06-17-2009, 12:57 AM
You ever have one of those trips where you just know as you are going out the door that you should just turn around and go back to bed??
Annual trip to Canada started Monday last week.. Picked up 2 guys in Chicago on the way to Duluth and the Pigeon River crossing.. Joe was saying he had 'been' sick but was feeling better now.. (can you see it coming?)
Drove 650 miles to Two Harbors.. Joe got very sick.. Wanted to fly home.. Next plane to Chicago would not get him home for 18 hours, and he refused to go to any hospital not in Chicago near his doctors.. He's 78 and the father of the other guy I picked up.. After looking at the blood he was leaving behind, we drove back to Chicago to take him to the hospital..
1150 miles driven in just under 24 hours.. So far..
Decide that Joe is safe and getting the help he needs so we sleep a few hours and try again.. Drive straight through to Thunder Bay and get there about 11pm Tuesday night.. Flight to the lake leaves at 9am and is about 300 more miles up the road so 4 hours sleep and back on the road..
Get to the outfitter, load up , leave.. Land, unpack.. Snow.. Yes, snow.. It was 41 degrees with a wind chill of 31 and it was raining.. We still fished.. Caught a couple 22+ inch walleye and some small northern under 20 inches..
Thursday morning wake up, radio the outfitter to see if Joe called to let us know how he was.. Told my Mother In Law had passed away Wednesday night.. Next flight available out of the cabin is the next morning 7am.. What can I do?? I can't get out, I can't help, so I fish [fishin]
Stomped em compared to everyone else.. I caught more keeper walleye than the other 5 guys combined.. So it was a 'good day' for fishing for me..
Next morning flew out, got in the truck, and drove straight through to Chicago, 14 hours.. Slept 4 hours then drove the rest of the way home to be with my wife..
Total drive distance - 2,948 miles between Monday morning and Saturday night.. Made it back for the viewing and the funeral yesterday.. Was there for my wife and family.. And still managed to bring home my walleye limit from Canada.. [
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It has been a very hard week, but MIL would have understood, and would have told me to keep fishing.. She was just that cool.. I'll miss her greatly.. Thanks in advance to those of you that will offer condolences and support.. And special thanks to Matice Lake Outfitters.. They got me out of there just as fast as possible, and not only did they not charge for the early fly out, they gave me and Dave a partial refund for the days we did not get to fish.. We told them to put it towards next year's trip and keep the money..
We are hoping that next year's trip will be less dramatic..
[signature]
Annual trip to Canada started Monday last week.. Picked up 2 guys in Chicago on the way to Duluth and the Pigeon River crossing.. Joe was saying he had 'been' sick but was feeling better now.. (can you see it coming?)
Drove 650 miles to Two Harbors.. Joe got very sick.. Wanted to fly home.. Next plane to Chicago would not get him home for 18 hours, and he refused to go to any hospital not in Chicago near his doctors.. He's 78 and the father of the other guy I picked up.. After looking at the blood he was leaving behind, we drove back to Chicago to take him to the hospital..
1150 miles driven in just under 24 hours.. So far..
Decide that Joe is safe and getting the help he needs so we sleep a few hours and try again.. Drive straight through to Thunder Bay and get there about 11pm Tuesday night.. Flight to the lake leaves at 9am and is about 300 more miles up the road so 4 hours sleep and back on the road..
Get to the outfitter, load up , leave.. Land, unpack.. Snow.. Yes, snow.. It was 41 degrees with a wind chill of 31 and it was raining.. We still fished.. Caught a couple 22+ inch walleye and some small northern under 20 inches..
Thursday morning wake up, radio the outfitter to see if Joe called to let us know how he was.. Told my Mother In Law had passed away Wednesday night.. Next flight available out of the cabin is the next morning 7am.. What can I do?? I can't get out, I can't help, so I fish [fishin]
Stomped em compared to everyone else.. I caught more keeper walleye than the other 5 guys combined.. So it was a 'good day' for fishing for me..
Next morning flew out, got in the truck, and drove straight through to Chicago, 14 hours.. Slept 4 hours then drove the rest of the way home to be with my wife..
Total drive distance - 2,948 miles between Monday morning and Saturday night.. Made it back for the viewing and the funeral yesterday.. Was there for my wife and family.. And still managed to bring home my walleye limit from Canada.. [
] It has been a very hard week, but MIL would have understood, and would have told me to keep fishing.. She was just that cool.. I'll miss her greatly.. Thanks in advance to those of you that will offer condolences and support.. And special thanks to Matice Lake Outfitters.. They got me out of there just as fast as possible, and not only did they not charge for the early fly out, they gave me and Dave a partial refund for the days we did not get to fish.. We told them to put it towards next year's trip and keep the money..
We are hoping that next year's trip will be less dramatic..
[signature]