Monday, October 03, 2011

We woke and went to see what damage the beavers had done. The night before we visited their cutting yard and placed our hands on the huge tree they were gnawing from the water. We could hear their chewing and feel the vibrations of the action, but the beavers were mostly hidden in the dark. The wood chips were HUGE! It was very cool to see the finished work (for the day anyway) from the beavers. They surely do earn the description "busy beaver"!

Then it was time to try for the Chocolate Moose pancakes again. Alas, the Moose was closed on Mondays now (it's Fall remember?) so we hit another local diner called Britton's and boy those cakes were worth it! Overflowing platefuls of pancakes for the girls... wow.

I had wanted to actually SEE the Pagami Creek fire impact somewhere, but alas all roads were blocked to anywhere near the fire (which was still actively being fought). So we did the next best thing and stopped at the ranger station to get some information (aka education). A ranger official told us of her personal experience with fire (losing her Isabella home as a young teen) and of her recent flyover. She said people were already reporting grass growing and animal tracks, etc. Frogs were out again! We stopped into the information office and saw the current map and some videos of planes and copters scooping water and dumping it on fire areas. I can't wait to go back when the fire is over and see what the land looks like.

Then back down Route 1 to the North Shore - we all wanted to see the BIG lake in the fall. It was a nice drive with a stop at Kawishiwi River campground to see where dd1 puked last summer on her Angleworm trip with dh. We arrived at Tettegouche sometime after lunch and realized we wouldn't be able to do any hiking or sightseeing if we wanted to be home at a decent time...
So, off we went to Palisades for a look at Shovel Point from afar. Then on to a rocky beach for a farewell to Lake Superior. I sat and snoozed briefly in the sun while "C" hunted for rocks and dd1 wrapped up some homework. An uneventful drive followed and we were back in town by around 7pm. Whew, what a day.

All good things must come to an end. So did this trip. I still haven't paddled past Slim Lake, we missed out on a second night at the VNO bunk house, we never did get Chocolate Moose pancakes, nor did we get to go to Listening Point, the Dorothy Molter Museum, the Wolf Center, the Piragis Outlet store, etc. etc. So? We must go back... we left plenty of things undone and hopefully a thirst to return.
I had an absolutely delightful time with dd1 and "C". We worked well as a team and compromised for group enjoyment. The girls are full of life and good humor and they were both good sports.
"C" was a joy to have along. She entertained us chopping firewood over a rock, and sent us to the moon on candy sugar-highs. The whole town of Ely knew her by her glowing red furry slippers she wore around town shopping. Her smile lit up the days.
dd1 entertained us with texting on the way to Ely, and hammock tricks in camp. Her bear story will live on over the years. Her irresistible smile warms my heart. I will be eternally grateful for these memories we have made and the times we have shared the wilderness together.
I look forward to reliving this trip and others around a campfire for years to come. Thank you girls. You are both beautiful, inside AND out!!