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.

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!

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.)

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).

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.