Copper Harbor Camping

Today we got back from a weekend up in Copper Harbor, MI so Brian could participate in the Fat Tire Festival up there.  The original plan was to camp Friday-Sunday nights but as we drove up on Friday afternoon, the rain, wind, and temperature convinced us that maybe it wasn't the best idea.  No one else from the Ashland group was camping that night and for good reason.  We ended up getting a very nice deal on a room at the Country Inn and Suites in Houghton that had a pool, kid pool, and awesome breakfast included.  So we stayed there Friday night which also allowed Ev and I to sleep in squishy beds and Brian to go out and join his fraternity brothers at their annual reunion get together.  We headed up to Copper Harbor on Saturday morning  because Brian's first race, a downhill race, was at 1 pm that day with registration beforehand.  He did meh on that and Ev and I stayed in the tent since it was on and off rainy, with a high of 57 and the power was out in town.  That night we made the mistake of trying to join the DU guys for dinner and paid way too much for a mediocre dinner and terrible service.  Oh well.  You live and learn.  That night was chilly.  I only dressed Ev in one pair of fleece jammies and it was a long night of him wiggling and me trying to keep him in his sleeping bag.  I ended up tossing him into my mummy bag with me (good thing the belly's not too big yet!).  Saturday pictures:

Look!  a picture of me!

Sunday was much nicer, weather-wise!  It was a high of 60 but it was sunny so it felt amazing.  We went out to breakfast, took a walk along Lake Superior, got a steamed milk from the tiniest little coffee shop ever, and then headed back to camp so Brian could get ready for the big race.  Sunday's race was at 2 o'clock and a 28 mile course over a whole lot of altitude.  Ev and I stayed at the camp for a while, then loaded up some snacks, sweaters, and the stroller and headed to town.  We got to hike up a nice hill to the spectator location, but could only go so far in the stroller.  Then I had to heft a 28 lb sleeping toddler out of his stroller and finagle him onto my back in the Ergo and hike up the rest of the hill.  I managed to forget my fleece in the stroller and ended up freezing the moment he woke up and came off my back.  Oh well though.  I remembered his fleece, juice sippy, fruit snacks, and cereal bar.  And the camera! 

Brian made it down Paul's Plunge (the spectator spot we were at) without a problem and at a decent speed.  He ended up 51st overall and said it was the most fun mtn bike race yet.

 Doesn't he just look pleased as punch?

Dinner was had at the festival after the race and we even stayed to watch the awards ceremony.

 Yeah, this is the face he gives me.  It starts already.

 

Realizing that rolling on the ground puts grass on your sweater.

He saw these big boys in front of us and set himself in line with them and then proceeded to dance to the music from the stage.

Aaand some more rolling in the dirt.

Then we headed back and made a fire and the temperature dropped very quickly (ended up 45 that night), so Ev and I went to bed.  It was another restless night for me with Ev squirming and shoving me off my sleeping pad.  I thought my back was going to be forever compressed from trying to sleep those two nights but it's much better now.  (I also ended up dehydrating myself and overexerting myself by jogging up and down hills with a toddler on my back, but hey.)  This morning we got up very early (trying not to wake everyone else in the camp with Everett's whining) and headed to Houghton for breakfast at Suomi.  That place is seriously my favorite restaurant on the face of the planet and I had some wonderful finnish yumminess and brought home a loaf of nisu bread.  We stopped in Ironwood for some pasties for lunch (had to continue the finnish day) and got home in time to do three loads of laundry, air out sleeping bags, and have dinner with Brian's parents.  Now Ev is pleased as can be to be sleeping in his bed and I'm about to head up there myself (to MY bed!  No more sharing with that little wiggle worm!).