Saturday, June 22, 2019

“Are We There Yet?”

We left Elgin, IL at 6am on our way to Janesville, WI to pick up the fourth and final member (Nate) of our party before continuing up to Tuscarora Outfitters on the Gunflint trail. The drive was not bad and we made good time stopping off in Rice Lake, WI at the Culvers for lunch. Once back on the road we were making good time until our not so brief impromptu tour of Duluth. The Grandmas marathon was taking place and it appeared that the inmates were running the asylum. The detour signs were misplaced and we spent 45 minutes trying to get around and through Duluth and continue on our way. We stopped in Grand Marinas for leeches and to fill up the Jeep before making the final 40 or so miles to the outfitter. We arrived at Tuscarora Outfitters about 5pm and checked in with the proprietors Andy and Ada. Andy was a true professional and we settled our account, discussed our trip plans and asked for insider tips on where the good campsites and where the good fishing spots were. We dropped our gear off at bunkhouse number 4 and decided to head to the trail center for dinner and some cold brew. On our way back we stopped off at the Laurentian divide to check it out and take some quick pictures. Once back at the bunkhouse, we went through our packs one last time to cut out any duplicates and weight before heading out the next morning.

Lunch at Culvers in Rice Lake, WI Lake Superior, making progress Nothern MN - Tunnel!! Northern MN - still driving..... Bunkhouse #4, we made it!! Laurentian Divide BWCA sunset BWCA sunset