Out of the Boundary Waters

Our motley crew: Myron, Dorcas and Matilda, Lynda and Wayne

We took out of the Boundary Waters on Saturday Aug 24, after 2 weeks in the wilderness, and we had another wonderful trip.  This was one of our earlier put-in dates.  Normally we put in later in the month; about the last week in August.  It was actually unseasonably cool when we put in, but the temperatures soon warmed to more seasonal levels.  Amazingly, we had no rain, if you don't count one brief sprinkle that occurred after we were in our tents, and that rain never actually wet the ground.

Our Route

The queens of the canoe

As expected, the bugs were worse than usual.  We had heard reports from friends camping and paddling in Minnesota that the locals said they were worse this year than for many years in the past. We had expected the worst, but actually they were not particularly bothersome.  While on the water they were nonexistent.  At camp they seemed to swarm just about dusk, so we simply went to bed.

A glorious sunset

Relaxing in camp

Portaging a  "rapid"

We put in at Mudro Lake, which is where we put in on our very first trip in 1997.  Since we had two vehicles we set a shuttle and took out at the Moose River access.  Our trip covered about 76 miles, which included day paddles and portages.  We laid over about every other day, meaning we camped 2 nights or more at a campsite before moving on.  As the years go by and we get older, we find ways to make our trips easier and more enjoyable.  This 76 mile trip, that we took 14 days to do, would be done by most parties in 5-6 days or so.  We tell folks we are retired and in no hurry.  They are envious.  We planned our route to include a number of rivers, since water levels were a bit higher than normal.  We caught a lot of fish, but none were very big.  The largest fish caught was a 2.9 pound northern pike.  Usually we catch a few 7-8 pounders.  Regardless, we still had two wilderness fish fry dinners.

Dragging over a beaver dam

We saw beavers, a few otters, bald eagles, osprey and turtles.  Dorcas saw a moose while scouting a portage trail, but was unable to get her camera out before she bolted.  Dorcas reported that she was big and black and very close.  Actually they started each other; I'm not sure who was more scared, Dorcas or the moose.  Moose sighting are increasingly uncommon in the BWCAW.  We used to see a few every year or so, but it's been several years since we last spotted a moose.  We heard wolves howling several nights.

One that didn't get away

"Did you catch any fish?"

One of the bigger bugs, thankfully not a biting bug.

Camp fire pizza

Is Dorcas relaxed or what?

When we returned to Fall Lake the motor home was fine (always a concern), the batteries were charged, the beer was cold and the rib eyes were still frozen.  Life is good!  We had reservations for three nights at Fall Lake Campground.  Ultimately we signed up for 5 more nights.  A severe heat wave had hit the upper Midwest during the last few days.  While it was 90 degrees here, it was over 100 degrees in other parts of Minnesota.  We are relatively cool here and have good power to run the air conditioners.  This is the most pleasant place I can think of to sit out the heat wave.  Besides, we didn't want to be moving during Labor Day weekend, not knowing where we would stay, potentially getting caught without power during the heat.  So we will be here probably until Sunday September 1.

A grassy portage landing

Another glorious sunset

"Something ate my fish!!!"

"It wasn't me!  BURRRRP!"

A few days after we returned to Fall Lake camp ground our friends Bob and Sue from Florida showed up.  Bob and Sue have spent most of the summer paddling in Missouri, Wisconsin and Minnesota.  One day we paddled with them on Fall Lake and visited Kawishiwi Falls and Newton Falls.  Matilda and "Bric" had a big time playing.

Matilda and Bric

ELY!

The coolest small town in America

Ely is one of our favorite places. It claims to be the coolest small town in America, and it's true. It's a canoe town. If you drive into town without a canoe on top of your car, they ask you how far back it blew off, and offer to help you find it.

Certainly a canoe town

We arrived in Ely about 4:00 on Wednesday and set up camp at Fall Lake Campground, a unit of the Superior National Forest. It's a fantastic campground and a great staging place and jumping off point for entering the Boundary Waters. They have a huge paved parking area with street lights where we can park long-term when we put into the wilderness. It's the only place up here I feel good about leaving the motor home for our two-week stay in the Boundary Waters. Even if we are not putting in near Ely, we will come here and leave the coach.

 


As we drove into the campground we spotted a coyote on the road. When we saw him he was actually pooping in the center of the road. I think this posture slowed him down a bit, so we were able to get a camera out and get a photo from the coach. After getting parked in site #13 we had another wildlife encounter, as it were. I found a dead baby mouse on the floor in the coach. That's never good. Since then we have found three more dead babies. Where's mama? I hope she's abandoned ship.

Not good!!!

We met our friends Wayne and Lynda here. On Friday we did a day paddle on Hegman Lake. It is fairly easy to get to from here and has some nice Indian pictographs. It rained a bit on that paddle. I hope that's not a sign of things to come. Also, all the campsites on the lake were filled. Maybe that's to be expected on an easy entry lake.

Check out the two loons.  I mean the two birds behind Wayne and Lynda!

Indian Pictographs

 



We spent much of our 4 nights here repacking and reorganizing our gear. Today we picked up our permit, bought a fishing license and bought last minute perishables . We will put into the wilderness tomorrow at Mudro Lake for 14 days. During that time we will have no cellular service and no internet, so we will be incommunicado. The 10-day forecast looks pretty good: little chance of rain, light winds, highs near 70 and lows near 50. Not bad.

Bon Voyage!

Zooming Across North Dakota and Into Minnesota

We left Theodore Roosevelt National Park on Saturday knowing we had some miles to make, but no particular stops along the way. We had a service appointment in Elk River MN, just north of Minneapolis on Monday, but planned to arrive there on Sunday evening. The drive across North Dakota was unremarkable and uneventful. We saw lots a hay fields and sunflower farms.   Except we did see the biggest cow and the biggest bison I have ever seen.  Must be good hay.

 

 

We made about 350 miles and spent the night in the Sam's Club in Fargo. There we bought groceries and topped off the tank with diesel. When we woke up on Sunday there was a motor home that had parked beside us that had three Australian shepherds on-board. When I first saw them, two were sitting in the cockpit seats, and the 10-week old puppy was laying on the dash board. Pretty cute. I was excited about being in Fargo because I love the movie “Fargo”. I figured we would visit some locations where scenes were filmed. Well, a little research revealed that not a single scene, neither interior nor exterior, was filmed in Fargo. Bummer!

Aussies on board

We left Fargo and drove only about 210 miles before arriving at our destination in Elk River. MN We parked the motor home, at Precision Frame & Alignment. Dick Lornston, the owner, is a friend we have been visiting for about 5 years. Each year we stop at his shop for lubrication, alignment and any other necessary frame and suspension work. Dick specializes in motor homes and is truly an expert in motor home handling issues. His shop has 4 electrical hook-ups for folks waiting for service; we usually arrive the day before our appointment and stay until the day after. This time, in addition to the coach work, he checked and adjusted the alignment on all four wheels on the Element and rotated and re-balanced the tires. Every time we have been there, we have left with noticeable improvements in handling. On the coach he did lubrication, alignment and adjusted the ride height.

 

Dick was born and raised in northern Minnesota, up on the north shore. A few years ago he came to Winston-Salem for a rally, and we entertained him and introduced him to Lexington style barbecue and sweet tea. It was a real culture shock. On this trip we cooked him country ham biscuits and grits. I think he liked them.



On Tuesday we left Elk River for a 3-hour drive to Duluth. We had a 1-night reservation at Lakehead Boat Basin. Lakehead is a marina in Duluth harbor. In the winter they haul boats out and set them up on the hard before the lake freezes. In the summer they use that space for about 30 RV spaces. It has a beautiful view of the harbor and the Duluth waterfront. When an ore boat comes in, we can watch it pass under the aerial lift bridge and sail by the marina. We walked up the Lake Walk to Fitgers, a shopping mall in an old historic brewery building and ate dinner on a high balcony overlooking Lake Superior.

Duluth aerial lift bridge

View from Lakehead Boat Basin

Duluth aerial lift bridge

Theodore Roosevelt National Park BULLY!

 


Teddy Roosevelt created many of our national parks. He protected more public lands than any other president, either before or since. However, he did not create his namesake park. Theodore Roosevelt National Park was created well after his death and was created in his honor. It is the only US national Park that is named for a person.

"Badlands"

Roosevelt first came to the “Little Mo” area of North Dakota for a bison hunting trip in 1883. The bison were almost extinct by that time, and it took him 10 days to find and kill a bison. But he fell in love with the area. He invested in a ranch near Medora, the Maltese Cross Ranch. When his mother and his wife, died on the same day in 1884, he returned to the area to grieve and heal and established his own ranch, the Elkhorn Ranch, 35 miles north of Medora. It was on the ranch that he lived “the strenuous life”, learned a hard work ethic, and it led to his interest in conservation policy. He said often that if it were not for his years in North Dakota he never would have become president.

Interior of Roosevelt's Maltese Cross cabin

The park is made up of three separate units. The South Unit is in Medora and right off I-94. The Elkhorn Unit, the site of his Elkhorn Ranch is about 35 miles north of the South Unit and is very remote. The North unit is about 80 miles north of the South Unit. The Little Missouri River flows through all three units before it joins the Missouri River.

Little Missouri River

Petrified logs

Petrified bench

We spent 2 nights in the South Unit and two nights in the North Unit at the federal campgrounds. Both units are characterized by grassland plains and eroded “badlands”. The North unit is perhaps a little more rugged than the South Unit and much quieter. Because of its relatively remote location, perhaps only about 75% of visitors go to the North Unit. Bison, elk, deer, prairie dogs and feral horses are found in the park. The park is enclosed in a 7' fence to keep the bison and horses in and domestic animals out.

Feral horses

"What are you looking at?

"Cannonball concretions"

Medora ND is an interesting town. It is a western style tourist town with a population of 112 people. However, the Chamber of Commerce lists 20 cafes and restaurants and 7 saloons. Somebody is doing a lot of eating and drinking in Medora.

Prairie dog town

I would say this is one lucky prairie dog.  I was hoping to see some carnage!

Little Missouri River: a little low for paddling