So I did my run up near Ely, Mn. a couple weeks ago. 24 miles.I was hoping it would be what I consider to be an epic run but it really turned out to be just a long, grueling, adventure ordeal. Some of the run was thru regrowth following a forest fire some years back, some of it was beautiful shield country scenery, and the last section outside the designated wilderness was thru cutover. Route finding was challenging and I ran a few "bonus" miles. Glad I put into my pack my hand held mapping GPS. But the main treat was removing 123 ticks during and soon after I finished. Yup, I counted.
Threw my wet socks and shoes into the back of the truck and my clothes were strewn about the vehicle. The next morning I drove a few hours into Ontario and was removing more ticks from me and crawling about the truck while I drove. Did my canoe trip and when I got back into the truck there were ticks crawling about. Got to my cabin and threw evereything into the washer and dryer, pulled things from the dryer so I could go run and when I put the socks on there was a tick crawling on them. That's after it went thru the washer and dryer. It was like a bad horror movie. Oh, and I have to add that I would spray up repeatedly with deet and watch those things crawl right thru it.
So I have no idea what the final count would of ticks would have been if I had counted all the ones in the car and crawling about afterwards but you get the idea. On a good note they were all wood ticks.
In another thread I'll discuss blackflies of the shield country....
Sue
Northern that sounds disgusting....so how many bite you?
Hope you had fun on your trip.
05/13/23 Traverse City Trail Festival 25K
08/19/23 Marquette 50 dns 🙄
Snowdenrun
I saw 123 ticks and read 1-2-3 ticks. 123 is freaking nuts!
Le professeur de trail
but the question is Did you have fun?
My favorite day of the week is RUNday
flashlight and sidewalk
This
**Ask me about streaking**
Refurbished Hip
I saw 123 ticks and read 1-2-3 ticks.
Me too. Sounds like you had a nice vacation, Harrier?
A couple of years ago I went to up a friend's cabin in Athelstane, WI (middle of fucking nowhere) in late May/early June for a long weekend. There were 4 of us. Every time you stepped outside, when you went back into the house, you picked off a handful of ticks. We had a glass filled with vodka and just dropped them in there. This was just the beginning... So gross.
Running is dumb.
NH-- how was the Kekekabic? Other than an 'ordeal', was there still snow on the trail? Despite the phenomenal number of ticks (and deer flies), your trip seems to have been a great adventure!
welcome back-
Dude, that's nasty.
I'm Holden McGruyen. Would you like to join me?
Who took the shot? and what's it called?
Occasional Runner
Terrible waste of vodka. Unless it was cheap vodka...then it makes perfect sense.
Me too. Sounds like you had a nice vacation, Harrier? A couple of years ago I went to up a friend's cabin in Athelstane, WI (middle of fucking nowhere) in late May/early June for a long weekend. There were 4 of us. Every time you stepped outside, when you went back into the house, you picked off a handful of ticks. We had a glass filled with vodka and just dropped them in there. This was just the beginning... So gross.
Eh. A couple of shots of vodka wasted to make sure those fuckers were really dead? Fine with me.
Yes, I should titled it differently I guess but I was tired and it was late and there were empty beer bottles strewn about.... Left the computer and went to wash up and get to bed and sure as hell I pulled another tick from my carcass. Appears to be a good tick season.
boyjame--Anytime I'm in the wild country I am having fun. Even if I bitch about something!
runtrail-- No snow. Once I hit the Kekekebic trail from the Snowbank and Old Pine trail it was beautiful but once leaving the BWCA it was all recent cutover and nothing too exciting. I would like to continue east on it someday and check it out further. I was surprised to see no signs of moose except one old pile of scat. I had heard the wolf packs around Ely have exploded and I'm wondering if that is why. I went thru some excellent moose habitat.
Mandy-- I just figured the little bastards were immortal. I have some cheap whiskey at the shack someone left behind-have to give it a try.
Quick tick related story-- Back in my youth did a day canoe trip in N. Wis. that involved a couple bushwack portages and ended up with a ton of ticks on me. Again pulling them off for a couple days. So I had a little more hair back then and went to get a haircut a couple days later. Well the poor young lady cutting my hair about freaked out when she spotted an engorged tick setting up shop in my scalp. Poor thing. It was pretty funny when I saw the look in her face in the mirror.
Faster Than Your Couch!
Wow, that beats even the record for my dog with 78 ticks.
Fun thing with my dog was, my sister's dog was with us, same flea collar, same meadows, same trails. My sister's dog had 3 ticks.
I'd say good use of vodka and whiskey. If you throw in engorged ticks, it might even go through as a Martini.
Run for fun.
Me too.
tbd.
That is just some crazy wack ass motherf'ing shitake mushrooms