Compiled by Adam Fornear
Right now, I’m in a really good routine of enjoying another winter in Duluth and I don’t want it to end just yet. Currently it is 38 degrees, the snow is melting and every meteorologist on the local news (except Adam Lorch on KBJR – who’s really into ice fishing) is saying how nice the weather is right now! Noooooooo!!! Winter is supposed to be windy, cold and snowy…period. It has always made me a bit puzzled when about this time of year when some folks in my region start wishing for spring to arrive. Well, I say, no thank you… Keep winter rolling right along. Skiing has been a blast, ice climbing a thrill, and adventuring up frozen rivers with the nephews has been a hoot!
This past weekend was no exception. We had another great crew of friends down at the local ice park. Being the rookie that I am, I’m continuing to work on my footwork and learning the sounds of good ice so when I swing the axes in so I can step up. Sunday, I found myself down on the shores of Lake Superior at 6:30 am for a bike ride out on the lake. I love sailing, fishing and ice skating on Lake Superior, so I knew biking out on the big lake would be bring the same smile. The sunrise was a disappointment, but fresh snow was an acceptable substitute. My friends Dave and Jon saddled up on the aluminum ponies and started pedaling up the shoreline towards Two Harbors. Not much flatter surface out there to ride on then a frozen lake — I didn’t get winded once. There were some larger pressure cracks that we had to find the right place to cross over but there was on average about eight inches of ice, so we felt relatively safe. After a while we turned back and rode back into downtown Duluth. It would have been great if the Portland Malt Shoppe was open, but we had to settle for some homemade shortbread that Dave’s wife made for us. Again, another satisfactory substitute. All in all, it was a beautiful morning be out on Lake Superior.
I’d like to circle back to our local meteorologist and their excitement for spring to arrive. A week ago, there was a cold snap with lows at about -25 degrees for days on end and highs not breaking -10 degrees. It was cold. Real cold. But many Duluthians still got outside for a ski, snowmobile or ice fishing. What’s the saying??? When in Rome… That’s winter and we cannot change that, so might as well enjoy it. I learned many years ago that you can be a tiny bit miserable and a tiny bit happy all at the same time.
I think many of you who have been on our wilderness trips at camp can relate, whether you were knee deep in mud on a portage with a canoe on your shoulders, paddling across Rose Lake in the pouring rain, or knocking out a 13-mile day hiking in Pictured Rocks. There are times out on trail that are physically challenging but at the end of the day you were smiling and laughing about the experience. An experience that you get to look back on later in life, smiling and laughing all over again. Most importantly, you finish the trip with a sense of accomplishment that will carry you through any tough times in the future. Yes, it is possible to be miserable and happy at the same time. So, keep the wind, cold and snow coming for a couple more months!
This COVID-19 is just beating me up in the news reporting. I need our reunions back so we can catch up in person and of course to get news from all of you. Please help me with making you famous in the Arrowhead! Perhaps I need to sweetn’ the pot with leftover Briggs Surprises or spots on Derby Pie day…but until I check with our legal department on that, send me some news! Shoot me some news via email at fornear@campnebagamon.com. Till next time, keep on smiling when times get tough!
WHERE ARE THEY NOW: Jen Daskal (Washington D.C. ’91-’92,’96,’99) has been named Deputy General Counsel (Cyber and Technology) at the Department of Homeland Security. Dan Feldman (Washington D.C. ’80-’81,’83-‘85) has been named as Chief of Staff and Counselor to Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry. Evan Dorfman (Chicago/Brooklyn ’99-‘04) and Ben Cronin (Chicago/Brooklyn ’04-’04,’06-‘12) of Gilligan Moss have a new single out, Slow Down. Check out the sweet new video here.
CONGRATULATIONS ON THE RECENT ENGAGEMENTS go to Louis Levin (Northbrook/Detroit ’05-’10,’12-’15,’17-Present) and Maggie O’Hara (Detroit) — and they just got a kitten named Winnie. Congratulations to John Nevins (Hampsted N.C./San Diego ’00-’06,’08-’12,’14) and Kate Davis (Hampsted N.C.).
IN THE BIBS AND DIAPERS DEPARTMENT: It’s a girl, Mara Annabelle, for Jessa DeGroote (Austin/New Jersey ‘10) and Joshua Bernstein (New Jersey).
BAR MITZVAH CONGRATULATIONS go to Micah Rosenbloom (Nashville).