tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12769679021909833802024-03-13T08:53:22.100+01:00Carl's Travel BlogChronicling travels and experiences throughout the worldCarl Hoeghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09715058800206225124noreply@blogger.comBlogger113125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276967902190983380.post-8982352234563784942012-08-29T04:14:00.000+02:002012-08-29T04:14:00.424+02:00Gunflint Trail Bound Again<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It has now been almost exactly a year since I concluded one of the best summers of my life. Last summer I spent my summer working at Tuscarora Outfitters on the Gunflint Trail of the Boundary Waters. I can't tell you the number of times I wish I had done this earlier during my college years....but despite the thought always being in my head I never went for it. Then as my last summer of Grad School approached I decided it was now or never. I remember thinking I was a bit crazy and reckless. My previous two summers I had shunned the idea of an internship or a more professional summer job in order spend one summer backpacking across Europe and the other to live in Fez, Morocco to study Arabic. While both were great life experiences I constantly was worried that upon my graduation the professional word would look at my resume and see someone who never did the traditional summer slave work of an intern and thus was not the person they would want for any job. Yet despite these fears I decided to apply for to work at a BWCA outfitter for the summer of 2011 a job that generally is focused on such enthralling activities as scrubbing cook-kits, tents, and canoes for hours on end.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me at Tuscarora Lake</td></tr>
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The decision brought me four months of adventure in which I spent nearly all of my spare time exploring large sections of the BWCA wilderness along the Gunflint Trail. With only one day off a week from work, I learned to travel light and was able to cover 20-30 miles in the span of 24-36 hours in order to maximize my exploration. Furthermore the vast majority of my trips into the wilderness I did solo. While I was not opposed to having friends come along, few of my co-workers were interested in covering the long distances I often did on a "day off". The result is that I explored the wilderness by myself and had long periods of time to reflect about everything from God, to my life choices thus far, and where I saw my future leading me personally and professionally. While I cannot say I found all the answers out there, the peace and solitude combined with the natural beauty of the wilderness provided me with a unparalleled location for my wandering mind. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pristine Wilderness of the BWCA (Fente Lake)</td></tr>
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Working on the Gunflint provided other great opportunities as well. Meeting new clients and hearing about their trips provided me with a wealth of information about the area (and too often how not to travel in it...). After work there were constant opportunities to fish, swim, go wild blueberry picking, and go to bonfires with the other workers on the trail. The friendships I made that summer are another element of my experience that I will treasure for many years to come. </div>
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Looking back now its hard to believe how far I have come in just 12 months. Just a year ago I was leaving the BWCA with a massive amount of anxiety. I was entering my final semester of grad school, taking out new student loans, and in January I would enter an economy that in terms of jobs was possibly in its worst condition since the 1930s. To be honest I did not want to leave the BWCA at all. If I could of had my wish at the time I just would of kept living there and enjoyed the natural simplicity that the wilderness lifestyle provided. That being said I have always been one who does not run away from life and always intends to finish what I started. Thus when fall came I returned to the East Coast and my studies at Johns Hopkins SAIS. Before I knew it, it was already December and I had my MA in my hand and the prospect of finding a job ahead of me. After a quick two week trip home (which included a winter visit to the BWCA) I was back in DC determined to push forward but at the same time prepared for what I expected would be a lengthy job search and potentially difficult period financially. To my surprise within a week of arriving back in DC I had multiple interviews scheduled and other potential leads developing quickly. A week later I had received and accepted a job offer to work as a Research Analyst for Capital Trade Inc. </div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Now seven months on I am still enjoying my job (despite the crazy hours at times) and counting my blessings. Not least of which was the chance to spend my final student summer in the BWCA.While internships and professional jobs can be great assets, I have to admit that experiences such as backpacking Europe, living abroad in foreign countries, and testing yourself in the wilderness make for great interview question responses (in the right context of course). No doubt my academic positions, training, grades, and awards were more responsible for my job search success, but I have no doubt it was who I was as an individual that made me stand out as a candidate. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset over Little Saganaga Lake</td></tr>
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Next week I will return to the BWCA and go on a four day trip with my Mother. While I rue the fact that the trip must be so short in comparison to an entire summer there, it only goes to highlight the changes that have occurred in my life in the interim. No doubt on this trip I will once again find solitude (as well as family this time) in which to contemplate many things about life and my future, as always the natural beauty of the BWCA will likely serve to inspire and provoke deep thoughts. </div>
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Carl Hoeghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09715058800206225124noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276967902190983380.post-82374599794847027462011-12-04T02:47:00.001+01:002011-12-04T03:30:33.771+01:00Appalachian Trail - Harper's FerrySo today I decided to take a break before my next round of finals and go to Harper's Ferry in West Virginia to check out the Appalachian Trail! As someone who has spent a lot of time in the Wilderness of Northern Minnesota the Appalachian Trail had always interested me, so I decided there was not time like the present to go check it out.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGXNG8dVnKeluq8eCYl2MLwkJ-DXxViZVW_EH9Pl7iONmfuTbhNPw8TLf3u9E84PHIVbc01WRjKcouzDrcf08mD0Clp1usYAEoZg1yEbTp6XDi8hXqjmfwJA60CBYikne8IlfrgqPCY2Q/s1600/appalachian-trail-map_lrg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGXNG8dVnKeluq8eCYl2MLwkJ-DXxViZVW_EH9Pl7iONmfuTbhNPw8TLf3u9E84PHIVbc01WRjKcouzDrcf08mD0Clp1usYAEoZg1yEbTp6XDi8hXqjmfwJA60CBYikne8IlfrgqPCY2Q/s400/appalachian-trail-map_lrg.jpg" width="176" /></a>Obviously the Appalachian Trail is probably most famous for the infamous attempts at "Through hiking" it. Meaning hiking the 2,100+ miles from Georgia to Main all at once. Doing so takes between 4-6 months and only about 25% of those who start it manage to successfully finish it.<br />
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As I just had one day I did what many other people do which is go to one of the many trail heads and do a day hike on the Appalachian Trail. So I headed to Harper's Ferry which is only about 60 miles from DC. Harper's Ferry is a neat area because in addition to being in the Appalachians it is also the location of the intersection of the Shenandoah and the Potomac Rivers.<br />
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I hiked North on the trail up to the Weverton Cliffs which overlook Harper's Ferry and the two rivers there. While the area was quite scenic I must admit that it was a bit "busier" than I would have preferred. The Cliffs had a nice overview of the rivers, mountains, and the surrounding areas but also of a major highway and railway which were constantly busy. Also there were a lot of people out on the trail, a function no doubt of the fact that it was 50 degrees and sunny out in December! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weverton Cliffs</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking down the Appalachian Trail</td></tr>
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After enjoying the cliffs I decided to hike further North along the trail to get a bit further away from everything. As I went further along the trail I ran into fewer people and the noise of civilization dissipated. Later down the trail I discovered one of the many shelters that exist along the trail. Apparently they build and maintain actual backwoods structures or cabins for people to camp in. I thought this a bit over the top based on my time in the BWCA (which is 100% traditional tent camping) but at the same time having a more sturdy structure to stay in from time to time I imagine could be nice. When I got to the structure it was already claimed for the night with a number of tents already sent up nearby (I guess there is no 9 person maximum rule here).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shelter on the Appalachian Trail</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goat!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back at the Weverton Cliffs for Sunset</td></tr>
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I imagine that like most wilderness places the Appalachian Trail would be best if you had several days that way you could get away from the more populated areas and day hikers (like me!) and thereby find more solitude. While this section of the trail might not exactly be what I am used to in Northern Minnesota or the BWCA it still was really nice to get outside and hiking on a warm sunny day in December before getting back to hitting the books once again for finals!<br /><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276967902190983380.post-45005298329412533962011-09-13T05:21:00.007+02:002011-09-13T05:46:27.598+02:00Pagami Creek FireEarlier this summer I <a href="http://carlstravelblog.blogspot.com/2011/06/harsh-realities-of-nature.html">blogged about a small fire</a> in the BWCA not too far from Tuscarora Outfitters. Ultimately not much came of the fire as it stayed small and eventually went out. Well since I left Tuscarora a new fire started in the BWCA and has grown to somewhat staggering proportions. In one day alone it more then doubled in size from <a href="http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/news/iron-range/Pagami-Smoke-Thick-Enough-To--129690288.html">4,500 acres to 11,000</a> acres and is very much still burning and growing thanks to generally dry conditions and plentiful wind in the area. Whats more the fire has been large enough that people not only can smell (and be bothered by) the smoke in most of the BWCA but also as <a href="http://www.startribune.com/local/129542788.html">far south as the Twin Cities</a>!<br /><br />While the fire is a fair distance away from Tuscarora Outfitters (around 35 miles away) its affects are more then visible. Below are several pictures taken by Rachel Swenson, a co-worker of mine from Tuscarora. Needless to say the pictures are quite impressive.<br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJh7dZm24t2tku7HG21qRpSdWRQ_wE5hRIrqlowG_tArUwePihyphenhyphenMsQb_aMnpVEF4HlRaly2hs_L7cxpaojp6HgrP6FVm2jT2peJnjCL00-nrBUIW4JHZGaugsEbioj7VotL1QBKTrtPzs/s1600/316167_10101128994133640_13921780_73082660_907516684_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJh7dZm24t2tku7HG21qRpSdWRQ_wE5hRIrqlowG_tArUwePihyphenhyphenMsQb_aMnpVEF4HlRaly2hs_L7cxpaojp6HgrP6FVm2jT2peJnjCL00-nrBUIW4JHZGaugsEbioj7VotL1QBKTrtPzs/s400/316167_10101128994133640_13921780_73082660_907516684_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651682311005513874" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZNrkaDUYoeX2zz5GYHicCej37nsUK6OLMz-a1mRlYDTKe74-gmjjvwdTujrORuww4eqkO-QoyFRM0ergNvHjLJjk3RZBUcXBcPqaZZHMwZ0FvvAYLuPY4hDEr94He6u7zEa5LK7umPEU/s1600/320652_10101129000386110_13921780_73082707_1776356968_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZNrkaDUYoeX2zz5GYHicCej37nsUK6OLMz-a1mRlYDTKe74-gmjjvwdTujrORuww4eqkO-QoyFRM0ergNvHjLJjk3RZBUcXBcPqaZZHMwZ0FvvAYLuPY4hDEr94He6u7zEa5LK7umPEU/s400/320652_10101129000386110_13921780_73082707_1776356968_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651682313743644834" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWj6X-lZ0tfj-hawPeAVi3xpVP2oVY5uWN3Koh8fKi7fPTjGB8rLyNMQaIwTIORrFOWvRrMyJmMfYNWZ4XZd0ITADZBhu2W9D1aZBqRvevu-t7MqkXJzDMEE2eYHRCEM_rc5jUzVyfBUI/s1600/291782_10101128994812280_13921780_73082669_1659422594_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWj6X-lZ0tfj-hawPeAVi3xpVP2oVY5uWN3Koh8fKi7fPTjGB8rLyNMQaIwTIORrFOWvRrMyJmMfYNWZ4XZd0ITADZBhu2W9D1aZBqRvevu-t7MqkXJzDMEE2eYHRCEM_rc5jUzVyfBUI/s400/291782_10101128994812280_13921780_73082669_1659422594_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651682794164195538" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitbf0mMnYfuHpfT9rxOSnDejf7z0zwO2dU7vNystWjbThSI_uD1zpyQH2Q-C6aJ3HoNqi_D65M0hJ0abecQWmnjMswJPothsRzcQD4CnbqZKrL2KHR-41FPQVI5eblr7qz79LiVftHY_k/s1600/302687_10101128996698500_13921780_73082687_2117059149_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitbf0mMnYfuHpfT9rxOSnDejf7z0zwO2dU7vNystWjbThSI_uD1zpyQH2Q-C6aJ3HoNqi_D65M0hJ0abecQWmnjMswJPothsRzcQD4CnbqZKrL2KHR-41FPQVI5eblr7qz79LiVftHY_k/s400/302687_10101128996698500_13921780_73082687_2117059149_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651684491275311970" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ildqUbA5QAOo_yi5Hj3AqrtQeZqVj4PlFYFWfXc0AJy-BI19cv_sDwSrcTOhAaPIABGvcJmUFXKXv8HwLokNGzp7_tVIujLzGiG8Zes412_0eOowIc94WmleQ3tWRgE3TIGtdmXCuF8/s1600/298837_10101128997916060_13921780_73082700_1495281832_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ildqUbA5QAOo_yi5Hj3AqrtQeZqVj4PlFYFWfXc0AJy-BI19cv_sDwSrcTOhAaPIABGvcJmUFXKXv8HwLokNGzp7_tVIujLzGiG8Zes412_0eOowIc94WmleQ3tWRgE3TIGtdmXCuF8/s400/298837_10101128997916060_13921780_73082700_1495281832_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651682340269474802" border="0" /></a></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276967902190983380.post-24115562934904040072011-09-10T00:25:00.012+02:002011-09-10T01:33:12.496+02:00Working in the BWCA: A Summer in ReviewThis past summer while working at <a href="http://tuscaroracanoe.com/index.htm">Tuscarora Lodge and Outfitters</a> I cannot tell you the number of times I was talking to clients and had them tell me how lucky I was to spend my summer living on the <a href="http://www.gunflint-trail.com/">Gunflint Trail</a> on the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Often Clients will admit wishing they had done something similar when they were younger and/or tell their children that they should consider working on the trail when they are old enough. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">In response to these types of comments and my desire to simply give a final blog summing up my experience working in the BWCA I have decided to write a type of review of my summer job. I hope it proves to be both interesting to those simply curious what a summer working up north entails and informative for those who might be interested in doing<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>it themselves in the future! </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">BWCA Location & Employer</b> – The first major decision I (or anyone) had to make before the summer was deciding where to work. As the BWCA is a large Area one can work in a number of different locations ranging from Ely, to the Sawbill Trail, to the Gunflint Trail. I choose the Gunflint Trail as it is more remote and less touristy then the Ely side. This is not to say that Ely would not be a fun place to work, but the culture and experience would be extremely different given the presence of a larger town (at least in comparison to Grand Marias), for example many of the outfitters in Ely expect you to live in Town as opposed to on site. For me the Gunflint Trail provided a more unique and genuine Northwoods experience for the summer.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxS-Y43dXPe7LQK1n972neYnUvRUJMmOb6o5MAEMgkinD9xBcdpzx6JfO_I7yzY6MsG4y4222C34vqs0PI3Pz8mAzLrpRkTeO31uVnKEJs40hnSgk0vAWEzip638jKHXU6P4lYjyWiBGo/s1600/gunflint+trail.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxS-Y43dXPe7LQK1n972neYnUvRUJMmOb6o5MAEMgkinD9xBcdpzx6JfO_I7yzY6MsG4y4222C34vqs0PI3Pz8mAzLrpRkTeO31uVnKEJs40hnSgk0vAWEzip638jKHXU6P4lYjyWiBGo/s320/gunflint+trail.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650494925773592482" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">Beginning of the Gunflint Trail in Grand Marais Minnesota<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Another big thing to think about is who you work for? Do you want to work for an outfitter, a camp, the DNR, a resort, or somewhere else? Each place has its own kind of culture and different work that you will be doing. Also as you will be living there all summer, think carefully about the owners and your potential co-workers as you will be with them 24 I worked for an outfitter because it allowed me to work with people speifically interested in doing BWCA trips and because it gave me great access and supplies for doing my own BWCA trips throughout the summer. If you want to be in the BWCA guiding trips most of the summer, a camp (such as wilderness canoe base or one of the YMCA camps) would probably be a better option. The downside to guiding or working at a camp is that you are always doing someone else's trip, as opposed to going on your own trips. Working for the DNR also can get you into the BWCA a decent amount doing campsite and portage maintenance. Resorts have a different sort of feel as you do more cleaning, restaurant service, and other more general summer job tasks.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU8yPEb2BufBw7aapgl8tr5B6gqhkUjAEJjbRRxjW640-Vb9ilOCPNknqhyphenhyphenOmO_MA1lprdFv46s5-eWAbFv2s9d8YsQf-2apYJMM-jxVqJlgH6F0r6a04z7J90phb3wjjzL9xtCLtnjOo/s1600/tuscarora.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU8yPEb2BufBw7aapgl8tr5B6gqhkUjAEJjbRRxjW640-Vb9ilOCPNknqhyphenhyphenOmO_MA1lprdFv46s5-eWAbFv2s9d8YsQf-2apYJMM-jxVqJlgH6F0r6a04z7J90phb3wjjzL9xtCLtnjOo/s320/tuscarora.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650494931107993618" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">Tuscarora Lodge and Outfitters Logo<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Outfitter Work Duties</b> – There are two major positions at many of the outfitters, housekeeping and outfitting. As one might expect housekeepers tend to spend most of their cleaning bunkhouses, cabins, showers, bathrooms, and other facilities around camp. Outfitters on the other hand spend most of their time scrubbing and cleaning outfitting gear such as canoes, Duluth packs, cook kits, tents, life jackets, sleeping pads, tarps, and much more. Regardless of whether you are a housekeeper or an outfitter the truth of the matter is most of your time at work is spent cleaning or scrubbing something, any allusions of these being easy jobs where one spends most of their time in BWCA canoeing or simply chatting with customers are misplaced.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjKfsM8wrMuUIWpVzLDeyNdGspsuR5IE0zGrqlcr7On2nH4ffmJgiEThPwttVJZmxYebYJGKShr29vJyuinDNKEoNH1dzj-dO5BJG-cQyLEuiutKgRcGr1Rqr6JX4XnhOE9Cx6PCOk6J4/s1600/DSCF5992.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjKfsM8wrMuUIWpVzLDeyNdGspsuR5IE0zGrqlcr7On2nH4ffmJgiEThPwttVJZmxYebYJGKShr29vJyuinDNKEoNH1dzj-dO5BJG-cQyLEuiutKgRcGr1Rqr6JX4XnhOE9Cx6PCOk6J4/s320/DSCF5992.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650494936133675842" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">Raking and cutting down trees as a part of general camp maintenance (also notice the black flies get so bad that it is even necessary to resort to head nets at times!)<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">All that said while these can be physically tiring jobs, they are more than doable and the staffs are often filled with college and graduate aged students that are a lot of fun to work with. Furthermore Outfitters do have several jobs which are quite enjoyable, specifically shuttling clients to the different entry points along the gunflint trail and tow boat driving on Lake Saganaga. Once again though these jobs make up only a minority of the work we do throughout the summer.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwbZufZskK2rSggdYpVMpQpNzeeeEX3Ccj8CCvtKoTobwUENxhvZWOafosFhywz4GkbntlmHCFEmVUk3npHS2Hc_19QGn3p5zpKEqDdQKsi2zCnlIpLS2YuXZS6Z9nRkyscaGulNvlhg/s1600/DSCF6131.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwbZufZskK2rSggdYpVMpQpNzeeeEX3Ccj8CCvtKoTobwUENxhvZWOafosFhywz4GkbntlmHCFEmVUk3npHS2Hc_19QGn3p5zpKEqDdQKsi2zCnlIpLS2YuXZS6Z9nRkyscaGulNvlhg/s320/DSCF6131.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650494940545654786" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">Getting ready to go on a Tow to American Point<br /><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">A final comment relating to jobs, at most of the outfitters and lodges it tends to be (but is not always the case) that outfitting staffs are made up of men while women make up most of the housekeeping staffs. This is what it is (whether it is sexist or simply occurs due to the nature of the work I will leave for others to decide).<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Social Life</b> – When work finishes for the day (for me this was normally at around 3:00 pm) there is always plenty to do. Fishing, swimming, tanning, and afternoon day trips in the BWCA are just some of the things we did after work. In addition every week the majority of the staffs on the gunflint trail meet up for different social events. Every Saturday evening we had bonfires at Seagull Lake’s Blakenburg Landing while Tuesday evenings were normally spent at a local establishment (this past year we normally went to Hungry Jack Lodge) enjoying a few drinks while playing pool, darts, and other games. It was also common for people to meet up to play volleyball and Ultimate Frisbee most weeks throughout the summer.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH1vbCqCdkl7caorkuNRiQiTnQu9Nh-KI60_Zn3fQCs-mv2_QTYT0a9czELwWKxA4hJlvy9x6B4ESWpa753hrajVjbbJQ8xL4XZ3x1ixpUXabv435uShU_CawKYP_hlUFOv10QVZ9by9U/s1600/198654_10150254439543510_514613509_7511098_1034052_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH1vbCqCdkl7caorkuNRiQiTnQu9Nh-KI60_Zn3fQCs-mv2_QTYT0a9czELwWKxA4hJlvy9x6B4ESWpa753hrajVjbbJQ8xL4XZ3x1ixpUXabv435uShU_CawKYP_hlUFOv10QVZ9by9U/s320/198654_10150254439543510_514613509_7511098_1034052_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650497324971291730" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">Staff members from all over the Gunflint Trail at Bearskin Lodge<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">In addition weekly social activities a number of larger events occur throughout the summer on the Gunflint Trail and in Grand Marais. The 4<sup>th</sup> of July and Fisherman’s Picnic (a local festival) provide great chances to go into Grand Marais to enjoy, among other things, good food, games, parades, and fireworks. The other major event of the summer is the Gunflint Canoe Races in which all the different outfitting staffs (and some adventurous tourists) compete in a number of canoeing races ranging from long distance paddling to gunnel pumping.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMCKnkMka5TCRHg7knJl89wL60EVxo88NcB7RBrLo7ao4DJlZug9sAh-12s3f0mgZbKpza-xxnkVLLBujwzaoNyI20yOmR8U3lTwSzRVxKGZc7AQSU8gOZD4Pt48eNpn9H2N2eObAWqks/s1600/224423_1899928870017_1595520338_31797777_3280647_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMCKnkMka5TCRHg7knJl89wL60EVxo88NcB7RBrLo7ao4DJlZug9sAh-12s3f0mgZbKpza-xxnkVLLBujwzaoNyI20yOmR8U3lTwSzRVxKGZc7AQSU8gOZD4Pt48eNpn9H2N2eObAWqks/s320/224423_1899928870017_1595520338_31797777_3280647_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650497329243085858" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">Gunflint Canoe Races at Gunflint Lodge in mid July<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Needless to say a summer on the gunflint trail, while away from civilization is still full of fun social activities.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Days off –</b> Days off if spent right will be the highlight of your summer. This is your chance to explore the BWCA. While many places only give their employees one day off a week it is possible to stretch them and make them count. One option is to “bank” days off and then take several days off in a row for a longer trip. Another option is to ask for a late start the day after your day off in order to increase your trip another night. Otherwise many people choose to simply leave after work the day before their day off and spend one night and the following day in the BWCA. No matter how you want to do it, if you are motivated and able bodied it is possible for you to see a large portion of the BWCA. While clients and guests may only do 5-10 miles a day on trips, it is more than possible to do 20-30 miles of canoeing and portaging in a 24-36 hour period and see large sections of the BWCA.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd5gP3wpnc6A7J9S7luIzeCVexFlauYQ4cUW7ZrgvETzb0pAsahJU9bCdMfsnS6Qf5N_yobP1TPLa6ayRQGpr2p5WcLz2YGhO53cEufCqqXA7XurwPycpBv0wd0qaP6YZdxbz4GOwSUvc/s1600/265346_2066531874939_1594050042_31968008_7797681_o.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd5gP3wpnc6A7J9S7luIzeCVexFlauYQ4cUW7ZrgvETzb0pAsahJU9bCdMfsnS6Qf5N_yobP1TPLa6ayRQGpr2p5WcLz2YGhO53cEufCqqXA7XurwPycpBv0wd0qaP6YZdxbz4GOwSUvc/s320/265346_2066531874939_1594050042_31968008_7797681_o.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650497333791070306" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">On top of the Seagull Palisades during a trip on a day off<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">All that said some prefer to take it easy on their days off in which case there are tons of nice easy day trips in the BWCA, places to go fishing, hiking, swimming, or the possibility to go do to Grand Marais for the day.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2cJZNbm4fFTxVKDR-iLg6xkgJqkDok-npuI-zZ1zYmPwmQ_hZeYyrJJY4rdd_v7P3GTIAs9ZoKaLM-A6YKr0IvMaX0yo8h3t6gite_HbfGPRwb_MmE8C0XF6GCfwbEn8gma3e7fpoa3s/s1600/265307_2066523034718_1594050042_31967970_4769573_o.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2cJZNbm4fFTxVKDR-iLg6xkgJqkDok-npuI-zZ1zYmPwmQ_hZeYyrJJY4rdd_v7P3GTIAs9ZoKaLM-A6YKr0IvMaX0yo8h3t6gite_HbfGPRwb_MmE8C0XF6GCfwbEn8gma3e7fpoa3s/s320/265307_2066523034718_1594050042_31967970_4769573_o.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650497339925246850" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">Canoeing Seagull Lake</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Compensation – </b>From time to time people do ask what you make working in the BWCA. My normal response is that I did not come up here for the summer to get rich but I do not think you do that bad either, especially once you consider the other benefits you get. Specifically free food and lodging are two huge benefits that save you tons of money. Not all employers offer these so make sure to check when talking about compensation. Also it is worth know what the housing situation is as the quality of staff housing also varies from place to place. At some employers you may have a roommate while at others you may have a ton of space to yourself. A final major benefit most outfitters provide their employees is permission to use any of their gear free of charge (canoes, Duluth packs, cook kits, water filters…etc.). Once you consider all these extra benefits that you receive when you work at an outfitter, plus what you are actually getting paid I personally think it is more then a fair deal.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJX3KfnrGJONKKgKLS6oqoJILlDb7UyRSNSMMBVwon8O8_ravhjg_qtl3akPEJFQD2dKxCm7bEHJBf-3S5kN7rxWfX4PdXlFswLPk2VK-dZoF0X2xU2KkbqYxITbmCiA0nh8BU5zjXPlY/s1600/DSCF6403.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJX3KfnrGJONKKgKLS6oqoJILlDb7UyRSNSMMBVwon8O8_ravhjg_qtl3akPEJFQD2dKxCm7bEHJBf-3S5kN7rxWfX4PdXlFswLPk2VK-dZoF0X2xU2KkbqYxITbmCiA0nh8BU5zjXPlY/s320/DSCF6403.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650500094493491218" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">The guys dorm at Tuscarora Lodge and Outfitters<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8MTDOS8gFZZHYj8sgJuwrB5vmpbhGQEQrpRUICNq4huu5xQz1CJOlmtUQjcDMHP1FK8vvDtYVW9I2qG6rfpf25AnqfxYFHiHa5Wy_GxKpFHOxUN6UErsejuMhkJ-vEPyUf7Xy6zA5DIo/s1600/DSCF6401.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8MTDOS8gFZZHYj8sgJuwrB5vmpbhGQEQrpRUICNq4huu5xQz1CJOlmtUQjcDMHP1FK8vvDtYVW9I2qG6rfpf25AnqfxYFHiHa5Wy_GxKpFHOxUN6UErsejuMhkJ-vEPyUf7Xy6zA5DIo/s320/DSCF6401.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650500251929621554" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">My room (you do not have roommates at Tuscarora), while nothing spectacular it was more then enough for me as I spent most my time outside doing other things (such as swimming, fishing, hiking, canoeing etc...)<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">From my perspective working on the Gunflint Trail on the edge of the BWCA is a great job and life experience. If you are willing to put up with some hard and sometimes monotonous work and are not focused solely on making tons of money, working in the BWCA provides you a great opportunity to meet some great people and have an amazing experience exploring the BWCA. If you have any questions about working at Tuscarora or at an Outfitter in general please feel free to contact me (carl.hoeg@gmail.com).<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276967902190983380.post-48642011088328669682011-09-06T15:42:00.012+02:002011-09-06T20:16:50.783+02:00Two Final AdventuresThe end of my Summer at Tuscarora turned into quite the whirlwind. After helping the Ahrendt family move down to Stillwater Minnesota (Sue Ahrent is working as a professor of Math Education this winter at Wisconsin River Falls), I had earned several extra days off for all the overtime work I had done. So naturally I was planning to use the extra time off to do something really adventurous such as potentially canoeing to Ely and back solo! But it was not to be as during my last week at Tuscarora my Grandmother passed away. The extra time off proved helpful as it allowed me to leave early to go to her funeral while still fulfilling my full work commitment to Tuscarora, and to be honest it was really nice to have some extra time to spend with all my family and friends before I headed out to DC for classes the following week.<br /><br />So while there was not final great adventure during my last week of the summer I did do two other trips in August that I have failed to blog about previously. The first was a solo canoe trip from Poplar Lake to Round Lake and the other was doing the Caribou Rock Hiking Trail which goes from the trail center area of the Gunflint Trail all the way out to Rose Lake and Stairway Falls.<br /><br />My trip from Poplar Lake to Round Lake is one of the more common routes we sent clients on throughout the summer, so it was fun to finally do the route and get to see the area for myself! Below is a map of my route and some pictures from my trip. Enjoy!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8zzdgt4-WEelYPMnxtAxkHoiHkiDJWO4wOfBqpa5Y11mmcF7QtvhyT0_p4y9MmDK1fVyuQyRUgYhiBhQ8K9cSnW5lrEJd3VRQwojsfncWU7Kv_EQzs7zGCIXDNRgE1qGlN08oH-G-wTM/s1600/Poplar+to+Round+Lake+Trip.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 126px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8zzdgt4-WEelYPMnxtAxkHoiHkiDJWO4wOfBqpa5Y11mmcF7QtvhyT0_p4y9MmDK1fVyuQyRUgYhiBhQ8K9cSnW5lrEJd3VRQwojsfncWU7Kv_EQzs7zGCIXDNRgE1qGlN08oH-G-wTM/s320/Poplar+to+Round+Lake+Trip.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649244006285674898" border="0" /></a>My Route: 25 Miles. I started from Poplar Lake and went to Otto Lake the first night where I camped. The second day I went to Long Island Lake where I stopped early in the day to relax and make camp (and get out of the huge headwinds). The final morning (I had a late start for work that day) I got up and canoed back to Round Lake.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbFogAmSMxNheCKN8b9dR6GTLmhBP3lSWXjk0Xk8JsUjJY8tLUXboDud3DuRMO79RTB2mP5ahWNPUDrqhWWyl7eufjr2B3hdhVNTdSLitKetr-BeNIxH3rZWkH-MRBGnUYRJYVsdbfbI8/s1600/DSCF6337.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbFogAmSMxNheCKN8b9dR6GTLmhBP3lSWXjk0Xk8JsUjJY8tLUXboDud3DuRMO79RTB2mP5ahWNPUDrqhWWyl7eufjr2B3hdhVNTdSLitKetr-BeNIxH3rZWkH-MRBGnUYRJYVsdbfbI8/s320/DSCF6337.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649243992336856626" border="0" /></a>On my first portage, a 300 rod portage from Poplar to Meeds Lake, I came across another trail, the Banadad Ski Trail! A couple winters ago my brother and I XC skied this entire trail which is over 30 km long.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDhxq5ScESwQ3gCNuEl28qj4r2F_bwFZP_FOnLRlPWXgZqYC7HyziyvFx4AUUlmq1SAZ-2UE82SSWobos7IT6zCjdDwTfKqqcpq8RD64au7DJCYxt6-SHklr_RgXLeM9X-msy-TvrUvO4/s1600/DSCF6338.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDhxq5ScESwQ3gCNuEl28qj4r2F_bwFZP_FOnLRlPWXgZqYC7HyziyvFx4AUUlmq1SAZ-2UE82SSWobos7IT6zCjdDwTfKqqcpq8RD64au7DJCYxt6-SHklr_RgXLeM9X-msy-TvrUvO4/s320/DSCF6338.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649243996547765842" border="0" /></a>Canoeing into the sunset to make it to Otto Lake the first night<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG4o3SQ1O9pTz5rfgCKYI9ij1DBhOsar8cR-49J5J9qpma814-yQDhEuGB47oF67FQLMDufjb0R9Tm4SuhWVz_Zn6WrRFaLO-TyJtkplubxjU8Ug5nPmhNEwDfKzAUAIRvoyHYlHfCwck/s1600/DSCF6340.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG4o3SQ1O9pTz5rfgCKYI9ij1DBhOsar8cR-49J5J9qpma814-yQDhEuGB47oF67FQLMDufjb0R9Tm4SuhWVz_Zn6WrRFaLO-TyJtkplubxjU8Ug5nPmhNEwDfKzAUAIRvoyHYlHfCwck/s320/DSCF6340.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649244004378842354" border="0" /></a>Me after a portage<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7oVSeg7PZq4uqLMOPZ0jHsrkiwqawHRED_5rfW2T8SljKurx2_VXMHFbZMmdZASizDvruRuZSHEEA8fNRsOcOiVBwi32JZBzc-rH4CQPuufWZwXEJXdLYqQpLufzz3v172Xztkqiqr6c/s1600/DSCF6348.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7oVSeg7PZq4uqLMOPZ0jHsrkiwqawHRED_5rfW2T8SljKurx2_VXMHFbZMmdZASizDvruRuZSHEEA8fNRsOcOiVBwi32JZBzc-rH4CQPuufWZwXEJXdLYqQpLufzz3v172Xztkqiqr6c/s320/DSCF6348.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649244319561851650" border="0" /></a>Campsite on Long Island Lake<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB7-uEpTeH20XPoBWip9DmHLXhQ7ZfxPk9GMiT8DXYI2LoPBcphSZWq3RvxUu9WvEWqLGXaEfc8Opa5NtOTgrFmWCO0Er-BC-ItOSnQuMVtZjnTWXf_0BHKgt6kpHAk7DTBavMOkP_zDs/s1600/DSCF6347.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB7-uEpTeH20XPoBWip9DmHLXhQ7ZfxPk9GMiT8DXYI2LoPBcphSZWq3RvxUu9WvEWqLGXaEfc8Opa5NtOTgrFmWCO0Er-BC-ItOSnQuMVtZjnTWXf_0BHKgt6kpHAk7DTBavMOkP_zDs/s320/DSCF6347.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649244002808398786" border="0" /></a>A small northern I caught on the trip<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPnkRHQj9VuxXtZMbSoPPXJ9MHlcF6d6efrs74H7FgA1AfSd8cLl7gGhYNyHzpQ_6IbhLn0WgIwjAIotVmbNBeWW9d9nMHj_GyIyZsaRUNTwGi2GlHRx27EvWjQ0KTqf6ugXAtw4MgJAg/s1600/DSCF6354.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPnkRHQj9VuxXtZMbSoPPXJ9MHlcF6d6efrs74H7FgA1AfSd8cLl7gGhYNyHzpQ_6IbhLn0WgIwjAIotVmbNBeWW9d9nMHj_GyIyZsaRUNTwGi2GlHRx27EvWjQ0KTqf6ugXAtw4MgJAg/s320/DSCF6354.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649244324490772850" border="0" /></a>The full moon rises over Long Island Lake<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggdmwzmKTAR1m8acfcEMwF9j9Eg89FGy7QrA26cNPvhEGwneRalEg1FOWF_yI0QB0lcUsXVsGEhPtZGnJ8fxdKUBqO77mKFeiOZOGzTBCr48sdViEaOktx1Sl-bIO_3p7kRGtzDywz8js/s1600/DSCF6361.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggdmwzmKTAR1m8acfcEMwF9j9Eg89FGy7QrA26cNPvhEGwneRalEg1FOWF_yI0QB0lcUsXVsGEhPtZGnJ8fxdKUBqO77mKFeiOZOGzTBCr48sdViEaOktx1Sl-bIO_3p7kRGtzDywz8js/s320/DSCF6361.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649244329494578466" border="0" /></a>My final morning and sunrise of the summer in the BWCA<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">My last day off (I did not realize that it would be at the time) I did not end up going on a trip into the BWCA as I was a bit exhausted from both work and from all the long trips I had done. So instead I stayed in camp and slept in on my day off. Not wanting to waste the day though I went down towards trail center and hiked the Caribou Rock Trail. Round trip the hiking trail is about 7 miles long, in addition it goes up and down some huge ravines so it is definitely a more challenging hiking trail. The other interesting thing about this trail for me is the fact that I actually went on a BWCA trip years ago with my Church to Rose Lake to see Stairway Falls. The funny thing is we spent 4 days going out to Rose and back and never saw the falls, now in one afternoon I managed to make it all the way to the falls and back. I guess I am just a bit more fast (and efficient) then we were back then.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhANPQQRdIHYs0v8j-sLWvuMF3sVPCFD5YKYgf9jiy71jLJpi9UebtTrCFNHYC4gKn97FmGXxsd7rtKi4OnFJSyDc0zSzdOUkLZqnYv260xb4nVNS5RicqvI7AfRs70LlZBuT8ghtswNKo/s1600/Caribou+Rock+Hiking+Trail+Map.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 177px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhANPQQRdIHYs0v8j-sLWvuMF3sVPCFD5YKYgf9jiy71jLJpi9UebtTrCFNHYC4gKn97FmGXxsd7rtKi4OnFJSyDc0zSzdOUkLZqnYv260xb4nVNS5RicqvI7AfRs70LlZBuT8ghtswNKo/s320/Caribou+Rock+Hiking+Trail+Map.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649311287149518514" border="0" /></a>The Hiking Trail (approximately) round trip way 7 miles<br /></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0wFHpiQvM3FfYdsZSeXR5lk4IamFMLkVkg4Od0FFvzc3cYDokNycP6j_3YfKZKRhuQLhTHmUUYW0-xy2_rm9k1EsrXIeiADgmaDTsdWvFXWQRTWPYktXYeBRbLmuC_NKidFHrpmx7Hrc/s1600/DSCF6380.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0wFHpiQvM3FfYdsZSeXR5lk4IamFMLkVkg4Od0FFvzc3cYDokNycP6j_3YfKZKRhuQLhTHmUUYW0-xy2_rm9k1EsrXIeiADgmaDTsdWvFXWQRTWPYktXYeBRbLmuC_NKidFHrpmx7Hrc/s320/DSCF6380.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649311291295906482" border="0" /></a>Bearskin Lake<br /></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6WyiNwGksOv4-Elbkdo8WzTEZbVkg31vCVwlIV1-qqeDmB1_ZQzra-tny2kDg_vIGqbFifGJj4nlvkkbPQSstgA7PvyvuH8vV92apk4ou_aW63fpHStV0ODUp7IdhT_F8zIgKuyG35c/s1600/DSCF6386.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6WyiNwGksOv4-Elbkdo8WzTEZbVkg31vCVwlIV1-qqeDmB1_ZQzra-tny2kDg_vIGqbFifGJj4nlvkkbPQSstgA7PvyvuH8vV92apk4ou_aW63fpHStV0ODUp7IdhT_F8zIgKuyG35c/s320/DSCF6386.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649311296847164466" border="0" /></a>Duncan Lake<br /></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk9fWTPWNrWrd0YI8OxxlfEUBeM_8hGt0DjAk7-M6muw024py4431lqaa2Jh78_6ku17mRBTd1zaxx-cNu544CaURC-FNQpu6_f18zujPyENwO1ktmyYxUqxE_CSgPfH7sfqmGwT6W_r8/s1600/DSCF6391.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk9fWTPWNrWrd0YI8OxxlfEUBeM_8hGt0DjAk7-M6muw024py4431lqaa2Jh78_6ku17mRBTd1zaxx-cNu544CaURC-FNQpu6_f18zujPyENwO1ktmyYxUqxE_CSgPfH7sfqmGwT6W_r8/s320/DSCF6391.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649311300695809186" border="0" /></a>Stairway Falls<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhdGnongSQ6XlNuI_2nX1MpbCrUbOhj8Hbqopt_tLFlATJseAOaIDwfplWYr9zBbiiyG_ZnPUq9YLGANFocJPgebU82RhgbcLb9uM0oUF7cF-JjAvli4T6UKmdzkkELs8dMS-B_wfCXXQ/s1600/DSCF6395.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhdGnongSQ6XlNuI_2nX1MpbCrUbOhj8Hbqopt_tLFlATJseAOaIDwfplWYr9zBbiiyG_ZnPUq9YLGANFocJPgebU82RhgbcLb9uM0oUF7cF-JjAvli4T6UKmdzkkELs8dMS-B_wfCXXQ/s320/DSCF6395.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649311306352406274" border="0" /></a>Me at Stairway Falls<br /></div><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276967902190983380.post-34814193586229650172011-08-08T03:50:00.004+02:002011-08-08T04:20:14.756+02:00Frost River LoopLast week in addition to my normal day off of work I also had a late start the following day (meaning I did not have to be at work till 1:00 pm). This allowed me to have almost 48 hours off in a row and as a result do a two night trip into the BWCA.<br /><br />Once again I ended up doing this trip solo, as no one else from my outfitter had the exact same time frame off. As I had longer off then normal I decided to pick a longer and more challenging route then I had done in the past. I choose to do the Frost River Loop. Advisable in the early spring when water levels are high, by early August it can be a bit more difficult to navigate. While the route does not have too many long portages (although I did do the 428 rod Tuscarora Portage for the 7th time this summer) it still had over 30 portages total and that does not include the 15-20 beaver dams I had to portage over as well. As I was also going down a river I opted to bring an 15 foot aluminum canoe on this trip as opposed to a single person lightweight Kevlar canoe, which I brought on my previous two solo trips. So needless to say by the time the trip was over I was quite exhausted. None the less it was a fun and challenging route through a very beautiful area of the BWCA.<br /><br />Below are some pictures that illustrate my trip, enjoy!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV0JWoEJ86rw5_ZFSxDqlxyM02gm4maBywPV0RCuCkJnPBWY0wMYZEnhfiAA-YvMHWAc0RS2xN5Zdr7TbSafqnOD5oW9Hwz5K0v9U2XpPo_nkDaRwYAAU1AbQAQ6BKt8H9tme2xEgYqio/s1600/Frost+River+Loop.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 177px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV0JWoEJ86rw5_ZFSxDqlxyM02gm4maBywPV0RCuCkJnPBWY0wMYZEnhfiAA-YvMHWAc0RS2xN5Zdr7TbSafqnOD5oW9Hwz5K0v9U2XpPo_nkDaRwYAAU1AbQAQ6BKt8H9tme2xEgYqio/s320/Frost+River+Loop.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638300216747066482" border="0" /></a>My Route: 30 Miles, I started on the Cross River and camped on Frost Lake the first night. The second day I canoed the Frost River and made my way all the way to Tuscarora Lake where I camped for the second night before going back to camp.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXyDmRU7xkfnvvsyGg3joOO0k1bFATHEpCNqZ39COAE5_m3ajbPPXOVuXq28V6kzLklzmLygZ_qepT43lep3ilyhu-avm2u58nXfYfl-jX9qmBndOrL9HjmTksubZbyZBG4H_3mm-N8dE/s1600/DSCF6301.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXyDmRU7xkfnvvsyGg3joOO0k1bFATHEpCNqZ39COAE5_m3ajbPPXOVuXq28V6kzLklzmLygZ_qepT43lep3ilyhu-avm2u58nXfYfl-jX9qmBndOrL9HjmTksubZbyZBG4H_3mm-N8dE/s320/DSCF6301.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638300217161792914" border="0" /></a>The view from my campsite on Frost Lake<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3vyU7lj4xgKPuSvp_Q9a5GYutXoMVMl8856Fx8rKlyPt5bJ5I8DLb0K93fPLGjqLNbmfZtE3pfdS8h5mRivrVG_hAsoZ2lM4SpmDImW658MjChkDQXP8b8aY7y8otEmzMqiE2H_RDl4/s1600/DSCF6303.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3vyU7lj4xgKPuSvp_Q9a5GYutXoMVMl8856Fx8rKlyPt5bJ5I8DLb0K93fPLGjqLNbmfZtE3pfdS8h5mRivrVG_hAsoZ2lM4SpmDImW658MjChkDQXP8b8aY7y8otEmzMqiE2H_RDl4/s320/DSCF6303.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638300220183481570" border="0" /></a>The Frost River (although creek, swamp, or brook would all be more appropriate terms)<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisCFFvm3cvFpb6x7u0IZfRA_VC3SdhKYZ3-Umz5VGOnLUQPoNR5SdVtfyprMisCjFvxj6I5_tpXhmERtz5E7jOzcniPra_l7vGorgY1r5a_W9vQLT5PQTL_HGow0ZWcFdBQINWIIzwkps/s1600/DSCF6306.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisCFFvm3cvFpb6x7u0IZfRA_VC3SdhKYZ3-Umz5VGOnLUQPoNR5SdVtfyprMisCjFvxj6I5_tpXhmERtz5E7jOzcniPra_l7vGorgY1r5a_W9vQLT5PQTL_HGow0ZWcFdBQINWIIzwkps/s320/DSCF6306.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638300224282332882" border="0" /></a>Canoeing down the Frost<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNTmm5TWKzDR3KjnpJ0jY-8_Xw1tN0oWi0-VFj6sNjSnIHDBwKrAyQrmz23KKprvRv45-Y3squagZrfazCkceFc2zdzFfa_Mngc1y3XB8ozmjHoNJBRPmfENC5GLg4XffivoG27AhlMQU/s1600/DSCF6311.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNTmm5TWKzDR3KjnpJ0jY-8_Xw1tN0oWi0-VFj6sNjSnIHDBwKrAyQrmz23KKprvRv45-Y3squagZrfazCkceFc2zdzFfa_Mngc1y3XB8ozmjHoNJBRPmfENC5GLg4XffivoG27AhlMQU/s320/DSCF6311.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638300228766876946" border="0" /></a>One of the many beaver dams I had to get over<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEjWE7sqP5QAkORV6P2-xvgBiItYbcgTYcgJ9YUI__FBKIJOTEgUOB2fBemQzsZLinYyPOIG5SBIFCxDXwHyGAacM4SySTp6xiudCO9ChSFWUItZkL3CYCdCvOH0pYMHTTtLAnK1UTzCY/s1600/DSCF6317.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEjWE7sqP5QAkORV6P2-xvgBiItYbcgTYcgJ9YUI__FBKIJOTEgUOB2fBemQzsZLinYyPOIG5SBIFCxDXwHyGAacM4SySTp6xiudCO9ChSFWUItZkL3CYCdCvOH0pYMHTTtLAnK1UTzCY/s320/DSCF6317.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638302929190929906" border="0" /></a>Canoeing a lake at the end of the Frost River<br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio43TP4c-YyoUTETl75AV6gBBg8FWgOrAYeZQtN7mP74q9wGqBhtGRs9YrhF4OhGmfsdhDeTvAl3DD3Vne6eu0I7YWH7IzTnOcd0joa88-IqCS48OPDj8K-VsYRcqopmTl65hpDw8WaZc/s1600/DSCF6320.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio43TP4c-YyoUTETl75AV6gBBg8FWgOrAYeZQtN7mP74q9wGqBhtGRs9YrhF4OhGmfsdhDeTvAl3DD3Vne6eu0I7YWH7IzTnOcd0joa88-IqCS48OPDj8K-VsYRcqopmTl65hpDw8WaZc/s320/DSCF6320.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638302946426900162" border="0" /></a>Turkey Vultures eating a dead moose I came upon on Mora Lake<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-Gd4oZRR2IVvhyphenhyphenMpPULN70vfIdmJfS7ZGDrGOH7wuKhMY4ClzUnfir_GapblDIHQsmvsTsD6Z0cRiLMmwinFWvM6f2Nx5RuS6ZAg-ZuxrnTjKG0dNVT4OEzXEz5atcki4Df4MJ2BiPw/s1600/DSCF6335.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-Gd4oZRR2IVvhyphenhyphenMpPULN70vfIdmJfS7ZGDrGOH7wuKhMY4ClzUnfir_GapblDIHQsmvsTsD6Z0cRiLMmwinFWvM6f2Nx5RuS6ZAg-ZuxrnTjKG0dNVT4OEzXEz5atcki4Df4MJ2BiPw/s320/DSCF6335.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638302945382965666" border="0" /></a>A small northern I caught on Tuscarora Lake<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9pZYwcxWVuhPDAUHfYbIQUIt6uaYcYEjCDc98iyqr-n1xzcGWhaLe50drU-fZA6WPvCyFB-0ubkuVcFlhM51LhMv4sQnkg07CgU7wriiuCbPzOeTwTVOB3vfBU6dxgTjYaPliecH9erk/s1600/DSCF6329.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9pZYwcxWVuhPDAUHfYbIQUIt6uaYcYEjCDc98iyqr-n1xzcGWhaLe50drU-fZA6WPvCyFB-0ubkuVcFlhM51LhMv4sQnkg07CgU7wriiuCbPzOeTwTVOB3vfBU6dxgTjYaPliecH9erk/s320/DSCF6329.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638302938818900146" border="0" /></a>Sunset over Tuscarora Lake<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276967902190983380.post-21044546266186758332011-07-22T03:15:00.007+02:002011-07-22T03:54:18.729+02:00515 RodsPortages, love or hate them are a big part of the BWCA experience. You really cannot get anywhere without at least hiking some in-between lakes. Sure you can choose to stay on one lake your whole trip or simply go down a river, but such trips miss out on so much more that the BWCA has to offer. These days though people are increasingly doing shorter trips to only the periphery of the BWCA and not working their way into the interior as much (Forest Service latrine cleaning statistics back this fact up, specifically periphery lake campsites have a lot more you know what in their latrines!). Reason being is that doing so requires a lot more canoeing and a lot more portaging, people would rather set up camp a couple lakes in and relax as opposed to pushing themselves to see a larger portion of the wilderness.<br /><br />While I have done some trips this summer that have been a bit more on the lazy side, my most recent solo was definitely not! While I did not cover as much mileage as some of my past trips my trip did take me through a route that is traveled by only a handful of daring souls each year. While my route was not exactly deep in the BWCA, people avoid it for a completely different reason.....a dreaded 515 Rod portage! Not only is this portage 1.60 miles long, but the elevation change is brutal as one is constantly going up and down over huge rolling hills.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq8DBa5ILG_bu23uD3Cx8CRLyaUHzWTGler1lAh84nSwx3L1sRx85F9hLUMAYWvTYIp7AX6yDxEfOmUVoMisQwWTvjhaoxHfDsiYR91pSjSVl6bRL8BaHsrj1Zd7uv9PHkN_u8NRVzxq8/s1600/Seagull+to+Round+Lake+Trip.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 177px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq8DBa5ILG_bu23uD3Cx8CRLyaUHzWTGler1lAh84nSwx3L1sRx85F9hLUMAYWvTYIp7AX6yDxEfOmUVoMisQwWTvjhaoxHfDsiYR91pSjSVl6bRL8BaHsrj1Zd7uv9PHkN_u8NRVzxq8/s320/Seagull+to+Round+Lake+Trip.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631986536926800226" border="0" /></a>My Route: Seagull Lake to Round Lake. I originally planned to just spend my entire day off on Seagull relaxing, but when morning came I decided I wanted something a bit more challenging (and perhaps insane). The Entire route is around 15 miles, the first marker (going North to South) is my starting point, the second my campsite, and the third was my final destination of Tuscarora Outfitters on Round Lake. The large portage is from Seagull Lake to JA Paulson Lake<br /></div><br />Of course 515 rods and massive elevation change was not enough for me so I decided to do this portage solo (meaning I got to carry all my gear and my boat) and I did it on one of the hottest days of the summer (90+ degrees, sunny, and very high humidity). Needless to say by the time I finished it I was exhausted (although I did find a bit more strength to filter some more water to drink!). Unfortunately the long 515 rod portage was only my first portage of the day and I still had 10 more to go in order to make my way back to Round Lake and Tuscarora Outfitters.<br /><br />So after a quick rest I was on my way cutting across more lakes and portages. Surprisingly by the end of the day the dreaded 515 Rod portage was not my least favorite of the day. Upon arriving on Fay Lake I was unable to locate the portage to Flying Lake. I searched several deer trails and other potential paths and was completely exasperated. Finally after about 45 mins of searching I went back to where I thought it should be (according to the map at least) and bushwhacked around in the woods a bunch. Finally I discovered what appeared to be a small path heading off in the right direction. I had not found it earlier because there were tons of trees down by the lake so it did not look like a portage from the water. While I had finally found the portage my trials and tribulations were far from over. As hardly anyone does this route the portage was extremely poorly kept up. Trees had overgrown the portage everywhere and there was barely any room to walk. The result of this was that I got to spend 100 rods literally ramming my canoe through brush and trees the entire way. There were many times during the portage where I wondered if I was actually on a portage at all or if I had just followed some deer path into the woods and would never reach a lake on the other side! Needless to say when I finally arrived at Flying Lake I was greatly relived (and tired).<br /><br />The rest of my trip was mostly uneventful as I worked my way through a handful more lakes and portages, all of which I had done before on previous trips, before finally arriving back at Tuscarora mid-afternoon.<br /><br />The trip from Seagull Lake to Round Lake, via JA Paulson Lake (also called Jap Lake), is not one I would generally recommend. I loved the challenge and the remoteness of it, but it is not for the feint of heart. Campsites are few and far between and portages are frequent and long. Still if you are up to the task and want to take on a fun challenging route, go for it, just do not say you were not warned!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276967902190983380.post-45313405057581519392011-07-17T23:53:00.003+02:002011-07-18T00:00:32.680+02:00Granite RiverLast Monday and Tuesday I went on another trip during my day off. Myself and another staffer, Rachel, decided that we would go down the granite river route which goes from Gunflint Lake to Saganaga Lake. While the area is still quite burned from the 2007 Ham Lake fire it still is a great route that offers a lot of cool things including good fishing, river rapids, fairly easy portages, and scenic views.<br /><br />Rachel actually already blogged about this trip for the Tuscarora Blog, so instead of writing my own blog post about it I am simply posting the route we did (below) and the link to Rachel's <a href="http://tuscaroranews.blogspot.com/2011/07/fluid-boundaries.html">Blog Post</a>. Enjoy!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWlYeW3kY9lE0LKlEm2W4naSnQ76HGFIRe1Ay9COlfoTVmaNzB1tHc__zJP79OkCb-yDuRPPu7qLybBZBW17G7gs6T1TZBT3kdAuMzrd2XQ-WWs3Gfzp4dWrqm8jd4GgRaSCzmp5xGJgo/s1600/Granite+River+Trip.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 177px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWlYeW3kY9lE0LKlEm2W4naSnQ76HGFIRe1Ay9COlfoTVmaNzB1tHc__zJP79OkCb-yDuRPPu7qLybBZBW17G7gs6T1TZBT3kdAuMzrd2XQ-WWs3Gfzp4dWrqm8jd4GgRaSCzmp5xGJgo/s320/Granite+River+Trip.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630443976766476338" border="0" /></a>Gunflint Lake to Saganaga Lake (21 Miles) via the Granite River. We camped Monday night on Larch Lake<br /></div><a href="http://tuscaroranews.blogspot.com/2011/07/fluid-boundaries.html"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276967902190983380.post-76303593893758264882011-07-14T02:33:00.006+02:002011-07-14T02:57:17.750+02:00Seagull RendezvousAfter a bunch of trips in which I spent a lot of my time paddling and portaging long distances to see large sections of the BWCA I decided it was time for something a little different (and more relaxing!). Lucky for me a lot of other people had the same idea. Staffers from three different Outfitters (Tuscarora, Seagull, & Voyager) all had last Thursday off and decided that we would do a short group trip on Seagull Lake. The great thing about Seagull is that it is a large entry lake in the BWCA and thus requires absolutely no portaging and only some paddling but still allows one to get into the wilderness.<br /><br />Our trip was full of good weather (minus a few isolated thunder storms), good food, fun people, an amazing stary night, beautiful wilderness, and while the fishing was not great we still enjoyed ourselves and did not get skunked completely! Below are some pictures from the trip, enjoy.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4W6C_XEN3mMO1CilL5C4jw8jMYVbqby5Cv4B3BF6tgFQ0Q7NWc4gQEfP6nOjRxuoPne8JrFsCGU9NCM8kSrEC51vQQRTHUWUdlvP-r-LDe7DcWHC5yuj0mnkqi5AiFIkT86k7AmlV6zI/s1600/Seagull+Trip.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 177px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4W6C_XEN3mMO1CilL5C4jw8jMYVbqby5Cv4B3BF6tgFQ0Q7NWc4gQEfP6nOjRxuoPne8JrFsCGU9NCM8kSrEC51vQQRTHUWUdlvP-r-LDe7DcWHC5yuj0mnkqi5AiFIkT86k7AmlV6zI/s320/Seagull+Trip.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629004854797335698" border="0" /></a>Seagull Lake and our brief (and easy!) route<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTmh_NMxTf0CxuX2oEH7bXtrtllfiHqXAZTDmr3fcgJIag79ptOw4kPd_T2M7c4dshvTKAx-D_9xB8YiiB1m9PgPhJBxyt_hzPuHO43gg5amlyuj4DF55E5_EjJjvEmFF-Auf7c4QdR3c/s1600/265307_2066523034718_1594050042_31967970_4769573_o.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTmh_NMxTf0CxuX2oEH7bXtrtllfiHqXAZTDmr3fcgJIag79ptOw4kPd_T2M7c4dshvTKAx-D_9xB8YiiB1m9PgPhJBxyt_hzPuHO43gg5amlyuj4DF55E5_EjJjvEmFF-Auf7c4QdR3c/s320/265307_2066523034718_1594050042_31967970_4769573_o.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629003252213566482" border="0" /></a>Maggie and I Canoeing on Seagull Lake<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLIW9PbyEnbRQYMJ6BaB7LNwUi9qSyMnTjo53C6ypyJa70QB-EH8vNUrSO9Cdi00MAufu2ZcGAMwo4zeq5m1CyoIgNPJrWT4wizy08n9TIvXUVdbPSVC2MOS1HtkjBfb6IalPu_DzLAE/s1600/278725_2066531114920_1594050042_31968005_5349997_o.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLIW9PbyEnbRQYMJ6BaB7LNwUi9qSyMnTjo53C6ypyJa70QB-EH8vNUrSO9Cdi00MAufu2ZcGAMwo4zeq5m1CyoIgNPJrWT4wizy08n9TIvXUVdbPSVC2MOS1HtkjBfb6IalPu_DzLAE/s320/278725_2066531114920_1594050042_31968005_5349997_o.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629003257360683234" border="0" /></a>Dylan and I soaking up the sun after an afternoon swim<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTKiL2HelqQHleF4_TOpAOH_x0eOCa-ZmEV1EEGNceYm_i40s-EqD7gkxNbYI6lS0N7ETkXIfySWrjwB1PsdLjEgFBru0BrRMgw9IcLLz-whdyTZtI6WA1ZPDIGo299zGWibUjydT2bQo/s1600/DSCF6215.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTKiL2HelqQHleF4_TOpAOH_x0eOCa-ZmEV1EEGNceYm_i40s-EqD7gkxNbYI6lS0N7ETkXIfySWrjwB1PsdLjEgFBru0BrRMgw9IcLLz-whdyTZtI6WA1ZPDIGo299zGWibUjydT2bQo/s320/DSCF6215.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629003269797784754" border="0" /></a>Sunset on Seagull Lake<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQnEi6iX4gMgD4YCUdWqG3rPLA3yTiDFa2hc4m39fULSgzzwc3LRV_jMNuek1bfk-R_1Xml1h08QiM_ZInWthNryo89C_a_JVEM0Q2b2OTGs53IHVuym3Ozew3wsjgF2AvBCfF4M9t7D0/s1600/DSCF6218.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQnEi6iX4gMgD4YCUdWqG3rPLA3yTiDFa2hc4m39fULSgzzwc3LRV_jMNuek1bfk-R_1Xml1h08QiM_ZInWthNryo89C_a_JVEM0Q2b2OTGs53IHVuym3Ozew3wsjgF2AvBCfF4M9t7D0/s320/DSCF6218.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629003275357739810" border="0" /></a>The Palisade on Seagull (if you look closely you can see people climbing it)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFdzqc75-JTtqRWhrFTL69x-kppZ2E7U5cqNJ1gOXNYtegdGeN-_yZN45GARBrOeM_YTQ8aubdyjZXtv2MhfTU4iVTPLXnOXSPVpnFB_91NBKKrw_uqRHf-ErS8MSIzdwGeimgbAbfP2Q/s1600/DSCF6220.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFdzqc75-JTtqRWhrFTL69x-kppZ2E7U5cqNJ1gOXNYtegdGeN-_yZN45GARBrOeM_YTQ8aubdyjZXtv2MhfTU4iVTPLXnOXSPVpnFB_91NBKKrw_uqRHf-ErS8MSIzdwGeimgbAbfP2Q/s320/DSCF6220.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629004845820654098" border="0" /></a>Part of the View from the top of the Palisade, we took the hiking trail up (as opposed to scaling the 50-80 ft cliff faces)<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEeSFCPI6dltl_SwK1IeG0rFjkGaAUHvNFWM0IsM_JXdW_lyecwpsqxyDnNMwL0eO8d-56IiIbeDQPps8gvRuMyxD_eUxGeCQfisejHB64n4ThKd3hNOwLiSMcl5c-wO_kiE6QcJxL98M/s1600/265346_2066531874939_1594050042_31968008_7797681_o.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEeSFCPI6dltl_SwK1IeG0rFjkGaAUHvNFWM0IsM_JXdW_lyecwpsqxyDnNMwL0eO8d-56IiIbeDQPps8gvRuMyxD_eUxGeCQfisejHB64n4ThKd3hNOwLiSMcl5c-wO_kiE6QcJxL98M/s320/265346_2066531874939_1594050042_31968008_7797681_o.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629003244138248738" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Picture of Maggie, Dylan, Alyssa, and I on top of the Palisade<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOjTQlaofn6y0XEYrrFnrkxS7OPp9E8sFfSUl5P7KEbEVOj-2sAc65B2t5T4zLMt411CnAxF85g9ZoFiEmXUpi39qlK4E5em9jjUnBvqVWuZ_7GxnJ4yyCMVS2rJp7P9_JrY2k6MU9B3s/s1600/265219_2066522754711_1594050042_31967968_5177037_o.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOjTQlaofn6y0XEYrrFnrkxS7OPp9E8sFfSUl5P7KEbEVOj-2sAc65B2t5T4zLMt411CnAxF85g9ZoFiEmXUpi39qlK4E5em9jjUnBvqVWuZ_7GxnJ4yyCMVS2rJp7P9_JrY2k6MU9B3s/s320/265219_2066522754711_1594050042_31967968_5177037_o.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629004835634902114" border="0" /></a>Watching a storm approach from across the Lake<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276967902190983380.post-15110143497326705192011-07-08T17:37:00.009+02:002011-07-08T19:54:10.398+02:00Into the Wild with a FriendThings have been really busy here at Tuscarora in recent weeks between having a group of 50 middle schoolers come through and the 4th of July festivities. The result of all this has been that I am a bit behind on blogging about my trips (I have actually done two since I last blogged now!). So now I am trying to rectify that by blogging about a trip I did last week with Randon Ruggles (a college buddy from Wartburg).<br /><br />Way earlier this year (back in January) I told Randon that I would be working up in the BWCA over the summer. He told me that he in that case might just have to come up for a trip. So throughout the spring and early summer we talked and eventually were able to find a time that would work for both of us. We settled on Monday June 27th to head out and our trip lasted through July 1st. Normally I only get one day off a week but I had already banked two days off so far this year so between using those extra days and agreeing to work a late shift on the day we came back we were able to take a trip that spanned over parts of 5 days and 4 nights!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj0CzZJ-CuGED9eCigGMDcbIwdtXFrfZGlKrvKtYcimyNf7EB0F4KGF9PXeFBWrrHSIYogtU5cPWifyJCIKevJrzbkfo1BAZgX3xFI0iQP3Urpc4X0qMbolhtSpl1SgDKuXXzEbqTst_Q/s1600/American+Point+to+Round+Lake.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 177px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj0CzZJ-CuGED9eCigGMDcbIwdtXFrfZGlKrvKtYcimyNf7EB0F4KGF9PXeFBWrrHSIYogtU5cPWifyJCIKevJrzbkfo1BAZgX3xFI0iQP3Urpc4X0qMbolhtSpl1SgDKuXXzEbqTst_Q/s320/American+Point+to+Round+Lake.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627021939116925282" border="0" /></a>Our Route (Click to Expand): American Point on Lake Saganaga to Tuscarora Outfitters on Round Lake (35 Miles). The first and last markers are the start and finish points and the four in-between mark our campsites on Hansen, Ogishkemuncie, Little Saganaga, and Tuscarora Lakes respectively. </div><br />So at 3:00 pm right after work on the 27th Randon and I quick finished up our packing and then headed for our entry point. We actually cheated a bit as we took a Tow Boat across Lake Saganaga to American Point. This allowed us to get a head start on our route and explore some different areas within the BWCA. Our overall route was a one way trip from American Point on Lake Saganaga to Tuscarora on Round Lake. That first evening it was raining a decent amount so a lot of the campsites were already taken (people trying to stay dry!) so we ended up canoeing a lake further then we originally planned and camped on Hansen Lake. Our site was not much to write about but none the less it served its purpose and our trip was officially underway.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVk0Yzln3VncX8OLB3_3hEn8Ys5-OuBgFR55kF23htBjJtwpQ5SLooejXtoFn8Ai-Zo5qUtI_Ht16TMJR5Lhkxw0TkzsPFq-wTVlpKZQG1_-2SH1-OA3M4kvjGGsUPp_82ne1csAIQ15M/s1600/DSCF6131.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVk0Yzln3VncX8OLB3_3hEn8Ys5-OuBgFR55kF23htBjJtwpQ5SLooejXtoFn8Ai-Zo5qUtI_Ht16TMJR5Lhkxw0TkzsPFq-wTVlpKZQG1_-2SH1-OA3M4kvjGGsUPp_82ne1csAIQ15M/s320/DSCF6131.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627021945709178482" border="0" /></a>Randon and I about to head out on our Tow to American Point<br /></div><br />On the 28th we got up, cleaned up our camp, and hit the water early in the morning. Our route that day took us through Knife Lake (which is gorgeous). There in addition to enjoying the large channels, old growth, and rolling hills around the lake we found a large waterfall pouring into Knife right by our exit portage. While it would of been fun to stay longer on Knife we pressed onward to our final destination that day of Ogishkemuncie Lake. There we found an awesome campsite that sat on a high rock peninsula that overlooked the main part of the lake. In camp that day we spent the afternoon enjoying some sun, our first campfire, steak & potatoes, and a beautiful sunset.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlRuXgA3-g0eApt9y4zAxSdVd1pgBwqPAHYkC69zJ4lXyjFbBTeXDs7ivyn-kROrq444PJj6UYi7BBA5FVuCz3AEP8fegpD6blElnsUh7PciMvuK_9EVwm2jDlB361IqXkP_6g5-1Bqo/s1600/DSCF6138.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlRuXgA3-g0eApt9y4zAxSdVd1pgBwqPAHYkC69zJ4lXyjFbBTeXDs7ivyn-kROrq444PJj6UYi7BBA5FVuCz3AEP8fegpD6blElnsUh7PciMvuK_9EVwm2jDlB361IqXkP_6g5-1Bqo/s320/DSCF6138.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627021952742513874" border="0" /></a>Randon Canoeing on Knife Lake<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidT3XGpVZSF_c3emCauSGrkBlC5K9cvnjsRJWlrjpx2r2fppMPWLJOI0LYa5hf0pYDN1hJqPnz9c88oa0CVtT7jhNELkcHkr5lYLUKt1WNbUnClbnRv0qS0v4k8qqk3LOrSiAHLU4yke0/s1600/DSCF6140.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidT3XGpVZSF_c3emCauSGrkBlC5K9cvnjsRJWlrjpx2r2fppMPWLJOI0LYa5hf0pYDN1hJqPnz9c88oa0CVtT7jhNELkcHkr5lYLUKt1WNbUnClbnRv0qS0v4k8qqk3LOrSiAHLU4yke0/s320/DSCF6140.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627021956582170866" border="0" /></a>Waterfall into Knife Lake<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihfcbj52qUT1zjq7wAYzSj2kT5vHvxC8gpME9InnBasQ3CR0y94r9bgjX45IPEsmvozqT3XrTOetoy-8vsLKRjckFEUa8_LS-rqFS1YwnWJWI-fidbB7f852lSZx_cunqiyOt7Gm1aQLs/s1600/DSCF6150.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihfcbj52qUT1zjq7wAYzSj2kT5vHvxC8gpME9InnBasQ3CR0y94r9bgjX45IPEsmvozqT3XrTOetoy-8vsLKRjckFEUa8_LS-rqFS1YwnWJWI-fidbB7f852lSZx_cunqiyOt7Gm1aQLs/s320/DSCF6150.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627021967342552914" border="0" /></a>Looking out over Knife Lake<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv5uO8UdosiOQOQcpNFmFjtozoGBE_EAfvsLyOwu6ed4ErvhK4UQmXjoefY3PmfDreiGHEkvUY3joV8RO0Y32-Ei_RgpBNAWWkR74eOJkYtwsxDgQ9eZOeULUKt5Pjj8tW-_3LkUWV-ZQ/s1600/DSCF6157.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv5uO8UdosiOQOQcpNFmFjtozoGBE_EAfvsLyOwu6ed4ErvhK4UQmXjoefY3PmfDreiGHEkvUY3joV8RO0Y32-Ei_RgpBNAWWkR74eOJkYtwsxDgQ9eZOeULUKt5Pjj8tW-_3LkUWV-ZQ/s320/DSCF6157.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627024680510436050" border="0" /></a>View of Ogishkemuncie Lake from our Campsite<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtEPQXVCq-zCrXXbQ8EDyuAIQEnXhlFabCNYCeQAXrUQ1XUEWTluRVI7DiCBaWjj-fTebIEElUhGgBsRFuBZZP0O-1klv3MKklfFly8HKdxsd7Y9o_AdZMrxFkZptr3yees2ZHkynHULg/s1600/DSCF6163.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtEPQXVCq-zCrXXbQ8EDyuAIQEnXhlFabCNYCeQAXrUQ1XUEWTluRVI7DiCBaWjj-fTebIEElUhGgBsRFuBZZP0O-1klv3MKklfFly8HKdxsd7Y9o_AdZMrxFkZptr3yees2ZHkynHULg/s320/DSCF6163.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627024691853189618" border="0" /></a>Sunset over Ogishkemuncie Lake</div><br />June 29th took us from Ogishkemuncie to Little Saganaga Lake. The highlight of this day was that throughout the entire day we saw absolutely no one. This made for a peaceful paddle and an enjoyable relaxing camp experience on Little Saganaga. To boot the entire day was perfectly sunny with almost no clouds in the sky. Similar to the previous day we spent the morning paddling to get to our campsite (an amazing Island site overlooking the main portion of the lake) and the afternoon relaxing in camp reading, sunning, swimming, and eating.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicIjQsZLOCePoBitFjEpgBLKGTFsmMocKw_Xpy705jabyRCsxp_nBx69OKsFMkxN1abcHaMWhYcuZ2smT27UIA5wFmWEKM3lx56B3vV5NRLKvGXlaUPyDJxvWhv-idmaZvLR7cDFsHm-c/s1600/DSCF6144.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicIjQsZLOCePoBitFjEpgBLKGTFsmMocKw_Xpy705jabyRCsxp_nBx69OKsFMkxN1abcHaMWhYcuZ2smT27UIA5wFmWEKM3lx56B3vV5NRLKvGXlaUPyDJxvWhv-idmaZvLR7cDFsHm-c/s320/DSCF6144.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627024718983810578" border="0" /></a>Our trusty stead, a 15 foot Aluminum canoe<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCqr1R852tpJZ8m_N9Y263Mh_sTw6prfWBeGyExIMiqeINb25oMm8eQFPT4A9SzYLw4orkWq4zIv9dsnNV-znPzsGxktFCGemLM6zM2Q-ZPasVtcYtSMfiq2d-9mA-TvZjAk_u8mCdZ0/s1600/DSCF6190.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCqr1R852tpJZ8m_N9Y263Mh_sTw6prfWBeGyExIMiqeINb25oMm8eQFPT4A9SzYLw4orkWq4zIv9dsnNV-znPzsGxktFCGemLM6zM2Q-ZPasVtcYtSMfiq2d-9mA-TvZjAk_u8mCdZ0/s320/DSCF6190.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627024700924770258" border="0" /></a>Sunset over Little Saganaga<br /></div><br />The 30th was our final full day of our trip so our goal was to get near to Tuscarora Outfitters so our final morning would not be too difficult or long a paddle. So we headed out from our Little Sag campsite and made for Tuscarora Lake. There we grabbed the famous Island campsite (a common place for Tuscarora employees to go on their days off). While the weather was not quite as nice as the previous two days we stilled enjoyed hanging out and relaxing in camp.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbNXNhzRT347A0AeGWTROknK2NuvGT_qkI1KMN0jcOAD4j1l1KW6P6ap8lIhlCIyEUcTfxN1oWEa3dUTydpEXeWt8hBxlvBPW3c-CtQQ-t4hZB74V6jdlX_ntD2h8Iv2qDCWbQzrcltuw/s1600/DSCF6208.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbNXNhzRT347A0AeGWTROknK2NuvGT_qkI1KMN0jcOAD4j1l1KW6P6ap8lIhlCIyEUcTfxN1oWEa3dUTydpEXeWt8hBxlvBPW3c-CtQQ-t4hZB74V6jdlX_ntD2h8Iv2qDCWbQzrcltuw/s320/DSCF6208.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627024707700655490" border="0" /></a>Sunset over Tuscarora<br /></div><br />July 1st we decided to get up early and paddle out with the sunrise. While we did get up around 5:00 am, it was a cloudy morning so we missed seeing the sun come up. Still our effort was not in vein as it proved to be an extremely hot day and very humid so by getting up early we missed the worst of the heat. While we were only two lakes away from Round Lake we still had to transverse the Tuscarora (425 Rods) and the Missing Link Portages (a steep 140 Rods), so needless to say we worked hard that final morning. None the less we managed to finish up our canoe by 8:00 am that morning leaving me time to recover before work and Randon plenty of time to make the long drive back to the Twin Cities.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFUcALgDc4d3cDTnmNfrzysZIWwId8SexiFguwE_KS7hoLgzcbw3FVPAdT_n_UnnvwR0Id5YzsTCf3Jh169WmRuZkycDbG46NDk7xzicYWUEL0dIPkSuJcmwPZN3v83hz6j2anyKKc20w/s1600/DSCF6136.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFUcALgDc4d3cDTnmNfrzysZIWwId8SexiFguwE_KS7hoLgzcbw3FVPAdT_n_UnnvwR0Id5YzsTCf3Jh169WmRuZkycDbG46NDk7xzicYWUEL0dIPkSuJcmwPZN3v83hz6j2anyKKc20w/s320/DSCF6136.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627025287954492866" border="0" /></a>Randon double packing on a portage<br /></div><br />Overall we had an amazing trip. Yes our trip like all others had lots of problems such as a rainy first day, a seriously slooooooow water filter, ineffective propane burner, and sometimes less then appetizing dehydrated foods but the upside of good companionship, remote and pristine wilderness, peaceful solitude, beautiful sunsets, and much more easily overcame any hiccups our trip encountered.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276967902190983380.post-44716780784518019872011-06-22T22:45:00.005+02:002011-06-23T00:26:39.885+02:001st Solo TripLast Friday I had the day off and was ready to do another trip into the BWCA. This time though there was no one else with a day off looking to do a trip, so I decided to embark on my first solo BWCA trip! So Thursday after work I got my permit and headed off into the Wilderness for the night and the following day.<br /><br />I decided I would head to Long Island Lake as it was a big lake that I wanted to explore and accessible from the entry points near Tuscarora. The important thing to remember on a solo trip is that you need to carry everything, all your gear and the canoe on every single portage. Thus I made sure that I could fit all my stuff in one Duluth pack and then took a single person Kevlar canoe (a Jensen - only 34 lbs) as my boat. The result was that I had no trouble portaging everything all together.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3KTA7uZZiDCdETLy2xjQqLkmI9oTOGzRkQ4bhAwqvvlR5QLtTpyBJ08RW474XsT3uN1j2w72ylP8IelgNjb6YFIm5C8ybTHGg14uVilQMpmZEveydLMdvmYWN5eVHdw31GwNHL_O0gEE/s1600/Solo+Trip+Route.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 170px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3KTA7uZZiDCdETLy2xjQqLkmI9oTOGzRkQ4bhAwqvvlR5QLtTpyBJ08RW474XsT3uN1j2w72ylP8IelgNjb6YFIm5C8ybTHGg14uVilQMpmZEveydLMdvmYWN5eVHdw31GwNHL_O0gEE/s320/Solo+Trip+Route.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621168206998168674" border="0" /></a>My Route (Click to expand it): The total distance was 16 Miles, the Blue Marker is Tuscarora and the Red Marker was my Campsite<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhciLzJUcGiKWXVHMOmQuVD55Bv1UlRd6Yf2T_zKQBpOPP-42R07opgBpR1D-E4ub4usAv0IxMfFdMMs5alZoLLMIBgPnBjZDhUvIAHPUtsG5n2zqnYgt_m_k6rvYOlgY76dbHIi6zQFvE/s1600/DSCF6059.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhciLzJUcGiKWXVHMOmQuVD55Bv1UlRd6Yf2T_zKQBpOPP-42R07opgBpR1D-E4ub4usAv0IxMfFdMMs5alZoLLMIBgPnBjZDhUvIAHPUtsG5n2zqnYgt_m_k6rvYOlgY76dbHIi6zQFvE/s320/DSCF6059.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621168200046265346" border="0" /></a>My Canoe, a Wenonah Jensen Kevlar<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">By the time I made it to Long Island Lake I found that my first choice campsite was already taken (not surprising on a Thursday night) but I was able to find a good alternative site. There I set up camp, made a campfire, and made freeze dried spaghetti for dinner. I found that being in camp by yourself is a very peaceful experience that allows you to relax, take in the beautiful wilderness around you, and listen to nature and your own thoughts. Still by the time I was in my tent and ready to go to sleep it is amazing how your imagination can convince you that every noise you here is a pack of wolves, a giant moose, or a bear in camp, when in reality it was really just a chipmunk running through camp.<br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUKphmCRaXTDsGKJGehtMynMqh-fa6oo8v8LTg5pP2rvpeOLmizTh5R76AE2VZViqo36OszpNa1ZI3fecFG-QUc1EWvnFCxbJ4EB0Z8zoIt0RALGc15VdQkqFUS__MovTXwsiwhE_m2qo/s1600/DSCF6068.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUKphmCRaXTDsGKJGehtMynMqh-fa6oo8v8LTg5pP2rvpeOLmizTh5R76AE2VZViqo36OszpNa1ZI3fecFG-QUc1EWvnFCxbJ4EB0Z8zoIt0RALGc15VdQkqFUS__MovTXwsiwhE_m2qo/s320/DSCF6068.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621168197213603282" border="0" /></a>My Campsite on Long Island Lake<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ9u4uTn-LvaAjBrd6353bA-ifAasg0mA7HR2EqYF3XH7dD5Y-wj030-r91XxalzZmFaAH9hwSIX1LTPYZImb8FXP6z7-0o8HSmjeONstmh3M2TU6Tm-9Cdg5IgPHRxBQ67faFE91ZA1A/s1600/DSCF6074.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ9u4uTn-LvaAjBrd6353bA-ifAasg0mA7HR2EqYF3XH7dD5Y-wj030-r91XxalzZmFaAH9hwSIX1LTPYZImb8FXP6z7-0o8HSmjeONstmh3M2TU6Tm-9Cdg5IgPHRxBQ67faFE91ZA1A/s320/DSCF6074.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621168190372023506" border="0" /></a>View of the Sunset from my Campsite<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Friday morning I got up, enjoyed the sunrise, had a campfire, and made hot apple delight for breakfast. After eating I relaxed for awhile, read my book, and then headed out for a morning fish. On Long Island Lake I had almost no success. A couple medium Northerns followed my lures but never really struck. After fishing I headed back to camp, had an early lunch, packed and cleaned up camp, and set off back towards Tuscarora. My plan though was to go lazily back fishing many of the lakes.<br /></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhcd-tScJvydTsQfrroogeWI-MSkgOU0qHXHgwwNnnuy_iOfemqsqKhNjg0S3aR5iJr_y6OaZXqry8iaz-yK7_zkEAU2U6LcDHYyMn5lzyuBgOfddETGN_4dKXtvsSvcZiInpFxot6st8/s1600/DSCF6084.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhcd-tScJvydTsQfrroogeWI-MSkgOU0qHXHgwwNnnuy_iOfemqsqKhNjg0S3aR5iJr_y6OaZXqry8iaz-yK7_zkEAU2U6LcDHYyMn5lzyuBgOfddETGN_4dKXtvsSvcZiInpFxot6st8/s320/DSCF6084.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621168180997764914" border="0" /></a>View of the Sunrise from my Campsite<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8y-2JN6XUSRudTQAMaMcmvj_0oXTI93k8U8onGjeTrvD99gVlejrDb8HuDhQ3bKECRRiT43gkosQT_QWkcHCxtmP1cTTrRAsus0S52Cz0GOmMpmOVX6a3QyzqngqvY4Iv6bB3ezvSEEw/s1600/DSCF6089.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8y-2JN6XUSRudTQAMaMcmvj_0oXTI93k8U8onGjeTrvD99gVlejrDb8HuDhQ3bKECRRiT43gkosQT_QWkcHCxtmP1cTTrRAsus0S52Cz0GOmMpmOVX6a3QyzqngqvY4Iv6bB3ezvSEEw/s320/DSCF6089.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621172614925839154" border="0" /></a>Me by my canoe before leaving Camp<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3KTA7uZZiDCdETLy2xjQqLkmI9oTOGzRkQ4bhAwqvvlR5QLtTpyBJ08RW474XsT3uN1j2w72ylP8IelgNjb6YFIm5C8ybTHGg14uVilQMpmZEveydLMdvmYWN5eVHdw31GwNHL_O0gEE/s1600/Solo+Trip+Route.jpg"><br /></a>After Canoeing around the rest of Long Island Lake and then going through Karl Lake I got to Rib Lake where I had my fishing success for the day. The wind was such that I could float across the entire lake while fishing. The result was catching three Northern Pike! The Largest of which was around 32" and had a sizable belly.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8zJ_y-2BjfzyyUKd8L9wqKTaPusyRaUYR7Ovhy6qkXxTjnJx2Ux-rVbjDiUHE6g08rZreN5R8pd99JD8RlzNIfx8evruhcbXv6HWkJUI8-BhZhe_47jz-5KrbmR_taRtcnhsTZ8UONu4/s1600/DSCF6094.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8zJ_y-2BjfzyyUKd8L9wqKTaPusyRaUYR7Ovhy6qkXxTjnJx2Ux-rVbjDiUHE6g08rZreN5R8pd99JD8RlzNIfx8evruhcbXv6HWkJUI8-BhZhe_47jz-5KrbmR_taRtcnhsTZ8UONu4/s320/DSCF6094.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621172620298390018" border="0" /></a>My 32" Northern<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf8GW6PjH2aHQpkkcE8So95bfRiSWaFQYH70aOy2FrUm4HdQRDqahu5jAlHZG7cZcljlWFXVDxbkbpuAkLfHk9UkY1agt35EElyrT3hT_2HkzELw_JWWALx28ArnssYXyK65x1qsg9e6U/s1600/DSCF6097.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf8GW6PjH2aHQpkkcE8So95bfRiSWaFQYH70aOy2FrUm4HdQRDqahu5jAlHZG7cZcljlWFXVDxbkbpuAkLfHk9UkY1agt35EElyrT3hT_2HkzELw_JWWALx28ArnssYXyK65x1qsg9e6U/s320/DSCF6097.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621172627780287122" border="0" /></a>Me with a smaller Nothern<br /></div><br />After Rib Lake I meandered through several more lakes on my way back, taking time to check them out and occasionally tossed a line in the water. At Ham Lake I ran into a friend from another outfitter (who was also out on a Solo Trip) and hung out with her for a couple hours at a campsite that overlooked the lake. Finally we decided it was time for the final push down the cross river and out of the wilderness. When I arrived back in camp, I was just in time for our staff dinner (coincidence, I think not!) of steak fajitas, needless to say it really hit the spot!<br /><br />Overall I really enjoyed my first solo trip. It was nice and peaceful canoeing around the wilderness by myself. Still I think in general I prefer having company on my trips and at my campfires at night. Nevertheless I am sure I will go on more solo trips before my time up here is done and I do look forward to them.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276967902190983380.post-89730830115069785372011-06-16T02:15:00.002+02:002011-06-16T02:35:38.538+02:00Harsh Realities of NatureWhile the BWCA is renowned for being an amazing wilderness area that offers a beautiful and solace escape from the modern world, it cannot be forgotten that when one enters such a place certain risks do exist.<br /><br />This fact has been put in stark perspective over the last couple days. Last weekend a young man from Wisconsin disappeared on a solo fishing trip and was found to have drowned in Swan Lake. Another sobering story has been the discovery of a forest fire near Gaskin Lake. While the fire is small and unlikely to spread given current conditions (very green trees and wet weather in the forecast), the fact that smoke can once again occasionally be smelled in the air on the Gunflint does give a foreboding feeling.<br /><br />I guess the message is that while the BWCA is a great place people need to remain vigilante about safety at all times, as you never know what might happen and help not an easy phone call away.<br /><br />Duluth News Tribune: <a href="http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/201629/publisher_ID/36/">On man's death in BWCA</a><br /><br />Superior National Forest: <a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/%21ut/p/c4/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gjAwhwtDDw9_AI8zPyhQoY6BdkOyoCAGixyPg%21/?navtype=&cid=stelprdb5308659&navid=091000000000000&pnavid=&ss=110909&position=Not%20Yet%20Determined.Html&ttype=detail&pname=Superior%20National%20Forest-%20Home">On BWCA forest fire</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276967902190983380.post-18996296746805302622011-06-02T14:48:00.006+02:002011-06-02T15:45:38.717+02:00Little Saganaga TripSo it might not have escaped you that while I have been working in the BWCA for over three weeks now I had not actually been on an overnight trip into the wilderness yet. This was because I spent my first day off in Grand Marais to get some supplies and then banked my second day off in order to take a longer trip later this summer! The time for a trip finally arrived, so last Monday at 3:00 pm after work myself and a friend and co-worker, Andrew, headed off for a one night trip in the BWCA.<br /><br />Neither Andrew or I had seen much of the area around Tuscarora so we decided the goal of our trips was to "Make Tracks" and see as much of the area in a short amount of time as was possible. I would have to say that we were completely successful in our goal as in 23 short hours (12 of which we were in camp) we covered 21 miles, 22 portages (totaling over 1,300 rods), and over 20 different lakes!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEz7IT2QtBRHmqkpsT7LRbWEJFF7SLUwugXFa-b2Wt89Wr7APbhqQFDklYGSnni4karcCTiLpfz10YrTuDH9a5Vu9Ni00bfaTgeyBpbIH7zr4e4OTWOsSt0HwGpsxvSLCo9sbbVnf22fo/s1600/Trip+Route.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 172px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEz7IT2QtBRHmqkpsT7LRbWEJFF7SLUwugXFa-b2Wt89Wr7APbhqQFDklYGSnni4karcCTiLpfz10YrTuDH9a5Vu9Ni00bfaTgeyBpbIH7zr4e4OTWOsSt0HwGpsxvSLCo9sbbVnf22fo/s400/Trip+Route.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613614798884903986" border="0" /></a>Our Route (Click to expand it)<br /></div><br />After setting out Monday afternoon Andrew and I left Round Lake and headed to Tuscarora Lake, where we originally had planned to camp for the night. On our way we got to do the legendary Tuscarora Portage which depending on which map you consult is anywhere from 360-425 rods (anyway you look at it, that is long and over a mile!). To boot I carried an aluminum canoe over the entire portage! When we got on Tuscarora it was still early and we had favorable winds so we decided to keep going instead of making an early camp. The result was we were able to make it to Crooked Lake and find a suitable campsite by 6:15 pm. In camp we enjoyed the delights of expired dehydrated foods (which we get for free from Tuscarora Outfitters as they cannot sell it to clients), a campfire, a beautiful sunset, and starry night (complete with loon calls and beaver tail slaps).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiarMmCrLnlURGSFXuaT0jmbSpcJkmAFOu-oJWeR9MIk62l4xQUrB_WJWfvqsR9_5yL5cbDJUR6Jx_1aBR4CLCSm29ObdlH_dpCFAvD2qALI0NEK8mZrUONbyaTQi9faxhnsl-iOqghvP4/s1600/DSCF6017.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiarMmCrLnlURGSFXuaT0jmbSpcJkmAFOu-oJWeR9MIk62l4xQUrB_WJWfvqsR9_5yL5cbDJUR6Jx_1aBR4CLCSm29ObdlH_dpCFAvD2qALI0NEK8mZrUONbyaTQi9faxhnsl-iOqghvP4/s200/DSCF6017.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613613330849812178" border="0" /></a>Me at Tuscarora Lake (After the big Portage)<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlWxsX08sLCdmlbkm0fllZ0eRvkJ_9vxf_I0-g37GWmuPDT9XRf28ovNR4HDeLRvBBgZ259NwWmSFCNXlH-Pt9oyMFgHzM5hjp6XNKLBZj4Eo_TnLnBe4BGd8ZzG9T9zOuBnuMdGtxIwg/s1600/DSCF6019.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlWxsX08sLCdmlbkm0fllZ0eRvkJ_9vxf_I0-g37GWmuPDT9XRf28ovNR4HDeLRvBBgZ259NwWmSFCNXlH-Pt9oyMFgHzM5hjp6XNKLBZj4Eo_TnLnBe4BGd8ZzG9T9zOuBnuMdGtxIwg/s200/DSCF6019.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613613339808100050" border="0" /></a>Camp Site at Crooked Lake<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Tuesday morning we were up at sunrise (around 5:30 am or so) and had packed up camp and were canoeing again by 6:15 am. As there had been decent winds the day before we decided we wanted to get out early in order to get to Little Saganaga before any major winds camp up (Little Sag is a big lake, despite its name, and unfavorable winds would make canoeing it very difficult). When we arrived at Little Sag the wind was just getting going for the day, but lucky for us it was mostly at our back. As the wind increased we decided that we would take a chain of smaller lakes back to Tuscarora Outfitters in the afternoon as opposed to going into other big lakes such as Gabimichigambi and Peter Lake. The result of this decision was a lot of portages! Despite our aluminum canoe though we only had one big pack and a small backpack so there was no double portaging for us.<br /></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkmS5OcdQCX74xdctdQ8MmSDil3p44E216dBV_kVcwdw4ueaOQR7QsXXJUxg-b0EcQpM9NdONZNlLwek2GUxrCjUOjPLWPF58OMplcA2p4ZxhY2VqUspCM6Rz-nvCZZt4EMZ1LWlwiBqs/s1600/DSCF6023.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkmS5OcdQCX74xdctdQ8MmSDil3p44E216dBV_kVcwdw4ueaOQR7QsXXJUxg-b0EcQpM9NdONZNlLwek2GUxrCjUOjPLWPF58OMplcA2p4ZxhY2VqUspCM6Rz-nvCZZt4EMZ1LWlwiBqs/s200/DSCF6023.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613613347212940866" border="0" /></a>Sunrise at Crooked Lake<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHYGCARCb8cV3_jRaBLTkfm0MP36FK0oSyYegg12I7oTfgIyJv_57k8uNR9g7Cio2HNvmj7PhJ7Yo9bYj5NIu2GDwG2Ow8DEKcWWbuM8JL3i_3uXRox8GVTwqyWtt2N50q4c5KPuf6TeU/s1600/DSCF6039.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHYGCARCb8cV3_jRaBLTkfm0MP36FK0oSyYegg12I7oTfgIyJv_57k8uNR9g7Cio2HNvmj7PhJ7Yo9bYj5NIu2GDwG2Ow8DEKcWWbuM8JL3i_3uXRox8GVTwqyWtt2N50q4c5KPuf6TeU/s200/DSCF6039.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613614003365684594" border="0" /></a>Portaging away from Little Saganaga to Virgin Lake (Senic Overlook of Little Sag)<br /></div><br />While Tuscarora, Crooked, and Little Sag Lakes were all beautiful a lot of the lakes on our way back were not quite as scenic. The area was heavily hit by the Cavity Lake Fire in 2006 that burned a lot of the blown from 1999. Gillis Lake though was still in pristine condition. After crossing Gillis we stoped for a quick lunch around 11:30 am on Bat lake before completing the last leg of our journey back to Tuscarora Outfitters by 2:15 pm on Tuesday.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu-YY2Iy3WpHuok7fZjnvAZIdosSB2REx22D5DMWQd3uV47ThYGx_77dZ3hIIWgfN7IMNsakUjePdvl-22piKbaP15uyL8diCjPMWIB0q-g8zfWqvhEYgOTfkpqjDr7DAnoZtJDdFmKNI/s1600/DSCF6041.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu-YY2Iy3WpHuok7fZjnvAZIdosSB2REx22D5DMWQd3uV47ThYGx_77dZ3hIIWgfN7IMNsakUjePdvl-22piKbaP15uyL8diCjPMWIB0q-g8zfWqvhEYgOTfkpqjDr7DAnoZtJDdFmKNI/s200/DSCF6041.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613616223242072018" border="0" /></a>View of Gillis Lake from Portage to Bat Lake<br /></div><br />Overall it was a great trip! We managed to see a big portion of the BWCA that is right in our backyard. Now when I take clients to different entry points around here I will be able to tell them a bit more about some of the lakes in the Area, if they are interested.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lakes I would Recommend From this Trip:</span> Missing Link, Tuscarora, Crooked, Mora, Little Saganaga, and Gillis Lake.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lakes/Areas I would Not Recommend:</span> The Northern Portion of my route, Virgin through Brant Lakes (Gillis Excluded). This is due to it being a burn zone which was less then scenic and the fact there are a lot portages connecting a bunch of very small lakes (I prefer larger lakes that you can canoe longer distances as opposed to constantly getting in and out of your canoe to portage every 200 yards).Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276967902190983380.post-17413771251453437102011-05-25T23:35:00.004+02:002011-08-31T16:40:39.759+02:00Blackflys 1 Fashion 0Last Christmas I received a number of different items from my family in anticipation of spending my summer working in the boundary waters. These items ranged from tents and maps to sleeping blankets and water-bottles. One item that I received made me roll my eyes and sarcastically say that I never thought I would use the item as it represents a major fashion faux pas...this item of course is the horrific bug head net!
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhykdExzMIgo0t5M0Oq-O0j1U27-9JrkpI5NJ8yfkROq1MgC8Kf982FYqZu9B5hq7SGv_O_YL0EmMKJL9Dfz7fhsI2bD3VE4qCBfI6K8dR71mtTSdQ1XHNaz62L7EcLcd4ERSX_5iav7GE/s1600/Rql9Pzu-mosquito_headnet.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhykdExzMIgo0t5M0Oq-O0j1U27-9JrkpI5NJ8yfkROq1MgC8Kf982FYqZu9B5hq7SGv_O_YL0EmMKJL9Dfz7fhsI2bD3VE4qCBfI6K8dR71mtTSdQ1XHNaz62L7EcLcd4ERSX_5iav7GE/s320/Rql9Pzu-mosquito_headnet.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647029918150501554" border="0" /></a>
<br />Bug Head Net: a major fashion faux pas</div>
<br />About a week ago here on the Gunflint Trail there was a major hatch of the dreaded black flies! While myself and other staff members armed ourselves with long sleeve shirts, pants, hats, and glasses and fought back valiantly with liberal amounts of bug spray and other long-shot remedies, ultimately our efforts were for naught as the black flies continued to grow in number and thereby were able to eventually overwhelm us by being a general nuisance that drove us to the brink of insanity and consequently threatened to bring our work to standstill. Thus several of us, myself included, in our desperation have brought out our secret weapon against these bugs.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.backcountrygear.com/images/S2SHeadNetbig.jpg">
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<br />I would like to tell you that when I wear the headnet I make it look good, but that would be like telling you that socks and sandals are a good combination....and we all know that is far from the truth (no matter how much certain fathers protest). As a result you will not find any photos of me wearing a headnet on this blog, instead you will just have to make due with the displayed google image rendition.
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<br />On the bright side we have projected lows of 28 and 22 degrees the next too nights, and while that is not great news when you live in an unheated dorm room without any type of insulation, it means the bugs may succumb to the cold and we could be granted a reprieve from their reign of terror, thus allowing us to put this embarrassing fashion trend behind us (for at least the time being).Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276967902190983380.post-81052876076811838912011-05-16T20:02:00.003+02:002011-05-16T20:17:39.122+02:00Wildlife & SunsetsLiving and working on the Gunflint trail in Northern Minnesota can be a lot of hard work and not the greatest living accomodations, but if you do not mind roughing it (and I definitely do not) it has some great benefits! In particular I have seem some great wildlife and sunsets during my first week at Tuscarora.<br /><br />On my way up to Tuscarora a week ago I mentioned to my parents how in all my time in the BWCA, in the Chippewa National Forest by our family cabin, and then our trip to Alaska I have never seen a moose in the wild. Not only did we end up seeing one by the road about 2 mins later, but over the next week I saw moose on seven different occasions! At this point it is basically a daily occurrence. Other wild life sightings include tons of grouse, foxes, & deer. A staff friend of mine has also seen several bears in the area as well.<br /><br />In addition to the wildlife there has been no shortage of brilliantly colored sunsets. Me and a friend have started meeting up every night on the dock to watch the sun go down, and we are rarely disappointed. Below are some pictures of wild life and sunsets that I have taken during my first week up here, enjoy!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVNdCjWo-7G-nhvjrz5O_rNZ6wHrnMPd7__kYncWZ0nWPLzNiwqbyuVXuhO5WnzG_JXqslTRn5SHRW7q2m8I_BCikZ0NbLKUVqegzOWQVvRWAfV7Z1nzk9BuJ-vjDOiT2QI0GTAdqj9Xk/s1600/DSCF5961.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVNdCjWo-7G-nhvjrz5O_rNZ6wHrnMPd7__kYncWZ0nWPLzNiwqbyuVXuhO5WnzG_JXqslTRn5SHRW7q2m8I_BCikZ0NbLKUVqegzOWQVvRWAfV7Z1nzk9BuJ-vjDOiT2QI0GTAdqj9Xk/s320/DSCF5961.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607377190018388674" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-eoLJsps0hEAvAUDmYxj73CHPvK7kRjcbluycTpKmvjEus8SOnXpHHzR1C95KKJFufWrzNDrbn9fSNbsvZUUNhCrU7KZXJjMAYbPrJtUao0L3x32vIptNZQi-TAy9dSn_DiWbRolObjg/s1600/DSCF5945.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-eoLJsps0hEAvAUDmYxj73CHPvK7kRjcbluycTpKmvjEus8SOnXpHHzR1C95KKJFufWrzNDrbn9fSNbsvZUUNhCrU7KZXJjMAYbPrJtUao0L3x32vIptNZQi-TAy9dSn_DiWbRolObjg/s320/DSCF5945.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607377177488094386" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm4dhAL52HAbsKRCy-NHKxg3ey7QSQxdbWS6KqCCRiYoJ-oPm-17LGnLXQkeK2n0uNsaBABPVuaNRQufSXqTWv948lPVftXqgspcIHWOHxoUjuZL0ickhBfPM9fS3NZe24arV_ZpV-Ojk/s1600/DSCF5931.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm4dhAL52HAbsKRCy-NHKxg3ey7QSQxdbWS6KqCCRiYoJ-oPm-17LGnLXQkeK2n0uNsaBABPVuaNRQufSXqTWv948lPVftXqgspcIHWOHxoUjuZL0ickhBfPM9fS3NZe24arV_ZpV-Ojk/s320/DSCF5931.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607377169807943538" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh219OJGfRSm19UAVmqfRUMf7CJJuNUctRbXHLCcm5tJDisSGUstRhEAcIcBXEI4vwUrkrkswQAd4xY_ENc6sUmTSeUgHKArxQyQqmbjxt-GwDkqeHRfAWEwkHITeSO4-fhw_WpYaVmtxU/s1600/DSCF5956.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh219OJGfRSm19UAVmqfRUMf7CJJuNUctRbXHLCcm5tJDisSGUstRhEAcIcBXEI4vwUrkrkswQAd4xY_ENc6sUmTSeUgHKArxQyQqmbjxt-GwDkqeHRfAWEwkHITeSO4-fhw_WpYaVmtxU/s320/DSCF5956.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607377185846813698" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUIEu40J6ucjLyutWDN-r32AWSeBPAlUQGzIwIOkV2_xiQb7Gf-nfW6heIl1-9L08tBhhQ8hyphenhyphenaUmxln9cC_l2mVoXXOZ3_pq7LiVoa8ykRyQa31GDy0lKz1Q8Zm8b6dUq-zP5De-HdIhw/s1600/DSCF5915.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUIEu40J6ucjLyutWDN-r32AWSeBPAlUQGzIwIOkV2_xiQb7Gf-nfW6heIl1-9L08tBhhQ8hyphenhyphenaUmxln9cC_l2mVoXXOZ3_pq7LiVoa8ykRyQa31GDy0lKz1Q8Zm8b6dUq-zP5De-HdIhw/s320/DSCF5915.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607377193819668930" border="0" /></a><br />No doubt there will be many more wildlife and sunsets to come, all of which I am looking forward to. Today I have my first day off and am spending it in the roaring metropolis of Grand Marais hanging out and getting some random odds and ends. I am currently in the process of getting a season pass to the BWCA (you need permits to go in) and from here on out plan to spend many of my days off doing overnight trips to various lakes, trails, and places in the BWCA.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276967902190983380.post-56418912076101216722011-05-02T19:31:00.003+02:002011-05-02T19:34:58.082+02:001 WeekJust one week till I arrive at Tuscarora, and despite the numerous rumors to the contrary it looks like spring may have finally made an appearance on the Gunflint Trail! Hopefully it will stick around...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj647fs1_Cd_0dHwBG7k842y7zRNsjELhcl55F85VYAH_4W50eB9EkKHjlkVuDnyHa1tuFXuAF20qRyOil9YcbGPK8oPbT64SdF7tygJlcKdNz8LKpzNMa031hf-erdywZSW_dh7UnI35g/s1600/IMG_3623.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj647fs1_Cd_0dHwBG7k842y7zRNsjELhcl55F85VYAH_4W50eB9EkKHjlkVuDnyHa1tuFXuAF20qRyOil9YcbGPK8oPbT64SdF7tygJlcKdNz8LKpzNMa031hf-erdywZSW_dh7UnI35g/s400/IMG_3623.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602172839373971602" border="0" /></a>Picture from <a href="http://tuscaroranews.blogspot.com/2011/04/now-thats-more-llike-it.html">Tuscarora's Blog</a> (click to see more photos of spring)<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276967902190983380.post-54007409034909124982011-04-22T18:37:00.004+02:002011-04-22T19:00:16.426+02:00Ice or no Ice?As I sit in the third floor basement of the JHU Library (I have not seen natural light in weeks it seems!) contemplating deep questions such as what motivates US International Trade policy: ideas, political elites, rational choice models, power, or my personal favorite the structure of international anarchy, another question drifts into my mind which is much less complex but will also have wide ranging implications for my future, Ice or no Ice?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiihKEAvGfexiA-_9OFGDHaYt3Z2ida0uvy9cY3xH-eUyFPU7XyGMgI1V6n4hb4ZKXxJHrIn3VdZ12io0tQqUiJZryoMdfpkK0RpuQtzCItPbDt5gcHe9j_a9uEAhSaRK1pkT5K4x_7_bU/s1600/ice+out.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiihKEAvGfexiA-_9OFGDHaYt3Z2ida0uvy9cY3xH-eUyFPU7XyGMgI1V6n4hb4ZKXxJHrIn3VdZ12io0tQqUiJZryoMdfpkK0RpuQtzCItPbDt5gcHe9j_a9uEAhSaRK1pkT5K4x_7_bU/s320/ice+out.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598451746642774210" border="0" /></a>Will there be an ice out on the Gunflint before I arrive on May 9th?<br /></div><br />Specifically I am wondering if when I arrive in the BWCA in just over two weeks whether the lakes around Tuscarora on the Gunflint trail will still be iced over? According to Minnesota DNR the average ice out for may of the lakes in the region is right around the beginning of May and last year the ice went out in record time by April 10th. This year though has been the year of the never ending Winter in Minnesota with temperatures remaining near freezing and snow storms occurring in mid to (gasp!) late April! While temperatures are warming up in Grand Marais and the Gunflint Trail ice out can be a long slow process. The record for the latest ice out in the region is May 17th back in 1996. Should there be another historically late ice out this year (and it looks like there might be) chances are my first week in the BWCA will be a bit different then I was expecting!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/ice_out/index.html#">Current MN ice out conditions</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276967902190983380.post-15970433232571770762011-04-10T17:57:00.005+02:002011-04-10T18:21:44.774+02:00BWCA in T-Minus 1 Month!It is hard to believe but my time here in Baltimore is already coming to close and in just one short Month I will be leaving this city (and civilization in general) to spend nearly four months in the Wilderness of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boundary_Waters_Canoe_Area_Wilderness">BWCA</a> in Northern Minnesota.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2_v-r-yeKMsTzeRVey49K1jnEnZKM5LohQqFMz02v_MBkW25u8NFEKE3PBBuGdE3Emi9sqJxd7KcUUgEpqoNnqlWn6NKjY2AriaNTko9Z_HkQxcPzH4pUfQnz3dl25CM8a-xcUROH5DE/s1600/blacklock-cherokee.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 258px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2_v-r-yeKMsTzeRVey49K1jnEnZKM5LohQqFMz02v_MBkW25u8NFEKE3PBBuGdE3Emi9sqJxd7KcUUgEpqoNnqlWn6NKjY2AriaNTko9Z_HkQxcPzH4pUfQnz3dl25CM8a-xcUROH5DE/s320/blacklock-cherokee.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593989612466539874" border="0" /></a>A typical BWCA lake<br /></div><br />I have been to the BWCA several times in the past on Church and Family Canoe Trips as well as biking the 70 mile long Echo Trail with my Father last summer on a 350 mile long <a href="http://carlstravelblog.blogspot.com/2010/07/bwca-superior-bike-tour.html">Father-Son Bike Tour</a> through Northern Minnesota. Needless to say between time spend at my Family's cabin near Grand Rapids and time spent in Duluth and the North Shore I am quite familiar with Northern Minnesota and the lifestyle it entails, but this summer I am going to get even more acquainted with it!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC1gBRMFSV7GiHk91CuEbAFyTyuwmY9hzqA7s5ovX8FOV0sQ7xYHXyRzegTuhEhmzKm6nWlQ30KMaxZZmRVDezgsCbwNqEdP0spmAGMyvBm8Pt-RZUS-bmthiL7a82N1cyqwNtnJ4Asw4/s1600/gunflint+trail.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 202px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC1gBRMFSV7GiHk91CuEbAFyTyuwmY9hzqA7s5ovX8FOV0sQ7xYHXyRzegTuhEhmzKm6nWlQ30KMaxZZmRVDezgsCbwNqEdP0spmAGMyvBm8Pt-RZUS-bmthiL7a82N1cyqwNtnJ4Asw4/s320/gunflint+trail.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593989619456761362" border="0" /></a>Tuscarora Lodge and Outfitters near the end of the Gunflint Trail and close to the Canadian Border<br /></div><br />From May through August this summer I will be working at Tuscarora Lodge and Outfitters (<a href="http://www.tuscaroracanoe.com/">website</a> & <a href="http://tuscaroranews.blogspot.com/">blog</a>) on the Gunflint Trail! This place is literally almost at the end of the trail and miles and miles from modern civilization. While I will be busy helping outfit people for their canoe trips, I have no doubt that I will find plenty of time to do some of my own exploring in the BWCA as well (which will of course be documented here)!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276967902190983380.post-75365086583907504672010-12-01T15:51:00.007+01:002010-12-01T16:21:45.735+01:00Review: MegaBus & BoltBusSo while living on the East coast this year has not brought nearly as many exciting travel opportunities as Italy and Morocco did, I have still managed to move around some. For thanksgiving I traveled from Baltimore, Marland to Providence, Rhode Island where I spent the holiday with my Aunt Lois and Uncle Jim and the rest of their family. In order to do so I had to travel on buses (<a href="http://us.megabus.com/">MegaBus</a> & <a href="https://www.boltbus.com/">BoltBus</a>), as I do not have a car out here. Thus I thought I would share my thoughts on the experience.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbo6lmRWrbA8pb-INdxhsFmMUSU_xKJMDcIKza0FqVFGRaivhwHpwQbIx3nak1c_lDjjqg-CGSfBV0xKQZqD1k1-ge9MavBHL7eeL4nstDtbZefljBzO6OTheiKpiEk23hWslWfIJ0AL8/s1600/boltbus.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 126px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbo6lmRWrbA8pb-INdxhsFmMUSU_xKJMDcIKza0FqVFGRaivhwHpwQbIx3nak1c_lDjjqg-CGSfBV0xKQZqD1k1-ge9MavBHL7eeL4nstDtbZefljBzO6OTheiKpiEk23hWslWfIJ0AL8/s320/boltbus.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545731618940495698" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cost: </span>Both BoltBus and MegaBus are quite cheap. For four bus trips (Baltimore to NYC & NYC to Providence each way) I only paid around $50, and this was at Thanksgiving when everything is full and expensive. If you plan ahead you can actually like they say ride for $1 each way, although even full price tickets are only $15-$20 so they are overall very affordable.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wifi & Outlets: </span>Obviously the biggest promotion these companies offer (other than $1 seats) is the free internet and outlets for you to use while traveling. My advice though is not to count on it. Sometimes the internet worked sometimes it did not or was too painfully slow to use. The outlets sometimes had power and sometimes did not. Basically its great if everything works, but that is not most of the time.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Comfort:</span> Traveling on buses is not 1st class travel, but it is not terrible either. While it is great if you can get two seats to yourself, I was not uncomfortable with someone sitting next to me. Overall the buses were nice enough and seemed reasonably new.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Travel Time:</span> None of my buses were on time. Two were close though while the other two were around 1-2 hours late. Like driving a car if the bus hits traffic, get comfortable because there is nothing it can do about it. Being late in NYC is basically a fact of life due to the awful traffic there. So if you are like me and you are taking multiple buses to get somewhere make sure you leave plenty of time for connections as missing a bus could be a bit of a nightmare as the companies do not work very hard to help you out (even if you were riding both routes on their bus line).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Overall</span>: You get what you pay for. It is a easy cheap way to get from A to B. It might not be on time and all of the amenities may not work or be top of the line but ultimately it gets the job done!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz4jgb_ZG-WnB_jN9xP6Zwh9bytS8UVnHJqceP323UQgGYbZMRK5ApornIOyrWMmJhf4tdNo8gfJJ6_2qJYlcMhk4ppWjP3dQkMzB42Pv6zzOOWF9-NMDgnYVSFpwQc4IHVXP4bcfKMj4/s1600/MegaBus.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz4jgb_ZG-WnB_jN9xP6Zwh9bytS8UVnHJqceP323UQgGYbZMRK5ApornIOyrWMmJhf4tdNo8gfJJ6_2qJYlcMhk4ppWjP3dQkMzB42Pv6zzOOWF9-NMDgnYVSFpwQc4IHVXP4bcfKMj4/s320/MegaBus.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545733966352186610" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276967902190983380.post-56313577910118680562010-11-10T15:21:00.003+01:002010-11-11T18:12:43.196+01:00Where in the world is SAIS BC?!Many people are familiar with the "Where the hell is Matt?" youtube videos in which this guy named Matt travels around the world dancing everywhere he goes. He has gone on several different trips and has actually become as he puts it "semi-famous". In fact he even now gets paid to travel and dance (not a bad deal). Anyways if you have not seen his videos before you should really check them out. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlfKdbWwruY">This is the link to his most recent and most watched video. </a><br /><br />This comes to mind because SAIS Bologna Center actually did a spoof on this for the summer of 2010, and made a movie with us dancing all over the world during our different internships, language programs, and personal travels we engaged in after our year at the Bologna Center. Unfortunately I was lame and did not send in any dancing footage myself (which is too bad as I have plenty of me dancing at the Moroccan wedding I went to). Still I think it is a cool video and shows everywhere people went over the summer.<br /><br />Link: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXRBXtSO9TM" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXRBXtSO9TM</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276967902190983380.post-40387185265983864282010-07-30T21:13:00.005+02:002012-03-25T19:46:48.012+02:00BWCA - Superior Bike TourFor five days my Father and I engaged in our BWCA - Superior Bike Tour across wild and untamed Northern Minnesota! We faced just under 350 grueling miles and five days of forests, lakes, rivers, hills, wild timber-wolves, lynx, moose, and the unruly white tailed deer!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9riyu27JFmVmLC525AdRJBfifiBFISkFj2KaxYMm7ZIRH9kLXz6NIb13JOySaXeYx2wLQHcXMSJTwIWBalBiEL5NPphi68FPm8fwi_LhV-D51YHqjz8yKb3hX_PXyc2f-8y3ajTZPJcM/s1600/IMG_6125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9riyu27JFmVmLC525AdRJBfifiBFISkFj2KaxYMm7ZIRH9kLXz6NIb13JOySaXeYx2wLQHcXMSJTwIWBalBiEL5NPphi68FPm8fwi_LhV-D51YHqjz8yKb3hX_PXyc2f-8y3ajTZPJcM/s320/IMG_6125.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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My Dad and I at the end of the trip</div>
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Somehow we survived and lived to tell the tall. The route was great with a good diversity of flats, hills, lakes, forests, and even the Embarrass Mountain. The toughest day by far was the 70+ very hilly miles between Orr and Ely on the Echo Trail, which in addition to the hills has over 35 Miles of dirt road (not fun for a road bike!). Overall I would recommend the route to anyone who wants to see more of northern Minnesota and is willing to engage in some slight (or some might say extensive) physical activity!<br />
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Below is the route we took. If you would like to see pictures from our ride just <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/RichardHoeg/BWCASuperiorTour02?feat=directlink#">click here</a>. If you want to hear more about the trip or doubt my tall tales just check out my <a href="http://www.northstarnerd.org/econtent/2010/07/bwca-superior-bike-tour.html">father's blog</a> as well.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKPTwa5z1D85snmubyTg4T5qcfq192Mk1cIa55QLWLbiGl-DlAuU4nLD_ijsv6WeyJgfDzb4WGIKyr_emWR60-BGJz6NSAmY7t2ZIrd__-wQTB5xVh4kKGFqfRl-u-x8NA-z_3yRXDSBw/s1600/day+1.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499785409535777554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKPTwa5z1D85snmubyTg4T5qcfq192Mk1cIa55QLWLbiGl-DlAuU4nLD_ijsv6WeyJgfDzb4WGIKyr_emWR60-BGJz6NSAmY7t2ZIrd__-wQTB5xVh4kKGFqfRl-u-x8NA-z_3yRXDSBw/s400/day+1.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 204px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Duluth to Hoyt-Lakes: 68 miles</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnBYVIoBo6DckelRGeeKfgbgbpayMLbAMBqSxuIEIGfxWp8keNCFKGaBlK25ILtkrhtoW7uRhfmArX3cTzGl1ZnfC0bwzXHtAKtvZIPnKZSYYXeAfk7e15ohuHICSg2_DPQJisVZIQgj0/s1600/day+2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499785402271645506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnBYVIoBo6DckelRGeeKfgbgbpayMLbAMBqSxuIEIGfxWp8keNCFKGaBlK25ILtkrhtoW7uRhfmArX3cTzGl1ZnfC0bwzXHtAKtvZIPnKZSYYXeAfk7e15ohuHICSg2_DPQJisVZIQgj0/s400/day+2.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 204px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Hoyt-Lakes to Orr: 65 miles<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHG35k8Qu1h37OKEuMreD2kJCNK8UyL3Mk07anqNw2zKlGIyCnHLO3mMlpevTKD6pNA3aeIezNoQ7KUAvnXP9VgyLvrUjoQ8GTIgIyPC1sfargHNPsTP595K640sQ4uBrf_A0YYJ81oLk/s1600/day+3.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499785398358112082" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHG35k8Qu1h37OKEuMreD2kJCNK8UyL3Mk07anqNw2zKlGIyCnHLO3mMlpevTKD6pNA3aeIezNoQ7KUAvnXP9VgyLvrUjoQ8GTIgIyPC1sfargHNPsTP595K640sQ4uBrf_A0YYJ81oLk/s400/day+3.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 205px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Orr to Ely: 70 miles (The Infamous Echo Trail!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi54DaB0ruZ5pK1WrstQrNYGqiHgxVsms6bCicHNTEJz5YmZwTzaJomCIEQzyxC6fMaowUvFXU7CyBrrWCu85GfNcaptlhGUk8r_C3qdLajGM64tP4yT3MeE3_sxiXuB1HFqrPUwQY1Fes/s1600/day+4.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499785391964212802" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi54DaB0ruZ5pK1WrstQrNYGqiHgxVsms6bCicHNTEJz5YmZwTzaJomCIEQzyxC6fMaowUvFXU7CyBrrWCu85GfNcaptlhGUk8r_C3qdLajGM64tP4yT3MeE3_sxiXuB1HFqrPUwQY1Fes/s400/day+4.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 206px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Ely to Silver Bay: 67 miles</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUfSFw9Wn9OmChhrnql3qH61sBfigDkvtt3VwRWhfT3TCiCppKLoD9DRSUiXtT9bk9xtIo089a8nZKKNpAJRlV2A7Pw9xY0iRN8Ycl-StegjhrBcjFuOu-UVCMj5K0-rPUoYXGIHeX-Sc/s1600/day+5.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499785384709074050" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUfSFw9Wn9OmChhrnql3qH61sBfigDkvtt3VwRWhfT3TCiCppKLoD9DRSUiXtT9bk9xtIo089a8nZKKNpAJRlV2A7Pw9xY0iRN8Ycl-StegjhrBcjFuOu-UVCMj5K0-rPUoYXGIHeX-Sc/s400/day+5.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 206px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Silver Bay to Duluth: 50 Miles</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276967902190983380.post-43304519724934302922010-07-18T19:06:00.004+02:002010-07-30T21:12:11.225+02:00Gander Newfounland!In order to fly from London to Minneapolis with Sun Country Airlines we had to stop in Gander Newfounland and refuel! (as a Boeing 737 does not have enough range to go non-stop). <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gander,_Newfoundland_and_Labrador">Gander</a> is a very small town and airport but with a big history. From being the main refueling stop for transatlantic flights in early aviation history, to being a huge military base during WWII, to the amazing story of "The Day the World Came to Town" on 9/11 the place has a rich history!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyL5BhgdFpMYk-DANICFyt83m8fP9xIfTuYHGX0-49Mti_R1EG1J81ysGqXEtLtYKF-62-7bC-_HtDv-Zhta3kiRK0eRfMZT_R1algzzfp4HGw-qI9xHOPqUVMrHV01cV8X48sDcfFkcg/s1600/gander_map.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 316px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyL5BhgdFpMYk-DANICFyt83m8fP9xIfTuYHGX0-49Mti_R1EG1J81ysGqXEtLtYKF-62-7bC-_HtDv-Zhta3kiRK0eRfMZT_R1algzzfp4HGw-qI9xHOPqUVMrHV01cV8X48sDcfFkcg/s400/gander_map.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499777508186415762" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276967902190983380.post-43777277225186054282010-07-17T13:29:00.005+02:002010-07-18T06:27:33.851+02:00Cadiz & TravelI decided after all my studying and traveling it was time for a relaxing break. So a friend from my hostel and I took a day trip to the beach in Southern Spain. We went to the town of Cadiz, while the town does not boast an impressive history and major landmarks (that I am aware of...) it does posses huge beaches on the Atlantic Ocean, amazing sunny weather, and it is only just over an hour by bus from Sevilla. Thus it was a perfect destination for a lazy day.<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibJV1i49C8y6jRW2JDHzpkEuYFVGMhkbkIJpV6HcHROwRtB3S_qwO84R05Z3geUaDyueo57Z-9qvO5GYhj_dqyScDxZgBYy2fwFS_UsDGGgzKLKFLmQS2hi6DA6Qj0XCZ9mdeUJ0-Zy5U/s1600/DSCF5688.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494838419371794482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibJV1i49C8y6jRW2JDHzpkEuYFVGMhkbkIJpV6HcHROwRtB3S_qwO84R05Z3geUaDyueo57Z-9qvO5GYhj_dqyScDxZgBYy2fwFS_UsDGGgzKLKFLmQS2hi6DA6Qj0XCZ9mdeUJ0-Zy5U/s320/DSCF5688.JPG" border="0" /></a>Beach in Cadiz<br /></div><br />While I have been living in sunny, hot, and desert Fez in Africa the fact that most my persuits occured inside I have aquired very little color thus far this summer. Despite the furious application of sun screen, sun burn still managed to get the better of me. Still despite this slight drawback it was a really nice day at the beach.<br /><br />Right now I am in the London Stansted Airport. My flight from Sevilla was delayed several hours, much to tha annoyance of most of the passangers. To me it made little difference as it just ment less time bumming around in the Stansted airport. I eventually did make it to London around 1 am where I found a lovely bit of floor and curled up for the night for some sleep! Now in about 6 hours I will get on my plane and head back to Minnesota!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276967902190983380.post-23193788809696088972010-07-17T12:24:00.003+02:002010-07-17T13:18:13.712+02:00BullfightingSo as you may of concluded from my hint in the previous post I went to a bull fight here in Sevilla. Sevilla is one of best known places for bull fighting along with the town of Rondo (also in southern Spain). As most people know bullfighting has become a bit of a contentious issue. Barcelona converted their bullfighting ring into a mall and the bull ring in Madrid sees less and less usage as any bull fight is met with big protests there. It seems that Bullfighting is likely on the decline and will not persist for much longer. Thus I was not going to miss a chance to get to see part of Spanish Cultural before it potentially disappears.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9f4wtbiJNpLatF_LVQTNUsBFAd88cWlhg9NrqeSSvkHaC019yiaeHY1fHGq9NAuMJci3GN9EI2KU5Wl2fLUb1dyh8ti4KpwcPqIbP3tEWeDc1TW_O0Uib3RupVEyKXq279upVY0hIGhE/s1600/DSCF5556.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9f4wtbiJNpLatF_LVQTNUsBFAd88cWlhg9NrqeSSvkHaC019yiaeHY1fHGq9NAuMJci3GN9EI2KU5Wl2fLUb1dyh8ti4KpwcPqIbP3tEWeDc1TW_O0Uib3RupVEyKXq279upVY0hIGhE/s320/DSCF5556.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494823961826608178" border="0" /></a>The bullfighting Ring in Sevilla<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-fng8QlyT0MC8-M_J9Tl9o41LZoGmX0qOCnO-XvON2KWjPhW2zA3TYiwoyDGzjiJmuWKiOdRXn9WLWV3mzHLTaNuBQVsee2mgaL93ASiaC03i6xbKHoCDouUHjzQe59XwUXcnQRAQ0po/s1600/DSCF5561.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-fng8QlyT0MC8-M_J9Tl9o41LZoGmX0qOCnO-XvON2KWjPhW2zA3TYiwoyDGzjiJmuWKiOdRXn9WLWV3mzHLTaNuBQVsee2mgaL93ASiaC03i6xbKHoCDouUHjzQe59XwUXcnQRAQ0po/s320/DSCF5561.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494823950017866914" border="0" /></a>The poster for the bull fight I went to, notice that the first Matador is actually a woman (Veronica), this is not very common.<br /></div><br />I went to the bull fight with several other people from my hostel. The fight was not actually a part of their "Normal Season" of bull fighting, this fight was instead a fight for young bullfighters who are new to the sport. This meant that the Matadors were between the ages of 14 - 18! I have not idea how a 13 year old tells his parents he wants to be a bull fighter or what sane parents would say yes! As the bullfighters are younger and less experienced that means they are often less effective at killing the bull. Thus it often took several tries in the fights we watched for them to finally kill the bull. A side affect of this is that it tends to get a bit more bloody. In all there were six bull fights on the evening we went (one for each of the six young matadors), some went quickly and some took longer depending on the skill of the matador and the size and strength of the Bulls. The last two matadors we watch both got a bit more friendly than they probably would of liked with the bulls, with one getting gored and the other going for a ride on the head of the bull before being tossed into the air. Both matadors to their credit jumped right back into the action and finish their fights. <br /><br />Watching the bull fight was quite the experience. I can see why there are plenty of people who oppose them, but I can also appreciate it as Spanish Culture. I will leave it up to others to make the judgment call as to which should prevail. Below I have some pictures and video footage of the bull fight.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxIqQUJxy_bbsMa93D-NPxpWdiMqCYfye3yD34iBI3TecZvViuv6CF7G-TVl6sH8cPIDz0PQGXkR-TRIarU5u06gwOlmxi8tzq-u3gWiFf37H5b7H7_d_ZLd79ihJ1MFwnSw6mtQTz358/s1600/DSCF5652.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxIqQUJxy_bbsMa93D-NPxpWdiMqCYfye3yD34iBI3TecZvViuv6CF7G-TVl6sH8cPIDz0PQGXkR-TRIarU5u06gwOlmxi8tzq-u3gWiFf37H5b7H7_d_ZLd79ihJ1MFwnSw6mtQTz358/s320/DSCF5652.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494823977709914306" border="0" /></a>Inside the Bull Ring<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyyvPEkc711P3RK-NvDOo2yaQUxjLPiOQ6EKlimsdXFO6OnI0GV1pqjG8PkTswQrqlZQl-yeeioUa4AYCb0pjQ3hJffmltlNqfdWrPSl0u-pl4LSqWiiIJa3ScBwVGhqF1o2rDePfNMqk/s1600/DSCF5657.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyyvPEkc711P3RK-NvDOo2yaQUxjLPiOQ6EKlimsdXFO6OnI0GV1pqjG8PkTswQrqlZQl-yeeioUa4AYCb0pjQ3hJffmltlNqfdWrPSl0u-pl4LSqWiiIJa3ScBwVGhqF1o2rDePfNMqk/s320/DSCF5657.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494823970977866994" border="0" /></a>Bullfighting<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHwXecYoH3JTAHlSRWh42zkN09fmxDw3JvvD1cqMlvAvMZXSyCMRNHNc3RiWqevu4PSOgjzN5w2IsacZju-1CoBgFowjrxRvVdiiJnrqe8VsehOcN-DKtGusimbr4TjfR0_OrSz25z6UQ/s1600/DSCF5662.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHwXecYoH3JTAHlSRWh42zkN09fmxDw3JvvD1cqMlvAvMZXSyCMRNHNc3RiWqevu4PSOgjzN5w2IsacZju-1CoBgFowjrxRvVdiiJnrqe8VsehOcN-DKtGusimbr4TjfR0_OrSz25z6UQ/s320/DSCF5662.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494823986337170418" border="0" /></a>The Matador and his assistants after a successful fight<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">There are three major parts of a bull fight. The first part is called "Tercio de Varas" (The lancing third) and is the part in which the bull and the fighter are brought into the ring. During this the Matador attempts to rile up the bull with his red cape and get the bull to make several runs at him. The second part is called "Tercio de Banderillas" (The Third of Flags) in which the Matador and his assistants attempt to place Banderillas on the bull (in other words stab the bull with the Banderillas). The final part is called "Tercio de Muerte" in which the the Matador and his assitants will deliver the final blows and kill the bull.<br /><br />In the video you will see bits of each of the three parts. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Please be forewarned that you will see the bull stabbed and you will see the bull die. Thus the Movie can be a bit graphic at times. </span>If this will offend you then I suggest you do not watch it.<br /><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwhWqI_HYsXdKAP1MdZ53ompPCdhXVaO3rVAKQm6Wc7EIYS3TEkEfBRnKMdcpF9kg5MbMbSmfRnQ6dMe7cxug' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276967902190983380.post-85690202124089971272010-07-15T13:06:00.007+02:002010-07-15T15:49:38.495+02:00SevillaWell I am now on to my last several days abroad before I head back to the United States. I have parked myself in Southern Spain for the remainder of my time abroad. Specifically I am staying in Sevilla. When I backpacked Europe two years ago I had planned to come down to Sevilla, Granada, and the Southern Coast of Spain, but opted for a soccer match in Barcelona instead. So this is my chance to see the places after all! I am not sure I will make it to all of them but I have no doubt I will enjoy my time here regardless.<br /><br />Yesterday evening and so far today I have spent my time wander and exploring Sevilla. Here are some photos and commentary of what I have seen and done so far!<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFsMpKnyYL-DibUG9z2uDD6OzCnhyphenhyphenWI0LeRODNlZgof7xGKTYyhJ5dxiJXPS7vOsP0ljMd1RBPnWWwQvc8Xs1o5KduJs90_BJDSA4nycFR6HgY4wIczdgCXMa8ZL4dAUf_BEF1TTPUWwA/s1600/DSCF5598.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFsMpKnyYL-DibUG9z2uDD6OzCnhyphenhyphenWI0LeRODNlZgof7xGKTYyhJ5dxiJXPS7vOsP0ljMd1RBPnWWwQvc8Xs1o5KduJs90_BJDSA4nycFR6HgY4wIczdgCXMa8ZL4dAUf_BEF1TTPUWwA/s320/DSCF5598.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494122381347598562" border="0" /></a>Plaza de Espana in Sevilla (it was being renovated, but still was a neat place/park)<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC7CESXQhoZPipX9DLHu1iIN6_PlY3t_IrWGF1sMc7vfKWgL3sWgISkAXlVR6t3Ayln7Cy5RmHqF7tqX2nyDChkfG-XlPZZXwTIwFJJqvsUOIO2AP06pehwqIdtcJvh2q72icvSlWR-OE/s1600/DSCF5600.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC7CESXQhoZPipX9DLHu1iIN6_PlY3t_IrWGF1sMc7vfKWgL3sWgISkAXlVR6t3Ayln7Cy5RmHqF7tqX2nyDChkfG-XlPZZXwTIwFJJqvsUOIO2AP06pehwqIdtcJvh2q72icvSlWR-OE/s320/DSCF5600.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494122393592435522" border="0" /></a>More Plazza de Espana, I swear I see the Spanish Flag everywhere here (not just at official places like this), I suppose it has something to do with their recent world cup exploits (as it is kind of a big deal here!)<br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN-lA7h-ijhloFdazVv1Z2t6xzihC0Tek3-D0cW0rt7TBp19XMfzESAFgYlZb_BYuSC8kudHpj8IwIvN-UDbYI4TxC5FgJeWU49SEgreHzF_BqCgZfiWusBlb0Zkka4yqSdL5p5C3EO84/s1600/DSCF5593.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN-lA7h-ijhloFdazVv1Z2t6xzihC0Tek3-D0cW0rt7TBp19XMfzESAFgYlZb_BYuSC8kudHpj8IwIvN-UDbYI4TxC5FgJeWU49SEgreHzF_BqCgZfiWusBlb0Zkka4yqSdL5p5C3EO84/s320/DSCF5593.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494120596531484354" border="0" /></a>University of Sevilla<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9fLqXFJDx80oocv-Q7-fowUtOUwDButvijYqcAycFZz266PFR-vvGBTZw_9rs74_Ik8S_eruLoqxlVVAMII4hfD3HbHqM0jQWcErlcTUjV0no9Hi6lwYpuYa27FL3lIp6JT-bRJyPUPc/s1600/DSCF5589.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9fLqXFJDx80oocv-Q7-fowUtOUwDButvijYqcAycFZz266PFR-vvGBTZw_9rs74_Ik8S_eruLoqxlVVAMII4hfD3HbHqM0jQWcErlcTUjV0no9Hi6lwYpuYa27FL3lIp6JT-bRJyPUPc/s320/DSCF5589.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494120586184363314" border="0" /></a>Alcazar Palace<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpK0S1q0a2GoQgLko4YWgOhn9EjB1DdgrH_Tq3vybwPmobrMZei7BaQGDArDba7AazPOaO6oPf-2_7-QwHSw2zp2Dm_TDs8I3e61_HF6as1mwEYtIB9fpMm8021VbxqeZ6ykpHb_jdePE/s1600/DSCF5556.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpK0S1q0a2GoQgLko4YWgOhn9EjB1DdgrH_Tq3vybwPmobrMZei7BaQGDArDba7AazPOaO6oPf-2_7-QwHSw2zp2Dm_TDs8I3e61_HF6as1mwEYtIB9fpMm8021VbxqeZ6ykpHb_jdePE/s320/DSCF5556.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494120573293152754" border="0" /></a>Plaza de Toros (Sevillas Bull fighting ring)<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkCWz1xb5p-ZPHoup4TfJD4SvMFiDoRCJh-XlXSMEgZJj78CzKqb21FPQUeNd_-cfk7g-B8bqe05SQC8YmqcZ3KvUJ3kOq5_ZaqhBwbwjNVr-4MO8YkBYR75X23YGwmzFk-ly8t3FTyu0/s1600/DSCF5554.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkCWz1xb5p-ZPHoup4TfJD4SvMFiDoRCJh-XlXSMEgZJj78CzKqb21FPQUeNd_-cfk7g-B8bqe05SQC8YmqcZ3KvUJ3kOq5_ZaqhBwbwjNVr-4MO8YkBYR75X23YGwmzFk-ly8t3FTyu0/s320/DSCF5554.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494120565480379218" border="0" /></a>Guadalquivir River that runs through Sevilla<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu0S2Ryxx4DzHNhDxOaZLaHLUgeHo_lRJQadj8DeHWbmNmyMWWOwnkrGbuSvn_ADBM9nUxQ-E0LAITViL_vPgAEkhdt3da9FQmhDcS0uEGvgv5KR2LS6XAkjaXfsuRhOPC1FUOrxx-o2w/s1600/DSCF5585.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu0S2Ryxx4DzHNhDxOaZLaHLUgeHo_lRJQadj8DeHWbmNmyMWWOwnkrGbuSvn_ADBM9nUxQ-E0LAITViL_vPgAEkhdt3da9FQmhDcS0uEGvgv5KR2LS6XAkjaXfsuRhOPC1FUOrxx-o2w/s320/DSCF5585.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494120583057023698" border="0" /></a>Me standing in front of the Cathedral, it is the 3rd largest in the world behind St. Peter's at the Vatican and St. Paul's in London<br /></div> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjwMTJQrx9vErgsgULc4k2pblAjTtHb5MVDA3Ud3O7U2VIp_uyac92CMKlgULLe3BI-WfNYZjY_ptZtFAFMoQRj-AaOV-ulw9GMRa6W4a1UOXfjq7bRcy3X6o0UdfaW_gc-yt1jWet2Vg/s1600/DSCF5630.JPG"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx6DlDi7oKcuK7NGI90MywKD9Be7wsuzE3dLVfvJj4z6FOEseWiAekK1rnyxcNMSGxXbFHz7TYpkR2ucHNvdMPE4J-4ZtDaEggfsJbja9Lvzrsrrw2PEYhtGslA6P-c6usR2uQPtLmckg/s1600/DSCF5626.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx6DlDi7oKcuK7NGI90MywKD9Be7wsuzE3dLVfvJj4z6FOEseWiAekK1rnyxcNMSGxXbFHz7TYpkR2ucHNvdMPE4J-4ZtDaEggfsJbja9Lvzrsrrw2PEYhtGslA6P-c6usR2uQPtLmckg/s320/DSCF5626.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494123890450788178" border="0" /></a>As with most Cathedrals and Churches in Europe the Interior was quite impressive<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAgYDDKeCHkxZcLcvmTAoLqKd95EGp-hhHKj1Ed3237OuRcMduZ7SuiHGRjS7eO9KIQh-TDSKNiJ1DkttJob8GHaxWyOb4Ralqfy5WpXMIXTKv4x0CWCfdM6ENhIgLZxl7hKjg8fJTbVQ/s1600/DSCF5617.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAgYDDKeCHkxZcLcvmTAoLqKd95EGp-hhHKj1Ed3237OuRcMduZ7SuiHGRjS7eO9KIQh-TDSKNiJ1DkttJob8GHaxWyOb4Ralqfy5WpXMIXTKv4x0CWCfdM6ENhIgLZxl7hKjg8fJTbVQ/s320/DSCF5617.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494122414900072866" border="0" /></a>According to Legend (and "Lets Go Europe") the people who built the Cathedral in Sevilla wanted to make it so impressive and extravagant to display their religious devotion that "Those who came after us will take us for madmen." I think they succeeded, as the Cathedral is indeed very impressive.<br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz-ija4Ism26b60589C7Lc4GyBDYsMEYiIbhnZDXO7NG0F8X-oDrMVI6IqShXbb0uNN1E5rKiSOwfNmasiWcNsS9x83Kgks2ej6nyeC00EDVZZIs2iHCnactD6fxJQSDl2FIKIuiwCUz0/s1600/DSCF5615.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz-ija4Ism26b60589C7Lc4GyBDYsMEYiIbhnZDXO7NG0F8X-oDrMVI6IqShXbb0uNN1E5rKiSOwfNmasiWcNsS9x83Kgks2ej6nyeC00EDVZZIs2iHCnactD6fxJQSDl2FIKIuiwCUz0/s320/DSCF5615.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494122409314097762" border="0" /></a>The Remains of Christopher Columbus are also entombed within the Cathedral<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi567Kqofr1TkypbzUAfy-G9_Cj7NXy3Vd3kzaQYkh88Loy_EEW0R1Zg-AYfRXbNNPPsKGY4x60vEyCgWxVUwDT9I-doi3Gr51MfQKlhg6IoJJk64OGq-lYyTQPpwJDYPHlzdYrZLVsmMY/s1600/DSCF5612.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi567Kqofr1TkypbzUAfy-G9_Cj7NXy3Vd3kzaQYkh88Loy_EEW0R1Zg-AYfRXbNNPPsKGY4x60vEyCgWxVUwDT9I-doi3Gr51MfQKlhg6IoJJk64OGq-lYyTQPpwJDYPHlzdYrZLVsmMY/s320/DSCF5612.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494122397286237154" border="0" /></a>More of the Interior of the Cathedral<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPgyDyAqZjkTQIP94r1EmF5KrjMci47AtaXJiUcGqPCdkZVwLRFSBj3O27npxF2LabXTE6oEuKBQz0-tACIOfxDhNmUK2aZMmVrL9TIrHpXw5gSQXqcbGLFi9U6QM-wNiTY2-_FdLtPLI/s1600/DSCF5628.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPgyDyAqZjkTQIP94r1EmF5KrjMci47AtaXJiUcGqPCdkZVwLRFSBj3O27npxF2LabXTE6oEuKBQz0-tACIOfxDhNmUK2aZMmVrL9TIrHpXw5gSQXqcbGLFi9U6QM-wNiTY2-_FdLtPLI/s320/DSCF5628.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494123875059666930" border="0" /></a>Looking out over the Cathedral from its tower<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjwMTJQrx9vErgsgULc4k2pblAjTtHb5MVDA3Ud3O7U2VIp_uyac92CMKlgULLe3BI-WfNYZjY_ptZtFAFMoQRj-AaOV-ulw9GMRa6W4a1UOXfjq7bRcy3X6o0UdfaW_gc-yt1jWet2Vg/s1600/DSCF5630.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjwMTJQrx9vErgsgULc4k2pblAjTtHb5MVDA3Ud3O7U2VIp_uyac92CMKlgULLe3BI-WfNYZjY_ptZtFAFMoQRj-AaOV-ulw9GMRa6W4a1UOXfjq7bRcy3X6o0UdfaW_gc-yt1jWet2Vg/s320/DSCF5630.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494123892745727026" border="0" /></a>Sevilla from the Cathedral Tower<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">As you can see Sevilla is a very nice attractive Spanish city. I have some ideas as to what I will do during the rest of my time here, probably involving a beach on the Mediterranean, but also have some free time as well to either relax or find new areas to explore.<br /><br />I imagine my next post will be quite exciting! The only hint I will give is that if you ever have in the past or considered donating to PETA you should probably skip my next post!<br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0