Up NorT

I've been on a bit of a hiatus.
McGruff and I went on vacation. We drove north about 4 hours and spent a couple of days in Lutsen. I managed one day of downhill skiing. He's pretty proud he got me to go down some black diamonds. (He's prepping me for a trip to Colorado, someday.)
We then drove down to Duluth for a few days. We spent a few hours at Gooseberry Falls. Although the river & falls were frozen over, the day was absolutely gorgeous. We hiked along the river, played in the snow, carefully maneuvered some icey pathways, and took lots of photos (which I don't have online yet). Vacation was much needed. We both enjoyed being lazy, sleeping in, doing what we pleased, when we pleased. We walked around the city, ate wonderful food, shopped. 5 days of driving, hiking, relaxing, and just being together was great. A real vacation.

Lutsen is the biggest ski "mountains" in Minnesota. So, for my 3rd EVER ski trip, it was a bit nerve-wracking at first. I was a little afraid of breaking a limb, or mangling myself. MG was helpful and encouraging. We took a couple of mid-level runs at first. It took me a couple of hills to feel reasonably comfortable. It still freaks me out a little when you approach a crest of the hill and can't see anything below. We worked our way across the mountain to some larger, more difficult hills. It was windy and overcast, but being outside was extremely refreshing. I had a few minor falls, but was getting better and more confident with each run. My legs felt great (my 2 previous ski adventures were very uncomfortable, with the too-slanted boots). As the wind picked up, we grew colder, deciding to head back to the runs nearer the car. As I came down the hill, turning to the catwalk, I lost my edge on the icy mountain. Tumble, flip, turn. Face - meet the ice/snow. I skidded to a stop, about 10 feet below my ski. My face felt scraped and raw. I got up, gave an ok sign to MG and started the slow teeter-climb back up to my abandoned ski. Once I was recomposed, I met up with MG. He assured me my cheek was red, but not bleeding or anything. My knee was pretty sore, but we crossed our way back to the other side. After one last run, our skiing adventure ended for the day. I had survived, although my face still felt raw.
The rest of the week, we galavanted around Duluth, my college town. I took MG to some of my favorite sights and exploring spots. We shots more photos, including one of each of us standing ON Lake Superior. We ate as many tater tots as we could. We dined on amazing Italian food at Bellisio's (highly recommended if you're ever in Duluth). And we watched a lot of the Olympic games. 5 days away is not nearly enough, but I enjoyed it immensely!