The last two days have been full and full of everything. I got back on the trail after a long lunch and recharge at the Bear's Den on Hwy 65 and continued down steep ravines until I arrived at South Branch trail camp. From there the trail followed lowlands along the AuSable River with a few chances to catch it's views. I pushed on to the Thompson's canoe launch, and camped the night on the bank of the AuSable river. A beaver wasn't too happy that I occupied his workshop.
This morning I awoke to the sound of rain on the tarp; it turned out they were just heavy pellets of snow. The morning was cold and it was hard to get out of 'bag' for a while longer after I woke up; that's been a common theme the last couple of days. The rest of the trail followed the course of the AuSable dipping down and up the ravines. The conditions were very varied and I was going between snowshoes and towing the pack to pack and towing the snowshoes. There were deep drifts of snow and open rocky melt spots with miniature creeks flowing between them. Thank goodness for wool socks.
The afternoon today was predominantly sunny, warm and windy. The snow was melting, but still deep. I was trading between pack and snowshoes more than I would like and considered that leaving the sled and snowshoes behind would be a better choice. The time to switch between seemed to be more of struggle than roughing it out without. After dropping my scarf, neck-warmer and hat and having to backtrack to find them, the majority of the rest of the afternoon was spent with the pack on.
Once in Curtisville, I hid the sled and went into 'town' again, to a little country store cleverly called the 'Curtisville Trading Post'. Log cabin facade, half convenience store, half pizza/sub shop. I got something from both and sat down to charge some stuff. The cashier an pizza lady were really nice and it seemed that everyone knew each other, all wearing their 'Curtisville Trading Post' caps. Country music on the radio next to me, a warm pizza and a Chelada outside. I was very happy.
Made the walk, leftovers in hand, to the trail and walked another hour to the bluff on Alcona Pond. I'd been here last year by canoe (got lost just down in the bay from where I'm sleeping at tonight, however now it is frozen). Clear sky again tonight; got the fire started with plenty of wood around. Tonight, let the ones you love around you know how irreplaceable they are. You never know when you will find yourself by yourself, without the chance to tell them in person.
(Ps. pics coming-I got signal for once!)
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