Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Just a quick synopsis of what happened so far on May, 26. I crashed overnight a the John Lake Overlook. I packed up really early and hiked out to the Arrowhead Trail. Once out onto the Arrowhead Trail I walked across the bridge separating McFarland Lake and Little John Lake then I walked past a boat launch, Border Route Trailhead, Firefighting Heliport and then into the Grand Portage State Forest Campground. I walked into a campsite that was really well furnished, and talked with some fishermen from Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. The younger man of the 4 fishermen agreed to take me down to Highway 61. When he put my gear in his truck, I noticed it said SHERIFF in big letters on the back of his jacket. I asked him if he was a sheriff and he said yes, and that the other three men were retired sheriffs.
So, I hopped in the younger Sheriff’s truck, and down the Arrowhead Trail we went. He seemed to know this road really well for someone who lived in Wisconsin. He was driving fairly fast and with confidence. I said something like “wow, you seem to know this road pretty, well.” And he said yes, that Wisconsin Rapids really wasn’t that far away from here, and that he came up here 3 or 4 times a year. He started talking about the Arrowhead Trail. He said that the first two miles up from Highway 61 were paved. Then the next 8 miles were a gravel road, but a better it was a better quality gravel road then the last miles of the road. The Arrowhead Trail is about 17 miles long. He also said that the Arrowhead Trail went through a virgin forest at one point. He was very knowledgeable about the road. He said that he would drop me off at a store that is near the Arrowhead Trail down on Highway 61.
Well, we were getting down to where I could see Lake Superior, and we got on the paved road portion. So I asked him how much did I owed him for taking me down to Highway 61. After all, I did say back at the campground that I was willing to pay someone for taking me. He said that I owed him nothing. He said that’s what people are for is to help other people. He asked me if I had seen the storm yesterday. And I said yes, I was pumping water at the East Pike Lake Landing when it rolled in really fast. He said that they had been out on the water when it hit and that one of their boats tipped over and they lost some gear. But then he said that someone that they didn’t know came over and helped them. Evidently, they would have been in a real pickle if these people didn’t help. So, now he’s returning the favor by helping me.
Wow, what an incredible story. I wondered how I would return the favor by helping somebody else.
We got down to Highway 61 and turned right. Down about a block we turned into the Chicago Bay Marketplace. The younger Sheriff got out and helped me get my gear out of the back. I put my gear on the porch of the store, and we went in. The younger sheriff was buying two bags of ice and 4 cinnamon rolls. And they were huge cinnamon rolls. Evidently, the Chicago Bay Marketplace is the Cinabon of the north shore. It’s their specialty. I offered to pay for the ice and rolls, and at first the younger Sheriff said no. But I said that I was in the wilderness the last 5 days and I had not spent any money. And that I appreciated him giving me a ride. He let me pay, and then he was off so that he wouldn’t miss breakfast back at the camp. I sure hope those Sheriffs enjoyed those buns. Thank you very much for helping me!!!
The Chicago Bay Marketplace is part Restaurant, part Grocery Store, part Deli, part Cinabon and part Camping Supply Store. Plus there’s a pay phone outside that many people use because cell phones don’t work too well up here. When you walk in there is an area to the left that has several tables to eat at. If you head straight there is the Deli counter, groceries and supplies. And to the right is the cash register area and the kitchen.
The lady who works there is tall with long blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. I’m not sure how old she is, but I’d guess at least 40. She walked really slow like she had some type of injury from a car accident or something, But she did a good job. She had been back in the kitchen area making another batch of cinnamon buns. I ordered a cinnamon bun and some chocolate milk. She said that I would have to go to the back wall of the store and grab the chocolate milk from the refrigerator with the sliding glass door. I did so. I came back and ate at a table next to the front door. I set out my Spot Messenger out on the front porch to mark my spot.
I ate my bun and drank my chocolate milk. While I was sitting there, I took out a sheet of paper from my clear plastic map holder and I wrote the letters GM on it. Each Letter was about 8 inches high, so that people could read it while I was hitchhiking. There was an older man in the table section eating breakfast. I asked him if he was headed into Grand Marais, but he said he wouldn’t be going into town until later on this evening. Oh, Well.
I finished up my food and asked the lady if they had anything that would help a rash. She said there was some Hydrocordisone Cream on the back wall past the cooler where I got the Chocolate Milk. I went back and found it. It was very reasonably priced, considering this was the only store within 15 miles. I bought the cream, and went into the bathroom and applied it to my nether regions. Boy did that feel good. From now Hydrocordisonne Cream is a necessity in my first aid kit for Backpacking.
I gave the lady at the store a “I saw Tman” card and told her I would be hitchhiking into Grand Marais. She said good luck and off I went. I walked down Highway 61 a little ways and set down my gear and stuck out my thumb. I didn’t think it would take very long for me to get a ride because I read a post on the internet saying that hitchhiking by backpackers is fairly common in the Boundary Waters. I stuck out my thumb at every car and was not having very much luck. I thought my GM sign would help, because people would then know all I wanted was a ride into Grand Marais, and not Duluth or someplace like that.
I stood there for a long time. There wasn’t really all that many cars coming down the Highway, maybe 1 or 2 every 5 minutes. At any rate, I got tired of waiting after about 15 cars had passed. I decided that I would put on my backpack and start hiking. I did have a strategy. I would hike a couple miles down the road to Nanaboujou Lodge, where I had left my resupply package. Then I would decide what to do once I got there. Perhaps, I would rest and stay overnight at the lodge, or perhaps I could talk a hotel guest into driving me into Grand Marais. Lord, knows I was willing to pay someone to take me in.
But that strategy didn’t come into play, because I was still sticking my thumb out and showing my GM sign to every car that came by. And when I was walking by a church, my prayers were answered when a compact car pulled over and stop for me. As I was walking up to it I saw the trunk pop open, so I put my gear in. Then I went to the passenger door and the man driving said, “Do you need a ride to Grand Marais?” and I said yes. I hopped in the car and met Grand Portage Tribe Member Ed Olson. I introduced myself and told him I was from Madison, Wisconsin. He looked to be retired, perhaps in his late 60’s or 70’s. He told me that he was born out on an island in the Grand Portage Bay, where is Grandfather had a Trading Post.
Wow, having Ed as your driver is like having your own personal tour guide. He would point out things while he was driving. It was great. I asked Ed what his job was up at Grand Portage. And he said his last job was taking care of the Transfer Station. I wasn’t quit sure what that was, so I asked him. He said that it wasn’t a dump, but it was the place people would bring their garbage. But, the garbage would not remain at the station, it got hauled away by truck. Again, Ed would be pointing out stuff along the way.
Since he said it was his last job, I asked him what other jobs he had. He told me that back in the 70’s he worked for a big fishing company managing a facility in Northern Alaska. I said Wow,that must have been really something. He said that it was an interesting job, but it was in a really remote location. He said that his brother was shot to death up here on the reservation on New Year’s Day, and he had a heck of a time trying to get back for the funeral. Just getting to Anchorage was tough enough, he said. But he did manage to make it back for the funeral. I said that I sorry to hear about his brother, and to have to come back from Alaska in the middle of the winter would not have been fun. I didn’t tell him that I have actually had two brothers that have died. But it sounded like his brother was murdered, which definitely sets it apart from my brothers.
Ed pointed out the Five Mile rock, out in Lake Superior, which is 5 miles from Grand Marais. It was at this point were I told Ed that where I really needed to go is the Pincushion Mountain Trailhead, which is a mile or two up the Gunflint Trail from Grand Marais. I said I could pay him to take me up there. He looked at his watch and said that he had a 10 am appointment at a car dealer to get his car checked out, so he should have plenty of time to take me up there. But he didn’t know exactly where the Pincushion Mountain Trailhead was. I said that it wasn’t more than 2 miles up the Gunflint Trail from Grand Marais.
So, we headed into Grand Marais. Ed was still pointing out stuff to me. He pointed out his nephew’s house, the old school and the new hospital. In that regard, Ed kind of reminded me of my dad. My Dad was a construction worker who worked for the Laborer’s Union in Madison, Wisconsin. Whenever we would drive through Madison, my dad would always be pointing out buildings or streets that he worked on. He had worked on lots of streets in Madison, doing what he called “Raising Manholes.”
Ed drove up the Gunflint Trail and I saw the sign for the Trailhead, and he turned in. We drove down about a block, and then there is a long curved parking lot that overlooks the City of Grand Marais. Then it loops around and there is a smaller parking lot on the other side of the loop. All of a sudden Ed knew this place. The locals probably just know this place as the Grand Marais Overlook, and not the Pincushion Mountain Trailhead. He said that his nephew got married over there in the smaller parking lot. I asked how much that I owed him for bringing me up there, and he said nothing. He had to go to get to his appointment, so I grabbed my gear out of his trunk, and away he went. I waved as he looped around. Be well my friend.
The trailhead looked as through it was fairly recently built, probably within the last 5 years. It was all nicely paved and it even had a small brick building for restrooms. And there is a sweeping view of Lake Superior and Grand Marais. I took a bunch of photos here including a series of photos for a panoramic shot.
It felt good to be back at my van. I put my gear in the back and grabbed a clean shirt from a tote. Away I went to explore the City of Grand Marais. There is a big city park with a campground on the western bay area of Grand Marais. I had never been there, so I decided to go check it out.
I went down and turned into the campground from Highway 61. Once you turn in, the indoor Municipal Pool is on the right hand side. It looks to be about 25 to 30 years old with brown wood siding. As you drive in on the left hand side is the campground office which is an old house. Also to the left is the Marina and a restroom/shower house. Continuing on, there are campsites for Rvs, a picnic shelter and the beach. At the far end of the beach is the hiking trail to go out on the harbor breakwater. As I loop around to the right I found a bunch more campsites, the city ball diamond and another restroom/shower house. The restroom/shower house looked pretty new. All and all the campground facility was first rate. It was fairly well occupied considering it was the Tuesday before Memorial Day Weekend. I suppose in a few days it will be packed.
I drove out of the campground and headed to downtown Grand Marais. I pulled into the Dairy Queen at about 10:10 am and was their first customer. I ordered a vanilla cone dipped in chocolate. I remembered that it was a Vanilla only Dairy Queen, meaning they don’t have chocolate ice cream. So to get some chocolate, I would have to have it dipped in chocolate. After eating the cone, I headed for the hotel.
The Grand Marais Best Western was bustling with construction workers. I walked in and asked for a room. The manager said he would have to check to see if there was one ready yet. And sure enough, he had one open. So I got it. Then I asked the manager if they had a Cell Phone store in Grand Marais, because my Cell phone wasn’t working properly.
He said no, but let him take a look at it. He started to press a bunch of buttons, and couldn’t get anything to work, then handed it back to me. I said I would call the manufacturer. So I went in the Breakfast Room and got on the computer to find the manufacturer’s number. I also updated my website, stating that I had hiked out to the Arrowhead Trail and that I’m taking a couple day’s rest in Grand Marais.
Soon the guy who was in charge of the construction came in and talked to me. He said they were building two computer stations across from the front desk and would have better internet, so next time I visit it will be upgraded. I said that was good because the main reason I choose this hotel is that it has internet so I can update my backpacking website. He seemed happy that I was using the computer for such a good purpose.
I went to my room and called the cell phone manufacturer. After several minutes of talking to them, it was decided that they could not fix the phone over the phone. So, when I get back to Madison, I’ll have to figure out what to do with it. I figured that some moisture from my platypus bottles may have gotten into the phone. In the hotel room there is a big air register on the outside wall that will give you cold air, or hot air, depending on what you need. I opened up my phone and took the battery out. Then I put the cell phone in one of the vents of the air register, and started the fan. I figured this would dry out my cell phone if any moisture got in it.
I called my mom on the hotel phone, and told her I was doing alright. Then I called my sister, who was a little ticked at me because I had not sent a Spot Messenger Message on Tuesday. I remember trying to send a message at the Super Shady Pine Tree, but it must not have been sent. Then I must have forgot to put out the Messenger at the John Lake Overlook where I crashed for the night. I must have gotten sloppy about the message, due to the freaky storm, and the fact that I would be making it out to the Arrowhead Trail soon.
After the phone calls were done, I took a bath. That felt real, real good. Then I slathered myself with the hotel lotion, and my rashed up nether regions with Hyrdocordisonne Cream. Then I took a nap. Boy did it feel good to be in a real bed.I woke up in the early evening. I went down to the front desk area and was going to use the computer in the breakfast room, but the breakfast room was all decked out for a party. and it said “Happy 80th Birthday Warren.” The lady at the front desk said that the party would not be starting for an hour yet, so I could go in and use the computer. So I did some more updating on my website. I decided that it was about time to head out for supper, so I grabbed my camera from my room, and started walking in downtown Grand Marais. I had intended to go to the Gunflint Tavern for their Salmon dinner. But first I just was taking photos of the colorful little town. I took photos of the Art Gallery, Beaver House, Lake Superior Trading Post, Jones Department Store (Ben Franklin), Gunflint Tavern, Java Moose, Gunflint Reality and more. I was headed back to the Gunflint Tavern when I went by the American Legion. It was Burger Night at the American Legion, so I went in to check it out. I asked a gray haired man that I walked in behind if Burger Night was pretty good, and he said that it was good. And there were a lot of people in the American Legion, I’d say around 40 or 50. It was a hopping place.
So, I decide to stay at the American Legion for Burger Night. I walked to the back and ordered my burger at a table that a waitress was manning. She gave me a number, just like at Culvers. I told her I would be up at the bar. The bar is a U shaped affair. I sat down on the far side of the U and ordered a beer. The bartender was named Liz and she has long light brown hair. A local customer across the bar from me was teasing Liz saying stuff like “A guy would die of thirst over here before he got a beer.” Liz seemed to be entertained by him. The local guy said that he would be going to Alaska in a few weeks, so then Liz could take it easy. So, I guess I call that guy Mr Alaska. He was in his 60s and looked like he hadn’t shaved in a few weeks. He was saying that Grand Marais isn’t the same town anymore, that Twin City money had changed the town. He said that the American Legion was the best place to eat, because the rest of the places now had overpriced flowery food meant for tourist and people from the cities.
Down the bar from Mr Alaska were three working guys that seemed to keep pretty much to themselves. I was at the bar for a while, waiting for my burger. I saw that there were still 3 or 4 people sitting around with numbers on their table, including the man that ordered directly in front of me. Then something totally weird happened. A guy came in the bar who was a friend of Mr Alaska. They sat at the bar and were talking about the Milwaukee Brewers. I haven't heard very many people talking about the Brewers in Madison Bars, but yet I travel 400 miles into another state that has their own Professional Baseball team, and I hear a couple guys talking about the Brewers.
After a while, I finally received my burger and started eating. Then two working men sat down at the bar down from me. The three guys on the other side of the bar, who were keeping to themselves, started talking to the two guys that just came. Evidently, the two guys are construction workers who are working on widening Highway 61. The three guys were asking about the dynamite that the road crew was using. The two guys said that it was a liquid dynamite that they poured down in the holes after the holes were drilled. I believed the Nobels would be pleased that their invention was being used to build such a lovely highway. These are the same Nobels that have the Nobel Prize. They wanted to be known for more than just making dynamite, which at the time was often used for military and illegal uses. And that’s how the Nobel Prize got started.
I ate my very good burger and finished off my beer then I headed out. I needed to take a walk to help digest the burger, so I headed out towards the Coast Guard Station. On the street heading out to the station I passed a Fudge Shop, a bicycle shop, the historical Museum and an Ice Cream stand that has a rooftop deck. Once I got out to the Coast Guard Station I needed to make a decision on whether to turn right or left. If I turned left it would take me out to the little peninsula known as Artist Point. If I turned right, I would be going out on the concrete breakwater to the harbor lighthouse. I decided to turn left.
I was walking out on the large concrete breakwater. For the first part, there was still a rocky shoreline along the breakwater. Then I got out to the point where the breakwater was leaving the shoreline. All of a sudden a large dog ran past me and jumped in the water. I looked back and its owner was a man in his 40’s that was paying more attention to his cell phone than his dog. The dog splashed around and came back up on the rocky shore. I continued on out to the lighthouse. I took a bunch of photos out by the lighthouse. It was a real photo opportunity for me. Then I headed back to the Coast Guard Station.
Once I made it back to the Coast Guard Station, I decided not to go out to Artist’s Point. Instead, I would walk along the shoreline back to my hotel. This part of the shoreline is made up of small rocks. I walked past the Ice Cream Stand again, and past a hotel that had a terrace coming out towards the shore. I walked past some local high school kids that were just hanging out. Then I made it down to a spot where 2 kids were playing with a rather large dog. They were throwing a log out into the water, and the dog would retrieve it. Soon I noticed that a couple down the beach were parents to the two children. As I walked by parents I said something like “it’s amazing that your dog can fetch that log” And they said that it wasn’t their dog. The owner was up on the terrace. Then I realized that it was the same dog that I seen out on the breakwater. And, its owner was still fidgeting with his cell phone. I figured this was the type of person that “Mr Alaska” was describing when he said that people from the Twin Cities were ruining their town.
I talked with the Terri and Ty for a few minutes, and gave them a “I Saw Tman” Card. They were vacationing in Grand Marais, and were staying at the Best Western too. Their kids were really enjoying playing with the water dog. I continued on down to the hotel and went to my room. I wanted to go to the hotel Hot Tub, so I took a shower and put on my swimsuit.
I headed down the long hallway to the Hot Tub. When I got down there I found out there was three guys already in the Hot Tub. But there was plenty of room for me. I didn’t realize it at first, but these were the same three guys who were at the American Legion earlier that were talking with the road construction workers. It turns out that these three guys are also in the construction business, too. In fact they were the worker that are working on the hotel.
One of the guys said he was working in the lobby when I checked in and overheard me saying to the manager that I was out backpacking. Soon the whole conversation was about backpacking. They asked me lot’s of questions like, what do you do with the poop? Do you have to carry it out in a plastic bag? I said that in most cases that you can dig a cat hole at do your duty in there, then cover it up. I told them how the Superior Hiking Trail, Border Route Trail, and Kekekabic Trail were all hopefully going to be a part of the North Country Trail. Then one of the guys perked up and said that they have the North Country Trail over by where he lives. The Construction Company they work for is based out of Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, which is much farther to the west in Minnesota. He said that a bunch of trail work was being done near Frazee. And I told him that Frazee was going to be a first rate trail down because they are very supportive of the trail. The Construction worker was suprised that I knew about the town of Frazee, considering I had told them that I was from Madison, Wisconsin. But I told them that I read about Frazee some North Country Trail Newsletters, and in the North Country Trail News blog on the internet. All of a sudden I felt like some sort of Trail Ambassador while I was talking to these construction workers. Finally, I had enough of the Hot Tub, said goodbye, and headed off to my hotel room for a good night’s sleep
Thursday, May 27, 2010
I woke up in the morning really late. I looked at the clock and it was 9:45. I figured that I should head down to the breakfast room before they closed breakfast at 10:00 am. I hate missing breakfast at the Hotel. On New Year’s Day when I had been hiking in Battle Creek, I got up too late for breakfast at the Hotel. Of Course I had been out to the Firekeeper’s Casino the night before celebrating the New Year. So I skidattled down to the breakfast room.
And at the Breakfast Room, I met someone very interesting. His name was Warren Woodard, and he was the person they were having the 80th birthday party for in the breakfast room the night before. I got to talking to him, and he is actually from the State of Oregon, but he was taking a trip here to show his family the places were he grew up. Warren looked in really good shape to be 80, and he had already been down to the County Courthouse in Grand Marais this morning and had gotten his parent’s marriage records. Warren had lived as a child in a small town called Mineral Center. It is a town that doesn’t exist anymore. The town was located up on the Grand Portage Indian Reservation, and back in the 40’s all the white families had to move off the reservation because of a treaty. Each family was given $500 to move. That was pretty good money back in those days. Then Warren’s family moved to Denver, and after that Oregon.
Warren had several family members with him including his children and grandchildren. They had been up to the Mineral Center Cemetery yesterday, and that’s all that’s left of the town. And you have to know where the cemetery is to find it. But, he says that the tribe has done a good job of keeping up the cemetery. Warren’s Grandparents are buried there. Also, Warren said that they found the foundation of the house he used to live in and they hiked up to the lookout tower on Mount Maude.
This trip that Warren was taking with his relative reminded me of a trip I took out to South Dakota with my dad about 6 years ago. My dad showed me all the places where he lived. Towns like South Shore, Marvin and Albe, South Dakota were all within a few miles of the Minnesota border. And like Mineral Center, there isn’t very much left of Albe south Dakota. At age 16 my dad and his brother hopped on a train going south from Albe. But that’s another story.
After talking with Warren, I realized that he was on the other end of the stick from Ed Olson, the Grand Portage Tribe Member that gave me a ride on Wednesday. But they both were good men and I was glad I had met both of them. Before I went back to my room, Warren gave me some birthday cake that was left over from the night before. He said he still had plenty extra. It was good cake. I didn’t have my camera with me, so I didn’t get a photo of Warren.
I went back to my room and did a Trip Report on my voice recorder while the Warren Woodard story was still fresh in my mind. Then I figured I better be getting my butt moving. All my stuff was all scattered all over the room and on top of the extra bed. I started packing my backpack for real. I figured I would start hiking the Border Route at the Arrowhead Trail on Friday Morning, and complete it sometime on Saturday. It was a 13 mile section. Then I would ride my mountain bike back to my car.
I slowly packed up, being thorough, and also enjoying my last few minutes of being in the hotel. It was after noon when I hauled my stuff out to the van, I looked up and saw the construction workers working on top of the 3 story roof. They said hello and I said that I didn’t think I could work up there so high. One of the guys said that it’s great up here, I can see for 50 miles. And the other guy said that you get use to it. I took their photo and was on my way. I swung around to the front desk and made sure everything was allright. Then I drove down to the bicycle shop in downtown Grand Marais.
I walked into the Superior North Bike Shop. There was a guy in the front manning the cash resister and a guy in the back working on a bike. I went to the back and asked the bike technician if he could come out and take a look to see if my bike needs adjusting. So, he did, and I rode my mountain bike down the sidewalk a little ways for him. He said the bike fit me allright, but I might want to change the handle bars to make it easier to brake. He went in and showed me a “customer toolbox” that I could use and I thanked him.
I had a great experience at the bike shop, but the shop is kind of hidden. That’s because Beth’s Fudge Shop sign next door blocks the view of the bicycle shop. I put the bike back in the van and headed for the World’s Best Donuts shop. It’s a quaint little shop with lots of news clippings and photo-montages on the wall. They actually have a contest for the people who are not locals. You write your name next to a number on this big sign, then, next year if you remember the number, you get a free donut and drink. I signed up for number 165. They also have something for the locals. The have shelves of coffee cups on the walls of the store, and each coffee cup belongs to a local person. That person can come down and get a free cup of coffee using their cup. I ordered a donut and chocolate milk. I casually asked the manager that since they are called the “World’s Best Donuts” if they ever had someone come in claiming they got a better donut someplace else. And she said that it has never happened. I ate my donut and couldn’t disagree with the World’s Best claim. I left the donut shop and had someone take a photo of me next to the World’s Best Donut” sign.
I wandered around downtown. I headed for the Lake Superior Trading Post to see if they had anything I needed. The Lake Superior Trading Post is like the REI of the north shore, except they have more touristy stuff besides the outdoor stuff. They have a big stairway in the middle of the store that you go up to get to the more touristy stuff. Then I walked down the street to the Jones Department Store/Ben Franklin. They have a lot of camping stuff too, but it’s more for the average camper, not a backpacker. But they have lots of Tshirts and other touristy stuff, plus tons of everyday stuff you need. I bought a Grand Marais Tshirt for myself and a refrigerator magnet for my mom.
It was around 3 pm. I figured that I had stalled long enough and had better get going to the top of the Arrowhead Trail. But before I left Grand Marias, I stopped back at the hotel and used the computer one last time. Then I headed out. I drove up to Hovland and turned on the Arrowhead Trail, just past the Chicago Bay Marketplace. As I was heading up the Arrowhead Trail, I was starting to get tired. Eventually, I was really starting to look for a place to pull over and take a nap. I found a place called the Portage Brook Overlook, so I pulled in. It’s a short driveway to the overlook which is a big circle area. It is a very beautiful view. I pulled over to the part of the overlook that had some shade, then I went in the back of the van to take a nap.
It was all set up for sleeping in back. I already had a pad laid out and a sleeping bag on top of it. I think I was sleeping for about 40 minutes when a funny thing happened. My Cell phone rang. It was somebody from my Epson Job, wondering if I could work this weekend. I explained that right now I was over 400 miles away from Madison, and wouldn‘t be returning until Monday. I had already let them know I was out of town. They just must be double checking.
I checked my cell phone, and miraculously, my cell phone worked just fine. All the numbers were working when previously all the numbers didn’t work. Maybe putting it in the fan vent at the hotel helped it dry out. Or maybe there is some magic in the air at the Portage Brook Overlook. At any rate, I was very happy that my phone was working Okay again.
I finished my nap and continued down the Arrowhead Trail to explore the top end of the road. I pulled into the Grand Portage State Forest Campground and noticed that the fishermen that helped me out on Wednesday were gone. I walked around the campground. Only one campsite was being used, and it must be a bunch of fishermen that were camped down to the right of the boat launch. Then I continued up the Arrowhead Trail and explored the area north of the bridge that separates McFarland Lake and Little John Lake. There looks to be just some cottages up that way, and eventually I got to some No Trespassing Signs so I turned around.
Then I decided that I would go down and take my mountain bike to the eastern end of the Border Route and stash it there. Then when I finished the Border Route, I would ride my bike back to my car. So I headed down the Arrowhead Trail about 6 miles, and took a left on Otter Lake Road. After 3 miles, I found the Border Route Trailhead. I looked at the trailhead, then continued down the road over a bridge and checked out the Superior Hiking Trail Trailhead just down the road a little ways. No cars were at either trailhead. Then I came back and parked at the Border Route Trailhead. I decided I would hike down and check out the Swamp Lake Campsite, which is down a little road that has a boat launch.
I walked down to the campsite and low and behold, there was a backpacker camped there. This was where I met Parker, who was in Minnesota working for the Minnesota Conservation Corps for the summer, and had the weekend off so he was hiking the Border Route. We got to talking when something Parker said I found to be very curious. He said that he started hiking the Border Route at the Arrowhead Trail this morning, and that he would be continuing on the Border Route tomorrow. I thought it was funny how he said that. Then I said, don’t you mean that you’ll be continuing on the Superior Hiking Trail tomorrow, because you’re at the eastern end of the Border Route. And he said no, that he wanted to hike the Border Route. I went back to my van and showed him my Border Route Guidebook. He was definitely at the eastern end of the Border Route.
He thought he was hiking west, when he left the Arrowhead Trail. This was a complete surprise to him that he was at the eastern end of the Border Route. Evidently, he didn’t have enough money to by a map, when he was at the Forest Service Office in Grand Marais when he bought his entry permit. Parker reminded my of the Viking football player named Jim Marshall who had recovered a fumble, go spun around and ran for a touchdown into the wrong end zone. Parker went the wrong way at the Arrowhead Trail. But let’s give Parker a break. The maps on the kiosk at the trailhead are not very good. The Border Route needs to make them clearer, and put up a sign explaining how to hike to the West.
I told Parker that if he really wanted to hike the Border Route West, that I would take him back to the Arrowhead Trail Trailhead. He agreed and started packing up his stuff. I still had to stash my mountain bike someplace. I decided I would put it in the woods across the road from the Border Route Trailhead. I looked for my keys for the bike lock, but could not find them. I have two sets of keys, one on a UW Milwaukee Lanyard, which is Black and Gold, and one on an Epson Lanyard, which is yellow and blue. I looked all over for my UW-Milwaukee Lanyard but could not find it. I wondered if I left it back at the hotel. At any rate, I stashed my bike in the woods across from the trailhead, and figured nobody would bother it so it wouldn’t matter if it is locked. When I went into the woods, I noticed a Latrene. This was the latrene that’s mentioned in the Border Route Guidebook. Unfortunately, you cannot see the latrene from the Trailhead. It’s a nice latrene, but doesn’t look like anybody has been using it. Maybe it’s because nobody can see it.
Parker got packed up and we headed back to the Arrowhead Trail Trailhead. Parker is a younger guy, in his early twenties, I asked him where he went to school, and he said that he was going to a University in Virginia, where he is from, but he lost interest in it. But he was very interested in working for the Minnesota Conservation Corps. I told him maybe he should go to a school that has a good conservation program, and I suggested UW Stevens Point. But he said that he had a couple other places in mind.
We began talking about the trail. He had walked the 13 miles that I would be walking next. He said the reason why he went to the Swamp Lake Campsite was that the previous Campsite (Portage Brook) was too sunny, and it was too early in the day to stop there. He said that I should make sure that I am prepared for all the ticks. Evidently, ticks are bad on this portion of the trail. I had not encountered very many ticks so far hiking the trail, so this was news to me. I showed Parker where the Border Route goes to the west then dropped him off at the Trailhead, and asked him if he wanted to go down to Naniboujou Lodge for supper. He said that he didn’t want to, and that he would be camping at the Campground. I said I would be camping at the Trailhead in my van when I returned from Naniboujou Lodge.
So I drove down the Arrowhead Trail towards Hovland. I stopped at the Portage Brook Overlook and made a phone call to the Grand Marais Best Western. And sure enough, I had left my keys with the UW Milwaukee Lanyard next to the computer in the breakfast room. They would save the keys for me.
Then I continued down the Arrowhead Trail to Highway 61. I turned south and headed 3 miles down to Naniboujou Lodge. The Lodge is located on a nice estate on the shore of Lake Superior. The first thing I did when I got there was to retrieve the resupply package that I left there last Thursday. The lady at the front desk got it for me. Then I went into the majestic dining room and was seated at a table near an electrical outlet, so I could charge my phone. The Hall is a two story high room with a huge fireplace at one end. The hall is brightly painted using a Native American theme. I ordered the Salmon dinner for about 20 buck. The meal was good, and I was satisfied. I walked around the Lodge taking some photos. It is quite the historic landmark. The Lodge was first built as a hunting lodge for rich people like Babe Ruth who was a member of the exclusive club. But that folded in the 30’s with the Great Depression, and was refurbished in the 70’s and made into a hotel and restaurant. It’s a beautiful Lodge, and from what I hear the rooms are very reasonably priced at around $80 a night. But there is no air conditioning, so it might be bad in August. But there is always a breeze of Lake Superior.
I had a quarter of a tank of gas in the van, so I asked my waitress whether there was a gas station in Hovland. She said no, I would have to go to either Grand Marais or Grand Portage, both of which are 15 miles. I decided that a quarter of a tank should be good enough to get me back from the top of the Arrowhead Trail, and that I would not have to make a side trip tonight.
Then I drove back up the Arrowhead Trail to the Border Route Trailhead and went to sleep in my van. I was all set to complete the Border Route over the next couple days.