Paddling (and Hiking) the Stairway Portage and Rose Lake

This weekend, Joel, James (Renee's Dad), and Ryan (Renee's brother) paddled West Bearskin, Duncan and Rose Lakes and did a little hiking on the surrounding bluffs.

The yonder shore is Canada.

Ryan really wanted to do the Stairway Portage (over 120 stairs plus lots of rocks and roots), just because. So Joel carried the canoe up the stairs, and Ryan carried the canoe down the stairs. Amazingly, both of them aren't all that sore today.

Ryan still "portaging". Can't quite hear what they are saying? here:

R: Take a picture yet?
J: no.
R: here, I'll pose. ready?
J: It's a video.
R: oh. great.


So the Gunflint Trail is under construction. (This is the road they took to get to Duncan Lake). It is complete with 5 miles of severe washboard.

This is the vehicle they took to transport them to and from their adventure, a 14 year old 50+miles/gallon Geo Metro:

With 10 miles of washboard, the front left axle of the Geo was broken loose and the transmission deposited it's fluid, 10 miles before our house.

This is the vehicle God amazingly supplied James and Debbie to purchase the day after that incident:

A 2006 Toyota Prius

So, Rest In Peace little geo. You were a great little car. Guess the wash board was too much, but we praise God that it all happened going 20 miles an hour rather than on the highway.