To Duluth To Watch Migrating Birds

Today we went in the Cable Natural History Museum's trip to Hawk Ridge in Duluth (we did this two years ago and didn't see very many migrating birds then.)  Today they already had counted a lot of birds and there were many more to see (the winds make the difference), BUT they were SOOO HIGH!!! There were enough binoculars for us to use, so that was great: without them, it was very hard for us to see them, but those expert spotters found them quickly and knew which birds they were!!

The view over Lake Superior was beautiful 

We decided to go on a little walk (since we hadn't been for a few days), and started down a nice path in the woods.

Then Ron said, "Here's an ATV trail, it will parallel the road better and it's wider".  So we started along that… 

and very soon came to a wide and long mud puddle. We struggled through it, but looked ahead.  Oh no, there's more mud ahead!!

There were lots of muddy areas.  And a L O N G trail.  Finally we came to a right- hand road which hopefully would take us toward our road, so we turned, and still walked so much further!  

Is this the 8th or 9th mud morass we had to cross?

There was a creek then right by us.  Joan had said she wanted to walk by water.... but for so far???  We still walked and walked. 

Finally Joan looked at her iPhone map (we did have some service there) and saw we were still so far from the Hawk Ridge Station and walking along Amity Creek. We came to the bridge over the creek and wondered if we were any closer to the road.

A runner passed us and we asked about the Hawk Ridge Road. She said, "It's up ahead, turn right."  We finally came to the road and started on it.  We did not want to be late for the van driving back to Cable.  The map said we were still a mile away.. all uphill .  

    We did get back 10 minutes early and finished our lunch as we rode back.  We had walked 4 miles on that trail!!

Visiting Aunt Kay

Today we drove to Ladysmith, WI to see Ron's Aunt Kay. (about 1 1/2 hour drive south.)   We met his cousins, Jim and Fern Baker for lunch and then we all went over to Kay's apartment in her independent living facility and had a nice long visit.

   She had had a birthday last month so there was quite a write up on the hallway and with photos.  We took pictures of the pictures to have them available.

Trying to Walk Around a Lake

Today, we decided to walk around Rock Lake, driving the 2.6 miles on a gravel road to the parking place. There are lots of places to walk in the woods up here, but parking somewhere nearby is a problem. 

But this time we had a map!



The road was quite narrow although two vehicles could pass; good thing, we met a logging truck. We saw no parking areas until a "Treasure Trace" trail parking area ( room for one car) so we went on as the road deteriorated and got narrower, to "Lake Trail" parking ... neither of these on the map and the ATV and CAMBA signs had no relation to the numbers on the map, which we never saw. 

It narrowed even more

We turned around and driving back, we found we were actually 7 miles along that gravel road and there was no parking place near Rock Lake, unless you counted that small grassy turnout with no sign near. Took quite a while to drive that 15 miles RT, as the road was poor, drop offs along the edges, and so Ron went only 5-10 mph. 

We drove to the large National Park parking lot then (another turnout off CR M, near the golf course) and just walked on the ATV trail in and back out on the Ski/Snowshoe trail.

A nice walking trail

I'm holding this branch up, Joan, you can pass now!

Ron Said, “An Historic Milestone” Is Coming!

Joan was going to town last evening (Cable, 11 miles away from our unit) to meet her friend and Ron said, “An historic milestone is coming tonight on your trip.” She wondered what it was and then he said, “The van will turn over 200,000 miles and you can take a picture.”

    Joan said, “How will I do that? It will be dark.”  He said, “Easy, there’s a dashboard light.”

    She told her friend Cari who said, “Oh, right, as you are driving you’ll hit a deer.  So you’ll tell Ron, ‘Oh, I got the picture you wanted but you have a new hood ornament too.’”

   Actually it worked out fine:  There is not very much traffic on the north rural Wisconsin Bayfield County Road M, so she just watched the odometer carefully and stopped to take the photos.

  (In the 11-mile stretch, she saw only one car, oncoming, and this was at 8:30 p.m.)

Forest Lodge Property Tour

8 a.m.  We're going today on the Forest Lodge Trail with the museum. They have so many good activities, and they did say, "Dress for the weather." There was a huge storm last night and thunderstorms forecast for today.
       Yep, we are still walking everyday in the woods - and I guess, perhaps walking in the rain in the woods today! These people are committed...weather does not stop them!

       Later:   We really enjoyed the tour of the Forest Lodge.  It tuned out that it was not a walk along the trail but we went on the grounds of the Forest Lodge compound where Mrs. Mary Burke lived for so many years and built many buildings, etc.  

Caregivers cottage

Note fancy window boxes

Tim from Northland College was our guide

Our group at the stables

The boathouse which we have seen so often from the lakeside belongs to this property

She owned over 1,000 acres but sold some; willed 800 acres to the Cable Natural History Museum, of which she was primary in establishing it.  She had several homes around the US, including in New York City and even when quite old, would fly with her personal jet to spend time here, she loved it so.

Volunteering to Help Register Racers

We had so much fun tonight, volunteering to help register at the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival Race, a 40-mile race tomorrow through the forests here (despite Joan’s right eye hurting and tearing all evening, from an allergic reaction.)  She just took a Zyrtec (which will put her “out of commission” for 24 hours.)

     It was a super -organized registration process for 3,100 bike racers.  The finish line is at Telemark so they have been working all week setting up.  The registration (and other events) were in a huge tent.  

Where do we go to help?  Oh here.

We were given T-shirts - purple for volunteers, blue for racers, gray for Festival staff.  So organized.

We were handing out the bags for racers to put all their stuff in as they raced. With their numbers on the bags, they could retrieve them after they were done.  Each bike label has a chip on it to record their individual times.

Gary Crandall, Sara Balban's (the artist) husband is in charge of it.  This is the 35^th year. He used to be board president of Telemark, so we've known him quite a while.  He's super nice.

      Take a look on YouTube and it is so exciting.   They start in Hayward, going down Main Street, and end up, 40 miles later at Telemark.   Volunteers all along the raceway to help.  Maybe we can do that another year.

Starting in Hayward: this year’s start is already on the web:

https://www.facebook.com/TrailGenius/videos/1668480256517762/

Note: “Watch the mass roll-out from the sky! The 35th annual Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival is an iconic and historic event. If you were lucky enough to do the 40 mile race this year, then you are in this video. We filmed every last person pass by the camera.”

https://www.facebook.com/ChequamegonFatTireFestival/videos/1765068743522986/

2016 – it rained

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCWhOfmgw1E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4Na4oN_4GY&t=770

Cable, WI is Trail Town USA! ....456 miles of mtn. bike, 150k Nordic ski, 120 miles hiking, 40 miles snowshoe. 140 miles of logging rods for ATV within close proximity. Also snowmobile and hiking trails.

Walking an ATV Trail

 This was the first time we walked on an ATV trail.  We thought we would be able to hear them in plenty of time in case any were there.  (There weren’t.)

 

At the dam

The problem finding trails to walk is often where to park, as they all do not have parking lots.  Today we drove to the Namekagon River Dam Landing and then crossed the street to the ATV, Snowmobile Trail. (Of course, there were no snowmobiles there now – haha.)

the dam

ATV and snowmobile signs

   

the start of the trail

had rather deep ruts at first, we were surprised

Then it leveled out beautifully

We saw mushrooms again

Imagine how pretty it will be in about two weeks

Up a couple of hills

Lots of mud ahead.  Since it had already been 35 minutes, we turned around

Joan found this rock for Faith - the streak shined silvery in the sun

She asked Ron to stop by the road where she could cut these pretty grass seed heads.
They are different here than at our property

He said, "Okay, but aren't those which drop their seeds all over the table and counter?"  "Well, yes," she said.
See the yellow seeds?

They're already in the car and on her jeans leg.