Oberg Mountain Hike

One thing we really wanted to do on the babymoon was to go on a hike. We both needed the exercise and we were very aware that winter is right around the corner with no chance of cross-country skiing this year. Cross country skiing is on the list of things I can do while pregnant, but I am really clumsy so I don't think I want to risk it this year. The only obstacle to hiking is that we are both really out of shape. There was a time that we did the seven mile hike to Horseshoe Canyon (near Moab) which was a great adventure that I'll have to write about one of these days (the sort of adventure that caught the attention of a National Geographic filmmaker who wanted to use my film footage - WhooHoo!). But, these days walking in the neighborhood is something we only manage every once and a while.

We took a hike one summer in Tettagouche State Park (can't remember the name of the peak) which ended up being really buggy. We were driven away from the peak by nagging mosquitoes, yet the Big D got an awesome picture of me that he hangs in his office. I looked fit. Not so much these days where I mostly look fat, unless I'm wearing a tight shirt, then I look a little pregnant.

Jeez what a rambling about nothing...

Anyway, Oberg Mountain seemed like a good hike for us. It was a little over 2 1/4 miles to the peak and back. There were eight overlook spots on the loop around the peak. These mountains are old, mostly worn away to the granite core, and fairly flat on top. The days was overcast with rain and drizzle expected in the late afternoon. We packed up a lunch which D carried. I packed up my camera gear in my backpack camera bag and we took off.

We were debating between Carlton Peak and Oberg. Carlton Peak, we were told only has two overlook spots with the main attraction being the view of Lake Superior and it has the bonus of being right behind the resort where we were staying. Oberg, like I mentioned has eight overlooks, but also the drive to the trailhead takes you partway up the mountain.

The parking lot was empty when we started the hike. However, there was another family that braved the misty Autumn weather to hike this peak who we encountered while on the trail. We let them pass us and never saw them again.


This was our only map, the one hanging at the trailhead. Not that the hike is difficult, it just goes one way, but, I like to have these things around. We took the trail counter clockwise when we got the loop. Unfortunately, I didn't look at it much on my camera and so we were not expecting the length of last part of the loop from the last overlook to the trail leading down the peak. But, we took it slow and we made it, despite the fact that there weren't may scenic views due to the fog and mist.



The trails was beautiful, nonetheless. It reminded me so much of where I went to school in the Himalaya mountains. While walking up the mountain to school, the trail was often shrouded in a cloud. When we started this hike up Oberg Mountain, the woods were clear. As we got higher and closer to the peak, we walked into the fog.



The rock on the trail was a little slick, but, there were only a few muddy patches. The Big D took the lead. It was sweet, though, when he hit a slick or muddy spot, where he would stop and wait to give me a hand. This made the hike very romantic for me! I love this man! Of course, I kept stopping to shoot some images, so caught up in the ethereal quality of the fog around the woods. There was lots of pine and cedar, lots of green moss. The colors were spectacular.



The peak was completely covered in fog. The overlooks were sort of eerie as we couldn't see very far, but the fact that there was a major drop in front of us was obvious. At the overlooks that faced Lake Superior, we could hear the traffic on Hwy 61 and we could even hear the waves on the lake crashing on the rocks more than 1500 feet below. But, we couldn't see any of this. Some people would say that taking this sort of hike is not worth doing on such a foggy day. I'm so glad we did it. We had such a unique experience, an experience that made us view and appreciate all that was on the peak and not just the overlooks.



This foggy day also allowed me to think about the photography differently. I am always a little disappointed when I can't quite capture the scenic views in the way that I saw them. On this day, I had no such worries. I was enchanted by the mists. I was curious about what lay ahead on the path.



There were no bugs. It was not too hot. I would say that conditions were perfect!



I think that maintaining trails would be a fabulous job. One of these days, I want to do one of those volunteer vacations where we get to help groom the trails, either here in Minnesota or down in Moab, Utah.

Recently I read through Scott Kelby's digital photography guide. I was surprised at the number of pro tips that blatantly set up the shot. Nonetheless there were some really good tips. And, I kept thinking this was a great day to get different sort of shots, shots that weren't just vacation photography, but interesting moods in the woods.



We started joking about getting lost in the mists and ending up in some fairy land where time functioned differently. I reminded the Big D that if this happened, we were not eat or drink anything as we'd be stuck here for years and years. We'd come out of the mists and find it was twenty years into the future, or something crazy like that. Truly, the fog and drizzle made everything seem enchanting.



We eventually did find the picnic table at the last overlook that faced the lake, but we never stopped to eat. We snacked a little, but it seemed like the rain was going to start and we had no idea how long it would take up to finish the loop and head back down the mountain.

D found a grove of cedar trees on the trail and we lingered there for a while, feeling the energy coursing up through the trunks.

We made it back to the Jeep just as the rain started to fall harder. We went back to our cozy room, started a fire and ate our lunches. I was glad to be back before dark as I didn't want to chance another deer encounter. This was our last full day up on the North Shore and it was spectacular. We soothed our muscles later in the jacuzzi. We never made it the outdoor hottub, but that was OK, we certainly felt like we had done a lot on our babymoon.

I told D that the next time we hike up Oberg Mountain, he has to carry the baby. And for that, I just can't wait!

Sawbill Trail - Part Two - Drizzling Afternoon

Truly, it seemed we had picked the best day for this drive. There was off and on rain, but it was more off than on and that created the opportunity for some great pictures. Also, we saw no one else on the road since getting off the main highway, so it felt like we were the only ones in the whole region.

We passed so many side roads with signs like this:



And, it was really tempting, but we only took a couple and didn't travel too far down those roads. Seeing no other cars on the main gravel road meant there would be no one to help if we got stuck. There were intermittent cell phone signals and that just increased our feeling of being off the grid; great for an adventure, just not conducive for surviving disaster.

We were on the edge of the Boundary Waters recreation area. There were no power lines or poles. A few of the cabins we caught sight of (and there were only a few) had some solar panels peering out through the woods. We were no more than 10-20 miles from Lake Superior, yet this seemed like an entirely different ecosystem - wild and untouched by human development despite the fact that we were traveling on a gravel road. The Jeep kept getting muddier and muddier and we were thankful we had plenty of wiper fluid, something we learned to stock up on before a long jeep drive, a lesson we learned the hard way.



A rainy drizzling Autumn afternoon revealed so many different colors and shades of green. Maybe it was because the landscape wasn't dominated by leafy green. Whatever it was, it seemed like the moss and the pine were vibrant and shining.

There was so much plant life in different stages of growth. Tall pines reaching for the sky, little baby evergreens cradled against glacier placed boulders and colorful rocks.



There is something so sensual about spending an afternoon like this with my lover. I had such a sense of primal, almost feral energy passing between us as we glanced over at each other after we spotted another new shade of green, another glistening patch of moss. We would recklessly jump out of the Jeep into brown mud or red mud, and not give another thought to the mess that could all be dealt with later back in town, back in the order and cleanliness of civilization. For now, it seemed that each bend in the road promised a new sensation, a new discovery, a new way to love the earth, the sky, each other.



Eventually, we found a spot for lunch and for me, these jeep drives always lead to what I think of as epic lunches. These epic lunches always and only consists of sandwiches, chips, fruit and cookies, but the location is what makes it grand and out of the ordinary. On this day, we had found Crescent lake, likely a popular canoe lake in fairer seasons, but today it was quiet. We lunched in solitude, except for one another. We parked right up next the edge of the water and my eyes played tricks on me as I imagined skinny branches of trees as the legs of a gangly moose. Or a reflection in the water a loon surfacing from the lake depths.

Sepia took over as I was processing this shot. It captured the mood and glorified the fog rising over the lake.



We still had another 25 miles to go on this 56 mile circuit on the edge of the Boundary Waters and on the edge of the Laurentian Highlands. We passed a continental divide that confused the rivers and sent streams flowing in awkward directions.

Suddenly, there were lakes everywhere, on either side of the road. Is that ice I spotted on some of the shallow lakes? Yes, it was and that was a frightening reminder of the next season just waiting to begin with a rush of cold air from Canada. How far were we from Canada. It couldn't have been more than 30 miles.

The freezing ice created natural jigsaw puzzles, fragile yet geometrically and chaotically beautiful. The ice was pushing the air into bubbles that appeared in cloudy pockets.



The cattails lined the edges of these lakes, standing tall and pristine in a shade of royal brown, distinctly more bold than the blanket of fallen leaves.



After lunch is when we started spotting more wildlife. We searched the lakes for wading moose, but luck was not with us that day. The Big D is always telling me to keep my eye out for wolf tracks because of his hopes of capturing one on film. I always snicker incredulously at this request. I was duly impressed when he slammed on the brakes and started backing up to the spot where he say these tracks. Not wolf tracks, but deer. A little too small for moose, but it could have been a small moose.



I wish that had been our only encounter with deer. I'll tell you why in the next segment of this journey.



Another mile or so and we found this owl who clung precariously to the top of this tree. We stayed here for a long time waiting patiently for this owl to take flight. Instead, he (or she) stared at us and did little head slides back and forth, occasionally spinning its head all around to spot prey. Any sounds from another type of bird seemed to send this owl off on high alert, but it remained perched on that choice spot while we drove away.



A little closer to town, we thought we spotted another owl. Here is where we encountered traffic again, but we took the risk to pull over on the side of the road on a curve with cars and SUVs whizzing by. This owl was in a distance and as I shot a few pictures through my zoom lens, I began to realize this bird was situated too perfectly in the center. It wouldn't move, or twitch when the Big D honked the horn. It wasn't bird at all! It was some sort of decoy, a plastic fake! Humbled, we started our descent into Grand Marais.



After spotting that one fake, I began to see them everywhere. I'm still not sure why they were places on these poles. Is it to scare of seagulls? Geese?

The drive down into Grand Marais was extremely foggy with little or no visibility. I'll save that adventure for the next post. If you've never been in this area I highly recommend it. But, go, if you can, during the off-season so that you can have the whole region to yourselves!

Airstream Retreat Weekend

We had to leave the city this last weekend. We were having the roof re-shingled on our house and there was a lot of banging and power stapling. They had to add three vents to our roof so there was even some sawing and cutting. Our poor cats are really getting sick and tired of all the work we are having done to our home. We, however, were able to get away to our Airstream retreat.



OK. Alright. I'll admit it. I was too lazy (and cold) to walk away from the fire to get my tripod. So, the picture is a little shaky. Also, I want to try out the shake reduction feature on the camera. Not bad though, I must say, for shooting a shot of the Airstream trailer after the sun had gone down.

It'd been a while since we spent any significant time at our Airstream retreat. The mice moved in and made quite a home for themselves. They like to set up in the stove and poo all over the place, in the drawers and cupboards. Needless to say, the first few hours were spent thoroughly cleaning out the joint. Most of our stuff is stored in air-tight plastic containers which is a necessity if you've got a trailer parked in the woods and yet, the mice find plenty of space to mess up. When we bought the trailer, we had been warned of this from the previous owners and I was mortified, but it is what it is and we gotta deal with it. When we used to retreat more frequently, like every single weekend, the mess didn't get so bad. But, we hadn't been there in over a month and only visited a few times this summer. The place needed to be cleaned, so we cleaned like crazy.

We had the furnace fixed in September, which was an experience that requires a whole post of it's own! But good thing that we did fix it because it was cold this weekend. Nighttime temps were in the thirties. We were all snug and warm in our trailer and so was little mousey who we saw running around when we finally came in for the evening. We were thinking that next time we should bring one of our cats to visit. That might deter the mice from coming into the trailer.



We had some pieces of oak so the fire was wonderfully warm in the chilly Autumn night. The flames are so mesmerizing and I have been very pleased with the photos of the fire that I have taken over the years. Here are a couple more shots of the fire.



There have been some years where the leaves were a wide range of vibrant colors. A riot of reds and yellows. This year the conditions were not right for this; bright colors require warm days and cool nights. We've had just cold, cold, and some more cold. There were even some days with snow. So the colors were mostly brown and yellow. There were some red but that was speckled with brown.

When the temperature drops it helps to be strategic about cooking. While summer months are filled with outdoor cooking over the fire, winter cooking is mostly done in the trailer. I try to find recipes that require the use of the tiny trailer oven. Tiny it may be but it sure helps in heating the trailer. A pizza is quick and easy to whip up especially when I want to spend most of my time sitting by the fire.



I've found that things tend to burn less if I put them on the top rack of the oven.



It was a great night at the trailer. It's close enough that we can go for just one night. Yet, far enough away that we feel like we've gotten away from it all. And this weekend, getting away from it all was getting away from all the banging and pounding of roof work!

Rasta Road

We call this trail the Rasta Road because of what we found toward the end of the road:



We take this drive frequently because the road leads to a secluded campground on the Flambeau River. There is a water pump at this campground. We have no water on our property so when we run out of what we hauled from the city, we take drive to this pump. The water is very cold and refreshing. It smells like it's loaded with minerals, but the taste is pure and clear.






The remains of logging in the area can be jarring. Yet, it is nice to see the area start the growing process again. It's also a good area to spot birds and other wildlife.




But, soon the road leads back into the thick of the woods. In just one week it seems like the trees popped into their leafy glory, causing the road to slim and the woods to darken. We actually saw a porcupine on the side of the road, but it was too quick and sneaky to get a picture. That was a first for me -- seeing a porcupine out in the wild and it seemed to waiting to say hello on the side of the road.




The river is just wonderful here. This is place where a lot of canoers stops for the night. We had the place to ourselves on the afternoon we wandered down to get the water.



It was one of those trips where everything seemed magical with an impossible array of green color everywhere.

Rasta Road

We call this trail the Rasta Road because of what we found toward the end of the road:



We take this drive frequently because the road leads to a secluded campground on the Flambeau River. There is a water pump at this campground. We have no water on our property so when we run out of what we hauled from the city, we take drive to this pump. The water is very cold and refreshing. It smells like it's loaded with minerals, but the taste is pure and clear.






The remains of logging in the area can be jarring. Yet, it is nice to see the area start the growing process again. It's also a good area to spot birds and other wildlife.




But, soon the road leads back into the thick of the woods. In just one week it seems like the trees popped into their leafy glory, causing the road to slim and the woods to darken. We actually saw a porcupine on the side of the road, but it was too quick and sneaky to get a picture. That was a first for me -- seeing a porcupine out in the wild and it seemed to waiting to say hello on the side of the road.




The river is just wonderful here. This is place where a lot of canoers stops for the night. We had the place to ourselves on the afternoon we wandered down to get the water.



It was one of those trips where everything seemed magical with an impossible array of green color everywhere.

Wandering on a remote forest road...

Taking a turn off the main highway onto a remote forest dirt road, marked by a tiny little marker is one of my favorite things to do to wile away the hours.




Sure, it take longer to get to where we are going, but that's ok because the view is amazing. There are no power poles, no vehicles, just the woods and the wildlife. The speed of the vehicle slows way down and the drive seems leisurely as we take the curves and turns of the dirt road. I get the feel of being off the grid where no one knows where we are and no one can reach us by cell phone. This is why we bought the Jeep. We can feel a little more secure knowing that the Jeep is equipped to tackle any unexpected obstacle on the road.




You never know what's going to be around the next bend. There could be trees down and blocking the road. This one seems to have fallen recently. There was just enough room to the side in order for the Jeep to pass.




And just beyond the fallen tree, we found water on the road. It was odd because the region is so dry. There hasn't been much rain in this month. Nonetheless, what water there was was making it's way across the road.




Sometimes it's strange looking out the side window to the ponds. The water appears to be higher than the road. It's a wonderfully strange disorientation.




These are some of my favorite areas to pass in the Jeep. Often there are eagles hanging out on the tree stumps dying in the middle of the pond.




It's important to have a good map when wandering on remote forest roads. A map that focuses on particular regions usually reveal these roads. The larger state maps may not have these tiny little, dirt roads. It's good to find a local map that shows the ATV routes. Of course, Jeeps can't drive on these ATV routes, but some of the remote roads are also used by ATVs and so these maps can be more accurate.

It's also good to have food on hand as most certainly the drive will take longer than planned. This is a great way to find hidden lakes and remote camp grounds. I'm always scoping for things I can forage, like berry bushes or grape vines.

Taking a turn on a remote forest road is like a mini-vacation to me. It's free except for the cost of gas, but since we are driving rather slow, there is the higher fuel efficiency. And, the pleasure of exploring the woods and forests with my lover is incredibly satisfying!

Wandering on a remote forest road...

Taking a turn off the main highway onto a remote forest dirt road, marked by a tiny little marker is one of my favorite things to do to wile away the hours.




Sure, it take longer to get to where we are going, but that's ok because the view is amazing. There are no power poles, no vehicles, just the woods and the wildlife. The speed of the vehicle slows way down and the drive seems leisurely as we take the curves and turns of the dirt road. I get the feel of being off the grid where no one knows where we are and no one can reach us by cell phone. This is why we bought the Jeep. We can feel a little more secure knowing that the Jeep is equipped to tackle any unexpected obstacle on the road.




You never know what's going to be around the next bend. There could be trees down and blocking the road. This one seems to have fallen recently. There was just enough room to the side in order for the Jeep to pass.




And just beyond the fallen tree, we found water on the road. It was odd because the region is so dry. There hasn't been much rain in this month. Nonetheless, what water there was was making it's way across the road.




Sometimes it's strange looking out the side window to the ponds. The water appears to be higher than the road. It's a wonderfully strange disorientation.




These are some of my favorite areas to pass in the Jeep. Often there are eagles hanging out on the tree stumps dying in the middle of the pond.




It's important to have a good map when wandering on remote forest roads. A map that focuses on particular regions usually reveal these roads. The larger state maps may not have these tiny little, dirt roads. It's good to find a local map that shows the ATV routes. Of course, Jeeps can't drive on these ATV routes, but some of the remote roads are also used by ATVs and so these maps can be more accurate.

It's also good to have food on hand as most certainly the drive will take longer than planned. This is a great way to find hidden lakes and remote camp grounds. I'm always scoping for things I can forage, like berry bushes or grape vines.

Taking a turn on a remote forest road is like a mini-vacation to me. It's free except for the cost of gas, but since we are driving rather slow, there is the higher fuel efficiency. And, the pleasure of exploring the woods and forests with my lover is incredibly satisfying!