Did you get out and enjoy that great weather today? We may see a slight cooling trend start tomorrow, but is there a storm brewing for the morning commute? Stay tuned for more details later in the show...back to you Kip:

But now, back to our look at two winter adventurists in our exclusive special report: "Recreation or Recklessness: Winter Thrill Seekers"...

Shortly after sunrise, Megan & Lars were in their car on the way to the trailhead. The curvy road was covered with snow and ice but considering what lay ahead, this would be the least of their concerns. When they arrived at the end of the plowed road, still 3 miles from the actual trailhead, they saw two other cars parked and covered with snow. Whose cars could these be? Had they been left by some other hikers who had ventured into the woods and never returned, succumbing to a frosty death dealt out by mother nature's indiscriminate hand? They had no answers for the moment, but later on they would come to know the mystery behind these cars.

As they skied away from civilization, a steady snow fell, with 4-6 inches of snow predicted by Storm Tracker 3000, an already delicate situation was being pushed closer to the brink of catastrophe. In an hour they were at the trailhead, and in another 30 minutes they were gazing upon the frozen 80 foot Chapel Falls. They hiked down the cliffs to take a closer look at the falls but they couldn't linger long as precious minutes of daylight were slipping away. After snapping a few pictures, they got back on track, making their way to Chapel Beach, when they made a startling discovery. In the distance they could see a dark figure heading towards them. Its feet seemed abnormally large and it dragged something along with it in the snow. As it moved closer, it became apparent that it was a group of winter campers, wearing snowshoes and dragging their gear in sleds, who had left their cars at the trailhead. They were now fleeing the cold in an attempt to make it back to their cars. Megan & Lars said "hi" to them as they passed and they said "hi" back.

Now they were coming closer to the Lake Superior shoreline. Glimpses of the distant and surprisingly angry turquoise water could be seen through the trees. The weather was quite mild in the woods but as they got closer to the lake, the constant menacing roar of wind and smashing waves became louder and louder. They were in no danger yet, still far away from the cliff edges, but the cold and powerful Lake seemed like an intimidating foe. It begged them to come closer so it could pull them in. The icy water would suck the breath out of their lungs and the crushing waves would toss them around like rag dolls as it sent them smashing into the cold rigid cliffs. At the shore they could feel the full power of the Lake's gale force gusts which sometimes made them stumble as they walked. On a day like this it was hard to believe that the Lake ever submitted to the cold and allowed itself to be frozen motionless.

It was here that they had to decide: Continue on and face the wrath of Lake Superior for several miles as they hiked along exposed cliff tops, or turn around and head home? Throwing caution to the wind, literally, these two ventured on.

The cliffs southwest of the beach have several small coves that were swirling with huge waves. The snow, which had subsided temporarily, now came back even stronger, cutting visibility to a few hundred feet. Still, they foraged on.

They were now beginning to feel the fatigue of lugging large packs through the snow, which sometimes drifted to knee-deep depths, on Megan, so they stopped in an area sheltered from the wind for a quick snack and drink. This was about the spot where the footsteps laid down by the winter campers stopped, so from here on, Megan & Lars would be blazing their own trail through the tight snow covered vegetation. The narrow trail was periodically blocked by fallen trees and the overhanging branches constantly got caught on the skis strapped to Lars's pack, forcing him to twist and turn to free himself.

Fortunately, the snow squall was just temporary and soon dissipated. The snow was no longer a concern, but up until this time the cliffs west of Grand Portal Point had been sheltering our travelers from the full brunt of the Lake born wind. Now they were crossing over to the other side where storms could incubate over Lake Superior, unobstructed by land for over 100 miles, before abruptly encountering the cliffs. As the wind howled and sent sand blowing into their eyes, it was immediately apparent why the west side of Grand Portal Point was barren of vegetation. This was the stiffest wind they had faced yet and it again initiated conversations on whether it was wise to continue or if they should head back the way they came. They had now been outside for over four hours and only had four more hours of daylight left, with the most challenging navigation still ahead and no footprints to follow. This left no margin for error; they should have passed the halfway point by now.

Again they refused to be turned back. To proceed, they would have to cross a sandy treeless area that stretched about 100 feet with a sheer 90 foot drop on one side. Sand pelted them in the face and stiff winds threatened their balance. Megan stayed as close to the trees as possible to make sure she wouldn't wander off the edge while shielding her eyes from the blowing sand. Lars, wearing glasses, took a route closer to the edge, hoping to get a picture of Grand Portal Point. The strong wind ruled out this possibility, not only did it affect his balance near the cliff edge, but it blasted his camera with sand and when he extended his arm to take a picture, the wind sent his hand wildly waving around like an audience member who had just been told to "come on down" on the "The Price is Right". He fled from the cliff edge and took his photo as he re-entered the shelter of the forest.

Having hiked this trail before, they knew they would face a few more unprotected and sand blasted areas like Grand Portal Point ahead. There was no turning back now though, any delays at this point may leave them spending a cold night in the woods. They continued on past the cliff known as "Indian Head" where the wind was even stronger. After another failed photography attempt, Lars was pushed back by an abrupt gust and had to lean into the wind to get back to the wooded trail. Having passed all of the exposed areas now, it seemed as though they were free and clear. But were they?

They next came upon a viewpoint overlooking the wave carved arch named "Lover's Leap" in the distance. Huge waves crashed into the cliffs sending icy spray up and over the 50 foot faces. They would later pass by this area and see all the vegetation covered in 3 inches of ice.

Soon they were off the cliffs and on Mosquito Beach where waves constantly crashed into the frozen shores. The Mosquito River flows into Lake Superior here and a sandy beach extends for a quarter mile before the cliffs start up again. This is where they would start heading away from the lakeshore and back to their car. The trail is very narrow here and with no previous footsteps, they knew that following the snow covered trail would be problematic, especially if it got any darker.

After taking another break at the beach and doing some quick exploring, they strapped on their packs again and headed towards the trailhead. Although the snowy forest was beautiful, this section is the most tedious. As the minutes pass by, the scenery doesn't change much and there is no sign that you have made any progress. At one point they ran across a fallen tree which obscured the trail. If they lost the trail they knew they would end up aimlessly wandering in the woods with no hope of finding the trailhead in the dark. After carefully panning the area they were finally able to pick up the trail, and were on their way once again. They ran across a few more spots where they had to search for the trail, never being 100% sure that they were still following it.

Just as nightfall started to set in, though, they had made it back to the trailhead. From here it was just a 3 mile ski back to the car. Their legs burned with exhaustion as each mile seemed to take forever to conquer. They looked forward to eating their first real meal of the day when they got back to town, but first they had to get back to the car. They started imagining that it would be around the next corner, only to be disappointed with more snow covered road. Then Lars recognized a clearing near the end of the road which signaled the end and soon they were at the car, dropping their gear and stripping out of their wet clothes.