LAKE SUPERIOR and SAUERKRAUT

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.

 So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.

 Explore. Dream. Discover.”

 A quote of Mark Twain which graces the back of my tub.

This is a picture site of a trip around Lake Superior and its sequelae which was reported in more written, but less pictorial detail in the Fall 2007 issue of HACK'd Magazine.

http://www.hackd.com/

This last July 28th, a Friday it was,  I left the comforts of home for my first long trip of the year. Although the traveling start was late in the season I had used the spring and earlier summer selling a rig and a solo, replacing them with an 07 Ural Patrol at the end of April and accumulating 5200+ kilometers on it over the intervening weeks. The Ural had carried me on a short (800 or so miles) trip to Lee Papas 3x3x3 (3 wheels, 3 days, 3 states) Rally http://www.grubygust.com/3x3x3/3x3x3_.htm  where once again Uptown (-e) of the parking lot blender fame unleashed his margaritas and a good time was had by all. 

However, as the longer trip involved the circumnavigation of Lake Superior and once again  presented the opportunity to get lost in 3 states and 2 countries, I elected to take my “long distance” rig. This tis the rig  which has carried me to Butterfly, Flint Hill and other rallies, around Lake Superior several times and up the western slope (New Mexico to Montana) of the Continental Divide. It is a 95 1100, Virago with an 05 Motorvation Formula. Accouterments added include a fairing, 5-gallon fuel cell, self designed seat, headlight modulator, brake light flashers, fire extinguisher, ice chest, wiring for vests and gloves, and other stuff to make traveling more comfortable. Currently am working on adding extra rooms so have space for a hot tub, sauna and pool table.

Left July 28^th for Superior, Wisconsin and friend Jerry’s hotel. His wife, Judy is an excellent cook and the facility rates 8 stars.  Jim, a traveling companion, joined us and on Saturday we went to the “Bring Out Your Dead” Rally in Duluth: a rally featuring old  bikes and what appears to be a comfy seat. where Kevin and Uptown also joined and made a "hit" with the "umbrella girls"

Monday, up and on the road early as was going to meet brother and sis-in-law, at a campground in the Soo (Sault Ste. Marie) the following Monday. Given a week to go a couple of hundred miles plans were to lazily, leisurely podunk around, playing like a gawking tourist and seeing the sights that I had missed on the 5 previous trips around Lake Superior.  First stop was Silver Sands Motel,    http://www.exploringthenorth.com/silver/silver.html   beachfront at the Porcupine Mountains  http://www.exploringthenorth.com/porkiesum/intro.html , a wilderness area I had been visiting as regularly as possible for over 50 years; this time being decadent and staying under a roof rather than in a tent. The Porkies are also where Jerry and I saved each other from the bearmonks, bandersnatchees, wolverhowlers and other hungry forest creatures, when, several years ago, a couple of weeks apart, welds broke on each of our side car frames, necessitating 2 a.m. rescues, in the middle of the woods, with only a candle for illumination whilst the hungry, glittering eyes of the beasties drew closer and ever closer and the vulture sized mosquitoes circled in to drain precious bodily fluids.

Proof I went in the water - Burrrr!!!

Jus' settin' n' thinkin'

Sorry to intrude.

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