Part IV

Apparently the windy weather WAS the result of something moving in. We woke several times during the night to the pitter-patter of raindrops on the tent. Definitely not one of the sounds you prefer to hear when tenting - especially as morning nears. Luckily, the rain actually let up, so we immediately got our stuff packed up, tent and all - just in time for the rain to start again. Not fun little sunshowers sprinkles, not torrential downpours. Just gray-sky, splash-up-in-your-face, soak-your-clothes, ruin-your-day type rain.

Breakfast time was quick - Andy hid his Magic Heat under the picnic table to keep it lit. We heated up too much water, so I drank my oatmeal in a few big gulps. We got our stuff put away, and headed out - down to the lake for more water. One thing I should have bought before this trip - a new rainjacket. My Stearns rubber rain gear from Target is just not meant for backpacking, really. By the time Andy was done getting the water, I was freezing. Every drop that hit my shoulders felt like ice. All I wanted to do was get moving - so we did. We had a 12 or so mile hike ahead of us that day - all the way to Little Todd Harbor. Rain isn't so bad once you're hiking. You keep warm, and your feet stay comfortably wet and squooshy.

Soon we began to find out what the Minong Ridge Trail was all about. Last year when we were on Isle Royale, we hiked along the Greenstone Ridge Trail - the backbone of the island. It was up & down the whole way, but mostly huge gradual hills. We thought this little Minong Ridge along the outside of the island would be no problem. Just like the Greenstone, but in miniature, right? Well, this was no gradual walk in the hills, but abrupt climbs up huge rocky ridges. Definitely a lesson in geology. They say because of the nature of the formation of the island, the south faces are gradual, while the north are steep/vertical. Luckily the trail runs lengthwise across the tops (more east/west). It's kind of like crossing a land of high, oval, rocky plateaus. Climb up one end, walk the rocky top, climb down the other side, and do it all over again and again.

Even though it wasn't all bad - walking, keeping warm, our legs getting a workout, the rain has a way of getting to you after a while. My mood was starting to go downhill.

Little did I know, it was about to hit rock bottom...
Or should I say "top?"

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