A Long Ago Memory of Crow Wing County

I love to cross the line into Crow Wing County. The summer of my first year in Minnesota I thought of Crow Wing County as the gateway to the north, and the long drive would soon be over. Thirty years later, the ride north is on improved highways, and the area doesn't seem remote, as it did before cell phones, cable TV, and, more recently, wireless internet.

One of my first experiences was fighting for a camping spot at the Army Corps of Engineers Campground at Crosslake. For many years "getting a spot" meant waiting in line for hours outside the ranger station. That line extended out into the street, often in extreme heat.. Family members would often take turns standing in line and sometimes the "spot holding" or attempts to "budge" to a better position would create friction among the campers. I nearly got into a fight myself one time, though I quickly backed down and ceded the spot.

On one brutally hot afternoon we were unsuccessful in the wait game and ended up instead at Crow Wing Campground several miles down the road. We set up the heavy army tent and retired early on our cots. Bob and Chris quickly fell asleep: there was nothing to do and the Coleman lantern wasn't safe to light inside the tent, so even reading was out of the question. After sundown, the temperature quickly fell and I was soon freezing cold in my thin sleeping bag.

Eventually I went outside the tent. The sky was black, illuminated only by a full moon and a sea of stars. The night birds kept me company during the long, magical summer night. The next day we got our spot.

Although we haven't camped for a few years now, and our wireless devices reduce the sense of blessed remoteness, the Crow Wing County sign still signals the beginning of a pleasant stay in the north woods.