Northern Wilds August 2023

W e l c o m e b a g

HOVLAND, MN

Exceptional Lake Superior lots! Gorgeous building sites, very private desirable locations, some level to lake, some elevated. Gravel, accessible ledge rock & boulder shoreline, NE and SE facing sites to pick from. 18 miles to Grand Marais, 4 to Brule River for trout & salmon fishing & Devils Kettle Falls, 15 to Isle Royale ferry, 22 to Canada. Beautiful trees, protective covenants, community septic, electricity & survey.

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L u n c h & r e f r e s h m e n t s t h r o u g h o u t t h e d a y

F r i e n d l y c o m p e t i t i o n A b e a u t i f u l d a y o n t h e l i n k s t o s u p p o r t l o c a l

H e a l t h c a r e & E m e r g e n c y S e r v i c e s !

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o r e :

“The finest Realtor I’ve ever worked with in my life.”

-Tim K.

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Do you have a question for one of our writers? Or an interesting photo, recipe, or story you’d like to share with Northern Wilds? Please send it to storyideas@ northernwilds.com.

Fungus Among Us

August is a great time of year—the weather’s great and the water’s warm(er), there’s (usually) fewer biting insects, there’s lots of festivals and fun events to attend, and the woods are ripe with blueberries, raspberries, thimbleberries, and mushrooms—the star of this issue. Did you know there are thousands of mushroom species in the Grand Marais area alone? I certainly didn’t.

Kalli Hawkins starts us off with the lead Along the Shore story on Ariel Bonkoski, also known by some as ‘Duluth’s mushroom lady.’ Though she grew up disliking mushrooms, her mind slowly changed after discovering and consuming lobster mushrooms on the Superior Hiking Trail. Nearly eight years later, Bonkoski’s expertise has gained recognition worldwide. She’s also started her own business, Ariel’s Mushroom Co., and co-founded the Lake Superior Mycological Society.

Did you know that in the entire world, only about 10 percent of all mushrooms are edible, while roughly only 1-3 percent are toxic? The rest are inedible. On the North Shore, we’re lucky to have quite a few edible varieties to choose from. With the help of Bonkoski, I’ve put together a small sample of common edible, inedible, and toxic mushrooms that can be found in the Northern Wilds, from August to October. Note, some edible mushrooms have look-alikes. The best way to learn how to safely identify mushrooms is to get hands-on experience with an expert.

Continuing the mushroom theme, North Shore Dish columnist Virginia George covers three restaurants with mushrooms on the menu, and Strange Tales columnist

Elle Andra-Warner dives into the Wood Wide Net of mycorrhizal fungi.

Of course, no issue of Northern Wilds is focused on various aspects of just one topic. Chris Pascone recounts his three-day bikepacking trip, making a loop through Lake and Cook counties. Eric Chandler explores the tranquil world of hammocking and why it’s grown in popularity. People who use a hammock even have a verb for the activity: mocking (short for hammocking). Northern Trails columnist Gord Ellis revisits St. Ignace Island in Nipigon Bay, a place near and dear to his heart. Michelle Miller introduces us to the North Shore Commercial Fishing Museum in Tofte, which has been educating visitors since 1996. Last but not least, Andra-Warner brings us a different kind of art gallery happening this summer in Thunder Bay: the Tbay Drive-by Art Gallery, held Aug. 19 and Aug. 26.

In other news, Hawkins brings us information on Minnesota legalizing recreational marijuana. The new Minnesota law is set to take effect Aug. 1, making Minnesota the 23rd state in the U.S. to legalize cannabis. As of Aug. 1, individuals 21 and older are allowed to possess and transport up to 2 ounces of cannabis flower and up to 8 grams of adult-use cannabis concentrate. In addition, an individual can begin growing up to eight cannabis plants at home and possess up to 2 pounds of cannabis flower in their residence.

You’ll find all this and more with every turn of the page. When you’re not busy reading, be sure to enjoy the rest of your summer before it slips away.—Breana Johnson

ENTER YOUR PHOTOS AND WIN PRIZES!

CATEGORIES: Landscape, Wildlife, Adventure Lifestyle, and Macro. Prizes will be awarded to the top three photos per category. Winners will be announced in the January 2024 issue of Northern Wilds.

ENTER BY SEPT. 30

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Meet our Judges!

Photo Tip of the Month:

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Start by watching photography tutorials for beginners—YouTube is a great resource. Secondly, train yourself to have a good eye for photography; look at a scene and imagine what you could do photographically with it. Photography is more than taking pictures, it is creating an image from what is in front of your eyes. Lastly, shoot in all light conditions: photograph different light scenes in manual mode.

James Smedley ’s wiry frame regularly labours under a heavy pack of camera gear in search of fish, photos and outdoor adventure. His contributions to U.S. and Canadian books, magazines and newspapers have earned him an arm load of national and international awards. He currently resides in Wawa, Ontario with his wife Francine.

David R. Johnson is a photographer from Grand Marais. A fourthgeneration resident of the area, he grew up exploring the area’s vast forests, lakes, rivers and streams.

“I travel the back country all the time taking photos of anything that catches my eye; the northern lights are my favorite, followed by wildlife,” he says.

Paul Sundberg has done landscape and wildlife photography since the early 1970s. Paul and his wife Karla moved to the North Shore in 1976 managing several State Parks until his retirement in 2010. Paul and Karla currently reside near Grand Marais where Paul continues to pursue his passion for photographing Lake Superior and the Boundary Waters.

—David Johnson

PUBLISHER

Amber Graham

EDITORIAL

Breana Johnson, Editor breana@northernwilds.com

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Destry Winant, Sales Representative ads@northernwilds.com

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Mike Lee • production@northernwilds.com

OFFICE

Barbara Fisher • office@northernwilds.com billing@northernwilds.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Elle Andra-Warner, Eric Chandler, Gord Ellis, Virginia George, Kalli Hawkins, Ann Mershon, Michelle Miller, Deane Morrison, Hartley Newell-Acero, Chris Pascone, Rae Poynter, Joe Shead, Emily Stone, Sam Zimmerman

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August

Unearthing a hidden passion

Ariel Bonkoski’s journey into the world of mushrooms

DULUTH—Some individuals discover their lifelong passion at an early age, while others tend to discover their passions at unexpected moments later in their lives.

For Ariel Bonkoski, a casual conversation with a co-worker nearly 10 years ago, followed by a trip to Grand Marais, set her on a fulfilling and unforeseen trajectory into the world of mushrooms and fungi.

“It really just kind of fell into my lap,” Bonkoski said.

Bonkoski, who lives in Duluth, grew up disliking mushrooms. However, a conversation with a co-worker at Amazing Grace Cafe about a mushroom called chicken of the woods piqued her interest. After work, she researched the unique and bright-colored chicken-flavored mushroom.

As it tends to happen when one’s curiosity is sparked, Bonkoski continued down the mushroom investigative rabbit hole. Shortly after, she joined numerous Minnesota and Wisconsin mushroom-themed Facebook groups and slowly immersed herself in the online mycological community.

Bonkoski then put her growing mushroom identification skills to the test in 2016 while hiking the Superior Hiking Trail along Devils Track River in Grand Marais. She and her husband discovered what she thought was a lobster mushroom along the trail. After posting photos on her trusted mycological-based Facebook groups for confirmation, they harvested a few mushrooms for dinner to sauté with butter and garlic.

“That’s really where it all started for me,” she said. “From that point on, I had a mushroom book in hand.”

Her curiosity and growing passion for mushrooms deepened after her trip to Grand Marais. She began endlessly studying mushrooms, quizzing herself, and helping other Facebook group members with their identifications. Over time, she became a prominent and commonly known name among the online mycological community. In 2019, her hard work paid off as she landed her first job leading a weekend mushroom foray, a guided mushroom hunt in western Wisconsin.

“At that point, I was like, oh, I do know what I’m doing,” Bonkoski said. “And I’m good at it. And other people see that.”

She began collaborating with the Minnesota Master Naturalists, various mycological societies, and other organizations to host forays. “People in other states were recognizing me as an expert,” she describes. “That’s when I thought; I can probably make a business out of this. Teaching people how to do this and doing it safely.”

So, in the spring of 2022, Bonkoski did just that. She left her full-time job and started her own business, Ariel’s Mushroom Co. Her business is dedicated to educating and inspiring individuals through online classes, guided hikes, forays, and conferences.

In addition to starting her business, she co-founded the Lake Superior Mycological Society and is now the moderator or admin for most Minnesota mushroom Facebook groups.

“I’ve had such a great time with the mushroom community,” Bonkoski said. “It’s just

very different types of people that come together, which is really fun.”

Nearly eight years after discovering and identifying her first mushroom in Grand Marais, she is now commonly referred to in the mycological space as ‘Duluth’s mushroom lady.’ Her expertise has more recently gained recognition worldwide. “I get people from Africa emailing me asking to identify mushrooms. I get people from Europe to help them ID mushrooms,” she said. “So, I really have more of a global reach.”

When she’s not teaching classes or speaking at conferences, Bonkoski likes to spend her time foraging along the North Shore. “I do most of my foraging year-round around the North Shore area, between Duluth and all the way past Grand Marais,” she said. “It’s my favorite spot to forage.”

During Fisherman’s Picnic each August, Bonkoski plans a camping trip to Grand Marais to forage for scaber stalk boletes, lobster mushrooms, chanterelles, and chicken of the woods varieties.

“I call it my mushroom vacation,” she said. While Bonkoski said she doesn’t necessarily have a favorite type of mushroom, she does enjoy the mid-summer start to chanterelle season the most. Chanterelles are generally easily identifiable mushrooms for individuals entering the foraging realm and have a slight apricot odor and meaty flavor. Bonkoski said chanterelles in the Midwest are typically found among oak, birch, or other hardwood-associated species. However, she has discovered a conifer-associated chanterelle species unique to the North Shore area.

After foraging for chanterelles and returning to camp, she enjoys frying the thinly sliced chanterelles with some potatoes in butter, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning over the fire. “That’s probably my favorite way to enjoy them. Sitting on the lake and eating chanterelles that I foraged for dinner. It’s a really cool experience.”

For someone looking to learn more or dip their toes into mushroom foraging, Bonkoski recommends taking a class or hiking with an experienced forager. The Lake Superior Mycological Society and Minnesota Mycological Society host casual hikes for aspiring foragers.

Having an expert along is helpful as there are many look-alikes for edible mushrooms in the northeast region, Bonkoski said. As for foraging advice, she said, “One of the biggest things to tell people is that no mushroom can harm you from touching it. It is safe to handle all mushrooms.”

Taking photos of the mushroom, including the underside, and picking the mushroom is an important step in the identification process, Bonkoski said. “Mushrooms themselves are just fruiting bodies of a larger organism. You will not harm that organism by picking a mushroom as long as you don’t damage the environment around the mushroom.”

The diversity of mushrooms in the dense boreal landscape of northeastern Minnesota is vast and provides endless adventure and opportunity for individuals to explore and forage for mushrooms. And, like Bonkoski, an opportunity to find a new and consuming passion.— Kalli Hawkins

Many edible mushrooms can be found along the North Shore, including [LEFT TO RIGHT] coral tooth, chanterelles, and chicken of the woods. | ARIEL BONKOSKI

Ariel Bonkoski foraging for mushrooms on the Superior Hiking Trail, and preparing mushrooms while camping. | ARIEL BONKOSKI

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Breakfast and airport shuttle

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Red Rock Ontario

The Gateway to the Scenic Nipigon Bay including our beautiful serviced Marina

Come enjoy Red Rock’s amazing hiking, fishing, sailing, kayaking & so much more!

Visit the Marina Interpretive Centre’s interactive exhibits that focus on the history, biology and geology unique to Red Rock.

Open daily until September 30

Tbay Drive-by Art Gallery

A new way of viewing art

THUNDER BAY—There’s a different kind of art gallery happening this summer in Thunder Bay. Celebrating its third season is the Tbay Drive-by Art Gallery, held the last two Saturdays in August—Aug. 19 and Aug. 26—at noon (rain dates are the following Sundays).

The concept of a drive-by art gallery involves artists setting up art galleries in their own yard, whether it be their back yard or garage—wherever the artwork is best protected from wind and sun. The tour is free to the public with locations posted on social media and available by email.

August 12—40th Annual

10—37th Annual

Credit for bringing the idea to Thunder Bay is the gallery organizer Manuela Wedow. Wedow was inspired after seeing an Instagram post by artist Janet Skates of Tulsa, Oklahoma, who had set up her artwork in her yard in spring 2020 when the covid pandemic had closed galleries. Wedow liked the idea and started organizing a drive-by gallery for Thunder Bay. The following year in July 2021, the first Tbay Drive-by Art Gallery was launched.

Paju Mountain Run

Paju Mountain Run

The Course: 11.2 km to the top of Paju Mountain (over 715 ft) and back down

The Course: 11.2 km to the top of Paju Mountain (over 715 ft) and back down

There are many talented artists in Thunder Bay, but not everyone has the opportunity to hold exhibits in traditional galleries. “Having galleries set up in residential yards is an amazing deal,” said Wedow. “No overhead, no commissions, no red tape, and no hauling artwork across town.”

Celebrating its third season, the TBay Drive-by Art Gallery will take place the last two Saturdays in August—Aug. 19 and Aug. 26—at noon.

Race pick up: 7:30 am at the Red Rock Legion

Race pick up: 7:30 am at the Red Rock Legion

Non-competitive Race: 8:30 am Competitive Race: 9 am

Non-competitive Race: 8:30 am Competitive Race: 9 am

Entry Fee: $55 Shower facilities: available after the race.

Entry Fee: $40 Shower facilities: available after the race.

Awards: presented during the luncheon at 11:30 am

Awards: presented during the luncheon at 11 am

To register: www.redrocktownship.ca and click the Annual Events tab, or contact Race Director Andrea Zapcic at (807) 886-2704.

Wedow noted that it can be intimidating for many artists to show their work, so “this idea helps to take the pressure off because the artist is in the comfort of their own yard.” To ease the pressure, artists can also team up in each other’s yard.

are showing for the first time. Our youngest artist last summer was 11-years-old.” The group is open to all local artists and enthusiasts everywhere—anyone can join.

www.RedRockTownship.com

To register: www.redrocktownship.com and click the Annual Events tab, or contact Race Director Ashley Davis at (807) 886-2235. www.RedRockTownship.com

“The entire event is very much about artists supporting artists… artists know full well what if feels like to show your work for the first time,” said Wedow. “Art is art. There will be artists of all ages, and artists who

The public can expect to see an eclectic mix of creations from painted artwork, drawings and stained glass to sculptures, photography and more. The event is organic, laidback and loads of fun for everyone. Each

At age 11, Eden Kaukinen was the youngest artist to participate in last year’s TBay Drive-by Art Gallery. | SUBMITTED

The public can expect to see an eclectic mix of creations from painted artwork, drawings, and stained glass to sculptures, photography, and more.

drive-by gallery will be different, charming and unique with each artist designing their own gallery. Most of the displayed art will be available for purchase.

“There are no adjudications here. We are all creators,” explains Wedow. “All that is required is your love to create. All ages and all abilities are welcome to participate. This is the third year running. If you are just starting out as an artist, this is the right place for you to begin your art showing and selling journey. We’d love to have you join us.”

A full list of locations for TBay Drive-by Art Gallery will be posted on the Facebook

Group Page, “Tbay Drive by Art Gallery.” A printable pdf is available by downloading “Thunder Bay Tours” on the City of Thunder Bay Tour App, or by emailing Wedow at: riklandesigns@gmail.com.

ICE CREAM SOCIAL ICE CREAM SOCIAL

Sunday, August 27, 2-4pm at Sydney’s Frozen Custard new downtown location!

•

Enjoy a Sydney’s Frozen Custard and support

Care Partners

•

Quilt Raffle

• •

Say "hello" to friends and neighbors

Learn about aging well in our beautiful county!

Your support is the cherry on top!

This event is a celebration of art and is free for the public to attend. “We’re painting the town,” said Wedow.— Elle Andra-Warner

by:

Photo by Don Seabrook, Wenatchee World

Each drive-by gallery will be different, charming, and unique, with each artist designing their own gallery. | SUBMITTED

Helping people stay in our community as they age.

museum and nature center

Old Fashioned Pie Social

Sunday, Sept. 3, Noon - 4 pm

Free admission all day

Suggested donation of $5 per slice of pie, ice cream and beverage

This day also features the annual Chik-Wauk “sidewalk” sale which offers steep discounts on many gift shop items. It will be a fun way to wrap up the summer and say “So long till next year,” to our friends and neighbors. All proceeds help with the daily operational costs of the Museum and Nature Center.

28 Moose Pond Drive, 55 miles up the Gunflint Trail (Hwy 12)

218-388-9915

gunf linthistory.org

DULUTH—Have you ever wanted to hang out with your friends? I mean, literally hang out from some trees? Then a hammock might be just what you need. A hammock is a lightweight, cloth platform that you string between two trees so you can sit or lie down suspended above the ground. People who use a hammock even have a verb for the activity: mocking (short for “hammocking”). The popularity of this outdoor pursuit seems to be growing. Grace Chandler from Duluth is a hammock enthusiast. She said, “I like to do it because it’s peaceful. It’s relaxing and nice. You can be social. Or not. Everyone can do it. You just have to find somewhere outside in the trees.” She got her hammock in 2017 and says, “There are lots of options. It’s fun because you can get a hammock that’s pretty much any color or pattern that you want.” She says it’s a versatile activity. “You can spectate outdoor sports like running and even XC skiing from a hammock.”

Black Beach Inn

The outdoor retailer Trailfitters in Duluth sells the ENO (Eagles Nest Outfitters) brand of hammocks. You can buy a single-person hammock from them for $54 or you can spend between $74 to $84 for one of their two-person models. The Duluth Gear Exchange sells gently used gear on consignment. They recently had one Grand Trunk brand hammock for sale for $30. Considering that it’s a relatively lightweight sleeping system you could use for camping, they are reasonably priced. However, fully equipped camping models with insulation, pillows, pockets, a rain fly, and insect netting can cost several hundred dollars. Chandler has spent the night in her minimalist hammock but noted, “I have a bug net.” You can even purchase a hammock stand, in case there are no trees available.

Renting is also an option. The University of Minnesota-Duluth (UMD) Recreational Sports Outdoor Program Rental

Grace Chandler from Duluth is a hammock enthusiast. Here she enjoys a peaceful day while watching a paddleboarder from a hammock. | ERIC CHANDLER

they point out, whether using a hammock or not, overnight camping is only allowed in designated campsites. Hammocks must be attached to trees that are at least 12 inches in diameter with straps that are at least 1-inch wide. Extra padding should be used if damage to the bark of the tree occurs. Only one hammock per tree is allowed. More information can be found on the Minnesota DNR website: mndnr.gov.

kind to the trees that help your hammock sway in the breeze. And then enjoy hanging out in the Northern Wilds.

—Eric Chandler

Betsy Bowen

Studio & Gallery

301 First Avenue West, Grand Marais, MN 218-387-1992

Visit woodcut.com

Papa Charlie’s fire at Lutsen Mountains

LUTSEN—On Saturday, June 24 at approximately 6:01 a.m., the Cook County Sheriff’s Office dispatch was notified of a structure fire at Papa Charlie’s in Lutsen. The Lutsen Fire Department was paged and responded immediately, requesting mutual aid from other fire departments in Cook County. The Silver Bay FD and USFS responded, along with Lutsen First Responders, Tofte FD, Schroeder FD, Maple Hill FD, Grand Marais FD, NSH Ambulance, Arrowhead Electric and Como. Although suppression efforts were at a high level, unfortunately the building

was considered a complete loss. Sheriff Pat Eliasen stated, “Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by this tragic loss, Papa Charlie’s holds a special place in everyone’s heart and mind. We are fortunate that we have such a wonderful volunteer public safety response in Cook County to prevent further loss.”

The Minnesota State Fire Marshall is the lead investigating agency and further details will be released as the process continues.

If you’re above here, you belong here. We share far more than shoreline. With values anchored in communities from Duluth to Grand Portage plus resources that are deeper, smarter and more readily accessible than ever, we’re here to stay and proud to belong. northshorefcu.org

On Saturday, June 24, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office dispatch was notified of a fire at Papa Charlie’s in Lutsen. Sadly, the building was considered a complete loss. | CODY JOHNSON

Preserving history

The North Shore Commercial Fishing Museum

TOFTE—Lake Superior is the largest of the Great Lakes, and in addition to making up the North Shore of Minnesota, it also borders Canada, Michigan, and Wisconsin. For centuries, commercial fishing has been a source of income for many families, while sustaining many communities along Lake Superior. The North Shore Commercial Fishing Museum in Tofte honors this rich history, from Duluth to Thunder Bay.

Owned and operated by the Tofte Historical Society, the museum has been educating visitors since 1996. The Historical Society was inspired by Tofte resident Dr. Ted Tofte’s passion for history, and recognizing the need to preserve it before it was too late. The organization also manages the town park, the end of the lake walk walking trail, and the Boat House Museum, all accessible from the Commercial Fishing Museum. Historical society board president, Ginny Storlie, says, “we offer a little indoor and a little outdoor glimpse into history.”

Storlie has been with the museum since the beginning and explains that North Shore communities are well into the second and third generation of families in the commercial fishing business. This results in more artifacts being donated to the museum each year, as family members grow older. “People continue to bring items while cleaning out grandma’s attic, and it is always interesting

to go through,” says museum staff member Bill Wehseler. The generous donations add to the real-life stories of the fishing industry and allows for the museum exhibits to be rotated, continually providing a new experience for returning visitors.

The museum is a replica of the twin fish house that was originally located near where the present-day Bluefin Bay Restaurant stands. The one-room building chronicles all the aspects of maritime history and the commercial fishing industry, highlighting everything from important steamships to the evolution of the nets used. Fishing nets were first made of cotton and linen, but in the 1940s, those materials were replaced by the more durable nylon. The fish house was the center of the operation, as well as a vital social center. This is where fish were dressed, weighed, split and salted, and packed.

In most cases, a fish house was the first house of homesteaders, with work being done on the first floor and young families living on the second floor. A popular interactive display in the museum features photos and descriptions of over 100 fish houses that were once active along the shore. “Visitors enjoy paging through and discovering an ancestor’s story. It was a fascinating job putting it together,” says Storlie.

Margaret Carlsen is one of those folks with a deep North Shore fishing heritage.

Her grandfather, Martin Lortenson, was the first Norwegian to settle in Beaver Bay in 1896. He made his living fishing the big lake until he drowned in 1911. In 2021, three generations of Carlsen fishermen delivered a large commercial fish scaler as a donation from the Carlsen operation. This one-of-akind machine was built by an inspector in the Department of Natural Resources. Herring were tumbled and sprayed on one end and came out the other end scale free. Visitors can turn the fish scaler and see the scales still coating the mesh. In addition to herring and lake trout, menominee, commonly called round whitefish, (a member of the salmon family), were also caught in abundance on Lake Superior.

Museum visitors can also view an in-depth video produced by PBS, titled “Steamship

America: A North Shore Legend.” The SS America was a package freighter, built in 1898 by the Detroit Dry Dock Company to transport passengers, mail, and packages between settlements along the North Shore. The great steamship sank off the shore of Isle Royale in 1928, where the hull still remains. Copies of the documentary are available at the museum gift shop, along with other souvenirs to take home, including smoked and canned fish.

The Commercial Fishing Museum is open Sunday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., through October. Admission fees support the Tofte Historical Society. More information on the North Shore Commercial Fishing Museum can be found on Facebook, or visit: commercialfishingmuseum.org.—Michelle Miller

WOW.

To find Minnesota’s most amazing—and earliest—fall color, explore Cook County’s communities. Find fall color maps at VISITCOOKCOUNTY.COM/FALL

READY. SET.

A one-of-a kind fish scaler that can be seen at the North Shore Commercial Fishing Museum in Tofte. | MICHELLE MILLER

Presentations

Aug.

Aug.

Aug.

Minnesota embraces the growing cannabis landscape

NORTH SHORE—Over the past decade, several states across the U.S. have chosen to legalize marijuana for medicinal or recreational purposes, reflecting a significant shift in public opinion and attitudes toward cannabis.

Aug.

Aug. 27, Sunday 2–3 p.m. Sherry Abts, Living with Loons

USFS Talks

Most recently, Minnesota joined other states such as Colorado, Arizona, Michigan, California, and Virginia, among many others, in the legalized recreational use of marijuana. The new Minnesota law enacted in May during the 2023 legislative session is set to take effect August 1, making Minnesota the 23rd state in the U.S. to legalize cannabis.

While numerous regulation changes are going into effect on August 1, the legal sale of cannabis by a licensed business will not happen until January 2025. Minnesota will spend the next year and a half developing the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) and hiring staff to navigate the regulation and enforcement of the cannabis industry. Once established, OCM will oversee and

issue licenses for cannabis cultivators, manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers, delivery services, and more.

Despite the 2025 timeline, starting on August 1, individuals 21 and older are allowed to possess and transport up to 2 ounces of cannabis flower and up to 8 grams of adultuse cannabis concentrate. In addition, an individual can begin growing up to eight cannabis plants at home and possess up to 2 pounds of cannabis flower in their residence.

Currently, Minnesota does not have a permitted business selling cannabis seeds. However, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture said in a statement to the Star Tribune they would begin to “issue permits to label cannabis seed starting July 1, and seed sales will then start August 1” In the meantime, cannabis seeds are available online by out of state permitted businesses for individuals to purchase.

Last but not least, Minnesotans with a misdemeanor or petty misdemeanor posses-

sion will start the process to get their records expunged, although it may take up to a year. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) estimates more than 60,000 misdemeanor marijuana cases will be eligible for expungement.

While there remains a handful of unknowns at this time, the new law has many city and small-town officials setting meetings and attending informational conferences regarding the new marijuana law. Following the 2023 legislative session news, a small group of Cook County and Grand Marais officials met on June 8 to discuss the newly passed law and talk about education, zoning, ordinances, compliance checks, and much more.

Shortly after, the League of Minnesota Cities, a membership association of local elected and appointed city officials from across the state, hosted a conference where the conversations circled the trending topic.

Many city and county officials are busy diving into the specifics of the law to discover the rules and how they will apply. The law states that local governments cannot ban cannabis businesses; instead, they are allowed to limit the number of businesses based on population size. Under the law, a county can limit one retailer per 12,500 residents.

“I’m sure there are lots of entrepreneurs interested in this opportunity,” said Grand Marais Mayor Tracy Benson. “We’ll just have to see how it goes.”

Another critical note included in the law concerns taxes. The law includes a 10 percent tax rate on the sale of cannabis products, with 80 percent of the tax going to the general fund and 20 percent to the local government cannabis aid account. Cities will receive half of the amount certified in the cannabis aid account.

The legalization of marijuana has drawn significant economic opportunities and benefits to states who have adopted the law change in recent years. The projected revenue for nearby Michigan in 2023 is $2.70 billion, while the western pioneering marijuana state of Colorado is $1.60 billion. Initial market analysis shows Minnesota marijuana sales have the potential to reach $1.5 billion annually.

Minnesota is the latest state to recognize the financial benefits of marijuana legalization and to embrace the growing cannabis landscape.— Kalli Hawkins

Minnesota recently joined other states such as Colorado, Arizona, Michigan, California, and many others, in the legalized recreational use of marijuana.

| CRYSTAL WEED VIA UNSPLASH

Check Out Lake County, MN

SILVER BAY, BEAVER BAY, FINLAND

Activity of the Month

KAYAK TOUR AT SPLIT ROCK This iconic landmark is one of the most visited spots on the North Shore, but you may not know that there are many ways to experience it—like from a kayak floating below the towering cliffs it resides atop of! Sure, you can stop at the wayside viewing point or take an informative guided tour of the property, but if you want to really up the adventure factor, hop in a kayak and paddle alongside it.

Business Spotlight in August

AUGUST 10-13

12th Anniversary Party

AUGUST 19

Check out our full events calendar on page 32.

NORTHWOODS PIONEER GALLERY & GIFTS

There are a lot of artists and a lot of places to buy art along the North Shore, but this nonprofit co-op is truly unique. Stop in to choose from their, “hundreds of handmade gifts under $25” and hopefully you’ll catch one of their co-op members in the midst of a demonstration in crafts such as wood work, weaving, painting, and jewelry-making.

Souvenir of the Month

POSTCARDS Sure, you can send a selfie to your friends, but did that snap really capture the sentiment in the same way as a hand-written note on the back of an image of a moose stating, “I moose you?” If there isn’t anybody you “moose,” add them to your scrapbook, hang them on your fridge, or put them in a box of mementos that you nostalgically sift through.

Food & Drink of the Month

CASTLE DANGER BREWERY

Castle Danger Brewery is a stunning example of the entrepreneurial spirit of North Shore residents. Clint and Jamie MacFarlane began homebrewing beer in 2006. Over the years that small operation fermented into a successful brewery with state-wide distribution. Don’t miss their taproom overlooking Lake Superior, complete with a dog-friendly outdoor area where you can enjoy superior-crafted beers, live music and food truck delicacies.

Nature of the Month

CHANTERELLE MUSHROOMS One of the most prized mushrooms can be found here and it doesn’t take a professional mycologist to spot them. Their bright yellow-orange coloring and sweet, apricot-like, scent are a dead giveaway, but you won’t want to mistake them for their lookalikes, the jack-o-lantern mushroom, or it really could be a… dead… giveaway.

Tip of the Month

SWIM SAFELY In August we still have warm, sunny days and winter is long enough past that the water temperatures have risen to a more comfortable temperature. Still, there is some risk. Superior is known for its strong currents, undertows, and sudden changes in weather that can catch swimmers off guard. It is recommended that you never swim alone, check weather conditions before you go out, and listen to your body. If you start to feel cold or fatigued, take a break.

| VICKI WILLET

Check Out Cook County, MN

SCHROEDER, TOFTE, LUTSEN, GRAND MARAIS, GRAND PORTAGE

Activity of the Month

STAND UP PADDLEBOARDING

AUGUST

(SUP) Grab a board and paddle and explore Lake Superior and the many inland lakes that the North Shore has to offer. SUP is a relaxing way to engage your entire body on your next lakeside adventure. While it does combine elements of balance and strength, it really is a suitable activity for all ages and fitness levels—even your dog can tag along!

Bussiness Spotlight

STONE HARBOR There may not be an REI store on the North Shore, but who needs it when you have Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply? Stone Harbor has been a staple business in Grand Marais for more than a decade. They provide equipment and rentals for year-round outdoor recreation and have experienced and friendly staff to make sure you know what you’re doing with it.

Wildlife of the Month

FIREWEED With the vibrant pink and purple colors displayed, some may wonder where the name came from. The name comes from the plant’s resilience and ability to rejuvenate the land in the aftermath of a fire. It is a natural indicator of the seasonal shift from summer to fall. As summer comes to an end, the vivid pink flowers continue to bloom up the stem, eventually becoming purple. When the flowers reach the top of the stem, it is a sure sign that fall is just around the corner.

Souvenir of the Month

USFS SUPERIOR NATIONAL FOREST

STAMP Did you know that passports are not only intended for international travel? Many North American adventurers choose to document their travels to national parks and national forests with a National Park Passport. Stop into the forest service visitor center and ask for a Superior National Forest stamp and you can add it to your passport or scrapbook.

Yumm-o of the Month

INDIAN FOOD TRUCK Cook County has a wide selection of restaurants and food trucks to choose from, but none can compete with the flavors you can find at Cook County’s new food truck, India Spice and Curry. You can dine at one of the tables right at the food truck or bring it to one of the many great lakeside spots to picnic.

Tip of the Month

Ask any outfitter on the shore what the best safety advice they have for water recreation is and you’re sure to be told: Wear your PFD! Accidents can happen and whether it is due to cold shock, an impact injury, or otherwise, your chances of survival in the event of an accident increase exponentially when you wear your life jacket—and wear it right. And no, using your PFD as a seat cushion does not count as using it.

EXPLORE THE CULTURAL HERITAGE OF

EXPLORETHECULTURALHERITAGEOF

Did

Lobster mushrooms, or Hypomyces lactifluorum, are a parasitic fungus that take over the host mushroom and transform it into

gunflinthistory.org

Cook County

Cook County Stopbyany heritagecenter ormuseumin CookCountyto receiveyourfree Passportbooklet. Visitanyorall18 sites,collectyour bookstamps, andlearnabout therichhistoryof CookCounty!

Stop by any heritage center or museum in Cook County to receive your free Passport booklet. Visit any or all 18 sites, collect your book stamps, and learn about the rich history of Cook County!

•SugarloafCoveNatureCenter(Schroeder)

•CrossRiverHeritage&InformationCenter (Schroeder)

• Sugarloaf Cove Nature Center (Schroeder)

•NorthShoreCommercialFishingMuseum (Tofte)

• Cross River Heritage & Information Center (Schroeder)

35 miles from Grand Marais up the scenic Gunflint Trail, 372 Hungry Jack Rd. www.hungryjack.com

WILDS

• North Shore Commercial Fishing Museum (Tofte)

•VisitCookCountyInformationCenter(Grand Marais)

•CookCountyHistoryMuseum(GrandMarais)

•Chik-WaukMuseum&NatureCenter (GunflintTrail)

• Visit Cook County Information Center (Grand Marais)

•GrandPortageNationalMonument& HeritageCenter

• Cook County History Museum (Grand Marais)

• Chik-Wauk Museum & Nature Center (Gunflint Trail)

•GrandPortageStatePark&WelcomeCenter

• Grand Portage National Monument & Heritage Center

Formoreinformation-visitonlineat: www.cookcountyhistory.org/passport-to-the-past-program

• Grand Portage State Park & Welcome Center

Programfundedinpartby VisitCookCounty

For more information - visit online at: www.cookcountyhistory.org/passport-to-the-past-program

| CHELSEA PUSC

WISE Women of the North Shore

GRAND MARAIS—Cook County has an impressive group of women dedicated to supporting children, families, and education in the area, but people don’t seem to know much about it. Well, read on.

WHAT THE HECK IS WISE?

WISE is a young organization in Cook County, born from the former Lioness Club. In 2018, Lions Club International disbanded the Lioness program, expecting their members to join Lions Clubs. The Grand Marais Lionesses voted almost unanimously to go independent, adopting the name WISE, the Women’s Initiative for Service and Education. “We are a fun, diverse group of folks who love our little spot in the world,” said WISE Vice President, Laurie Spry.

WHAT DOES WISE DO?

As its name indicates, WISE supports local programs for children, families, and education. They make annual donations to 13 local non-profits, fund student and adult scholarships for higher education, and sponsor miscellaneous grants to community organizations. They also partner with the Lion’s Club to offer education/classroom grants for Cook County teachers. The organization’s annual budget is just short of $20,000 this year.

HOW DOES WISE RAISE THEIR FUNDS?

WISE sponsors two annual fundraisers.

The first is the Fisherman’s Picnic Buffet in a Box meal, which includes fishcakes, Swedish meatballs, ham, potatoes, a roll, coleslaw, a vegetable, and dessert. WISE members (and friends) work together in the CCHS Culinary Center to create a meal to remember for hundreds of happy customers. Once a buffet at St. John’s Catholic Church, the pandemic changed the buffet to a pick-up meal on the Wednesday before Fisherman’s Picnic. Members have enjoyed working together on the meal, accepting online orders, and delivering them to hungry community members in the school parking lot.

The second fundraiser is an online auction in November. WISE members, local businesses, and community members donate items for the online auction—items like catered meals, food, clothing, crafts, artwork,

and adventure packages. This year’s auction will run for a week in mid-November, just in time for holiday shopping.

These two fundraisers raised over $15,000 last year, money WISE donates back to the community. Sue Futterer, the board’s membership chair, said, “It feels so good to know that the money we raise goes directly to people and other nonprofit organizations in our county. Even though it’s a lot of work to sponsor our fundraisers, it’s fun and rewarding to work alongside so many skilled and knowledgeable women.”

WHAT ELSE DOES WISE OFFER?

WISE offers social connections for its 50plus members with four annual gatherings, including a winter holiday party. Member Virginia Palmer said, “I’ve met so many incredible ladies that I now consider friends; I wouldn’t have known them otherwise.” Members who want more frequent connections can join the WISE Board of Directors, which meets monthly to plan activities and organize programs, meetings that are as much socializing as work. There are currently two openings on the board. They’re seeking a new secretary and treasurer. Virginia Palmer is hanging up her account book after serving WISE (and the Lioness Club) as treasurer for 13 years. Most importantly, WISE offers local women (and men) an opportunity to serve the community and have fun together doing it. Who could ask for more?

HOW CAN PEOPLE FIND OUT MORE?

Check out the website at: wisenorth.org to learn more about WISE. There’s a page to become a member and/or make a donation. If you’re not online, call Laurie Spry (218370-0183), who says, “I would encourage people to join us who are interested in promoting county wide education and service to our community through our two major events.” The website’s photos of members gathering and working on the buffet speak for themselves, demonstrating the spirit of this dedicated group. Joining WISE is a generous move—and it’s fun. WISE looks forward to including men in their ranks. Will that be you?—Ann

Mershon

Pre-Order

The WISE fishcake frying team [LEFT TO RIGHT] Gwen Mattice, Martha Rosbacka, Kathleen Johnson, Barb Heideman, Gwen Lenz, and Joanne Smith.

Six Campgrounds in Three Days

Bikepacking the Lake-Cook Counties Loop

Story and photos by Chris

Pascone

Would you like to slow down and explore the Superior National Forest (SNF) without having to portage a canoe? Do you enjoy biking on gravel roads with very little traffic? Are you interested in trying self-supported bikepacking (carrying your camping gear on your bike for multi-day trips) at free, rustic campsites?

For those who answered all three questions affirmatively, a treasure trove of routes awaits you in northeastern Minnesota. Bikepacking is growing in popularity, and the Superior National Forest has all the prerequisites for a great trip: plenty of gravel roads to explore, very low car traffic, and dozens of self-serve SNF campgrounds to choose from, making for flexible routes.

For these and other reasons, I jumped at the invitation extended to me by friend David Demmer to try bikepacking in Lake and Cook counties this spring. David designed a loop route that took us through a sizeable chunk of the SNF, yet took under 48 hours. David calls the route the Gabbro Loop, after the rock outcrops one commonly sees on this route crossing the Laurentian Divide. The loop also connects rural Cook County (population 5,617 in 2021) with just as rural Lake County (10,986 people as of the same year). Here’s how to get out there and explore this bike-accessible wilderness for yourself.

Start your trip from David’s favorite trailhead: the North Shore State Trail parking lot 7 miles north of Lutsen on the Caribou Trail (Cook County Road 4). Parking our vehicle here for the weekend worked well for us. You get to spend more time behind the handlebars, and less time behind the steering wheel, when you start this close to Highway 61.

From the parking lot, load up your pannier bags (my style of bicycle camping), or your streamlined frame bags, seat bags, and tube bags (what the modern folks call bikepacking), and head up the Caribou Trail a short ways before turning left on Clara Lake Road. You are now poised to do an 80-mile loop of gravel glory over the next 48 hours.

Honestly, there are countless options in the area for making your own routes. The attraction here is the open easel you have in front of you. As David puts it, it’s the “freedom of the wheels, and the simplicity of be ing self-supported with everything you need, and nothing more.” Embrace the freedom!

Biking to the hinterlands of the Superior National Forest brings great returns on your investment of time and muscle power.

The intersection of The Grade and the Sawbill Trail is a key intersection on the Lake-Cook counties route that invites exploration in all directions.

Since we were looking for a little challenge right off the get go, we turned left from Clara Lake Road on to Pancore Lake Road and endured some rocky two-track with occasional tree falls to carry over. It was nothing as tough as our gravel road bike trip in northern Cook County in the spring of 2022 though, when we had to ford our bikes across streams where culverts had washed out in several locations.

After riding 8 miles on our first evening, we reached the Poplar River just as dusk was setting in. There was no campground in the immediate area, so we took advantage of the National Forest dispersed camping rules, and laid our sleeping bags on a grassy patch alongside a very large beaver pond. This open spot awarded us with a perfect view of the stunning northern lights display that turned heads all across the Northland on May 19, 2023.

The Poplar River was our source of water to filter for a longer day of pedaling on Saturday. Five hours and 45 minutes of pedaling, to be exact. Bring plenty of water bottles or other containers to fill with filtered water, as potable water sources are few and far between (our route didn’t pass a single store the whole weekend).

We broke camp Saturday morning and headed west towards the Sawbill Trail, having not seen a vehicle yet. Some of the SNF “roads” are more travelled by moose than machines.

We then climbed the Sawbill Trail for a few miles before turning left on The Grade. This long, straight, former railroad bed can feel endless, so we made a point of breaking up the ride by stopping in at all the SNF campgrounds we passed. Dropping in for 10-15 minutes gives you both a break from pedaling, and a respect for the quiet atmosphere these rustic campgrounds exude.

First, we ducked into Toohey Lake Rustic Campground, with seven campsites and plenty of snow along the lakeshore as of May 20. Then, we checked in at Fourmile Lake Rustic Campground—with three campsites, a nice dock, and potential for an easy dip on

a hot day. Neither campground has a potable water supply, thus the “rustic” campground moniker (and free camping). No reservations are accepted at SNF rustic campgrounds— perfect for freedom-loving bikepackers.

Not long after passing Fourmile Lake, you’ll enter Lake County. Just don’t expect to see any signs—you’re smack dab in the wilderness. You’ll eventually reach Lake County Route 7—another gravel road—and can head north or south. We chose going north, and made it to Harriet Lake Rustic Campground in time for lunch. This campground—on the site of an abandoned farm—always triggers my respect for the brave souls who cleared the dense forest enough to farm this rocky terrain. That’s dedication!

We filtered more drinking water from Harriet Lake and fired up the camp stove for a hot lunch. There are plenty of good picnic tables to choose from in this sprawling campground, giving it what I consider a “Woodstock” kind of vibe (sadly, I wasn’t there).

With three campgrounds behind us, we kept moving north to a fourth—Silver Island Lake Rustic Campground. You’ll turn left from County 7 on to Forest Road 369 to get to this nine-site campground. You’re at your deepest point in the wilderness now.

Gather your strength here once more, because you’ll do your most intense climbing of the day, continuing up County 7 past Windy Lake. You’re skirting the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness at this point, and eventually swing back east into Cook County (not labelled on the road). With the end of Lake County, the road magically changes names—you’re now on Perent Lake Road.

Easy offshoots from here include Kawishiwi Lake Rustic Campground (turn up Forest Road 354—no water) and Sawbill Lake Campground (turn up the Sawbill Trail—with full amenities). Both campgrounds are frequented by Boundary Waters canoe campers starting or ending their trips, so we did not pedal to either.

Now that you’ve gotten back to the aforementioned Sawbill Trail (we were on this same road, further south, about eight hours earlier), you have a lot of options. We chose to take the Sawbill Trail less than a mile south to return to The Grade, then continued east to Crescent Lake Campground for the night. Another option off The Grade would be the Baker Lake Rustic Campground (turn up Forest Road 1272—there is potable water here).

Fun fact for bicycle campers at Crescent Lake Campground—there are “walk-in” only campsites here that keep the human-powered vibe going strong.

By this time we were ready to call it a day— we had gone 58 miles by bike, taking nine hours total. That evening, the sunset was a bright red ball in a sky hazy with wildfire smoke.

We did our final stretch of David’s LakeCook counties loop on Sunday morning.

It was an easy 20-mile day, much of it downhill, taking us less than two hours to

finish. We did take a break to check out Clara Lake Rustic Campground—our sixth of the weekend. This is a great campground to have as a retreat close to your starting point in the case of mechanical failures, or other unforeseen problems.

Clara Lake Rustic Campground doesn’t have potable water, but it does have brand new accessible vault toilets installed in fall 2022, using funding from the Great American Outdoors Act.

So, there you have it—two counties, six campgrounds, and a great way to experience the Superior National Forest using pedal power. As David says, “the wild landscape here is very approachable, yet can be challenging. It’s nearly all public land.” Make your own routes and go discover the flavor of bikepacking for yourself in this biker’s paradise.

Bikepacking with friends makes a great bonding experience. All the hard work is worth it for these endless views of the boreal forest. [LEFT TO RIGHT] David Demmer and Chris Pascone.

Finding roadblocks in the wilderness ratchets the sense of adventure up a notch.

The flooding of spring 2022 made fording creeks a necessary (and fun!) piece of the bikepacking puzzle in northeastern Minnesota.

Idon’t know about you, but until recently, I was unaware that in the Grand Marais area alone, there are thousands of different kinds of mushrooms, some edible, some toxic, and some inedible. When it comes to the entire world, approximately 10 percent of all mushrooms are edible, while roughly only 1-3 percent are toxic—the rest are inedible. The difference between toxic and inedible? Toxic mushrooms contain toxins that can cause serious harm or even death if ingested. Inedible mushrooms are not suitable for consumption due to reasons other than toxicity. While they might not be directly harmful, some can cause various issues such as indigestion or gastrointestinal discomfort. Others are inedible due to their unpleasant texture, taste, or lack of nutritional value. Here’s a small sample of common edible, inedible, and toxic mushrooms that can be found in the Northern Wilds, from August to October.

Inedible

Did you know that in the entire world, only about 10 percent of all mushrooms are edible? Thankfully, quite a few of them can be found in the Northland, including honey mushrooms.

Horse hoof mushroom, Fomes excavatus.

Violet-toothed polypore, Trichaptum biforme.

Dyer’s polypore, Phaeolus schwienitzii. Not edible, but can be used to make dyes.

Northern tooth, Climacodon septentrionalis.

Edible

Toxic

Note, some edible mushrooms have toxic or inedible lookalikes that can sometimes be difficult to distinguish. The best way to learn how to safely identify mushrooms and fungi is to get hands-on experience with an expert.

Lobster mushroom, Hypomyces lactifluorum.

Deadly Galerina, Galerina marginata, aka funeral bells. This is a deadly mushroom.

Coral tooth, Hericium coralloides.

Golden chanterelles, Cantharellus enelensis. There are many species of golden chanterelles, but this is the most common species found along the North Shore.

Stump puffballs, Apioperdon pyriforme. They are only edible when solid white inside.

Honey mushrooms, Armillaria gallica.

Fly Agaric, Amanita muscaria var guessowii. This is toxic but not considered deadly.

Resinous polypore, Ischnoderma resinosum. Only the tender outer edge is edible when young. The center is very tough when young and the whole thing gets tough as it ages.

By Breana Johnson

August Artists

Many of this month’s events will include artists of all kinds showcasing their beautiful work. Be sure to check out the annual Under the Spreading Walnut Tree Art Fair in Two Harbors, held Aug. 11-13, and Art in Bayfront Park, held Aug. 19-20 in Duluth. For more information and festivals, see our events section.

“Lake Superior Sandy Beach” by photographer Vince Quast. See more from Quast at the Two Harbors Art Fair. | VINCE QUAST

Two Harbors artist Katie Bromme created this watercolor piece, titled “The Angel.” She will be at Art in Bayfront Park. | KATIE BROMME

This canvas Lake Superior messenger bag, with a handprinted design, was created by Dock 5 owner Natalija Walbridge. See more from Walbridge at Art in Bayfront Park. | NATALIJA WALBRIDGE

Jewelry artist Chester Allen is one of roughly 30 artists attending the annual Under the Spreading Walnut Tree Art Fair in Two Harbors. | CHESTER ALLEN

Wendy Smith is the artist behind this acrylic painting, titled “Incoming Eagle.” She will also be attending the Two Harbors Art Fair. | WENDY SMITH

This acrylic piece, titled “Mushroom Trio,” is by Carly Jandl. See more from Jandl at Art in Bayfront Park. | CARLY JANDL

Greg Mueller

Sculpture Artist

CREATIVE SPACE: By Rae Poynter

When people hear the word “art,” what often comes to mind first is something to look at, whether it’s paintings that line gallery walls or photographs that decorate our homes. But in many cases, art is not just something to be viewed, but something to use and interact with. Greg Mueller is a North Shore sculptor who creates works of art that are not only made to be beautiful, but to be functional parts of our cities and lives.

Although Mueller never thought he would move to the North Shore, he has made his home in Lutsen for the last five years. A Minnesota native, he grew up in Mankato before attending art school and spending 15 years teaching at colleges across the country. Mueller’s eventual move north had its beginnings when he apprenticed with renowned sculptor Paul Granlund, who had a home in Schroeder. (Granlund’s bronze statues can be found throughout the country, including at the Johnson Heritage Post in Grand Marais.) It was while visiting the North Shore with Granlund that Mueller met Lutsen sculptor Tom Christiansen—Christiansen operated Last Chance Fabricating for nearly 30 years before Mueller purchased the studio in 2018, which is now Mueller Studio.

“After teaching for 15 years, I took the leap to move here and start my own business, and I’ve been in Lutsen ever since,” Mueller said.

At his studio, Mueller uses new and repurposed materials to create sculptures and public art pieces of all sizes and scopes, from play structures to benches to bike racks. Fascinated by how people move through spaces, Mueller had considered studying architecture before finding his niche as a sculptor. Although sculpture ended up being a better fit for him, his work still has an architectural essence of uniting beauty, space, and func-

tion. He cites the childhood experience as a recurring source of inspiration, often designing pieces that can be climbed or played on.

“I’m inspired by interaction and being in a public space, and creating things that people can explore, climb on, or sit on,” he said. “I love architecture, but it’s the spaces in between that intrigue me—places where people can gather and explore, and that’s where sculpture can really serve a social need.”

Much of Mueller’s work is public art commissioned by cities. Some of his works around the state include a play structure in Fergus Falls near the city’s bike trail, with swings suspended from large-scale bike wheels; “Street Seat” in Bloomington, whose repurposed street signs and porchswing ambience invite pedestrians to slow

down; and the Fire Station Plaza in Burnsville, which has many interactive pieces including a bench with a timeline of the fire department. Mueller is also the creator of the “Inspiration Exchange” at the Grand Marais Art Colony, made in collaboration with artist Amy Demmer. The Inspiration Exchange is a place where pedestrians can take and leave notes and objects of inspiration for one another.

A common thread in Mueller’s work is using reclaimed materials, such as fashioning bike racks out of old bike frames or out of former propane tanks. “I like taking old things and repurposing them and breathing new life into them,” he said.

Recently, Mueller has been busy with a project for the city of Jacksonville, Florida—a soccer park that will function like a life-size foosball table, where people can turn wheels to move balls around the field. He’s also working on a piece to transform a park in Terre Haute, Indiana—local children traced their handprints, which will be scanned into

metal to make archways for a splash park.

“That project will take a year to finish,” Mueller said. “The timeline and scope of my projects can be really big, and they require collaboration with many others, whether that’s contractors or engineers. Not all artists like working like that—it’s not for everyone to have so many heads at the table. But I love working with other creatives and getting to investigate the minds of other professionals.”

After 15 years of teaching, Mueller is glad to have made the move to the North Shore and to be spending the second half of his career “in the trenches” of making and creating.

“I’m so grateful for the creative community in Cook County,” he said. “People are so supportive of each other up here, regardless of medium.”

At his studio in Lutsen, Greg Mueller uses new and repurposed materials to create sculptures and public art pieces of all sizes and scopes, from play structures to benches to bike rakes. This piece, Street Seat, can be found in Bloomington, Minn. | SUBMITTED

A common thread in Mueller’s work is using reclaimed materials. | SUBMITTED

Sculpture artist Greg Mueller. | SUBMITTED

Much of Mueller’s work is public art commissioned by cities, including this play sculpture in Fergus Falls, Minn. near the city’s bike trail. | SUBMITTED

SPIRIT VALLEY DAYS

Aug. 3-5 The annual Spirit Valley Days in West Duluth features three days of family fun. Activities include a craft and vendor fair, live music and entertainment, food trucks, a car show, a parade, kids activities, a pancake breakfast, a fish fry, and more. The parade will be held on Thursday, Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. on Grand Avenue. The Car, Bike, and Big Rigs show will take place Friday, Aug. 4 from 4-7 p.m., also on Grand Avenue. Those wanting to participate in the show can register for free. spiritvalleydays.com

FISHERMAN’S PICNIC

Aug. 3-6 This year marks the 94th Annual Fisherman’s Picnic festival in downtown Grand Marais, and there’s lots to look forward to. There’s bingo, live music, food and artisan vendors, the fish toss and loon calling contests, kiddy rides, blacksmithing demos, a trail run, pancake breakfasts, a raffle drawing, and of course, the fishburger stand. There will be multiple contests and races, including the Big Fish Contest held July 31-Aug. 6, sponsored by Bucks and Northern Wilds. Don’t miss the fireworks over the harbor at 9:45 p.m. on Saturday and the parade at 1 p.m. on Sunday. grandmaraislions.com

MONARCH WAYSTATION GARDEN TOURS

Aug. 5, Saturday Held by the Duluth Monarch Buddies (DMB), this self-guided tour of seven Duluth certified monarch waystations features gardens with a mix of milkweed, nectar, and pollinator plants that provide habitat needed for the propagation and growth of monarch butterflies. The tour will take place from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and hosts will be available to show off their gardens and answer questions. To take the tour, visit the First United Methodist Church (Coppertop) between 9:30-10:30 a.m. to purchase a tour brochure with site names, addresses, and descriptions. The $20 per vehicle fee supports DMB planting projects and conservation efforts around Duluth. duluthmonarchbuddies.org

CLE FAMILY FAIR

Aug. 9-13 The annual CLE Family Fair in Thunder Bay features all kinds of fun activities, including roughly 40 Midway rides, games of chance, food and vendor booths, and live entertainment. There will also be a Kid’s World, a cooking show, agricultural and creative arts exhibitions, hands-on educational stations, a fish pond, face painting, inflatables, a colouring contest, and more. This year’s entertainers include 54-40, Prism, The Northern Pikes, Stardrop, The Lockyer Boys, illusionist Tyler Biloski, Bobo the Clown, Grumpy Grampas, and more. And don’t miss the fireworks on Sunday at 11 p.m. The fair will be held at the Canadian Lakehead Exhibition from noon to midnight, daily. Admission and ride wristband prices can be found online. cle.on.ca

The CLE Family Fair in Thunder Bay features roughly 40 Midway rides, as well as live entertainment, games, and more.

The Big Wu will perform at the Twin Ports Music Festival, held Aug. 18-19 at the Earth Rider Festival Grounds in Superior. | SUBMITTED

music on daytime workshop-style stages, as well as an evening concert lineup on the main festival stage. This year’s performers include Aleksi Campagne, Cartwrights, Katherine Fischer, King Cardiac, Minuscule, Onna Lou, Moonfruits, The Barrel Boys, and more. There will be food and drink vendors, an artisan village, community led workshops, onsite camping, a family zone, and more. Tickets can be purchased online in advance. livefromtherockfolkfestival.com

ering focused on dance, song, and family celebration. Visitors and tribal members alike are invited to watch and participate in the ceremonial powwow. This fun-filled weekend will also include artisan vendors, bingo, raffle drawings, music and dancing, craft demonstrations, hands-on workshops, a mixed softball tournament, a walk/run, a mens horseshoe tournament, and more. Admission is free. facebook.com/grandportagebandoflakesuperiorchippewa

LAKE COUNTY FAIR

Aug. 10-13 The Lake County Fair in Two Harbors provides four days of non-stop fun, from the 3k Dirty Dash and a watermelon eating contest, to ventriloquist Jeremy Lepak, a Midway Carnival, and the annual amateur talent contest. There will also be kids games and activities, daily prize drawings, food vendors and commercial booths, 4-H shows, MWA professional wrestling, free bingo with prizes, a pie auction and contest, a human tractor pull contest, a hay bale toss and frying pan toss contest, a blindfolded lawnmower race, escape rooms, multiple shows by the Torres One Ring Family Circus, and more. thelakecountyfair.com

LIVE FROM THE ROCK FOLK FESTIVAL

Aug. 11-13 Held at Pull-a-Log Park in Red Rock, Ontario, the annual Live From the Rock Folk Festival is a music and arts festival that is run almost 100 percent by volunteers. The festival offers world class

CCHS 2nd Annual Heritage Gathering

RENDEZVOUS DAYS CELEBRATION POWWOW

Aug. 11-13 Re-enactors from across the U.S. and Canada gather together during the annual Rendezvous Days, held at Grand Portage National Monument. In conjunction with Rendezvous Days, the annual Grand Portage Powwow, sponsored by the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, is an American Indian cultural gath-

UNDER THE SPREADING WALNUT TREE ART FESTIVAL

Aug. 11-13 The 29th Annual Under the Spreading Walnut Tree Art Festival will take place over the course of three days in Two Harbors and feature roughly 30 local and regional fine artists. Held on the grounds of the P.K. Anderson House, the festival will include artwork of all kinds, from ceramic, photography, and mixed media, to glass, jewelry, paintings, and more. Folk musician Thea Ennen will provide live music on Saturday and Sunday, and there will be free artmaking classes from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday. The festival will take place from 3-7 p.m. on Friday, and

A watermelon eating contest is just one of many fun activities held at the Lake County Fair in Two Harbors. | SUBMITTED

from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. More information can be found on Facebook under “Two Harbors Under the Spreading Walnut Tree Art Festival.”

BAYFRONT BLUES FESTIVAL

Aug. 11-13 The annual Bayfront Blues Festival in Duluth features more than 15 acts at one of the region’s most beautiful open-air venues. Held in Bayfront Festival Park, this year’s performers include Elvin Bishop’s Big Fun Trio, Mississippi Heat, Charlie Musselwhite, Veronica Lewis, Rusty Zinn, Kilborn Alley, Lamont Cranston, King Solomon Hicks, Blackcat Zydeco, Reverend Raven & the Chain Smokin’ Alter Boys, and more. Tickets can be purchased online or at the gate. bayfrontblues.com

TORI FINNISH MARKET-

PLACE & MUSIC FESTIVAL

Aug. 12, Saturday Held as a fundraiser for the Finland MN Historical Society, the Tori Finnish Marketplace and Music Festival in Finland offers fun for the whole family. Enjoy music by Charlie Parr, THUG, Gene LaFond and Amy Grillo, and John Agacki. Regional artists will have goods for sale, such as pottery, candles, homemade jams and maple syrup, wood crafts, paintings, and more. Kids will enjoy a scavenger hunt, crafts and music at the Imagination Station with the American Heritage Girls, and a nature trail hike. There will also be goat yoga, a cash raffle and silent auction, heritage site tours and demonstrations, workshops, and lots of great food. The festival will take place from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Finland Heritage Site. facebook.com/finlandmnhistoricalsociety

Jewelry old and new:

Native American turquoise, amber, agate, coral, pearl, estate jewelry and cameos, vintage Mexican silver, jade, rhinestone and more!

Hours:

Wednesday thru Saturday 10 to 5. Anytime by appointment.

Downtown Lutsen • www.bigwaterjewelry.com

LARGEST

TWIN PORTS MUSIC FESTIVAL

Aug. 18-19 Now in its second year, the Twin Ports Music Festival brings musicians, artists, and fans together for two days of dancing and fun. Held at the Earth Rider Festival Grounds in Superior, this year’s headliners are Anna Popovic, and The Cactus Blossoms. Other performers include The Big Wu, Them Coulee Boys, Frogleg, Feed the Dog, Feeding Leroy, and Katy Guillen & the Drive. The doors open at 4 p.m. each day and tickets can be purchased online. This is a family-friendly and dog-friendly event. twinportsmusicfestival.com

WAWA SALMON DERBY

Aug. 18-20 The 41st Annual Wawa Salmon Derby in Wawa, Ontario, will be held Aug. 18-20 on Lake Superior. Known as “Wawa’s Superior Sporting Event,” the contest includes multiple categories, a parade of lights, pancake breakfasts, a fish fry, and prizes and activities for the whole family. The winner of the largest salmon wins $3,000 in cash. There is also a five-day pre-fishing contest held Aug. 12-16. Derby headquarters are located at Buck’s Marina. Registration fee required. wawasalmonderby.com

Mississippi Heat is one of many groups performing at the annual Bayfront Blues Festival in Duluth. | SUBMITTED

GGTA NORTH SHORE BIKE RIDE

Aug. 19, Saturday The 23rd Annual Gitchi-Gami Trail Association North Shore Bike Ride will take place on Aug. 19 at 9 a.m. The recreational ride will offer 55-mile, 34mile, and 28-mile route options, as well as an 8-mile family ride on the trail, all starting at Gooseberry Falls State Park near Two Harbors. Refreshments will be provided at rest stops and post-ride. The 8-mile ride will also provide treats and special events. All adult riders will receive t-shirts, and younger riders will receive water bottles. All

UNPLUGGED 2023

A CELEBRATION OF MUSIC, CRAFT, & COMMUNITY SEPTEMBER 14-16 , 2023

Two uforgettable nights of music under the big top with Sean Carey, Pieta Brown, Mike Lewis, Jeremy Ylvisaker, Joe Rainey Sr., Dylan Jennings, and Barbara Jean Meyers

Free family concert featuring Justin Roberts

Birch Bark Bash featuring dinner by Chef Scott Graden

TICKETS GO ON SALE AUGUST 1

LEARN MORE: NORTHHOUSE.ORG

NORTH HOUSE FOLK SCHOOL

500 W Hwy 61, Grand Marais, MN 55604

riders must sign waivers and wear helmets. Registration is required; kids ride free with a paid/registered adult. ggta.org

WESTFORT STREET FAIR

Aug. 19, Saturday The longest-running event of its kind in Thunder Bay, the 41st Annual Westfort Street Fair takes place in Westfort Village (Frederica Street) and offers a full day of family fun. There will be live music and entertainment, lots of delicious food and drinks, beer gardens, kids activities, shopping from neighbourhood businesses and local vendors, artisans, games, prizes, and more. This year’s headliners are Luke Warm & The Cold Ones, and Thunder Gun. The fair runs from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and is free to attend. facebook.com/ westfortvillage

ART IN BAYFRONT PARK

Aug. 19-20 Held on the beautiful Lake Superior waterfront in Duluth, Art in Bayfront Park features over 150 juried artists, as well as a culinary arts market, Art in Action demos, and lots of food and beverages to enjoy. Artwork includes jewelry, ceramics, metalwork, photography, paintings, glass, wood, and more, by local and regional artists. The festival will be held from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday at Bayfront Festival Park. artinbayfrontpark.com

DEUCES WILD DUELING PIANOS

Aug. 24, Thursday Originally scheduled for June 24, the postponed Deuces Wild Dueling Pianos concert will take place Aug. 24 at Split Rock Lighthouse near Two Harbors. For over 20 years, Dave Eichholz and Ted Manderfeld of Deuces Wild Dueling Pianos have traveled coast to coast in the U.S., Canada, Panama, and Mexico as the country’s most sought-after dueling piano act. Their high-energy mix of comedy, music, and extensive audience participation makes this a show unlike any other. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are general admission ($45) and can be purchased online. Seating is not provided, so bring a lawn chair. Food and adult beverages will be available for sale. Must be 21 or older to attend. lovinlakecounty.com

LAKE SUPERIOR DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL

Aug. 25-26 Head to Barker’s Island in Superior for the annual Lake Superior Dragon Boat Festival. Watch or participate in the races, feast on fantastic food, or take part in the 5k Fun Run. There will also be live entertainment, a tug-of-war competition, a beer garden, food trucks, and more. Race registration is required. superiordragons.org

THUNDER BAY RIBFEST

Aug. 25-27 The aroma of fresh barbecue will fill the Thunder Bay air during the annual Ribfest, held Aug. 25-27 at the CLE grounds. All weekend long, enjoy saucy creations from some of North America’s very best professional ribbers, as well as local food and drink vendors, all in support of Our Kids Count. This family-friendly event will also include artisan vendors, live music, a children’s area, and more. facebook.com/ ribfestthunderbay

Deuces Wild Dueling Pianos will perform Aug. 24 at Split Rock Lighthouse. | SUBMITTED

The GGTA North Shore Bike Ride takes place Aug. 19. | SUBMITTED

The 41st Annual Westfort Street Fair in Thunder Bay offers a full day of family fun. | SUBMITTED

94 th Annual Fisherman’s Picnic August

3-6 Grand Marais, MN

WEDNESDAY, August 2

10 AM-6 PM Paint a Piece of Pottery by Grand Marais Pottery. Betsy Bowen Gallery, 301 1st Avenue West. Paint a piece of pottery, fired and ready for pickup Saturday morning

WISE “Buffet in a Box ‘’ with all the traditional favorites: Lena’s fishcakes, baked ham, Swedish meatballs and gravy, mashed potatoes, delicious sides, and homemade desserts. Must pre-order online, $25 per meal at www. wisenorth.org. Choose your pick-up time: 11:30 am-1:00 pm lunch and 5:006:30 pm supper. WISE is a non-profit that was formerly the Lioness Club. This is a fundraiser for service and education in Cook County.

THURSDAY, August 3

9 AM Crazy Daze Sales – visit local merchants around town

10 AM-1 PM Morning Kayak Tour - Stone Harbor, 22 E 1st St., $90 per person. Kayak around harbor area

10 AM-2 PM Craft and Bake Sale - The Hub, 10 N Broadway Ave

10 AM-5 PM Kids Rides open – Senior Center Parking Lot - 10 N Broadway

10 AM-6 PM Paint a Piece of Pottery by Grand Marais Pottery - Betsy Bowen Gallery, 301 1st Avenue West

11 AM Fishburger Stand opens – Harbor Park

11 AM- UNTIL FOUND “DQ Medallion Hunt” - rules and new daily clues at Dairy Queen, $100 prize to the first person to find it – sponsored by Dairy Queen

11 AM-12:30 PM Fred Anderson and Ben Olinger - Harbor Park Stage

NOON Bingo Tent opens –1st Ave. W & Hwy 61- sponsored by The SONS

1-2:30 PM Bug Lite - Harbor Park Stage

2 PM-5 PM Afternoon Kayak Tour - Stone Harbor, 22 E 1st St., $90 per person. Kayak around harbor area

3-6 PM The Devils Kettle Band- Harbor Park Stage

5 PM Dairy Queen Cornhole Tournament - Stop by ahead of time at Dairy Queen to sign up and see official rules.” Bring boards and bags if you have a set. If not just bring yourself.

5:30-6:30 PM Stories That Matter - Sharing the History of Cook County Women - Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery, 115 W Wisconsin St.

7-9 PM Grand Marais Playhouse, “Shout! The Mod Musical”

- The Arrowhead Center for the Arts - 51 West 5th Street, www.grandmaraisplayhouse.com

7-10 PM Street Dance - Open Stage hosted by Zulu Link (sign up at Info Booth) – Harbor Park Stage

FRIDAY, August 4

9 AM Crazy Daze Sales – all over town visit local merchants

9 AM-3 PM Cook County Market - E Wisconsin St.

10 AM-1 PM Morning Kayak Tour - Stone Harbor, 22 E 1st St., $90 per person. Kayak around harbor area

10 AM-2 PM Craft and Bake Sale - The Hub, 10 N Broadway Ave

10 AM-5 PM Vendor and Craft Show - 1st Ave W.

10 AM-5 PM Kiddy Rides open – Senior Center Parking Lot - 10 N Broadway

10 AM-5 PM Fun Games and Inflatables - Wisconsin St.

10 AM-6 PM Paint a Piece of Pottery by Grand Marais Pottery - Betsy Bowen Gallery, 301 1st Avenue West

11 AM Fishburger Stand Opens – Harbor Park

11 AM- UNTIL FOUND “DQ Medallion Hunt”, rules and new clues daily at Dairy Queen, $100 prize to the first person to find it – sponsored by Dairy Queen

11 AM-12:30 PM Jim McGowan - Harbor Park Stage

11:30 AM World’s Best Donut Bingo – Donut Shop - corner of Wisconsin St and Broadway Ave. – sponsored by the World’s Best Donut Shop

NOON Bingo opens – 1st Ave. W & Hwy 61 - sponsored by The SONS NOON Minnow Races – Beaver House, Corner of Wisconsin St and Broadway Ave., sign up at Lions info booth

1-2:30 PM North Shore Swing Band - Harbor Park Stage

2-5 PM Afternoon Kayak Tour - Stone Harbor, 22 E 1st St., $90 per person. Kayak around harbor area

3 PM DQ Upsidedownright Thick Blizzard Race - maximum of 10 teams with up to 4 racers each, register at Dairy Queen prior to race - 2nd Ave W. – sponsored by Dairy Queen

3 PM-4:30 PM CCHS Alumni Baseball Game registration–Cook County High School Ball Field

3-6 PM Drew Heinonen Trio - Harbor Park Stage

5 PM CCHS Alumni Baseball Game – Cook County High School Ball Field, behind school

6-6:30 PM Minnesota State Loon Calling Championship – Preliminary Round – Harbor Park Stage, sign up at Lions info booth

7-9 PM Grand Marais Playhouse, “Four Old Broads” - The Arrowhead Center for the Arts - 51 West 5th Street, www.grandmaraisplayhouse.com

7-9:30 PM Street Dance - Evening Stars – Harbor Park stage

SATURDAY, August 5

Fisherman’s Picnic Trail Run. Pincushion Mountain Trails – 2 miles north of Grand Marais off the Gunflint Trail, Co. Rd 12

8 AM-8:45 AM Race packet and bib pick-up

9 AM Kids Races ¼ mile Walk/Run or 1 mile Walk/Run $10 (parents can run with kids)

9:30 AM 5 mile Walk/Run or 5K Walk/Run $35 Register at: wwwpincushiontrails.org through Friday, Aug 4th until 5 pm No race day registration

9 AM Hoopin’n in the Harbor registration 3-on-3 Tournament –Wisconsin St.

9 AM-10 AM Oula Dance Class – Harbor Park, -Sponsored by YMCA

9:30 AM Hoopin’n in the Harbor 3-on-3 Tournament – Wisconsin St.

10 AM-1 PM Morning Kayak Tour - Stone Harbor, 22 E 1st St., $90 per person. Kayak around harbor area

10 AM-3 PM Cook County Market – E. Wisconsin St.

10 AM-5 PM Vendor and Craft Show – 1st Av W.

10 AM-5 PM Kiddy Rides open – Senior Center Parking Lot - 10 N Broadway

10 AM-5 PM Fun Games and Inflatables - Wisconsin St.

10 AM-6 PM Paint a Piece of Pottery by Grand Marais Pottery - Betsy Bowen Gallery, 301 1st Avenue West

11 AM Fishburger Stand opens – Harbor Park

11 AM- UNTIL FOUND “DQ Medallion Hunt”- rules and new clues daily at Dairy Queen, $100 prize to the first person to find it – sponsored by Dairy Queen

11AM-12:30 PM Roxann Berglund and Briand Morrison - Harbor Park Stage

NOON Bingo Tent opens –1st Ave. W & Hwy 61 - sponsored by The SONS

NOON Minnow Races - Beaver House - Corner of Broadway Ave and Wisconsin St., sign up at Lions info booth

1 PM Rock Skipping Contest (all ages) – Harbor Park, sign up at Lions info booth

1-2:30 PM Josh Schmidt - Harbor Park Stage

1-4 PM Bally Blacksmith Demonstrations – Bally’s Blacksmith Shop, corner of Broadway and 1st St. – sponsored by Historic Cook County

2-5 PM Afternoon Kayak Tour - Stone Harbor, 22 E 1st St., $90 per person. Kayak around harbor area

2:30 PM Citizen of the Year Award – Harbor Park Stage

2:30-5 PM Kids Tractor Pull (ages 4-11) – Wisconsin St. – sponsored by Mike’s Holiday Station Store and Bernick’s Pepsi

3-6 PM The Splints- Harbor Park Stage (5 pm Rock painting contest announced)

5:30-6 PM Minnesota State Loon Calling Championship Finals –Harbor Park Stage

6:00 PM Cutest Puppy Contest – Harbor Park Stage, -sponsored by Lake County Veterinary Clinic – sign up at Lions info booth

7-9 PM Grand Marais Playhouse, “Shout! The Mod Musical”, The Arrowhead Center for the Arts - 51 West 5th Street, www. grandmaraisplayhouse.com

7-9 PM Street Dance – Mysterious Ways – Harbor Park Stage

9:45 PM Fireworks over the Harbor – co-sponsored by Visit Cook County & Grand Marais Lions Club

SUNDAY, August 6

9:30 AM Waterfront Worship – Harbor Park Stage

10 AM-1 PM Morning Kayak Tour - Stone Harbor, 22 E 1st St., $90 per person. Kayak around harbor area

10 AM-6 PM Paint a Piece of Pottery by Grand Marais Pottery - Betsy Bowen Gallery, 301 1st Avenue West

11 AM- UNTIL FOUND “DQ Medallion Hunt” - rules and new clues daily at Dairy Queen, $100 prize to the first person to find it – sponsored by Dairy Queen

11 AM Fishburger Stand opens – Harbor Park

11 AM-5 PM Vendor and Craft Show – 1st Ave W

11:45 AM Fish Contest Winners Announced – Harbor Park Stage

NOON Bingo Tent opens - 1st Ave. W & Hwy 61 - sponsored by The SONS

NOON-1 PM Adam Kirsh - Harbor Park

1 PM Fisherman’s Picnic Parade, Downtown Grand Marais, Route starts at Elementary School Park Lot, down Broadway Ave. Right on Wisconsin St. and ends at Hwy 61. Send email to gmlionsclub@gmail.com to register parade entries - sponsored by Marathon Gas Station

1:30-2 PM Briand Morrison – Harbor Park Stage

2-2:30 PM AAD Shrine Drum & Bugle Corps., Duluth – Harbor Park

2 PM-5 PM Kiddy Rides reopen – Senior Center Parking Lot - 10 N Broadway

2-5 PM Afternoon Kayak Tour - Stone Harbor, 22 E 1st St., $90 per person. Kayak around harbor area

2:30-3 PM Briand Morrison – Harbor Park Stage

3-5 PM TBD – Harbor Park stage

3-5 PM Grand Marais Playhouse, “Four Old Broads” - The Arrowhead Center for the Arts, 51 West 5th Street, www.grandmaraisplayhouse.com

3:30 PM Lion’s Fish Toss – Wisconsin St., sign up at Lions information booth

5 PM Grand Prize Drawing $10,000.00 - Lions Info Booth - corner of Wisconsin St. and 1st Ave W

6-7 PM Prize Winners Posted - Lions Info Booth - corner of Wisconsin St. and 1st Ave W. Prizes can be claimed at Info Booth on Sunday night. Starting at 10 am Monday morning prizes can be picked up at the Cook County News Herald – 1st Ave W

Big Fish Contest

JULY 31 – AUGUST 6 – $10 entry fee (proceeds go to Lion’s Club) – Rules and Registration online at BucksBigFish. com. Winners announced, and prizes awarded on Sunday, August 8 at 11:45 am on the Harbor Park stage. Prizes are $100 for 1st place, $75 for 2nd place and $50 for 3rd place for each category: Lake Trout - Salmon - Walleye - Brook TroutNorthern - Smallmouth Bass.

NORTHERN WILDS CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Thru Aug. 13

Summer Theater Festival: Shout! The Mod Musical & Four Old Broads 7 p.m. (2 p.m. Sun.) Arrowhead Center for the Arts, Grand Marais, grandmaraisplayhouse.com

Biggest Blueberry Contest Gunflint Trail, visitcookcounty.com

Thru Aug. 26

Air-Openness: Summer Exhibition Grand Marais Art Colony: Studio 21, Grand Marais, grandmaraisartcolony.org

Thru Aug. 31

Naomi Christenson & Jennifer A. Murphy: Fungus Among Us Duluth Pottery Tile & Gallery, Duluth, duluthpottery.com

Thru Sept. 9

Sara Pajunen Exhibition Joseph Nease Gallery, Duluth, josephneasegallery.com

Thru Sept. 12

Keren Kroul: Atlas of the Mind Duluth Art Institute, duluthartinstitute.org

Matthew O’Reilly: Shed Self Duluth Art Institute, duluthartinstitute.org

Thru Sept. 17

Helen Pelletier: Wiigwas Manidoog Descendants Thunder Bay Art Gallery, theag.ca

Christian Chapman: Ziibaaska’iganagoodayan: The Jingle Dress Thunder Bay Art Gallery, theag.ca

Thru Sept. 18

Cassandra Quinn Duluth Art Institute, duluthartinstitute.org

Thru Sept. 25

Behind Racism: Challenging the Way We Think Thunder Bay Museum, thunderbaymuseum.com

Thru Oct. 14

Saabe Dream Exhibition Thunder Bay Art Gallery, theag.ca

Thru Oct. 31

Now That Summer Has Ended: An Exhibit About Winter Activities During the Fur Trade Era Grand Portage National Monument, visitcookcounty.com/events

July 28-Aug. 20

Four Local Artists: Glass, Wood, Paper, Fiber (Reception July 28 at 5 p.m.) Johnson Heritage Gallery, Grand Marais, cookcountyhistory.org

July 31-Aug. 6

Big Fish Contest Cook County, buckshardware.net

Aug. 1, Tuesday

Peppa Pig’s Adventure 6 p.m. Thunder Bay Community Auditorium, tbca.com

Aug. 1-3

The Marvellous Wonderettes: Caps & Gowns 7:30 p.m. Paramount Theatre, Thunder Bay, badanai.eventbrite.ca

Aug. 1-31

Monthly Exhibit: Amber Nicholas Split Rock Lighthouse, Two Harbors, mnhs.org/splitrock

Monthly Show: Abbie Bahnemann (Reception August 5 at 1 p.m.) Art & Soul Gallery & Gifts, Ely, elysartandsoul.com

Aug. 2, Wednesday

Bon Iver 5 p.m. Bayfront Festival Park, Duluth, bayfrontfestivalpark.com

Aug. 3, Thursday

Tommy Wotruba 6 p.m. Skyport Lodge & Raven Rock Grill, Devil Track Lake, skyportlodge.com

Aug. 3-5

City on the Hill Music Fest Bayfront Festival Park, Duluth, cityonthehillmusicfest.com

Spirit Valley Days West Duluth, spiritvalleydays.com

Aug. 3-6

Fisherman’s Picnic Downtown Grand Marais, grandmaraislions.com

Aug. 4, Friday

Bally Blacksmith Shops Tour 1 p.m. Bally Blacksmith Shop, Grand Marais, cookcountyhistory.org

Aug. 4-5

Broadway in the Boundary Waters Gala 7 p.m. Vermilion Fine Arts Theater, Ely, northernlakesarts.org

Aug. 4-6

Nakina Bass Derby Nakina, Ontario, nakinabassderby.ca

Day Out with Thomas Two Harbors, duluthtrains.com

Superior Car Classics Car Club Dragfest 9 a.m. (Noon Fri.) Terrace Bay Airport, Ontario, dragfest.ca

Aug. 4-31

Artist of the Month: Lonnie Broden (Reception Aug. 4 at 7 p.m.) Tettegouche State Park: Visitor Center, Silver Bay, mndnr.gov/tettegouche

Aug. 4-Sept. 29

Indigenous Expressions: Love, Culture & Reinvention (Reception Aug. 5 at 5:30 p.m.) AICHO Galleries, Duluth, facebook.com/aichogalleries

Aug. 5, Saturday

Lighthouse Carnival Fundraiser 9 a.m. Porphyry Island Lighthouse: Depart from Silver Islet Harbour, Ontario, clls.ca

Monarch Waystation Garden Tours 10 a.m. First United Methodist Church, Duluth, duluthmonarchbuddies.org

Lutsen Trail Breakers Snowmobile Club Open House 10 a.m. 466 Caribou Trail, Lutsen, Facebook: Lutsen Trail Breakers Snowmobile Club

Color Hike 10:30 a.m. Sugarloaf Cove Nature Center, Schroeder, sugarloafnorthshore.org

Larsmont CC Annual Fun Day & Picnic 11 a.m. Little Red Schoolhouse, Larsmont, larsmont.org

Bally Blacksmithing Demonstrations 1 p.m. Bally Blacksmith Shop, Grand Marais, cookcountyhistory.org

Cider vs. Seltzer 2 p.m. Decc, Duluth, decc.org

DSSO Bridge Sessions: Breanne Marie & the Front Porch Sinners 7 p.m. Depot Theatre, Duluth, dsso.com

Fisherman’s Picnic Fireworks 9:45 p.m. Grand Marais Harbor, grandmaraislions.com

Aug. 5-6

SHT Trail Renewal Group Project: Corridor Clearing & Blazing Superior Hiking Trail, Silver Bay, superiorhiking.org

Aug. 6, Sunday

Fisherman’s Picnic Parade 1 p.m. Downtown Grand Marais, grandmaraislions.com

Aug. 7, Monday

Annual Chamber Golf Outing 10:30 a.m. Lakeview National Golf Course, Two Harbors, lakecounty-chamber.com

Arrowhead Library System’s Bookmobile

4:30 p.m. McQuade Small Craft Harbor, Duluth, alslib.info

Dark Sky Caravan: Duluth Star Party 8 p.m. Marshall W. Alworth Planetarium: UMD, Duluth, facebook.com/umdplanetarium

Aug. 7-Sept. 17

Safe to Say Exhibition Thunder Bay Art Gallery, theag.ca

Aug. 8, Tuesday

Dark Sky Caravan 8 p.m. Split Rock Lighthouse State Park, Two Harbors, mnhs.org/splitrock

Aug. 8-10

The Marvellous Wonderettes: Caps & Gowns 7:30 p.m. Paramount Theatre, Thunder Bay, badanai.eventbrite.ca

Aug. 9, Wednesday

Puppet Showcase with Christopher LutterGardella 10 a.m. Ely Public Library, elylibrary.org

Collagraph Printmaking Demo with Open Acrylic Paint 5 p.m. Grand Marais Art Colony, grandmaraisartcolony.org

Dark Sky Caravan 8 p.m. Tettegouche State Park, Silver Bay, mndnr.gov/tettegouche

Aug. 9-13

CLE Family Fair Noon, CLE, Thunder Bay, cle.on.ca

Aug. 10, Thursday

Brew Love North 5:30 p.m. Clyde Iron Works, Duluth, visitduluth.com

Dark Sky Caravan 8 p.m. North House Folk School, Grand Marais, facebook.com/northhouse

Movie Nights in the Park After Sunset, Vickers Park, Thunder Bay, thunderbay.ca/movienights

Aug. 10-13

Lake County Fair Two Harbors, thelakecountyfair.com

Aug. 11, Friday

Minnesota State Wide Star Party 1 p.m. Ely Public Library, elylibrary.org

Aug. 11-12

Dark Sky Caravan 8 p.m. Seagull Lake Community Center & Chik-Wauk Museum & Nature Center, Gunflint Trail, gunflinthistory.org

Aug. 11-13

Live From the Rock Folk Festival Pull-a-Log Park, Red Rock, Ontario, livefromtherockfolkfestival.com

Day Out with Thomas Two Harbors, duluthtrains.com

The Addams Family Duluth Playhouse, duluthplayhouse.org

Rendezvous Days Celebration Powwow Grand Portage, facebook.com/ grandportagebandoflakesuperiorchippewa

North Shore Dog Club All Breed Dog Shows 9 a.m. Chippewa Park, Thunder Bay, Facebook: North Shore Dog Club

Under the Spreading Walnut Tree Art Festival 10 a.m. (3 p.m. Fri.) P.K. Anderson House, Two Harbors, Facebook: Two Harbors Under the Spreading Walnut Tree Art Festival

Bayfront Blues Festival 11 a.m. Bayfront Festival Park, Duluth, bayfrontblues.com Matters of the Heart 7 p.m. (2 p.m. Sun.) Vermilion Fine Arts Theater, Ely, northernlakesarts.org

Aug. 11-16

SHT Trail Renewal Group Project: Encampment River Crossing & Reroute Superior Hiking Trail, Two Harbors, superiorhiking.org

Aug. 11-Sept. 17

Are These Things Not a Dream? Exhibition

Thunder Bay Art Gallery, theag.ca

Aug. 12, Saturday

Paju Mountain Run Red Rock, Ontario, redrocktownship.com

Xterra Sleeping Giant Boulevard Lake, Thunder Bay, facebook.com/xterrasleepinggiant

AICHO Summer Food & Art Market 9 a.m. AICHO, Duluth, aicho.org

Tori Finnish Marketplace & Music Festival 10 a.m. Finland Heritage Site, Finland, facebook.com/finlandmnhistoricalsociety

Nice Girls of the North Marketplace 10 a.m. Spirit of the Lake Community School, Duluth, nicegirlsofthenorth.com

Fat Guys Annual Car Show 11 a.m. Fat Guys Auto Parts, Thunder Bay, fatguyscarshow.com

WineOh! Food & Drink Festival Noon (& 5 p.m.)

Marina Park, Thunder Bay, breakwaterevents.ca

Membership Meeting & Ice Cream Social 1 p.m. Sugarloaf Cove Nature Center, Schroeder, sugarloafnorthshore.org

Pickup Truck Opera Romeo & Juliet 2 p.m. Whiteside Park, Ely, mixedprecipitation.org

Author Talk with Larry Weber: 365 Days of Northern Nature 6 p.m. Drury Lane Books, Grand Marais, facebook.com/drurylanebooks

Aug. 12-13

Ely Watercross Races 11 a.m. Longbranch Event Center, Winton, facebook.com/elywatercross

Aug. 13, Sunday

Supporter Appreciation Day: Open House 11 a.m. Dorothy Molter Museum, Ely, rootbeerlady.com

Mark Neuzil: Canoes: A Natural History in North America 2 p.m. Chik-Wauk Museum & Nature Center, Gunflint Trail, gunflinthistory.org

Bored Teachers: We Can’t Make This Stuff Up!

Comedy Tour 7 p.m. Decc: Symphony Hall, Duluth, decc.org

Aug. 14-27

Scott King: New Mining: Digging Into Dreams & the Subconscious Ely’s Historic State Theater, northernlakesarts.org

Aug. 16-19

Mean Girls: High School Edition 7:30 p.m. Trinity Hall Theatre, Thunder Bay, applauzeproductions.com

Aug. 17, Thursday

Game Night at the Schoolhouse Little Red Schoolhouse, Larsmont, larsmont.org

Joe Miller 6 p.m. Skyport Lodge & Raven Rock Grill, Devil Track Lake, skyportlodge.com

Movie Nights in the Park After Sunset, Boulevard Lake, Thunder Bay, thunderbay.ca/movienights

Aug. 17-20

Silver Creek International Ukulele Carnival Lake County Fairgrounds, Two Harbors, twoharborsukulelegroup.com

Aug. 18, Friday

Lighthouse Festival 1 p.m. Terrace Bay, Ontario, terracebay.ca

Arctic Relics with Ryan Carlson 1 p.m. Sugarloaf Cove Nature Center, Schroeder, sugarloafnorthshore.org

Anniversary Screening of Living in the Boundary Waters Film & Q&A Panel 6 p.m. Ely’s Historic State Theater, rootbeerlady.com

Aug. 18-19

Twin Ports Music Festival Earth Rider Festival Grounds, Superior, twinportsmusicfestival.com

Aug. 18-20

Blueberry Blast Festival Downtown Nipigon, facebook.com/nipigonblueberryblast

Wawa Salmon Derby Wawa, Ontario, wawasalmonderby.com

Murillo Fair 10 a.m. Murillo Fairgrounds, Ontario, facebook.com/murillofair

Aug. 19, Saturday

GGTA North Shore Bike Ride 9 a.m. Gooseberry Falls State Park, Two Harbors, ggta.org

Westfort Street Fair 9 a.m. Westfort Village, Thunder Bay, facebook.com/westfortvillage

Thunder Bay Drive-by Art Gallery Noon, Thunder Bay, Facebook: Tbay Drive By Art Gallery

Castle Danger Brewery Anniversary Party Noon, Castle Danger Brewery, Two Harbors, castledangerbrewery.com

Summer Matsuri 4:30 p.m. West Thunder Community Centre, Thunder Bay, Facebook: Lakehead Japanese Cultural Association

Author Talk with David Mura: The Stories Whiteness Tells Itself 6 p.m. Drury Lane Books, Grand Marais, facebook.com/drurylanebooks

Free Concert: Northeast Timberland Band

7 p.m. Tettegouche State Park, Silver Bay, mndnr.gov/tettegouche

DSSO: Jurassic Park in Concert 7 p.m. Decc: Symphony Hall, Duluth, decc.org

The Antibodies: Long Form Improv 8 p.m. Zeitgeist, Duluth, zeitgeistarts.com

Aug. 19-20

Art in Bayfront Park 10 a.m. Bayfront Festival Park, Duluth, artinbayfrontpark.com

Anishinaabe Keeshigun Fort William Historical Park, Thunder Bay, fwhp.ca

Aug. 20, Sunday

Kakabeka Falls Legion Half Marathon & 8k Kakabeka Falls, Ontario, facebook.com/runkbfalls

Mark Morgen: Building the Wood Canvas Canoe

2 p.m. Chik-Wauk Museum & Nature Center, Gunflint Trail, gunflinthistory.org

Aug. 22, Tuesday

Spruce Budworm Workshop 12:30 p.m. Cook County Higher Education, Grand Marais, bit.ly/sprucebudwormworkshop

Aug. 23, Wednesday

Chamber Membership Drive BBQ 11 a.m. Visit Cook County, Grand Marais, visitcookcounty.com

Aug. 24, Thursday

Pickup Truck Opera Romeo & Juliet

6 p.m. Schaap Community Center, Gunflint Trail, mixedprecipitation.org

Deuces Wild Dueling Pianos 6:30 p.m. Split Rock Lighthouse, Two Harbors, lovinlakecounty.com

Movie Nights in the Park After Sunset, Vickers Park, Thunder Bay, thunderbay.ca/movienights

Aug. 25, Friday

Pickup Truck Opera Romeo & Juliet 6 p.m. Hovland Town Hall, Hovland, mixedprecipitation.org

Aug. 25-26

The Tribute Fest Bayfront Festival Park, Duluth, thetributefest.com

Lake Superior Dragon Boat Festival Barker’s Island, Superior, superiordragons.org

Speak the Speech: A Summer Shakespeare Experience 7:30 p.m. (& 2 p.m. Sun.) Magnus Theatre, Thunder Bay, magnustheatre.com

Aug. 25-27

Thunder Bay Ribfest CLE, Thunder Bay, facebook.com/ribfestthunderbay

Embarrass Region Fair Timber Hall & Fairgrounds, Embarrass, MN, embarrassrfa.org

Aug. 25-Sept. 17

Botanical Forays: Jo Wood, Cheryl Larsen, Corrie Steckelberg (Reception Aug. 25 at 5 p.m.) Johnson Heritage Post, Grand Marais, cookcountyhistory.org

Aug. 26, Saturday

Duluth Fairytale Ball 10 a.m. Decc, Duluth, decc.org

Thunder Bay Drive-by Art Gallery Noon, Thunder Bay, Facebook: Tbay Drive By Art Gallery

Pickup Truck Opera Romeo & Juliet 3 p.m. Sweethearts Bluff: Rec Park, Grand Marais, northshoremusicassociation.com

Author Talk with Jennifer Shoals: The Next World 6 p.m. Drury Lane Books, Grand Marais, facebook.com/drurylanebooks

Aug. 26-27

SHT Trail Renewal Group Project: Corridor Clearing & Blazing Superior Hiking Trail, Grand Marais, superiorhiking.org

Aug. 27, Sunday

Sherry Abts: The Ely Loon Ranger 2 p.m. ChikWauk Museum & Nature Center, Gunflint Trail, gunflinthistory.org

Pickup Truck Opera Romeo & Juliet 2 p.m. Finland Heritage Site, Finland, mixedprecipitation.org

Care Partners Ice Cream Social 2 p.m. Sydney’s Frozen Custard, Grand Marais, carepartnersofcookcounty.org

Aug. 28, Monday

Arrowhead Library System’s Bookmobile 4:30 p.m. McQuade Small Craft Harbor, Duluth, alslib.info

Aug. 29, Tuesday

Run For Reijo 5 p.m. Kamview Nordic Centre, Thunder Bay, tbnordictrails.com

Aug. 30-31

Live on the Waterfront Summer Send-Off 6 p.m. Marina Park, Thunder Bay, thunderbay.ca/live

Aug. 31-Sept. 4

Duluth-Superior Pride Festival Twin Ports, duluthsuperiorpride.com

WEEKLY EVENTS

Mondays Beach Knitting 9 a.m. Harbor Park Beach, Grand Marais, dappledfernfibers.com

Waverley Park Outdoor Concert Series 6:30 p.m. Waverley Park, Thunder Bay, facebook.com/thecoalitionforwaverleypark

Tuesdays

Kids’ Day: Free Admission 11 a.m. Chik-Wauk Museum & Nature Center, Gunflint Trail, gunflinthistory.org

Sawmill Tours 12:30 p.m. Hedstrom Lumber Company, Grand Marais, hedstromlumber.com

Hillside Farmers Market 2 p.m. 503 E. 3rd St., Duluth, facebook.com/hillsidefarmersmarket

Ely Farmers Market & Arts in the Park 5 p.m. Whiteside Park, Ely, northernlakesarts.org

Trivia Night 5 p.m. Loon Lake Lodge, Gunflint Trail, visitloonlake.com

Locals Night with Live Music 5:30 p.m. North Shore Winery, Lutsen, northshorewinery.us

Wednesdays

Duluth Farmers Market 2 p.m. Duluth Farmers Market, duluthfarmersmarket.com

USFS Nature Talks 2 p.m. Chik-Wauk

Museum & Nature Center, Gunflint Trail, gunflinthistory.org

Thunder Bay Country Market 3:30 p.m. CLE

Dove Building, Thunder Bay, tbcm.ca

Wednesday Night at the Races 6 p.m. Various Locations, yaf.grandmasmarathon.com

Live on the Waterfront 6 p.m. Marina Park, Thunder Bay, thunderbay.ca/live

Concerts on the Pier 6:30 p.m. Glensheen Mansion, Duluth, facebook.com/ glensheenestate

Thursdays

Bird Banding 7 a.m. Sugarloaf Cove Nature Center, Schroeder, sugarloafnorthshore.org

Lincoln Park Farmers Market 3 p.m. Harrison Community Center, Duluth, facebook.com/lincolnparkfarmersmarket

Thursday Night Art 4 p.m. Joy & Company, Grand Marais, facebook.com/joyandcompanymn

Grand Marais Farmers Market 4:30 p.m. Cook County Community Center Parking Lot, Grand Marais

Finland Farmer’s Market 5 p.m. Clair Nelson Community Center, Finland, finlandfarmersmarket.com

Live at Summer in the Parking Lot 6 p.m. Da Vinci Centre, Thunder Bay, facebook.com/thewellhungarians

Date Night with Live Music 7 p.m. North Shore Winery, Lutsen, northshorewinery.us

Fridays

Sawmill Tours 10 a.m. Hedstrom Lumber Company, Grand Marais, hedstromlumber.com

Music in the Park: Free Concerts

7:30 p.m. City Center Park, Silver Bay, rockywallproductions.org

Movies in the Park: Free At Sunset, Leif Erikson Park, Duluth, downtownduluth.com

Saturdays

Thunder Bay Country Market 8 a.m. CLE Dove Building, Thunder Bay, tbcm.ca

Duluth Farmers Market 8 a.m. Duluth Farmers Market, duluthfarmersmarket.com

Cook County Market 10 a.m. The Hub Parking Lot, Grand Marais, facebook.com/ ccfarmandcraft

Two Harbors Farmers Market 10 a.m. Burlington Station, Two Harbors, facebook.com/ twoharborsfarmersmarket

Children’s Story Hour 11 a.m. Drury Lane Books, Grand Marais, facebook.com/drurylanebooks

“Meet the Artist” Exhibition Series 11 a.m. Two Loons Gallery, Duluth, twoloons.mn Harbor History Tour 1 p.m. Cook County History Museum, Grand Marais, cookcountyhistory.org

Chester Creek Concert Series (Thru Aug. 15) 6:30 p.m. Chester Park, Duluth, chesterbowl.org

Sundays

Clover Valley Farm Trail Noon, Duluth to Two Harbors, clovervalleyfarmtrail.com

Free Summer in the Park Concert Series 2 p.m. Chippewa Park, Thunder Bay, chippewapark.ca

Weekend Wine Down with Live Music 3:30 p.m. North Shore Winery, Lutsen, northshorewinery.us

Music by the Lake (Starts Aug. 13) 4 p.m. Skyport Lodge & Raven Rock Grill, Devil Track Lake, skyportlodge.com

The North Shore Dish A Fung-Guide to Mushrooms

By Virginia George

A few years ago, I took a mycology class through Two Harbors Community Education. The instructor brought jars and jars of dried, locally foraged mushrooms for us to see. As this knowledgeable forager gave us detailed advice on how to identify edible mushrooms in the Northland, as well as some stories of people who incorrectly identified some mushrooms (there was a story about a guy in a van… who woke up three days later…), my attitude toward mushrooms started to shift. I have never been a fan of mushrooms. I mean, they’re alright fried in a (un)healthy amount of butter, but fresh? Dirty Styrofoam. Canned? Slimy rubber. Now, you mushroom aficionados will surely admonish me for my child-like examples of mushroom cuisine, but if I’m honest (sorry, Mom), I mostly grew up on a diet of grilled venison, Knorr sides, and my grandma’s chocolate chip cookies.

But as this instructor spoke about the texture and flavor of different kinds of mushrooms, and I held onto my (un)healthy amount of skepticism, someone asked if a particular mushroom on his PowerPoint presentation was edible. Without missing a beat, he said, “Well, I suppose, but I don’t know why you would.” And it dawned on me that maybe I just had experience with poor examples of mushrooms. It turns out there are more mushroom options out there than button and canned.

Since then, I’ve opened myself to the possibility that maybe mushrooms aren’t all bad. This month we’re exploring a few different kinds of mushrooms that are featured in restaurants around the Northland: oyster mushrooms at the Tomlin Restaurant in Thunder Bay, shiitake mushrooms at the Angry Trout Café in Grand Marais, and stuffed mushrooms at the Pickwick Restaurant and Pub in Duluth.

Oyster

TOMLIN RESTAURANT, THUNDER BAY

Situated unassumingly between a lawyer’s office and a tattoo shop, the Tomlin Restaurant boasts a collaborative kitchen menu that changes often. The Tomlin works alongside local producers to develop a unique and flavorful menu with seasonal influence and locally produced ingredients. Food brings communities together, and the

Pickwick in Duluth has a variety of appetizers, including stuffed mushrooms. Served bubbling hot, mushroom caps are stuffed with a blend of vegetables, wild rice, and cheeses, creating a rich and creamy sauce and crispy cheese cap. | SUBMITTED

Tomlin kitchen team understands that with their family size tasting menu option.

Their current menu features lamb sausage spaghetti, a tomato salad, eggplant schnitzel, and a half chicken with shakshouka. “Fresh, eclectic plates” are always on the menu, and this is a great restaurant for the culinary adventurists who are willing to trust Tomlin’s kitchen team to make sometimes unexpected pairings that almost always please the critics.

Because of their frequently shifting menu, there is no telling what might be on it when you have a chance to stop in to Tomlin Restaurant, but the internet doesn’t forget, and the Tomlin’s mushroom toast lives on in more than one review. Currently, the Tomlin features oyster mushrooms with their pork belly. Oyster mushrooms can be foraged or cultivated, and are delicate and mild little mushrooms with a subtle, savory flavor and velvety texture. Besides the pork belly, they make a great addition to stir fry, pasta, and pizza.

Shiitake

chowder, and earns the praise of real-life New Englanders. Main dishes include a traditional fish and chips basket and fish tacos, as well as grilled fish of the day, wild rice and salad, or a shrimp sammie. In addition to traditional fries or smoked fish, Angry Trout appetizers include fried oysters and Scandinavian style crayfish.

When it comes to mushrooms, the Angry Trout heavily features the shiitake mushroom. Shiitake mushrooms have an earthy or smoky flavor, and when they are cooked, they take on a sort of meaty, buttery texture. They are a versatile mushroom, and can be found in many of the Angry Trout’s dishes. You can try them in the fried shiitake mushrooms appetizer, the wild rice and salad, or even as the “meat” choice in tacos. Angry Trout also offers grilled shiitake mushroom and seasonal vegetable skewers, served with balsamic and tamari sauce. If you’ve never explored the shiitake, the Angry Trout is the place to start.

Stuffed

PICKWICK RESTAURANT AND PUB, DULUTH

onion, gorgonzola cheese, and raspberry vinaigrette, and the roasted beet salad features roasted beets, gorgonzola, candied almonds, red onion, cucumber, and grape tomatoes with a honey balsamic vinaigrette and sliced tenderloin. In addition, there are pasta choices, sandwiches, and on Saturday and Sunday, the Pickwick offers charcoal grilled prime rib, which is slow roasted on the banked coals of their charcoal grill.

The Pickwick has a selection of appetizers, like Lake Superior smoked whitefish and onion rings, but we are here to talk about mushrooms, and the Pickwick’s stuffed ‘shrooms are worth talking about. Served bubbling hot, mushroom caps are stuffed with a blend of vegetables, wild rice,

Garlic Butter Mushrooms

FROM ALLRECIPES.COM

and cheeses, creating a rich and creamy sauce and crispy cheese cap.

It turns out there are many different kinds of mushrooms and each serve their purpose, so you shouldn’t judge a mushroom by its cap. Well, probably by its cap, but not by its classification as a mushroom. For the first time this summer, I got to experience locally foraged chicken-of-the-woods, and let me tell you, the texture is just like chicken. The world is full of marvels, so if you’ve been like me and been mushroom-avoidant, take a chance on mushrooms prepared correctly, or at least properly paired with your meal. Who knows, maybe you’ll come around.

ANGRY

TROUT CAFÉ, GRAND MARAIS

The Angry Trout Café is nestled between Highway 61 and the Grand Marais Harbor in a converted fishing shanty just feet from the water’s edge. True to its namesake (not the Angry part), the Angry Trout Café offers its menu “based on the bounty of Lake Superior and the surrounding region,” serving a variety of Lake Superior fish, including whitefish, herring, and… trout. Sustainability and socially responsible business practices continue to be important to new owners Elliot Doherty Noyce and Jessy Goble, and they work hard to make sure their restaurant has a positive influence on the community by purchasing as much as they can from local providers, and investing in sustainably raised foods served on hand thrown and locally made pottery.

Because the Angry Trout sources fish locally, their menu is subject to some variation based on the catch of the day. Their fish chowder is a chunky, New England style

The Pickwick Restaurant and Pub is an architectural treasure. Its unassuming exterior paints the picture of your grandma’s favorite diner, but once you step through the doors you are quickly transported to an Old-World atmosphere with coffered ceilings, detailed wood paneling, and painted canvas murals. The Pickwick has been in operation since 1888, and in its current location overlooking Lake Superior since 1914.

The Pickwick is known for its homemade soups and signature chargrilled steaks. In fact, the Pickwick touts the only indoor charcoal grill in the area. The menu is varied, and full of delightful choices. From the grill, you can order a 14-ounce ribeye steak, tenderloin tidbits served with mushrooms and béarnaise sauce, Jack Daniels glazed pork chops, or vegetable kabobs served with Florentine penne and house marinara sauce. The Pickwick also offers a variety of salads from light to hearty. The fresh garden salad has blackberries, strawberries, red

ƒ 1 pound fresh white mushrooms

ƒ 1 tablespoon olive oil

ƒ 2 cloves garlic, minced

ƒ 3 tablespoons salted butter, melted

ƒ 1 pinch salt and ground black pepper to taste

ƒ 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

ƒ 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel and gently remove and discard stems.

Drizzle oil into a large cast iron skillet to evenly coat. Place mushrooms into the skillet, cap-side down. Carefully sprinkle garlic into the mushroom cavities, taking care not to sprinkle directly into the skillet. Drizzle mushrooms with melted butter, then season with salt and pepper.

Roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and return to the oven for 3-5 more minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with parsley. Let cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!

Tips

Use baby bellas instead of white mushrooms if you prefer. You may need to increase or decrease cook time by 3-5 minutes, depending on the size of the mushrooms. You can use any oven-proof skillet or dish; use a size that’s just big enough to fit all the mushrooms.

Have Your Fish and Eat It Too

By Hartley Newell-Acero

Whether it’s fried, grilled, baked, or smoked, in the Northland, we love to eat fish. That’s a good thing too, because, in general, fish is great for us—when it’s consumed with a little forethought.

The Upside

Fish is a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals, and important omega-3 fatty acids. These unsaturated fatty acids:

• Benefit heart health. They lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart attack, abnormal heart rhythms, and strokes.

• Help with brain function. The membranes of brain cells are partially made up of these fatty acids, and they play a role in the ability of cells to communicate with one another.

• May decrease the risk of some diseases and disorders, such as depression, ADHD, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and diabetes.

• May prevent inflammation and reduce the risk of arthritis.

• Can impact a baby’s development of vision and nerves during pregnancy.

The Downside

All fish consumption comes with the potential for exposure to toxic chemicals. In Minnesota, the contaminant of the most concern is mercury. Air pollution is the main source of mercury. It settles out of the air and into bodies of water, or it settles on land and then washes into lakes and rivers. Microorganisms then absorb the mercury and are eaten by small fish. They get eaten by larger fish and levels of mercury build up in their flesh.

Regardless of a person’s age, mercury can damage their nervous system, but developing fetuses, breast-fed babies, and children are at the highest risk, because it only takes a small amount of mercury to harm their developing brains. This can affect a child’s behavior and lead to learning problems as they get older.

Often referred to as “forever chemicals,” Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) are

also found in fish. PCBs are synthetic oils that were commonly used and are still found in electrical transformers, cutting oils, and carbonless paper. PFAS are chemicals used to make products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease, and water. They are used in the production of nonstick cookware, stain-resistant carpets and fabrics, fire-fighting foam, and waterproofing products, such as Scotchguard. Because PCBs and PFAS resist decomposition, they remain in the soil, water, and lake sediment for decades.

According to the Minnesota Department of Health, “Exposure to PCBs is linked to infant development problems in children whose mothers were exposed to PCBs before becoming pregnant. PCBs also cause changes in human blood, liver, and immune functions of adults. In addition, PCBs cause cancer in laboratory animals and may cause cancer in humans.” PFAS exposure has been linked to immune suppression, changes in liver function, lower birth weight, and kidney cancer.

So, is it possible to have your fish and eat it too? Yes! By keeping just a few things in mind, you can minimize contaminants, optimize nutrition, and maximize enjoyment of the fish you eat. Safe eating guidelines are determined by:

• The fish being consumed.

• The water that it came from.

• The person that’s doing the eating.

All fish, fresh-caught or store-bought, can contain contaminants. Larger, older fish generally have more mercury than smaller, younger fish of the same species. Some fish have more because they eat other fish. Bass, northern, and walleye have higher levels than herring, stream trout, lake whitefish, sunfish, or yellow perch.

Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) is mostly found at low levels in fish throughout Minnesota; however, higher levels have been found in fish caught in some waters around the Twin Cities and Duluth areas. PCBs are highest in fish that are fattier, such as carp, catfish, and lake trout from major rivers and Lake Superior.

Pregnant women, women who could become pregnant, and children under age 15 are at the greatest risk from contaminants. Men, boys aged 15 and over, and women who can’t become pregnant have a little more latitude with the types of fish they eat and how often they eat them.

The Minnesota Department of Health has information and easy-to-read charts that will help you to figure out who can eat what and how often. To learn more, visit: tinyurl. com/2p98azck.

Be part of our caring crew in a supportive working environment. Connect with our community and take advantage of our sought -after location. There is nothing like it if you love the outdoors: Lake Superior, hiking, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, hunting, waterfalls, nature and wildlife!

We are seeking (2) Full-time and (1) Casual Registered Nurses for our 16 bed critical access hospital. Pay range starts at $35.96 per hour. Receive up to $2,000 Sign-On Bonus. Full-time position offers a comprehensive benefit package including PERA and more

Northern Trails

A Day to Remember at St. Ignace Island

By Gord Ellis

Three decades ago, a few friends and I used to make an annual trip to St. Ignace Island, in Nipigon Bay. The island is massive and features a variety of coves, bays, and straits that are great for camping and fishing. We would usually head out to the island at ice out and tent for a week—though one time we stayed in a cabin. The trips were always memorable, and the south side of the island was one of the most magical places I’d ever seen. However, as lives changed and my family grew, that trip fell by the wayside. St. Ignace became the distant island I could see from the deck of Quebec Lodge, as I had coffee each morning and looked out over Nipigon Bay.

Then, last month, something unexpected happened. A guiding guest didn’t show up. Efforts were made to contact the person, but they were MIA. So, suddenly I had a free day. The wind was flat and the big lake was calm. The Windy app said very light winds all day, which meant easy travel. St. Ignace was shining in the distance and the decision was made. I’d be revisiting some of my old haunts on the island.

I put in at the beautiful marina in Red Rock, Ont. and pointed my 18-foot Lund Pro Guide south to the Nipigon Straits. It can be a long run to the straits, but flat seas and a boat clipping along at 35 mph shortened it. Entering the straits brought back the first flood of memories. One time, on an early May trip, we encountered floating ice here and had to play icebreaker to get to the south side of the island. Probably not the wisest thing we could have done in retrospect, but we were young and keen. There was no ice on this sunny, warm day and the boat quickly made its way to Blind Channel. It had been a long time since I’d negotiated this tricky spot, but some floating jugs marked the deeper right-hand channel, which allows safe passage. More than once in the old days we got a little too shallow in the channel and put the prop into sand.

Once through the channel, the expanse of Lake Superior appeared. It’s difficult to describe the awesomeness of Lake Superior, but when you look out and see only water on the horizon, it is breathtaking. The south side of St. Ignace is dotted with islands, reefs, and points. The water is also crystal clear, verging on aqua marine. It’s beautiful and rugged, and still primarily untouched, save for a small fishing lodge and a few cabins.

As I made my way along the island, old fishing spots revealed themselves. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, when I was regularly visiting this area, steelhead (rainbow) trout were the primary target. We would cast to the shoals and river mouths and catch lovely fish. Some of them were very large indeed. Yet, in the past decade or so, the fishery has changed. The native coaster brook trout have rebounded after being fished down to very low levels in the 1980s. I don’t remem-

ber catching more than one coaster back in the old days, and we fished hard. Lakers were an occasional catch then, but not numerous. I was excited to experience the fishery in 2023.

At a large reef off a small island, I killed the outboard and dropped the trolling motor. There were boulders and rocks that extended out about 100 yards before breaking off into deep water. If there were brookies around, this would be a good bet. A brown

and bronze jig fly was picked to start, and I pitched it to the edge of the break. On the second cast, I felt a touch on the line and then a hard hit. A fish! It flashed silver, but didn’t jump like a steelhead often would. The fight was hard, but the fish stayed deep. As I prepped the net, I could see it was a coaster brook trout. The fish came to the surface and with one arm I scooped it up and deposited it on the floor of the boat. The trout was a stout 19-inch specimen, its blue halos barely visible underneath the silver sheen a coaster will often wear. I took a couple pictures of the fish, then released it back to the lake.

Moving on, the moments of deja vu and nostalgia came in waves. At Bowman Island, I instantly thought of my dearly departed friend Bill Friday, who originally talked me into doing the St. Ignace adventures of old and was endlessly enthusiastic about it. On our first trip to the island in about 1987, we had borrowed a 14-foot boat and 20 HP mo-

[ABOVE] The south side of St. Ignance Island is magical. | GORD ELLIS

[LEFT] A lake trout rises from the depths of Superior. | GORD ELLIS

tor, and went from Rossport to the Moffat Straits fully loaded. Travelling to the island in that small boat was not a well thought out idea, but we had so much fun. I could feel Bill’s spirit with me as the day wore on.

A few other boats were fishing in the area, and most of them were trolling. Judging by the regular appearance of nets, the fishing for lake trout was good. Trolling got me one laker, but my preference is to cast. I began working the fronts of the islands with a lead jig and 4-inch Berkley Power Minnow. It turned out the lakers were patrolling the deep

breaks off the islands, and I nailed several chunky fish casting jigs. The lake trout on the south side of St. Ignace were dark, lean, and beautiful. They also fought like crazy.

As the evening approached, I knew it was time to leave. This is a remote area, and if you get into trouble, you don’t want to be the last boat out. I took one last cast along a rocky shoreline and was greeted by a hard strike. The 21inch coaster brook trout had a bit more colour than the first, and was a perfect specimen. It was a great way to end what had been a beautiful and emotional day, revisiting a very special place.

A piece of my heart remains at St. Ignace Island.

sibility, but there really hasn’t been a public outcry for more walleyes, since fishing pressure is light and there are other good walleye lakes in the area.

BY JOE SHEAD

WHY GO: White Pine Lake has very limited shoreline development and boasts an accessible fishing pier and a small, free campground. The shallow, weedy lake has good fishing for walleye, perch, and northern pike, and is one of the few Cook County lakes with a viable bluegill fishery.

ACCESS: White Pine is a quiet, out-of-the-way lake that doesn’t attract a lot of anglers, but gives up some pretty nice fish to those who ply its waters. From Lutsen, head north on Cook County Highway 4 (Caribou Trail) for about 6 miles. Turn left onto Forest Road 164 (Honeymoon Trail) and proceed about 2.5 miles. Turn right onto White Pine Access. The lake is straight ahead and the campground is on your left. The public access has a concrete slab ramp, an accessible fishing pier, and an outhouse. The four-site rustic campground has free, non-reservable sites.

VITALS: The hourglass-shaped lake spans 346 acres and has a maximum depth of 10 feet. Abundant weeds provide good fish habitat, but can pose a challenge to anglers.

GAME SPECIES PRESENT: Walleye, yellow perch, bluegill, and northern pike.

WALLEYE: Most Cook County anglers fish primarily for walleyes or trout. White Pine isn’t a bad walleye lake, but there are better ones out there. “It’s been on somewhat of a declining trend,” said Matt Weberg, assistant area fisheries manager in Grand Marais. “Our walleye gillnet catches were highest in the years after walleyes were first stocked in the lake. It kind of remained stable through the ’80s and into the ’90s. This survey result (2022) was a little below the average for a lake like White Pine.” That said, the latest survey was up from the previous three surveys. And the size structure is good, with the median fish measuring 14 inches and the largest just over 25. As of right now, walleyes are maintained entirely through natural reproduction. Weberg said fry stocking is a pos-

YELLOW PERCH: If you pursue perch, you might want to peruse White Pine. “It’s long been known as a good jumbo perch fishery,” Weberg said. “It has pretty high proportions of fish that are over that 9-inch mark.” The latest survey had strong numbers, and 29 percent of perch captured measured 9 inches or more, with the largest measuring just under a foot. Although perch are worth targeting in their own right, Weberg said they also provide good forage to pike and walleyes.

BLUEGILL: Cook County isn’t prime bluegill country. Most lakes are rocky, but White Pine is an exception. Abundant vegetation provides good bluegill habitat, and this popular panfish is starting to take hold. First appearing in the lake around 1990, bluegills, for many years, remained at low levels. But that seems to be changing. “This is the first time we’ve seen that kind of expansion,” Weberg said about the higher bluegill numbers seen in the most recent lake survey. “Some of these shallower lakes like White Pine seem to have come on in the last five to 10 years.” About 25 percent of the catch consisted of fish 6 inches or larger, with the largest being a 10-year-old specimen that taped out at 10.8 inches.

NORTHERN PIKE: Pike do well in White Pine’s weedbeds, feasting on perch. And the fish you find here are often better than average. “There are certainly some opportunities for some nice-sized fish,” Weberg said. “There are good numbers of fish between 20 to 30 inches and some larger fish there. We typically see some pretty high-quality northern pike approaching 36 inches.” Indeed, three fish topped 30 inches, with the largest stretching just over 3 feet in the latest survey.

View all our Fishing Hole Maps at: northernwilds.com/fishingholemaps

[ABOVE] Author Gord Ellis in his boat. | GORD ELLIS

[RIGHT] The beauty of a shoreline on St. Ignace Island. | GORD ELLIS

NORTHERN SKY

By Deane Morrison, MN STARWATCH

AUGUST 2023

August serves up a smorgasbord of celestial delights, starting with a full “super” moon on August 1. As it rises that evening, the moon will look bigger and brighter than usual, thanks to being less than a day from perigee, its closest approach to Earth in a lunar cycle.

Saturn begins August very low in the east at nightfall. All month long it climbs higher as it drifts westward. On the 27th it reaches opposition, when Earth laps it in the orbital race and it appears opposite the sun in the sky. Mid-month will be a great time to view the ringed planet, with a small telescope, if possible, because no moon will interfere.

In the last few days of August, you may catch Jupiter rising in the east in the late evening. Don’t confuse it with Capella, the bright star low in the northeast on those nights. Also at month’s end, Venus rockets into the predawn sky. Our sister planet joins Sirius—the night sky’s brightest star—and all the iconic winter constellations.

The night of August 30, we’re treated to a second super moon. It rises over Grand Marais just half an hour before reaching perfect fullness and on the same day as perigee. As the second full moon in a calendar month, it will be dubbed a blue moon.

The renowned Perseid meteor shower is expected to peak the night of August 12 to 13. This should be a good year for the shower because we’ll have five hours of moonless sky, starting around 10 p.m. August 12. The Perseids represent the fiery demise of dust particles left by Comet Swift-Tuttle, which last whipped around the sun in 1992 and won’t return until 2125. According to NASA, the nucleus of Swift-Tuttle is about 16 miles across, or about twice the size of the rock believed to have wiped out the dinosaurs.

For more information on the University of Minnesota’s public viewings of the night sky at its Duluth and Twin Cities campuses, visit: d.umn.edu/planet.

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Hours:

Wednesday thru Saturday 10 to 5. Anytime by appointment.

Downtown Lutsen • www.bigwaterjewelry.com

LARGEST JEWELRY SELECTION ON THE NORTH SHORE.

NORTH HOUSE FOLK SCHOOL

The Big Sugar A Brigid Reardon Mystery

By Mary Logue

University of Minnesota Press, 2023, $22.95

Loosely based on the true story of Ellen Watson in Cheyenne in 1889, The Big Sugar continues the adventure from Mary Logue’s mystery The Streel: A Deadwood Mystery

After the harrowing events that entangled her in Deadwood, protagonist Brigid Reardon just wants to move west and get on with her new life in America. But shortly after traveling to Cheyenne, Wyoming, to join her brother Seamus, she finds herself caught up in another deadly mystery—beginning with the discovery of her neighbor Ella’s body on the plains near their homes. Filled with intrigue and plot twists, The Big Sugar is a gripping mystery that will keep you wondering, who killed Ella Bates?

—Breana Johnson

Up Where the Stars Are

By Ryan Jacobson

Adventure Publications, 2023, $17.99

CRAFT COURSES · DAILY SAILING · CAMPUS TOURS SCHOOL STORE OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK • NORTHHOUSE.ORG

Andrew Moore is not like other children. He was born with a condition known as Angelman syndrome, so he doesn’t run or jump. But he’s great at smiling, laughing, and using his imagination, which takes him on a journey through the night sky. While stargazing with his parents, he finds himself floating among the stars, meeting a beautiful princess named Andromeda, and her winged horse Pegasus. After Queen Cassiopeia sends Andrew away, he meets other famous constellations, including Aries the ram, Pisces the fish, and Perseus the hero. Filled with beautiful illustrations, Up Where the Stars Are is an uplifting children’s story that teaches empathy, friendship, and kindness, and introduces the reader to nine constellations, complete with instructions for finding them. A portion of the proceeds from this book will benefit the Angelman Syndrome Foundation.

—Breana Johnson

At Sara’s Table Chester Creek Café 20th Anniversary Cookbook

By Jillian Forte

Self-published, 2022, $25.99

For 20 years, At Sara’s Table Chester Creek Café (ASTCCC) owners Barb Neubert and Carla Blumberg have provided a welcoming space, and championed diversity, sustainability, and local farms, to create delicious comfort food with a twist. Located in Duluth, ASTCCC’s chef Jillian Forte gives us a cookbook filled with history, cooking tips and tricks, anecdotes from servers, and 90 classic recipes scaled down for home cooking. You’ll find recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as soups, salads, sides, and baked desserts, along with an index with creative substitutions to please any dietary need. From a quinoa veggie burger, and grilled jerk chicken, to basic kids’ mac and cheese, and scones, this cookbook will satisfy everyone.

—Breana Johnson

Gichi-Onigaming Bizhiki Grand Portage Bison

By Zhaawanoogiizhik / Sam Zimmerman

Gichi-Onigaming (Grand Portage) received  niizhwaaswi  (seven) bizhiki  (bison) to begin its okwiinowag (herd) this past  Iskigamizige-giizis (April). One of the bizhiki (bison) was  ningigishkawaawas  (pregnant) when it arrived. Among the adults, a little light colored bizhikiins (calf) stands out among the larger and darker niizhwaaswi (seven) adults.

With bizhiki (bison) being at  Gichi-Onigaming (Grand Portage), I wanted to  jiikakamigad (celebrate) the recent birth of the  bizhikiins (calf), capturing the  nimaamaa (mother) and  abinoojiinyens  (baby) sharing an intimate moment in the quiet  mookise (morning/dawn) light. The addition of this little one brings a promise of new beginnings.

Follow my studio on Facebook and Instagram @CraneSuperior or if you have ideas for a North Shore painting, you can email me at: cranesuperiorstudio@gmail.com.

Explore the Northern Wilds

Summer is a great time to explore the North Shore and all it has to offer. There’s loads of family-friendly events to attend, plenty of recreational opportunities, and an abundance of wildlife to stumble upon. So, get outdoors and have some fun.

And while you’re at it, be sure to snap a few photos and enter them into our Northern Wilds Photo Contest, open now until Sept. 30: bit.ly/loveofnorth

a different perspective

I

Fishing on Lake Superior for the first time. | AYDEN & TRYGVE DEROSIER

Our yearly trip with our grandsons includes rocky trails near Artists Point in Grand Marais. Sometimes a little brother just needs a hand. | KATHLEEN SCHLEMMER

Fishing with Daisy on Ball Club Lake. | SARA HADLEY

I love to take photos from

than our eyes usually see.

call this “An Ant’s View.” | ANNETTE COZZI

A great gray owl flying. | EDWARD LEE

I was sitting on our patio at our home on Lax Lake, when this young cross fox came into the yard with a wistful look in its eye. | DALE JOHNSON

A great blue heron flying along the shore of Lake Superior with the Thunder Bay lighthouse in the background. | MICHELLE KEY

Crayfish at Tettegouche State Park where Superior meets the Baptism River. | APRIL OSS

A miniature world on the forest floor. | SARAH UPTAIN

Sunrise in Duluth. | MICHAEL BURBUL

Black bears rarely attack humans, especially if they’re not surprised. Note, this is not the bear that came into our camp. |

The Bear Who Gave Us a Sunset

By Emily Stone

The voices filtering through our Boundary Waters campsite were so calm and sweet-sounding it took me a minute to process the words: “Hey, bear.”

Lake water dripped from my swim shorts, and I continued toweling off in the sun while the meaning sank in. “Hey, bear!”

Looking across the wilderness campsite, where a group of colorful tents lined the woods on the way back to the latrine trail, I saw a fuzzy black shape in their midst. Ally and Caleb, a young couple who’d been resting in a hammock, were calmly talking to the bear, waving their arms, and doing all the right things to let the bear know that camp was full of humans without startling it. The bear did not care.

Likely only two or three years old, his fuzzy back was barely taller than Caleb’s waist, and he showed neither aggression nor fear. He looked healthy. And he kept walking forward, having learned through experience that he could stroll right up and grab

Here’s the blue plastic bear barrel that kept our food safe from the marauding bear. It’s not 100 percent bear proof, but if you attach it to something so the bear can’t drag it away, the durable seal gives you more time to scare off the bear before he snatches all of your s’mores fixings.

| JILL JOSWIAK

some tasty food if he ignored the humans diligently enough.

Although this was the first time I’d ever had a bear in camp, I didn’t feel like we

SUSAN FREI

were in danger. Black bears rarely attack humans, especially if they’re not surprised. So I calmly hung my towel on a tree branch and headed over to help, stopping by the fire pit to grab a couple of lids from the cook set. The metallic banging alerted Peter, who had been napping, that the voices weren’t just part of a dream. He popped out of his tent, just as the bear was walking past. “Don’t run!” called Ally (a wildlife biologist), with some urgency in her voice. Running away can sometimes trigger a chase.

Peter didn’t exactly run, but his sudden appearance and quick steps away from the bear, combined with Ally and Caleb’s increased shouting and steps forward, did turn the bear down into the woods beside camp. He circled around, and popped out on a narrow nature trail leading off into magical glades full of blooming twinflower and fairy-fan fungi we’d admired on an earlier walk. Where had the bear been then?

Bob, the most experienced participant in our midst, came to stand beside me as I banged on the pot lids. The bear didn’t retreat. Bob took a step forward, and the bear backed up one step in a long-distance dance. Then a softball-sized rock bounced in front of the bear’s nose. I turned to look just as Ally’s second rock followed the first. Now the bear turned, perhaps with a smarting nose, and slowly disappeared into the woods.

The eight of us—mostly strangers— brought together on this Cable Natural History Museum-sponsored trip, all gathered in the center of camp to make a plan.

First, we celebrated. This had been a pretty successful bear encounter. No one pan-

icked. Everyone helped drive the bear away. The bear wasn’t rewarded, because our food was stored properly.

Being bear aware is always part of a Boundary Waters trip, but we’d been on high alert. As we’d loaded packs into canoes at Rockwood Outfitters just a couple days before, Mike had mentioned that Gaskin, a bigger lake nearby, had problems with a persistent bear in campsites earlier in the summer, but that the bear hadn’t been seen since the blueberries ripened.

Then, the evening before our encounter, two parents with two kids still small enough to sit side-by-side in their aluminum canoe had paddled past our campsite late in the day. Those two shots we’d heard earlier, explained the dad, was him firing his gun as a bear invaded their camp and came too close for comfort to their kids. So alerted, we locked our blue plastic bear barrel up tight, put the cook set on top as an alarm, and fastened the shoulder straps around a tree so it couldn’t be dragged into the woods.

Now, though, the bear was real, food-focused, and not easily scared. I looked at my watch: 4:30 p.m. There was some discussion, some disagreement, and then a decision to seek a campsite on the next lake. We had our tents packed neatly into our portage packs and the last boat pulling away from the landing 40 minutes later. As Jill and I ducked under the curtain of cedar branches that framed the landing, she looked backward from her seat in the stern of the canoe. “The bear is coming down the landing trail.”

I turned around in the bow to look at her. “Are you joking? Really? Seriously?” It

would have been a good joke. Instead, it was absolute justification for moving camp away from this pest.

Having previously practiced our paddling and portaging skills all morning on a day trip, the group moved like a well-oiled machine. Tossing the canoe off my shoulders on the far side of the portage, I gazed out across the lake. The slanting rays of evening sun shone on a classic rocky campsite—unoccupied. A hallelujah may or may not have been playing on the wind.

Soon, we were relaxing on that beautiful rock with bowls of warm food in our hands, as a magnificent sunset played across the smattering of clouds. A fingernail moon peeked out, too. Pretty soon, the Milky Way splashed a path across the dome of stars, and beetles darting on the quicksilver surface rippled Jupiter’s reflection.

Our previous campsite, cradled by trees, had been perfect on the gusty day we chose it, but without much of a view. Now, as the wind finally subsided, the bear gave us a site that matched the sunset perfectly.

Experience a World Beyond Grand Marais with the Best Views on the North Shore

Our new campsite, chosen after the bear invaded our previous one, offered up a gorgeous sunset. | PETER MARSHALL

Strange Tales

The Wood Wide Net of Mycorrhizal Fungi

By Elle AndraWarner

My curiosity was recently piqued when I read that researchers reported that the total global length of something called mycorrhizal fungi in the top 3.9 inches (10 centimeters) of soil is 280 quadrillion miles (450 quadrillion kilometres)—that’s 15 zeros after the numbers 280 (450). An amazing breakdown figure is that one quadrillion is equal to a mind-boggling 1,000 trillion and—wait for it—one trillion is equal to 1,000 billion!

In 1997, Nature magazine called the underground mycorrhizal fungi network the “Wood Wide Net” akin to internet’s world wide web. It has also been called the “circulating system of the planet,” comparing it to the neural network in human brains. According to researchers, mycorrhizal fungi has been on Earth since about 1,300 million years ago.

However now in the 21st century, there are ‘hot spots’ in the world where the mycorrhizal fungi are under threat because of today’s agriculture, urbanization, pollution, water scarcity, and climate change.

So, what are mycorrhizal fungi? Well, if you have seen an uprooted tree with its mass of white thread-like structures attached to the tree roots, you’ve seen mycorrhizal fungi.

The mycorrhizal fungi network is an underground network found in plant communities, including forests, which joins plant roots through the fungi’s thin thread-like structures called “hyphae;” the mass of fungi filaments are called “mycelium.” Fungi are microscopic organism that wrap around or pierce the plant’s root and its hyphae reach out underground through soil in a massive network to other plants, including trees, to communicate, nurture, support, and transfer resources. Mycorrhiza fungi refers to the symbiotic (mutually beneficial) relationship between the plants and root fungi. It’s an underground fungi network that has been tagged as the “Wood Wide Web.”

As an example, a forest’s mycorrhizal fungi could be called nature’s underground highway on which photosynthesis products like sugars produced by the forest’s adult trees are transferred to nurture seedlings and trees; in return the fungi gives water and soil nutrients to the

plants. More than 95 percent of all plant species have this symbiotic association with mycorrhizal fungi.

Actually, the majority of Earth’s mycorrhizal fungi connects all the trees and vegetation in a surrounding area of forest. In her book The Mother Tree, Dr. Suzanne Simard describes how mycorrhizal fungi is like a social network, allowing trees to communicate, share nutrients, protect plants from disease, and pull and store carbons from the atmosphere. The forest is like the internet’s world wide web, where instead of computers linked by wires of radio waves, the trees are connected by mycorrhizal fungi.

In her book, Dr. Simard notes that trees relay messages “back and forth through a cryptic underground fungal network.” According to Dr. Simard, the old trees were the mother trees—the hubs—connecting the forest via the mycorrhizal fungi network, like a neural network similar to the neurons in human brains.

“Signals between trees could be as sharp as the electrochemical impulses between neurons, the brain chemistry that allow us to think and communicate,” she wrote. “Mycorrhizal network could have the signature of intelligence.” Other scientists have also begun to consider the consciousness of an ecosystem. Could the vast and complex Wood Wide Web be using a ‘language” we don’t understand?

In 2021, a world-wide project was launched by the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN) to map the system of mycorrhizal fungi in soil around the Earth. In a One Earth article titled, “Mapping the Fungi Network that Lives Beneath the Soil,” by journalist Lindsey Jan Schuemann, she quotes billionaire Jeremy Grantham, the SPUN funder of the multi-million project, “Just below our feet lies an invaluable ally in mitigating climate change; vast hidden

fungal networks. Billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide flow annually from plants to fungal networks. Yet these carbon sinks are poorly understood.”

Conservationist and SPUN project adviser Jane Goodall said, “This is an extremely important conservation project. An understanding of underground fungal networks is essential to our efforts to protect the soil, on which life depends before it is too late.”

SPUN with scientists from five countries—Canada, U.S., Netherlands, France, Germany, and the University of Manchester in the U.K.—will collect 10,000 samples from around the world from 10 ‘hot spots’ as identified through artificial intelligence (AI) technology. The 10 include Patagonia; Canadian tundra; Mexican plateau; South America high altitudes; Morocco; western Sahara; Negev desert in Israel; Kazakhstan steppes; Tibet’s grasslands and high plains; and Russian taiga.

Also quoted in the article was Mark Tercek, former CEO of Nature Conservancy, who said, “Fungal networks underpin life on Earth. If trees are the ‘lungs’ of the planet, fungal networks are the ‘circulatory systems.’ These networks are largely unexplored.”

Kind of awesome to think that when we walk on grass or in forests, we are walking on top of the underground mycorrhizal fungi.

A forest’s mycorrhizal fungi could be called nature’s underground highway, where trees and fungi communicate and share resources. | CREATIVE COMMONS

According to researchers, mycorrhizal fungi has been on Earth since about 1,300 million years ago. | WIKIMEDIA: BEINART1

A comprehensive guide to the lighthouses and navigational beacons from Duluth, Minnesota to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Learn about the storms and shipwrecks that led to their construction, the lonely lives of the keepers and the role lighthouses play in present-day maritime navigation. $22.95

From wilderness waters teeming with trophy walleyes to secluded ponds stocked with brook trout, this guide contains data about fish populations and access for 366 lakes. Contour maps for 68 popular fishing lakes are included. $14.95

W a r m w e a t h e r a

This best-selling guide will lead you to Minnesota’s best backroad destinations. Stunning photographs of Minnesota’s varied landscape are accompanied by informative narrative that leads the reader to the best scenery, parks, refuges, and historic sites. $24.95

Veteran long-distance hiker

Annie Nelson compiled the information and advice you need for a successful thruhike adventure on the 310mile Superior Hiking Trail. $16.95

Join the authors on the trails that lead to the magnificent waterfalls of Lake Superior’s North Shore. Maps and directions to over 150 waterfalls are included in this unique guide.

Rock paintings, called pictographs, were created by Indigenous people. This book contains a description of every known pictograph site in the Boundary Waters and Quetico, complete with maps and directions to find them. $14.95

A sweet little cabin with Big Lake views on a 5 acre parcel.

Sold in 1 day

A beautiful parcel of sugar maple forest boasting some wonderful seasonal lake views

Sold in 12 days

NEW LISTINGS OF THE LUTSEN REAL ESTATE GROUP

Inspiring views of Lake Superior while listening to the Poplar River rapids resonate along the wooded pathways leading to the ledge rock Lake Superior Shoreline. This 3-bedroom, 3-bathroom luxury condominium is tucked away on a wooded lot in the heart of Lutsen. Completely furnished combined with beautiful updated flooring ready for your use and enjoyment while also having the opportunity to earn income through rentals.

Not too often does a private lake vacant lake shore parcel become available for sale. Located just past Seagull Lake on the historic Gunflint Trail, this private parcel on Onagon Lake covets nearly 3 1/2 acres and over 400’ of shoreline. It is a perfect base camp location for BWCAW year-round adventures notwithstanding serving as its own private destination. The vacant parcel is adjacent to an award winning designed home by David Salmela. Parcel is surveyed with soil tests completed with several nice build sites and access to lakeshore.

Looking to buy a property for a vacation rental? Through our sister company, Cascade Vacation Rentals, we have gained incredible knowledge about what North Shore visitors are looking for. We are happy to use that information to help guide you in purchasing a property that is not only a good fit for you, but will also increase your chances of high rental income. CASCADEVACATIONRENTALS.COM

LOT 1 MAPLE LEAF TRAIL

84 SUNRISE DRIVE

555 POPLAR RIVER ROAD

MLS 6108238 // $499,900

ONAGON LAKE

MLS 6109158 // $189,900

SALE PENDING

PERCHED ABOVE LAKE SUPERIOR, ENJOY THE SOUNDS OF THE WAVES FROM THIS ASPENWOOD HOME! Whether you want to Curl up in the Family Room and unwind or walk out on the deck to listen to the waves, you will have plenty of space to relax. The large kitchen overlooks the Family room so you still can enjoy the conversations while cooking for the masses. Upstairs you will have plenty of space for everyone with 2 guest bedrooms. Attached 1 car garage keeps everything dry no matter the weather! Wander outside and enjoy the Shared shoreline with a staircase leading down to pebble beach! Or walk up the driveway and connect onto the Bike Trail to go to Coho and get breakfast. Lutsen Mountains and Superior National are only 5 minutes away! Visit today and start imagining your life on the North Shore!

MLS#6108924 $499,900

NINEMILE LAKE HOME

Enjoy this Fabulous vacation or year-round home at Ninemile Lake! This 3 bedroom home doesn’t disappoint with floor to ceiling windows and vaulted ceilings in the Great Room, a spacious Kitchen and even a covered porch this home has everything you need to relax and unwind! Shared access to 1800ft of shoreline on Ninemile lake and close to close to many inland lakes, plus direct access to snowmobile, ATV and hiking trails means you can enjoy all your favorite outdoor activities! Visit today and start planning your summer Up North!

MLS#6107181

PRICE REDUCED $409,000

SALE PENDING

LIVE WHERE KIMBALL CREEK MEETS THE BIG LAKE!

Can you imagine enjoying the sounds of Lake Superior AND Kimball Creek while relaxing on your covered porch? This 3 bedroom log home has just that and so much more! From the Large Family room with tons of natural light to the open Kitchen just waiting for you to cook for the masses. Sitting on 3 acres this home has plenty of space for all your needs from the Large 2 car garage and workshop to the Guest Cabin. Close to Grand Marais but “Out-East” where its quiet. Enjoy the 180ft+ of pebble beach shoreline on Lake Superior or wander up Kimball Creek and enjoy some Trout Fishing. Visit today and start enjoying the quiet life on the North Shore!

MLS#6108139 $639,900

NEW!! PURE, COOL, PRISTINE, SUPERIOR!

This Post and Beam Lindal Cedar Home has all the bells and whistles! The living room’s wall of glass displays each big-lake moment and the woodstove adds ambiance. The kitchen is class-act and off the kitchen is a sunroom, a good place for deep thought or a deep snooze! Plenty of room here: three bedrooms, three baths, A loft to sneak away to for a good book or everyone cuddled up for movie-night. The primary bedroom is dreamy under lofted ceiling with an ensuite bath. Down below is a spacious family room with impressive views of the lake. Big ‘ol garage with stairs up to a room that is great for storage. Outside is a sprawling deck, perfect for BBQ’s! The locale is a strategic basecamp for North Shore Fun: Lutsen and Grand Marais aren’t far, Splitrock just down the road. Or, bring enough groceries for a month! Hole up among the cool air, pristine forest, and neighboring 3 quadrillion gallons of freshwater, better known as Superior!

MLS#6108922

$989,000

NEW!! GEOLOGIC DELIGHT NEAR GRAND MARAIS

Ah, the majesty of Lake Superior! And here is 1.3 acres, 371’ of it! Nestled near Terrace Pt, about five minutes west of Grand Marais, the location is dreamy. You must get out and explore this one, there’s more than meets the eye. A couple paths lead to the rocks, and be careful, because you’re going to fall in love! A home or getaway will be tucked just so, an intimate connection to the lake and commanding views over all of Gitchi Gummi’s ways. The prized and highly localized Thomsonite gem stones are found along this stretch of coast! Maybe Launch a kayak and paddle to the Angry Trout if you’re that type. Of course, simpler to jump in the auto & go grab a pack of World’s Best Donuts, take in a some music at the Tavern, a brew at Voyageur – all the pleasures of Grand Marais so close! The bike path is nearby for exercise and peace. Make this parcel your dream come true!

MLS#6109281 $450,000

SUNSET COTTAGE ON TOM LAKE!

Ready to get away from it all?

To go deep in the woods and enjoy lake life for a while? Your dream has come true, this cabin is it! Enjoy the sounds of the Loons and water hitting the 148+ft of shoreline on Tom Lake from the large deck overlooking the lake. Inside the cabin you have plenty of space with 2 bedrooms and the perfect kitchen for cooking cabin meals. Relax in the family room watching the sunset and plan your next day’s activities. And While there is no electricity, the Solar/ Battery system will provide you with the power you need for lights! All that is missing is YOU!

MLS#6108255 $299,999

NEW!! WELCOMING HOME IN SILVER BAY ON THE QUIET SIDE OF TOWN.

Real peaceful and abuts public land, Mariner Mountain! Awesome big deck outback overlooking extensive landscaping, terraced walls - boulder-o-rama , gorgeous trees. Inside is all warm paneling, woodstove, lots of windows letting the Northwoods air permeate and uplift! 3 bedroom, 2 bath – plenty of room. Nice kitchen with stainless steel appliances. Oversized lot leaves room for an arena for bags tournament, badminton battle, or horseshoes – you choose. The firepit is already in place. Big ol’ heated garage with attic space. Extra storage shed and outback playhouse for the kids to make their kingdom! Snowmobile/ATV/Hiking trails are a block away! Black Beach on Lake Superior and Bean and Bear lake 2 miles away in both directions. Come and get it, won’t last long!

MLS#6109134 $325,000

SALE PENDING SALE PENDING

Enjoy everything Grand Marais has to offer in this NEW home! Welcoming interior, bright and sunny with tons of windows! Open living room lined with large windows and patio door allowing for lots of natural light to flow through the room. Open concept design, the kitchen island anchors the space and the gorgeous stone fireplace is a beautiful focal point to the Kitchen and Living spaces. Bright Kitchen, awesome pantry, and coffee counter, you’ll love the kitchen! Main level has 2 bedrooms convenient to hallway bath with custom shower and double sink, as well as an office/ craftsroom. Upper level is a large owners en suite with skylights!

PROPERTY IS OWNED BY A LICENSED REAL ESTATE SALESPERSON

MLS# 6106877

$539,000

NEW!! UNWIND IN SILVER BAY!

Do you crave space ? Look no further! Including a new furnace and some appliances, this home has been taken care of and has plenty of room for everyone! $ bedrooms gives you the opportunity to have the crafts room you have always wanted, or maybe a nice home office? The options are endless! The Kitchen has a ton of cabinet space, plenty of room for all your cooking tools and the Living Room has a ton of natural light from the large windows. Or walk outside to enjoy the landscaping. From the Peonies adorning the front yard to the large backyard with more landscaping and Rhubarb! There’s enough yard here to throw up a screen porch, a firepit, games area. And don’t forget the large 2 car garage to keep your cars out of the weather and store your outdoor gear! The place is move-in ready. Just show up, unpack, and get to living that new life!

MLS# 6109171 $245,000

KIVI TALO, THE “STONE

A classic North Shore home along the shores of the Big Lake. This one goes way back, built by those who knew the best spots and craftsmanship. For years it was THE place to stop for a chat and shop for diamond willow walking staffs. Cozy one bedroom and loft, all very manageable – tiny home before its time. The current owners have shined and loved it up, adding a sturdy log barn for the ages! The remodeled fish house across the road sits on miles of public beach. 8+ acres of Northwoods to explore. Cleared area for gardens, firepit, and chillaxin’!

MLS#6108780 $375,000

CAMPN’, HUNTN’, FUN GETAWAY LAND, INVEST IN YOUR FUTURE!

TOFTE AREA

LAKE SUPERIOR VIEW LOT IN THE MIDDLE OF TOFTE!

This 3.61 acre lot is a dreamy location to build your North Shore home. With multiple south-facing building sites giving you great views of Lake Superior, electricity conveniently located at the road and Year Round accessible thanks to the Home Owner’s Association you will be able to build your getaway and enjoy it in all the seasons. There is quick access to snowmobile trails, many hiking trails and Cross Country skiing all close by. Visit today and make your dream of a North Shore Home a reality!

MLS#6107193 $149,900

FINLAND AREA

NEW! BUILD YOUR VACATION GETAWAY

AT NINEMILE LAKE!

.18 acres with 1800ft of shared shoreline on Ninemile Lake! With septic, water and electric all on site all you have to do is hook up to it! Easily start your project and be able to enjoy your time Up North!

MLS#6107242 $60,000

NEW! LAKE VIEW LOT!

GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD A LAKE HOME AT THE VILLAGE AT NINEMILE!

Fish the day away from the 1800ft of shared shoreline on Ninemile Lake or travel to one of the many inland lakes that are close by. Snowmobile from your front door! All the important infrastructure is there: Septic, water and electricityall you have to do is hook up to it! Start making your dream Up North home a reality today!

MLS#6107243 $60,000

NEW! START ENJOYING YOUR INLAND LAKE DREAM AT THE VILLAGE AT NINEMILE!

This .60 acre lot was recently created by combining two lots so it offers plenty of room to build your dream cabin or home with an amazing lake view and direct lake access! Great opportunity for the outdoor enthusiast with snowmobile and ATV trails right outside your door! 1800ft of shared lake frontage on Ninemile Lake and infrastructure in place for Septic, Well and Electricity, all you have to do is hook up to it. You will be ready to relax and unwind before you know it!

MLS#6107241 $150,000

SILVER BAY AREA

NEW!! ENJOY THE VIEWS FROM ABOVE!

Imagine waking up every morning to a view of Lake Superior. This property could give you that! Located at the top of a hill you could be overlooking Lake Superior while drinking your morning coffee! With a driveway in place (needs a little TLC) and a circle turnaround you have the first steps in place to build the getaway of your dreams! We think the best building site is right off the driveway, but you will have to explore to decide for yourself. Great location just outside of Silver Bay giving you close access to all the Hiking, Biking and ATV Trails. Or maybe you just want to enjoy the abundant wildlife that also wanders around the 9-acre parcel. All that is missing is you!

MLS#6108926 $108,000

LUTSEN AREA

NEW! LAKE SUPERIOR VIEW LOT IN TOFTE!

This is a rare parcel with tons of possibilities! The land borders Federal to the North giving you plenty of room to wander the woods or you could just walk down your driveway to get to Ray Berglund Wayside State Park and enjoy the MN Dot Lake Superior shoreline across the Highway. Nice mixture of trees, exposed rock, and beautiful Lake views! This parcel is unique – long and narrow, giving you many options of where and what to build. Great location with Lutsen Mountains Ski Area is just a minute drive away, along with Superior National Golf Course and the paved Gitchi Gami State Bike Trail is across the highway. Build your cabin and enjoy the North Shore –maybe work remotely or move up here!

NEW!! START UP AT TAIT LAKE! Are you ready to have your own place on the North Shore, Build the cabin or home of your dreams and start creating memories? Located in a great location near Tait Lake, away from the hustle and bustle this lot already has the driveway and building site in place. Deeded access to both boat launches you will be able to fish the day away with ease. And Lutsen is just 20 minutes away for Golfing, Skiing, Restaurants and Shopping. Eagle Mountain is only 10 minutes away for a hike to the highest point in Minnesota!

MLS#6108876 $67,000

LUTSEN, LAND AND LOCATION!

MLS#6107607 $99,000

MLS#6107607 $99,000

Great location to build your getaway Up North! Located in the heart of Lutsen you will be close to your favorite outdoor activities from skiing to hiking. 3.38 acres with driveway in place, just waiting for you!

MLS#6107596 $62,900!

GRAND MARAIS AREA

NEW!! GO WITH THE FLOW ALONG THE CASCADE! It’s not often you find large parcels of land away from it all like this 27 acres! A river runs by it, the Cascade to be precise. Previous owners provided a solid start: brand new garage on one portion of the property complete with a room above. An outhouse rounds out the basic needs. Over by the river, is a simple, solar powered, wee cabin. Everything you need to get started! Diverse mix of trees and lots of upland. This is way-out there country, yet Grand Marais is close enough for easy resupply, a brew, take in some music. Access to Pike Lake is just over yonder. Snowmobile, hiking and cross country ski trails are handy!

MLS#6108873 $164,900

RARE OPPORTUNITY IN THE CITY OF GRAND MARAIS!

Large parcels don’t come up for sale very often, especially within the city of Grand Marais, this is your opportunity! There are many possibilities to develop this 2+ acre parcel, The Property was just surveyed and there is a designated 33 ft wide easement on the east side to build a road to this parcel from E 5th ST. The location couldn’t be any better with schools, YMCA, and the Community center within walking distance. Easily get to the Gunflint Trail, just a block away, and spend the day fishing at one of the many close inland lakes. Hiking trails, Biking trails, Cross Country Ski Trails and Snowmobile Trails are just a minute away, you will always have access to the different seasons adventures. Visit today and start planning your getaway Up North!

MLS#6107788 $179,900 REDUCED!

384X Highway 61 E

Exceptionally stunning Lake Superior property, perfect for building your ultimate North Shore retreat, with over a thousand feet of shoreline! This 5+ acre lot has officially been subdivided into 2 independent lots and is part of the aptly named Paradise Beach. Imagine owning this beautiful cobblestone beach, that is surrounded by government owned land & provides extensive beach walking opportunities?

MLS 610784 $1,200,000

78 Troll’s Trail

Affordable Lake Superior! Over 300’ of shared lakeshore and over 7 acres of shared land! Great opportunity to build a cabin or year round home. Forested area, firepit picnic area, lawn area--sit back and relax while someone else takes care of the plowing and lawn care.

MLS 6108596 $149,900

INLAND LAKE LOTS

NEW TOM LAKE

Stunningly beautiful lake lot that feels like a park! This south facing inland lake lot consists of 205’ shoreline and 2.66A. Easy access waterfront, private driveway, cleared building pad near the lake.

MLS 6109030 $147,900

Caribou Lake

Build your dream home on the shores of the coveted Caribou Lake. Lot directly abuts USFS to the north, features 213’ of shoreline and 3.5A of wooded land.

MLS 6108084 $348,900

NEW Onagon Lake

Enjoy the natural beauty of forested lands on this affordable 1.62A Onagon Lake front lot, located at the end of the historic Gunflint Trail. Over 200’ of lake shore, providing plenty of privacy for your Northwoods getaway.

MLS 6109045 $94,900

NEW TOM LAKE

Affordable, south facing lakeshore lot! This sweet little lot features 102’ of shoreline and nicely wooded with a great mix of healthy trees. Lot is surveyed, close to YR access, electricity & broadband.

MLS 6109282 $59,900

Greenwood Lake

Dramatic views and 202’ of shoreline. 1A parcel already has a driveway in place and trails through mature trees to the waterfront. Build overlooking this impressive lake.

MLS 6107777 $169,900

reduced Squint Lake Lot 4

234’ of shoreline, nicely wooded – Great mid-trail location, close to restaurants and lodges. Squint Lake offers privacy with the option to be as active as you’d like!

MLS 6108302 $124,900

Squint Lake Lot 5

Peaceful lot, dead-end private road, with 225’ of Squint Lake shoreline. Close to all the midTrail has to offer. Make your dreams come true

MLS 6108303 $134,900

HOMES & CABINS

REDUCED 2246 County Road 7

Fantastic, sunny, tastefully finished 4BR, 4BA home on 16A with Lake Superior views! Finished walk-out could be rented as a 1BR unit with full kitchen and bath. Attached and detached garages, garden area, decks, patio, 4-season sunroom, pond, and more.

MLS 6108758 $799,900

REDUCED 2817 Highway 61 E

Looking for a Big Lake getaway near Grand Marais? Impressive views of Lake Superior high on a bluff with a perfect sandy-pebbly beach down below. Open concept rustic cabin for you to choose the layout.

MLS 6108131 $219,900

5541 E Highway 61 E

Charming 3BR home on 34.5A of forested land to explore the Northwoods. Lake Superior access, which is perfect for getting out on the water and enjoy a day of kayaking.

MLS 6107983 $379,900

REDUCED 40 County Road 44

Looking for quintessential Northwoods home? This 3BR, 2BA, custom built, log-sided home oozes charm & character and sits on over 8 acres. There is an insulated garage with workshop space.

MLS 6107949 $549,900

NEW 160

Whippoorwill Ln

Cozy off grid 2BR log cabin situated on a beautiful 12 acres, plus abuts hundreds of acres of Federal land. The many southern facing windows keep it light and bright inside during the day saving the solar power for the evening. Enjoy the simple life and serenity among the white pines and wildlife.

MLS 6109194 $199,900

NEW 2390 County Road 7

Charming 3BR/1.5 bath country home tucked away on an incredibly nice 5A lot, with seasonal Lake Views, and it abuts State land to the south.  Full, walk-out lower level, that can be completed to your tastes.  There is a detached 2 car garage that is perfect for the tools and toys.

MLS TBD $418,900

Beautiful 20 acres overlooking Lake Superior! Prime spot for a deer camp as this area is known for excellent hunting or a secluded cabin in the woods. This property is currently without access, but one could obtain an easement.

MLS 6107462 $34,900

Large parcel with easy year round access!!! 40A lot is heavily wooded for maximum privacy and abuts hundreds of acres of Federal land for you to explore. Great spot to build your dream home or cabin in the woods.

MLS 6109109 $89,900

Rural, private, 10A forested land (mixture of coniferous and deciduous trees) and close to Lutsen lakes: Caribou, White Pine, Christine, Pike, and more.

MLS 6108969 $119,000

Large parcel on the Countymaintained Moose Valley Rd!  80A of topographical, natural, and wildlife glory!  This lot has dramatic bluffs, rolling hills, and ponds.

MLS 6108970 $280,000

23XX

Looking for the hard to find homesite on County Road 7?

This lovely 5 acre lot is nicely wooded with mature trees and the topography is gently rolling, creating an easy site for building.

MLS 6109044 $79,900

Beautiful piece of land with a healthy forest, a Lake Superior view, and 10 minutes from Grand Marais.  Features a screen house, solid driveway with a nice open area that is perfect for weekend use.

MLS 6108990 $127,900

12XX Highway 61 W

RARE opportunity to find almost 6A of mixed use located in the heart of Grand Marais, with city sewer and city water. This property has approximately 825’ of frontage on Highway 61 and access off 1st Street.

MLS 6107103 $789,900

Unique opportunity to find a 1A lot in the heart of Grand Marais. Directly abuts Highway 61, with commercial usage, perfect for someone considering a home for their business or wanting to build short-term rentals.

MLS 6108208 $199,900

REDUCED

REDUCED

1142 Camp 20 Rd

MOTIVATED SELLER!!!  170+ acres of heavily forested land that has been replanted with many beautiful trees.  Features a gravel pit, pond and abutting State land.  Seller is licensed real estate agent in MN.

MLS 6108125 $157,500

1315 E Highway 61

Incredible commercial opportunity at Grand Marais City Limits Current use includes a 3BR rental unit, office, and home! Cathedral ceilings, partially finished second floor, custom designed kitchen, main bedroom with ensuite & patio access.

6104280 $1,250,000

1XX Whippoorwill Ln

11XX Highway 61 W

County Road 7

10 Murphy Drive

Moose Valley Rd

Honeymoon Trail

REDUCED Hwy 61 E

INLAND LAKE HOMES & CABINS

NEW 11 Poplar Creek Dr

Amazing opportunity to own a private getaway on 309’ of Poplar Lake. The 4BR/5BA house is currently operating as a B&B on 7.2A with BWCA access and is only about 30 miles from Grand Marais. The BWCA, hiking trails, bike trails, and miles of ski trails including the Banadad system all provideendless opportunity for outdoor adventures. The area is rich in wildlife. Whether it is bird watching or moose viewing, you will find it here.  Make it your ideal north woods escape or dream business or both rolled into one!

MLS 6109270

$799,900

261 Caps Trail

Serenity awaits you in this turn-key charming 3 bedroom, 2 bath, year-round cabin on Tait Lake. The property features 190 ft. of shoreline with 2.9 acres and is in a peaceful bay on the north side of the lake, with the Tait River gently running along the western edge of the property. Access to HOA maintained hiking & biking Trails.

MLS 6107953

$599,900

NEW 1376 Devil Track Road

Great home on Devil Track Lake with a huge metal pole barn! Two bedrooms on the main level with 1+ bedrooms in the lower level walk-out. 210’ of shoreline with boat launch. Detached garage next to house and giant garage on the top of the hill (46x 60) with a shop, electric, running water (even a bathroom). This is a must see property to appreciate the value!

MLS 6108992

$799,900

LAKE SUPERIOR PROPERTIES

WATERFRONT COMMERCIAL PROPERTY

Beautiful waterfront commercial property in downtown district of Grand Marais, which includes 2 apartments overlooking Lake Superior, and a retail/ rental business. Also included in the sale is a 5 acre parcel on County Road 7, with a 52' x 42' warehouse for boat and other inventory storage and deliveries.

MLS#6103262

$1,950,000

LAKE SUPERIOR PRIVATE RETREAT

A unique private place - a park-like preserve all your own. The 2000 feet of rugged lakeshore and dense boreal forest create a place to immerse oneself in the magic of the ancient shore. The 19 acres is accessible by way of a quarter mile of boardwalk and deck overlooks. Decide as you walk among moss-covered boulders and evergreen forest, which path to follow - the higher overlook or the gentle beach. The long driveway leads away from highway noise and thoughts of the outside world. Power and phone are waiting for your choice of building sites. You may choose just to camp here, and keep the unique place as a preserve. Or use it as a group retreat or multiple family compound. The many moods of Superior can all be enjoyed here. Dramatic points protect the private views. A small extra drive from Grand Marais will feel well worth it once you turn off the highway and enter this place of true privacy.

MLS#6107927 $1,750,000

DEVIL TRACK LAKE HOME – ESTATE SALE

This 3 bedroom, 3 bath home sits on 2 acres of dense forest and has 200 feet of shoreline on the coveted north shore of the lake. Quality-built 1981 home has recent updates. New kitchen has slate tile floors, granite countertops and new cabinets. The windows and roof have been replaced recently. There are hardwood floors, lofted ceilings, large windows and an expansive deck. The long-term owner has left their 38-year estate here for you to inherit. There is a large amount of personal property included for the buyer to sort through. Some gems are included. There is a 2-car attached garage, and a second detached 2-car garage. Dock and lift are included. Don't miss this chance to get on Devil Track Lake. And, with a little effort you can make this your own long-term lake home.

MLS#6108491 $689,000

HOME WITH SPARKLING WATER & SUNSETS

Custom built, single level lake home on pristine Wilson Lake. Known for crystal clear water and excellent walleye fishing. Tucked deep inside the Superior National Forest, you can relax in the peaceful beauty of a BWCA-like experience. But here, you enjoy the modern conveniences of a four season, wheelchair accessible lake home with fiber optic internet. One level living, large great room, three bedrooms, two accessible bathrooms with roll-in showers, in-floor heat, slate and wood flooring, attached heated garage, and large deck and boardwalk down to the lake and fire pit. Open floor plan offers space for gathering along with two separate wings for privacy. Large windows throughout the home offer a panoramic view of the natural beauty surrounding the property.

MLS#6107163

LAKESIDE SANCTUARY

Beautiful, secluded property features

9.89 acres of land and 255' of level and park-like shoreline on Devil Track Lake, only 20 mins from Grand Marais. Tucked away among the trees, enjoy solitude and privacy with a bonfire by the lake. Property features a newly- constructed 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom cabin with a newly installed septic and well! Turn-key and fully furnished, everything in the cabin is new and ready for your enjoyment. Currently off-grid but power and broadband are slated to be brought in this fall.

MLS#6108306

SALE PENDING

GREENWOOD LAKE PANORAMIC VIEWS

Thoughtfully positioned to take in the commanding views of Greenwood Lake, property offers the best of lake life and the north woods experience. Entering at ground level you are greeted by a large foyer which allows access to a bedroom, attached two stall garage and staircase leading to the main living area. Vaulted living area, open kitchen and dining area offer unobstructed lake views from nearly every angle. Two bedrooms with ample closet storage flank either side of the living area along with a full bathroom. Clear railing system on the deck allows you to sit in your comfortable seating arrangement and still take in the panoramic views of Greenwood. A short walk from the cabin leads you to the lakefront along part of the shared harbor and along the beach facing the big water. Off-grid living with the amenities of solar power, custom water collection system and propane fuel. Seasonal access due to road not being plowed during winter months.

MLS#6108310 $595,000

WILDERNESS LAKE ISLAND HOME

Live off-grid with comfort and spectacular scenery on a 6.82 acre island on Greenwood Lake, Minnesota's highest lake. Most of the 2000 ft shoreline is US Forest Service land. It's a jewel and you get the protection of your own island, offering isolation, wilderness views and wildlife. Comfortable small home is set up for your retreat lifestyle. Present owners built the home and large shop building with guest quarters, and have lived on the island for 15+ years. Off grid solar, generator power, new peat-moss septic system, lake water and satellite provide the comforts you desire. Air boat, pontoon and fishing boats included, providing access with a protective cove & docks for easy landing/loading.

MLS#6104980 $589,900 PRICE REDUCED!

HAND CRAFTED GUNFLINT LAKE COTTAGE

Rather than having a time-crunched stay at the rental, you should get away to the Mile O Pine cabin this year! The northern lights were unprecedented this past winter, dazzling the imaginations of wide-eyed night-owls and those scarce few who ventured out with stocking feet, beckoned by the cold whisper of nature's call. Perhaps you, too, can capture some dark sky and star dust from the front row of not just one of the many, but your own unique, north woods bungalow! This hand crafted cottage is nestled underneath a canopy of lofty cedar and spruce, and located on the south shore of Gunflint Lake. During the warm months, keep your pontoon or fishing boat right out front to take advantage of the early morning bite, or to enjoy a leisurely lunch out on the water. There's space for you and your guests in the cabin and bunkhouse, and there is ample room for all four seasons' toys in the large garage up top of the hill. This place is just waiting to brighten your northern Minnesota experience!

MLS#6109105 $479,000

TOM LAKE CABIN

Drop in your boat and turn on the inverter to power up your updated and turn-key cabins! Property has been customized and meticulously maintained for optimal ease of use. Fully operational solar powers all the comfort and convenience of home for you and all your guests. Behind main cabin, 2-bedroom bunkhouse with half-bath and a game room & a garage for your ATVs and toys. A back-up generator is included, so no worries about running out of power! Internet and electric is coming to Brumbaugh Road in 2025! Maintenance-free steel roofing on all five buildings including sauna, tool shed and the heated outhouse! Nearly 4 acres with a large parking area and over 300 feet of shoreline on Tom Lake. If you have a day or a week to play with, just drive to the cabin, push a few buttons to power up, and get busy enjoying the dark sky country, where you can literally walk by starlight to see the northern lights and listen to howling wolves and mystical loons!

MLS#6108657 $399,000 PRICE REDUCED!

INLAND WATER PROPERTIES INLAND WATER PROPERTIES HOMES & CABINS

BIRCH LAKE SEASONAL CABIN

Stunning lake lot on desirable Birch Lake. Fabulous views of the length of the lake. Seasonal cabin with one bedroom and one bathroom. A trophy rainbow fishery and very near the Boundary Waters Area Canoe Wilderness. A gentle walk to water's edge. Use the cabin for a relaxing get-away or as the jumping off place for your next adventure. Property includes a detached garage, gazebo and a sleeping loft

MLS#6108048

POPLAR LAKE LOT

Over 300 feet of private shoreline on Poplar Lake and just under 2 acres of land. Lots of spruce, cedar, tag alder and diamond willow creates a haven for moose and other wildlife. Bring rubber boots and a camera to check this one out. Beautiful shoreline in a friendly neighborhood!

MLS#6108233 $199,000

IRISH CREEK HOME

Imagine a home tucked away on 89 gorgeous acres and you sitting by the woodburning fireplace, looking out your windows at all the wildlife that may come to visit. This stunning 2-bedroom, 2-bath home with all the privacy features, maintenance-free siding, a metal roof, vaulted ceilings with pine tongue and groove, a stunning stone fireplace, custom hickory cabinets and much more. A sanctuary in the Northwoods, with views all around. Create your own cross-country ski trails among the old pines, take a walk down the quiet gravel road, explore with an ATV, or just sit and enjoy the beautiful garden and a bonfire. An impressive solar system leaves you with minimal utility bills but if you want to tap into the grid, power and broadband are slated to arrive. You must see this home in person to truly appreciate all it has to offer.

TOM LAKE LOT

There really are places that are still wild, with clear air and starry nights away from the sounds of civilization. If you are willing to drive the extra mile, you will enjoy this untouched lake lot with 214 feet of shoreline on a fairly even heavily wooded lot. The property has been surveyed and staked. Brumbaugh Road is private with a public landing at the north end of Tom Lake. No homeowners association here. Building plans subject to county approval. Come visit soon; the loons are waiting for you!

MLS#6108312 $150,000

CHARMING OFF-GRID HOMESTEAD IN ENCHANTED FOREST

TOM LAKE PEACEFUL HAVEN

SOLD SALE PENDING

A beautiful drive through the forested hills of the Hovland area takes you to this peaceful haven on Tom Lake. A total of 32 acres on each side of South Tom Lake Road. The north half has 660 feet of shoreline with a mixture of deciduous and evergreen forest. The southern half slopes gently up from the road and is a mature deciduous forest. From the lakeshore, enjoy summer sunsets to the northwest or peaceful morning sunrises. Tom Lake is known for walleye fishing and the surrounding area has many ATV and snowmobile trails.

MLS#6108188 $225,000

RENEW/ BUILD A BUSINESS IN GRAND MARAIS

1.27 commercial zoned acres on Highway 61 in Grand Marais. Rent space potential. Includes a shop/ storefront with some good bones!

Great location for many types of ventures! Make an offer and build your business in a popular tourist area!

MLS#6107939 $249,900

LUTSEN COMMERCIAL SITE

This unique home is tucked deep in 40 acres of mature cedars and pines, adjoining large tracts of public land. Follow the long winding driveway to a truly magical place. The main house is a straw-bale home with recent bedroom/bath addition, and a bright, outdoors-feeling 4-season porch/livingroom. Home features include tile and bamboo floors, pine paneling and stucco walls with deep window wells reflecting the straw bale design, giving a romantic old-world feel to the main kitchen/ dining area. The large kitchen has custom cabinets, stained concrete countertops and a wood burner stove with oven. The main bedroom is two large upper rooms with lots of light and space. The large second bedroom has bright morning light, a small wood stove, and door to a private deck. Comfortable spaces and quality material and design are evident everywhere. This home is for those seeking simplicity and nature. Remoteness and independence are mandatory. Yet, it's a short drive to the main roads and a quick trip into Grand Marais for groceries.

MLS#6108193 $429,900

GREENWOOD LAKE LOT

Lot on stunning Greenwood Lake with 4.24 acres. The lot was selected for the peninsula lake front with 300 feet of lakeshore. There is a stubbed in driveway to park and a brushed walking corridor to the lake. The wetland delineation will be finished 7/10/2023

MLS#6108850 $220,000

Lutsen "downtown" location. Hwy 61 frontageroad access, 3.3 acres and 389 feet of frontage overlooking the highway, with some limited Lake Superior views. Nice creek borders the east property line, mature evergreen forest. Great location for retail, restaurant or art gallery with great visibility off the North Shore Scenic Highway. LTGC zone district (Lutsen Town Center General Commercial) allows many options. Three separate lots could be split. Located just minutes from Lutsen Mountains Ski Area, Superior National Golf Course, many lodges and recreational opportunities.

MLS#6105204 $220,000

NEWLY REMODELED SILVER BAY 4 BEDROOM HOME

This lovely 4 bedroom, 2 bath home has been remodeled from top to bottom with all new mechanicals including washer & dryer, refrigerator & dishwasher. Nice open floor plan with 2 bedrooms upstairs and 2 downstairs. Make this your home and basecamp for all your Northshore adventures. Silver Bay is conveniently located only an hour from Duluth with plenty of State Parks nearby.

MLS#6108044 $299,000 PRICE REDUCED

MLS#6109126 $539,000

CASCADE RIVER FRONTAGE LOT

This is a rare opportunity to purchase one of the very few privately owned lots on the scenic Cascade River! Over 440 feet of private river frontage offers peaceful calm and gives rise to creative dreaming. Build an off-grid compound with rustic cabins or a custom log home, or keep it wild for camping. There's plenty of space here to spread out with 26.6 acres, and seemingly endless public land to the south and west for hiking, hunting and other north woods enthusiasm.

MLS#6105797 $350,000

40+ ACRES ON COUNTY RD 14

Over 40 acres within 10 miles of Grand Marais, with a creek running through and 1300 feet of County road frontage. Some very nice potential building sites in this parcel, and ample room to spread out. West and south property boundaries are abutted by Federal land as well. Zoned FAR-3, this could be subdivided if one desired.

MLS#6108229 $330,000

SITES

40 ACRES PIKE LAKE RD

40 partially developed acres await your vision! Less than 20 minutes from downtown Grand Marais. Property has been improved with a gravel driveway, selective tree and brush clearing, and newly planted pines/ maple seedlings. It is hard to visit this property without getting carried away by all the possibilities. Beautiful secluded living space surrounded by nature. There is a lovely hilltop where a home could be built and provide year-round panoramic bluff views. On the west side of the property is a tributary to the Cascade River, highlighted by fragrant cedar stands, wildflowers and mosses.

MLS#6108391 $189,000

MAGNEY PARK AREA RIDGE TOP WITH LAKE SUPERIOR VIEWS

This remote and secluded "80" acre property has high ridge views of the big lake. The property adjoins Judge C.R. Magney State Park. Easements in place for road access on old logging trails. Ultimate privacy! Mixed, mature forest of evergreens and maples, creeks and pond. Walking distance to Brule River. There are many unique aspects to this beautiful recreational property.

MLS#6107790 $129,000

REMOTE RETREAT

This 70-acre tract has varied terrain and variety of forest. The property is split by Sundling Creek which flows into the Cascade River. Easements and Forestry Permits are in place for seasonal access. Remoteness means ATV/UTV-only drive in and out. It's possible to walk in from the Superior Hiking Trail on the south. This special place adjoins thousands of acres of federal forest lands. There’s even walk-in easement to the Cascade River. It's a unique parcel for your truly remote retreat.

MLS#6108890 $68,000

2+ ACRES CLOSE TO GRAND

MARAIS

Great location a few miles north of Grand Marais. Plenty of spots nearby to enjoy the cool breeze of the Big Lake! Or hop on the Superior Hiking Trail nearby and enjoy a walk in the woods. Property has a driveway in, build site has been cleared and is ready for your vision. With some selective clearing, there's potential for lake views!

MLS#6108217

MONS CREEK AND VIEWS

1000 ft of Mons Creek frontage & a great view from a high build site. Easy road access, but lots of privacy. 40 acre property w/ private deeded access to Lost Lake, a short drive away. Private lake w/ limited use, a true wilderness feel. Perfect cabin retreat location w/ added bonus of private wilderness lake access. Homeowners association stocks lake w/ brook trout. Walk-in landing provides easy access for canoe or small boat. Roads are gated for security & privacy. Lost Lake Retreats is a truly secluded & private wilderness escape.

MLS#6089090 $60,000

L ARGE, REMOTE ACREAGE –PRIVATE LAKE RIGHTS

This over 80-acre tract has some high ground with views of the hills to the south. Good road access. Some young planted pine trees. It adjoins a Private Conservation Easement area. The property is part of a private association with lake rights to Lost Lake, a limited access lake with shared carry-in landing from which you can launch your canoe or kayak. A unique opportunity.

MLS#6103975 $74,900

HOME SITE WITH BEAVER

Beautiful Moose Valley parcel with over 11 acres, creek with ponds and views of the ridges surrounding this charming location. County road frontage with power and Broadband. A great home site in the Hovland area, close to Lake Superior access and the Arrowhead Trail.

MLS#6107876

Beautiful 5+ acre wooded lots, covered in Maple Forest. In the fall these beautiful lots will be ablaze with stunning colors. Caribou Lake Public Access nearby, hiking trails, Lutsen Mountains Ski Resort, Gitche Gumee bike trail and all the things the North Shore has to offer.

MLS#6108144 $65,000

MLS#6108145 PENDING

POND, WILDLIFE & TWENTY ACRES

This property has private access to Lost Lake as a bonus! Good road access and many building site options. Beautiful beaver pond and creek split the property. Good south exposure and view of the pond. Lost Lake is a tucked-away gem with limited private property and no public access. Good trout fishing and moose sightings. This is a remote retreat property with access to miles of trails. Seasonal road, off-grid now, but power and Broadband are slated to be installed here soon.

MLS#6098652

40 acres with an easy walk to the Tom Lake boat landing. Year-round road to within 1000 feet, power is possible here. Driveway easement granted to build shared access. Many great building sites. Easy access to trails and other lakes.

MLS#6095114 $60,000

PONDS

MAPLE FOREST LOTS

40 ACRES– STONES THROW TO TOM LAKE

WOODED 64 ACRES –ACCESS TO PRIVATE LAKE

This large wooded retreat property is within walking distance to a shared landing on Lost Lake - a private access lake. Good road access and many nice places to build a cabin. Privacy on top of restricted private road access makes this a unique opportunity for wilderness seclusion.

MLS#6103974 $59,900

LAND/BUILDING SITES

SOLD

REMOTE 43 ACRES – LOST LAKE ACCESS

This secluded 43 acres adjoins federal land and is located on a private gated road. There's a seasonal pond, existing "logging" road into the property for immediate use of the land. The property comes with shared private access to Lost Lake, a lake with no public access. Plenty of privacy!

MLS#6103978

REMOTE PEACE & QUIET, PRIVATE LAKE ACCESS

PEACEFUL TAIT LAKE PINES

You'll appreciate the private & peaceful 1.93 acre location in Lutsen, MN, complete with its own hiking trails, outstanding views, finely maintained roads, year-round accessibility, access to power, a calm overall vibe and deeded lake access to Tait Lake! One of the most gorgeous drives one can find, up the Caribou Trail and around Tait Lake. Close to the Superior Hiking Trail, inland lakes, including BWCAW access & trails, Lutsen Ski Resort, Superior National Golf Course and access to food/beverage.

MLS#6106368 $55,000

REMOTE ACREAGE,

ADJOINING FOREST

LANDS-PRIVATE LAKE RIGHTS

This 43 acre tract has adjoining federal land and state park within walking distance. Good road access, with an old "logging road" into the property. The property is part of a private association with lake rights to Lost Lake, a limited access lake with shared carry-in landing from which you can launch your canoe or kayak. A unique opportunity.

MLS#6103979 $46,900

Hide away in this dense forest, with miles of remote trails to explore, and private lake access to Lost Lake. Twenty acres of rolling topography and nice building sites for your cabin retreat. The area is part of an association with gated access to Lost Lake, a limited private property lake with no public access, and great trout fishing and wildlife viewing!

MLS#6098653 $39,900

REMOTE, END-OF-THE-ROAD PRIVACY

This deeply wooded 20 acre parcel is remote and has nice southerly exposure and creek frontage on Mons Creek, a trout stream. It also comes with deeded access to Lost Lake, a private access lake with limited private property. A place to fish, listen to the loons and watch the sun set. The private area is gated and maintained by an association. The main road access is seasonal, but Broadband and power are slated to come here soon. This is a great area for ATV’s with miles of roads to explore.

MLS#6098654 $38,900

SOLD

TAIT LAKE PINE LOT

Welcome to Tait Lake Pines! You'll appreciate the private & peaceful location in Lutsen, MN, complete with its own hiking trails, outstanding views/settings, finely maintained roads, year-round accessibility, access to power, a calm and serene overall vibe AND deeded lake access to Tait Lake!! It'll keep you close to the Superior Hiking Trail, many more inland lakes and trails, Lutsen Ski Resort, Superior National Golf Course & access to food/beverage.

MLS#6098276 $54,900

BRULE VALLEY LOTS

These three, 40+ acre adjoining parcels are connected to a vast amount of Federal and State land, and are the perfect place to get away from snaps, feeds and notifications. Everyone needs a quiet respite, and this place provides that wholly. Towering Pines, poplar, birch and evergreens, ponds, creeks and rolling hills all for you, and for the wildlife therein. Seasonally, it is about a 50 minute drive from Grand Marais. Check it out this summer and make it your own.

MLS#6102969 $43,000 - Lot B

MLS#6102971 $46,000 - Lot C

MLS#6102970 $44,000 - Lot D

MLS#6108066 $129,000 - Includes all 3 lots

SALE PENDING

OFF GRID SOLITUDE

24+ acres of quality Northwoods land at high elevation. Many ATV and snowmobile trails in the area. Parcel features a mix of deciduous and pine trees with some rather large mature pines in the SW corner of property, as well as some clear areas for a camper, tent or possible build. Southern border of the property neighbors state land.

MLS#6108263

SALE PENDING

GREAT LOCATION FOR HOME OR CABIN

Just minutes west of Grand Marais on a black-top county road with power at the site, Broadband nearby. Five acre parcel with southern exposure. Potential Lake Superior views. Very affordable building site!

MLS#6096700 $49,900

GREAT LOCATION HOME SITE.

Just minutes from Grand Marais on black top County Rd 7, a 5+ acre lot with easy access to power and Broadband. Good building sites.

MLS#6094099 $45,900

REMOTE 5 ACRE LUTSEN LOT

Completely remote and private 5 acre lot adjacent to public land, ready for your off-grid plans! Thick timber on a southwest facing hill. Come check it out, and make an offer!

MLS6108777  $32,000

CATCHLIGHT CATCHLIGHT

MOOSE

One early morning, I came upon a happy cow moose munching on aquatic plants near the Gunflint Trail. I watched for a while, taking some photos. Suddenly, she looked up at me and gave a little smile. I snapped a photo and knew it was the perfect shot.—Katie Mumm

W elcome to Golden Eagle Lodge, a family oriented, year-round resort located on the Gunflint Trail of Northeastern Minnesota, only 30 miles north of Grand Marais. As the only residents on Flour Lake, and nestled in the 3 million acres of the Superior National Forest, you can look forward to the quiet and solitude offered only from a true wilderness setting.

Each season has something special to offer; excellent fishing, canoeing, and hiking in summer and nationally-renowned cross-country skiing in winter. Visit our website to find in detail how each season can help shape your vacation.

We offer fully equipped, modern housekeeping cabins to ensure comfort during your stay in the North Woods. These lakefront cabins each have their own private dock and beautiful lake views as well as high-speed Wi-Fi to keep you connected.

We know much time, effort, and expense is invested in a vacation and we would be honored if you considered us as your vacation destination.