A long time of not writing in this blog and a lot of water under the hull and snow under the skis!
After a summer drought we have had large quantities of rain in September and October. The trees were first stressed by a lack of water and now they have a lot of rain and wind to strip them of bright leaves.
My kayak season, which I thought was over is still not quite wound down with a safety course over in Munising this Friday, which Carl the outfitter is going to make monetarily worth my while by paying me for 2 days of work as well as $ for bringing down a tandem kayak from Sam at Copper Harbor.
It was a great season of back to back trips and many small adventures at Pictured Rocks, Grand Island and Isle Royale. I don't think that I've had quite such a busy season of trips in many years. The money flowed into the bank, though it is now flowing out for things that I've wanted like a Jotul wood stove, stainless chimney liner and work on my car and expenses with kids in college.
On this rainy day in October, with so many home chores to do... What am I thinking of, but my last winter's activity. The dog team guiding over in the Boundary Waters at Wintergreen Dog Sled Lodge. Not that it was all fun; a lot of work and the guides are run ragged for what they are paid - at least that's my perspective when I compare it to the sea kayak guiding. But in spite of stress factors and pay, it is a lot of fun, especially for the oldest guy in the whole operation. To be able to keep up on skis with guys that are half my age is awesome! And the $ do add up with tips padding the purse.
My back finally gave out on me during the end of the season with what ended up being a herniated L5 disc. The surgery was fairly non-intrusive with instant relief after a 6 week period of suffering. I doubt that I'll ever be quite as careless in the rest of my life at lifting. Thus far I have a good reminder in a dull sciatica throb in my butt when I don't lay right or go overboard on lifting.
So far this year, since I've been out of the kayak, I haven't spent much time out on rambles or paddles hereabout. Too many projects to complete and chores to do that have been left waiting during my busy summer afield. I did run the south branch of the Ontonogon River with my Pastor friend, Tom Anderson. It was a 2 day trip with rugged and raw weather and a lot of rocks.
After a summer drought we have had large quantities of rain in September and October. The trees were first stressed by a lack of water and now they have a lot of rain and wind to strip them of bright leaves.
My kayak season, which I thought was over is still not quite wound down with a safety course over in Munising this Friday, which Carl the outfitter is going to make monetarily worth my while by paying me for 2 days of work as well as $ for bringing down a tandem kayak from Sam at Copper Harbor.
It was a great season of back to back trips and many small adventures at Pictured Rocks, Grand Island and Isle Royale. I don't think that I've had quite such a busy season of trips in many years. The money flowed into the bank, though it is now flowing out for things that I've wanted like a Jotul wood stove, stainless chimney liner and work on my car and expenses with kids in college.
On this rainy day in October, with so many home chores to do... What am I thinking of, but my last winter's activity. The dog team guiding over in the Boundary Waters at Wintergreen Dog Sled Lodge. Not that it was all fun; a lot of work and the guides are run ragged for what they are paid - at least that's my perspective when I compare it to the sea kayak guiding. But in spite of stress factors and pay, it is a lot of fun, especially for the oldest guy in the whole operation. To be able to keep up on skis with guys that are half my age is awesome! And the $ do add up with tips padding the purse.
My back finally gave out on me during the end of the season with what ended up being a herniated L5 disc. The surgery was fairly non-intrusive with instant relief after a 6 week period of suffering. I doubt that I'll ever be quite as careless in the rest of my life at lifting. Thus far I have a good reminder in a dull sciatica throb in my butt when I don't lay right or go overboard on lifting.
So far this year, since I've been out of the kayak, I haven't spent much time out on rambles or paddles hereabout. Too many projects to complete and chores to do that have been left waiting during my busy summer afield. I did run the south branch of the Ontonogon River with my Pastor friend, Tom Anderson. It was a 2 day trip with rugged and raw weather and a lot of rocks.
I am taking the dog team down from the dog yard at Wintergreen to White Iron Lake, below the lodge. where we set up a stake out yard. It looks like the one lead dog is glancing back to see if I was thrown off the sled as we just came out of the steep and bumpy trail. Wintergreen has Canadian and Greenland Inuit dogs, rather than the Alaskan Huskies that I mushed for many years. Inuits are slower (like little Sherman tanks) but are true work dogs for sledging.The trail down is too hazardous for the guests to be allowed to take the dogs and sleds down on their own. Usually the guides only mush the dogs over places too dangerous for the guests' safety, generally steep and bumpy places. Even so, many of the trips have multiple runaway sleds that the guides have to catch.
This last picture shows a tired lead-dog-man (me) looking over the trail in the BWCAW while I'm gliding along. I may be looking at a beaver lodge over at the base of the woods ( right middle of the photo).
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