Friends:

In a couple of weeks I'll be "up there." It will be a welcome respite from the heat of Texas. I've already gotten a bunch of great tips from the regulars here,but if anyone has any more tips, I'd like to hear from you.

Soon, we will be at Prairie Portage and heading out to the Man Chain via Carp Lake. All seems to be in order except for the few last minute items. The jerky has been made, the packs are packed, the fuel requirements for the stove have been calculated. The trip has been timed to coincide with a sky void of the moon to maximize the visibility of the Milky Way and the Northern Lights. The sun is nearing it's time of maximum activity to further enhance the likelihood of seeing the Lights. On top of all of that, my wife and I will celebrate our wedding anniversary at the same time.

Furthermore, it will be my first opportunity to take her into the area. All previous trips have been with my fishing partner and geared only toward fishing. This will be an interesting adventure.

We'll leave the Man Chain mid route and drop into Emerald for a short loop back. The plan is to have a trip with two mini base camps.

I'll post a report and hopefully some photos after we get back.

Wish us luck...

...Tom

Posted by Tom Swulius on June 16, 2000 at 01:36