Boreal Access

2 degrees this morning---Round Lake is frozen, but not in the clear-skate-all over-the-bay ice that we've had the past few years. The Gunflint Trail is pretty much frozen...larger lakes like Gunflint and Loon are still open, but not for long ( I predict). Just a dusting of snow in our neck of the woods so far, but we're good and ready.

Andy and Daniel skated on the Moose pond after school yesterday. In the car on the way to the bus stop this morning, Daniel asked "if Dad doesn't have anything else to do today, could you ask him if he would set up the hockey goals on the pond?" Not much light this time of year, but we squeeze in a little afterschool activity when we can...

At the end of October Andy made his annual fall Quetico trip with Hungry Jack Outfitter Dave. They put in at the far Northwest Corner---Beaverhouse Lake, traveled through every lake they could, and ended up back at Saganaga--6 days and many miles later.

On their traverse across the Quetico, they passed through lakes unfamiliar to me--- like Cutty, Sark, Sunday....In the very middle of the park they came upon huge old growth pines---this is where the kids and I want to go.We think Andy looks like Jack---who managed to cut down the beanstalk just in the nick of time....and foiled the giant. Andy said it was very humbling to be in the presence of these giant trees--he said it took the swagger out of him, and he couldn't imagine ever cutting them down.

I chose this photo to exemplify the camping part of the trip. Apparently they had so many miles in their plan that they were getting up at 5am in the blackness, and usually setting up camp in the near blackness. Granted, the days are short in October, but I had to laugh when he came home---and a few of the following mornings we'd wake up at 5am (in our warm bed in our warm house---and still feeling mighty chilly to me)---I would joke---"OK, time to get up---who is in charge of starting the fire and making the coffee?" It sounded a little hellish to me, not a vacation. And I do like to travel a fair amount, but still-All summer long, Andy looks forward to his turn in the woods, and I don't think he wanted to miss a minute (or a mile) of this experience. I think they got a big kick out of testing their limits, watching the sunrises and sunsets from the boat, and getting the full experience of the northwoods.