Down to the final week

Can't believe we have just four days to go! The summer has really gone fast.

Jenni and I decided we had to do something fun and adventurous for the holiday weekend. Might as well work in one more chance to get our paddling arms in shape, I surmised, so I planned our excursion...a half-day kayaking on the St. Croix River upstream from Stillwater. We paddled along heavily wooded banks, tree-topped cliffs, and ducked behind islands to avoid the powerboat traffic. Several miles upriver, we landed at a beach for lunch in the shadow of this:

The Soo Line High Bridge is a fantastic but little-known landmark. It's a 100-year old railroad bridge that spans the entire St. Croix River Valley in five graceful arches. Towering 184 feet above the water and spanning nearly 2,700 feet, it's every bit as big as it looks, and it still carries train traffic. Stand underneath, look up, and you get dizzy.

The bridge has obviously been a popular spot for a while because, etched into the cliff below the bridge, we saw that Jack, Jean, and Florence had been here in 1931.


After lunch, we headed back downstream to the public access - into a headwind, of course. But all in all, it was an awesome day on the river.

After we got home, we started packing. First, we set up our tent. It's a Kelty tent, a wedding gift from Jenni's parents.

And it has Storm Trooper-ish vestibules to keep our shoes and gear dry! (That's Lily, the doggie we are fostering, coming toward me.)

I've never had a tent with vestibules, so I can't wait to try it out.

Then we tested our stoves, and started dragging camping gear out of the closets and garage.

We were in better shape Sunday. After Jenni finished fine-tuning our menu, we went grocery shopping. Then we pulled our food out of its packaging and double-bagged it in plastic bags, for maximum spillage protection and minimum weight and bulkiness.

I discovered that being the menu-coordinator's helper in the kitchen meant sampling leftover snacks. M&M's, peanuts, chocolate-covered raisins. Sign me up for that job again!

Last night, Jenni combined our respective first aid kits into one super first-aid kit and folded and bagged our maps. The living room is awash in gear and Duluth packs. Now, we only have to tie up a few loose ends, pack our clothes, and fill the Duluth packs.

I just checked the Canoe Country forecast and the 10-day outlook says we can look forward to a mix of sun and rain, with highs in the 50s and 60s and lows in the 40s and even the 30s! Good early fall weather.

Look for more updates later this week.