Northern Wilds February 2023

HOVLAND, MN

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S o l u t i o n s f o r t h e c r i t i c a l h e a l t h c a r e w o r k f o r c e s h o r t a g e a n d p r o t e c t i n g o u r f u n d a m e n t a l h e a l t h c a r e s e r v i c e s w i l l t a k e p r e c e d e n c e f o r t h e i m m e d i a t e f u t u r e T h i s i n c l u d e s o u r a m b u l a n c e s e r v i c e a n d t h e C a r e C e n t e r a t N o r t h S h o r e H e a l t h H o s p i t a l W i t h o u t t h e s e v i t a l h e a l t h s e r v i c e s , e v e r y o n e w h o l i v e s a n d v i s i t s o u r c o m m u n i t i e s i s a t r i s k Y o u c a n h e l p m a n y h e a l t h p r o g r a m s a n d o u r e m e r g e n c y s e r v i c e s t h r o u g h o n e g i f t t o t h e H e a l t h C a r e F o u n d a t i o n .

T h e F o u n d a t i o n c h a m p i o n s s o l u t i o n s t h r o u g h f u n d i n g , e d u c a t i o n a n d a d v o c a c y

T o m a k e a c h a r i t a b l e c o n t r i b u t i o n , s c a n t h e Q R c o d e o r g o t o : N o r t h S h o r e H e a l t h C a r e F o u n d a t i o n o r g / F r i e n d s

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

-Tim K.

Share Your Thoughts

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.

Happy Trails

DEDICATED TO SHAWN PERICH

This issue is dedicated to my business partner and friend, Shawn Perich. He’s stepping away, focusing on new outdoor adventures and kicking brain cancer with the same energy as when he was first diagnosed. I admire him for his strength.

Our partnership started 20 years ago, back when I was a freelance print and web designer. He was a freelance writer and asked me to design a book of his short stories called Superior Seasons. We worked on a few other projects and found our different strengths worked well together. I pitched him the idea of an outdoor magazine for the area. After some consideration, he agreed.

Shawn made a huge impact on this magazine. He’s a talented, prolific writer and his Points North columns are engaging, informative and well-said. He stayed in touch with a variety of people in the industry and always knew of some interesting story we should tell.

He’s a mentor for many who’ve written for Northern Wilds. He has a wealth of knowledge about the outdoors and has served on the MN Forest Resource Council, was on the board of the Outdoor Writers Association of America, and even served as fire chief in his town of Hovland. He wrote for Outdoor News for 25 years and published eight books, many are available for purchase on our website: northernwilds.com.

A story Shawn would like to tell was a meeting with our first advertiser, Golden Eagle Lodge. I shared information about the magazine to them and Shawn shot the breeze about deer hunting and fishing. Dan Bauman said he loved the idea of the magazine and wanted the back cover in ‘perpetuity.’ He made the meetings feel like we were talking with old friends.

Our partnership was a healthy balance. We know each other so well and played off each other’s strengths. We made plans, solved problems, and ‘discussed’ issues out. Back in the day, before we had an office together, we were both used to working alone. When we first shared a space, I was shocked at how loud he’d type, pounding away at the keyboard. It drove me nuts. I got up, shouted, “I can’t stand this!” and stormed out. Later we laughed about it.

Knowing Shawn, he’ll continue to write. He has too many ideas and too much experience to give that up. And no doubt he’ll still fish the “secret lakes” he’s always mysterious about, with his Lab Rainy at his side.

As for us, we’ll carry on sharing stories about our region with the same excitement and commitment we’ve always had, we’ll simply be missing a beloved voice. Shawn diligently trained Breana Johnson, our editor, to fill his shoes. If you’re missing his work, you can always revisit it on our website.

To our readers and advertisers, thank you for supporting this publication’s growth and giving Shawn and I the means to live our dreams. We’re both forever grateful.

Shawn, we wish you all the best. Thank you for your contribution to Northern Wilds!—Amber Pratt

Got a message for Shawn?

Many have been impacted by Shawn’s writing and mentorship over the years. If you’d like, send him a note! Anything you mail, we’ll be sure to get to him.

Northern Wilds Media, Inc. P.O. Box 26, Grand Marais, MN 55604

HO HO Holiday Sweepstakes Winners!

COOK COUNTY HOME CENTER, $100 ACE Gift Certificates: Kim Honkanen and Betsy Zavoral

LAKE SUPERIOR TRADING POST, $75 Gift Certificate: Sarah Ruffing

GRAND PORTAGE LODGE & CASINO, $75 Gift Certificate: Dawn Walrath

STONE HARBOR WILDERNESS SUPPLY, Adventure Tour for Two: Nora Pedersen

NORTH SHORE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION, $100 Cash: Josephine Baynton

CANAL PARK BREWERY, $50 Food & Drink Certificate: Lynn Mechels

NORTH HOUSE FOLK SCHOOL, $75 Gift Certificate for Programming: Maggie Barnard

NORTH LAKE WELLNESS, Free One-hour Massage: Lynn Christensen

HUNGRY HIPPIE TACOS, $50 Gift Certificate: Susan Pusc

BUCK’S HARDWARE, Vacmaster Wet/Dry Vacuum: Lena Santos

GOLDEN EAGLE LODGE, 2 X-country Ski Passes & 2 1-day Ski Rentals: Bethany Bautch

MIKE’S HOLIDAY STATION STORE, $100 Gift Card: Talon Stammen

SERVING THE NORTH SHORE AND THE WILDERNESS BEYOND

PUBLISHER Amber Pratt

EDITORIAL

Breana Johnson, Editor breana@northernwilds.com

ADVERTISING

Destry Winant, Sales Representative ads@northernwilds.com

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Katie Viren • katie@northernwilds.com

OFFICE billing@northernwilds.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Erin Altemus, Elle Andra-Warner, Gord Ellis, Casey Fitchett, Virginia George, Kalli Hawkins, Michelle Miller, Deane Morrison, Hartley Newell-Acero, Chris Pascone, Shawn Perich, Rae Poynter, Julie Prinselaar, Joe Shead, Eric Weicht, Sam Zimmerman

Copyright 2023 by Northern Wilds Media, Inc. Published 12 times per year. Subscription rate is $28 per year or $52 for 2 years U.S. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part requires written permission from the publishers.

Northern Wilds Media, Inc. P.O. Box 26, Grand Marais, MN 55604 (218) 387-9475 (phone/fax)

Holli’s Hope team to take

12th Polar Plunge

DULUTH—Would you jump into Lake Superior in February? What if it was for a good cause? For Cook County resident Bryann Bockovich, the answer is yes–12 times over. The Duluth Polar Plunge takes place in February in the big lake and Bryann Bockovich and her team will be participating again, as they have since 2010.

“This will be my 12th year doing the Plunge,” Bockovich said. “I’ve done it in Duluth multiple times and also in St. Cloud and Maple Grove.”

Special Olympics is a sports organization for people with disabilities. Special Olympics Minnesota is a program of Special Olympics, and provides sports training programs and competition opportunities for a wide range of sports such as skiing, basketball, equestrian, and track and field to people in Minnesota. Although competition is part of Special Olympics, it is a broader movement promoting inclusive opportunities for sports.

The Polar Plunge is Special Olympics’ most well-known fundraiser, and was started when police officers from the Law Enforcement Torch Run, a different fundraising event for Special Olympics, decided to start the Polar Plunge. Polar Plunge events take place in over 20 cities in Minnesota each winter, including Duluth. (In fact, 2023 marks 25 years since the Polar Plunge started in Minnesota.)

Participants, known as Plungers, register for the event and need to raise a minimum of $75 to participate, with all proceeds going to Special Olympics Minnesota. Many Plungers, including Bockovich, organize into teams. Bockovich’s team is called Holli’s Hope.

“I started with my best friend whose daughter is in Special Olympics,” Bockovich said. “It started just the two of us, then it grew and grew with friends and family. This year there are 14 people on the team, many from Cook County along with a few from Duluth and the Twin Cities.”

The idea of jumping into freezing water may seem daunting, but Bockovich said the event is well-organized and takes place in a supportive environment. Plungers typically check in the night before and are given a plunge time for the next day. There are changing areas and a warming tent where Plungers can warm up after getting out of the icy water. And as for the jump itself?

“I’m not going to lie–it’s cold,” Bockovich said. “Every year I still stand at the hole and think, ‘Why do I do this?’ But the rush is crazy and every year I’m glad I did it. I think once you do it, you’re hooked. I’ve gotten a lot of people hooked on doing it over the years.”

It’s the spectators that make the event so memorable, Bockovich said.

“The day of is amazing and the spectators are the best part,” Bockovich said. “People are out there cheering for you and there’s a whole camaraderie. People dress up in costumes or different themes–they had a costume contest one year which was a lot of fun. And you have a lot of the athletes there cheering, and people usually always know someone who is involved in Special Olympics, so you all have a tie to each other. It’s a sight to see even if you don’t jump.”

The Duluth Polar Plunge will be held on February 18 this year. Registration for the Polar Plunge typically opens the October prior to the event and remains open until right before the event.

“I’d say got for it. If nothing else, mark it off a bucket list,” Bockovich said. “I think jumping into Lake Superior is one of the best ones because everyone knows Lake Superior and how cold it is anyway. Even if you’ve done other ones in the state, the Duluth one is one to attend or to do. It’s a cause that needs to be supported, so I say just do it.”

To learn more about the Polar Plunge, visit: plungemn.org.—Rae Poynter

[L TO R] Linda McClellan, her daughter Holli and Bryann Bockovich. Holli is an award-winning Special Olympics athlete in bowling. | SUBMITTED

Bryann Bockovich and her team has been participating in the Polar Plunge, a fundraiser for the Special Olympics Minnesota, since 2010. | SUBMITTED

Bringing science to the wilds

CLOQUET—The Northern Wilds are an inspiring place to be, as readers of this magazine know well. Towering cliffs overlook Lake Superior, hundred-foot-tall waterfalls plunge into deep river canyons here, and snow-covered peaks beckon extreme sports lovers. Catchy toponyms like Palisade Head, Devil’s Kettle and Sawtooth Mountains instill fear and awe of the area’s wildness. We’ve got a true abundance of rugged beauty in the “Heart of the Continent,” as a Canadian-American coalition of land managers calls the region.

But what if you’re actually looking for a less wild place for your next outdoor jaunt? Someplace more civilized, with an address on “University Road” and a big welcome sign as you enter a calm, cultivated forest retreat. Are you dreaming of exploring a forest with an extensive network of wide, flat trails? A semi-secret forest, with ubiquitous, easy-toread maps, all located just a half-hour drive from Duluth down Interstate-35. Is this even possible in our remote region, you’ll ask?

The place exists, and this unique niche belongs to the Cloquet Forestry Center—a University of Minnesota project which provides opportunities for forest research and education to U of M students and the general public within the boundaries of the Fond du Lac Reservation of Lake Superior Chippewa. The Forestry Center provides free, low-frills year-round human-powered recreation opportunities to snowshoers, birders, photographers, botanists and naturalists, among others. Its managed forests take you to a place of refined beauty, while innovative science is being practiced all around you to promote forest health, cultural vitality and economic prosperity.

The Cloquet Forestry Center (CFC) is one of 10 research and outreach centers connected to the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences at the University of Minnesota. It is the only forestry center of its kind operated by the U of M, although there are other experimental forests within Minnesota, such as the Lake County Demonstration Forest in Two Harbors, or the U.S. Forest Service’s Cutfoot, Marcell, and Pike Bay Experimental Forests in the Chippewa National Forest.

The CFC’s mission is to connect people and ideas to build understanding of northern forest ecosystems through field-based research, education and outreach. Research, education, and forest management projects at the CFC explore holistic and specific aspects of forest ecosystem communities such as silviculture, wildlife populations and habitat, forest genetics, forest ecology, entomology, pathology, and hydrology.

With a staff of 12 people at the CFC, these objectives may sound overwhelming. But for Kyle Gill, forest manager and research coordinator, the CFC blends many scientific fields of study together through one common concept: relationship to land. Gill asks, “When you think of a forest, what do you think about?” For Gill, there are many possible ways to look at a forest: “How do non-humans, like wildlife populations, use the forest? How do the trees utilize the forest? How do fungi survive and grow in the

forest? How do all these different aspects contribute to the forest?” Gill sees the CFC’s role as being a facilitator in answering these questions. Gill’s overarching approach is, “If you can think something about a forest, or somebody can ask a question about a forest, then we’re here to help them ask that question.”

Over the last 114 years (the CFC was founded in 1909), there have been a great number of researchers who have explored all the different aspects of what it takes for a forest to be a forest, and how we as humans can interact with that, as well as how wildlife utilizes the forest. The CFC exists to facilitate this research.

“We’re not doing every single research project ourselves,” explains Lane Johnson, research forester at CFC. “We’re here as hosts and facilitators and synthesizers and practitioners. We’re working to then translate the science into management. We step back and think about how we’re integrating all these different views of the forest into a bigger perspective about what the forest is, and how it functions, and how we as humans can interact with the land.” The CFC currently has 55 active research projects taking place on its grounds.

The CFC’s location (just three miles west of the City of Cloquet), with easy access off of Minnesota State Highway 210, makes it a true Carlton County gem.

It also places the CFC on a sandy outwash plain, a soil substrate which Johnson notes is “perfect for growing pines.” He adds that portions of the Fond du Lac Reservation, along with the Leech Lake Reservation further west, are droughty site types. Johnson recounts the historical importance of forest fires to the local ecosystem.

“Forested systems here have evolved over millennia with fire as a presence, and it’s only over the last 100 years that we’ve in-

tentionally pulled fire out of these systems to promote the production of timber. Fire has essentially been the primary predator, if you will, to trees over millennia,” says Johnson.

Johnson explains that the tribal communities of Minnesota are re-introducing fire to the ecosystem today, providing continuity with the past.

“It’s of increasing interest for the Leech Lake and Fond du Lac Bands that prescribed burns be used to promote the historical character of those systems which once had fire present at intervals of 10-15 years on average,” he says. “That would have created more open woodland conditions. You can imagine that if you were a hunter or gatherer, you would have conditions that would be much more conducive to subsistence, and other cultural practices.”

Johnson highlights that the CFC, area tribes, and the U.S. Forest Service have an ongoing knowledge exchange that’s placebased and cooperative.

According to Gill and Johnson, Minnesotans care deeply about the region’s forests. For Gill: “We as Minnesotans have strong feelings about our relationship to the woods.” Johnson concurs, saying “That’s why it’s so fun to be in a state like this, working in this realm.”

The CFC is currently doing more than ever to welcome the public. An Open House was started in 2018, and is offered annually, usually in the third week in August. Gill notes that the event is held then so that the public can interact with university students doing field research at the CFC at that time of year. An autumn 5k walk/run is held the first Tuesday of October starting at 5:30 p.m.

Johnson highlights the personal interactions that happen at the Open House, saying “We offer a more intimate experience that allows a smaller group of people to come out and learn, go on a wagon ride, get food, and ask questions of individuals who are working on site.” Tours of the forest are given for both adults and children.

Previous to 2012 the CFC was not open to the public, and Gill and Johnson stress that the community is now invited to share the forest’s wealth.

A major way the public interacts with the CFC forests is through trail use. The “UMN Cloquet Forestry Center Marked Walking Routes and Ski Trails” map has had 8,330 views on Google Maps as of early 2023. Skiers in the know come out to take advantage of the “adequate” grooming for classic skiing only, done by CFC staff as time allows. Last year, the CFC got a compaction drag groomer, pulled by a snowmobile, so that it can turn up the snow. The ski trails are tracked on the CFC’s internal road network, meaning the trails are quiet and are more heavily traveled by local wildlife than people in the winter months.

The CFC’s entire internal road network is open to non-motorized recreation yearround with the intention of giving the public the chance to experience the research forest. There is no fee to use the trails and they are good for beginning cross-country skiers (flat and wide). Skiers, bikers and walkers are treated to a spectacular setting in one of Minnesota’s most well-studied forests. Visitor information can be found online (cfc. cfans.umn.edu).

Overall, the CFC represents a tradition of applied scholarship that is both cutting edge and traditional at the same time. Gill describes the significance of CFC’s continuity, saying, “You can’t replicate time, so the beauty of a forest like the Cloquet Forest is that really good data has been collected in consistent ways for a long time.”

For Johnson, “Ultimately, we’re here to demonstrate what sustainable forest management looks like. We are in essence, a 114-year-old experiment. We’re still learning, through the process of experimentation, what sustainability is, and what that means in a forest management context.”

No, you don’t have to be a researcher yourself to enjoy this secret forest. But if you’re going out to recreate, please respect that the forest is primarily first and foremost a research and experimental forest. The CFC is a modest place, yet it’s an internationally recognized research forest right in our backyard. And this benefits us all for the future.—Chris Pascone

The CFC’s ski and snowshoe trails are groomed to perfection for classic skiing. | CHRIS PASCONE

The Cloquet Forestry Center is a perfect place to let young children romp around in the woods.

| CHRIS PASCONE

Nordic skating (wild ice)

NORTH SHORE—With so many hundreds of kilometers of cross-country ski trails along the North Shore, most people who spend time up here in the winter are familiar with, if not full-on passionate about, Nordic skiing. Nordic skating, however, is lesser known but just as fun.

Nordic skating is essentially cross-country skiing on ice. A typical Nordic skate set-up involves a Nordic boot—either backcountry or skate—attached to a long skate blade via a Nordic binding. The heel is free like in Nordic skiing and the technique is similar to the motion used to skate ski on snow.

Nordic skates can be used anywhere that there is ice, but they’re best suited for long stretches of “wild ice” —i.e., frozen lakes and rivers.

While back-country skis are perfect for venturing across snow covered lakes and midwinter forests, Nordic skates are the ideal way to get out and experience the wilderness when the lakes are frozen but void of snow.

Conditions have to be just right to go Nordic skating in the wilderness. If the ice is too thin, then it’s not safe, but wait too long after the lakes freeze and all of the endless wild ice will go dormant beneath the snow.

Our “wild ice” season on the North Shore usually runs late November-early December. However, Lake Superior can freeze over at any time during the winter, and when it does it provides some of the best “wild” ice skating in the world.

Skating wild ice is an experience like no other, but given how short and unpredictable the season can be, why invest in a pair of Nordic skates? Why not use a pair of hockey or figure skates?

Hockey and figure skates are designed for human made and maintained ice rinks— compact sections of ice that involve lots of sharp turns and changes in directions.

Nordic skates, on the other hand, are designed with comfort and distance in mind.

Nordic boots are warmer and more comfortable than traditional ice skates, ideal for skating miles of lake shore on a zero-degree day.

The blades on Nordic skates are also different than those found on hockey and figure skates. Nordic skate blades tend to be long, wide and stable, which makes them glide smoother and faster than traditional skates.

Making sharp turns may not be as easy on Nordic skates, but the skating motion is just like skate skiing a groomed track—it’s all about finding a steady rhythm and a comfortable pace that can be maintained for kilometers.

Lastly, when out Nordic skating it is important to make safety a priority. Wearing a helmet is strongly recommended (ice is a lot

harder than snow), and when dealing with wild ice, proper rescue equipment such as ice picks, rope and ice screws should be on hand at all times. If venturing further out into the wilderness, be prepared to get wet and be out longer than expected—having a change of clothes and fire making supplies are a must.

If interested in getting a pair of Nordic skates, it’s always best to buy local. Not only does shopping local support small businesses in the community, it also gives the buyer access to the shop’s service and expertise.

Local outdoor retailers will be able to help mount bindings to the skates, advise on boot-binding compatibility, help identify the right boot for the type of skating you plan on doing, and give advice on where to go and how to use your new skates. They can also handle warranty issues, should they arise.

Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply in Grand Marais and Sawtooth Outfitters in Tofte are two great options in Cook County. Both businesses have Nordic boots and bindings, but given the limited demand for Nordic skates they will likely need to order skates, so don’t wait until the last minute to get your skates.

In Duluth, Continental Ski & Bike has a few pairs of skates in stock, as well as plenty of boots and bindings to set up the skates to your liking.—Eric Weicht

Nordic skating is essentially cross-country skiing on ice. A typical Nordic skate set-up involves a Nordic boot—either backcountry or skate—attached to a long skate blade via a Nordic binding. | ERIC WEICHT

Skate skiing when theres snow on the ice, nordic skating when there’s not. | ERIC WEICHT

The blades on Nordic skates are different from those found on hockey and figure skates. | ERIC WEICHT

Author Eric Weicht with his dog Lana. | ERIC WEICHT

NORTH SHORE—There is a lot to love about spending time outdoors in the winter—a lot of ways to find joy in the 100 inches of snow that the North Shore typically gets each year. However, sometimes, when it’s cold and dark and strapping on a pair of cross-country skis sounds more like a chore than a pastime, it can be nice to find fun indoors, like at your local bowling alley.

In the Twin Ports area, Skyline Social and Games has been in the business of entertaining Duluthians since the mid-1950s.

Located up the hill from downtown Duluth and just south of the airport, Skyline is home to 22 lanes of bowling, seven lanes of “duckpin,” an updated arcade that offers a virtual reality experience called “Hologate,” a restaurant and bar that serves lanes as well as tables, and numerous leagues in everything from duckpin to cribbage. They even host outdoor Volleyball leagues in the summer and fall when their courts aren’t covered in snow.

“I think the fact that we’ve been around since 1956 is kind of crazy,” says Megan Bell, marketing manager at Skyline. “We’ve been around a long time, and in that time, as you can imagine, there have been a lot of changes, a lot of iterations of Skyline.”

Bell has been with Skyline since 2019, and during her four years as marketing manager she saw the company undergo a major, multi-million-dollar remodel to improve the space and “really work with everyone who wants to come to Skyline and have fun.”

“With the remodel,” says Bell, “we realized that while kids will be happy to bowl anywhere, adults tend to value the atmosphere and socializing component of bowling as much as the game itself.”

“So,” continues Bell, “we ‘refreshed’ our bowling during the remodel, in terms of look and feel, and went with a more industrial concept. We actually decreased the number of lanes from 24 to 22, but expanded the arcade and added seven lanes of duckpin.”

Duckpin, for those who don’t know, is essentially miniature bowling. The lanes are shorter, the pins are small and on strings, bowlers get three chances per frame instead of two, and the ball doesn’t have holes and is the approximate size of a bocce ball.

According to Bell, duckpin has been a huge hit since the remodel and reservations are strongly recommended.

“We get some creative duckpin team names in the leagues,” says Bell, “and it’s really great to see all of the different types of people participating each week.”

“Bowling is fun,” continues Bell, “but I actually prefer duckpin. It’s more casual, there’s more socializing, and it’s easier than traditional 10-pin.”

There is always a lot going on at Skyline Social and Games, and the best way to stay up to date on leagues, events, and everything else that they do is by checking out their website.

Further up the North Shore in Silver Bay, Silver Bowl is another bowling alley that has been in operation since the 1950s.

“My wife and I bought the alley in June of 2014,” says Logan Fischer,” and replaced all of the pinsetters, and remodeled the interior over that summer. Today, we have eight lanes and plenty of room for birthday parties and company get-togethers.”

Silver Bowl is a traditional bowling alley, with an aesthetic that lends itself wonderfully to the community that it serves. The Fischers are passionate about the game of bowling and work hard to bring it to as many people within the community as they can.

According to Fischer, there are currently five bowling leagues running out of Silver Bowl—three adult and two junior. When there is enough interest locally, Silver Bowl will also host a high school team that travels around the state competing with teams from different lanes.

“Leagues have been running at Silver Bowl, from what I have understood, since the alley was built in 1955,” says Fischer. “Each league meets once a week and all our current leagues are handicapped, which helps level the playing field for all types of bowlers.”

Silver Bowl is open the first weekend of October through May 1 each year, closing during the summer for family vacations and because, according to Fischer, “people in the area prefer to be outside when it’s warm.”

Silver Bowl’s typical hours in the winter are 4 p.m.-close (closing time varies, call if it is after 7:30 p.m.) Wednesday-Saturday, and open by appointment Sunday-Tuesday. They recommend calling ahead (218-226-4479) or sending a message on Facebook for accurate hours, to make appointments, and book the space for events.

Across the border in Thunder Bay, there are also a number of great options to escape the winter cold for some bowling.

Mario’s Bowl is right in the heart of downtown Thunder Bay. It is a modern bowling alley and full restaurant with all sorts of fun leagues in both 10-pin and five-pin bowling. Further information can be found on their website at: mariosbowl.com.

A little further out of town, Galaxy Lanes is another great Thunder Bay bowling alley and restaurant, with galactic “Glow and Bowl” bowling every Friday and Saturday 7 p.m.–1 a.m. Find more online at: galaxylanes.ca.—Eric Weicht

Points North

Telling Tales for 40 Years

By Shawn Perich

Lots of folks begin life unsure of what they’re going to do—what path they’re going to take and what their career will be. I never had that problem. From the time I was a child I knew that I wanted to be a writer, specifically an outdoor writer. I stayed on that same career path and no one discouraged me from following that path.

I thought that it would lead me to adventure and fame, but it never really did. I can recall being at Yellowstone National Park inside the massive, wooden Old Faithful Lodge and thinking my career would be spent in places like that and in the company of other writers. I intended to write for famous magazines and publish best-selling books, but that wasn’t how my career proceeded (though I did write a few books). I began writing professionally when I was in college and I can say over the course of my writing career that I have never once written for free. Many writers start out writing for nothing, essentially just trying to get their name out there. I never saw any point in that. Because it wasn’t something I was doing just for fun, it made more sense to write for money—it was my career.

My first real job was writing for a state tourism publication that was based in northeastern Minnesota. There, I met an editor who taught me an important early lesson. It is one thing to be a writer and quite another to be the editor. A writer contributes a story, just a piece of the whole, but it is the editor who works with all writers to create the whole publication. It takes the right editor to bring out the soul of a publication.

Eventually, the funding ran out for the tourism project, leaving me looking for work in my field. It was hard to find work of any sort in Duluth due to a high unemployment rate. I then moved to the Twin Cities to be followed shortly thereafter by a woman named Vikki, who soon became my partner.

I was lucky enough to find employment at a magazine called Fins and Feathers, which, at the time, was the best-known outdoor magazine in Minnesota. A day later, another writer my age was hired named Tom Dickson. We were both fresh out of college and following the writing path. At the start, we were not placed on the magazine staff.

I became the editor of a group of monthly newsletters targeted to states where Fins and Feathers was published. Tom was a writer for the newsletters before moving on to the magazine. I also had a pair of old-timers

who provided most of the content for the newsletters. Our designer created wonderful, detailed maps of fishing lakes and wild lands; the only problem was he placed quality ahead of deadlines. The three of them taught me important lessons about managing people to accomplish a task greater than themselves. Somehow, we got those newsletters out the door every month.

Fins and Feathers created a different magazine for various states, with the majority of the editorial and design staff all under the age of 30. Like Tom, I soon moved over to the magazine as well and became editor of several states, but not Minnesota. I was also the primary staff writer. Unlike some magazines, Fins and Feathers allowed us the creativity to build the content and graphics how we wanted them and to build it into something the readers would enjoy. As a whole, Fins and Feathers worked with dozens of writers from across the country.

From Fins and Feathers, I moved to Georgia, taking a job with Game and Fish Publications. They built their magazines using a similar formula, but one that allowed their editors no creativity. By the time Vikki followed me to Georgia a month after I arrived, I already knew that we weren’t going to stay there long. We were there for five months before I was able to find a job with the Cook County News Herald in Grand Marais. I took the job after a short interview with publisher Kenny Kettunen. Working on a newspaper taught me a whole new set of skills, widening me from writing about just outdoor topics. I began to see the community as a whole.

We had one addition to our clan coming north, a beautiful yellow Lab puppy named Rebel. While I worked hard, I still found time to write freelance outdoor pieces and

to get out in the woods and on the water with Vikki, Rebel and friends.

My career at the News Herald came to an end when I was fired by a new publisher after Kenny sold the paper. At the time, I didn’t know anyone working as a writer or editor who hadn’t been fired. I decided to stay in Cook County and become a full-time freelance writer. That career choice led me to Minnesota Outdoor News, where I began writing a weekly outdoor column that was published for over 25 years. Outdoor News publisher Glenn Meyers gave me a lot of freedom to follow my nose and track down stories on just about any outdoor subject I wanted. Very often, my nose led me to controversial topics in conservation issues that needed outdoor coverage from the view point and voice of nature. Never did I write about the latest “million” dollar fishing tournament or the outdoor exploits of some star baseball player.

What I did write about were the people in my life: my father Dan, Vikki, my friend Al Lutkevich and a series of dogs beginning with Rebel, followed by Casey, Abby, Tanner and now Rainy. With Dad and Al, we chased deer in the Northwoods, hunted pheasants in the Dakotas and fished everywhere from the St. Louis River in Duluth to the northern most shores of Lake Superior. Vikki and I built a life based on family, friends and a mutual love of the outdoors that brought us from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific. Our most memorable adventure was a trip to Viking ruins at the northernmost tip of Newfoundland. Our time together ended nine years ago when she lost a battle to illness.

Later, in the Outdoor News years, I started a company called Northern Wilds with partner Amber Pratt. It began as a side

career I

| SUBMITTED

project, a tiny publication that came out four times a year. It wasn’t long before our readers asked us to increase the frequency to every other month. From there, we eventually combined it with our other publication, Highway 61, to become the monthly Northern Wilds magazine that it is today— distributed all along the North Shore from Duluth to Thunder Bay.

During this period, I lost my column with Outdoor News. With the perspective of time, I understand why that column had to come to an end. A significant change occurred within the outdoor world. The old-timers who fought for the protection of lands and waters simply were not followed by a younger generation, leaving very few people to look out for lands and waters and the creatures they supported. Funding for on the ground conservation slowly dried up as the focus of conservation shifted to big picture issues of climate change and fossil fuels. Unfortunately, focusing simply on the big issues meant the real work that happened on the ground with living lands and living creatures became an utter failure, which in turn, doomed the big picture efforts.

With Northern Wilds, I was able to continue writing my column, Points North, once a month. I also had the opportunity to work with an extraordinary staff, all of whom cannot be named here. But those who should be named include my business partner Amber, as well as long-time staffers Roseanne Cooley, Sue O’Quinn, Katie Viren and Breana Johnson. Together, we produced a publication that continues to echo the heartbeat of Lake Superior’s North Shore, and one that I’m quite proud of.

I introduced an outdoor writer and friend to trout fishing on the North Shore, where he took this photo of me. | SUBMITTED

Throughout my

took occasional photos to be used by magazines to identify me.

Vicki and I always enjoyed each other’s company. | SUBMITTED

Breweries with a mission

DULUTH—Minnesota boasts nearly 190 breweries statewide and the North Shore is home to a handful, each with their own unique mission and commitment to community. One such business is Warrior Brewing Company in Duluth, owned and operated by two veterans determined to produce some of the regions finest craft beer, while simultaneously continuing to serve and support military, veterans and first responder programs.

Matt Caple, co-founder and director of operations, was first exposed to craft beer and homebrewing while in the Army and stationed in Colorado Springs, CO. After moving back to Duluth, he joined a local area homebrew club, where he continued to refine his craft. Ben Gipson, co-founder and head brewer, shares a similar story. Having had a passion for craft beer, Gipson turned it into a career after his service in the Air Force.

Feeling somewhat incomplete after leaving the service, Caple found solace in continuing to serve veterans, volunteering at the VFW, and eventually co-founding the Lake Superior Warriors—a non-profit dedicated to helping disabled veterans reintegrate back into society following their military service. After meeting Gipson, the two bonded over their interest in creating great brews. They began building their brewery in late 2020 and by the spring of 2021, Warrior Brewing Company was officially in business. They now distribute throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin. Staying true to their military roots, 100 percent of their employees are veterans, as well.

The brewery is open to the public for on/ off sales with a comfortable atmosphere among the brewing tanks. The flagship,

year-round brews include an Imperial Stout, Lactose Double IPA, and a Golden Ale. Seasonal brews rotate every two to three months and vary depending on the time of year. Gipson says he begins the process with deciding “what do I want this to taste like” and goes from there. Their style of brewing generally generates a higher percentage of alcohol brews and each beer is named to loosely pay homage to different warriors. Caple explains they are not a specific individual’s name, rather they are “celebrating broad clans and tribes.” Patriot, Valkyrie, Samurai, Spartan and Apache are among a few of the beers they’ve created.

A special component of the Warrior Brewing Company is including local non-profits that serve veterans and first responders in the brewing process. These brews created are given a special name and highlighted for a month—50 percent of the profits are then donated to the organization. The next partnership is a statewide effort benefiting the 260 American Legion Posts in Minnesota with the Legion Lager, available throughout February. They welcome requests from non-profits to be featured.

To learn more and read their whole story, visit: warriorbrewingco.com.

Travel just 30 minutes up the shore to Castle Danger Brewery in Two Harbors to experience another community-based business with a passionate mission. Castle Danger Brewery was established in 2011 by Clint and Jamie MacFarlane as a small, three-barrel production brewery in the small, unincorporated township of Castle Danger. For three years, the duo sold growlers out of their small location, but after outgrowing

their space, the brewery moved to Two Harbors in 2014.

Now, their large tap room and sprawling deck serves as an inviting space for their weekly highlight of events, ranging from Teacher Tuesdays, Pizza Night and live music on Fridays and Saturdays. Castle Danger Brewery also hosts the annual White Pine Project where a seedling is given with each purchase of a brew during Arbor Day weekend, and they also engage volunteers for an Earth Day clean up each year.

Castle Danger flagship brews include a stout, IPA and a premium lager and are distributed state-wide and in parts of Wisconsin and North Dakota. Their pilot system beers are available once a month or so, with a batch being only three barrels versus the

typical 30 barrels of other brews. February’s brew will be very limited over President’s Day weekend and available only in the tap room.

The brew team has creative freedom in creating the seasonal and specialty flavors and in naming each batch. Some are inspired by a local partnership, like the small business focus this winter in the 218 area code, which resulted in a 2.1.8 IPA.

“It is great to work with local businesses throughout the year to create something special for the community,” says marketing and events manager Maddy Stewart.

To follow the release of their newest brews and history, visit: castledangerbrewery.com.—Michelle Miller

T i t l e s by S h aw n Pe r i c h

Celebrating the outdoors

Superior Seasons

Life on a Northern Coast

Join Shawn Perich on the North Shore of Lake Superior where everyday experiences, from an encounter with a curious coyote to a wilderness search for a lost hiker, are the stuff of adventure.

Whether he is fly-fishing for brook trout, playing hide-and-seek with fox pups, or being outwitted by wily whitetails, his lively stories appeal to a wide range of readers. Wildlife illustrations by legendary Ely artist and writer Bob Cary complement the text. $14.95

Whitetail Hunting

The complete guide to hunting North America’s most popular game animal, the whitetail deer. Everything hunters need to know about whitetail habits, hunting tactics, equipment, and more. With over 200 color photos and diagrams, this book gives you the edge you need to bag a deer. $21.95

Backroads of Minnesota

Best Backroad Drives

Shawn Perich and photographer Gary Alan Nelson teamed up to produce this best-selling guide to Minnesota’s best backroads 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. $19.95

Catching Panfish

Sunfish, Crappies, Yellow Perch & White Bass

The Northern Ontario Outdoor Guide

BY SHAWN PERICH AND GORD ELLIS

An indispensable guide for anyone planning to explore northern Ontario. Solid information about where to find trophy muskies, walleyes, pike, lake trout, and smallmouth bass. Packed with fishing tips. Everything you need to plan a successful fishing or hunting trip. $8.95

s h o p . n o r t h e r nw i l d s . c o m

If you want to catch bigger panfish, Catching Panfish shows you how. Whether you fish from shore, boat, or float, you will find time-tested, invaluable advice. With more than 150 photos, charts, and illustrations, this book is your guide to catching more–and bigger–panfish. $22.00

Warrior Brewing Company co-owners Ben Gipson and Matt Caple. | MICHELLE MILLER

THE WILDS FARTHER NORTH

A Season in Kalaallit Nunaat

BY JULIA PRINSELAAR PHOTOS BY MAGNUS DAY & JULIA PRINSELAAR

AE Drone Shot

Sailing west, we made our way into

ticEarth had her first major

floating less than 1 meter above the sea surface, a

generally showing 1 to less than 5 meters above sea level, with a length of 5 to less than 15 meters.

sea level and with a length of 15-60 meters.

In the spring of 2022, nearly one month before the sun reached its zenith in the northern hemisphere, I joined two other crew on a 1,300-mile ocean passage in the North Atlantic Ocean.

As is the way of sailing, each day of our two-week voyage brought a new problem to solve. Sea sickness lingered in my stomach for the first 48 hours. Thick blankets of sea fog settled along Canada’s east coast, hampering any sight of passing ships without the aid of radar. A knee-weakening bout of COVID struck our captain, leaving the rest of us to soldier on. Once we left the safe haven of Newfoundland’s Bonavista coastline, the Labrador Sea brought 30 knot headwinds, flurries of snow and 12-foot rolling seas. One hundred and forty miles from our destination, convoys of warehouse-sized icebergs floated past us in eerie silence before we reached the sheltered embrace of the world’s largest non-continental island.

With nearly 80 percent of its surface covered by ice, Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat in the Inuit language) has been a focal point for decades of climate science and research. The latest studies point to an arctic that is warming four times faster than the rest of the planet.

As first mate of ArcticEarth, a 56foot aluminum sailing vessel designed for remote high latitude expeditions, Captain Magnus Day and I spent a polar summer working with scientists and filmmakers who are turning to the Greenland Ice Sheet and its coastal environment for answers. ArcticEarth is an initiative of filmmaker and conservationist David Conover, who manages the charters and vessel we operate.

For expedition info and programmes, visit: arcticearth-charter.com.

Qaqortoq Harbour

We left Halifax, Canada on May 16, 2022. Two weeks later we arrived in Qaqortoq (formerly Julianehaab), the largest settlement in southern Greenland with a population of 3,000 people.

A mosaic of brightly-colored buildings blanketed the hillside, reminiscent of Greenland’s color-coding system that was introduced during colonial times. Churches and schools were painted red, blue buildings identified factories and fish plants, and yellow was assigned to hospitals and healthcare workers. While some institutions still hold onto this tradition, Greenlanders are free to paint their abodes any color they like. Some are fuscia, pastel purple, lime green and whatever colors are on hand.

Greenland’s intricate network of fjords—deep water channels flanked by towering faces of barren rock and snow-capped peaks. Arc-

encounter with large chunks of ice, which have different names depending on their size: GROWLER: A piece of ice smaller than a bergy bit and

growler generally appears white but sometimes transparent or blue-green in color. BERGY BIT: A piece of glacier ice,

SMALL ICEBERG: A piece of glacier ice extending 5-15 meters above

Greenland Shark

“Want to see something really cool?” asked our friend Max, who we met in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital city. He reached above his fridge and gingerly pulled down a large plastic rack with something lashed to one side.

Max is from Denmark and moved to Greenland to work as a marine engineer. Fascinated by Greenlandic traditions and culture, he quickly fell in with the locals and was invited on hunting and fishing trips, bringing home reindeer and rock ptarmigan. On one trip he and another man caught a Greenland shark and Max kept its jaws, which he carefully cleaned and stretched out to dry.

Primordial and lumpish, Greenland sharks live hundreds of meters deep in the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, making them one of the longest living vertebrates on Earth—scientists estimate their lifespan to be anywhere from 250 to 500 years.

With poor eyesight and slow swimming ability they are primarily scavengers, aided by rows of saw-like teeth that mince and shred anything from halibut to polar bear carcasses. Because of their elusive nature, little is known about them compared to other sharks, including their population.

Julia with Dogs

About 15,000 Greenlandic sled dogs, a type of husky, live north of the Arctic Circle and on the east coast of Greenland. While this may seem like a lot, nearly twice as many dogs existed 20 years ago. A lack of sea ice and increasing costs of upkeep are primary reasons for their decline.

While the adults are kept on leads, young pups are free to wander. These two ran toward us as we walked along the side of a road and one was especially keen on my wool sweater.

To maintain genetics and health, no other breed of dog is permitted north of the Arctic Circle. Any Greenlandic sled dog who leaves this restricted zone isn’t allowed to return.

Ilulissat Harbour with Royal Arctic Line

Greenland’s climate and geography doesn’t lend itself well to roads or rail lines—there are none connecting towns and settlements. All goods and people travel by sea or air.

The Royal Arctic Line (pictured here) docked in Ilulissat harbour, delivers supplies to communities along the coast of Greenland from Denmark. The terrain is classified as entirely tundra, providing little opportunity for commercial agriculture except in the far south where some families farm sheep, grass fodder and root crops.

The inner harbours of Greenland are designed for commercial fishing boats and small open boats, not large sailing yachts. But tourism of all types is on the rise. Twenty years ago, only the most adventurous sailors had this far-flung region on their radar. Last July, our boat was rafted between six other boats, many of them destined for the Northwest Passage. Several had visited before us and there were more to come. A new airport in Nuuk is slated to open in 2024 and Ilulissat’s runways and terminals are being expanded.

Tasermiut

Our

Store Weather Data

Expedition guide Pierre Muller (left) and Alun Hubbard, glaciologist with the University of Tromso, Norway, collect video footage and weather data from monitoring stations set up at Store Glacier. Store (the Danish word “stor” translates to “great,” or “large,”) is 3.5 miles wide and considered to be relatively stable compared to more rapidly shrinking glaciers along the west coast of Greenland.

an Ice Pilot’s view

from the mast

Working together with a handheld radio, Magnus gave directions from the crow’s nest while I helmed the boat and slowly nudged brash ice and bergy bits aside. Magnus had a panoramic view of the landscape and could see the fastest route to open water. My job was to strike a balance: go slow enough to avoid damaging the rig or hull, but fast enough to keep momentum and steerage.

crew walking along a beach in Tasermiut Fjord in Southern Greenland. From the foot of barren peaks and sweeping rock faces, I felt infinitesimal in the presence of a sacred and unforgiving landscape. I was unsurprised to learn that Norse settlements dotted this area in the 10th century and somewhere there are ruins of an Augustinian monastery.

“Are you sure you want to drive that electric car through no man’s land?” asked the Canadian border officer at the Pigeon River crossing, as I handed over our five passports. I looked meekly at my wife in the passenger seat, and got up the courage to stammer back, “Yup, we’ll give it a try.” He let us through, and we started out on an eight-day loop through pristine northwest Ontario to fabulous Winnipeg, Manitoba, then back to Duluth on a brutal all-nighter through Grand Forks and Bemidji.

Could we go Provincial Park hopping through the Northern Wilds and beyond using only EV charging stations? That was the crux of our 2022 family summer vacation. According to our car’s map of charging stations, there was a distinct rib bon of chargers spaced out about every 150 km along the Trans-Canada Highway. It looked promising. Of course, what does Tesla know about Canada? And what do we really know about charging my wife’s new car, for that matter?

I know next to nothing about EV energy consumption, but I’m enough of an engi neer to know that when the battery hits zero percent, the family vacation hits rock bottom as well. Nevertheless, we threw “range

Day one was a simple drive that we had done many times previously—Duluth to Thunder Bay. Usually, we go alpine skiing

[ABOVE] We found our first charging station in the Canadian Tire parking lot in Thunder Bay. It’s perfectly located for trips west out of the city.

[LEFT]

nation of ours in the summertime instead. Crossing the border was straightforward with our covid vaccines and ArriveCAN phone app (both are no longer required for American citizens to cross the border as of October 1, 2022).

Our goals for Thunder Bay were tent camping at historic Chippewa Park (the only non-Provincial Park we stayed at on the trip), splash padding around town, and eating out at a couple of Thunder Bay’s great ethnic restaurants (Masala Grille and Nook). We set up our tent in refreshing Canada, full of visions for the week ahead.

Our 2-year-old had the time of her life riding the carved wooden horses on the 100-year-old carousel at Chippewa Park on day two. I also got to stop in at my favorite Thunder Bay store—Chaltrek. It’s the only store I’ve ever been to that sells gold prospecting equipment. I’m no gold seeker, but those sifting pans get my frontier sense of adventure flowing.

Finally, we’ve never been to Thunder Bay without stopping at the free Centennial Botanical Conservatory—a perfect family spot. The indoor gardens are open yearround.

On day three we packed up our tent and drove into downtown Thunder Bay, hit the Waterfront Plaza wading pool and fountains, then charged at the Canadian Tire on the outskirts of town before heading northwest to the Arctic Watershed (only an hour’s drive out of Thunder Bay, to be truthful).

Pascone

Our second camping destination was Sandbar Lake Provincial Park, recommended to me by fellow Northern Wilds author Gord Ellis, who curated our Ontario parks itinerary. We stopped for more charging in Upsala (the first charging station I’ve seen in a dirt parking lot), and with the 1-hour time change back into Central Time, we made it to Sandbar at 6:45 p.m.

The “closed” sign was already out at the ranger station, but my timid knock on the window was answered by a friendly park ranger. I had done nothing to reserve a site ahead of time, and she offered us to drive through the park and choose the site we liked most, then pay for it in the morning; I love when that happens! The campsites were huge, as was the sparsely used sand beach (no lifeguards).

There was a beautiful sunset over Sandbar Lake that evening, and the girls and I did lap after lap around the campground

The

family at the Centennial Conservatory in Thunder Bay. Admission is free, and you will be treated to a tropical paradise full of warm, humid air on a winter afternoon.

Chippewa Park Campground, found on the outskirts of Thunder Bay, features a long, sandy beach on Lake Superior, a historic carousel, and other amusement park rides for kids.

This handwritten distance sheet caught our eye at the friendly gas station in Upsala, Ontario.

on our bikes. The park was extremely quiet. Nowhere have I ever seen campers observe the “total quiet after dark” signs to a T like the Canadians do.

The following morning, day four, we hiked the park’s radiant Silhouette Trail, which was loaded with wild blueberries and chantarelles. Nature’s summer bounty was at its peak.

There was a strong west wind blowing that day, which meant we’d have a headwind for our whole drive to Blue Lake Provincial Park. We tried to wait it out, then gave up and finally hit the road at 3:15 p.m. We stopped and charged in Ignace (fantastic name for a town, especially in the Canadian pronunciation).

This mural in the West End neighborhood of Winnipeg caught my eye: I was sure it was Edgar Allen Poe, but I was wrong. It’s a tribute to Louis Riel, founder of the province of Manitoba, and a defender of Métis rights and identity.

nately for us, this park keeps a certain quota of “unreservable” sites. Yes, Canada!

So, my wife went online instead and found a place called Birds Hill Provincial Park (a half hour drive outside the city). “Never heard of it,” I said. Well, it turns out that 70,000 people visit the annual Winnipeg Folk Festival at Birds Hill and the park has 476 campsites. I was clueless—this is why we travel! We quickly changed our destination from Whiteshell to Birds Hill.

Kids of all ages love riding Chippewa Park’s historic carousel. The carousel restoration project is a true testament of the will of the people of Thunder Bay to preserve their heritage. A community campaign has raised over 1 million Canadian dollars for restoring the wooden carousel, and the restoration work has been completed by local artisans and tradespeople.

There was a fabulous bait shop across the street from the charging station called K&S Bait and Tackle. As an avid angler, this was perfect. Charging takes about 30 minutes, so I had plenty of time to ask about promising local fishing holes.

Our battery charge was dropping precipitously as we kept driving west down the Trans-Canada Highway to Dryden, but we made it to the next charger again. Turns out Tesla knew what it was doing all along (it’s only 106 km from Ignace to Dryden). With five people, three bikes, and a 4,500-pound car going into a 50 km/h headwind, we were happy to get regular charging along our route this day.

We pulled into Blue Lake Provincial Park in Vermillion Bay about 7 p.m. and understood right away—this park is very popular. Gord told us that the closer we got to Manitoba, the more tourists we’d see, and that rang true. There were still unoccupied sites though, and again we were allowed to drive through the park and take our pick. Fortu-

Blue Lake is renowned for its exceptionally clear, blue water. We did a long gravel road bike ride with my daughter Adriana on the morning of day five, then sampled the crystal-clear swimming. The whole family then hiked the awesome Spruce Fen Boardwalk Trail, which is also wheelchair accessible. It’s perfect for 2-year-olds (and adults) because they can explore the bog without getting soaked. We also played a great game of frisbee with my older daughters in the small field next to our campsite before taking off for Manitoba.

Did I say I don’t like making camping reservations? I like having flexibility, but my wife was getting leery of my “wing it” strategy by now. As we headed through bustling Kenora (another splash pad for the kids) towards the provincial border, she wisely asked me where we would be staying that night. I was thinking of Whiteshell Provincial Park, but when I told the family we’d still be 130 km away from Winnipeg to Whiteshell, they all overrided me (true city folk).

We had a long drive through streaming yellow sunflower fields that evening and pulled into the park at 9:15 p.m. The office was of course closed, so we grabbed a site at Fox Bay Loop. Birds Hill Provincial Park was unlike any park I’ve ever seen before— it’s a whole city of campgrounds. We biked between all the different “neighborhoods” during our stay, and it was an exceptional park for family biking—very flat, lots of bike trails, and no through traffic.

Day six—we hit the city. First, Ukrainian art at the Osredok Ukrainian Cultural and Educational Centre. From there, lunch on the patio at Corrientes Argentine Pizzeria— it was excellent. Then a walk to “The Forks,” which to me was reminiscent of Duluth’s Canal Park, but on a grander scale. This junction of the Red and Assiniboine rivers has been a meeting place for over 6,000 years. Finally, we bought rare African foods at Dino’s Grocery Mart—one of the best ethnic grocery stores I’ve ever seen.

The next morning, my “no reservation” strategy finally backfired on me—the site we had claimed two nights ago (on Wednesday) was already booked for the weekend. The morning of day seven was

our low point—we had to repack our tents, food pack, and all the odds and ends and move a quarter of a mile away to a new site in the Grackle Loop.

The silver lining was that we still had the afternoon free, so we hightailed it the 80 km from Birds Hill to Grand Marais, Manitoba—home of Grand Beach on Lake Winnipeg. This is a sun worshipper’s paradise. Miles of sand beach, calm water, and high sunshine. We loved the beach vibe—it’s the same anywhere you go in the world, even in northern Canada.

Finally, on our last day, we broke camp, bought our last Canadian provisions, and checked out the awesome Royal Canadian Mint—an operating coin assembly factory and museum. It was a strange, yet cool feeling to be part of a tour group for the first time on the trip. We stumbled across the packed St. Vital Public Pool as we were driving into Winnipeg, and ended up prolonging our stay well into the afternoon. When we finished charging and left town at 5 p.m., we had to settle in for a grueling 9-hour drive back to Duluth.

We pulled into our driveway at 2:52 a.m., exhausted, but satisfied that we had explored Canada on our own terms, making a trail of memories from Lake Superior to the prairie, and back.

The secluded Silhouette Trail on the grounds of Sandbar Lake Provincial Park made for an idyllic bike ride through jack pine forests and wetlands.

Beautiful Grand Beach on Lake Winnipeg is shallow and warm—the perfect swimming spot for kids.

By Breana Johnson

Embracing Winter

While it’s not my favorite season, I know that the best way to enjoy winter is to embrace it. From snowshoeing, ice skating and crosscountry skiing to ice fishing, snowboarding and snowmobiling, there’s always something to do. Not feeling up to the cold? You can always curl up with a good book and some hot cocoa, admiring Mother Nature’s work from the comfort of your couch. I plan on doing both this winter.

| AARON KLOSS

This

See

| MICHELLE

“The Hudson Bay Trail to Grand Portage,” by Howard Sivertson. You can find more of his paintings at the Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais: sivertson.com. | HOWARD SIVERTSON

This new piece by Kari Vick is titled, “Bunny Hill,” and it features Lutsen’s Moose Mountain in the background: karivick.com. | KARI VICK

“River Ski,” by Dave Gilsvik, is also available at Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais. Visit: sivertson.com. | DAVE GILSVIK

This piece is part of the NorthernLight exhibit at the Johnson Heritage Post in Grand Marais, featuring plein air 2022 grand prize winner Brock Larson. | BROCK LARSON

pastel piece, titled “Canoes on Vacation,” is by Michelle Wegler.

more of her work online at: michelleweglerart.com.

WEGLER

Duluthian Aaron Kloss is the artist behind this painting, titled “Woke Up Too Early.” His work can be found at various North Shore galleries, or online at: aaronkloss.com.

Karly Huitsing All in Bloom

SPACE: By Casey Fitchett

Karly Huitsing knows plants. A Murillo, Ontario native, she has long been drawn to outdoor projects where she can get her hands dirty.

Growing up, she and her grandmother would spend hours together in the greenhouse amongst the flowers. Not only was she absorbing knowledge, a seed of interest in the natural world had been planted in her heart. Even after she moved to her own house, Huitsing continued to call and consult her grandmother about plants.

“My grandmother helped me a lot with different flowers to start out growing. We still spend hours on the phone talking about different varieties we are trying this year,” she says. “My interest slowly grew from there and I started to try arranging and making up bouquets. I fell in love with doing that because I was able to see the flowers I started from seed become these beautiful arrangements.”

Though moving off her childhood farm initially put distance between her and the outdoors, her kids ultimately brought her back to the lifestyle of her youth.

“I was working as a graphic designer for a few years out of college but found that sitting behind a computer was difficult with kids, so I was always trying to find something I could do with them alongside,” she explains.

As is the case with many residents on the North Shore of Lake Superior, once the natural world is part of your life, it’s hard to let it go. With her interest in gardening and plants reignited, her ideas kept growing. Three years ago, her desire to contin-

ue creative pursuits led to the development of her cut flower garden and floral business in the fertile Slate River, Ontario area, just outside of Thunder Bay.

From selling DIY Christmas arrangements to providing the flowers for numerous weddings, All in Bloom Florals stays busy throughout the year. She sells her products to the Thunder Bay area at local craft markets, some specialty grocery stores, and on her website.

“The biggest thing I have been basing my garden around is weddings, but I also do bouquets and arrangements and I dry flowers to do everlasting gardens,” Huitsing says.

Her everlasting gardens are unique flower displays that she has grown and dried herself. By placing each of the stems in their respective small holes drilled in a rectangular wooden board, every flower is exhibited prominently. She also has created everlasting wreaths that can be part of year-round decor.

For Huitsing, running her own small business with her family has had benefits beyond what she expected.

“This business has given me the opportunity to teach my kids to love working outside and getting their hands dirty,” she says. “My favorite memories are having my family in the garden with me. Those are always super special to me, watching my kids helping me plant or harvest.”

| SUBMITTED

Forming a business is no small feat, and it doesn’t get any easier after that. Though she technically operates the business on her own, Huitsing is quick to share that she couldn’t be where she is today without help.

“My husband helps me get everything ready in the garden for planting and also keeps up throughout the summer. I also have an amazing friend from childhood who helped me all summer with weddings. Without Natalie Blekkenhorst, I don’t think I could have gotten through the summer,” she says. “I am so thankful for all my friends and family who have been super supportive and helpful during these first years of business.”

While her business and family already keep her busy, Huitsing has no plan to slow down any time soon. Planning her garden for this upcoming summer began in August of last year, when she ordered most of her seeds. She’ll spend the next few pre-planting months visioning and laying out the garden.

Like her garden, she also has plans to grow.

“I have planned to build a larger greenhouse for starting my plants as well as a spot to work during the winter, so I am very excited for that,” she says.

More information about All in Bloom Florals can be found online at: aibflorals.com.

From selling DIY Christmas arrangements and everlasting gardens, to providing the flowers for numerous weddings, All in Bloom Florals stays busy throughout the year.

Growing up, Huitsing and her grandmother would spend hours together in the greenhouse amongst the flowers, planting a seed of interest in Huitsing at a young age. | SUBMITTED

Like her garden, Huitsing also has plans to grow. | SUBMITTED

Karly Huitsing creates everlasting gardens, which are unique flower displays that she has grown and dried by herself. She also creates everlasting wreaths that can be part of your décor year-round. | SUBMITTED

CREATIVE

A HUNGER FOR EXPLORATION YEAR ROUND

©El Tres

ELY WINTER FESTIVAL & ARTWALK

Feb. 2-12 The annual Ely Winter Festival features dozens of family-friendly activities, such as a snowshoe hikes, live music, a free hot cocoa bar and apple cider with Save the Boundary Waters, Dorothy Molter Museum tours and a fundraising dinner, more than 400 pieces of art on display, a snow sculpting symposium, the End of the Road Film Festival, a variety of classes at the Ely Folk School, a spaghetti dinner, and more. A full schedule of events can be found online. elywinterfestival.com

COLD FRONT FEBRUARY

Feb. 4, Saturday Celebrate the best of winter with the annual Cold Front February festival in Bayfront Festival Park in Duluth. Held from noon to 6 p.m., this free, family-friendly event includes ice skating, luge sledding, quinzhee building, craft and activity stations, fat bike demos, backyard curling, a groomed cross-country ski loop, fires and s’mores, ski wax clinics by Ski Hut, a snowshoe kickball tournament, and more. There will also be youth dog sled rides from noon to 3 p.m., tractor rides from 1-4 p.m., and the Spin Collective fire dancers will perform at 5:40 p.m. coldfrontduluth.com

RIDGE RIDERS FUN RUN

Feb. 4, Saturday This year’s Cook County Ridge Riders Fun Run will take place on Saturday, Feb. 4 on the Gunflint Trail. Visit participating locations while enjoying a ride on the scenic trails; open to anyone and everyone by snowmobile, car or plane. Step one: register to participate ($25) at either Skyport Lodge or Hungry Jack Lodge on Friday night (5-8 p.m.) or Saturday morning (9 a.m. to noon). Step two: hit up the seven checkpoints in any order you’d like. At each checkpoint, you’ll have an opportunity to

earn points by playing a game of some sort. The more locations you stop at, the more possibilities you’ll have to earn points. You are not required to go to all checkpoints, but it is recommended as the participants with the most points at the end of the day will win cash and prizes. Step three: turn in your scorecard to any of the checkpoints by 5 p.m. Winners will be posted on Facebook and at all checkpoints by 6:30 p.m. facebook.com/cookcountyridgeriders

The Spin Collective fire dancers will perform on Saturday, Feb. 4 at the Cold Front February festival in Duluth. | SUBMITTED

This year’s WolfTrack Classic Sled Dog Race in Ely will take place on Sunday, Feb. 26. | SUBMITTED

See amazing snow sculpting in Whiteside Park during the Ely Winter Festival, held Feb. 2-12. | SUBMITTED

HYGGE FESTIVAL

Feb. 4-14 The Danish concept of “hygge” (pronounced hoo-gah) refers to the ritual of embracing life’s simple pleasures. Feeling relaxed, cozy and surrounded by the warmth of family, friends, community and fire all encompass the idea of hygge. Hygge suggestions include drinking hot chocolate or wine by a fireplace, snowshoeing, taking a sauna, or simply sitting and watching the snow fall. This year’s Hygge Festival in Cook County includes the fireplace tour at various businesses, a pond hocky tournament at the Community Center, live music at various locations, relaxing with a craft at Joy and Company, a Galentines Market at North Shore Winery, and more. A full schedule of events can be found online. visitcookcounty.com/events

TWO HARBORS WINTER FROLIC

Feb. 10-11 The annual Two Harbors Winter Frolic includes events the whole family will enjoy, such as a medallion hunt, a photo scavenger hunt, coloring contest, a sliding hill, a raffle, live music, lots of contests, and plenty more. Friday events include the community curling challenge, the city vs county exhibition curling challenge, a chili cook off, and a frozen T-shirt contest. Saturday is also jam-packed with events, starting with a pancake breakfast and vendor fair. There will also be a bean bag tournament, John Gage chainsaw carving, hammerschlagen, top hat carriage rides, a bonfire with free s’mores, a frozen fish toss, tug of war, and multiple races: outhouse races, a keg relay, smoosh races, fireman kids races, and mascot races. Pre-registration required for some events. twoharborswinterfrolic.com

VINTAGE SNOWMOBILE RIDE

Feb. 11, Saturday The Lutsen Trail Breakers Snowmobile Club is hosting its 8th Annual Blast from the Past Vintage Snowmobile Ride on Saturday, Feb. 11. The ride will start and end at Cascade Lodge and Restaurant near Lutsen. Registration opens at 9:30 a.m. and the ride leaves at 11 a.m. for a 20-mile tour through the Lutsen Trail Breakers trail system, returning to the lodge for social hour afterwards. Participation is $20 per machine (max registration fee of $100), so bring out the old iron, the tired iron and the just plain rare sleds. bit.ly/lutsensnowmobile

FIBER WEEK

Feb. 13-20 Visit the North House Folk School in Grand Marais for a week-long event that celebrates all manner of fiber arts. Featuring speakers, demonstrations, community gatherings, and coursework from long-time North House instructors, as well as new guest artisans; tuck in to the warm and wooly camaraderie this winter. Course offerings include Anishinaabe finger weaving, penny rugs: woolen mosaics, surface design on fabric, three-dimensional felting, rag rug weaving for beginners, and more. Don’t miss Fiber Friday on Feb. 17; free for all enrolled students. northhouse.org

PINCUSHION WINTER SKI FESTIVAL

Feb. 18, Saturday The annual Pincushion Winter Ski Festival, held at Pincushion Mountain Trails in Grand Marais, will have events all day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Morning races start at 10 a.m. and include a 10 km classic tour, 10 km classic race, 10 km freestyle race and a more challenging 25 km classic race. There is also a classic woodie ski division. There will be refreshments, prizes and bonfires at the chalet following the races. The children’s races start at 1:30 p.m. and include 1/2 km, 1.5 km and 3 km races. Skijoring takes place at 2:30 p.m. Come out and join in the winter fun as a participant or spectator. Further details, costs and registration information can be found online. pincushiontrails.org

VOYAGEUR WINTER

CARNIVAL

Feb. 18-20 A weekend of winter fun awaits the whole family at Fort William Historical Park’s Voyageur Winter Carnival in Thunder Bay. There will be plenty of indoor and outdoor activities, including sledding and tubing hills, a snow maze, snowshoeing, winter games and contests, crafts, his-

torical characters from Fort William, farm animals you can visit with, a snow snake, food and beverages, and more. Activities will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Admission is $12 for adults and $9.74 for seniors, students and youth (ages 5 and under are free). fwhp.ca

GRAND MARAIS OLE OPRY

Feb. 25, Saturday The award-winning High 48’s with Becky Schlegel will headline the North Shore Music Association’s sixth Grand Marais Ole Opry. North Shore oldtime string band Up Jumped Trouble will get the crowd hopping and Grand Marais’ own young virtuoso fiddler Martine Redshaw shines alongside her father, John. This locally loved showcase always offers a lively and heart-warming mix of classic country, old-time, and bluegrass music. The concert will be held at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for youth (age 18 and under). Tickets can be purchased online in advance or at the door. northshoremusicassociation.com

WOLFTRACK CLASSIC SLED DOG RACE

Feb. 25-26 Enjoy a weekend of dog sledding fun with the annual WolfTrack Classic Sled Dog Race in Ely, featuring two mid-distance races; a 50-mile, 8-dog race, and a 30-mile, 6-dog race. Events on Saturday, Feb. 25 include a “meet the team” event at Minnesota North College’s Vermillion campus from 3-5 p.m. The public can also enjoy a delicious all-you-can-eat spaghetti dinner from 4-7:30 p.m. The dinner is a fundraiser for the MNC Wilderness Club; tickets are $10/adult and tickets are available at the door at reduced rates for kids and college students. Sunday is race day and spectator parking at the Softball Complex is available from 8-8:45 a.m. The first 8-dog team leaves at 9 a.m., with teams leaving the start line every two minutes. There will also be warming fires, hot chocolate, coffee and bakery items available from 8-10 a.m. wolftrackclassic.com

Betsy Bowen

Studio & Gallery

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

Shop woodcut.com for books, cards, and prints

Two blocks uphill from Buck’s.

Open 11-5 Thurs. - Sat.

February 26—Ely, MN

Start at Ely Softball Complex 8-10 am: Fires, hot chocolate, coffee, and bakery items complements of MIDCO 9 am: Race begins

February 25—pre-race

Vermillion Campus: MN North College 3-5 pm: Meet the teams 4-7:30 pm: Musher dinner Public Welcome, Tickets $10 at the door

wolftrackclassic.com

the Lutsen Trail Breakers for a Vintage Snowmobile Ride

NORTHERN WILDS CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Thru Feb. 24

Martin DeWitt: Our Common Origins: Color Variation + Hybrid Forms Duluth Art Institute, duluthartinstitute.org

Lines & Lineages: Works by Amy Sands Nordic Center, Duluth, nordiccenterduluth.org

Thru March 13

Susan Hensel: Bending Toward Beauty Duluth Art Institute, duluthartinstitute.org

Thru March 19

NWO, NOW Juried Exhibition Thunder Bay Art Gallery, theag.ca

Jason Baerg: A Path or Gap Among the Trees Thunder Bay Art Gallery, theag.ca Waabigwanii-we-Aadizookewinan: Legends of the Flowers Thunder Bay Art Gallery, theag.ca

Thru March 26

Laura Manney: Midwest Duluth Art Institute, duluthartinstitute.org

Thru Spring 2023

2023 Emerging Photographers Duluth Art Institute, duluthartinstitute.org

Thru May 21

Duluth Fiber Guild Exhibition Tweed Museum of Art, Duluth, tweed.d.umn.edu

Jan. 26-Feb. 11

Dock Spider Magnus Theatre, Thunder Bay, magnustheatre.com

Feb. 1-18

Something Rotten 7:30 p.m. Paramount Theatre, Thunder Bay, facebook.com/badanaitheatre

Feb. 1-28

Ely ArtWalk Ely, elyartwalk.org

Cook County Fireplace Tour Throughout Cook County, visitcookcounty.com/events

Feb. 2,

Thursday

Groundhog Day

Mel Annala 7 p.m. Lyric Annex, Virginia, lyriccenteronline.org

Feb. 2-12

Ely Winter Festival Ely, elywinterfestival.com

Feb. 3-4

Grand Marais Pond Hockey Tournament 5 p.m. (8 a.m. Sat.) Grand Marais, cookcountyhockeyassociation.com

Feb.

3-12

The Glass Menagerie NorShor Theatre, Duluth, norshortheatre.com

Feb. 3-26

Northern Light: Brock Larson (Reception Feb. 3 at 5 p.m.) Johnson Heritage Post, Grand Marais, cookcountyhistory.org

Feb. 3-28

Artist of the Month: Gordon Dietzman (Reception Feb. 3 at 7 p.m.) Tettegouche State Park, Silver Bay, mndnr.gov/tettegouche

Feb. 4, Saturday

Ely-Babbitt-Tower Fun Run 8 a.m. Ely, Babbitt & Tower, snowmobilefunrun.com

Ridge Riders Annual Fun Run 9 a.m. Gunflint Trail, facebook.com/cookcountyridgeriders

Duluth Ice & Mixed Fest 9 a.m. Quarry Park, Duluth, facebook.com/duluthclimbers

Hartley Park 10k 9:30 a.m. Hartley Nature Center, Duluth, facebook.com/duluthwintertrailseries

KCPRO-East Youth Ice Racing 10 a.m. Fall Lake, Ely, kcproeast.com

Whirlwind! Free Winter Wilderness Event 11 a.m. Dorothy Molter Museum, Ely, rootbeerlady.com

Cold Front February Noon, Bayfront Festival Park, Duluth, coldfrontduluth.com

Family Festival 6 p.m. Lutsen Mountains, lutsen.com

TBSO: Pops: Music of John Williams 7:30 p.m. Thunder Bay Community Auditorium, tbso.ca

Rock the Westfort 9 p.m. Westfort Bar, Thunder Bay, facebook.com/baydreamrecordings

Feb. 4-14

Hygge Festival Cook County, visitcookcounty.com/events

Feb. 4-March 31

Aanjitoon: Anishinaabe Art Through a Contemporary Lens (Reception Feb. 4 at 6 p.m.) Dr. Robert Powless Cultural Center, Duluth, aicho.org

Feb. 6, Monday

The Northern Lights Trail is Going to the Dogs 4 p.m. Kamview Nordic Centre, Thunder Bay, tbnordictrails.com

Feb. 7-10

Relax & Mediate with a Craft 11 a.m. Joy & Company, Grand Marais, facebook.com/joyandcompanymn

Feb. 7-11

Twelfth Night 7:30 p.m. UMD Marshall Performing Arts Center, Duluth, tickets.umn.edu

Feb. 8, Wednesday

North Shore Swing Band 6 p.m. North House Folk School: Red Building, Grand Marais, visitcookcounty.com/events

Feb. 10, Friday

2023 Conservation Dinner & Auction 6 p.m. Da Vinci Centre, Thunder Bay, facebook.com/lakeheadregion

TBSO: Masterworks: Shhh!! 7:30 p.m. Thunder Bay Community Auditorium, tbso.ca

Feb.

10-11

Two Harbors Winter Frolic Two Harbors, twoharborswinterfrolic.com

Feb. 11, Saturday

Snowarama for Easter Seals Kids Grand Portage Lodge & Casino, snowarama.org

Frozen 4 Hour and 5k 9 a.m. Lester-Amity Chalet, Duluth, facebook.com/duluthwintertrailseries

Lutsen Trail Breakers Vintage Snowmobile Ride 9:30 a.m. Cascade Lodge & Restaurant, Lutsen, bit.ly/lutsensnowmobile

Virtual Writers Café 9:30 a.m. lakesuperiorwriters.org

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

Galentines Market 12:30 p.m. North Shore Winery, Lutsen, visitcookcounty.com/events

Father Daughter Ball 5 p.m. Decc, Duluth, fatherdaughterballduluth.org

DSSO: Masterworks IV: Coleridge-Taylor & Sibelius 7 p.m. Decc: Symphony Hall, Duluth, dsso.com

Feb. 11-12

Free Winter Camping Workshop 9 a.m. Tettegouche State Park, Silver Bay, mndnr.gov/tettegouche

KCPRO-East Youth Ice Racing 10 a.m. Pike Lake, Duluth, kcproeast.com

Twelfth Night 2 p.m. UMD Marshall Performing Arts Center, Duluth, tickets.umn.edu

Feb. 12, Sunday

Gerry Dee: Best Medicine Tour 2023 7:30 p.m. Thunder Bay Community Auditorium, tbca.com

Feb. 13-20

Fiber Week North House Folk School, Grand Marais, northhouse.org

Feb. 14, Tuesday

Valentine’s Day

A Delicious Death: A Valentine’s Day Murder Mystery 6 p.m. Fairlawn Mansion, Superior, superiorpublicmuseums.org

Feb. 15, Wednesday

Builder, Contractor & Homeowner Workshop 8 a.m. Cook County Higher Education, Grand Marais, cookcountylocalenergy.org

Feb. 16, Thursday

John Saaristo’s “Anti-Valentine’s Day” Show 7 p.m. Lyric Annex, Virginia, lyriccenteronline.org

Feb. 16-19

Duluth Sport Show Decc, Duluth, duluthsportshow.com

Feb. 17-18



TBSO: Northern Lights: Northern Jazz with Robin Ranger 7:30 p.m. Italian Cultural Centre, Thunder Bay, tbso.ca

Feb. 18, Saturday

Free Entrance to All Minnesota State Parks mndnr.gov/stateparks

218 Days Throughout Northern Minnesota, 218days.com

Finland Vintage Rendezvous Snowmobile Ride Clair Nelson Center, Finland, finlandsnowmobileandatvclub.com

Pincushion Winter Ski Festival 9 a.m. Pincushion Mountain Trails, Grand Marais, pincushiontrails.org

Cook County Ridge Riders Snowmobile Drag Races 11 a.m. Hungry Jack Lodge, Gunflint Trail, facebook.com/cookcountyridgeriders

Duluth Polar Plunge 2 p.m. Park Point, Duluth, plungemn.org

Makers’ Market & Mixer 2 p.m. Ely Folk School, elyfolkschool.org

Candlelight Ski, Snowshoe or Hike 6 p.m. Gooseberry Falls State Park, Two Harbors, mndnr.gov/gooseberry

Candlelight Ski & Snowshoe 6 p.m. Oberg Mountain, Tofte, sugarbushtrail.org

Old Dominion: No Bad Vibes Tour 7:30 p.m. Amsoil Arena, Duluth, decc.org

Feb. 18-20

License-Free Family Fishing in Ontario Throughout Ontario, ontariofamilyfishing.com

Voyageur Winter Carnival 11 a.m. Fort William Historical Park, Thunder Bay, fwhp.ca

Feb. 20, Monday

Presidents’ Day

Family Day

Snow Day on the Waterfront Noon, Marina Park, Thunder Bay, visitthunderbay.com

Lewis Black: Off the Rails 8 p.m. NorShor Theatre, Duluth, norshortheatre.com

Feb. 23, Thursday

Business & Nonprofit Informational Consulting & Networking Event 10 a.m. Cook County Higher Education, Grand Marais, cookcountylocalenergy.org

Kyle Kinane & Matt Braunger: The Roommates Tour 8 p.m. NorShor Theatre, Duluth, norshortheatre.com

Feb. 23-March 5

A Doll’s House: Part 2 Duluth Playhouse, duluthplayhouse.org

Feb. 24, Friday

Culture Crawl 5 p.m. Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery, Grand Marais, cookcountyhistory.org

Feb. 25, Saturday

Ely Skinny/Fat Hidden Valley Recreation Area, Ely, facebook.com/elyskinnyfat

Duluth Women’s Expo 9 a.m. Decc, Duluth, duluthwomensexpo.com

KCPRO-East Youth Ice Racing 10 a.m. Lake Superior, Superior, kcproeast.com

Snowshoe Hike Along the Baptism River 1 p.m. Tettegouche State Park, Silver Bay, mndnr.gov/tettegouche 

DSSO: Pops II: Tribute to John Williams 7 p.m. (2 p.m. Casual Concert) Decc: Symphony Hall, Duluth, dsso.com

TBSO: Pops: From Broadway to The Bay 7:30 p.m. Thunder Bay Community Auditorium, tbso.ca

Grand Marais Ole Opry VI 7:30 p.m. Arrowhead Center for the Arts, Grand Marais, northshoremusicassociation.com

Feb. 25-26

WolfTrack Classic Sled Dog Race Ely, wolftrackclassic.com

March 4, Saturday

Sleeping Giant Loppet Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, Thunder Bay, sleepinggiantloppet.ca Nipigon Ice Fest Nipigon, outdoorskillsandthrills.com

WEEKLY EVENTS

Tuesdays



Locals Night with Live Music 4:30 p.m. North Shore Winery, Lutsen, northshorewinery.us

Zen Meditation Tuesdays 6:30 p.m. First Congregational Church UCC, Grand Marais, grandmaraisucc.org

Wednesdays

Thunder Bay Country Market 3:30 p.m. CLE Dove Building, Thunder Bay, tbcm.ca

Thursdays

Craft ‘n’ Chat 2 p.m. Two Harbors Public Library, twoharborspubliclibrary.com

Women’s Night Fat Biking and/or Nordic Skiing 6 p.m. Lester-Amity Chalet, Duluth, skihut.com/events Date Night at the Winery 6 p.m. North Shore Winery, Lutsen, northshorewinery.us

Fridays

Friday Night Reels 6 p.m. Grand Marais Public Library, grandmaraislibrary.org

Saturdays

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

Sundays

Winter FunDays 2 p.m. Marina Park, Thunder Bay, thunderbay.ca

The North Shore Dish Trail Food for Snowmobilers

By Virginia George

Normally when I think of “trail food,” I think of a menu of foodstuff that is non-perishable, that packs easily, and often can be eaten while on the move, hiking. During these winter months where the hiking trails are accessible with snowshoes only, other trails pop up around the area, where users travel at much higher speeds— snowmobile trails.

To be candid, I have little experience snowmobiling, even though I own a sled. I’ve cruised across my parents’ lake, used it to gather sap during maple syrup season, and my husband used it to pack some cross-country ski trails on our property this winter. My brother and his wife, on the other hand, are avid snowmobilers. In fact, that’s how he proposed—on a beautiful vista in the middle of the woods, with some of their best friends looking on. Therein lies the beauty of the sport for many.

Snowmobiling gives you the unique opportunity to get out in the woods to places you’d never make it to on foot, putting work and life stresses behind as you don your helmet and let the adrenaline of flying through the trees with a 500-pound machine underneath you take over. Friends are made on the trail. Some friends are for a few hours, while others become lifelong friends. Much of this relationship building happens over trail food.

Days on the trail can be long and physically exhausting, and both your sled and your body need fuel. If you need a place to fill your belly, warm up, and maybe make a few new friends, check out McQuade’s Pub & Grill, Sunset Steakhouse, and the Blue Water Café.

McQuade’s Pub & Grill, Two Harbors

In November 2020, McQuade’s Pub & Grill moved from Downtown Two Harbors to a larger location on Highway 61. From a snowmobile, the Two Harbors Corridor Trail will get you there. McQuade’s newly remodeled space has a cozy and relaxed atmosphere, and maybe the friendliest bartender around.

The menu at McQuade’s changes with the seasons, but you can expect juicy burgers, handcrafted cocktails, and locally brewed beer any time. In addition to staples like a California burger and creamy chicken wild rice soup, McQuade’s offers menu items like the roasted beet sandwich and fried clams. Salmon is roasted on site, and they get fresh

seafood as well. Never one to get too comfortable, owner and head chef Frank McQuade is always creating interesting and delicious food to serve to his guests and entice them back for more.

Sunset Steakhouse, Tower

Located about 30 miles outside of Ely off the Taconite Trail, Sunset Steakhouse is a part of the Fortune Bay Resort and Casino. While Tower is a little outside of the general area we cover here at Northern Wilds, the Fortune Bay Resort and Casino hosts a lunch stop on the Black Woods Blizzard Tour taking place in early February, which raises money for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, commonly referred to as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

The Sunset Steakhouse is well known for excellent service, and, well, steak. They serve a wide selection of American food, with an emphasis on steak and seafood. The Sunset Steakhouse has nightly specials, like their Tuesday night Surf and Turf, which includes a 12-ounce New York strip steak, three fried shrimp, your choice of potato and seasonal vegetables. In addition, the Sunset Steakhouse serves sandwiches, sal-

ads, appetizers, pasta and seafood, so everyone in your party is sure to find something they love. The Sunset Steakhouse is open nightly and serves lunch a few days a week. Additionally, if you like to hit the trails at a slower speed, Fortune Bay has groomed cross-country ski and snowshoe trails.

Blue Water Café, Grand Marais

The Blue Water Café has a long history in Grand Marais. Currently, the Café is a sponsor of the Ridge Riders, Cook County’s snowmobile club, and is located at the end of the North Shore State Trail in downtown Grand Marais. Over the years, their location has housed many iterations of a restaurant, dating as early as 1946, taking on the name of Blue Water Café in 1973. Since then, the restaurant has continued to have a presence in downtown Grand Marais, and their business continues to shift and grow even today.

The Blue Water Café has a robust breakfast menu that is served all day, with all of the comfort breakfast foods. Hearty omelets, eggs, pancakes, hashbrowns, and even deep-fried walleye. The lunch menu is also available all day long and consists of classic options like a burger and fries, club

sandwich, and walleye shore lunches. One wonderful thing about the Blue Water Café is their attention to small appetites. All of their menus include smaller and less expensive options for the little bellies.

In addition to their regular food, in 2018, with the closing of the Pie Place, Blue Water Pies was born. Blue Water Pies bought the Pie Place’s equipment and recipes and began offering more than 16 different homemade pies. Pies can be purchased in the store, based on availability, or ordered ahead of time by calling the store.

Whether you’re the adventurous snowmobiler who likes to jump snowbanks and do wheelies (how do you do wheelies if there are no wheels?), or a cautious and careful driver like me, who could never consider flying through the trees faster than 40 mph, there is a lot of beauty to be found out on the trail. The beauty of the wilderness—of vistas, of snow-covered trees, of wildlife found deep in the woods. The solace of allowing your thoughts to run freely, drowned out by the sound of your machine. The beauty of human connection, both on the trail and off. These are the things that draw snowmobilers back year after year, along with the great trail food.

Blue Water Café in Grand Marais serves breakfast and lunch all day. Options include everything from omelets, pancakes and hashbrowns, to classic burger and fry options, a club sandwich and walleye shore lunches.

| BLUE WATER CAFÉ

Mon-Sat: 11am - 9pm

Closed Sunday

Casseroles

INGREDIENTS

ƒ

1 pound lean ground beef

ƒ 2 cups salsa

ƒ 1 (16 ounce) can chili beans, drained ƒ 3 cups tortilla chips, crushed ƒ 2 cups sour cream

ƒ 1 (2 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained ƒ

1/2 cup chopped green onion ƒ 1/2 cup chopped fresh tomato ƒ 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir ground beef in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 8 to 10 minutes.

Stir in salsa, reduce heat, and simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Stir in beans; cook until heated through.

Spread crushed tortilla chips over the bottom of the baking dish; spoon beef mixture on top. Spread sour cream over beef, then sprinkle olives, green onion, and tomatoes on top. Cover with cheddar cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven until hot and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Let cool slightly and enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

ƒ 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

ƒ 6 ounces egg noodles

ƒ 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

ƒ 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup

ƒ 1 cup sour cream

ƒ Salt to taste

ƒ Ground black pepper to taste

ƒ 1/2 cup butter

ƒ 1 cup crumbled buttery round crackers

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add chicken; poach in simmering water until no longer pink in center, about 12 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove chicken from pot and set aside. Leave water in the pot.

Bring chicken cooking water to a boil. Stir in egg noodles and cook until tender with a slight bite, about 10 minutes. Drain.

Transfer noodles to a large bowl. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces and mix with noodles.

Mix together both condensed soups and sour cream in a separate bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add soup mixture to chicken mixture and gently stir until combined. Transfer to a 2-quart baking dish.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat and remove from heat. Stir in crumbled crackers. Sprinkle mixture over top of casserole.

Bake in the preheated oven until heated through and browned on top, about 30 minutes. Let cool slightly and enjoy!

Easy Mexican Casserole FROM ALLRECIPES.COM.

Chicken Noodle Casserole FROM ALLRECIPES.COM.

By Hartley Newell-Acero

Building muscle mass is about more than just looking buff or opening jars. Whether you refer to this process as strength training, resistance training or weight lifting, the benefits are surprisingly wide-ranging:

• Reduced amounts of abdominal fat.

• Improved cardiovascular health and reduced cancer risk.

• Better blood sugar control.

• Reduce the chance of injuries, while improving flexibility and mobility.

• Prevention and management of osteoporosis.

• Better management of chronic conditions.

• Improved brain functioning and stronger mental health.

• Improved body image.

• A longer life and healthspan.

When the body is building muscle, three factors come into play: mechanical tension, muscle damage, and metabolic response. First, increasing weight or resistance overloads the muscle tissues. This overload then causes small tears in the muscle fibers. This injury leads to growth factors being released, causing the muscle fibers to heal and grow. With proper rest and nutrition, the cycle begins again, and muscles get a little stronger each time.

How can something as simple as consistently lifting heavy things have all these benefits? Our bodies are in a constant process of renewing and recycling the chemicals of which we’re made, including the protein building blocks (amino acids) that make up our muscles. If our bodies remove more protein than they add, we lose muscle. Sarcopenia (age-related loss of muscle mass and strength) is a result of this process. However, if our bodies add more protein than they remove, muscle mass grows. Strength training slows down, and can even reverse, sarcopenia. It’s never too late to start!

Steps To Building & Maintaining Muscle Mass

1. If you have a chronic condition or are over 40, talk with your healthcare provider before you begin strength training. They can help you to get started safely.

2. Warm up. Do some light aerobic activity (walking, biking) for 5-10 minutes. Warm muscles are less likely to get injured.

3. Experiment with weight or resistance level. Find the amount that you can do comfortably (and with proper form) for 10-15 repetitions.

4. Then do two more sets. Or not—it’s your call. Some recommendations are for three sets of 10-15 repetitions, while other research indicates that a single set can be just as effective. What really matters is step #5.

5. Lift to “fatigue,” meaning lift until your muscles are so tired that they can’t complete

another repetition while holding the correct form. This is the sweet spot where the muscle-building magic happens: overload, then damage, then growth.

6. Rest up. Muscle fibers need time to repair before the tear-down/build-up cycle starts again. Give any muscle group that you stress 48 hours to recover, i.e., focus one day on the muscles of the upper body and then the next day focus on the lower body, or lift both on the same day and then skip lifting the next day. Work out muscle groups two or three times a week. The alternating days are a perfect time for aerobic activity. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity each week.

7. Listen to your body. The discomfort that comes from exertion is one thing, but pain is another. If you ever feel pain, stop, figure out what happened, and let yourself heal. Your body will also tell you when it’s time to add more weight or resistance. When the amount that you’re lifting is no longer enough to reach fatigue with good form, it’s time to add either more repetitions or more weight.

This is a condensed version of Sawtooth Mountain Clinic’s “Topic of the Month” newsletter. Read the full version (with info about protein and creatine supplementation), listen to the audio version, access all the resources used, and explore past issues at: sawtoothmountainclinic.org.

Northern Trails

Stocked Trout Fishing in Northern Ontario

cent years as the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry has begun to stock them in select lakes across the north.

By Gord Ellis

For many winter anglers in northern Ontario, the first taste of ice fishing likely took place on a lake, reservoir or creek that had been stocked with trout.

Traditionally, brook trout have made up the lion’s share of the stocking done in northern Ontario. Brook trout are a good candidate for stocking in many of the colder waters in northern Ontario and they are also often (but not always) willing biters. However, brook trout don’t fare quite as well in lakes with a lot of deep water, or in lakes that get a little warm in the summer months. That’s where other species of trout can make up the difference. In the past decade, Ontario has definitely become more adventurous with its choices of fish it stocks in lakes where no real native trout fishery exists. Here is a look at some of the trout species available to fish in the north and a few ways to catch them.

Brook Trout

As mentioned, most stocked lakes in northern Ontario receive brook trout that have been raised in a hatchery. The majority of the fish stocked are yearlings that range from 2.5 to 4 inches. Yearlings have a better survival rate in lakes when stocked and can be of catchable size within a year. Some trout are also stocked as fingerlings, fry and adults. Adults—usually hatchery brook stock—tend to be very willing biters, but are not very attractive due to worn fins. Stocked brook trout can achieve a good size, up to 4 pounds or more, especially in lakes with spring fed water, plenty of food, and light angling pressure. However, the average stocked brook trout caught by an angler is 12 to 15 inches long.

Brook trout like the shorelines of lakes and will gravitate to points, beaver houses and narrows. Most ice anglers use a worm or minnow (where allowed) on a jig, or a #4 single hook with a sinker. This simple “still line” bait setup can be very effective. Anglers can use a small jigging rod or a cut stick (often called a “gad”) with just a spool of line to fish bait. When the trout bites, you jerk the line and bring up the fish. Jigging a small spoon, such as a Little Cleo or Swedish Pimple, is an excellent way to attract and catch brookies. The jigging Rapala is another effective lure and is extra deadly with a minnow head or piece of worm on the centre treble. Brook trout are typically caught in water less than 10 feet deep.

Splake

The splake is a fish that’s created in a hatchery and is produced by crossing a male brook trout and a female lake trout. In most northern Ontario lakes, the splake stocked are called an F1 backcross, which means a male splake spawned with a female brook trout. This creates a trout that is effectively 75 percent lake trout and 25 percent brook trout. Splake rarely spawn successfully in the wild.

Splake do well in deeper lakes that are not as brook trout friendly. They also have been stocked into brook trout lakes where perch or bass have invaded. Splake can feed on

small, spiny fish more effectively than brook trout and begin eating other fish at a younger age. These hybrids can grow to quite a large size in lakes of even medium size. In larger lakes, where food is plentiful, splake topping 10 pounds are not unheard of. Some of the largest splake in Ontario are caught in stocked lakes in the Geraldton, Longlac, Nakina area.

Rainbow/Brown Trout

While rainbow trout (a western species) have been naturalized in Lake Superior for a century, there have been very few other places to catch them. That’s changed in re-

Brown trout, a fish that is of European heritage, has also been in Lake Superior and Lake Nipigon for decades. However, browns have never been numerous in the Canadian waters of Lake Superior and are ultra-rare on Lake Nipigon. Historically, there have been very few opportunities to catch brown trout in northern Ontario. Yet in recent years, a few select lakes have been stocked with browns and hopefully more will follow. The possibilities of someday having browns and rainbows over 10 pounds in these lakes is very real and exciting.

Both rainbow and brown can live a long time in lakes and can grow to large sizes. There are also few fish that fight harder than a big rainbow or brown trout, especially under the ice. Needless to say, this makes for a unique and exciting angling opportunity. Rainbows and browns are aggressive fish, but can be tricky to catch. Jigging a spoon like a Hopkins, Smoothie, Al’s Goldfish, EBG or Krocodile can trigger hard strikes.

Spoons with a touch of red or chartreuse get the nod. Rainbow and brown trout also like plastic lures, so 3- or 4-inch white, brown or black tube jigs get the nod, as do power minnows. Also, never underestimate the fish catching appeal of the bucktail jig. My friend Joe Kostecki has been making the Mighty Mitch and Jungle Joe Jigfly for more than 20 years and they remain a go-to. The multi-coloured jigs are eye catching and have an undulating action that can fool even the wiliest old trout. Rainbows and brown trout can frequent deeper water, but will also hold near the ice at times. Don’t just fish your lures on bottom.

Fishonline

Anyone who wants to learn more about the stocked lake fishing opportunities in the northwest should check out Fishonline. This government site allows an angler to scan a map of Ontario and zoom in on areas they want to fish. By clicking on a lake, you can see fish species, stocking numbers and other information such as GPS coordinates. There is also a search option that allows you to pick a species and look for stocked lakes. This is a dream tool for the angler seeking out new adventure or destinations. The best way to access the tool is go to Google search “Ontario fish online.” Click the disclaimer and you are in business.

A stocked brookie caught on a jigging Rapala. | GORD ELLIS

For three days during the Christmas blizzard of 2022, the wind kept up a steady blow, moving snow everywhere, taking down trees, blowing anything loose, helter skelter. People lost their garbage cans and found new ones. On day two, Matt took out the snowmobile, groomed the trail and cut some trees from the path.

The pattern in December was a consistent dump of snow every few days, which necessitated grooming trails, and then running dogs—and because the snowfalls were so much and the grooming so time consuming, our runs were further between than we wanted, thus necessitating a run in the blizzard. I loaded the chainsaw in the sled, just in case, and dressed for the blizzard—all my thickest winter gear and goggles, complete with a headlamp (it would be dark in an hour)—and went out.

The run was going well, we completed one 13-mile loop to the campground and went back for another. By then it was dark and sometimes the wind gusted so hard, the dogs would all look around, scouting for the culprit of this onslaught of weather. Three miles from home, the dogs stopped suddenly and my headlight shone on a large tree across the trail. I threw in the hook, walked up with the chainsaw and prepared to cut. The dogs are no fan of the chainsaw and several times I had to keep the leaders from running the opposite direction, but soon, I moved the tree off the trail, whereby the dogs pulled the hook and the sled came hurtling toward me. In a desperate attempt to grab the sled, I dropped the chainsaw.

We kept on and within another half mile found a large tree over the trail. I had no chainsaw at this point. I walked up to see what could be done and began breaking branches off the main trunk that was about waist high. With the branches off, I was able to heave the dogs over the tree. As the sled approached, I tried to place a snowhook on the tree but as the sled went over the top, the hook popped and off went the team.

I sent Matt a flurry of desperate messages as I trudged down the trail to the sound of trees cracking. This night ended with a 2-mile run for me. Matt found the dogs on the trail, the sled on its side caught in the snow. He ditched the snowmobile he had gone out on and ran the team home. All was well, but the next morning, he found a tree had landed on the snowmobile. My run had backfired, but we now had blizzard training checked off for the year.

Fast forward two weeks to the Gunflint Mail Run.

Matt had the 12-dog team with two A-leaders, Temper and Keith, and the majority of dogs that will run on his Beargrease team. He was the defending champ and feeling very confident. After the first leg, he had an eight-minute lead. My motherin-law, Vicki, said upon hearing of Matt’s lead, “I know now that it’s not over ‘til it’s over,” referring to our many ups and downs in racing.

I had an eight-dog team with one very solid leader and two less solid leaders. Still, we had a great first leg. The sun came up to reveal a forest covered in hoarfrost that spar-

Taking Chances

BY ERIN ALTEMUS

kled in the light. The trail was hard-packed and fast. The passing kept things exciting.

Still, I was only in eighth place after the first run. So, I resigned myself to simply finishing strong. On the second leg, the teams left with a time that calculated their first run time plus a three-hour rest and a differential, which makes all the teams have a true finish. This also meant I left on the heels of another team—about 20 seconds between us. I didn’t overtake that team though, just held back as we coasted down Poplar Lake and kept them in sight up ahead. My team was acting a little wonky—not a lot of drive, some distracted dogs.

About 8 or 9 miles from the start I passed two eight-dog teams head on. It was 16 miles to the eight-dog turn around, so I was surprised to see these teams that had only left 20 minutes ahead of me. I thought to my-

self that they are really having great runs and had clinched first and second place. I cheered them on. Within another mile as I approached a team to pass, we came upon two more teams in the trail, barking dogs and a race official. The official told us there was water on the trail ahead. We could cross the water and keep racing or turn back and end our race.

I hooked down, left my team and trudged to scope the water, which was at the bottom of a sharp hill and covered the entire width of the trail, a dark slushy overflowing creek about 10-15 feet from one side to the other. I watched as the first team navigated across, the musher up to his thighs in water. Turning to another musher I said, “yep it’s bad, what are you going to do?” I offered to help other teams get through. I would lead their dogs. After some hemming and hawing, the first one took me up on the offer. She ended

up pulling her leaders while I waded in and kept dogs from tangling in the branches. Two more teams went through in a similar manner and then Matt’s team was next. I waved him down the hill.

Matt didn’t stop, “Ahead! Ahead!” he called to Temper and Keith and in front of me they flew down the hill and charged into the water, pulling the team through to the far side and clawing their way up the bank. A few dogs balked and I gave their harnesses a tug, but soon Matt was coasting through on the runners of his sled.

Ah, that’s the way to do it, I thought, running up the hill to retrieve my team. I pulled my hook noting that Stevie had done away with her neckline and also Mikey’s next to her. We charged down the hill and through the water. Somehow my feet, even after pulling four teams through before me, were not wet.

Our “break” on the trail, and the water crossing, gave the team a little spring to their step and we moved along nicely for some time. I was still behind four teams that had crossed at this point, but after making the turn around and heading back towards the water crossing, I began to realize that now was my chance to race. I didn’t have to stop and help other teams through this time. I charged through the water again, and it wasn’t smooth. One dog took a real deep dunk, but we quickly pulled through, they shook off, and away we went. I had passed two teams by then. Eventually we came to another and passed. Now dark, I occasionally saw headlamps ahead and behind. My leader Pinto wasn’t running fast at all, in fact, he kept backing off, almost pulling Itsy backward. I kept calling them up, whistling, telling them we could maybe win. Nothing. Finally, I hooked down and ran up, intending to switch out Pinto. I found the snaps that hold the dog to the gangline were so iced up there was nothing I could do in any kind of timely manner. Pinto would stay where he was.

By the time we hit Poplar Lake, I was in second place. I could see two teams on the lake (one was a team that had turned around at the water hole and so they were no longer racing). One of these teams veered off into a bay of the lake, well off trail. I didn’t really know who was who out there. I passed the other team and cruised toward the finish. Our dogs have always liked running on the lake. By now the moon had risen, full and gold. The stars shone. I turned off my headlamp and listened to the sound of dog paws on snow, sled runners gliding and thumping over occasional bumps in the ice. What a glorious evening.

At the finish line, I was told I had won. I had taken a chance on the water and it certainly paid off. Matt only increased his lead in his race. Friends began calling it the Sawtooth sweep.

I’m not one to boast about winning. In fact, this hardly felt like a win for some days. But sometimes you have to take the good things when they come, so I’ll languish in this feel-good moment a bit longer.

Erin is ready for leg two with a headlamp in place for after dark. | VICKI SCHMIDT

NORTHERN SKY

FEBRUARY 2023 By Deane Morrison, MN STARWATCH

In February, Venus climbs above the sunset horizon and begins its next reign as an “evening star.” But the sun is also climbing, so we have to go out later each night to see our sister planet against a dark sky.

As Venus surges, Jupiter drops toward it, thanks to Earth leaving the giant planet behind in the orbital race. Look for Jupiter in the southwest and watch the two brightest planets draw closer each night. The pair ends the month poised to pass each other on March 1.

While Earth regularly leaves Jupiter in the dust, it can’t do that to Venus because it’s closer to the sun and speedier than Earth. Thus, Venus climbs and falls due to its own movement. When it’s an evening star it’s gaining on us, but when it appears in the morning sky we’re “eating its dust.”

Mars is now high in the south at nightfall. The red planet is fading but still easy to find; look east of the Pleiades star cluster and above Aldebaran, the eye of Taurus, the bull. Also, take this chance to compare Venus, the brightest planet, to Sirius, the brightest night star. Sirius is the beacon to the lower left of Orion’s hourglass figure.

February’s full moon arrives on the 5th. During the moon’s next cycle, it visits Jupiter and Venus on the 21st and 22nd and Mars on the 27th.

On Groundhog Day we celebrate an ancient astronomically based Celtic holiday called Imbolc, or lamb’s milk. It marked the start of the lambing season and was one of four cross-quarter days falling midway between a solstice and an equinox. But how the groundhog became linked to Imbolc isn’t clear. One theory suggests that if the day was cloudy and shadowless, it portended rain and softening farm fields, but if clear and cold, it signaled a more stubborn winter.

The University of Minnesota’s public viewings of the night sky at its Duluth and Twin Cities campuses have been curtailed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. For more information, visit: d.umn.edu/planet

BY JOE SHEAD

WHY GO: Perent Lake has a high population of small, eater-sized walleyes. It’s not particularly hard to get to, requiring a 3-mile paddle down Hog Creek, and some anglers make a day trip in to fish it. It’s a nice beginner’s Boundary Waters destination. “It’s not a lake that hardcore wilderness folks think of because it’s only one step in, but because of the creek, it’s kind of an adventure to get in there,” said Kevin Mott, assistant area supervisor at the Finland fisheries office.

ACCESS: Perent Lake is accessible only by portage and you’ll need the appropriate Boundary Waters permit. Put in at the Hog Creek entry point (Number 36) and paddle 3 miles downstream to reach Perent Lake. There’s a short 15-rod portage from the parking lot to the creek, and you’ll certainly have a short portage around a beaver dam or two. In wet or normal years, the float is fairly easy. However, if the water is low, numerous rocks in the shallow, windy creek makes reaching the lake a challenge. Alternatively, you can reach Perent Lake from Isabella Lake, but it’s a long trip via the Perent River, requiring several portages. To reach the Hog Creek entry point from Tofte, proceed north up the Sawbill Trail (County Highway 2) for 17 miles. Turn left onto Perent Lake Road (County Highway 3). After about 8 miles,

County 3 changes into County 7, but keep going. After a total of about 10 miles on Perent Lake Road, turn right onto Kawishiwi Lake Road (Forest Road 354). Proceed about 2 miles and you’ll see the Hog Creek parking area on the left. There’s a nice parking lot here with space for about a dozen vehicles.

VITALS: Perent Lake is a fair-sized lake at 1,598 acres and with a maximum depth of 38 feet. The lake has 19 campsites; some on the mainland, some on islands. Because it’s a long distance via the Perent River to Isabella Lake, Perent Lake is the final destination for most visitors.

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

WALLEYE: “It’s got good natural reproduction,” said Dean Paron, Finland area fisheries supervisor. “Walleyes tend to be small.” Most walleyes you’ll encounter will be in the 12- to 16-inch range, although occasionally, they top 25 inches. With plenty of islands and points, you can often catch walleyes right from your campsite, which is good, because the lake is large enough that if the wind picks up, paddling can be difficult.

NORTHERN PIKE: “A lot of our lakes in our area don’t get tons of big pike, but when you do get one, they can be fairly nice,” Mott said. “There are a fair number of fish over 24

PERENT LAKE

inches.” The last DNR survey in 2019 turned up five pike over 30 inches, with the larg est measuring over 38 inches. You’ll find both decent numbers of pike, along with a pretty good average size.

LAKE WHITE FISH: whitefish are present in Perent Lake in good num bers. “Whitefish tend to be pretty small,” Mott said. “We did con firm there were several year-classes and they seem to be doing OK.” Most whitefish in Perent Lake run about a foot, which is small as far as whitefish go. Although anglers catch them infrequently, whitefish likely serve as excellent pike forage.

YELLOW PERCH: You may run across a perch or two while you’re fishing a live-bait rig for walleyes. “Some of the perch get to the size that people would include them in

their shore lunch,” Mott said, describing them as a “bonus” for walleye anglers.

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

By: Sam Zimmerman / Zhaawanoogiizhik

This past November, my niijikwe (female friend) and I maamawinige (gathered) with her family for a minwanjigewin (to eat something that tastes good and is good for you) family dinner. During dinner, a gwanaaj waagosh (beautiful fox) came into the backyard a couple of times where we could ganawaabanjigaade (watch him) from the dining room table.

He was so gwanaaj (beautiful) that I giiwe (came home) and sketched him out. I included the makwa (bear) with the waagosh (fox) as the makwa indoodem (bear clan) care and provide guardianship of family. Ishkode (a fire) is burning, depicting zaagi’idiwin (the mutual love) and warmth of family. I wanted to capture that beautiful evening filled with laughter and love and a special visit in a painting.

Strange Tales

The “Wilds” Beyond Northern Wilds

By Elle AndraWarner

The theme of this issue is “beyond the Northern Wilds,” and looking back over the years, there have been some really cool ‘wild’ places that I’ve visited beyond our region.

One of the most memorable of those wild nature experiences was an up-close look at a massive iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean, just off shore from Newfoundland’s east coast. The sight of the beautiful, slow-moving sculpture looked like a floating ice cathedral, with an open arch in the middle. And it was amazing to realize I was looking at ancient history, as the glacial ice of icebergs can be more than 10,000 years old.

The iceberg I saw was in a small bay beside the very edge of North America—Cape Spear, the most eastern point of the continent—just 12 km (7.5 miles) from the downtown of the capital city, St. John’s, the most easterly city of North America. Considered to be the Iceberg Capital of the World, it is one of the world’s best places for iceberg viewing from shore.

Icebergs are chunks of freshwater ice that formed on land, with about 90 percent breaking off from glaciers in western Greenland and then making their way south on a route dubbed Iceberg Alley to Newfoundland’s east coast. According to Environment Canada, approximately 10,000 to 40,000 medium- to large-sized icebergs break off annually from about 100 iceberg-producing glaciers, but only 1-2 percent (400-800) make it far enough to be viewed from shore.

Did you know that icebergs are usually white, not because of snow, but because the ice is full of tiny air bubbles that reflect white light, making the iceberg look white? Some icebergs also show brilliant hues of blue. Icebergs are also categorized by size and shape, ranging from ‘very large’ (over 240 feet high by 670 feet long) to piano-size ‘growlers’ (less than 3 feet high and 16 feet across); the shape of the one I saw was named ‘dry dock.’

According to the Guinness World Records, the largest iceberg ever reliably assessed by satellite imagery was the B15 iceberg, measuring approximately 295 km (183 miles) long, 37 km (23 miles) wide, split (calved) from Antarctica’s Ross Ice Shelf in March 2000—it has since broken up. As of May 13, 2021, the biggest iceberg on earth is A-76 at 170 km (105 miles) long by 25 km (15.5 miles) wide.

After being mesmerized by iceberg watching from shore, I had the bonus of seeing the

Cape Spear Lighthouse National Historic Site. Later standing on the windswept rugged bluff of Cape Spear overlooking the North Atlantic Ocean, it was kind of mind-boggling to know there was nothing but ocean waters between Cape Spear and Ireland, the next closest land about 3,154 km (1,960 miles) away. A large Parks Canada sign reminds visitors, “Canada begins here...or ends, depending on which way you are going.”

The lighthouse was first established in 1836, operated continuously until 1955, and was declared a National Historic Site in 1962. Now a famous icon in the province, the site is operated by Parks Canada and has a great system of wooden boardwalks across the grounds, making it easy to get around over the rocks. But, it’s a dangerous coastline. Numerous signs warn visitors to stay on the designated trails, making it clear there is danger if you get too close to the ocean: “Large waves occur WITHOUT WARNING, sweeping the rocks all the way up to the grass! Once you are in the water, strong currents can pull you out to sea beyond rescue.....Obey all warning signs. Never go near the water!” Another sign made clear this was serious stuff, emphasizing people had drowned here after being swept from the rocks by ocean waves.

A different kind of wilderness experience was taken underground in the Caribbean. A few years ago in mid-January, while visiting

the island of Barbados, I toured the massive underground cave system of the spectacular Harrison’s Cave, a crystalized limestone cave considered ‘alive’ as the stalagmites— rock formations rising from the floor for thousands of years as a result of ceiling drips from the stalactite rock formations hanging from the ceiling—are still growing.

Opened to the public in 1981, an electric-powered guided tram train took us through 2.3 km (1.4 miles) of tunnels connecting these underground caves. We travelled to the dark sections, which lit up as we approached gallery rooms with quirky names like the Great Hall, the Village, the Chapel, the Rotunda and the Altar. There’s also underground flowing streams, lakes and unique waterfalls where the tram stopped so we could walk for a closer view.

I have more ‘beyond the Northern Wilds’ tales to share, like trekking a 5 km round trip through a rainforest on an island off Vancouver Island, convinced Sasquatch was watching us; feeling the powerful energy in the stark beauty of treeless barren lands in the Northwest Territories; and taking a seven-day wilderness kayaking trip and camping on uninhabited islands where cougars and grizzly bears roamed. But, those stories

time.

can wait for another

Harrison’s Cave, located on the small Caribbean island of Barbados, is a massive stream cave system, a natural eco-system, considered ‘alive’ as the stalactites hanging from the ceiling still drip creating stalagmites on the floor. The formations are still growing each year, gaining about the thickness of a piece of paper. | ELLE ANDRA-WARNER

My first up-close iceberg sighting was just off shore in a small bay a short drive from downtown St. John’s, Newfoundland. It was a massive one— a beautiful floating ice cathedral with an open arch. | ELLE ANDRA-WARNER

Design and quality materials meet elemental beauty and the deep, wild woods of the Gunflint Tr. The result? An architectural gem on Tucker Lake. A one of a kind getaway – simultaneously contemporary and age-old with warm wood paneling, slate tiles, wood stove, sylvan beauty aplenty! The home was conceived by Minnesota’s own, the Cabinologist himself, Dale Mulfinger. Dale’s getaways dot the landscape around the wilds of this country, finding one for sale is a rare bit of luck. Tucker is three miles long, 40’ deep and all the walleyes are above average. The west end of the lake is in the BWCA! Two nice bedrooms, and a cute little storage area that the current owners have a bed in for overflow. One full bath so nicely appointed – luxury. The kitchen is perfect, you just have to see the living room to believe it. The glassed-in porch is a cool triangle of relaxation and contemplation. Head up or down the Gunflint a short drive for several fun restaurants. Return to a Northwoods Classic. Or enjoy the 363ft of shoreline on Tucker Lake, which is three miles long, 40’ deep and all the walleye are above average. Visit today and start enjoying the wilderness on the Gunflint Trail!

FUN TIMES ON DEVIL TRACK LAKE!

Here on a sprawling lot, on the shiny, big water of Devil Track Lake is a class-act home. The home has been well-loved and maintained, nothing to do but move in and enjoy. Two baths, Three bedrooms, Terrific kitchen, all high end and ready for gatherings, stories, memories, and frying up walleyes or Devil Track’s white fish. The living room is spacious with vaulted wood-paneled ceilings, dramatic wood burning fireplace, and views to the lake and beckoning deck. Out on the deck the world is your oyster: grill it up, relax with a cold one, tell some tales, hear the loons, the owls, take it all in! Or wander the 3 acres and 300ft of shoreline. Attached two car garage gets you in and out of the rain or snow, but wait, detached garage has three more stalls and a workshop/kennel. Fill it all up with the extras that bring this country to life: canoes, kayaks, ATVs, snowmobiles, fishing boat, store your pontoon. Visit today and create your life on the North Shore!

OLD TIME CHARM IN GRAND MARAIS!

Welcome to your future North Shore Getaway! Previous owners have done updates from the windows, the roof and siding, but the charm of the days gone by is still there from the original wood floors to the door handles on the closets. This home has stood the test of time, back from when Grand Marais was a small fishing and logging town. Enjoy the sunshine from the large window in the Living Room and create your indoor garden in the large window of the dining room. Upstairs you have 3 bedrooms giving you plenty of space for friends or family to visit or create your home office or crafts room. Wander outside and enjoy the large fenced in yard, perfect area to build a kids play area or give your furry friends a place to run. Sitting on two city lots you have plenty of room to build a garage if you like! This home is close to downtown so you will be able to enjoy the restaurants and the Big Lake, but far enough away you can enjoy the quiet. This home is move in ready or you can take the time to give it a little TLC to update it and make it yours. Check it out today and start living the North Shore Dream!

NORWAY PINE LOG HOME IN GRAND MARAIS!

Terrific Log Home on a peaceful corner in Grand Marais. 3 Bedroom, 3 bath, 2500+ square feet. Classic, Norway Pine logs bring warmth and a timeless quality to the home. Light streams in through the many windows, with views to a well-forested lot providing a sense of being in the woods. Yet, all that Grand Marais has to offer is within walking distance. Walk inside and enjoy the natural light flowing from the Family Room into the open Kitchen, start a fire in the woodstove to take away the fall/winter chills. Lower Level features a large Rec Room and a great office space. Guest bedrooms on lower and main levels. Head up a log stairway for the ages to the primary bedroom that snoozes under a lofted ceiling – private and away from it all with plenty of space to relax. The attached bath up there is incredible. Top it all off with an oversized 2 car garage! Just across the road is a handy access point to the snowmobile trail system. That’s life in one of America’s Coolest Small Towns! All that is missing is you! MLS#6105152 $499,000

NEW! RAVEN’S RIDGE!

Nestled on a rocky hillside high above Gitchi Gumee and tucked below LeVeaux Mountain, here is a place of respite with long views over the Big Lake. A forested environment of outcrops and sylvan tranquility where calm predominates. Inside all is cozy, Design and embellishment were the prevailing focus as this class act home was finished off. Plenty of space here, three bedroom, two bath. The great room is for gathering, under cathedral paneled ceilings and warm wood floors. Access the sprawling deck from numerous glass doors where the Northwood’s Breeze introduces itself and you invite it in - a cheerful and loquacious guest. The kitchen is spacious, fully equipped and high end. The tastefully designed detached workshop awaits your inspiration and includes a spacious lean-to for additional exterior storage. At nearly 3 acres, there is plenty of elbow room to explore the granite outcrops, boreal woods, get a fire going, share space with the furry neighbors! Lutsen Mts and Superior National Golf Course are about 5 minutes away! MLS#6106476 $675,000

Call TimberWolff for Your Personal Tour of Homes & Land!!! Local (218) 663-8777 Toll free (877) 664-8777 Info@TimberWolffRealty.com

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

SILVER BAY TO SCHROEDER AREAS

SCHROEDER PARCEL UP THE CRAMER ROAD! This is a rare opportunity to be able to put some sweat equity into clearing this lot and building your dream home or cabin getaway. Nicely wooded parcel will make a great homesite. You can enjoy all your favorite outdoor activities from this great location just a few miles up Cramer Rd like the Superior Hiking trails, ATV trails, snowmobile trails and many inland lakes.

MLS#6105228 $39,900

TOFTE AREA

LAKE VIEWS IN TOFTE! Enjoy the views of Lake Superior from this beautiful parcel at Birch Cliff, located between Lutsen and Tofte so you can enjoy the best of both worlds. Dine at Bluefin Bay or Ski the day away at Lutsen Mountains. Great build site with Lake Superior views and of Carlton Peak in the distance and LeVeaux Mountain to the North. The property extends across the road to the North and has a potential build area, talk about potential! Bordering the Superior National Forest to the East you have plenty of room to wander and explore right from your yard! Perfect for your yearround home or North Shore Getaway! Close to many Hiking and Biking Trails and just a hop skip and jump from Lake Superior. The options for fun times and recreation are endless. Visit today!

MLS#6105249 $114,900

BRING YOUR DREAMS OF A NORTH SHORE GETAWAY TO LIFE ON THIS NICE TOFTE LOT IN WILDWOOD ACRES!

Located just a little ways up the Sawbill Trail you will be close to all your favorite outdoor activities like Hiking the Superior Hiking Trails or Snowmobiling. Year round road access via a simple association, electric at the road and a driveway in place means you can start building as soon as you’re ready! Visit today and start making your dream of owning a North Shore getaway come to life!

MLS#6102865 $30,000

OUTDOOR ENTHUSIAST DREAM20 ACRES IN LUTSEN!

This is the perfect location to create your own homestead with direct access to Cross Country Ski and Snowmobile Trails and the Superior Hiking Trail Or use the space to build your own trails! This is a rear parcel surrounded by Federal land on three sides, the only neighbors you will have are the wildlife that enjoy the woods. Ideal spot for building a rustic cabin for an adventure home-base. There are multiple building sites with great solar power potential. Enjoy the beautiful forest with a great mixture of maples, evergreens, pine trees, and birch. Great potential to establish your outdoor permanent campsite or build your Up North off grid getaway and enjoy the North Woods.

MLS#6105389 $135,000

BEAUTIFUL OLD PINES AND VIEWS OF TAIT LAKE, THE SURROUNDING FOREST, AND ALL THE WAY TO EAGLE MOUNTAIN!

This 5+ acre lot is a Northwoods gem. A diversity of tree species creates a lovely sylvan vibe with plenty of elbow room. The lot comes with deeded access to Tait Lake at two landings: one peaceful and just right for a canoe or kayak or a developed ramp for a bit of evening cruising in a motor boat. Select a building site along the south line of the lot to maximize the views. Not far from Lutsen, about a half hour to Grand Marais, yet a feeling of being deep in the woods. Come have a look, do a walkabout and fall in love with your own acreage Up North!

MLS#6103685 $79,000

LUTSEN AREA

NICE PARCEL IN THE HEART OF LUTSEN! Great place to build your dream cabin or permanent home, with plenty of space to enjoy the quiet woods atmosphere. Close to all Lutsen has to offer and many inland lakes in the area which are a quick drive away. There is year round accessibility via association road. Visit today and start planning your dream getaway!

MLS#6102890 $94,900

LUTSEN BUILD SITES WITH SHARED SEPTIC AND WELL JUST WAITING FOR YOUR LITTLE CABIN IDEAS! Looking for a site to build without spending an arm and a leg? These sites are it! Well and Septic in place, just Build and Enjoy!

MLS#2309328 $39,000 AND OTHERS, JUST ASK ABOUT MINK RANCH!

GRAND MARAIS AREA

BEAUTIFUL 15 ACRES NEAR GRAND MARAIS! Bordering National Forest to the south you will have plenty of space to explore! Parcel has been surveyed and corners are flagged. Dreamy building spot near a group of pine trees, even a bubbly creek to create a magical setting!

MLS#6103293 $129,000

ENJOY BIG VIEWS OF LAKE SUPERIOR FROM THIS GORGEOUS PARCEL, JUST MINUTES WEST OF GRAND MARAIS! 5+ acres gives you room to build your dream getaway but close enough Grand Marais to enjoy everything town has to offer!

MLS#6103292 $129,000

4907 Hwy 61 E

Affordable commercial opportunity in Hovland! Or Lake Superior view building site! Or both!? There is room to have home and business. Create the quintessential North Shore home with that Lake Superior view, easy access from a paved road, and State-owned beach right across the road. Trails, lakes, streams, and parks await your outdoor adventures as well. Invent your future here!

MLS 6104724 $179,900

Jonvick Creek Sites

5 lots from 1.5 - 4.8 acres

In the heart of Lutsen, just off the Caribou Trail. Maples, Pines, and cedars in varied arrangements will make a great back-drop for your home or cabin. Sites adjoin public land.

$44,900 - $56,900

1142 Camp 20 Rd

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

MLS 6102798 $149,900

218-387-2131 800-732-2131

101 West highway 61 grand marais, mn 55604

1315 E Highway 61

Incredible commercial opportunity at City Limits! Current use includes a 3BR rental unit, professional office, and huge home! Cathedral ceilings, partially finished second floor, beautiful custom designed kitchen, master bedroom with ensuite and private patio access. Bring your idea and make your dream come true!

MLS 6104280 $1,500,000

LAND

TBD Cedar Grove Lane

Grow your commercial enterprise on this 1.44A lot. Paved road, city water & sewer, electric, driveway and partial building pad. Establish your business and even your personal residence. Lake Superior view.

MLS 6105145 $69,900

1X Brandon Lane

Beautiful lot just outside Grand Marais. Fall River runs through this property. Dramatic frontage!

MLS 609581 3 $62,000

X13 Murphy Mountain Trail

Nicely wooded 5 acre lot at the end of a cul-de-sac with views of Lake Superior! Great location--just minutes from Grand Marais

MLS 6102645 $129,900

49XX North Road

40 wooded acres on a well-maintained county road can be yours to build your dream house, your hunting cabin, or pitch your tent. Here is a great base from which to explore the Arrowhead Region or just hike your acreage. Make it your own wildlife refuge.

6103079 $169,900

XXX Reason Road

If you’re looking for a remote property with access to recreation, this is the one for you! 120 acres of mature trees, varied topography, and wildlife. Make trails to explore the area and let your adventure begin.

MLS 6103087 $119,900

4XX East 5th St.

Here is an affordable place to build a home or a vacation getaway right in Grand Marais. City water & sewer and a paved street make it convenient and cost effective.

MLS 6105272 $64,900

2962 W Highway 61

Large 4 bedroom, 2 bath home tucked into a wooded lot with magnificent Lake Superior ledgerock! Charming and spacious in one package! The views will mesmerize you—look for the Sawtooth Mountains to the West! Easy flowing living room, dining, and kitchen out to the patios, paths, and accessible shore. This home beautifully weaves comfort, nature, and lake together. Partial basement with exterior access houses mechanics. Detached shed for storage of outdoor items. MLS

2580 Highway 61 E

175’ of Lake Superior accessible beach with a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home! Enough said? There is more. Only 7 miles from Grand Marais this property is well maintained with a paved driveway, a new 30’ by 50’ garage in addition to a 2-stall attached garage, and a shop or studio building. This piece of paradise won’t last long. Call today!

MLS 6105811

1100 Old Shore Road

A rare Lake Superior find, this exquisite 3+ bedroom home has beautiful beach, great privacy, and is conveniently located on the edge of the Grand Marais city limits. 194 feet of accessible private beach fronts this 1 acre property. A large garage with a heated shop space completes this golden opportunity. Call today! MLS 6103709

SAFE HAVEN The North Shore is a SAFE HAVEN FOR climate migrants

Research has found our North Shore climate moderate and mostly neutral to major climate stressors. Because of that, we've been seeing an understandable increase in climate migrants, people who

elect to leave their principal place of residence or opt for a secondary home or cabin because of climate stressors, to find comfort and security here on the North Shore.

INTERESTED IN PURCHASING A PROPERTY? CALL ONE OF OUR AGENTS!

GREENWOOD LAKE LUXURY HOME

Exquisite architectural masterpiece created on 4.8 acres on gorgeous Greenwood Lake. Artfully nestled in a white pine forest, meticulously maintained and professionally landscaped, with flagstone and rock walkways to the main home, carriage house, and log cabin. Open concept with durable White Oak wood flooring throughout the main floor. Living room features vaulted ceilings, stone surround fireplace with a custom mantle, and the view of the lake from this room is truly something special! Easily accessible lake shore for swimming and boating. Pristine lake is clear and cool. Greenwood lake holds the state record for lake trout, but you can catch small mouth bass and rainbow trout off the dock. MLS#6103823

ISLAND LIVING –

WILDERNESS LAKE

Large island in Greenwood Lake offers isolation, wilderness views and wildlife.

Comfortable small home is set up for your retreat lifestyle, large shop building has upstairs guest quarters. Owners lived on the island for over 15 years. Off grid solar and generator power, new peat-moss septic system, lake water and satellite provide the comforts you desire. Air boat, pontoon and fishing boats included, and provide access with a protective cove and docks for easy landing and loading. One-of-a-kind property. Over 2000 feet of shoreline with 6.82 acres. MLS#6104980 $595,000

Build your dream lake home on this outstanding lake lot. MLS#6099440 $284,900

NORTH FOWL LAKE CABIN

Unique Northwoods escape off the "road" less traveled. The Boundary Waters is your backyard as the western property boundary abuts the BWCA. Accessed by plane, boat, canoe, or a Canadian boat landing. North Fowl is a Border Lake on the 200 mile water

Red Pine Realty

COMMERCIAL

RIVER/CREEK FRONTAGE

LAND/BUILDING SITES

MULTI-USE PROPERTY HOVLAND

This 2.3 acre property has a great home site with lake views, great well and septic, and an existing structure used as a local store and food business. Building had a new patio in 2008 and new addition in 2010. Many options exist here from residential, rental, cottage industry, retail shop or continue its present use. Perfect set up for a move-to-the-Shore life change. Live and run a business in this peaceful location. Bring your idea and start the dream from here. MLS#6103739 $339,000

LUTSEN

COMMERCIAL SITE

Lutsen "downtown" location. Hwy 61 frontage-road 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

LARGE GRAND MARAIS LOT.

Nice 3.60 acre commercial lot with potential for multi family housing subject to city approval.

RIVER/CREEK FRONTAGE

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

Great

LARGE, 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

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

DEEP WOODS, MONS CREEK.

Nice “40” with good tree cover and creek frontage, where you could launch your canoe. There's a great building site overlooking Mons Creek from a high point. Good road access, but private and secluded. The property has private deeded access to Lost Lake, which is a short walk away. Wilderness feel. New trail cut into the property so you can see the potential! MLS#6089091 $52,900

40 ACRES – STONES THROW TO TOM LAKE 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

ROLLING TERRAIN & POND

Deep

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

SOLD

HOME SITE NEAR GRAND MARAIS

Nice 5 acre property close to town on black-top county road. power and phone at the lot. Broadband available. Dense woods and potential Lake Superior Views. Close to hiking, bike trails and all the wilderness adventures you desire. MLS#6096706

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, yearround 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

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

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

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 $46,900

BRULE VALLEY LOTS

These remote, off-grid parcels with deeded access to the Brule River could be your own seasonal retreat; whether you're looking for a place to pitch a tent for a few nights, or if you want to build your dream cabin, there is a good canvas here for your creation!

Lot B (40ac) MLS#6102969 $43,000; Lot C (42.82ac) MLS#6102971 $46,000; Lot D (43.82ac) MLS#6102970 $44,000

GREAT LOCATION FOR

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

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 $45,900

REMOTE PEACE & QUIET

Hide away in this beautiful dense forest, with remote trails and private lake access to Lost Lake, a limited private property lake with no public access, and trout! Twenty acres of rolling topography and nice building sites for your cabin retreat. Lot B MLS#6098653 $39,900

REMOTE WOODED HIDE-A-WAY

This 20 acre parcel is remote and has nice southerly exposure. Deeded access to Lost Lake gives you a place to fish and listen to the loons. It’s a lake with limited private property and no public access. Great area for ATV’s and miles of roads to explore. Lot C. MLS#6098654 $38,900

Timber wolf

I was able to spend about 45 minutes photographing this female timber wolf. I came up on her trotting down the Gunflint Trail on a beautiful snowy morning. I drove around her and waited on the next straight stretch to catch this photo. I was also lucky enough to witness her catch and eat a beaver for breakfast. It was truly incredible.

—Katie Mumm