Stoneage Ramblings

By John R. Stone

My wife, Mary, was born on May 12, which means that every now and then her birthday and Mother’s Day are on the same day. So it was this year. So I thought we should do something a little more than just get a card and some flowers.

Our fallback place to go, a place we always enjoy going to, is Minnesota’s North Shore and our go-to place is Cascade Lodge, about 11 miles west of Grand Marais on Highway 61.

We learned about this place from Jim Elsey, the retired Glenwood High School science teacher when we were next door neighbors back in the early 1970s.

Our first trip to Cascade Lodge was one of our first vacations as a family after moving to Glenwood. Our oldest daughter, Mary Lisa, was along on that trip and we hiked to waterfalls, enjoyed the scenery and enjoyed our first vacation in a cabin at Cascade.

Shortly after we bought the Pope County Tribune I would take a solo trip to Cascade in January for several days to think and plan out the year and the things I would like to try for the paper.

I don’t know how many times we have stayed at the Cascade Lodge facility but it has to be more than 20. For our 50th anniversary celebration we rented three cabins and had the kids and grandkids with us to celebrate.

Unfortunately that’s the trip where Mary slipped, dislocated her shoulder and we ended up spending most of the Saturday of the trip in the hospital in Grand Marais. But, that too is a memory.

That was the trip where son-in-law Brennan Murphy quipped as 11 of us started out on a hike that if nine of us made it back it would be a success. Mary laughed, slipped and we were off to Grand Marais. The remaining nine did make it back!

Cascade is adjacent to Cascade State Park. The Cascade River runs through the park as it cascades through a ravine and multiple waterfalls on its way to Lake Superior. Both the lodge and the state park have numerous trails to hike and the Superior Hiking Trail runs through both as well. Cascade Creek runs through the Cascade Lodge property.

In the winter a person can cross country ski from the lodge on a trail system on lodge property and state park property.

There is so much to see on the North Shore. There are numerous state parks, many with rivers that run through them to Lake Superior. There is Split Rock Lighthouse, a real lighthouse that used to serve boats on Lake Superior. As one drives Highway 61 the lake is visible most of the way. Highway 61 is well above the lake so most lakeshore homes do not obstruct views of the lake.

About 90 miles up Highway 61 from Duluth is Lutsen ski area that has the highest vertical drop in the Midwest.

A little further up the road is Grand Marais, a picturesque city with its own protected harbor. It is home to the North Home Folk School where people can learn a variety of skills from building boats and canoes to yurts and other things.

Heading north from Grand Marais is the Gunflint Trail that ends at the Canadian border. There is no border crossing there, you have to turn around and head back where you came from. But it is a beautiful drive through the forest and along lakes. There are multiple resorts along the way, all catering to fishing, canoeing, hiking and other outdoor activities. In the winter many are open for cross country skiing.

Heading northeast from Grand Marais on Highway 61 one gets to Grand Portage where the voyageurs would carry furs harvested inland to Lake Superior. And the entry to Canada is not far away.

I think you get the idea, North Shore is a nice outdoorsy place to visit with a lot to see and do for free (a state park sticker helps). So it was a natural place for us to go and celebrate a birthday and more!