2025 Bear Hunt Day 2 - Embrace The Miles

I was up and on the road just a few minutes after 5:00.  This felt late by my internal home clock, yet still early.  But the gas station that was supposed to be open 24 hours was closed, so the only coffee I had was the small pod in the hotel room.  No reason not to hit the road.

Predictably traffic was non-existent.  I contentedly motored north in the dark morning.

I finished listening to Selfish, Shallow, and Self-Absorbed.  My opinion of the book was unchanged.  It was worth listening to, but not one I intend to come back to.  The last essay was by Tim Kreider and it was by far one of the best.  I was glad (and a little relieved) since I've struggled to like some of his newer writing.

I thought about listening to some podcasts, but jumped right into The Secret Wisdom of Nature by Peter Wohllben.  It was at least mostly about the interconnectedness of the natural world.  It took me a bit to get into the book since so much of it was condescending.  There were several times it said things like:  This probably surprises you...  Or:  ...but it's more complicated than that.  Or the worst:  You might think ... but you would be wrong.  

If I would have had another book that I wanted to start, I definitely would have killed it.  But I soldiered on.  The book did get better - or maybe I got numb to the condescension?  I liked some of the facts and comparisons he gave, even if a few might have been whitewashed to show a point of view.  I did enjoy the basic premise of the book about how interconnected things can be. 

I thought the solutions he gave were far too simplistic and tailored to how he could live his life - a great frustration of mine when anyone gives simple solutions to complex problems.  While humans are doing at least some terrible things, we ARE part of the world; we can't live in a cocoon.  He did acknowledge

 this complication near the end of the book.  Tying it in with the previous book - he never gave the difficult solution of population reduction.  I know this will never happen, but trying to fix global issues with addressing the ever-increasing scourge that a growing population brings is akin to choosing immobility as your mode of transportation.

While the book was a bit of a downer, I was comforted by the book I read the previous year (almost to the day) and its conclusion that on the geologic time scale, humans do not matter.

Ultimately, I give the book a C+.  I had another of his books on hold with Libby, but I got rid of it since I was concerned it would be too similar (and condescending).

The day had started out wonderfully cool.  Going through Wisconsin I did hit a bit of mist/rain.  Then it stayed really nice for the rest of the day.  It was, quite frankly, a wonderful day on the road.  I did get a bit wistful every time I saw people on motorcycles who were obviously touring.

I ended up stopping more often than I usually do for drinks or snacks - odd since I had a whole buffet of food with me.  I'm embarrassed to admit I gorged on too much trail mix so I had to buy some more.

US2 was a bit annoying with convoys of pokey drivers.  But once I turned on to MN46, traffic almost instantly disappeared.  It was quite glorious.  

I motored on to my hotel in Baudette.  The owner was painting, but we talked for a few minutes as she checked me in.  I really do want to come back to fish for sturgeon - still a bucket-list fish for me.

After getting settled, I walked around the dock a bit.  The afternoon was spectacular.  I thought about how fortunate I am to be able to go on these adventures.  I stared across the river at Canada.  I thought about bears, about how special it is to have this enormous friendly border.  I thought back to the book I had listened to and while there may be problems, we are still fortunate in North America to be able to easily go places that are a salve to the soul.

Despite being a good day, it was also a tiring day.  I knew I'd be up too early but turned in early anyway.

2025 Bear Hunt Day 1 - On The Road

Given the amount of people I've talked to over the years about going bear hunting with me, I was surprised when Doug said "yes" and followed through.  We talked some logistics a few weeks previous which gave me an opportunity to really start planning.  This helps the mental state as the days counted down.  Prep for an audit at work, months in advance, is growing in pain.  The redundant (often dumb) requests demonstrate a house of cards.  A break is needed.

In the grand scheme of things, I don't know Doug that well, but he's organized a few fishing trips.  After we talked logistics, he gave me a heads up that some family issues were brewing.  This was followed a short time later by notice he was not going to be able to go.  I felt really bad for him.  He dealt with it well, by letting me know when he could and also letting Vance know.  It is still a bit frustrating; I'm sure it isn't the first time this has happened.  For all involved, including myself I suppose, I hope the best.

So I'm solo for yet another grand adventure.  I'm good with this too.

Prep for the trip progressed as the days counted down.  I wasn't going to subject Doug to my audiobooks, so I had to scramble to find some since I would be by myself.  I tried using ChatGPT for book suggestions, but as that effort progressed, it started hallucinating like crazy and suggested books which I do not believe exist.  Good job ChatGPT - I guess you can write those books or something.

I packed up everything on Thursday in preparation for a Friday departure after work.

Friday finally came; I saw a few deer on my way into work.  This isn't unusual, but it can feel like a positive omen when heading out on an adventure.

Being a day before a long weekend, work was relatively quiet.  I left after a sufficient amount of time and effort.  Leaving from work meant a quick jump onto the freeway and I started to head north and west.  Traffic was tolerable.  Indianapolis was hairy, but at least predictable.  There were only a few traffic slow downs after Indy, and they were pretty short.

I was listening to Selfish, Shallow, and Self-Absorbed - a collection by writers on the decision not to have kids.  It was good but not great.  A few of them I related to, but most sort of fell into not having kids.  It kept me entertained for the afternoon.

Soon enough I was at a Days Inn hotel.  I didn't like parking right next to a gas station, but it should be OK.  The hotel smelled like curry, so I didn't feel too bad about eating a noddle bowl for dinner.  I resisted the urge to buy junk food at the gas station.  

I waited for dark - actually looking forward to a long day on the road.

2025 Lake Ontario Fishing Day 4 - Home

After getting up, I was ready to head home.  I spent a few minutes choosing my route.  Since I was leaving early, I decided I would risk the 401 to avoid the tolls on the 407.  I also had a quick couple cups of coffee, hopefully giving me just the right amount of caffeination for the trip.

As promised, Denis was up around 4:00.  We loaded up my fish and a few Coho salmon for me to try.  The amount of fish was truly shocking - I've had hunting trips with less (but then again, I've had hunting trips with nothing in the cooler).  I tied down the cooler and I was on the road by 4:15.

I followed the GPS to the 401 and it was the right decision.  It was a bit busy nearer Toronto, but there were no slow downs.  I did have to pay attention - mostly because I was on unfamiliar roads.

I listened to the end of The Secret Life of Groceries.  The end of the book was probably the best part - if also a bit sad.  It got into the psychology of buying, which was interesting.  It also got into the food supply chain - specifically a lot about the seafood supply chain; every time I read about seafood and all that goes into it - I'm appalled at humanity.  The world is doomed and humanity might deserve this.

I guess I did feel a bit better that the fish in my cooler were obtained ethically and in a conscious manner.

After finishing Groceries I listened to Ologies podcasts for the rest of the day.  I almost gave up after the first one - which wasn't very good.  But I was in a hairy spot so I just started another one as the easiest thing to do, rather than find one of my other podcasts.  I was glad I did, since most of the rest of them were good - which just enough humor to get me to laugh a few times in each one.

I avoided buying fuel for the Maverick in Canada, but the level was lower than I was comfortable with.  I did get absolutely fantastic mileage the whole time I was there - even more surprising since my speeds wouldn't suggest it should be this good, but I'll take it.

I crossed the border back into the US at Windsor since this would put me mostly south of Detroit.  The line was moderate, but it was still the right decision.  It was mildly infuriating when a dude forced his way in two cars ahead of me.  But we already know that a small percentage of the population has no redeeming qualities (the internet has reinforced this...).  The border itself took 30 seconds to get through.

I continued my way towards home.  Traffic was actually worse in places than near Toronto.  

Soon enough I was home with enough time to unpack and take the dogs on a quick walk.  Fish were still frozen so it was just a matter of transferring them to the freezer.

I know I'm very fortunate to have friends like Denis and now Julie.  Fishing for big salmon is something I've always wanted to do.  I hope to be able to do this again.

And barring anything unforeseen, I'll be back in Canada in a few weeks!

2025 Lake Ontario Fishing Day 3 - Un poisson

With a little better lay of the day, I was up and ready for coffee.  Denis had kindly set the coffee to start a bit early for me.  Sometimes small things are big blessings.

And with a little better lay of the land, I didn't get lost in the very dark morning.

Signs pointed to it being a very good day.  But sometimes life hands us signposts which go nowhere...

We drove out to the marina which looked very different as it wasn't a holiday.  Additionally, after we got there, a friend of Denis walked up and said their charter was cancelled due to high waves.  We decided to give it a go anyway.

Initially it didn't look that bad, but as we motored out of the protection of the harbor, the waves increased quickly.  It was tolerable - and I counted my blessings that it wasn't the previous day when I wasn't feeling 100%.

We trolled for a while before one line told us there was a fish on.  Julie took the pole and reeled in a nice Chinook salmon.  The boat was hopeful that the less-than-perfect weather was not going to be a significant negative factor.

But it was not to be.  We tried deeper water, but the waves were much worse there.  We had a couple VERY small strikes, but nothing else came in the boat.  Oddly, we marked more fish on the fish finder, but they must have just been snobby fish.

That doesn't mean it wasn't a good day.  The rocking wasn't terrible and the weather, other than that was nice.  We chatted and hoped and dozed.  It was still a good day on the water.

And with only one fish, clean-up was a breeze.  I didn't feel all fishy afterwards either.

We quit a bit early since all we were doing was burning gasoline.  Back at the campground, we had some down time - which was also nice.

Dinner was Alberta Whitetail burgers before turning in for the night.

2025 Lake Ontario Fishing Day 2 - Chinook In Five

I woke up early with a headache (of course).  I dozed for a bit before getting up.  I knew the coffee maker was going to go off at 4:00 and I was ready.

I sat outside drinking coffee before heading to the bathroom - only to get turned around and lost on my way back.  I was slightly embarrassed.

Soon enough we were on the road to the marina.  It only took a few minutes to get the boat ready and we headed out.  It would be an understatement to say it was a stunning morning.  It was cool but not cold, and there was very little wind.  Wildfires are not good, but the haze makes amazing photographs.

We didn't go out very far before Denis started setting out lines.  As he was getting the second line out, he yelled, "Fish On!" and grabbed the first pole handed it off to me.  I wasn't sure what was on it, but it was big and it did not want to come in.

It took about 15 minutes to get the first Chinook Salmon I've ever caught into the boat.  It may not have been a monster, but it was close enough to a monster for me.

I have to admit though, that when reeling in big fish, there is a small part of me that is rooting for the fish; just a small part though.

The good thing about all the early excitement is that it basically ended my headache.

An hour or two later a much bigger Chinook came on the line.  This one took almost a half an hour to get it into the boat.  Thankfully I did not lose it.

And so it went throughout the day.  We would have slow periods followed by action - such is fishing.  We went out to deeper water and got into some Steelhead.  When I was a kid - Steelhead was THE fish to catch on Lake Michigan.  So it was pretty cool to be able to catch a few.

I felt somewhat bad that I was the designated catcher.  But Julie said that was the plan for the day.  I have to admit I also did enjoy it.

We did miss a few fish.  Sometimes this was user error - at one point I think we were all sleepy and missed the strike.  We had the line break once as well.  And there were a few releases of smaller Steelhead to be caught another day when they are bigger.

Total count for the day was three Chinook and three Steelies.  But this was only part of the point - it was, frankly, just an amazing day on the water.

As the afternoon wore on Denis brought in all the lines.  Then he fileted the fish right on the boat - which makes total sense to do.  The filets were packed on ice as we made our way back to the marina.  In the later afternoon it got almost hot, with just enough wind to give the lake some chop.

Back at the camper we packed up the filets in individual bags and dropped them in the freezer.  Hopefully they freeze before the trip home.  I was feeling quite fishy and gross - so a quick shower brought me back to the land of the living (even if I thought I still smelled a bit fishy).

Dinner was pork chops - which were great.  Fish might have been more appropriate, but it had been a fishy enough day.

2025 Lake Ontario Fishing Day 1 - Breezing Through the Border

I think I first met Denis in 2013.  Since then, we've hunted together in South Carolina more times than I can recall.  Denis has a big boat and as he's (I think) partly retired, he spends much of the summer catching fish on Lake Ontario. 

We talked in 2024 about me coming out to fish with him, but that ended up being a busy year for him and for me it was the year of health challenges.  Fast forward and we made plans to go fishing.

I was a bit apprehensive - which was stupid.  It is way too easy to get caught up in the work-eat-sleep routine and to take work too seriously.  It didn't take too long for me to realize how awesome this would be.

The summer so far has been exhaustively hot and humid.  Friday came gloriously with cool air and decreasing humidity.  This allowed me to spend Saturday getting caught up on some chores around the house as well as spending time doing some maintenance and small repairs (that required doors/windows to be open).  I felt wonderfully productive, if somewhat tired.

One of my repairs was going to need some subsequent work, but it was good enough and didn't stop me from heading out early Sunday after some quick coffee.

I was out the door and on the road around 5:15.  Predictably, I had the Sunday morning road to myself.  I was listening to The Secret Life of Groceries by Benjamin Lorr.  The first  section of the book felt a little like and advertisement for Trader Joes - although he does make a disclaimer that he's agnostic on the chain.  It might have felt a little more real had I ever been to a Trader Joes, I suppose.

My mind did wander a bit, which is to be expected.  But the book was pretty good.  At some point I realized I wasn't going to finish it, so I switched to some rather forgettable pod casts for the last few hours.

I bypassed the Detroit/Windsor border and continued, crossing at Port Huron.  This may have added a few minutes, but I was anticipating the crossing a drive to be a little easier.  I breezed through the border within a few minutes.  The line of trucks coming into the US was crazy; I couldn't help but wonder if it was to avoid the next round of tariffs?

I  realized this time was my first time out of my home state since January (I think).  This is a bit sad.  Although I guess I could count my dog walks into Indiana.

Once into Canada, the traffic was nonexistent at first.  

It got much hairier and uglier as I got close to Toronto.  The roads seemed overly complicated, but I just followed the GPS - or tried to.  I'm a bit terrified I'll need a second mortgage to pay for the 407 tolls - but I guess that is just part of the trip.

I made my way to Denis and Julie's campground.  Denis was out getting the boat ready.  I had never met Julie before so we had a while to get to know each other.  It was fun and she was easy to talk to.

Denis showed up on his motorcycle late afternoon.  It was good to see him as well.

Dinner was beef steak and veggies before turning in relatively early in preparation for a fairly early morning.