Day 26: Friday, February 7, 2014

 The weather had cleared up today, so Albert suggested we go on a hike to a cool overlook he had discovered after breakfast. The ground was still wet from yesterday's rain, so our shoes were covered with mud by the time we made it. Not to mention that we were slipping and sliding all over the place. 

Walking down the trail was considerably harder than it looks considering the mud and zero-traction

As usual, the effort was all worth it since the view opened up to a gorgeous overlook of the harbor. The water was beautifully textured this morning, which I tried and failed to capture on my iPhone camera. There were also multiple seals in the water, and we spent a good deal of time just sitting there watching them.

Mid-trail happiness

Things never look as good on camera

Surprising how much more shoes weigh with an inch thick sole of mud

Candid?

When we got back, Savannah and I decided it was time to test the hammocks we had bought on Wednesday. Since the hammock didn't come with hanging straps, we obtained some rope from the dive locker, and set out to learn the art of hammock-ing.

Of course, we managed to get distracted by finding a rope swing. 

After a bit more hiking than I expected, we eventually found an oak grove that looked like a feasibly good place to hang hammocks up. Unfortunately, neither Savannah or I knew anything about tying knots. Molly had also come to join us at this point, and she knew about as much as Savannah and I did. 

Attempting to master knont-tying

Discussing the nuances of hammock placement

We finally worked up the courage to test our haphazard knots, with mildly successful results. Savannah got into her hammock with no problems, but she was only about two inches off the ground. On the other hand, I managed to get my hammock a couple feet off the ground. 

Savannah rocking her hammock

Finally successful!

Of course, these photos were taken shortly before Savannah decided to try out my hammock for herself. While she was climbing in, one of the knots slipped and she ended up plummeting out of the hammock. Lots of good laughs, but I guess we failed hammock-ing 101. We've decided to scout out Trevor, one of the boat captains here, and get him to teach us a few knots. Good thing we have all semester to figure this out!

I managed to fit in my first run today as well, making the four-mile round trip to and back from Two Harbors. Up to now, I had been discouraged by the hills and multitude of uphill slopes, but I figured I'd have to start getting back into running at some point. Just as I thought, running up the hills was killer, but at least I earned my dinner. A good day!