Itasca State Park

On President's Day weekend in mid-February, Cristin and I spent the long weekend at Itasca State Park, where the Mississippi River begins. Itasca SP is one of my favorite places, and I was excited to be there with Cristin, who had never been here. We stayed at a very modern condo in Itasca State Park.  The condo's are technically called the Douglas Lodge Six-plex. They were great!

The big news of the weekend is we got engaged at the Headwaters of the Mississippi R!

Due to the lack of snow in 2011-12 winter, we didn't even bring our X/C skis or snowshoes. We planned to hike. We arrived Friday evening and shortly after settling in at the condo, I was struck suddenly and dramatically by the seasonal flu, which really restricted my ability to hike very much for the entire weekend. On Saturday morning we went to the Visitor Center and Gift Shop and looked at the many displays on the history of the park and the epic search for the headwaters of the Mississippi River.

Cristin walks across the Mississippi River at the exact spot it begins its 2550 mile journey to the Gulf Of Mexico! 

We then headed to the hallmark of the park, the Headwaters area.  I had planned to propose to Cristin here but I was so feverish and achy from the flu that it didn't seem like the right time.  Later that day,we hiked the Dr. Robert's Trail, a short but very scenic trail convenient to our cabin that I had never hiked. 

A New Timer enjoys the comforts at the Old Timer's Cabin

Lyendecker Lake, one of over 100 lakes at Itasca State Park

On Sunday we hiked to the state's alleged oldest and tallest tree, a red pine.  I was very disappointed that the tree died several years ago but the PR and advertizing only acknowledge that fact at the site of the tree itself.  I hate it when state park brochures, maps and historical markers lie! 

NOT the state's tallest tree!!

Cristin continued on for about a mile to see the state's tallest white pine.  

We walked on the road over the channel that connects Elk Lake and Lake Itasca.  This is a very historic location, as early Native Americans settled here.  Since Europeans discovered the area, there has much debate regarding the true head waters of the Mississippi. If Elk Lake flows into Lake Itasca, why isn't Elk Lake the headwaters of the Mississippi?  This is a very good question!  Many more intriguing questions exist related to these two lakes and their history.  Visit Lake Itasca State Park to experience the drama first hand!

History and intrigue abound!  

Cristin at our weekend's swanky HQ.  Cable TV included!

 When we departed on Monday AM, I asked Cristin if it was ok to stop briefly at the Headwaters again; that I really thought it was a special place.  Due to her good nature, Cristin agreed, not at all aware of my real motives for wanting to stop again: that engagement ring had been burning a hole in my pocket all weekend!      

Jack smiles in relief as Cristin demo's her new engagement ring!     

New Year's at Tettegouche Camp

The Trail Shelter at Tettegouche Camp

Tettegouche Camp is a unique destination located in the back country of Tettegouche State Park, on the north shore of Lake Superior.  Cristin and I celebrated New Year's Eve at one of 4 rustic, historic cabins; the location was formerly a sportman's club.  The camp is a 1.5 mile hike or ski from the trail head. You must carry in all your food, clothing, and gear.  The cabins have electricty, propane heat, a wood burning stove, a dorm fridge, a 2 burner stove top, and pots and pans. Water is available from an outdoor hand pump.  A modern shower building is shared by all the camp guests. As much split firewood as you require is provided complimentary. The camp is on scenic Mic Mac Lake and several excellent hiking and skiing trails intersect at the camp.  We stayed for 2 nights, departing on January 1, 2012.

A sled is a popular option for transporting
food and gear to the Camp.

Dusk falls on our trek in, revealing a crescent moon --
-- and it's only 4:30 P.M.!

Cabin B was our home for the weekend.

Scenic views of Lake Superior are the norm on the high ridges of the SHT.

The area had only a paltry 4 inches of snow, so we could not ski. On New Year's Eve day, we went for a 5 hour hike,  mainly on the Superior Hiking Trail (SHT),  to the High Falls on the Baptism River. 

All smiles at the Drainpipe, a notoriously steep section of the SHT. 

The High Falls on the Baptism River - the highest falls entirely in Minnesota -  are an icy shroud.
 (The Pigeon River Falls are higher but are 1/2 in Canada)

The suspension bridge over the Baptism R.

Back at HQ, the view of Mic Mac Lake from our cabin's porch.

 That evening we celebrated New Year's Eve in the quiet comfort of our lakeside cabin in front of roaring fire, sipping wine from a box --  we were roughing it, after all!  We departed the next day but not before doing lots of chores and saying goodbye to a new friend. 

Why do chores at the cabin seem so fun?

Saying goodbye to my new friend!

Interpretive signs are not necessary for Cristin to appreciate
 this view of Tettegouche Lake on New Year's Day 2012.

Upon reaching the car, we headed back to the Park Office on Hwy 61 to return the cabin key.  The weather had turned blustery and gray, a common mood of Lake Superior.

Shades of gray dominate on 1/1/12.

 HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Voyageurs National Park, March 2011

Cristin and I visited Voyageurs National Park the weekend 3/4 - 3/6.  Cristin had noticed that there was a Rover's winter camping trip to VNP in February and was curious to check out Minnesota's only national park.  In winter the primary popular activities there are snowmobiling and ice fishing.  We aren't setup to do either but we knew we'd have ample opportunities for X/C skiing and snowshoeing, too.   We stayed at a cabin at the Moosehorn Resort on Lake Kabetogema.  Bella got to tag along with us, too!


Sunrise over Lake Kabetogema and Voyageurs NP

On Saturday our destination was the Rainy Lake Visitor Center, about a 40 mile drive from our cabin that required us to drive into International Falls.  We left Bella at the cabin for the day due to her chronic knee problem. We had an outstanding brunch at the Coffee Landing Cafe on 3rd St in downtown. The unsightly and foul-smelling emissions from the Boise Cascade smoke stacks across the Rainy River in Fort Frances, Ontario are as a I remembered from my only other visit to I-Falls in the mid-1980's.

After eating we headed to the more pristine environs of Voyageurs! We went to the modern and plush visitor center where Cristin rented skis for $5. We skied 1/2 mile or so across Rainy Lake to the island home of the Black Bay ski trail  system   In many winters an ice road is plowed on the lake, including a spur and parking lot to this trail head.  But the ice conditions never were conducive to heavy vehicle traffic this winter as early snow helped insulated the lake surface and so solid, thick ice sufficient for cars and trucks was not formed.  However, the ice conditions were certainly sufficient for foot and light vehicle traffic like ATVs and snowmobiles. 

We skied the 5 mile "Pine" loop, one of the most interesting and fun trails I have ever skied! The narrow, single track trail is very scenic as it went through a forest of mixed type (aspen, pines, spruce, etc) and age including some nice older growth pines. We skied through a beaver pond, along an inland lake, and through a large wetland complex.  The trail had some level sections for good striding which featured many gentle curves so we never knew what pleasant vista would greet us around the next corner.  At one point we were in a small valley bordered on both sides by rocky ridges. The trail had some up-and-down areas that were very fun. 

View along the trail

The conditions were very good.  The temp was low or mid-20's , little or no wind, and cloudy with the sun trying to peak out, very mild. The trail had not been recently groomed but it was firm and user-groomed tracks helped greatly. In fact, a local couple got to the trail head at the same time as us and skied ahead, eventually even lapping us.  The trail was not icy or soft -- almost perfect.  There was some debris in the track and a few small ice ridges on a couple of the downhills in the pines toward the end of our ski. Cristin's old 3-pin binding rental skis were a little slow but she managed well.  We stopped for a quick trail lunch  at the trail intersection just 1.4 miles from the trail head, clearing a small area of snow from a buried picnic table so we could sit for a moment.

      

Cristin on Rainy Lake

We skied back to the visitor center, stopping to chat momentarily with a couple ice fishing with their dog.  At the visitor center, the NPS Ranger anxiously awaited our arrival as we needed to return the skis.  She had asked us to be back at 4:00, even though the center did not close until 4:30. We arrived at about 4:15 or so, the Ranger waiting for us at the door, looking at her watch as we approached, and glaring at us, and then acting fakey-nice to us as we entered.

  

On our way back thru International Falls we stopped at the Viking Bar on 3rd St in downtown. We spotted it earlier when we stopped for brunch. Cristin enjoyed the novelty of having a drink at the 'Viking' bar in the farthest reaches of northern Minnesota, just a stones throw from Canada.          

The previous day, Jerry -- the owner of the Moosehorn Resort - told us that there was no rush for us to check out early Sunday and so we could take our time.  So we did!  Cristin, Bella, and I all hiked on the lake around Echo Island, which is located right out in front of  the resort.  Cristin used her snowshoes; I didn't but should have as the snow closer to the island was very deep, which forced us to walk further out on the lake where the wind prevents the snow from accumulating too much. Again the temps were mild, realizing when I was unzipping my jacket that I had overdressed out of habit as it has been a cold winter.  There was very light snow falling all morning and early afternoon, even as a hazy sun was visible along with some occasional  blue sky.  The hike was a great way to end our time at VNP and the Big K and Bella got some much appreciated exercise.

The snow continued to fall our entire drive back to the Twin Cities. Although it wasn't heavy, we couldn't drive faster than about 45-60 mph and we saw several cars in the ditch. We devoured an excellent pizza at Sammy's in Cloquet so that good dining experience helped us better tolerate the poor road conditions.

So concluded the weekend and yet another new adventure experienced! 

The Luminary Loppet (Mpls) and Book Across The Bay (Ashland, Wi)

This February I participated in 2 classic winter X/C-ski events: the Luminary Loppet on Lake of the Isles in Minneapolis on Feb 5 and the Book Across the Bay on Lake Superior's Chequamegon Bay between Ashland and Washburn, WI on Feb 19. I decided to report on these events together for several reasons.  The events are both on Saturday evenings in February, they have been getting more and more popular the past 5 years, registration is required (this means $), the routes are  lit with hundreds of luminaries, several thousand people participate, including many families, and there is a tent party after each event.  This was the first time I participated in either and I have pictures of neither, but the respective websites have many good pictures.

When you register for the Loppet, you are required to pick a start time on the 1/2 hour between 6PM and 8:30PM.  The intent is to spread people out over the course. The color of your bib indicates your selected start time. I observed, however, that there was no one 'starting' people for the respective heats and that people just filtered onto the course whenever they were ready. I started about 30-45 minutes before my proper start time.

The conditions for the Loppet were ideal - mild temperatures and great snow conditions -- a very pleasant evening that was a nice respite from a long winter. The course distance was about 3 miles. In addition to the several thousand registered, it seemed as if all residents from the surrounding neighborhoods were converging onto Lake of the Isles.  I estimate that 30% of those I saw were not registered as they wore no bib.  There were many people walking and snowshoeing over the groomed classic tracks. People would consistently stand and loiter on the track. Some people were skiing against the grain  -- imagine a car going the wrong way on the interstate in rush hour and you get the idea. 

The Book Across the Bay was very similar except that the skiing conditions were very icy.  Some warm weather earlier in the week had melted off most of the snow from Chequamegon Bay, leaving  hard ice. The race organizers did a heroic job of trying to preparing a skiable track across the lake. Like the Loppet, the hundreds of walkers and snowshoers managed to often block the ski course the entire 10K.  There was a huge bonfire every K where water and snacks were served and fire works were being launched from Washburn much the way, a unique experience, what a great idea!  However, Cristin and I both fell at least once and we struggled with the icy surface the entire course. Upon completing the one-way course  at Washburn, the surging and clueless crowd made even taking our skis off a challenge. The streets of this small town were seriously gridlocked with traffic, and Cristin slipped and fell hard while walking back to the car,   both the gridlock and her fall a fittingly frustrating conclusion to the event.  

In summary, both of these events are very unique and have all the elements that have made them noteworthy and memorable winter classics. However, they both were SO terribly over crowded with several thousands of people that I will not participate in them again.  I am sure 5 years ago I would really enjoyed these events - all else was equal except the crowds. I now know that I much prefer mellower organized events or even just a quiet ski on one of the many excellent trails we have available to us.

North Shore Skiing, February 2011

On the weekend of February 11-13, six Rovers spent the weekend on the North Shore. We stayed at a super deluxe townhouse in Beaver Bay just off the shore of Lake Superior. I found this rental via Vacation Rentals By Owner.  In addition to myself, those participating were John F., Luke B., Paul S., Mary Ann P., and Carmen L.  John noted that he had lived in some apartments that were smaller than the master bedroom he stayed in this weekend.

On the drive up Friday, Paul and I stopped and skied at the Two Harbors Ski trail, a townie trail about 1 mile from MN Hwy 61.  Nice system! 

(l to r) Luke, Mary Ann, Carmen, John, Paul

On Saturday AM, we all headed to the Northwoods Trail system that is just outside of Silver Bay.  It links up with Tettegouche State Park trail system.  Both systems feature single track classic trails in a classic north woods setting. The conditions were nearly perfect, temps in the mid-20s, calm winds, great snow coverage.  The only minor complaints were that the pole planting was very soft and in the pines on the Northwoods trail there was lots of litter of needles, bark, and pine cones, which gummed up Mary Ann's wax skis.

Jack on the Palisade Valley Trail

We skied 10K from the Northwoods trail head to Tettegouche Camp via Palisade Valley.  I had never skied this trail; it was outstanding. I did not feel like I was in Minnesota as there were steep ridges on either side of the trail. Spectacular.  We generally climbed, as several short but steep uphills were encountered but the majority of the mileage was more level.

We took a lunch break at Tettegouche Camp, which has a large enclosed log cabin style shelter with a wood burning Franklin Stove.     Luke and Carmen fetched some wood and started a fire. We then headed back to Northwoods, backtracking thru the Palisade Valley.  Now we were hitting the downhills, which provided several fun and exciting moments.

When we hooked back up with the Northwoods system, five of us decided to take Herringbone Hill, which is very steep up and a fast,long ride down.  One of our party decided to take the longer but more gentle bypass trail.  We then headed back to the parking lot, completing a 20K+ day of skiing.

When we got back to the townhouse, most took advantage of the sauna located in a nearby building.  We then had a nice dinner and later relaxed with one of Carmen's scrabble-like board games and a wood fire.

We departed the townhouse by 10AM Sunday, after enjoying Carmen's egg bake and fresh hot bread, and we all headed to Gooseberry Falls State Park for some skiing. We started at the Visitor Center and skied a short loop down to Lake Superior. We took off our skis and walked around the lake shore near the Lady Slipper pinnic shelter and Picnic Point.

Paul on the shoreline of Lake Superior at Gooseberry Falls SP

It was very mild, temperature in the low 30's, no wind, low clouds, and gray as can be everywhere one looked.  The sky, lake, and snow all appeared the same dismal gray color. None of us had much energy and we soon departed for home.

We all had a great time and lived the life of luxury for 2 days for a cost of about only $110 for 2 nights lodging, 2 breakfast, 2 bag lunches, and dinner Saturday.  It was so much fun we talked about a reunion trip in 2012!

The images from Palisade Valley are etched into my memory -- that is one cool place and I can't believe I hadn't been there before now!

Bear Head Lake State Park, January 2011

On the weekend of January 14-16, Cristin and I stayed at a camper cabin at Bear Head Lake State Park, about 20 miles west and south of Ely, MN.  For a description of our epic snowshoe hike that Saturday, please see the related blog "Hegman Lake Pictographs in BWCA, January 2011". 

We arrived very late that Friday as the drive took 7 hours as a snow storm began just as we left the Twin Cities and continued for most of the 225 miles.  The cabins are very nice!  Click here for a virtual tour.    The cabins are new and have electricity, electric heat, lights, 2 bunks where the bottom bunk is a full size bed, a porch, and a very private yard complete with a fire ring and picnic table.  Because we were there in January and there was much snow and it was frigid, we did not use the outdoor amenities.  An outhouse is located a short walk from the camper cabins and cold water is available nearby.

Upon returning to Bear Head on Saturday from the snowshoe hike to the pictographs and dinner in Ely, we were treated with a stunning moon halo and stars like crazy.  We later learned that the temperature that evening quickly dropped below zero and plummeted to -27 degrees F.  We went for about 1/2 hour walk in the campground area, appreciating the beauty and noting that the the cold air was taking our breath away, literally.  We retreated to the cabin, which with the help of a space heater stayed plenty warm all night  - too warm for Jack, actually :) 

Because of the frigid conditions, we did not depart the cabin until after noon on Sunday. We packed up and checked out but then skied right at the park. By then it had warmed up to about 5 degrees.  It was a wonderful experience, the trail a single track classic and freshly groomed.  The trail goes through stands of large pines and snow was clinging to all the branches, a beautiful winter wonderland.