Uphill?

Silver Bay to Ely.  Northern Minnesota.  Glaciers.  Lots of glaciated land.  Should be flat, eh?  When they use terms like “mountains” they’re just using affectations to make it sound like you’d want to come here, right?  You know, like Rib Mountain in Wisconsin?  The hill that never will be a mountain?

If so, then, please explain to me why we rode uphill for 20 miles!  Twenty continuous miles of uphill!  Granted it wasn’t Rocky Mountain climbing and there were a few, short downhill reprieves every now and then, but sections of 8-10% and 2000′ of elevation gain and long sustained sections of 3-4%.  We worked!

OK, not really.  We toodled and enjoyed the scenery.  Another absolutely gorgeous day.  As we got closer to the Boundary Waters, more and more streams, rivers and lakes.  And a lot more rock formations and sparser trees.  Tonight we sleep with the canoers looking to set their boats in the water.

But after all that work today was I treated with respect for hauling my human up the hill?  Nope.  We pulled into town early so the humans decided to check out the town, see all the canoe outfitters and, of course, stop at the local brewery.  Which meant leaving Edwin and I behind.  In the hotel room?  Nope.  Stuffed under a staircase.  Oh, the indignity.  Sigh….I sure do hope the humans thought that beer was worth it (editor: Boathouse Brewery’s Basswood Brown Ale is very good and Edwina was dry and out of the rain).