The Grunwald Family Christmas Tree 2017

Today Sierra, Noelle, Grandpa and myself made the short drive out of town, just across the Littlefork River, to pick up this year's family Christmas Tree. It's a farm run by the Saunders Family. You just pull into their driveway, cut down your tree and then pay for it. We wandered among the trees for a bit,

then picked out a really nice looking spruce.

I cut it down and then we hauled it back to the car.

We used to tie-down straps to secure it to the roof

while Grandpa went and paid. It was a fun day with family!

Voyageurs National Park: Hiking a Frozen Daley Brook

Today I wanted to get out of the house and enjoy the outdoors, so despite cold temperatures and snow on the ground, I headed over towards the Ash River section of Voyageurs National Park. My goal was to hike to the Hike to Health rubbing post on the west section of the Kab-Ash Trail. I have hiked the entire Kab-Ash Trail previously, but I had forgotten to bring the passport book last time.

It was an uneventful drive to the trailhead. I saw 2 bald eagles on the way. I parked the car and quickly hit the trail. I had brought my microspikes, but was too lazy to put them on. I just wanted to get moving. I made fast time to the rubbing post, got my rubbing,

and decided to move on to the interesting bridge that crosses Daley Brook. Once I got to the bridge, the ice on Daley Brook looked pretty solid and so I thought it might be interesting to hike on the frozen ice surface.

I soon passed another branch of the brook

that I knew led to a section of the Kab-Ash Trail that crossed a the branch on a snowmobile bridge. I would make that my return route. For now I was headed north towards Kabetogama Lake. I passed a snow covered beaver lodge

and then signs of wolf got thick. There were a few piles of fur-filled scat frozen to the ice.

There were also tracks; lots of tracks.

This place must be a veritable wolf highway at times. I continued to a sharp bend in the brook and then the ice started to look a little bit sketchy and so I turned around and started to make my way back.

I passed some interesting refrozen holes in the ice

and then followed the other branch of Daley Brook

back to the Kab-Ash Trail for the return hike back to the car.

Manka Trails Snowshoe/Walking Trail

I had an extra day off today for Veterans' Day and so Noelle, Sierra and I took advantage by heading over to the local Manka Trail for a walk in the snow. There is a groomed and lighted ski trail loop, along with a walking trail, which is what we traveled on today.

Sierra wanted to wear her snowshoes and seemed exited to hit the trail.

However, it seems like her energy quickly wanes in the snow and soon enough she was lying in the snow and begging to be carried.

We took off her snowshoes and I carried them. Still, Sierra needed some extra motivation. We buried her in snow for a bit

and then ended up playing hide-and-seek as we went along the trail.

The promise of hot chocolate was the last bit of motivation needed to get Sierra moving to the end of the trail.