April Is Here, But Spring Is Not

I went to the Canada for Easter weekend. Stayed with friends in Thunder Bay, and of course it snowed on Easter. 

 For part of the snowy Easter we hung out at Tim Hortons which is kinda like a Dunkin Donuts but a little nicer. It's a big chain there, named after a hockey player of course.

 The bay at Thunder Bay....still frozen. Sleeping giant (cool land form...) is covered with fog but I promise it is across the way.

 For April Fool's Day we all dressed up as Jacques (our inappropriate French Voyager that teaches the voyageur class) and replaced our staff photos.

It snowed on the ridge over the weekend...another 5 inches.

 Still have ~20 inches of snow on the ground.

 Sap is flowing from the maple trees! It takes something like 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup.

Went for a hike at Caribou River. Ice is slowly breaking open. 

Water Falls  on Caribou River...

Ok what's about to follow is pictures of taxidermy in progress. Don't look if you can't handle it. 

Seriously. 

Ok so we had a taxidermy seminar. Me and friend were working on a coopers hawk. 

You kinda cut open the belly. peel back skin super carefully and get everything out. 

Sit Back And Enjoy The Awesomeness

Critter Cam set up about 10 min walk from my home. 

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.