Side or end note: As I look at pictures and reflect our most recent excursions into the wild I have come to see Gods hands in my life more clearly. An odd thing or God thing, whatever one likes to call it seems to have occurred on these 2 trips. The hearts displayed in nature were of abundance. Aurora noticed and made comment about a portion of a root system that had an area shaped like a heart, she found a small stone shaped like a heart, I found a jagged heart shaped rock with what appears to have a faint cross in the center and then on the trail to the waterfall head…I did not notice it while there, I should have as this was the area the was enthralling me (pic in part 2/3 in report), but looking at pictures it stands out loud to me. Someone carved a heart into the tree trunk. At first notice, I was saddened that someone would harm this tree. Now, I see all of these “heart” sightings as a sign that I am loved and this place is where I was meant to be. God has given Aurora and I so much and it is through him and in him we can do all things. He gave me the strength, knowledge, wisdom and courage to embark on this journey and in these journeys I also come to some life understandings. And that is a very good thing. I am so very blessed to have ever had the opportunity to experience the BWCA and then to be given a thoughtful, caring strong daughter who loves the wilderness as she does....

Happy paddling folks from Aurora and I.