Ice Caves trip
This past winter was long and cold. It was one for the record books.
I am glad to see it has finally left.
Just the same, I had some fun during this past winter. I've often found bad weather to be more tolerable when you get out and enjoy it.
I had plans on writing something a bit more about this trip. It happened the weekend of March 8-9. Mostly because I had a rare weekend to myself. I figured it would be busy. But I didn't make any plans other than "Go to ice caves." Little did I know how busy it actually would be. I've been to Washburn/Bayfield in the winter before. It is normally very quiet. It was not quiet. It was busier than I'd ever seen it during the winter, without a doubt.
Anyway, here are a few of my trip notes. Hope you enjoy. I know I did.
On the way up I stopped at 50-foot snowman in Gilman, MN. It was...tall. It was actually quite impressive.
I then stopped along the way, to get out of the car for a few hours and hiked in the St. Croix State park. They had just gotten freezing rain the night prior so the snow was pretty crummy but still it was a sunny day.
As I got back on the back roads heading toward Washburn/Bayfield area I saw a dude doing a "wheelie" up hill on his snowmobile. He was about 20/25 feet from me. It was impressive.
When I finally got up there, I decided to check out the area. There was a total of four miles of cars parked along side the road (two miles each way from road to Meyers beach). Now remember I had no plan other than to go, and quickly found that nearly every place was full.
After food a beer (or two) at Patsy's I decided that the idea of going to the ice caves just wasn't going to happen. There was a mini freak out and disappointment. Once I wrapped my head around it all, I headed west toward Duluth. I stopped to get some coffee for what looked to be a long night of driving in Iron River, WI. A few miles down the road I entered Brule, when would should appear (no it was a jolly elf and seven reindeer, though that wouldn't have surprised me at that point), one word, three syllables... "Vacancy"
The scene of the magic was the Brule River Motel. I stopped in and as I was getting out of the car, two more cars pulled in and I thought..."There is no way they will have three rooms."
I let the woman who got out of the car go ahead of me because she looked even more frazzled than I was. She then shared her story of just wanting to take her grand kids to the ice caves and how they didn't have a room and the kids were crying. At that point the owner mentions that they only have two rooms left...and while I would love one of them, I can tell this woman is clearly at her wit's end. She only takes the one. I take the other. I quickly re-organizing my things so I can get up early and haul ass out there.
Sleep for...four maybe five hours. Get up around 0430 shower, fired up some coffee and get on the road. One of maybe five or six cars on the road between Brule and Washburn.
Get there, saddle up and get on the way. Start talking to a man and a woman as we hiked out there. They mention they stayed in Brule also. Turns out the same motel (and it was a small place), room #3, I was in room #2. Talked to them all the way out to the cliffs proper.
Once I got out to the caves I kept bumping into this one guy, Dan. He was up from Evanston, IL. Lived in Minneapolis for a while. He and I talked most of the morning off and on. We talked a bit of shop (photography), talked work, life. He was good shit. I'm glad I got to meet him and spend a bit of time with him. I gave him my contact info, but I haven't heard from him since. Which is too bad. I was looking forward to seeing his pictures.
After that I wrapped up and rolled home. It was a short trip but fun. I'm glad it worked out. The beer on the front porch that night tastes exceptionally good. As did the chicken I made on the grill.
Good to take little trips. There is a lot of adventure right in one's own backyard.
I am glad to see it has finally left.
Just the same, I had some fun during this past winter. I've often found bad weather to be more tolerable when you get out and enjoy it.
I had plans on writing something a bit more about this trip. It happened the weekend of March 8-9. Mostly because I had a rare weekend to myself. I figured it would be busy. But I didn't make any plans other than "Go to ice caves." Little did I know how busy it actually would be. I've been to Washburn/Bayfield in the winter before. It is normally very quiet. It was not quiet. It was busier than I'd ever seen it during the winter, without a doubt.
Anyway, here are a few of my trip notes. Hope you enjoy. I know I did.
On the way up I stopped at 50-foot snowman in Gilman, MN. It was...tall. It was actually quite impressive.
I then stopped along the way, to get out of the car for a few hours and hiked in the St. Croix State park. They had just gotten freezing rain the night prior so the snow was pretty crummy but still it was a sunny day.
As I got back on the back roads heading toward Washburn/Bayfield area I saw a dude doing a "wheelie" up hill on his snowmobile. He was about 20/25 feet from me. It was impressive.
When I finally got up there, I decided to check out the area. There was a total of four miles of cars parked along side the road (two miles each way from road to Meyers beach). Now remember I had no plan other than to go, and quickly found that nearly every place was full.
After food a beer (or two) at Patsy's I decided that the idea of going to the ice caves just wasn't going to happen. There was a mini freak out and disappointment. Once I wrapped my head around it all, I headed west toward Duluth. I stopped to get some coffee for what looked to be a long night of driving in Iron River, WI. A few miles down the road I entered Brule, when would should appear (no it was a jolly elf and seven reindeer, though that wouldn't have surprised me at that point), one word, three syllables... "Vacancy"
The scene of the magic was the Brule River Motel. I stopped in and as I was getting out of the car, two more cars pulled in and I thought..."There is no way they will have three rooms."
I let the woman who got out of the car go ahead of me because she looked even more frazzled than I was. She then shared her story of just wanting to take her grand kids to the ice caves and how they didn't have a room and the kids were crying. At that point the owner mentions that they only have two rooms left...and while I would love one of them, I can tell this woman is clearly at her wit's end. She only takes the one. I take the other. I quickly re-organizing my things so I can get up early and haul ass out there.
Sleep for...four maybe five hours. Get up around 0430 shower, fired up some coffee and get on the road. One of maybe five or six cars on the road between Brule and Washburn.
Get there, saddle up and get on the way. Start talking to a man and a woman as we hiked out there. They mention they stayed in Brule also. Turns out the same motel (and it was a small place), room #3, I was in room #2. Talked to them all the way out to the cliffs proper.
Once I got out to the caves I kept bumping into this one guy, Dan. He was up from Evanston, IL. Lived in Minneapolis for a while. He and I talked most of the morning off and on. We talked a bit of shop (photography), talked work, life. He was good shit. I'm glad I got to meet him and spend a bit of time with him. I gave him my contact info, but I haven't heard from him since. Which is too bad. I was looking forward to seeing his pictures.
After that I wrapped up and rolled home. It was a short trip but fun. I'm glad it worked out. The beer on the front porch that night tastes exceptionally good. As did the chicken I made on the grill.
Good to take little trips. There is a lot of adventure right in one's own backyard.
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