Memories

Today was I had another beautiful run in Devil’s Lake. I ran along north shore, down Tumbled Rocks Trail and along south shore to the picnic area. It was a less strenuous run both physically and mentally and I found myself reminiscing quite a bit. I was amazed at how many memories I have of this beautiful and sacred place.

Starting (I think) with camping at the South Shore in a shared air stream camper – quite a step up from our canvas army tent! My strongest memory of that trip was driving up ‘Snake Hill” while pulling the air stream. To my little wide eyed self it was the same as driving up some mountain pass. I still think of it every time I drive that twisty turny road.

I remember hiking up the East Bluff with my Mom, Kris K and Julie L (or was it Kris H?) One of my many, many climbs up that bluff including a time much later on in life when I and a new boyfriend were hiking along that trail and ran into my mom. No neither of us knew the other was there. It was a surprise introduction for both of them.

There was the time that Dad has his sailboat out and the Ranger came and checked to make sure there wasn’t a gas motor (not allowed) underneath. This was the same time that Dad took an interested female bystander on a ride with assurances that he wouldn’t let it tip….. of course they did.

As I ran along Tumbled Rocks I remembered Ranger Bill Otto – probably one of the best and definitely the longest summer Rangers. He helped me fish my work keys out of the boulders after they had come off and fell in between two boulders. We were both amazed we got them out. I ran by Rock 8 and remember skinny dipping of it with Sue R. (The statute of limitations is up – right?) I have no idea why someone spray painted an 8 on it.

Running along the north shore there were memories of “sun bathing” with Kris K and Julie L. I put “sun bathing” in quotes because I was always the whitest and the only one putting sun SCREEN and not sun OIL on. I remember the awe I felt when we ran into Bradley T, Rich S and Kim S after they had BIKED from Sauk to the North Shore which means UP the Baraboo Bluffs.

And of course there were loads of memories of the people I worked with during my 4 summers there and the many campers (good and bad) that I encountered. Many, many funny stories all of which I can’t remember anymore, but which all of which will always make Devil’s Lake a very special place for me.