The Journey to Norberg Lake

Kimberly and I just returned from an amazing week in the north woods of Minnesota, near Ely.

One of our favorite places to stay is Bear Head Lake State Park.  BHLSP lies just outside the border of the Boundary Waters and was voted the "best park in the United States" in a recent Coca Cola poll (BHLSP received something like 1.7 million votes, outdoing other parks like Yosemite, Glacier, and the like!)  Winning the poll, however, hasn't spoiled it's appeal and beauty with rowdy, partying types.

It's often said that one should take a good pair of boots, water, and a companion when out on a hike.  I've been blessed with all three, and I knew it before our hike to Norberg Lake.

Norberg is one of those places where you sigh at the beauty of it when you finally arrive.  The first time I saw the lake, the Psalmist's verse, "He leads me by still waters.  He restores my soul," came to mind immediately.  To get there, however, requires negotiating ankle-busting rocks and roots on the trail.  The journey is well worth the view waiting for trekkers.

One of my flaws is that I'm one of those people who is determined to get to where I'm going in as short a time as possible.  While I was looking down at the rough trail, Kimberly reminded me to stop and take a look at a bird, some trees, or some strange looking fungus.  After just a minute or two, I wanted to be on my way.

At one point, I lost Kimberly around a corner behind me.  Elvis wasn't by my side either, so I walked back on the trail and found K picking wild raspberries.  "Want some?" she asked as she put a handful of berries in her mouth.  "Sure" I replied, feeling a bit distracted from enjoying the view of Norberg.  After a few amazingly tasty handfuls, we continued on our way.

Once again, I found myself head-down, carefully choosing my steps at a pace that would get us to our destination as soon as possible.  A short time later, we made it to Norberg Lake and its unbelievable peace and tranquility.

As I sat on a rock taking in the view, it became apparent that the hike in was a lot like life:  When I view the rocks and roots, where I'm putting my feet, and passing by the wild raspberries along the way, I missed the majority of the experience.  Sure, the lake was worth the trek in.  But there was a lot I missed along the way.

Had I made the journey solo, my beautiful wife wouldn't have been there to remind me of the sights and finds along the way.  (Note to self:  Stop and taste the berries.)