Category Archives: Camping

Camping, Canoeing, Outdoors, Parks

Voyageurs National Park, International Falls, MN

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While up in Minnesota a couple weeks ago visiting in-laws my husband and I went on an overnight canoe trip!

It was at Voyageurs National Park.

All campsites in the park are accessible only by boat. There are NO drive-to campsites in Voyageurs National Park.

There is no fee for the campsites but a free permit is required.

We started at the Ash River Visitor Center and went north to Lost lake for the first night.

It was like we had our own private lake!

If looking at the campsite map it is campsite K19, I highly recommend it!

My father in-law let us use his hobo stove that he made, while we were there.

It worked great!

It takes very little fuel and boils water very quickly!

We were in bear country so most of the campsites had these food lockers.

We tried these freeze dried meals for the first time.

You can find this brand at Walmart, the pasta ones were pretty good but the eggs were just odd.

The consistency was throwing me for a loop!

Next time I think we will just bring instant oatmeal…

The colors were so beautiful!

We hiked a little ways away from the campsite to get a better view of the sunset.

It was mostly bushwhacking.

Ducking and weaving can be a little bit tiring…

We decided to stop short of our goal because we were pretty sure we would not get there until well after the sun was already down.

I made Nick really nervous here.

Right at my feet is a steep drop off.

I might have been a little less then cautious to get this shot set up…

I did not fall though!

So it is almost like I was being careful.

But not quite…

The next day brought some of the hardest paddling I have ever done.

We were going against these waves for most of the morning.

I might have a bad habit of stopping when I think we are going under.

Nick would have to yell at me to keep paddling.

I am pretty sure I would have tipped the canoe over many times if it were not for him!

I regretted every time I skipped lifting weights before this trip.

I was literally yelling at myself to finish strong just to keep myself paddling.

My arms were jello.

I am still not sure how I kept paddling.

We got our map from National Geographic.

It really came in handy and it was waterproof, which was really good because both it and I got wet.

The person in the front always gets wet in rough water.

The alternative was me being in charge of steering and keeping us from tipping though.

Wet it is.

We went all the way around Round Bear Island to Lost Bay for our second night.

On the campsite map it is K16.

Surrounded by water.

So amazing!

We did some more bushwhacking to the North of our campsite after we set up.

There was a trail north of us and I thought we could maybe get to it from our campsite.

We ended up turning back after a while though.

We were following a game trail about the shape of a barrel and it had a LOT of bear scat.

I talked a lot.

If nothing else I bored any bear around us into leaving us be.

Enjoying a beautiful sunset!

I unzipped my tent after a long night of listening for bears and this is what greeted me.

Amazing.

 

Even though the water was a lot calmer on our last day we still decided to portage the canoe instead of going back around Round Bear Island.

We used the 1/4 mile portage from the Long Slough to Lost Lake(were we had stayed on the first night).

Nick told me the canoe did not weigh much.

He lied.

I was again left regretting every missed arm workout.

I really wanted to check portaging a canoe off of my mental “things I have done” list though.

I did half of the 1/4 mile…

Heading back to the Ash River Visitor Center on Kabetogama Lake.

It was bittersweet to go back.

I loved waking up to the stillness.

I loved waking up to air the same temperature as the outside.

The feel of the breeze on my face all day.

Woods all around me.

It truly is a beautiful place.

I hope to go back some day.

Camping, Hiking

Mountain Crest Trail ~Appalachian Mts.

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I took this when I was feeling energetic and optimistic…

Neither of those things lasted long.

How did I keep going?

Willpower.

I will conquer!

And when that ran out I had no choice but to keep going.

There was no short cut.

 

We took the Woody Ridge Trail to the Mountain Crest Trail north of Ashville, SC.

We camped at Deep Gap for one night then went back.

The Woody Ridge Trail starts out at around 3000ft elevation and ends at over 6000ft.

It does this in around 3miles.

Yes, that hurts.

We were puffing and hiking along when a woman passes us.

These are the words she says, “it gets REALLY steep in a little bit but it does not last long”.

Things going through my head:

“this is not steep?”

and later

“we have very different definitions of does not last long!”

The “really steep” part last for a mile.

We did finally make it to the top.

Then we proceeded to go down and up a couple of peaks on the Mountain Crest Trail for 2.7 miles.

That is what the topo map said at least. Our GPS kept giving different distance then the map.

Anyone else have that problem?

Up 1000ft.

Down 1000ft.

Up.

Down.

You see the trail, right?

It is straight down.

I was cheering/laughing as he made his way though this one.

I enjoyed the break at least.

“Come on baby you can do it! Take your time though…”

A nice flat trail really.

You could have brought your children in a stroller.

The Deep Gap campsite(just a flat place to put a tent) is right before the peak with two humps.

I am glad I did not know that on the way there.

I might have turned back.

I was really trying to be optimistic still.

It was survival instincts no doubt.

We did finally make it and one of the first things we had to do was find water.

I had read about this trip on backpacker.com so I knew that we would need something to treat water because there was only a spring.

The other hikers are awesome, as soon as they saw us come into “camp” they asked if we knew where to find the water and directed us.

It is a spring that is marked with red flags about 1/2 mile south of camp.

If you camp farther south(the camping area is spread out), there is a road that leads down to it as well.

We bought the Chlorine tablets so we filled up the bottles and had to wait 4hrs before drinking.

We hung out at camp looking at clouds and sometimes talking (talking takes a lot of energy).

At least my kind does.

We were also eating this.

This is what we ate for 7 meals.

May I never see another slim jim.

We (I) bought a cheap scout tent since it was so light and did I mention CHEAP?

It was a really tight fit though!

We could not even stretch all the way out but it worked and it was…cheap.

I was not sure when or if we would do another overnight hike so investing hundreds of dollars in gear was not going to happen.

Sunset in the mts. does not get much better.

“And everything was still. Absolutely still.”

Okay, I may have been reading a little too much Magic Tree House to my kids.

 

We got up early the next morning to head back to our car.

The original plan was to try to hike to the top of Mount Mitchell but it was still several peaks and miles away.

I wrecked my knees on the first hike and spent most of the night in pain so we did not want to risk it.

Sunrise in the mountains makes it a lot easier to get out of bed.

And this just makes it all worth it.

What better way to celebrate 7yrs together then to push yourselves to your breaking point and then keep on going.