Cascade State Park, MN

Minnesota is such a wonderfully diverse place. Last weekend we decided to explore a park that was new to us called Cascade River State Park. It is right by Lutsen on the north shore about an hour and a half north of Duluth.

On our way up we stopped along Palisade Head near Silver Bay. It started to get incredibly foggy but it left for some cool photos and an eerie effect on the environment. That didn't stop Meghan from sticking her head over the side. It would've been great to have a clear view but it was also really interesting just exploring the area.

Palisade Head

Insane climbing crew that were heading up Palisade Head

After we left Palisade we were on our way to Cascade. It was a little confusing to figure out the map because I was trying to read it but once Meghan was back at navigating we found the start of the trail! There were a lot of immediate sights on the trail like the Cascade Falls. Once we climbed around the falls we set our sights on Lookout Mountain.

What am I supposed to do with my hands??

I mean just look at all this water!

It was about 1.3 miles up the trail but it was very steep. Lookout Mountain definitely lived up to its name. About 3/4 of the way up is where we found this view. It offered a vast overlook over the whole area and a great spot to snap some pictures.

Cascade Falls 

Cascade Falls

Once we had a rest we were on our way to the top of Lookout Mountain. Admittedly we were a bit out of breath but it was great practice for Glacier National Park next weekend. The park was full of visitors but we were able to be at the top by ourselves for a nice, quiet moment.

Walking up to one of the views

We decided to head back the way we came since it was getting late in the day and we had forgotten our water. The way down was much faster/easier of a trek than the way up but we were back to our car in no time and headed to Grand Marais for some dinner.

On the floor lever at the start of the falls

Part of the trail up to Lookout Mountain

A recommended spot that we tried out was the Gun Flint Tavern. Offered up a much needed beer as well as some delicious food to refuel on. This was our first time in the town of Grand Marais but it was a beautiful lake town right on Lake Superior.

Down the river from Cascade Falls

Slightly more tan and full of food we headed back to Superior for the night. I would definitely love to go back up and camp a few days up there but it's always great spending time in the deep woods of Minnesota.

Wanderlust Women

Stay awesome adventurers.
Meg and Marie

Boundary Waters

Day 1:
Meg and I ventured out bright and early to head over to Ely, MN to start our journey. We rented our canoe from the Boundary Water Guide Service. In hindsight we should have gotten the Kevlar canoe instead of the metal canoe. Portaging with a canoe that weighs over 70lbs will be a memory we can't forget. We loaded up on bug spray and sun screen and set off!

Taking a little break mid day.

The first view into BWCA; Wood Lake

One major thing we didn't notice about the maps is that the portages were listed as a distance in "rods" which is about 16.5 feet. So the first portage into Wood Lake was 196 rods but really it was about 3200 feet. This was a rude awakening into what we were getting into for the next 3 days, but we were ready to do it.

Enjoying a lunch break

After a few trips we finally made it to the water. Such beautiful and pristine water. Meg was the wonderful navigator and once we were orientated it was a nice relaxing row across the water. 2 more portages and we were able to get to our camp site on Good Lake. We were so physically exhausted that we passed out pretty quickly after setting up the tent. We did wake up for a bit and were able to see the beautiful stars that were visible.

We really didn't want to get up

View from our first campsite

Day 2:
The physical exhaustion was real. We slept until about 9am and once we were all packed up we headed to the next portage, which was a bit tricky to find. We did a change of course because we couldn't find our original portage so now we had a detour into Moist Bay. Our goal was to get to an island in Wind Bay but an un-foreseen detour had us camping out in Moist Lake. We found a nice a spacious campsite and were able to lay out and just relax.

This was Hoist Bay where we had a pit stop for lunch

I will say it would've been fun to do some fishing or other activities. However then we would've had to carry along that equipment and it just wasn't in the cards. This was definitely a break from the constant need to entertain ourselves with smartphones, computers, or the outside world. What we were making for food were freeze dried backpacking meals. They turned out to be surprisingly tasty and super filling. All you have to do is boil water and put the water int he pouch and let that sit for a bit and then enjoy. They hardly took up any room and only got lighter as we ate them.

Really couldn't get enough of BWCA

Day 3: 
We were ready to head out bright and early. We were nervous that we wouldn't make it to our pick up place on time. When we woke up we were surrounded by a giant white sheet of god. It was eerie and serene. We waited until about 7am until we could at least see across to the other side of the lake so we could get some bearings.

It was a good view up for a nap

Meghan was at the helm and led us through the 2 portages we had left that day. The last portage was especially difficult with slick rocks and steep inclines but we made it to Moose Lake. It was a beautiful sight to know that we had made it out of the Boundary Waters in one piece. I know I personally felt great about my sunburn, bruises, scrapes, and dirt covered body because it was my first time out there and we had made it.

Our final campsite had multiple places like these

When you're in the total isolation of the Boundary Waters you learn to appreciate a lot of little things. Like Holiday breakfast sandwiches, hot showers, radio. We learned a lot about our equipment, ourselves, and the land. You get to enjoy what it's like to be just you, the water, and the woods just to be reminded how awesome of a place Minnesota is.

First Outing of the Year

Hey Adventurers!

     This past weekend we took our first trip of the season. Meghan has some family friends that own a cabin up on Snake River near Hinkley, MN. We didn't fully backpack but we did hike to the location and test out the equipment we had. It was also the first time that Aliya, Meg's 4 year old daughter, was camping. She was incredibly excited but wasn't too keen on the 2 mile hike to the cabin.

This was the view we had from our tent.

     The common theme from the quick trip was "good to know!". It was good to know that I needed a smaller sleeping bag, larger pack, and other things. It was also good to know what muscles got sore from carrying our packs, and carrying Aliya when she begged Rie enough, so we know what body parts to train.

Meg setting up the tent and the contents of Rie's pack all over the ground.

     Minnesota lived up to it's reputation with unpredictable weather because it was supposed to be around 65 degrees and sunny. That forecast turned into being 55 but feels like 30 with overcast clouds. The tent turned out to be more spacious than I anticipated. It fit Meg, Aliya, and I relatively comfortably. It did get a bit cold but it was all a learning process.

Aliya throwing sticks into the water. 

   We were able to test out the water purifier as well. It was incredibly impressive at being able to turn the river water into being drinkable in only a few minutes. Granted the color of the water looked unappetizing it tasted just like well water! The type of water purifier Meg got was the Platypus  Gravity Works 4 Liter. It worked wonders!

Paused the four wheeler ride to take a selfie

The best view from an outhouse you'll ever see.

Although this wasn't the hardest camping trip it was a really nice start to the summer, Aliya was able to enjoy her first camping trip, and we all were able to enjoy nature even if it was for a short time.  This ended up being an exciting quick trip that will only lead to more fun this summer. 

It was a long day so Rie and Aliya crashed hard.

A Marine and an Artist...

...decided to pair up and take some trips together.

The Marine 
[Meghan]

     I was born in Hinckley, MN where we lived on 280 acres. When I was younger, my dad would always take my sister, myself, and his friends on "walk abouts" where we would walk miles through the woods and scout for deer. We would also go camping all the time. I don't think I spent a weekend inside in the summer until I was a teenager. When I was 13 we moved up to Lake of the Woods, and the outdoor activities did not stop then. It didn't matter if it was fishing or setting up deer stands with my dad I were always outside.

     When I was 18 I joined the Marine Corps where hiking 12 miles before lunch happened pretty frequently.  To be honest, having to hike at someone else's pace can kind of take the fun out of it, but being on top of a hill to see the Southern California sunrise was amazing.

     Now I am currently chained to a desk for 8 hours a day dreaming of weekends and vacation days so I can get some sun on my face and dirt on my shoes. I love planning these trips that we are going to be taking. Figuring out what trails and the best water sources, food planning, the best gear, filling out permits and the whole process have completely filled my winter and I am so excited to get started!

The Artist 
[Marie]

     I was born and raised on Lake of the Woods; wasn't too hard to explore nature as a kid. I would spend most of my days playing around the creek behind my house, throwing rocks at Canada, and burning to a crisp in the middle of the lake. I was always hard to wrangle in as a kid from playing until sun went down and after the mosquitoes had taken a pint of my blood.

     After high school I went off to college to get my art degree. I never knew what I wanted to do with it but learning about my art and myself made me realize my love of nature. It's so fascinating and ever changing that it is a shame not to explore it. 

     I've always listed hiking as one of my favorite things to do. It's my favorite way to enjoy the outdoors and discover new things. It's been exciting being able to plan all these trips with Meghan. Outside my window at work is a creek that is always full of wildlife, and it makes me want to lace up my new hiking boots and turn them into old ones. 

The Places

     When we aren't at our day jobs we have plans to take trips to the Boundary Waters in Minnesota, weekend camping trips to the North Shore, and weekends at various state parks all leading up to our greatest trip, Glacier National Park. Annually we want to tackle a new trail, at a new park, for a full week at a time. We hope to take up as much of our free time as we can with finding new trails. We are going to be able to get on our gear, slap on some sunscreen, and wander around to find new places. 

The Blog

     Mainly this blog is for us, family, and friends. This will be our documentation, writings, photos, and videos of all of our hiking endeavors. We want to offer any advice we can that we we had before taking trips such as what we wish we knew before our initial preparations, quick trips, tykes who hike (Trips that will include Meghan's daughter), etc. This is also a way to show off all the fun we will be having together.



     We hope that we've peaked your interest and you'll join us along our travels!

Stay awesome fellow Adventurers!

-Meg and Rie