Never a Dull Moment

I've been doing so much in a week that I don't remember it all.  Sorry!  I guess I'll just have to stick to the highlights.

Saturday's story is kinda X-Rated, and I don't know if I should share...

I've strapped on my snowshoes quite a few times this week.  One time was up Manganese Falls where the water is still rushing, but ice has formed on top.  Quite surreal, but my picture did not turn out.  From there it was up to Lake Manganese and up the ridges behind it.  That's a cool spot to hike if you've never been there.

Sunday I was going to go out to Porter's Island to check out the ice volcanoes.  I was crossing the large chunks of wobbly ice carefully, and I looked back to beckon my three canine friends.  They all looked at me like, "Heck no, crazy woman.  We are NOT going out there!"  And they didn't.  So I walked back.  I bet we would have been fine because I saw a couple ice fishermen out there.  However, by yesterday morning, all that ice had blown out.  Smart dogs.

Cwyfan, Duce and Tiki on our alternate adventure

Yesterday I was all ready to go skiing on a glorious, cement snow powder day, when ring, ring!  "Amanda, it's for you."  "Hello?  Oh, sure, I'll come into work today."  I'm a sucker, but I prefer to think of it as good karma.  I did get two glorious runs in before I hustled down to work.  At least it was busy at the Bear Belly, so I didn't have to look longingly across the road at Mount Bohemia.

Today I meandered over to the snow fort.  Everything looked great.  Walls were still up.  Snow was all around.  View was priceless.  

A view of Lake Superior over the new fort wall

Then I headed back along the frozen shore.

Open water in the Harbor

Well, okay.  You've made it this far, so I'll tell you about Saturday.  Now I work in the tourist industry where I see many snowmobilers during my shift.  I had never driven a snowmobile before Saturday, so I really didn't know about snowmobiling people besides in the bar.

That particular day I had to find a couple sledders (snowmobilers) to help me start this snowmobile that I was going to drive up to Clark Mine with my friend Donica.  She is very artsy and creative.  We were going to do a photo shoot.

Of course a couple guys are going to help a chick in the parking lot asking to start her sled.  "I've never driven one before."  I told them.  "And I don't know how to start it."  After finding the correct key, they helped me start it.  Vroom!  Then they made sure I could start it myself.  Vroom!  Off I went to get Donica.

We got everything ready for the shoot, and about 40 minutes later, I went to start the sled. Nothing.  Crap.  Try again.  Nothing.  We went to find her man, and with one turn of the key, Vroom! he had it going.  How come I couldn't do that?

Up the hill we drove at a nice, easy pace.  It was a fun ride, really.  I would love to ride around the Keweenaw on one of those things... if I could start it.

We made it.  Clark Mine.  The ride went smooth, and we got right down to business.  Here's where it gets risque.  I was sitting in my pose, well off the trail, behind the stack, like this:

Posing with a haiku on my back

When all the sudden, reen, reen!  I looked through that little gap in the trees, and there was a snowmobiler.  He took one look and said. "Whoa!" then waved for his buddies.  Another one came around with a GoPro on his helmet, but I was already curled up and yelled, "See ya!"  They yelled, "Sorry!" and drove away.

Donica and I laughed so hard.  Can you imagine their surprise?  I mean, they're out in the wilderness in the middle of nowhere, and there's this woman sitting in the snow... I don't need to explain this, I'm sure.  Oh, gosh did we laugh! 

Once the shoot was done, and most of my extremities were numb, we were ready to go back.  "Let's see if this thing starts!"  Nope, nope and nope.  So we started walking.  "Someone will pass us," we thought.

Soon enough, a group of four sledders came past.  "You break down?" one asked.  He tried to start our sled, but it was totally seized up.  We hopped on with them and got back home safely.  Then I just had to ask Aaron to rescue the sled for me.  He did.  What a man.

Right now he is trying to get his portable ice shanty out of the 18" of slush on Lake Fanny Hooe.  I tell you, never a dull moment in da Harbor!

A New Fort and Brockway

Wow.  This winter has been quite fulfilling.  Work has been busy.  Adventures have been plentiful.  Hobbies have been creative.  I am grateful.

Last Tuesday, when the temps rose and the snow turned heavy and wet, Mr. Brimm and I went out to (dun, dun, DUN!) build a snow fort!  I took him to the spot were Fort Juniper was, but he saw a more manageable spot one ridge over, so we started there.  We got a great foundation built in an hour and a half.  I think we got more built in one day's work than all winter when I worked by myself!  No thanks to the many melts on that, though.

Since that day temps plummeted and the snow has been too dry to work with.  That's okay.  I can wait for a good building day.  There's plenty to do on the mean time!

Like yesterday.  Aaron and I journeyed up Brockway Mountain.  He wore his skis and skins on the way up, and I wore my snowshoes.  He was taking GPS points for a downhill mountain bike trail, so I just meandered behind him.  It was delightful to be out on a calm day.  Here are some of the moments captured in that adventure.

Looking north to the Big Lake

Looking north higher up the mountain

Aaron's tracks through the trees

The sun through the clouds at the top

I couldn't help but put together a little video for you.  Come with me!

I finally learned how to edit videos.  Can you tell?  You are a part of my learning process, so bear with me.  The clips should get snazzier as I figure more out, but don't set your expectations too high.  I'm a writer, not a videographer!