Snowy Adventures Up North

"What is beautiful is a joy for all seasons"

Oscar Wilde

I received that quote on a card from my grandma Haze earlier this winter and have had it sitting on a shelf in my dining room ever since. It's a nice reminder when looking out the window at the huge pile of snow in our driveway, or feeling the draft coming up through the floorboards. Sometimes it is hard to enjoy all that winter has to offer because of the many challenges it presents - both physical and mental. If you remember my post from last year you'll know that I take this time to focus in and work on making my own warmth and brightness. But it is also a good time just to bundle up and get out there because when everyone else cringes at the winter world around them and you decide to embrace the frozen tundra and howling wind -- that's when the best adventures begin.

Over Valentine's Day weekend Evan and I drove up north to visit Karrin at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in Finland, MN where she is working as a naturalist. Mike, her boyfriend, is currently working at nearby Lutsen Ski Resort, so we were able to enjoy the weekend with him as well. What a treat to hike up Marshall Mountain (it looked different last August and October. Here's an old post!). We also learned about the Center and all the lessons Karrin teaches (we even went in an igloo!), did some star gazing (we don't have stars like that in the cities!), and spent a day skiing down the mountains of Lutsen against the backdrop of beautiful Lake Superior.

It has taken my dad and I a long time to figure out how to post high quality slideshows with audio on my blog without spending a fortune, but finally -- here's the first one! You might want to wait until your computer has rendered it a little (the red bar goes across a bit) before trying to watch the whole thing. I have it set so that older computers can view, but if you have a newer computer (with an intel chip) you can watch it at 1080p - HD! Just click the arrow next to 360p or 480p along the bar at the bottom and select 1080p (this option isn't available until after you hit play). Let me know if you have any problems. Turn up your volume and enjoy!

You can view these photos individually at my shutterfly website.