Page 61 - USA ROAD TRIP SUMMER of 2000

The pictures show how many of them were snapped off and

others just pushed over. This storm leveled more trees than Mt.
St. Helen’s in all her fury.

The little harbor here is lovely. It is possible to walk along the
shoreline and out onto the seawall protecting the inner harbor.

The lava rock is smoothed by water and scoured by the glaciers.
When dry, it is not at all slippery and fun to climb and walk over.

The rock fractures into natural steps and platforms.

Lois tells me we are walking on the Canadian Shield – the oldest

exposed rock in the world. The lava bubbled up 1.1 billion years
ago and has been uncovered by glacier action so it’s now on the

surface for our walking enjoyment.

We visited the replica fort at Grand Portage National Monument.
They have people giving demonstrations of different jobs that

were done in the late 1700’s when the fur trade was in full
throttle. We saw a birch bark canoe being made, the woodworker
th
making the paddles, the blacksmith, and a cook in her 18 century

kitchen. Everyone was in period costume and using tools of the
times. It was all very interesting and informative.

Further knowledge on the fur trade. The North West Company

was owned by the Scottish. The Hudson Bay Company, their major
competitor, was owned by the English. The competition was fierce

and sometimes lethally violent.

The Hudson Bay Company had their forts on Hudson Bay and had
the Indian trappers come to them. The Northwest Company had

their men, the Voyageurs go to the Indians.

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