When the World Comes Alive

When the World Comes Alive

Over this past weekend I was lucky enough to spend the fishing 

season opener with a few friends on a trip in the Boundary Waters.

We put in off the Gunflint Trail in the pouring rain, and after 4 

hours of paddling and portaging we arrived at camp soaked and 

hungry.  Oh well, we survived.  Another day of wet and very cold 

weather followed, but thankfully the sun did eventually reappear.

On Saturday evening we took a break from fishing to spend some 

time hiking just south of Winchell Lake.  This area was burnt in 

2006 by the Redeye Lake fire.  The terrain is terribly charred, and 

aside from my curiosity about how forests regenerate, I was not 

feeling a real connection to the place.

Then as we turned back toward the canoes, the light caught hold 

of the new-grown shrubs and the entire hillside came alive.  I 

stopped to take it in, then captured this moment as I followed my 

friend Jim down the slope.

~ Hal

Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

This is the third year we've taken a summer family camping trip 

to the Boundary Waters. According to the kids it's now a tradition. 

They'll get no argument from me.

We camped with our friends Craig and Shelly, whose children are 

the same ages as Maura and Garth. The fishing was good, and we 

encountered all kinds of wildlife, including a bear that visited our 

camp.

The first two days were cool and cloudy, then the sun came out 

and we took a day trip to this area on Disappointment Lake, where 

we warmed ourselves on the rocks, swam, fished, and enjoyed a 

little bit of heaven.

~ Hal