I’d say I travel pretty frequently and most of the time my adventures take me somewhere with a theme park. But if the itinerary of my trip doesn’t include a theme park, then there’s a good chance I’ll be at a different kind of park . . . one of the National Parks. Last September my family took a two-week road trip from Minneapolis (where we took a pit-stop to check out some local roller coasters ) to the Canadian Border and headed west to see four national parks. We started with the Isle Royale National Park, then our tour led us to Voyageurs National Park.
As long as you learned something from it, it’s not a mistake.
(Sterling Malory Archer)
In days past, French Canadian Voyageurs traversed the waters of Northern Minnesota in canoes heavily laden with pelts to meet fur buyers and re-suppliers down from Quebec. Their legacy is at the core of the Voyageurs National Park. Upon hearing about this park (encompassing 3 major lakes, numerous minor ones and a portion of the Ash River at the US border) I knew that canoes were certainly going to be a part of my future visit. When researching this visit, the instant I saw the word “houseboat”, I knew my family would experience a new way of vacationing.
After stocking up with 3 days of supplies, we arrived at the rental location on the Ash River. Gear was stowed, orientation received and we eased into the river with a helpful employee in tow to impart essential knowledge on operations. After teaching us the ropes, he departed on a small motorized John boat attached to the stern. We also had one of our own, needed for getting someone ashore when tying up, emergencies, or for sightseeing. With the addition of a rental canoe, we were practically our own little navy.
We soon left the river and entered Lake Kabetogama. The name is a bit of a mouthful, so so the locals call it Lake Kab. Our vessel was one of the smaller ones at 42 feet long, and had bunks for each of us. One bunk was called a “double”, but my history with furniture knew it was 6 inches smaller than the doubles encountered on land. With a fully equipped kitchen, grill, heater and comfy seats, we were set. And to ensure nautical competence, we engaged famed mariner Tyberious Q Crunch to pilot our craft.
A navigation system utilizing buoys allows one to keep on course, and for the first few, all was well. Then it seemed like we had gone a little too long since seeing the last one. Those clearly distinct islands in the aerial photos from the park brochure? They tend to blend with any land behind them at lake level. In the end, we successfully implemented a four-point strategy designed to right our course.
1) Recognize that the compass built into the control panel was not merely decoration.
2) Utilize the mini binoculars initially purposed for wildlife spotting for buoy spotting.
3) Cheat, but only a little. Use Google Maps to get our general location, while relying on the supplied charts to navigate since they had all the hazard information.
4) Relieve the cereal box of command.
We were on track from that point forward. Life’s pace dropped dramatically from the moment we pulled away from the dock. The top speed was barely enough to qualify as slow; any maneuvers were long and drawn out, meaning that turns needed to begin well before reaching that rock at the hazard buoy. Like the nearby Lake Superior, rocks exposed here are tough granite of over 2 billion years in age, so not a lot of beaches; our smaller craft were used for close inspection of shorelines, giving a view from lily pad level of the surrounding environs and a way to explore small islets.
***They eyed us with suspicion at the rental dock upon realizing that fishing was not on our agenda. Besides the lack of gear so far from home, my experience trying for bass in LA (Lower Alabama) may not be much help with pike in the north, but angling is a big activity in Voyageurs.***
As we were more inclined to trails, we motored from the mother ship to an empty dock at the Cruiser Lake Trailhead. Like most trails in the park, a boat is needed to reach it; it’s no overstatement when saying this park is dedicated to water. We were then on foot for a little over 4 miles of undulating trail, just enough to keep things interesting without the thigh burners found in mountainous regions. The route skirted marshes and little Agnes, yet another lake (we didn’t count, but the 10,000 lakes referenced on Minnesota license plates sounds about right; the Cruiser Lake area map shows a dozen other small lakes). As on Isle Royale, a beaver lodge was spotted in Agnes Lake, but not the inhabitants.
When the bare rock was underfoot, the trusty stack of rocks known to hikers as “ducks” show the way; this rather elaborate one was clearly inspired by our next day’s destination (that’s some foreshadowing for those keeping score at home).
Cruiser Lake eventually came into view, and we cooled off in the clear water. In some ways, this park is a similar landscape to Isle Royale with open forests, wetlands and plenty of water. However, Lake Superior is a significant barrier that isolates ISRO, whereas the water in Voyageurs is woven into the fabric of the landscape, even the bigger lakes seem inviting in direct contrast to the intimidation of Superior.
Quiet observation often leads to wildlife sightings, on a small scale, in this case, with some frogs and a garter snake (and there is no such creature as a Garden snake. As the reptile-loving kid, I know this to be true; don’t even get me started). The grouse moved too quickly in the underbrush to be properly photographed, but I really wish I’d captured an image of the bald eagle that swooped over Lake Kab directly in front of us; good thing I downloaded the Remember Stuff app into my brain for that one.
The park employee watching me come along the dock at the Ellsworth Rock Garden commented that I was clearly an old hand at it, and while maybe true with boats sized for skiing, It was my inaugural attempt at one sized for living. Wasn’t sure if I was being played or if I should feel good about quickly picking up control, but that wasn’t overly important. Jack Ellsworth, a Chicago contractor, summered here in the not-too-distant past, and from 1944-1966 constructed the gardens that continue to bear his name. Ranging from rocks that resemble animals, to rocks assembled into recognizable objects, to rocks that stand alone as abstract art, it is a tranquil spot in a national park for all of us now.
Fare thee well, fare thee well, I love you more than words can tell.
Listen to the river sing sweet songs, to rock my soul.
(Robert Hunter)
I’ve commented to many that national parks are my church, and as the three of us gathered in the garden, much of my family was gathered hundreds of miles away to say farewell to one of our own. But large gatherings aren’t where I find comfort in those times. As I was selecting photos to accompany these words, I was reminded of the way my wife, my son and I were self-contained and isolated in a world where the minimal top speed of our boat meant life slowed dramatically; there were no work obligations, traffic, cashiers or distractions in a time solely utilized for contemplation and reflection. National Parks are known as places for beauty, grandeur, heritage, wildlife, adventure, and discovery. What we inescapably discovered that morning is that through all of that and beyond, they are simply good for the soul.
Our nights were spent tethered to shore at specified houseboat sites, although one can tie up almost anywhere if the appropriate distance is maintained from others. To call these sites “spartan” seems overly generous. Aside from some forged metal to use for tying up, the only amenity is a fire ring. You want a table and chairs on shore, bring ’em from the boat; ditto entertainment.
It was fun to live nautically for a few days, but the road goes on forever; there are always other things to see and other places to go. There is a wildly varying variety of ecosystems in the US National Parks, despite the superficial similarities of the first two stops on this journey. It’s about to be completely different for stop number 3, so stay tuned for the next Day by The Border.
