Easy morning today. We don’t have to be on base until early afternoon, so we catch breakfast at Britton’s. It snowed a few inches overnight, and we have to clean off the cars before we ‘re able to get going.
Isaac gets pancakes which are incredibly huge. Each is nearly as large as the plate! Britton’s is nearly as much of a “have-to” stop in Ely as the Steakhouse is for dinner. They’re renowned for their huge portions. At one time their coffee wasn’t as good, but that’s improved in recent years.
After lunch we check out the International Wolf Center. I’ve never been, but have passed on a few occasions on my way to the Echo or Fernberg Trails. There are several interactive exhibits which go into detail about how wolves fit into the ecology of the Quetico Superior, and we get an appearance from the Wolf Center’s pack.
After lunch we head down the Fernberg Trail to Moose Lake Road and the base. We’re all super excited to be here! We meet our interpreter, get checked in, and drop off our stuff at our cabin before heading over to outfitting and getting the rest of our gear. One thing I really like about Northern Tier in the winter is you can show up to base with bottom and mid layers, and they’ll issue you everything else you may need for a winter trip. After dinner in the mess hall, we return to our cabin for a hot night’s sleep before we’re in the outdoors full time.
