cat_77 | North Shore (honeymoon-like thing)

On Friday, E and I headed up North to the shores of Superior for a honeymoon-like thing. We stayed at this resort/cabin place we've gone to in the past which is right on the shores and just beautiful. So relaxing to listen to the water on the rocks, and extra bonus of excellent food.

Yeah, so, Saturday was the interesting day? We visited a co-op in Finland, MN celebrating being around for 100 years because E works for a co-op & thought it was awesome. We took some pics on an overlook we've somehow always missed in the past, and generally just had a relaxing time. [Pics on Tumblr.]

Until she took us on a death march.

So, fun fact: Saturday was the hunting opener. Also fun fact: they use the same trails into the state forest as the hikers. Also fun fact: the map we had of said trails sucked. Final fun fact: E thought we should leave the trail to cut back towards the highway and lodge.

Yeah, that was a giant pile of fail. DON'T LEAVE THE TRAIL.

So we're lost and she asks a kid who's drunk in a deer stand where to go and he says X and his dad a stand over says Y and we went with Y because, you know, sober. Only he was so very, very wrong. Over three miles of wrong later, after stepping around rutted puddles in the setting sun, shoes covered in mud and muscles twisted from almost falling a thousand times, we met some wonderful young men on ATVs who explained where we went wrong and that there was no way we were walking back before dark. In the woods. During the hunting opener. So they gave us a ride back even though I could barely climb on to the ATV because my legs hurt so much.

They were awesome saviors and possibly underage since they turned down a thank you drink. We seriously would not have made it without them and I am not exaggerating in the least.

We had food with us. We had spare warm clothes and water and bright orange vests for people to hopefully see us with. We had phones where the GPS died after 20 minutes from the cold. We had a moment of stupidity that I will not be letting E live down for a while and, yes, I know I am at fault for following her.

Lesson learned? STAY ON THE FUCKING TRAIL.

So we got back to the lodge and washed off more frozen mud than I am willing to admit and then we had duck and pork and wine and painkillers and a soft bed.

No, I did not let her wander the state park the next day on the ride home. We did stop at the Glensheen mansion for a tour, and at Pickwicks in Duluth, and the cool gift shop on the North Shore, and then drove the long way home. To more painkillers and another soft bed.

Happy honeymoon?