We finally ventured to the Hotel and carried in all of our trippin’ clothes. Lion and Geppy borrowed the Tahoe and ran into Base to check the place out. The rest of us showered and got into some fresh clean clothes. The 4 of us then pooled over to the main drag of Ely to check out the stores and look for some gifts for our families. I have a hard time finding something for Darci and really hard time finding anything for Wes. I guess babies just don’t come up to Ely. We perused as many of the open stores and outfitter as we could. Then we got a seat around 7:30 at The Chocolate Moose. As that was about when Lion and Gep said they’d be back. We’ll we got tired of just waiting and order some walleye cakes and beer. Now the Moose had their specials and their pies up on a black board beside our table. And the sock eyed salmon looked really good, not that the rest didn’t. So we were enjoying our Walleye cakes (yummy yum!!) and waiting for the boys to join in with us. I got a call that they were close and soon they came through the door and sat down. Now just before we went to order a waitress came over and wipe the salmon off the boar...Wait WHAT?!? I think 4 of us were sadden and scrambled to pick something else. Well luckily they still had the Prime Rib. I had the wild rice Walleye (to make up for the fact we didn’t get to catch any fish on the trail) We spent most of the time retelling our trip to Lion and Geppy while they interjected great memories we had gathered on their various ventures through the woods. As the night went on the waitress started wiping off more specials and now some pies off their list while we wait and ate or meals. And each time we let out a big sigh. Finally it was time to order our desserts. Which we thought went ok until the waitress came back and said she only had 1 slice of the pie Doug and Chris had ordered. So they decided to split it but I think they were still a little miffed about it. Now needless to say we were the loudest bunch in the place but we were having lots of fun. I think Lion, Geppy & I started boring the boys a little and they wanted to go back to the Lodge and enjoy the hot tub, pool and sauna. So we all drove back. While the 3 of us x-Chuckie’s reminisced about our past crews and crazy adventures in the north woods. We all drank beer, Mmm Moose Drool. Well it was now about 10 and Lion and Gep needed to fly back. So the 3 of us piled in Tahoe and I drove out to the airfield. On the way back I saw three deer in the ditch waiting for some poor sole’s bumper but luck would be in my favor tonight as they didn’t decide to cross in front of me. When I got back to the Lodge, Doug was the only one that meandered up to the hot tub. I joined him for the last 10 minutes before they shut the place down. We got back to our room and Chris and Charlie were already lying in bed watching TV. They found the comfy beds and just couldn’t bring themselves to leave them. I guess after a week of sleeping on rock, roots, and uneven ground those comforts become treasures. So I changed into my bed clothes and enjoyed the same comforts. They might be on to something…you think one could portage a Serta into the backwoods with them?

09.05.2010 Ah, a goods night’s sleep…and better yet, no alarm clock! Yea!!! Well we took our sweet time this AM and took showers and got packed up. On the way out of the hotel I got Emilia her stuffed moose and a stuffed black bear for Gabby. I still haven’t seen anything great or grand for Wes or D. So we drove into the main drag. Northern Grounds was open so we stopped in to see what the morning fair was. The scones (muffins gone horribly wrong) weren’t looking all too hot. So I had a plate of simple eggs and hash. Afterwards we wondered through Piragis one last time. I ventured upstairs looking for something for Wes but had no luck. I did buy some jewelry for D. We checked out the outlet store (they had an awesome looking 32# carbon fiber Wenonah that would look grat on my shoulders but I resisted) then we meandered around a bit and stopped in Brandenburg’s galley. I should have stopped by his Studio/House on Moose road. After that there was only a couple other stores that were open @10:30am on a Sunday of Labor Day weekend. Well we did go into a nice little corner shop that had some really cool looking stuffed fish, so I settled and got one for Wes. They had some nice “Man cave” décor; tin signs, shelf décor, etc. Well after than I think we had shopped enough and the boys were ready to get on the road and head back home. So after a stop at the gas station, in which I also found “Iron Horse Root beer” that I’ll add to Wes’s train décor in his room, we were off! (11am) We made good time down Hwy 169. Just outside of Tower, MN, we about plowed down 3 deer that decided to run across. We made it down to Cloquet , MN but it was just as we past the last fast food place that someone mentioned about starting to look for food. So we jumped on I-35 and I set Charlie to start looking for food and gas. Well there isn’t a lot along this stretch but finally, 60 miles later, we saw the food signs for Hinckley, MN boasting a Hardees so we pulled off and as we were crossing over the interstate, Charlie told me that once we pulled in I needed to look back. He was right…behold there would happen to a gas station with a White Castle inside. What luck!!! So we of course had to go. We made our bathroom pit stops then went to order. Now you had to give your name for the order. Everyone else went first and when it was my turn I got 4 sliders, fries and a drink under the name of …”Not Doug” The lady looked at me weird as Doug had just order, but going along with it, she entered it in. Now when I turned around I could see the others just grin a little. But when my order came up and they called out “Not Doug, order for Not Doug.” We all had a hard time trying not laughing out loud. Well at least I did. We sat outside and enjoyed our grease treat with a smile. I gassed up the Tahoe at $2.72/gal (the most we had paid yet) and we tried to navigate our way out around traffic. Finally I got out and back on the Interstate. I had lead footed it and caught up with the Jeep. Sowe then just keep the foot down and pushed straight down through the Cities. Just after I noticed a state patrolman and made the foolish statement “ I think that might be the first patrol car I have seen today.” It was kind of funny as all the info boards in the state said there was extra enforcement for the holiday weekend. Doug said he had seen 3 others so far. But after I release my little kernel of knowledge we got smacked by Murphy’s Law. I think we saw 8 more before even getting to Sheffield. Because of this Doug slowed the Jeep down and when I hadn’t seen him in my rear view for a good while I called over the radio and asked what was up? He just said he didn’t need the ticket. Which is fine by me but I kept it just under 80mph and kept truckin’.

After we had passed the turn off for the Avenue of the Saints heading down I-35, Doug calls over the radio telling me that I just added 10+mins. to the trip for taking it. I didn’t quite understand as I was on I-35. I just played along said yep, blah, blah, blah. Then he radioed that I need to turn on 65 south genesis. Well I guess there was another late 90’s model blue Suburban that he had mistaken for mine. Since Chris was sleeping he followed it and took the Avenue to 65. Chris awoke and noted to Doug that wasn’t my truck. Doug called over the radio explained. I about drove off the road laughing at him because Charlie and I at that point had figured that out but assumed he had kept going south on I-35 but alas no. So I took exit 176 to Sheffield and followed the “Jeep-Thing” oil line that led us into town and directly to casa del Foreshoe. When we got there Jess and Lilly were waiting in the grass. Lilly cam running up to Charlie shouting “daddy” but before Jess could say something. Charlie turned around and that really scared her. Well Charlie and I torn everything out of the Tahoe and started emptying all the packs. We took out and separated everyone’s equipment out on the lawn. About 6mins. after our arrival, Doug and Chris came creeping down the road. Once he parked we did the same to the Jeep. I made sure to get my dad’s radio off.

Now Doug had asked earlier in the day if we wanted to eat roast at his house and Chalrie and I had said no since we wanted to go the extra 1.5 hours and eat with our families. Then a little later he had radioed over that Jess was cooking the roast anyways and that we were still welcome. We radio’ed back that if we were making good time (which we were) and Chris was good with it, we were going to drive on to DSM. I guess he didn’t inform Jess of this. So when we arrived she had asked if we were hungry as the roast was ready. I told her we had planned to get moving on and sorry for the inconvenience. Part of me felt bad since Doug pointed out he now had 2 large roasts in the refrigerator. The other part of me just said you did what you could. I guess Doug, I hope you enjoyed roast all week, sorry man.

We gathered all of our stuff back up. Hauled up all the stuffed from Doug’s basement that we had left from our shack down at the beginning of our trip. And repacked the Tahoe. Now Chris, Charlie and I made our last bathroom break and packed ourselves in after shaking hands with Doug “Bacon” Foreshoe one last time. I puttered out of Sheffield and then laid my foot into it. Down I-35 we cooked. Traffic was easy so we made good time. On the drive I called D to let her know and she informed me that Amy (Charlie’s wife) was coming over in a little bit to eat chili at our house with her and the kids. Ok so I asked Charlie if He wanted me to drop him at his house or if he wanted to meet up with Amy at our house and have chili. I also invited Chris to have chili to before he jumped in his sweet ride an booked it home.

So We got to my house just after a really cool thunderstorm had moved through and the sun was peaking out between the clouds and horizon. (right at 7pm) We were greeted with a fun banner Darci and the girls made and hung on the garage door. Amy was there and they had been kind enough and waited to eat with us. We quickly emptied the Tahoe to the appropriate locations; the garage, Amy’s new G6 and Chris’s ride The chili was excellent. We regaled the girls with all of the highlights of our trip. Chris “Buzz” Kitzmann ate and said his goodbyes so he could get back to his wife at a realistic hour. Charlie was playing with Wes in the front room when I saw him raise his hand silently. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Darci and Amy wanted to know what was going on but I just couldn’t tell them that I had taught the guys the Reis tradition of raising your hand and not saying anything when you pass gas. It was just something they couldn’t appreciate. Shortly after that is was time for Charlie “Coffee” Larsen and Amy to depart and once again I was home.

In the days that followed I washed up and packed away all my camping gear so it would be ready for next adventure. Returned the couple of borrowed items back to my parents. Wrote reviews of our trip gear and food so that next time I could recall what worked and what failed. I shared photos with family and friends and wrote this long journal of our travels. Hopefully it will not be another 10 years before I return to the great wilderness of the North woods. It is too much of my being to ignore for that long.