Explore

Day 48. Ely to Beaver Bay. 71 miles. 3091 TTD. 2770 feet elevation. The weather was foggy, but the wind was favorable.

I got out of bed a little late and then packed my bags. As I checked outside, it was overcast and raining, so I went back to the room, thinking I might go back to bed; instead, I did some yoga while hoping the rain would stop. Thankfully, it did, but the clouds never lifted, and it remained overcast all the way to Lake Superior.

No doubt the area was beautiful, but I couldn’t see most of it. Although I knew where I was going, unable to see, it felt like I was headed into the unknown. As I headed into one unknown area after another, I started thinking about explorers, perhaps in part prompted by my crazy, unwanted exploration of the swamp yesterday.

It might seem like I’m an explorer. Yes, I am on an adventure, crossing a lot of miles without a car. I’m in places I’ve never been before. I am exposed to the elements until I hide in the motel, and obviously, there’s some risk simply riding a bike. However, I have a credit card. I have a GPS telling me when to turn and how to find the nearest donut shop. I stay in motels. I even have an SOS button for someone to come save me if it all goes awry.

My experience pales in comparison to real explorers! As I have crossed hundreds of miles of Minnesota on either paved roads or relatively nice gravel roads — except for the swamp — I’ve wondered what type of person first explored these kinds of areas. For heaven’s sake, you can’t even see a hundred feet into the forest. Climbing a high tree doesn’t help either because it’s just an endless forest. All the while, you’re getting eaten by bugs or self-identified flying creatures. I’m amazed by people who went “first” anywhere.

Today is a first for me. It is the first time I’ve seen Lake Superior or Gichi-gami. It is the third-largest freshwater lake in the world by volume. Looking out my window, it might as well be an ocean. I’m very fortunate to be staying right on the shoreline. It’s stunning. Presently, it looks relatively benign, but the waves get big enough that people surf in Lake Superior. And of course, we all know the story of the Edmund Fitzgerald made famous by our good Canadian friend Gordon Lightfoot.

I don’t know if thereis an inherent value in exploring or, in my case, in having an adventure. However, I am grateful to be in different places and to continue seeing incredible vistas. Each day is a blessing from God and an opportunity to thank him for this incredible world.