This gallery contains 6 photos.
Only in the Northland. Waiting for the school bus in the winter means enduring sub-zero temperatures, wind, snow and ice. Hence personal school bus shelters. On a bike ride recently, inland from the North Shore, I spotted a number of … Continue reading
This gallery contains 6 photos.
I’m a creature of habit. On our annual cross-country ski weekends, I clamber out of bed at an absurd hour to get in a brisk morning ski before indulging in our sumptuous B&B breakfast. My friend, Susan, prefers to nourish … Continue reading
Living near the big lake, one can’t help but be interested in protecting this unique body of water. Fortunately, there just happens to be an organization devoted to that specific purpose.
We stumbled on the Lake Superior Binational Forum while planning our cycling tour. To be honest, it was their logo that attracted our attention as we thought it would look cool on our cycling jerseys. But looking more closely at their website, we discovered a lot of great material on protecting Lake Superior.
The Forum was started in 1991 and consists of volunteer representatives from Canada and the US states that border Lake Superior. Their purpose is to provide input to agencies and governments on managing the lake, and educate local residents about ways to protect and restore the lake’s natural resources. Their vision statement is “Water is Life…and the quality of water determines the quality of life.” That resonated with us.
It’s easy to get involved by being a Lake Superior Steward. All they ask is that you make simple wise choices in areas of conservation, recycling, and use of natural resources – which you may already be doing. In return, you will be connected with people who care about the lake, and have the opportunity to receive an informational e-newsletter or provide input on programs to protect the lake and its environment. Another option is to attend or participate in the many programs which are part of Lake Superior Day, July 15, 2012.
By the way, they readily agreed to let us use their logo. It is already emblazoned on our jerseys along with their web address, and we are hoping it generates interest on our cycling tour. And we’ve already signed up to be Lake Superior Stewards.
This gallery contains 6 photos.
I am no photographer. My pocket sized Canon PowerShot is always within reach, and my job is to document family events and special moments in pictures. But there are times when Mother Nature begs to be captured as well. Today … Continue reading
This is it, the cause of my sudden attachment to my bicycle, the reason for my forays out into the wind and weather for training, the shift from running to cycling. It’s the Trans-Superior Tour!
Never heard of it? Probably because it 
was my husband Rich’s brainchild. The route, the idea of spending 9 days cycling together, the challenge, and the custom cycling jersey. It’s not his first such adventure, but it is mine. I’m a cycling novice, remember? But I’m up for it!
I have to admit, his route is rather ingenious. We wanted to focus on Lake Superior, and many of the best views from the road are on the Western end. So how to contain the trip to that portion of the lake? No problem – we’ll just ferry across using Isle Royale as a stop-over! Not a bad way to get a rest mid-trip and perhaps a few hours of hiking in the wilderness.
So here is the official route. 
We start in Duluth, work our way along the South Shore and up the Keweenaw Peninsula, right up to the top at Copper Harbor. That takes five days and is the most challenging part of the route, with the longest cycling days and the most hills. From there we ferry across the lake and return along the North Shore to Duluth.
I suspect that whittling down my travel essentials to one set of panniers is going to be one of the trickier aspects of the trip. However, Rich’s mode of travel involves staying at inns and little motels along the way, so I am spared the need to schlep real gear on this venture. And I admit I like the idea of reliable shelter, hot showers and real beds.
I have between now and mid-August to be ready for this cycling tour. I will periodically update my training progress and the finer details of our trip plans during that time. And if you want the male point of view on this journey, visit Rich’s blog, NorthStarNerd.org.
Oh, and did you read the fine print on the jerseys? That last line reads “500 Miles of Love.” It has to be, or we wouldn’t be doing this!
What’s better than doing a training ride? A ride with a destination!
My husband and I have initiated Saturday training rides together, as part of our preparation for our cycling vacation this summer. Today we set our sites on Mocha Moose, a funky coffee shop up the North Shore just before Two Harbors. It would make a nice 34 mile ride round trip – not bad for our early season training.
Never mind that it was 40 degrees and cloudy. Never mind that there was going to be a headwind on the way back. Never mind that “real athletes” never stop. It was warm and friendly inside Mocha Moose. The decor was eclectic, as required fo
r a true coffee haven, and the offerings were tempting. Having done our homework, we’d originally set our sites on the sinful cinnamon rolls. But when confronted with the bakery case, it was the breakfast turnovers that called to us – layers of flaky pastry surrounding ham, cheese and egg. We’ve earned these, right?
Owner Patti lived up to her vivacious reputation, and kept us entertained while we lingered. She was a bountiful source of local flavor, including tales of other cyclists who are regulars at her place. And she was just as easily absorbed in the details for our upcoming cycling trip, which will pass by her door. We just might have to make it a stop on our tour!
It’s all in the perspective. I had lunch with a friend recently. It had been a couple years since we’d gotten together, and in the meantime she has fallen in love with the North Shore. While she had always been a year-round runner, and did some cross-country skiing, she didn’t consider herself an outdoors person. But that has changed! I was amazed to hear her excitement over camping in the early spring and late fall, hiking the trails and staying in a remote cabin mid-winter. She’s already anxious to get up there again.
It made me reflect on my own love affair with the North Shore. Some of my earliest memories include picnicking on “The Rocks” and dipping our toes into the chilly water. My family’s interaction with the shore was more limited to car trips to visit parks or ski at Lutsen. It took my high school girlfriend to introduce me to camping at Gooseberry Falls before I really engaged with the outdoors. But that was a wonderful beginning. From there, I embraced hiking, backpacking, canoeing and cross-country skiing. I learned to get closer to nature and experience the shore first-hand. I expanded the seasons for my visits and discovered the many different faces of Lake Superior’s shoreline during the freezing months.
Hearing my friend’s enthusiasm made me realize what a rich cache of experiences I have with the North Shore. We are so fortunate to have this rich wilderness area right in our back yard. Sometimes it takes hearing it from someone else’s point of view to help us remember that.
Superior Footprints 