Saturday, July 19, 2008

July 19: Canada!


Megan reached the Canadian border at 10:30 am, running strong the last 11.5 miles from Pelland. She is done!

First stop in Canada--Tim Horton's (a Canadian fast food chain started by a well-known hockey player and famous for its always fresh donuts). It's a family tradition whenever we go to Canada.

Over donuts, we talked about some of the highlights of the trip--ice cream was at the top of Megan's list. Other highs included the wolf, the snakes, Isaac, my parents (dutifully said!), the pancake breakfast in Dalbo, the scenery.

For Dave and I, it has also been the scenery, but also the small town cafes (we didn't see a McDonalds for 140 miles) and the great delight in talking to folks as we went, having time (in between runs, or waiting while Megan ran) to chat. Time to slowly bike around town, stopping to talk to the woman walking her dachshund (just as vigilant as Darby), or swapping scary animal stories with the man fixing the door at the city clerk's office (his involved hundreds of snakes escaping a swamp in Tennesee where he was called to help clean up after a derailment that was pouring chemicals into the area).

It has been a great adventure, and I am sure we will process it more in the next few weeks and add some photos. Meanwhile Megan is planning to sleep in, take a week off running, then start summer track! This trip has not put the girl off running.

Friday, July 18, 2008

July 18: Out of the Woods


The road out of Big Falls has widened, with the forest held back 50 yards or so from the road, so there is an openness we have been longing for without even knowing it. And the bugs are much better--no horse flies swarming the car whenever we stop. Megan had a great run, and is now only 22 miles from International Falls!

Megan's morning run took her up to Littlefork, a town of 680 people (so three times as big as Big Falls). We had lunch in the Big Spoon cafe in town. The cafe serves a hot dinner to seniors for a suggested donation of $3.00 (but you don't have to pay if you don't have the money). The waitress explained that it gives the seniors some fellowship during the day, as well as a good meal.

We sat next to the senior men's table--the women sit in the other room. The guys talk about birthdays ("If I make it that far." "Oh 80 isn't old--it isn't young, but it isn't old either"), about the storm last week that blew down a bunch of trees and the roofs off some buildings (the same storm that Megan ran in outside of Grand Rapids!) They asked one guy if he was picking any blueberries yet. "Oh, I got about 7 today, 12 yesterday." Global warming was the verdict on that one. About 25 people came in for meatballs in gravy over mashed potatoes and canned pears while we were there.

Thanks to the City Clerk of Littlefork for letting me use her computer during lunch (and gave Megan a donation, along with her friend, who took a picture of Megan for the Littlefork paper, and a coworker!). Dave is joining the crew tonight for the last leg of the trip, so we will try to blog from the road tomorrow in International Falls. We should be crossing the border by noon (or even earlier) tomorrow.

Isaac Hits the Taxidermy Motherlode


Big Falls had one more surprise for us--taxidermy mecca at the gas station! A handsome bobcat faces you as you walk in, standing beside a 20-point buck (broke the records the clerk said). On the way to the bathroom there is a fisher, a pine martin, a huge walleye, a grizzly head, and a goose. About the ATM is the piece de resistance, a 3-bear mise-en-scene with a few trees and rocks. The clerk said he shot one of the bears himself. And he traps fishers and pine martins in the winter. He says he gets about 3 fishers a year and their family limit of pine martins (20 for a family of 4). They skin them and get $100 for each--so $2300 or so from trapping! So folks in northern MN are still hunting and trapping for at least part of their living.

I asked about the bobcat. "Some people do try to trap them," he said, "but they are hard to catch." "Are there any cougars?" "They are rare, but there is one that walks along the creek in town." This is the same creek we are camping beside! So the guys in Effie's Cafe were right again!

Thursday, July 17, 2008

July 17: Wolves! (well, Wolf)

Those guys in Effie's Cafe were right! Driving to the start of the run today, we saw a wolf on the road. He ran across the road, back again, and then ran down the road in front of us for a block or so, before bounding into the woods. I dropped Megan and Isaac off to start the run and driving back saw the wolf running down the road in their direction. Once again he dove into the woods when he saw me, but when I parked and waited a little further back, he came out and sprinted down the road towards the runner and biker. So I decided to escort the duo through wolf territory! (I don't know if he was acting normally--maybe the bugs were driving him crazy--they are bad--or maybe he was lost.)

Apart from that the run was uneventful, they just saw one dead and two live snakes on the road, a large buck, and a lot of logging trucks. The weather is cooperating--it misted a bit at the beginning of the run, but cleared up. Megan is now 40 miles from International Falls and running well. She is on schedule to run across the border on Saturday.

This is Louise's report from the City Clerk's office here in Big Falls. (Sorry, no way to add photos though--that will have to wait until we get back.)

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

July 16; Day of Rest in Big Falls


This is our day of rest. Megan and Louise have walked around Big Falls and shopped in the general store (combination hardware, outfitters, and gift shop). If they don't have it, then you probably don't need it.

Isaac and Megan are listening to Harry Potter by the falls. The river is really pretty, a series of rapids and falls. The cool water looks like cola flowing over the rocks, brown and bubbly (but not dirty).

They plan a swim in the quieter rapids and pools upstream later today. (And perhaps a horse ride, if they don't have to bring a horse.) It seems best to stay by the river, as the mosquitoes and flies are very annoying back in camp.


Last night's run was very quiet. Starting in the middle of the woods and ending in the middle of the woods. Nine miles of trees, with some rivers and marsh along the way. Megan and Isaac loved the quiet. They only saw a couple of cars in the whole hour and a half.

(As the locals all know, the wolves and cougars were hidden in the shadows and quietly looping along waiting for her to stop.)

They are now 52 miles from International Falls. Megan is running well, and happy to be so far along. They will be in Big Falls two more nights, then on to camp in Little Fork.

Perhaps cell phone coverage will return in Little Fork! Louise had to ask around Big Falls to locate a computer to send off an update. The library, which is open a few hours a day, does not have a computer terminal, but there was one in city hall.

July 15: Another Day - Another Save


Isaac saved another turtle. "Two saves for the Schaenzer/Pollack team." Actually the turtle ran away when Isaac approached to do the good deed--faster than anyone had ever seen a turtle go.

Then there was the stories in Effie's Cafe--a charming 5 table cafe with great food (more pie) and folks who all knew each other. So naturally they were very interested in chatting with someone new in town. After listening to Megan's story, a worker stopped by the table to ask how she dealt with the flies. Anyone could tell with just one look, the flies were driving him nuts. Was it the constant buzzing or all the bites that is pushing him over the edge?

Another male customer said with a wry grin, "Bet she runs even faster if one of them timber wolves comes out of the woods. There are plenty of them in woods along the route you are going. They are not endangered here in Northern Minnesota, ya know."

"And have you heard about the cougars?" another guy helpfully added.

This is just the incentive Megan needs to keep running through the isolated shadows in the quiet ancient pine forest where the bed of pine needles muffle the sounds of wolves and cougars running to catch you my dear. With such big teeth my dear!

Perhaps they have entered the portion of Minnesota where Paul Bunyan and the Great Blue Oxen live on in the quaint local cafe to entertain the visitors and locals alike.

This evening's run ended dramatically with a storm passing quickly through (see the photo). Megan and Isaac were doing the last half mile when it started to pour (but luckily the severe weather passed further south).

Monday, July 14, 2008

July 14; Laundry & Lunch


Louise has taken on the role of support and Dave has returned home. Louise ran with Megan for 3 miles and back to the support vehicle. After the morning run, it was off to find a laundry in the town of Big Fork. The modern coin operated laundry was right next door to Cafe French, so start the wash go to lunch. With the meal done it was time to check for desert. The waitress reported that all the pies were delicious. She should know - she makes all of them. So they order pecan and blueberry pie while the laundry tumbled dry right next door.

Megan noticed that the amount of road kill has been significantly reduced, although the variety has increased. Today's variety included a bat and a porcupine.

They are staying at a Mn State Park just east of Big Fork called Scenic on Highway 7. Their campsite overlooks the lake, where loons and osprey are not uncommon. (The photo is a view from the campsite.)

The nearest Internet terminal is back in Grand Forks and cell phone coverage may be non-existent in the near future.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

July 13: Hills and Wind



This morning's run brought Megan to Chippewa National Forest, and the scenic byway of Rte 38. It was beautiful, rolling hills through forest and many lakes. Megan was quite challenged by the headwind, but did her regular 11 miles.

She has done 190 miles!

In the evening, Megan crossed the Laurentian Divide, still battling headwinds and hills.

July 12: High Winds


Running against a strong wind. Biking with gusts
blowing us sideways almost off the road. Boating at MJ's lakehouse and
bouncing high off the water with each wave. Isaac and Dave sailing fast and
furious with just the main sail up.

We had great shelter from the elements last night at Mary Jo's and Jo's in Grand Rapids. Megan's morning run took her right up to Mary Jo's road, and while Megan slept in the afternoon, Dave, Louise, and Isaac went out on the wild water, to our great delight.

In the evening, waiting for Megan to finish battling the wind, Louise went into God's Country groceries and bait out on Route 38. She stopped by a display of greeting cards where an older, elfin man was worrying over the selection. "It's so hard to know," he confessed. "Some of these might be OK for some people, but ..." So Louise pondered the selection for a while and offered him what seemed like a neutral card. With relief, he took it back to his friends standing around the cash register drinking coffee. "That nice woman helped me pick out a card for my mother," he told them. "Did you tell her you couldn't read?" quipped one of his friends.

This is a photo of the view from Mary Jo and Jo's lakehouse--don't know if you can see the whitecaps or not.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Half-Way: Now the Next Stage


Yes, Megan is now half-way--she has run more than 150 miles and should reach Grand Rapids tomorrow morning. We are switching the support team at this point, so the person writing blogs from the field reports will mostly be Dave (unless Louise finds internet access up north).

We have added a new feature that we will start this weekend--Live Updates from the field! With expert help (thanks Carla), we have figured out how to send text messages from our cell phone to the blog. We have joined the Twitter crowd!

July 11th: What on the Road Really Means


That Keroac guy--he was in a car most of the time. He probably didn't spend much time with his two feet on the road--maybe only while he was hitchhiking between rides. Megan is ON the road. And that means she sees everything else on the road.

Unfortunately a lot of it isn't in good shape. A friend who is doing a bike ride to raise money for AIDS says that there is a roadkill crew that goes out along the route each morning cleaning up before the bikers get there. No such luck with Megan. She says the dead deer smell the worse--you can tell there's a deer on the road or ditch a long time before you see it. But the prize for gross goes to the racoon that looked as though it was covered in sand--until they got closer and saw it was crawling with maggots! But Megan says she isn't having nightmares yet!

On the road also means weather--really hot earlier in the week and pouring rain today (with more tornado watches). But Megan had a good wind at her back this morning and ran strong both morning and afternoon. She is now HALF WAY TO CANADA! And she is feeling good.

On the road also means people, and Megan and Dave are having great chats. Megan likes antique glass and silver, so loves to stop at small stores in small towns. At one of these stores today, the owner had seen Megan running along the road and asked what she was doing. In support, he gave her a discount on her purchases, a small gift from the store, and a cash donation for JDRF. These are wonderful moments.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

July 10: Back on the Road, Day 8

It was cool and raining lightly as Megan headed out of Aitkin this morning-but that's not bad weather at all for running. In fact, Megan made great time on the run, and even had to wait for Dad to show up at the end!

Last night Megan, Dave, and Isaac went to the rodeo at the Aitkin County Fair and particularly enjoyed the Mutton Busting, an event that the announcer described as the only legal form of child abuse he knew of! Apparently, 4-6 year olds are mounted on sheep, then try to hold on while the sheep express their displeasure. The children wear helmets, which Dave said was a good thing, since the sheep sometimes run for the fence, then stop suddenly, catapulting the kid at the chain links. Dave said there were some tears as kids came up with mouths of dirt and lots of laughs. In this event, even the rodeo clown who rounds up the newly unburdened sheep and chases them back to the pen is small enough to look the animals right in the eye. But what this clown lacked in size, he made up for in endless running- around-the-ring energy.

Later on, Dave was in line to get some candy floss and one of the mutton riders was in line in front with his dad, a rodeo rider. The kid complained that the dirt didn't taste too good. His dad replied "Dirt tastes great! Better get used to it kid!"

The highlight of today for Dave (deviating a bit from our blog raison d'etre, our runner) was the buffet at the cafe in Hill City, tonight's hosting city. Dave proudly announced that he sampled all the hot entries on the buffet (including wild rice casserole, of course) and most of the items on the cold buffet. But the plates weren't that large, and some of the neighboring foods got a little close, to Megan and Isaac's dismay as they watched Dave eat chocolate cole slaw pudding.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

July 9th: A Day Off (Sort of) at the County Fair



Today, after 6 days of pounding the pavement (although she would protest that she places, not pounds), Megan is having a running Sabbath. A day of rest, except that they spent a good chunk of that day walking around the Aitkin County Fair. Highlights included the decorated Christmas tree competition (I don't even want to speculate on that one) and Miss County Aitkin singing to open the fair. Megan also contemplated taking advantage of the free diabetes test at one booth, but Isaac convinced her that she might upset the nice booth workers if she failed. They are all looking forward to the rodeo and fireworks tonight.

Megan is pleasantly surprised that she is not as sore as she thought she would be, given that she has gone 120 miles. She is very pleased with the trip at this point, happy to have Isaac to provide company on the long runs and appreciating the beautiful scenery and weather. And the swimming at one lake or another each day is also a big Minnesota bonus.

Another bonus--free camping! The woman who has owned Red Indian campground for 45 years gave Dave back his camping fee when she learned what Megan was doing!

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

July 8, No Bears, but Foxes and Turtles


Today, day 6, was Megan's longest run so far--23 miles up almost to Aitkin. It was a beautiful, cool day and Megan is feeling good. As she finishes her run tonight, she has done 120 miles.

Megan and Isaac didn't see any bears today, but they did save a baby turtle who was marching to extinction on the road. This was gratifying because they have seen a number of unsaved turtles in the past days. (Megan and Isaac have started a list of things found along the side of the road, but declined to share it with the blog at this point!) Dave saw two foxes crossing the road at different points, and they have all seen lots of deer.

They are staying tonight at the Red Indian Campground on Red Indian Road (yes, even in today's PC world). They are the only transients in the place--the rest of the residents are in RVs with porches and tiki lights. Megan recalls that when she made the reservations, the woman kept asking "are you in a tent, really?" and now she knows why!

Dinner tonight was at the Bowling Alley/Pizza place in Aitkin, where the waitress/cook encouraged them all to clean their plates when she came by at the end of the meal. Megan and Isaac played Buckhunter, a video game with a plastic gun you press to the screen and shoot. We saw this game before in Dalbo--it is a popular activity in this area. (And trickier than you would think to get those bucks.)

Tomorrow is a rest day, and plans are to go to the Aitkin County Fair and rodeo! This is a picture from earlier on in the trip (Dave may replace with Mille Lacs photos when he returns).

Monday, July 7, 2008

July 7: Up to Mille Lacs on Day 5!



Megan has now run almost 100 miles (97 to be exact) and has reached the south shore of Lake Mille Lacs. (Did you know that Mille Lacs is the second largest lake in MN --we don't know what the largest is--and one of the world's most productive fresh-water fish lakes? Dave has been reading the tourist markers! It might also be the largest host of ice-fishing houses, Dave saw a huge park of beached ice-houses, "summering over.")

Megan finished a little earlier than usual this evening because there was a tornado warning in the area, and they thought they might avoid the storm by going early. (But Dave reports that all was calm--it rained a bit, then the sun came out accompanied by a rainbow.) The running was easier today than yesterday, probably because it wasn't as hot.

Dave asked Megan this morning if she and Isaac saw anything interesting on their run. Nothing much, she said--well, a black bear did walk across the road ahead of them, and when they got up to it, ran away! (She's following in the proud tradition of her mother--the family lore is, if you go hiking with mom, you'll see a bear!)

Another highlight of the day--Chris's Smoked Turkey Jerkey. Chris is a culinary celebrity around here it seems--there was a whole section in the supermarket cooler devoted to his (or her) products, including smoked bratwurst with wild rice, smoked bratwurst with cheese, and smoked bratwurst with beer--your regular balanced diet!). One piece of turkey jerkey was enough for Megan, but Dave and Isaac were ready to buy another packet!

The running crew still hasn't found Internet access, so this is a photo from Day 4. (Dave and Isaac are accompanying Megan on this leg of the trip, and Louise is in the city getting reports from the field to write the blog.)

Sunday, July 6, 2008

July 6: Camping Behind the Fire Station


There are no campgrounds or motels in Dalbo--or anywhere around, so Megan knocked on the door of a house when she came through town planning her trip in March and got permission to camp on the lawn (one of the voluntary lawns). But when she wrote recently to confirm, that homeowner realized he had guests coming and couldn't extend the promised hospitality. However, he helpfully asked the Dalbo fire chief if Megan could camp at the fire station and got his permission. So last night we pitched our tents in the prairie behind the fire station.

In the morning the firefighters (all volunteers) arrived early to start preparing for a pancake breakfast fundraiser. They were quite impressed with Megan's run and offered us a free breakfast as their donation to Megan's cause. (Diabetes resonated with several of the firefighters, one of whom was diagnosed recently with type 2, and one whose wife has diabetes.)

So after the morning run/bike to Ogalvie we drove back for a delicious breakfast and a tour of the fire trucks.

Megan has now run 68 miles--in 3 and a half days. This morning was a bit tough as it was very hot (the high of the day was 93!) and Megan was a bit low on sleep. But she did her planned 11 miles.

July 5th--Rolling Prairie on Day 3



While Megan is running, Dave and I are biking the same route and seeing the same beautiful, rolling hills, and fields of prairie flowers in blue, white, purple, and yellow. This is the kind of landscape we usually drive through fast, on our way somewhere else. But on bike or foot, it is beautiful.

I realized this is the opposite of our usual road trip, where we go vast distances encased in a car. On this trip we are moving slowly through ordinary Minnesota, absorbing the land. (Here is a photo taken at the end of Megan's evening run at dusk.)

Lunch in Dalbo--a real town with a bar/cafe, Post Office, and a fire station. Kids playing pool in the bar, the local volunteer fightfighters having lunch (more about them later), a dusty, stuffed Golden Eagle on the wall (Isaac's first sighting on his taxidermy tour of middle Minnesota).

Friday, July 4, 2008

Happy 4th of July!


Megan is now 30 miles down the road in Coon Rapids after two runs yesterday and a run this morning. We are off in an hour to do another 7 miles or so, then will come back to the house for one more night.

Tomorrow, we will set off on the road--running, camping, running, camping. Dave is going to accompany Megan this first week in the sagwagon (well sagvan), along with boyfriend Isaac, who has been biking along as Megan runs. This is a photo of Megan and Issac at the end of the first day--they were in great spirits.

Thursday, July 3, 2008

July 3rd: Megan Sets Out!




Megan set up running to Canada this morning at 6:35 am. It was a perfect day--sunny, calm, and a cool 58 degrees. Megan ran, accompanied by Isaac on his bike, through a quiet downtown Minneapolis. She crossed the Mississippi on the Hennepin Ave bridge, then ran along the river to Fridley--completing 11 miles. (She plans another 9 miles this evening.) Megan says "It was really exciting to finally get started."

This is Megan and Isaac just starting out.