by the eagles another pair of canoeist showed up. Jenny and I set off for the next campsite because we didn't want to lose it. It turned out to be a fantastic site and we got it.
The long 4 hour paddle ended with a quick campsite set up. Jenny cast her fishing line right from our shore and on the second cast caught a really nice small-mouthed bass. Thinking it was going to be an easy dinner, this one was tossed back in. It turned out to be our last chance.
The lake was fantastic and the day had been long so we ended with a fun time in the water.
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Annual Spring Green, Wisconsin American Players Theatre trip
It has taken me nearly a week to recover from this Year's Spring Green trip. I am getting old.
I drove from Door County to Tomah, Wisconsin to meet friends on their way to Spring Green. Tomah is the traditional stop for lunch and groceries.
The Spring Valley Inn has had a bit of a refresh with cleaned up landscaping and best of all, new mattresses.
Saturday morning we drove to Madison to attend a Wisconsin public radio program called "What Do Ya Kmow". It is an interview and kind of game show. Dave got to be on air as he asked the host, Michael Feldman, where to get quarters for the parking garage. Michael gave Dave quarters. It was lots of fun.
We toured the farmers' market surrounding the capitol building and had lunch at a brew pub.
We saw "The Importance of Being Ernst" this year. It was a beautiful, evening and a fun show. The start of the third act had to compete with a pair of whip-poor-wills sing into the woods.
While I was away, I asked friends Martha and Kay to stop by my house to pick raspberries and currants and to weather the potted plants. Martha captured this photograph of Frankie.
I drove from Door County to Tomah, Wisconsin to meet friends on their way to Spring Green. Tomah is the traditional stop for lunch and groceries.
The Spring Valley Inn has had a bit of a refresh with cleaned up landscaping and best of all, new mattresses.
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| Spring Valley Inn |
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| enjoying the new mattresses |
Saturday morning we drove to Madison to attend a Wisconsin public radio program called "What Do Ya Kmow". It is an interview and kind of game show. Dave got to be on air as he asked the host, Michael Feldman, where to get quarters for the parking garage. Michael gave Dave quarters. It was lots of fun.
We toured the farmers' market surrounding the capitol building and had lunch at a brew pub.
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| the gang with capitol building |
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| David giving the quarters back to Michael Feldman. |
We saw "The Importance of Being Ernst" this year. It was a beautiful, evening and a fun show. The start of the third act had to compete with a pair of whip-poor-wills sing into the woods.
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| picnic at APT |
Monday, July 21, 2014
Door County - celebration of Joan Rendall
I had the amazing good fortune of knowing Jill Rendall's mother, Joan. Joan Rendall was a classy lady who had an impact on many people including me. Her strength and care and style will inspire me the rest of my life.
The Rendall family gathered in Door County Wisconsin this past weekend to celebrate Joan's life... to share stories... to visit the sites she loved... to eat the food she really loved.
The Rendalls spent many days at their friend's home on Lake Michigan so it made perfect sense to celebrate Joan's life here. And to spread her ashes in many of her favorite places.
I had the pleasure of sharing some of that Door County in the 1990's and now again in 2014.
The weather was fantastic. Lake Michigan was incredible. An east wind blew in warm water and created waves big enough to body surf on.
We had ice-cream in Ephraim and a Schaum torte in Sister Bay. Jill's dad, Dave, pointed out the locations and events that happened all over Door County.
The Rendall family gathered in Door County Wisconsin this past weekend to celebrate Joan's life... to share stories... to visit the sites she loved... to eat the food she really loved.
The Rendalls spent many days at their friend's home on Lake Michigan so it made perfect sense to celebrate Joan's life here. And to spread her ashes in many of her favorite places.
I had the pleasure of sharing some of that Door County in the 1990's and now again in 2014.
The weather was fantastic. Lake Michigan was incredible. An east wind blew in warm water and created waves big enough to body surf on.
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| The Rendall clan at Cave Point. |
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| Wisconsin red barn |
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| Joan's great-grandson and my buddy, Tanner. |
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| Me, Jill and Becky having a blast in Lake Michigan. |
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| Beautiful "found" flowers |
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