Baking in Utah

After driving across Western Colorado on I-70, we arrived in Utah listening to what else but String Cheese Incident's Rollover. We drove about twenty miles down Utah 128, through the spectacular canyon of the Colorado River, and arrived at our solitary campsite, Hittle Bottom, to see an amazing sunset against the glowing red rocks of Fisher Tower (below).

















The Colorado River at camp, an excellent spot for a cool down swim.




































Looking south at sunset.

















We awoke early on Thursday with the sun and the heat, quickly packed up camp, and headed to Moab for breakfast and iced coffee. The tent is visible in the shade of the trees at the left.
















The bluff above our camp.




































Driving through the canyon of the Colorado River near Moab.
































Air cooled on a 110+ degree day.




















After breakfast we headed up the road to Arches National Park, an otherworldly display of rock and petrified sand with very little shade....





















Near the Windows area of the park.
































Even though it doesn't look as if much is alive, the soil is made of cryptobiotic material, a combination of lichen, moss, and other microrganisms that retain water for the sage and other desert plants.















The famous Delicate Arch.

Crested Butte and Old Man Joe

On Thursday we headed back to Colorado, and camped at Cold Spring campsite in the Gunnison National Forest near Crested Butte. We enjoyed the cool weather at camp on Thursday evening, making Tex-Mex Rice for dinner, and enjoying a fire and a few beers from the Laughing Lab brewery.
On Friday, Joe's 30th birthday (!) we hiked part of the Washington Gulch trail after a relaxing morning at camp.






































The trail gained elevation quickly and steadily, switchbacking through a huge hillside of wildflowers.






































Above is the valley from whence we came, and below is my best Sound of Music pose.















We had dinner at The Last Steep Bar and Grill in Crested Butte, a really great laid back mountain town.






































After ice cream and a stroll in town we headed back to camp for one last fire before we headed home on Saturday.

Minnesota Saturday

For the Memorial Day weekend, we took an extended holiday trip up to the North Shore of Lake Superior, where we met my parents and enjoyed a weekend of hiking, canoeing, and relaxing. We drove up on Friday, and after dinner at Betty's Pies, met with them at the cabin we rented at Shoredge, Joe's family's resort property. We shared Fern Creek cabin, recently redone, and right on Lake Superior.

















After breakfast and coffee on Saturday we explored the area around the property, along the shore, and along Fern Creek.
















































Saturday was a stormy day, which kicked up the waves on the lake, and kept our hike to only two miles. Joe and I hiked the Northern Lights Lake Trail, which we did the first time we went to Minnesota, eight years ago. The trail climbs up a hill to view the lake.









































































Check out the rainbow at the left side!

































Though the weather cleared for most of our hike, we could see rain in the distance when we returned to the car.


















We enjoyed a nice dinner at the Angry Trout in Grand Marais on Saturday night before returning to the cabin to listen to and watch the lake in the evening.

Minnesota Sunday

We started Sunday in Grand Marais with a big hikers breakfast of blueberry pancakes, scrambled eggs, hashbrowns and coffee at the Blue Water Cafe, a tradition we have kept on every visit to the North Shore. Before noon, we had dropped our car off at Lutsen ski hill, the end of our 7 mile hike, and had been shuttled to the Caribou Trail Trailhead, the start of our section hike on the Superior Hiking Trail.






















The seven mile hike took us through some old growth forest, and along the shore of Lake Agnes before going up hill to overlook the lake.
















We continued through a maple forest before coming out to an outcropping with a beautiful view of the Poplar River and it's valley. We would hike down to the river itself, where the dog took a swim and we had a snack break, before climbing back up to the other side.


















































On the west side of the valley.















The hike ended with a nice waterfall, and the relief of taking our feet out of hiking boots and slipping on comfy sandals. In the background the lodges of Lutsen, where we ski in winter are visible.






















After a long day of hiking, we met up with my parents back at the cabin and made a hearty pasta dinner before relaxing around Shoredge for the night.

Minnesota Monday

We woke up on Monday to a calm and smooth Lake Superior. After some breakfast and coffee and a little walk out on the rocks we headed up the Gunflint Trail, and Joe and I took a day trip into the Boundary Waters while my parents drove up the trail further to the Gunflint Lodge and Trail's End, viewing damage from the recent forest fire along the way.

We began our canoe trip from Poplar Lake, continued on Lake Lizz, and walked the portage to view Caribou Lake before returning. As usual, canoeing with a dog who is bred to chase waterfowl is a good time... despite a few close calls with loons and another canoe party, she only jumped out of the canoe once, at the very end of the trip.

At the portage between Poplar Lake and Lake Lizz.

After our canoe trip, we met back up with my parents for dinner at Naniboujou Lodge, along the shore of Superior, about 20 minutes northeast from Grand Marais, and about 20 miles from Canada.

After a tasty dinner we took a short walk on the pebble beach shoreline.

On Tuesday morning we packed up our belongings from the cabin, had lunch at Betty's Pies and drove back home.