I start trying to put the next years trip together when we eat lunch after our trip. We pick the week of next years trip. Then the regulars start calling the recruits in Dec/January to try to get a crew together. Then I start coming to this website every day to see if there are any pithy remarks. After what seems like a year we are ready to go again.
Our M.O. has changed a little as we've aged. Still we get as many to my place the night before and eat like pigs on some BBQ red meat. Plenty of beer to wash it all down. Lots of lies, and trying to remember who was along and exactly what happened when. Usually after a twelve pack there gets to be more disagreement about those pesky details. We don't compare gear at my house. That would be cheating.
Next day we load all our stuff, and if you've read my posts you know we do NOT pack light. Lawn chairs are a must, just to give you some sense of what we have deemed essential. Then when we can get Big Dave up and ready, which can take an hour or two, we hit the road for Ely.
The drive is accented by numerous stops along the way at various Walmarts and sports and grocery stores to pick up the stuff we should have gotten in the past year, but forgot. Maybe a stop or two at a bookstore for the latest "How to Catch 'em...." reading material. Then while perusing that we find we need another stop to get some more lures, and maybe a bigger tackle box, since the monsters we have are bulging with fishing stuff. Oh, and we need to hit a music store about this time because somebody who didn't bring any music with them is tired of what there is to offer and would like it if one of us could buy something they like.
Now if we're lucky, we don't have to travel through the Twin Cities to pick anyone up. But usually that isn't the case, so we fight the traffic there, and spend a couple hours chit chatting with friends family we haven't seen in a year or two. It is nice, but by this time the fishing bug is gnawing on my brain so bad I can't take another minute of it. Plus they always know the latest news on what you absolutely have to have to catch 'em, which means a stop at the Walmart in Virginia, MN. Which isn't so bad, since we're only about an hour out from Ely.
Now it's time to buy some booze and smokes. Damn where is that flask? Can't find it, but refuse to pay the confiscatory rates they want at the liquor store, so we'll need to make another stop at the Coast-to-Coast in Ely. We blow into Ely and find our way to the Paddle Inn, where we dump our mountain of stuff, and meet up with Cliffie, who has been outfitting us for 30+ years. He puts us through the usual routine, and we walk out of there and place an order for worms and leeches across the street. Now we've got our Duluth packs, so we are ready to get into the packing mode.
Woops, don't forget the flask and who knows what else, so a quick stop at the C-to-C, and shell out $40 for a fishing license.
Damn I'm hunger and thirsty, so let's eat before loading up. The Steak Joint on Main street is our favorite place to gorge the night before. Shoot some stick while drinking a couple pitchers, then the biggest steak they've got done MR, with a lot more beer.
After finishing that Bacchanalia, we need to stop and get more beer for packing, and extra hard stuff for those who have reconsidered their smallish stashes and found them potentially lacking. Big Dave buys a case for us to drink. even though there may be 4 of us and it is already 11 o'clock. Besides the already sudsy sensation I'm already experiencing. But back to the room or rooms, and the packing begins. It is somewhere in here we click on Weather Channel to see what weather is going to be our constant companion for the next week. And one or two of the recruits reports that the warm-up suit in lieau of a Gore-Tex rainsuit may not have been a very good idea. Tuff Sh...! is about all you can say, but the stores are open in the early AM and we will try to squeeze in one more shop before we depart the landing.
In the early AM I have to take my last hot shower for the week. Big Dave isn't as hard to get up when we get to Ely, but usually he wants to stay in Ely for another day to let the weather clear a little. We have the "Gotta go today/permit" talk. Somehow get ourselves to Hardees for a breakfast that my stomach isn't all that excited about in light of the beers from last night. Big Dave is trying to get anyone else to help him finish off the case from last night. Can't forget to call home. Damn....no answer. I'll try again at the landing. Hit the outfitter stores for any badly needed gear and a total wallet biopsy. Don't forget the live bait.
Time to load into the van for the landing. Need to go inside to get one more Coke and see if the pretty lady is working there again this year. Take the last dump in a porcelin convenience. Damn pay phone is out of order again this year so there will be Hell to pay when I get back.
Laugh heartily at the outrageous pile of gear we are lugging into the woods.
Load.
Push off from the dock.
I'm in Heaven.

Posted by Dwight on March 09, 2002 at 18:13
From IP address 24.196.153.90