We had a slow start the next day after our race to Stump Lake, but got going around 10. We ran into kayakers ken and Dave who were headed for the Twin Cities as we were leaving and ended up crossing paths with them a couple more times throughout the day.
Made it out of the lake and to the Otter Power dam pretty quick and did our first portage. The wheels worked great, thanks Jim and Sharon, though they need some air. After that we hit some shallow, rocky areas that would have been class 1 rapids, if the water was up. As it was, it was more a minefield to gingerly walk through. We made it ok and after a couple of miles the rocks dissipated and the water was deeper. We did pop the last strut to the stern on one sneaky rock, but it diesn't seem to be leaking, thank goodness!
From the it was more marshy area until lunch just up from Wolf Lake. Wolf was just a quick trip through a bay and was no problem. Right after that we went across the south end of Andrusia, with strong winds out of the north, woot! The boat, Aaron and Lily did fine, but I was more than a little nervous in those waves!
By mid afternoon we were at Cass Lake. The winds were still strong, but we were headed down the north shore and were pretty well sheltered. There's a large island in the west half of the lake that we planned on camping on, on the north side. By then we were tired and a bit beaten down by the winds and clouds, but we just had a short stretch SE to go. By the time we got there we were riding pretty good rollers to shore.
We found a, mostly, sheltered spot for the tent and hung the tarp as an extra wind break. We hiked a bit to find the lake within the island, Lake Windigo, which was a cute little lake tucked behind a few cottages. After a dinner of, surprise, more pasta and a pep talk to raise our spirits, we hit the sack.
At this point the phones were pretty much dead and the solar charger was only good for a quick call or weather check, so no pics for the day. Just imagine it's cold and windy then bob up and down for 8 hours, you'll get the picture.
Hey it's the Terpstras. (well mostly just Hannah) We are glad to see that you guys are on your way and that you are having fun. Terry wants you to know that if the techies at the school can unblock this page (and it stays school appropriate) he and his classes will be staying updated on your trip. Stay safe. Keep your spirits up. And be nice to our boat! :D Haha. Good luck!!!
ReplyDeleteWe will be checking in every few days on your progress. You gotta love smartboards and interactive classrooms. I will introduce you guys to the class today......you are blogstars now.....Terry
ReplyDeleteClass questions 1) Why are you doing this trip? Did you take weapons? What will be your food sources, stores, hunting/gathering?
ReplyDeleteGood luck from my eighth grade american history students......Terry
Do you get seasick? How much provisions can you carry comfortably? Are you sore yet? Will you be fishing along the way?
ReplyDeleteThe kids would like to know what animals you see. Is Lily enjoying herself?
1. Why?
ReplyDeletePaddling the MS seemed like a great adventure and a way to see the country in a way most people never do. We don't really have things tying us to one spot (mortgage, careers, kids, etc) so now was the time to do it if we were gonna.
2. Weapons?
No, no weapons. We thought about about bringing a gun for hunting, but the restrictions and liscensing made it too difficult. We do have a hatchet, camp saw and some knives, but for tools, not weapons.
3. Food
We bring all our food with us. We do plan on fishing as we have time. We eat of hot cereal, pasta, rice, eggs and jerky.
4. Seasick?
No, the waves aren't really that big except on the lakes. It is a little nerve racking on the bigger water if the wind is up, but not enough to upset the stomach.
5. Provisions
We carry about a week's worth, but could carry more, if need be. We don't have to worry about weight too much, except at portages, and we have wheels to transfer the canoe for those. We buys Lily's food in 17 lb bags, which last about 2 wks. We fill up on water whenever we can and carry about 7 gallons.
6. Sore?
Yes! The first couple of days we pretty brutal. Mainly our arms, shoulders and backs, but after a full day even our rears get sore. We're getting stronger now, but the days are still hard!
7. Fishing?
Yep, just haven't gotten around to it yet.
8. Animals
We've seen a tin of animals. There were lot's of ducks and geese in the wetlands, of course, but we also saw swans, otters, turtles and mink. Later we saw a bunch of bald eagles and blue herons and for the last couple of days we've heard owls as we set up camp. We've also surprised a couple of deer as we came around the bends.
9. Lily
She seems to be enjoying the trip! She likes to bound around camp and chase frogs in the mornings and evenings. It was pretty cold for a couple of days last week, and rainy, and she didn't like that, but we had a doggie blanket mailed which should help.
Thanks for following along! We'll try and stay updated as much as possible and we'll keep checking for questions. We at the mercy of our phone battery and finding electricity along the way, but we should be able to post once or twice a week.