Magical Snow - Day 381

  This was a fairly easy walking day with only two real hills. The only thing that was a bit challenging was that the snow was deeper in the last three miles. It provided just enough drag that my hips ached, but I got through it.

The wet snow from yesterday clung to branches. When the sun peeked out occasionally, there was magic.

And, I was wrong about not seeing Lake Superior any more. I forgot that the trail follows it again here along Whitefish Bay. It wasn't making noises today. It's already stiff here in the bay.

I liked this place where the ice had shattered into puzzle pieces. The sky looked ominous, but nothing came of it.

The most significant trail feature of the day is Naomikong Bridge. "Ne-amikoong" refers to the presence of beaver. You might recognize the "amik" in the middle of the longer word, which means beaver.

I want to give a huge shout-out to the Hiawatha Shore-to-Shore chapter here. This section used to have a long, long stretch of narrow boardwalk that was obscured by tall shrubs. You had to push your way through and keep your feet on the boards by feel. They have been replacing that trail with wider boardwalk on higher ground. So very much better! They had also done a ton of chainsaw work to remove large fallen trees. And a long, long flight of stairs to get the trail up the Naomikong bluff was nicely constructed with risers that were low enough they don't make your thighs ache on each step. I think those were built by the Forest Service, but they were great. It's a 100-foot climb (not stupendous, but a steep bluff), but it was nearly painless.

As I mentioned, the snow was deeper in the afternoon. The walking was a chore, but the woods was amazing. I couldn't stop taking pictures. These two are my favorites.

My trail angel for the day was Dennis. He helped me spot my car in the morning.

Miles today: 13.3. Total miles so far: 4349.7.

See Redstem Stork's Bill