Bear Head, As I Recall It, Sitting Here, Satisfied and Re-Charged: Part 4

Or, A Trip to Bear Head Lake State Park

Wednesday, Oct. 1: Kick-Down Mode

One of the surest proofs that I simply do not belong in the workaday world is how seamlessly I slip into a comfort zone during extended times away from work. Not only am I disengaged from what is going on back in the office, I believe my brain would short-circuit, were I to try to listen in on messages from afar. So, on the third full day of the North Woods adventure, I was wholly and truly taking it all in and content in going with the flow.

Weather reports from the International Wolf Center had suggested a progressively drier forecast for the remainder of the week; and our loose plan was to have a leisurely breakfast at camp, then head out for a family hike & picnic around the piney hill-surrounded trout lake, Lake Norberg; around which Sharon had scouted during her trail run two days prior.

When we got out there, things had truly dried out enough that we were able to enjoy alternating skies of fast-moving stratocumulus clouds with with brilliant streaks of fall sun. A short, vertical hike brought us to, perhaps, the visual feast of the trip. It was simply spectacular, as this striking and ever-changing light display I described played amidst the tree color (which was hitting peak) and innumerable ripples on the pristine lake. We spent some time there while the kids (much more concerned with the world on a macro level) noticed minnows in the water and a young water spider trying in vain to make a lunch from them.

We then hiked around two directions of the lake from our starting point, getting mulitple perspectives almost all the while keeping within sight of Norberg; and at some point during which we ate a big ol' lunch.

Afternoon included another trail run by Sharon, I think, as well as another failed fishing attempt by me. My second solo foray to the lake was not so buffoonish, and a little more satisfying. Truly, my expectations for a catch were different (non-existent?); but I was there to appreciate the solitude which - of course - can be a bit hard to come by with the girls in tow. For the rest of the afternoon, it kept truly looking like the skies were going to clear out for good on this, the final day of our stay. The last remnants of clouds would disappear to the southeast, opening up a brilliant, completely blue sky...only to have a rolling mass of gray and white utterly obscuring the sky, not more than 20 minutes later. While I concede that I'm usually not in a position to follow such things as completely; I'm not sure I've ever seen such an odd, alternating (and, yes, tantalizing) display of rain-heavy cloud cover and blue skies as I did over the final two days of our stay. Most of the pictures we brought back were taken in sunlight. You'd never know.

Anyway - homemade pita pizza for supper (yum! though the portions could have been bigger for a hungry woodsman like myself) and Raspberry Crumble for desert. Yes. THAT raspberry crumble. The same package we bought for Escalante, three years ago; and that I was conned into paying for upon our return. Well, the laugh is on you, my friends: it was delicious.

By the very end of supper - of course - it was beginning to look like skies were clearing up, finally, for good. Sharon & I made a discreet plan to meet back out by the smouldering firepit after the girls were asleep for our first opportunity at stargazing in the entire vacation. I'd actually found a 70x telescope & tripod at a thrift store recently, and we'd brought it along with - thus far - absolutely no chance to use it.So...girls to bed and, after a little bit, they fell asleep. Sharon & I snuck outside and sat next to the fire, which we stoked with a couple of new logs. How nice! Looking up at the sky, we saw stars, but...curiously, they weren't as brilliant as we were expecting. Then less brilliant. Then hardly visible. Ah, cloud cover was obviously moving in. Final proof of this was when the first few drops of rain (you're effing kidding me!) began to come down on us. Moments later, it was a steady rain and we were back in the cabin, nestled snugly in our bunks.

This last photo is kind of as an addendum, and I actually took it with special permission from Lucy. She'd had a really rough little patch of time, and was still quite upset, but just beginning to calm down and come into herself again.

I noticed this really tender moment when her little sister was doing her best to offer her comfort, and I asked Lucy if she minded if I took a picture. Amazingly, she did not. And now I share it with you.

It's awesome - they really seem to have a pretty special relationship.