Up North At the Cabin

Sunset at the cabin

Up North

It's the pace people go to escape,
A place made up of cabins, pine trees and lakes
But no matter how far you drive
There's no sign to say "you've arrived"
So just follow your heart til you find
That special place that bring your piece of mind
As you breathe in the air and unwind
Your cares are all left behind
It's no mystery where the northwoods start
When you arrive Up North you'll know
In your heart. -Suzanne Kindler

Most people growing up in Minnesota have an idea of what it means to be "Up North" but we all have slightly different definitions. To some it is a direction; to others it is a special place in the woods; and to some it is a feeling you get. "Up North" to me used to refer to driving nearly three hours north on highway 169 past the giant walleye statue near Lake Mille Lacs and then the leaping deer statue in Deerwood on our way to my grandparents cabin on Velvet Lake in Crosslake, MN. "Up North" was not only the literal direction (due north) but it was also a place. A place in the woods on a lake that we spent every 4th of July that I can remember and many more long summer weekends growing up.

The 4th of July was a major family event. One summer, we participated in the local town parade. The older cousins rollerbladed behind the speedboat (that was on a trailer) pretending to be water skiers while my younger sister stood on the bow of the speedboat dressed as the Statue of Liberty throwing out candy. She made the front page of the local newspaper! My grandma Jane had us play anthems on the radio and parade around the cabin in red, white and blue to honor those who fought for freedom, as my grandfather had done in WWII. We loved to drive him around in his golf cart around the yard being careful not to crash into the steps to the deck. We loved to run and leap off the dock and quickly swim out to the homemade raft where the weeds weren't as tall. Unfortunately, the birds used it too and sometimes the fish bones would stab our feet. We too fished off the dock and caught northern pike, large mouth bass, perch and sunfish. We hated it when we caught an ugly catfish with long whiskers/barbels in the lily pads. Then, after a long day of playing with our cousins, everyone would cram onto the pontoon and we'd go for a troll around the lake. Grandpa would let us drive around and we would watch the loons swim and bald eagles soar high above. I remember driving through town past the catholic church to see the eagles nest in town. Seeing a bald eagle always meant you were "Up North."

Marit getting ready for the 4th of July boat parade 2018

The Annual Rocheford Family 4th of July Hat Parade (circa 2010)

One day in late August, my grandfather wasn't feeling well. He had a history of heart disease and diabetes and besides having cardiac bypass surgery at a young age, he also had an above knee amputation due to poorly healing foot ulcers. When the ambulance arrived, they said he was having another heart attack. In the hospital in Brainerd, doctors said there wasn't any more they could do for him because his heart was too weak. He passed away shortly after surrounded by all his children and my grandmother. Unfortunately, I was with my father canoeing in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) and it wasn't until we paddled out a week later and called my mom from Ely that we heard the bad news. Since that day, I have always been interested in medicine and wanted to help people like my grandfather.

Research and technological advances have changed cardiovascular disease since 1995 when my grandfather passed away. The same diabetic patient with heart disease today would have received a 4th generation drug-eluding stent, dual antiplatelet therapy, new injectable diabetic and cholesterol lowering medications, as well as goal-directed medical therapy for heart failure. Would he still be alive today if he had access to these therapies back then? He would have celebrated his 95th birthday! As Medical Director of Heart and Vascular Research for Essentia Health, I believe research is so important to continue to advance our knowledge, prevent cardiovascular disease, and improve the health of the patients in our communities. In summer 2018, I started the Essentia Health Summer Research Intern program for premedical and medical students to gain experience in clinical research. Last summer we had nine pre-med and medical students participate. We now have a website and we were featured in the Minnesota Medicine magazine fall issue. These students are extremely bright and motivated and I can't wait for them to be the next generation of physician-scientists and take care of me someday when I am retired and living "Up North."

The Cabin version 1.0 - Balsam Lake 2016

My parents now have a lake home on Balsam Lake, WI. Going "Up North" for the weekend is now actually driving "Down South" two hours from Duluth. However, we still say we're going "Up North" to the cabin. Watching my kids at the cabin reminds me of my childhood on Velvet; they wake up early and ask Grandpa to go fishing off the dock, jump and swim for hours on the Maui Mat and water trampoline, beg to go tubing behind the speedboat, take leisurely pontoon rides across the lake to get ice cream, play yard games like corn hole and kubb, ride old bikes down the gravel road, roast marshmallows over the bonfire well past our bedtime, and play with sparklers and fireworks. We routinely participate in lake activities, such as spending all day (or week) decorating the pontoon boat for the annual 4th of July Balsam Lake boat parade. I'm sure my kids will have more memories at the cabin than anywhere else and that these memories will last a lifetime. Cabin life is the best.

Maybe you live "Up North," or have a family cabin "Up North", or go camping up on the North Shore, or canoeing in the BWCA; where ever your "Up North" is, find that place and go. Get away from work and email and spend time in nature either alone or with family. It is important for the mind and soul to refuel and recharge. I know I am "Up North" when I hear the calm waves on the shore, when I hear the call of the common loons (click to play the video below to hear that sound), and when I see a bald eagle soaring above me. The graceful king of the sky reminds me of my Grandpa Jim and I smile, "There he is watching over us having fun 'Up North' at the lake." Thank you for showing us what it means to be "Up North."