Sawbill Trail - Part Three - Foggy Evening

The morning of this Jeep drive on the Sawbill Trail was all about the Temperance River. The afternoon was when we spent some time spotting local wildlife. In the late afternoon we found ourselves making the descent into Grand Marais. It is one of our favorite towns in Minnesota and we've created some really wonderful memories there. We've done one heck of a lot of our Christmas shopping in this little town where most of the stores are located right next to the harbor. It's a chance to support the local economy and a chance to find unique gifts.

The drive down from the mountains into Grand Marais was a little scary, especially when the fog got so thick the only thing we could see was the headlights of the cars coming towards us.



Now for those people who think of the Midwest as flat, I assure you that there are some steep areas, even some roads that have runaway truck ramps, which this one did. This is also where I realized I had some spots on my lens.



It was a relief to finally get into town and we took a short cut so some of the first sights we saw were some of our favorite places to eat.



Our plan was to do some shopping, take some pictures at Artist Point, then dinner (maybe) at Sven and Ole's, the local pizza place that has some international acclaim. We had decided to buy Baby a gift and ended up picking out the cutest little pair of baby booties.



We also got presents for our parents picked out. All this while walking along the harbor. What I didn't plan for was how quickly the sun goes down this far North. We had a bit of a frantic rush to Artist Point to capture some shots before darkness settled in, but that plan got scraped shortly after we arrived, when I realized I hadn't thought through what I wanted to shoot.



So, back to some more shopping by the harbor.



The lights seemed especially festive on this foggy evening.

But, then we were done. The only thing left on our agenda was dinner and a stop at the local co-op. While Uff-da pizza sounded delicious, it was only about 4:30, a little too early for dinner, so we headed to the co-op. The experience wasn't quite as friendly as I had hoped for, but it's always great to see this place thriving and we needed some more water so mission accomplished and we were on the road again to our resort.



Unfortunately, before we even left the town limits, we had a very scary experience. We hit a deer. Because we were in the town limits and because it was really foggy, we were not traveling fast. The Big D did manage to skid to a stop, but then, right at the last second, the deer jumped in front of the Jeep. We were lucky that we were able to drive away. The deer, poor thing, sat at the side of the road, then got up and limped, but then, she seemed to straighten her leg out and actually jumped into the woods as if nothing had happened. I hope she was able to recover. Quite a few drivers stopped and a couple of them seemed curious about whether they might be able to take the deer home with them. Hunting season, we are told, brings the deer real close to town and real close to the road as they seem to know they will be safe. Safe from everything except cars.

It was a terrifying drive back to our resort. Everyone else seemed to be driving 50+ mph despite the fact that, in some places, the fog was so thick, we could barely see the road. Not wanting to push our luck, D kept it under 40, which helped my frazzled pregnant state of mind. But, despite all that we were safe. And very, very lucky that the situation wasn't worse. We were lucky even with the fact that we could still drive our Jeep back home. We have insurance and so that takes care of the damage to our Jeep.

This was only the second night of our Babymoon. Nonetheless, we decided we'd had enough of Grand Marais and cancelled any remaining plans in the area. Which was fine because there was enough to do near our resort.

One thing I am really grateful for was the chance to shoot this shot before leaving Grand Marais:



The scary experience helped me realize all that I was grateful for. Even the spots on my lens that might have ruined a whole day's worth of shooting taught me some photoshop tricks. It was a great day, nonetheless. But, I have to say, deer are no longer cute creatures to me.

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!

Sawbill Trail - Part One - Late Morning

Our friends and neighbors always ask us how we find out about the great Jeep trails and scenic drives we take while on little trips away from the city. I say a good guidebook makes the difference between a good trip and a stressful trip. A good guidebook is often found for free at the library. I always cross check with a large online book seller to read how others have commented on each particular title.

Once we found ourselves out in the middle of Nevada-nowhere, hadn't seen another vehicle for at least 100 miles, met lots of cows, and made a scary turnaround near a volcanic crater that should not have been accessed without a 4-wheel drive vehicle. We had a rental car. I read just about every guidebook I could find before going to Moab and even that led to a slightly stressful trip through Pucker Pass, but that could have been because we got a little overconfident.

As far as the North Shore of Lake Superior goes, I used to just look closely at maps to find little lines indicating dirt roads. This time around I got Scenic Driving Minnesota (by Phil Davies) at my local library and photocopied a route that seemed pretty promising between the town of Tofte (where we are staying) and Grand Marais (where we had planned to go anyway). How convenient to find a longer inland route than just taking the scenic lakeshore drive.

We had planned to do this on Tuesday, but Monday ended up being quite rainy so not good for a hike. We headed up the Sawbill Trail, a road we had traveled on a number of occasions to a rustic national campground. But, back up a minute and gaze upon the fabulous breakfast that the Big D made us in preparation for a long day of driving.



It's great staying at a place that has a kitchen. Bluefin Bay has great rooms with fireplaces and excellent views of the lake. Having a kitchen is also convenient for making up some lunches, yet another necessity for a long day of driving. We tend to go to places that have no places for food or services available. Get a packed lunch and a full tank of gas and you're good to go!

Now, on to the scenic drive!

The day was misty, drizzly and foggy which normally would keep people indoors, but for us, it's an opportunity to have the region all to ourselves. We only saw one other vehicle and that was close to where we turned off the highway. The colors of Autumn were rich and vibrant, and made more so by the misty droplets. The rain was off and on and that made the Jeep really muddy.

The drive took us through the Laurentian Highlands which Phil Davies describes as "a rugged landscape of forests, lakes, wetlands, and streams, passing the highest point in the state". Me? I'd just describe it as Northland paradise.



We crossed the Temperance River at least seven times as we made our way on this 56-mile arc towards Grand Marais.




The Temperance River flows all the way into Lake Superior and there it bubbles and roars through narrow canyon-like gorges. But here, it was much tamer and every time we crossed it, the river showed a new element of her personality.






The deeper we got in land, the taller the trees got. We passed grouse and mink on the side of the road. We lingered and awed over all the shades of green in the moss and in the pine needles.



All this in the late morning, before we stopped for lunch.

Next up: an afternoon on the edge of the Boundary Waters.

The Heights

First off, let me say that if you live in the Twin Cities and haven't gone to The Heights Theater, please make this a priority in the next month. I remember going here when I was really young. There are new owners and a fabulous renovation. So good that it makes me jealous I hadn't thought of such a thing myself. And it makes me wonder why I haven't tried to buy the Hollywood Theatre that's located right here in my own hood for a similar renovation. Sure, the screen isn't as big as those gigantic new Mall theatres. But the interior is beautiful and there is even a curtain that draws back right before the movie begins. It would be such a great place for a poetry reading night or even a burlesque show. It's the interior that inspires that last comment. I just imagine beautiful women in showy, ostentatious clothing prancing around the velvet walls and crystal chandeliers. Wish I had been allowed to take my camera in to take a picture. I guess you all will have to just take a look for yourselves.

I have some new pregnancy resources that are all about finding comfort and spirituality throughout the experience. One thing that was mentioned was finding time to indulge oneself without feeling guilty about it. I decided to go to a movie. My second such solo outing since getting pregnant. And the Heights Theatre is perfect for the pregnant movie-going experience. Especially is one chooses to sit in the very back row, just mere steps away from the women's bathroom.

The first such outing was to Julie & Julia. I've read several bloggers who mention the oddity of identifying with a movie character for the first time, Julie being a blogger and all. For me, the viewing just made me hungry and inspired a renewed interest in my CSA. The theatre was filled with old folks which for some reason I wasn't anticipating, but perhaps it was for that particular movie.

As I pulled into the parking lot yesterday, just minutes before the start of the movie, I found I was the only one. This picture doesn't really show how many empty spot there were in the lot, but I do love my Jeep and I can't resist posting another picture of it's cuteness.



I thought maybe I'd be the only one in the theatre and that maybe they would cancel the viewing. As it turns out, there was another movie-goer. And, I was glad there weren't any more for how much I cried throughout the movie: The Time Traveler's Wife. I had read the book, so I was crying in parts that I imagine other non-pregnant people would not cry. It might have seemed like I was crying for no reason. I went into the bathroom immediately after the movie ended and found that my face was littered with tissue lint. Nonetheless, I achieved my goal of relaxation and indulgence, and found a fantastic place for it!

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!

The Jeep

the last of the TJ?

Both of us, in different stages of our lives, wanted to drive a Jeep. Both of us, for one reason or another, were deterred from our desires to own a Jeep. Even when we married and moved away from the influence of other people's decisions, we shied away from buying a Jeep. Then finally I got a full-time job with the University, we had some extra cash and so decided to take the plunge. We bought our Jeep in 2006, but never could we have imagined how much it changed our lives.



Now, I hear that 2006 was the last year that Chrysler made the TJ model. Is this an instance of serendipity? I know that it was extremely fortunate that we got our Jeep when we did. And to tell you the truth, I don't like the new models, they are boxy, hummer-like.

For us, this was an investment in our future. This would enable us to roadtrip and roadtrip in a way that led off the road to places I only imagined I could get to on a horse. It was an investment for our safety. How many times had we wandered into a muddy situation, a questionable road with only a rental car or the truck? Too many, I say.

But what about the environmental impact of our purchase? Well, I can tell you that the Jeep gets the same gas mileage as our old Saturn. When we bought the Jeep we also made the decision to travel the US, see more of this beautiful country and forgo plane tickets. So, buying the Jeep offsets the carbon foot print left behind by big airliners.

When will Chrysler come out with a Jeep that gets better gas mileage? Why not a hybrid of some sorts? It seems to me that the development focus has been to compete with the Hummers. A bad decision I think. Especially now when there is an urgent need to find alternative energy sources, trying to break our collective dependence on fossil fuels.

Views on Logging

Heading out in the Jeep, in the middle of winter, on a remote forest road, one expects to find adventure. Rolling down this road, one expects to encounter wildlife, a turkey or two, perhaps some deer crossing from one patch of woods to another. One expects to pass some off-roads that have not been maintained through the winter. One might even consider plowing through the snow just to take that side road, just for the heck of it. Who knows? Around the next curve, there could something that you'd never imagined before, some sight that provokes memories or possibilities for the future.



I doubt anyone expects to see this:

In winter, the deforestation seems more devastating, more stark, more cruel.

And yet, I have to remind myself, this is a state managed forest and presumably, there is a plan to thin out some unwanted tree-life, perhaps the poplar that some refer to as the weeds of a forest, in order to allow for more growth space for the more desirable hardwoods.

We pass many areas such as this, bare spots in the forest, alternating with the lush density. And, eventually we have to stop and take a closer look.

Trying to find some reason in this forest reduced to chaotic shrubs, piles of logs, and mounds of bark debris.

The linear cut of the saw distracts me from counting growth rings.

And yet, the color of the cut woods, the shapes in the grain grab my attention and suddenly I feel the urgent need to capture the sight of each and every log.

This one looks like a fish, or a whale.

Yin yang (sort of).

But no matter what I might find, desperately looking for beauty, I am sad to see what remains.

Some people would look at this site and see possibility, a cleared area for a cabin, perhaps. I don't see that. I see an end to many years of growth. How many years will it take to grow back?

We've seen the trees marked with red paint for a couple of years now, but never imagined this day would actually come.

On the Lion's Back

I won't ever forget the first time I saw a video clip of an SUV crashing off a huge rock fin in Moab. Of course, back then I didn't know it was Moab or that the rock formation is referred to as a fin. Never did I think I would find myself there at the base of Lion's Back located just on the outskirts of Moab.



Apparently the campground and the rock formation are privately owned now, so there is no more chance to ride down this very scary slope. When we drove out on Sand Flats Road there was no one at the site and looking at it, there is no way of really understanding the scariness of the drive. From this view, the Lion's Back does not look high or steep.





There is a fee to get into the Sand Flats recreation area, but if you just want to drive through to the La Sal Mountains, you can do it without paying. We decided to pay because we wanted to wander around, get out the Jeep, and hike. The Jeep trails are too difficult for us. The biking trails even seem at a more advanced level. But, walking we can do. So, we parked in a nearby lot and started hiking, not really realizing we were heading towards Lion's Back until we were right next to it.

This little "valley" between the fins can be traversed by the Jeep, but there was no chance in hell I was going to do this with our stock Jeep, not without a guide.





This is about where I stopped my hike. I was too nervous to continue, a bit hungry so I knew I would get shaky, and decided my heart would be better off just watching my man head on up. I still haven't really figured out how the Jeeps get up there other than to drive right up the slope and turn around for the trip down, but for some reason, I was thinking there was another route. In any case, we did not see any other way that day.

My heart was in my throat just watching the Big D make his way to the top of Lion's Back. If we weren't supposed to there, there was no one around to say so. I was holding my breath as he climbed the side of the fin and hiked to the top.





Apparently the view from the top made it worth his while. See the road down there? That's where we came riding in. The campgrounds are located at the bottom of this fin. And the La Sal Mountains provide a stunning backdrop to this setting.





This is the view as you head down the slope. How do people do this? Very, very slowly.




See, there I am, waiting and imaging the worst that could happen. There was cattle dung all around, lots of brush, sand. I had a lot of time to look around while i waited for Big D to go up, then climb back down.




As we hiked back to the Jeep, the sun rose higher in the sky, washing the area with bright sunlight. We spent the next 7 hours driving the length of this road that leads into the La Sal Mountains, stopping at a deserted campground for lunch, one that had an incredible 360 degree panoramic view. We also walked a little of the "fins and things" Jeep trail that is a series of these fins. And yet another 4WD campground was found and we bounced our way through it, but we ended up having to turn around as the exit was blocked by a couple of other suvs stuck in the sand.

This was planned as a "free" day on this roadtrip to Moab. We didn't have anything planned, but we ended up having quite an adventure that day. And this is where I learned that we shouldn't leave our motel without a packed lunch. By the time we stopped for lunch we were a good two hours drive from any gas station or diner.

Off season travel is the way we go. Although we saw a couple of bikers and a few cars, we felt like we had the area to ourselves. There was plenty of time to contemplate the vast beauty of this place in peace and quiet.

The path was good to us that day.