Hello, all! Up here in northern Minnesota we're about halfway through our stay, and today we had a day trip into Grand Marais, allowing us to communicate with the outside would for a bit. We've had some incredible experiences so far, and my classmates have written about their favorites. Enjoy a taste of our adventures!

1/11 Isaac Christopherson
It's easy to miss just how much tracks can tell you about life in the snow. What may seem like simple indents may, in actuality, be a piece of a story that makes up a greater history of the surrounding habitat. Whether it be circling tracks of a snowshoe hare or the post-shaped indent of a mouse hoping to stay warm, every terrace left behind sheds light onto the lives of these creatures. This is a beauty I've learned to appreciate, along with something oddly enlightening about seeing animal tracks. Maybe it could have something to do with how we, as humans, often get so caught up in our own worlds that we forget about the many other creatures around us. Tracks left behind help remind us that life is always around us, even if we don't always see it.

1/12/20 - Brennan Russell
After fueling up on chocolate chip pancakes Sunday morning, we embarked on a day hike to Rose Falls, a six mile snowshoe into the BWCA over two lakes and two portages. Trekking through the snow can be grueling, even with the proper gear. Nevertheless, though challenging, the overall experience was rewarding and reaffirmed my desire for even longer, more daunting wilderness adventures.

1/13 Maddie Gregurek
We've only been at camp for five days, and it feels like much longer, but I've really been enjoying my time here! I didn't realize we wouldn't have any cell connection, but I've gotten used to it pretty quick. We've been entertaining ourselves with puzzles, books, conversation, a few broomstick sword fights, and lots of hiking. I still miss keeping in touch with friends and family, but it's been nice to focus on my immediate surroundings. I'm excited to see what's next!

1/14 - Rye Hawley
After breakfast and a couple cups of coffee we headed off to our morning lab: limnology, the study of fresh water. For the lab, we snowshoed out on the lake to where it was about 65 feet deep. After augering a hole through the ice we lowered a probe that measured temperature and dissolved oxygen levels. It was really interesting to get a picture of what was happening underwater over winter. After, a well stoked fire and hot chocolate brought us all back together before eating lunch.

Thanks again for reading! Tomorrow we'll be back off the grid until our return to Luther on the 24th, when we'll be in touch with the remainder of our trip. See you soon!