Ripping Across CO WY SD ND MN

We departed Glacier Basin campground in Rocky Mountain National Park Tuesday Aug 21 about 8:30 am, an early start for us.  We negotiated the narrow streets of downtown Estes Park and dropped down off the Front Range through the Big Thompson Canyon.  

Big Thompson Canyon

We pumped a little diesel in Fort Collins and continued north and crossed into Wyoming.  We had 3 days to get to Ely MN, 1200 miles north and east, so we needed to make some miles. However, when we spotted the Outpost Truck Stop in Lusk WY, it seemed pretty inviting, even though we had only driven about 230 miles.  Lusk had a good cellular data signal so we spent the night there with the big rigs.

Camp at Outpost Truck Stop in Lusk WY

It's a long straight road

That's one big bovine!

Welcome to South Dakota

This tandem semi-trailer passed us and gave us a bit of a thrill as he wobbled on by. Click HERE to see video of the wobbly semi.  

Wobbly truck

These folks seem really excited about arriving in North Dakota

Extra long and extra wide load

We spent Wednesday evening at the Walmart in Mandan ND just west of Bismarck after a 445 mile day. 

Camp Wally World in Mandan ND

Long load

Welcome to Minnesota

Paul Bunyan lives in a town park in Akeley MN

We spent Thursday night in Hibbing MN after another long drive of 403 miles.  Hibbing is most notably the birthplace of Bob Dylan.

Camp Supercenter in Hibbing MN

Faithful readers will know that we spend a few nights in Walmarts when we are trying to make some miles.

Click HERE to hear a cute tune "Living at Walmart" by Pat Pepin.

We finally arrived in Ely MN, one our favorite places, and set up at Fall Lake Campground in the Superior National Forest for 5 nights. Here we will rest and regroup for our Boundary Waters trip.

Dorcas and Matilda at Fall Lake

We usually eat at the Chocolate Moose at least once every time we are in town and were appalled to find it was closed and for sale.  Egads!

The Chocolate Moose is for sale! Oh no!!!

A controversy has been brewing in paradise for some time.  Late last year the Interior Department concluded that the two expired leases held by a Chilean-owned company, Twin Metals Minnesota, should be reinstated for copper and nickel mining near the border of the Boundary Waters. This reversed a decision made at the end of the Obama administration, which rejected the leases after the Forest Service concluded that a mine there “posed an inherent potential risk” that threatened “serious and irreplaceable harm” to the wilderness.  Then, in January, the Trump administration scaled back a review of the impact of prohibiting mining on thousands of acres of Forest Service land near the wilderness. That was followed, this month, by the Interior Department reinstating those two expired Twin Metals leases. Now, the Trump administration says those leases must be renewed once terms and conditions are worked out.

Locals' opinions are mixed. The area has always been an active mining region, but a lot of revenue is also generated by tourism and the paddle sports industry.  You can read more HERE.

Tomorrow we will put in on Lake One for a 14 day wilderness camping trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.  During that time we will be totally cut off from all cellular and internet communications.  Stay tuned for a trip report of that adventure in a few weeks.

These parting photos are from 2007, the last time we put in at Lake One

Dorcas caught a nice Northern Pike

Myron fishing solo on a misty morning

A glorious Boundary Waters sunset