Great pic of DM! Which island was her summer cabin set up on? I think I've only got out and stomped around the one that everyone says was her boat house. Just curious.

It is funny that you mention the bacon rock.  When we were there we were clueless about it and I have always regretted not seeing it, (and photographing it), since it seems to be iconic.

This photo was taken in '74, on our third canoe trip.  I was suffering from two limiting factors:  a pulled muscle in my shoulder causing muscle spasms in my upper back and neck, and also the very small amount of film (you do remember film, right?) that I had along with me.  Also, we knew that Dorothy was "famous" and that we were in the presence of someone special, so we sort of clammed up and didn't really talk to her much.  We looked for the fence of canoe paddles that were given to her by groups, and found the one from Camp Easton, which was where Spartan1 was introduced to canoe tripping in the summers of '65 and '67.  And I didn't even take a picture of that!!   We bought root beers, sat in the drizzle (it was a six-day trip with five days of rain), and we signed her book before we left.

If I had been there a decade later, I would have had more confidence and would have spoken with her at some length, and asked her some of the questions that were in my mind.

We have taken both of our grandchildren to the Dorothy Molter Museum in Ely.  It is a very interesting experience for people of any age, IMHO.

And thanks, Karl, for the compliment on the Johnson Falls photo.  I learned after the fact that most people actually bathe in the pool under the falls, but we didn't do that.  We did hike up to the upper falls, and we enjoyed all of it very much.  I think we visited Johnson Falls twice, maybe three times.  But that photo is probably my favorite.  Although the upper falls is very different and also quite beautiful.

Jimbo wrote on Apr 23^rd, 2021 at 12:51pm:


  That island campsite on Walter Lk seems to be a spot the Hares like. I've seen them every time I've camped there.

  What struck me is that if you don't startle them they'll let you get pretty close. That whole "Art" the Hare thing just came out of nowhere. That was a very emotional moment for me. 2nd to finding that Brass Memorial plaque to a fellow paddler on that Sturgeon lake island campsite.

  I've looked for that exact campsite every time I've been in that area and for the life of me, I can't find it?

Is that a snowshoe hare?  We base camped on an island site on Kasakokwog and a hare with larger than normal rear legs/feet came out in the open when we were in camp. After a couple of days of wondering why he came out when we were around I deduced (could be wrong) that he used us for cover because the neighboring island had an active eagle nest and we provided some safety.

zski wrote on Apr 23^rd, 2021 at 4:34pm:


zski,

I am quite familiar with that active eagle nest.  I was there mid-September one year when parent eagles were STILL trying to kick a young bird out of the nest to get it to fly.  For several days we watched and listened to all the commotion.  It didn't seem like that young eagle was going anywhere anytime soon.  THEN, one day, when the parents were gone, I tossed a fish carcass on the rocks of the south shore of the northern island.  I did it to see if it would encourage the youngster to leave the roost to investigate. As you know, that eagle nest sits atop a tree near the north end of the southern island.  So, my "bait" was easily visible from their nest.

Well, I waited & waited, then went back to doing chores around our camp kitchen.  After a bit, I went back to take another look.  I could no longer spot the young bird in the nest.  So, I got a little closer to where I had placed the fish carcass... and it was gone.  A minute or so later, I spotted the eagle with the fish in its talons.  It made repeated attempts to haul that walleye (not a large one) up to its nest.  I probably watched three or four such attempts - each separated by a substantial "rest period" - before I finally decided to get back to what I was doing around camp.

I circled back about half-an-hour later.  The young eagle was back in its nest.  The fish carcass was nowhere to be seen.  I'll never know whether or not the bird got lucky.  However, I DO believe those parent eagles owe me a favor!

I would have to believe that any hare rearing its head on those islands during canoeing season would be a goner....

Jimbo