Outward Bound for Life

Well I'm just tickled pink to report what a great time I had on my first Outward Bound adventure this January. The scenery? 10/10. The lack of bugs? 11/10. The people? 13/10.

We backpacked in Big Bend National Park for 6 days and 5 nights (as well as a little rock climbing and a lot of driving). Here are some important takeaways from the course:

1. Bring a star lazer pointer for optimal star party action. For example this one. Just be sure not to point it at any planes or eyeballs.

2. Respect the cacti. Bring a good pair of tweezers with you because they're sure to get ya at least once. They're so beautiful though you can't help but forgive them.

3. Poop high, pee low. Go uphill to poo and downhill to pee. The rain will wash away things that are in the washes more easily than things that are uphill.

4. Bring an open mind. You never know who you'll meet and how they will change your life. How neat is that?

5. Water is scarce in the desert. Be ready to carry more water than you think you need day to day, because you never know what a water source will look like until you reach it.

6. The visitor center at the Chisos Basin closes for lunch between 12 pm and 1pm. If you are planning to get a national park stamp or become a Junior Ranger between these hours, think again.

7. It's fun to be a part of a team as an adult. Many of my crew-mates had not been a part of a formal team in many years, and we had a lot of fun working together and cheering each other on.

8. It gets cold at night. Snuggy bottles (hot water in Nalgene bottles) are a true life saver.

Many thanks to my crew-mates and instructors for making the trip incredible and so memorable. If you're interested learning more or in going on an Outward Bound course, I'm always happy to chat (and to share my family and friends discount code with ya). Just holler!

Peace, love and chow,

Sarah

Trail Report

It's time for the unofficial Trail Report! In my ranking system, all of these hikes start with a 10/10 because the Superior Hiking Trail is beautiful, well-maintained, and free to use. Then, points are added or deducted based on my experience hiking the trail.

Carlton Peak from Britton Peak - Sunday, July 10

We started strong Sunday morning with the lovely 3.4-mile out and back trail to Carlton Peak. It was a very pleasant and gradual hike with a few steeper climbs near the summit. +1 for not being overrun, despite it being a beautiful Sunday morning. +1 for the large granite slabs at the summit. -3 for the mosquito action. Overall, a very respectable 9/10 and well worth your time!

White Sky Rock and Caribou Lake - Monday, July 11

This mini-hike makes a great pre-swim warm-up. With a stellar climb-to-pay-off ratio, White Sky Rock is a great option if you are in the area and are looking for a hike under one mile. +1 for a great view, -1 for the steep climb, +2 for the swimming option at the Caribou Lake public water access at the end of the hike, and -2 for the super short nature of the hike. So overall she's a 10 when you take the swim into account as well!

Oberg Mountain Loop - Tuesday, July 12

This hike is the region's most popular, and for good reason. With more scenic viewpoints than we have any right to expect (+3), this trail delivers pure hiking joy. Honestly, I only have good things to say, and it easily deserves a 13/10 or more.

Leveaux Mountain - Wednesday, July 13

Another beautiful morning for a hike! This was a rewarding 3.2-mile that starts from the same parking lot as Oberg Mountain. +1 for the amazing cedar forest and fresh pine scent that starts the hike off strong. -2 for a bridge that is clearly marked as structurally deficient. -3 for the mosquitos, although that may be a result of the previous night's rain more than the trail's topography. +1 for the very cool overlook with a glacial erratic conveniently posed for a photo. Overall, a solid 7/10. It's got to be hard to be the less popular sister of Oberg Mountain, so let's make sure we give Leveaux Mountain some love too.

Temperance River - Thursday, July 14

I didn't really follow this route, but you can see my full route on Strava here. This hike does follow the SHT, but the parking area is run by Temperance River State Park, so you need a State Parks annual or daily parking pass to park (-1). This hike gets major points (+3) for not climbing a mountain, and therefore being very flat. An additional +1 for the notable lack of bugs! There was a group cliff jumping higher up the river, and the margin of error for landing on rocks was so small that I nearly had a heart attack (I would subtract points, but should we really blame human stupidity on the trail?). Overall, this trail was extremely beautiful, impressive, well-maintained, and had cell phone service to boot. 13/10.

We loved it so much that we did the same trail again on 7/15.

Did we miss your favorite regional hike? Drop us a line and let us know!

Happy Trails!

Dessa with Aviva Jaye and Jelly

Dessa is my longtime musical crush. I've seen her perform at venues as diverse as The Minnesota State Fair, DC's Black Cat, The Minneapolis Women's Club, and with The Minnesota Orchestra. Dessa has a near magical ability to appeal to diverse and seemingly incongruous audiences. Yet I was still blown away by her ability to charm a completely random crowd at Papa Charlie's in Lutsen, Minnesota this Wednesday night along with bandmates Aviva Jaye and Jelly.

Watching Dessa walk purposefully back and forth across the dining room to the stage, the sound booth, the bar, and so on only 10 minutes before show time, I assumed that it might be a more casual show. But Dessa brought the same energy, passion, and professionalism to this Lutsen show as to all of her other performances.

Dessa was the first to say that the crowd was confusing and hodge-podge. "I have no idea why any of you are here," she admitted, adding that she recognized some faces from other Minnesota shows and from previous years at Papa Charlie's. Dessa spoke directly with Table 6 late in the show, applauding them for challenging her assumptions. "That table is going to like songs 4, 6, and 12," she related hypothesizing about the middle-aged white group at Table 6. Instead, one of the women was furiously chair-dancing during all of the fast rap songs. Dessa described the man next to the chair dancer as an enigma wrapped in a hunting jacket, to which he proudly pulled a Superman pose with his hunting jacket.

The dance floor was full of old Doomtree fans, new IDES fans, and one towheaded little girl who out-danced all of us. At some point mid-song, Dessa asked the bar for a shot of whiskey. When an audience member was too slow bringing it up to her, she took matters into her own hands, stopping the song and coming into the crowd to get it herself.

Dessa's set list paid homage to her earlier work, including Dixon's Girl, Call Off Your Ghost, Fighting Fish, and Dear Marie. As always, her lyrics were timely and haunting. The crowd went crazy for I Already Like You, from Dessa's latest release, IDES. By the encore, we were all yelling along to Fire Drills "I think a woman's worth / I think that she deserves / A better line of work / Than motherfucking vigilance / Don't give me vigilance / By definition you can't make a difference / If the big ambition / Is simply standing sentry to your innocence / That's not a way to live / That can't be what a woman is / That gives her nothing to aspire to / What that is / What that is / Is just a life of running fire drills".

By the end of the night, Dessa had the chair dancer and the enigma out on the dance floor standing up to dance. If you missed the show, check out her upcoming shows here. You won't be disappointed.

Dessa Performing in Lutsen 7/13/22

Past Dessa Sightings

Lovely Lutsen