Ashland WI

 Kreher Park is a very nice city RV park in Ashland WI.  Ashland is at the head of Chequamegon Bay on Lake Superior. We stayed there for a couple of nights back in 2013 and really enjoyed it.  We had hoped to stay there again when we drove across the UP last month, but they don't take reservations, and we were a little gun shy about taking a chance.  Consequently, we had made a reservation at a private park instead.  Before leaving Ely, Dorcas made some calls to city hall in Ashland and learned that there was a fair daily turnover at the park, and our chance of getting a site was pretty good if we didn't arrive too late in the morning.  

So ... we packed up and were on the road early, leaving Ely about 6:00 am.  That's right, the 6:00 hour when it is still dark.  This behavior is very un-Whitley-like. We made a quick fuel stop in Superior WI and arrived at Kreher Park shortly after 10:00.  We had a detailed plan of attack whereby Dorcas would run through the park loops looking for a vacant site, while I unhitched the car from the coach.  I would then follow her with the car and stake out our site, providing we could find one.  It turns out there was a prime vacant waterfront site right near the entrance of the first loop, so we pulled straight in.  We paid the iron ranger for 3 nights on Site 22, and then doubled back to the dump station to empty our waste tanks.  SWEET!

The web site for the park warns visitors to not follow their GPS directions, but instead to enter the park via Prentice Ave.  We followed the web site directions, but checked out the GPS directions later   It's not pretty.  Always use your GPS with a grain of salt.

Site 22 at Kreher Park

Kreher Park and the historic Ashland Ore Dock

Our camp is adjacent to the historic Ashland Ore Dock.   This dock was used to load iron ore from rail cars onto freighters from the 1920s to the mid 60s.  There were five such docks operating in Ashland at one time.  Now it has been redeveloped into a recreational space and fishing pier. 

Our camp is also next to the city marina. 

Hotel Chequamegon is one block from our camp and overlooks the bay

All the trash cans in the downtown area are decorated with stained glass mosaics.  Themes included fish, flowers, lighthouses, etc.  This one had a canoe. Each trash can also had an integrated recycle receptacle.  COOL!

Ashland is somewhat famous for its downtown murals featuring historical themes.  Ashland is the Historic Mural Capital of Wisconsin, designated as such by the Wisconsin Legislature in 2003.  There are about 2 dozen downtown murals. 

This mural was also adorned with stained glass images

You should have seen the one that got away!!!

Ashland City Hall

Krist Oil Building

Krist Oil stations are very common in northern Minnesota and northern Wisconsin.  They have very competitive prices and usually have truck lanes for diesel.  We have purchased fuel at Krist stations our last two fill-ups.

Life is good.

Tomorrow, after spending three relaxing nights in Ashland, we will continue wandering eastward into Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

Burned Out in Ely

We arrived at Fall Lake Campground north of Ely on Tuesday, August 24 about 2:00 PM.  We had a reservation for three nights on site #7.  Since our Boundary Waters entry permit had been canceled, we planned to stay a little longer in the area as we considered our options. We needed to move to a non-reservable site, since we could stay on a non-reservable site for up to 14 nights without moving.  Unfortunately, no other walk-up sites were available for this evening, so we set up on #7.  The next morning we went to the office and scored site #36, which is lakeside and very nice.  An unexpected bonus is that #36 has a clear view to the south, and we could pick up Dish Network on our rooftop satellite dish.  This is a mixed blessing.  On the one hand, I'm a news junkie and can pick up all my morning and evening news shows, as well as Jeopardy, my favorite TV show.  On the other hand, having Dish Network means I am liable to be watching TV and hanging in the coach when I should be out enjoying this fine early fall Northwoods weather.  Life is tough!

Site #36 Fall Lake Campground

Ok, so here we are.  We knew it was dry in the Boundary Waters; on July 22 open fires were banned in all of Superior National Forest, including the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW).  That was bad news, but not devastating for us.  We love to have a fire, but have survived fire bans in previous years. Then we learned on August 21, the entire BWCAW had been closed to all camping and boating and our entry permit was canceled.  The initial closure was for 7 days, ending the day of our original permit, so I acquired a new permit for 2 days later.  But, you guessed it, the closure was extended, and our new permit was also canceled.  Plan B was to camp on a backcountry lake somewhere in the Superior Nation Forest but outside the BWCAW.  Not the same as camping in the BWCAW, but hey, we were packed for camping and ready to rumble.  But then the final blow.  On August 30 the USFS announced that all backcountry camping in the Superior National Forest had also been closed. DRAT!!!!  Luckily the front-country campgrounds, such as Fall Lake CG were still open, so we could at least hang out at one of our all-time favorite campgrounds.

There are a number of active wildfires in the area.  There is at least one large fire in Quetico Provincial Park just across the border, which the Canadians are not bothering to try to suppress.  Additionally the Greenwood Lake fire, the John Ek fire, Whelp fire and others are burning nearby.  When we departed Duluth and drove to Ely there was heavy visible smoke in the air.  While in Ely we had mostly clear air, but a few smoky days. 

Note Air Quality index is 206: Very Unhealthy. The AQI in Ely is normally about "1"

Looking across Fall Lake the day after we arrived in Ely

Looking across Fall Lake on a clearer day

Thankfully, the smoke was diminished and the air quality was much better during the remainder of our stay in Ely.  On the way to town a fawn crossed the road in front of our car.

On the day after we arrived Ely was a ghost town

The overnight and trailer parking lot at Fall Lake is eerily empty

And just when we thought it couldn't get any worse, we drove to town to eat at Britton's Cafe, our favorite breakfast joint and found it closed.  The restaurant was closed to the public, but was preparing meals for firefighters and other emergency responders.  

Food for the firefighters

There was a little good news inEly: The Chocolate Moose, which had been closed for several years had reopened, so we had breakfast there instead.

There was rain in the forecast for the weekend.  Sure enough we did get close to an inch of accumulated precipitation, but it was not nearly enough for the USFS to reopen the forest for camping.

We couldn't paddle in the BWCAW, but we could do some day paddles in lakes outside the wilderness.  On one day we paddled in Ojibway Lake and Triangle Lake only about 10 miles from camp.  

Our friend John paddled with us

We met John on a portage path in the BWCAW some years ago.  We saw him and his wife a few days later at Fall Lake Campground and got to know them a little better.  John and Lucinda come to the Ely area every year about the same time as we do, and we have run into them at Fall Lake CG several times since then.  The paddling community can be a small world. 

It sure looks like the BWCAW

We put in on Ojibway Lake with the plan to take the short 10 rod portage over into Triangle Lake.  As we approached the portage we saw a small dock, which would not have been allowed in the wilderness. 

Furthermore, there was a log structure with steel rollers that traversed the portage.  Who wants to carry your boat when you can use the roller coaster!

There is a 190 rod portage from Triangle Lake to the South Kawishiwi River. We took a look, then turned around and headed back home.

Matilda was just happy to be on the water

A young voyageur

Our Route

These lakes were very scenic and interesting with lots of islands and coves. There was lots more of both lakes to the east that we could have explored.  Maybe next time.

Another version of our route on Ojibway and Triangle Lakes

We have been experiencing some nice cool fall weather

The ferns are turning

A ruffed grouse wandered through camp

A Franklin ground squirrel was close behind

Our original plan had been to spend three nights at Fall Lake CG, then put into the wilderness for 13 more nights, then spend two more nights at Fall Lake CG, before racing southward through Wisconsin to Nappanee IN for service on our coach at the Newmar factory.  We had only allowed one night to drive the 750 miles to Nappanee.  Since our wilderness trip had been scuttled, it meant we could just hang out in Ely for a while and then not be rushed to get to Nappanee.  We have spent 10 relaxing and laid back days at Fall Lake CG, but now it is time to leave.  The most direct route to Nappanee is south through Wisconsin and Illinois.  However, we have decided to double back east through Michigan's UP and then go south along the Lake Michigan coast.  We came through the UP a few weeks ago, but will stay at some different parks on the Lake Superior shore on our way back towards the Mighty Mac.

BREAKING NEWS:

As I was just finishing composing this post, the USFS announced that most portions of the BWCAW will be reopened beginning September 4.  That means we could put in on that date for a much shorter trip, providing we could secure a permit, which is likely a long shot.    Click HERE to read the announcement from the USFS.

We had already made our plan to leave tomorrow, and it was a long shot that we could get an entry permit on such short notice, so we will stick with our revised plan B and start working or way to Nappanee. 

So that's the way the cookie crumbles.  Timing is everything.  You just have to be flexible and roll with it.