3 Miles that Don't Count - Day 206

  There are three new official miles of North Country Trail here at the western end, but they don't count yet. Huh? Well, they are part of a plan to get the trail off the road across Garrison Dam (you'll see it tomorrow). But at this point, they don't connect to anything. They are on the interactive map without mileage numbers, but they aren't even on the Avenza and paper maps.

Anyway, I had to do them. Just because, right? Om is willing to walk 3 miles, and I figured it would be good to get my legs used to this idea again. Currently, this trail is a loop around the Garrison Fish Hatchery.

They have recently resurfaced the whole thing with pea gravel, and added signs and blazes.

I'm really glad I did this! It was not typical of the rest of the North Dakota trail. A lot of the loop was through open cottonwood forest. It's not often you see this many trees in one place out here. Nice Shaded walking.

But the most awesome part is that you get to cozy right up to the Missouri River! Think Lewis & Clark. In fact, the reason the NCT terminus is out here is because it connects to the Lewis & Clark Trail, although that one is a National Historic Trail. And what's directly "cross the wide Missouri?" The Badlands. It's so bizarre... the landscape just changes immediately. I will have to find out why this is so. The geology must be interesting.

One of the best things, to me, about North Dakota is the white pelicans. Although we now see them occasionally where I live, they are everywhere out here. Huge and wonderous birds. Their wingspan is 9-10 feet, second only to the California condor. But they are shy. This is about the best picture I've ever gotten.

And don't forget we are at a fish hatchery. Here goes a truck full of walleye fingerlings. About a million of them in that one truck, we were told. You can see the hatchery ponds too.

We are set up beside a church. The pastor is super welcoming, and he took us out to lunch. I got some of my work done, although with the walk and moving the trailer and lunch, I didn't get started on it until 2 pm. Sigh.

Tomorrow, I walk miles that count!

See North Dakota!

North Dakota! - Day 205

  There wasn't even a North Dakota sign on the road I traveled as I entered the state! Well, here is what everyone thinks all of North Dakota is like. But it just ain't so!

There are only two really level places along the entire North Country Trail. What kind of surface is self-leveling? Water, right? So here, in western Minnesota and eastern North Dakota, where glacial Lake Agassiz once held more water than the current Great Lakes combined, the filled-in lake is flat.

Where else is flat on the NCT? Nortwest Ohio- the remains of the Great Black Swamp.

But soon after entering ND, the terrain becomes rolling hills. Not huge hills, but definitely rolling. It's still several hours of driving to reach the Missouri River and the terminus of the NCT. I'm not quite there, even yet (just a very few miles). But the water behind the trees is Lake Audubon, the eastern end of Lake Sakakawea.

Tonight I'm in a campground right on the shore of Lake Audubon. It's a Corps of Engineers campground, and my interagency senior pass gets me half off here too!

The day was blistering hot. Thankfully, it's supposed to cool off some tomorrow. My next helper arrived. Look who it is! Yup, Om and I will travel together for a while. Terrible picture, but it's too hot to care about trying for another one.

Tomorrow, I am still not hiking. It's going to rain, and I am so far behind on "paperwork" that I'm going to spend the day concentrating on getting a lot of it caught up. Then I'll hike on Saturday.

See Tucked In with the Minnesota Mosquitoes

Tucked In with the Minnesota Mosquitoes - Day 204

  I am at a Forest Service Campground- with senior discount just $7 a night! No electic, but that's no big deal for one night. I'm inside; the Minnesota state birds and the horseflies are outside. Perfect.

I drove a little farther today, but it was fine. The weather was cooler (77 as opposed to 90). I took a longer break in the middle of the day to buy groceries and spend some time online trying to get North Dakota logistics worked out (standing up, not sitting). My hips didn't start to ache until the last 45 minutes. The biggest challenge of the day was not getting annoyed at all the construction with one lane roads and flagmen.

Welcome to Wisconsin.

Welcome to Minnesota.

I tried to get a picture of the Mississippi River, but my point-and-click-without-looking technique failed in that case.

I confess, it's a little daunting to think that I'm going to walk back all this way. So I just won't think about it!

Onward to North Dakota tomorrow!

See Yooper Turtle Ninja Save

Yooper Turtle Ninja Save - Day 203

  I'm in da U.P. Left home before 8 a.m. Not bad for me! Crossed the bridge (that's the Mackinac Bridge) just about at noon.

I'm at the home of the Yooper Turtle, who doesn't like her picture taken, but she let me show you the turtle. It got a new paint job a couple of years ago. The Turtle is Lorana, super NCT volunteer and supporter. And she's a good friend. I'm at her house for the night. She has quite a turtle collection (she thinks over 1000, but this is the biggest). She's always welcoming.

While we are thanking people who give me places to stay, I never showed you the team that helped me in western Vermont. Kelli is on the left and her mom, Marilyn on the right. I stayed at Marilyn's house and they both helped me with rides. That was especially generous, as Kelli's daughter graduated from high school on the same weekend, so they were already very busy.

I'm a third of the way to my North Dakota destination. It would be possible to do the drive in two days, but I get really stiff if I spend 12 hours driving in one day any more (not to mention bored out of my skull). Not even going to try it.

See Sunny Gets Some Atttention

Sunny Gets Some Attention - Day 202

  I have a big list of stuff to do at home. I hope to leave at 7 a.m. tomorrow. We shall see. But Sunny got some love today. He got a much needed bath.

There aren't even any dead bugs or plastered mud on the front any more.

I need to explain what you are seeing in this picture. Just look at the curved black edge on the door opening. That is a rubber molding I ordered last fall, but it didn't come before I left on this trip. It just protects the rough edge on the fiber reinforced plastic panel that covers the wall around the door. It looks better and the edge is both protected from cracking if gets hit, and it is no longer exposed to cut skin that might accidentally rub against it.

Perhaps the best project was to get one of those magnetic-closure screen doors installed. I'm headed for hot and buggy summer. This is just fastened in with velcro, so if it turns out to be more trouble than it's worth, there's no damage. These aren't perfect bug barriers, but they are better than 12 square feet of open space!

There are still things on the list. I'm dawdling. Need to stop that and move it along. Only a couple of significant items left, though.

Printed maps, got oil changed, shopped for miscellaneous items and shoes (got some that will work), did small stupid stuff, and what you see above.

See Big Sort & Clean