Sap is flowing

Maple Trees and SHT Hiking

So last week we tapped some maple trees. This picture is of the 'sugar shack' in the middle of the 'sugarbush.' Anyway we tapped like 20 trees, no sap is running yet because it's still too cold. The days need to be above 40, and still below freezing at night. But we get to tap more trees with kids during certain classes. All the sap will be collected here and boiled into syrup at the 'shack.' 

For some odd reason we had this Monday and Tuesday off (a mini spring break?) and I went to hike Carlton Peak which is about 20 min north of where I'm at. Also it's a hike I'll frequent this summer because it's close to the resort I'll be working at. 

These trails are all part of the Super Hiking Trail (SHT) system that runs from Duluth to Canada. 

Hiking in winter is so crazy and I'm glad I'll get to see it again without snow because I know it will be completely different. Ice was seeping out of the cliffs, and the snow pack of the trail is probably a couple feet deep. Also walking on snow works so many muscles in  my legs I didn't know I had. 

Carlton Peak overlook - it looks south along the shore.

 Pretty birches.

Ted Tofte overlook - next to Carlton Peak. 

Ellen + Thistle Forever

What can I say, it was love at first sight. I don't think I've ever seen Thistle be so sweet to anyone before. He didn't try to bite her once!

We also took a photo, bar style, with our girl Elcie. 

Ellen had her first adventure hanging out in a quinzee (that weird snow cave/igloo thing we built in January).

We decided snowshoeing was the best way to conquer Wolf Ridge. It was snowing and foggy all day but we had a blast....well when Ellen figured out how to stop stepping on her own feet we had a blast.

Of course we had to take the obligatory photos of Ellen with chickadees on her head. Thankfully her expressions were hilarious!













In case you bird nerds are wondering, that's actually a red breasted nuthatch on her hand.

We went down to Raven Lake where we couldn't see farther than 15 feet. It was starting to give us vertigo so we stuck to the shoreline where we could still see trees and know which way was up.

We popped over to Wolf Lake to use our underwater cameras in the ice fishing houses.

Of course we hit the ropes course, where it was snowing even more heavily. It was the slickest it's ever been for me especially on the single wires, but Ellen was a trooper and pushed through it.

We also did some rock climbing, hung out with my loony roommates, and a second visit to say bye to Thistle. I was so thankful to have Ellen visit and share my life here with her! 

Then on Sunday, I got 2nd place in the Wolf Ridge cribbage tournament! Woot.                                                               Then around midnight we watched a dogsled race come through town. It is a mandatory stop so the teams would come in, unhook the dogs, the dogs were wearing cute little boots, then bed them down for the night. 

Field Trip

Last weekend we had an overnight field trip in Ely. Our Friday night was spend at an YMCA camp, and a picture shows some of their very first cabins from the 30's. We went because they also receive school groups during the year, but they do it on a much smaller scale. Their biggest week is 120, while ours is 380. They have a much more fluid style, while we have a set curriculum. Although I should clarify that while we have curriculum here and set concepts/lesson plans for each class....it still varies quite a bit from naturalist to  naturalist on what we actually do. 

But this camp actually has existed much longer as a summer camp and is really well established. The summer is based on trips, backpacking or canoeing anywhere in  US and Canada. Picture of us checking out their trips in Ontario. 

 They also construct their on wood canvas canoes there....pretty cool.





And  each canoe in  their fleet has it's own journal. Whenever a canoe is taken on a trip they come back and write about it's adventure. Pretty cute.

We also spent a lot of time just hanging out with our teaching equivalents there. Friday night we also did a sauna and dip. Ok so MN's do this crazy thing where they sauna, and then jump into a frozen lake. The cut a whole about 4x4 feet and put a ladder in. I had avoided this whole process until now but felt like I really had to check it off my list. The worst parts could be any of the following: sweating profusely in the sauna, stepping out of the sauna  and seeing the steam emulate from yours and others bodies, the 30 second run to hole in the lake, jumping in the lake, freaking out trying to get out of the lake, the 30 second run back to the sauna, or when you are still cold after coming back into the sauna. So anyways, checked it off my list, probably will never do it again. 

 Then on Saturday we visited the International Wolf Center to visit a little with their education department....and read their cool bathroom stall literature :)




  Look at how cute the wolf is! They have wolves there that were all born in captivity and they call it their ambassador pack.

And lastly, I have lots of fun photos of ice on Lake Superior. Starting with frozen harbor at Duluth Canal Park, lighthouse in Two Harbors, and ice sheets piling up north of me. 

Animal Photos....

The love of my life.

Elcie photobombed Thistle's picture.

 A picture of a picture of Thistle as a baby. So darn cute. 

But look at him showing me his quills! He's a cranky pants.

Enjoy the rest :)