Northern Wilds

Oct-Nov 2011 VOL 8, ISSUE 5 For People Who Love the North

Hike into

History

• Hovland Cougar?

• The Bird Dog Diaries • Bow Hunting 101 • Freshwater Jellyfish

What Sank

SPECIAL SECTION

Get Spooked

Shivery Fall Fun

the Edmund Fitzgerald?

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NORTHERN WILDS October - November 2011

CHATEAU LEVEAUX Stay with us during the peak Fall Colors!

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Peace & Tranquility

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Our Casino rolls 24 hours a day with over 450 slot machines and a Bingo Hall, adjoined to a 95 room hotel with indoor pool. Visit High Falls, Grand Portage National Monument and Heritage Center, Isle Royale National Park and more.

Check out the new cabins and remodels of your favorite cabins at Hollow Rock! Unwind and book a private escape on the scenic shores of Lake Superior. Just a 3 minute drive from the action at Grand Portage Lodge & Casino.

35 Miles North of Grand Marais on Scenic Highway 61 For reservations call: 1-800-543-1384 or visit: www.grandportage.com

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NORTHERN WILDS October - November 2011

from the editors

FEATURES

Having Fun Before Freeze-Up

Storm Chasers 10 North Shore surfers dream of autumn gales

Get Spooked 13 Fall fun with a side of shivers

Bowhunting 101 18 What Sank the Fitz? 26 New theory makes waves

Dog lovers won’t want to miss Kevin Bovee’s recount of a summer spent training his yellow Lab puppy. And moose fans will enjoy Iron Mike Hillman’s historic tale of a moose-drawn sleigh.

Mike Furtman introduces us to Bert, the bear who sleeps on his deck. Gord Ellis takes us duck hunting. If you just can’t wait for winter, be sure to check out our holiday gift guide.

You can celebrate autumn in many ways. Gregory P. Isaacson gives us an inside look into the Lake Superior surfing scene, where the gales of November are relished for the waves they produce. For mariners, the same winds can be deadly, as Elle Andra-Warner recounts her story about how the Edmund

Hike into History 12 The Bird Dog Diaries 9 Ready, Set, Snow! 19 Outdoor Gift Guide 22 Hasta La Vista, Manitoba 20

DEPARTMENTS

About our cover:

North Notes 5 Northern Sky 17 Product Reviews 25 Strange Tales 26 Through My Lens 16 Waterfalls 15

Surfers brave wind and snow for North Shore waves. | ANNA MARTINEAU-MERRITT

New in this issue is Miss Guided, a column by our resident adventurer and Managing Editor, Shelby Gonzalez, who will show you how to find fun adventures in the Northern Wilds. Also, we announce with regrets that sales representative Calie Vannet is leaving Northern Wilds to take a new position in the southwestern United States. We wish her the best in her new adventure.

—Shawn Perich and Amber Pratt

Got Photos? We’d love to see shots of you and your family out and about in the Northern Wilds. Send to editor@northernwilds.com.

www.NorthernWilds.com

Copyright 2011 All rights reserved Advertising rates and publishing schedules are available.

Fitzgerald went down. If tales of sunken ships make you shiver, be sure to read the story about spooky things to do in the Northern Wilds. To keep the spooks away, don’t miss Joan Farnam’s garlic-growing wisdom. Kate Watson leads us on some hikes to hidden history.

At this time of year, one thing is certain. Winter is coming.

Before it arrives, get outside and have some fall fun. Hunters, hikers, paddlers and other outdoor lovers try to squeeze as much outdoor quality time from October and November as possible. They know it won’t be long before cold and snow brings autumn to an end.

MAP FEATURE:

The Accidental Gardener 23 Book Reviews 24 Calendar & Events 7 Campfire Stories 27 Canadian Trails 20 Classifieds 25 Miss Guided 17

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PUBLISHERS Shawn Perich & Amber Pratt EDITORS Shawn Perich, Editor Shelby Gonzalez, Managing Editor editor@northernwilds.com shelby@northernwilds.com OFFICE Dominique Holz GRAPHIC DESIGN Breanna Super billing@northernwildsmedia.com breanna@northernwilds.com

ADVERTISING Amber Pratt, Advertising Manager, apratt@northernwilds.com Join us on Calie Vannet, Advertising Rep., calie@northernwilds.com Facebook CONTRIBUTORS Elle Andra-Warner, Kevin J. Bovee, Don Davison, Gord Ellis, Joan Farnam, Michael Furtman, John Heim, Mike Hillman, Gregory P. Isaacson, Anna Martineau-Merritt, Deane Morrison, Tony Peterson, Bob Tema, Eve and Gary Wallinga, Kate Watson

Copyright 2011 by Northern Wilds Media, Inc. Published six times per year. Subscription rate is $15 per year or $28 for 2 years. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part requires written permission from the publisher.

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

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NORTHERN WILDS October - November 2011

Good For You. Good For Our Forests.® Your family values their traditions. We can show you how to manage your forest property to improve wildlife habitat and sustain your traditions.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI) Program can help you better manage your forest property with this free publication: Sustainable Forestry—A Landowner’s Manual www.mns.org/manual.htm

Contact us at 218-722-5013 for your free copy, or write to: MN SFI Implementation Committee 903 Medical Arts Building 324 West Superior Street Duluth, MN 55802 The SFI® Program promotes forest stewardship integrating reforestation, nurturing, and harvesting trees for useful products with conservation of soil, air, and water resources, sh and wildlife habitat, and forest aesthetics.

NORTHERN WILDS October - November 2011

Paddlers Make it to Hudson Bay Maybe it’s something in the water. This summer, two separate parties of Minnesota 20-somethings completed canoe expeditions to Hudson Bay. The “Hudson Bay Bound” expedition comprised Natalie Warren and Ann Raiho—and, along the way, a puppy named Myhan (after the Cree word for wolf). The two women met at YMCA Camp Menogyn. Sponsored by Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply in Grand Marais, they paddled from Minneapolis to Hudson Bay, a journey of 2,250 miles that included urban waterways and wild Arctic rivers that wound through polar bear territory. They are the first women to retrace the journey chronicled in the famous book Canoeing with the Cree. See www.hudsonbaybound.com for more information.

The “Voyageur’s Hudson Bay Expedition” comprised four young men—Adam Maxwell, Andrew Spaeth, Mike Swenson and Will Tanner—and was inspired by a longing for adventure and the 50th anniversary of Voyageurs Canoe Outfitters at the end of the Gunflint Trail. They traveled from Grand Portage to York Factory on the banks of Hudson Bay, a 77-day journey encompassing the Winnipeg, Bloodvein and Gods Rivers. See www.voyageurhudsonbayexpedition. com for more information.

What do you think it is?

Surprise!

JELLYFISH

On Sept. 4, Marco Manzo III went for a swim in Lake Saganaga and encountered a flotilla of dime-sized translucent globules trailing tiny tentacles. He scooped two of the mystery creatures into a jar and brought them to the Minnesota DNR and the Ontario MNR, where they were identified as freshwater jellyfish (Craspedacusta sowerbyi).

Brian Larsen of the Cook County News-Herald broke the story.

Manzo and his sister, Alesha, found the jellyfish on both the U.S. and Canadian sides of the lake. Never fear, swimmers—these tiny creatures aren’t equipped to sting people.

Fingers holding a jar give a sense of the freshwater jellyfish’s diminutive size. | JANE HOWARD

Last year, a fisheries biologist spotted a fleet of thousands of jellyfish in Namakan Lake in Voyageurs National Park. Jellyfish were also spotted in Crab Lake and Banadad Lake in the BWCA and Long Lake near Cotton. Unusually hot summers may be responsible for freshwater jellyfish “blooms.”

Grand Marais

Empty Bowls Dinner & Silent Auction Thurs, November 10 · 1st Congregational UCC Community Fundraiser for the Cook County Food Shelf

At the corner of 3rd Ave. W & 2nd St. www.grandmaraisartcolony.org · 218.387.2737

COUGAR

Caught on Trail Cam? Here, kitty, kitty, kitty. When a Hovland man set out a trail camera during the week of Aug. 29, he was hoping to catch snapshots of bears. Instead, one shot captured the hind end of a slinking critter with a long, upward-arced tail—a likely characteristic of a cougar.

The image comes on the heels of other cougar sightings in the area. Someone saw a long-tailed big cat slink across the road. Someone else spotted tracks. Another heard hair-raising screams in the forest.

Cougar sightings are not unusual in the Northern Wilds, but are rarely verified by officials.

Share your strange sightings!

Email editor@northernwilds.com

Lake Superior

Rock Lamps They’re Cool.

You need one.

80 Skyport Lane Grand Marais, MN 55604 218-387-1687 www.superiorlightsource.com

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NORTHERN WILDS October - November 2011

DNR Releases Moose Plan In August, the Minnesota DNR released a draft moose management plan for public comment. Directed by the State Legislature to create a

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northeast moose range, recommends maintaining the pre-fawn deer population at less than 10 per square mile as well as banning recreational deer feeding. It is no secret Minnesota’s moose are in trouble. In the northwest, where several thousand moose existed in the 1980s, the population is now estimated at less than 100 animals. In the northeast, the population is now estimated at less than 5,000 moose and everyone with historical perspective for the region going back to the 1990s or earlier believes the herd has undergone a significant and ongoing decline. However, after a decade of research by the DNR, tribes and academics, no one has pinpointed the problem.

Sturgeon Nursery Protected Clough Island, a 358-acre wildlife hotspot in the St. Louis River estuary was recently transferred from The Nature Conservancy to the Wisconsin DNR for outdoor recreation

and conservation efforts. A recovering lake sturgeon population swims in the waters around the island. The transfer will ensure the island’s permanent protection. “This is a huge step toward achieving the goal of delisting the river as an Area of Concern on the Great Lakes,� said Julene Boe, of the St. Louis River Alliance.

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moose management plan in 2008 in response to the collapse of the northwest Minnesota herd and troubling decline in the northeast population, the DNR first convened a citizen’s committee to come up with management recommendations and then spent over two years writing the plan. During this time, the DNR’s moose population estimate for the northeast tumbled about 30 percent.

Still time to get out there and bike.

See us for all your “cool� needs.

Clough Island (pronounced “cluff �) sits where the St. Louis River meets Lake Superior, between Duluth and Superior, Wis. Largely undeveloped, Clough Island is a haven for more than 200 species of birds during migration and breeding season. The estuary also harbors native critters like beaver, mink, river otter, muskrat, bear, bobcat and wolf.

The transfer marks the culmination of a years-long collaboration between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Nature Conservancy, and the Minnesota and Wisconsin Departments of Natural Resources. Local organizations also assisted.

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NORTHERN WILDS October - November 2011 NOV. 10 SPLIT ROCK LIGHTHOUSE, TWO HARBORS

Annual Beacon Lighting

The annual Split Rock Lighthouse beacon lighting commemorates the 1975 sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald. | ANNA MARTINEAU-MERRITT

NOV. 2527 SPIRIT MOUNTAIN, DULUTH

OCT. 1416 • LUTSEN MOUNTAINS

Mountain Mash

What do you get when Harriet Brewing of Minneapolis comes to Lutsen Mountains?

Mountain Mash, a weekend of events celebrating food, music, art and—of course— beer. Events to pick from include a Friday night release party for Rauchfest, Harriet Brewing’s new German-style smoked lager, and a beer pairing dinner at the Moose Mountain summit chalet. Bottoms up! More information at www.eagleridgeatlutsen. com.

OCT. 2123 • GRAND MARAIS

Moose Madness Family Festival

The annual celebration of all things moose is back bigger and better this year. Puzzle out the clues in the Moose Medallion Hunt, collect Moose Bucks, attend readings and tours, and keep an eye out for Murray the Moose, who is always happy to pose with visitors for photos. This year’s festival marks the debut of the Moose Tracks Race, a fourblock dash in which you are encouraged to wear all your finest moose apparel. More information at www.grandmarais.com/ moosemadness.

Each year, on the date the Edmund Fitzgerald sank in 1975, the beacon in Split Rock Lighthouse is lit in memorial of the 29 men who lost their lives. The names will be read to the tolling of the ship’s bell at 4:30 p.m. This is the only day when visitors can climb the lighthouse and see the light lit. Learn more at www. mnhs.org/splitrock.

19th Annual AMSOIL Duluth National Snocross

Snocross fanatics and casual fans alike congregate at Spirit Mountain every year to kick off the winter’s ISOC (International Series of Champions) racing series. The races and displays, including the C.J. Ramstad Memorial Cup, will showcase the talents of the top riders, while an expo will showcase the latest sleds, gear and lifestyle accouterments. More information at www.visitduluth.com/snocross.

OCT. 8 AND 15 LAKE SUPERIOR ZOO, DULUTH

Boo at the Zoo 2011

No chills to be had at this annual zoo event, just critters, candy and fun. Go trick or treating amongst the animal exhibits.

Enjoy the not-haunted hayride. Brave the Haunted Tunnel—if you dare—and look at creepy crawly creatures like reptiles and insects. Compete in the costume contest, or just enjoy your hot dogs and caramel apples while the animals savor pumpkin treats of their own. More information at www.lszoo.org.

Wildlife Biologist

Rolf Peterson

Filmmaker

George Desort

Outdoorsman

Garrett Conover

for a schedule of courses & events visit 888.387.9762 on the harbor, grand marais

Courses, Films, Tent Camp, Gear Swap & more

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NORTHERN WILDS October - November 2011

Wild Events Calendar OCTOBER

FRI 10/21 THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS

SAT 9/24 ďšş SAT 11/5

Juried Photography Johnson

Lake Superior Photography Exhibit

Heritage Post, Grand Marais 218-387-2314

Waterfront Gallery, Two Harbors www.waterfront-gallery.com

SAT 10/1

SAT 10/1 ďšť SUN 10/2

SAT 10/22 Minnesota Furbearer Opener (North Zone) mink, muskrat, beaver, otter

9-4 p.m. 218-387-2737

Crossing Borders Tours Artists'

Get Northern Wilds in your Just Add Whine-Free Family Water email inbox, Paddling browse it on Hit the Beach your computer, smartphone, Rockhound or view it on Road Trip your tablet.

Clickable links and a “zoom in� feature make the digital edition convenient and easy to read.

VOL 8, ISSUE 3

• Go Catch Lunch • Walk on the • Spy Bigfoot Waves • Discover Cana da’s Crossroads

SPECIAL SECTIO

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FREE

www.northernwilds.com

SAT 10/23 ďšť SUN 10/23

Studios along Highway 61, Grand Marais 1-800-388-8698 info@crossingbordersstudiotour.com

Howl-o-Ween The

International Wolf Center, Ely www.wolf.org

SAT 1ďšş/1 ďšť SUN 10/16

FRI 10/28 ďšş10/30

"Wings, Water and Wildflowers" Exhibit of the

Haunted Fort Night Fort

works of Nancy Seaton and Betty Hemstad. Johnson Heritage Post. 1 p.m.-4 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday.

218-387-2883 • history@boreal. org

William Historical Park, Thunder Bay 7 p.m. www.fwhp.ca

NOVEMBER SAT 11/05

SUN 10/2 North Shore Health Care Golf Tournament Superior National

Golf Course 218-387-9076

THU 10/06ďšş10/31 Haunted Ship Tour Duluth 218-722-5573

SAT 10/8 AND SAT 10/15 Boo at the Zoo Lake Superior Zoo 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. www.lszoo.org

SAT 11/19 Holiday Bazaar and Quilt Drawing at 2:00 pm

William Historical Park, Thunder Bay 7 p.m. www.fwhp.ca

Annual Members Show & Sale Grand Marais Art Colony

A November sunset lights Devil Track Lake. | DON DAVISON

SAT 8

FRI 10/14ďšş10/16

Annual Agate Festival Boulder Lake Enviromental Learning Center, Duluth 1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Mountain Mash /Harriet Brewing Lutsen Mountains

THUR 10/14, 15, 21, 22, 28,29 Haunted Cornfield Gamondale Farm, Thunder Bay www. gammondalefarm.com

Member FDIC

www.eagleridgeatlutsen.com

SUN OCT 16ďšş22 Wolf Awareness Week

International Wolf Center, Ely www.wolf.org

Minneapolis www.outdooradventureexpo.com

FRI 10/21ďšş10/23 Haunted Fort Night Fort

Wayside to Cook Co Rd 1. 10 a.m. www.shta.org

FRI 11/18ďšş20 Midwest Mountaineering Outdoor Adventure Expo

Moose Madness Grand Marais www.grandmarais.com

Guided Hike Caribou River

Sign up for a FREE digital subscription!

For more event listings, log on to: www.NorthernWilds.com

Minnesota firearms Deer Opener

THUR 11/10 Split Rock Lighthouse Beacon Lighting

Split Rock Lighthouse State Park 9-6 p.m. 218-226-6372

THUR 11/17ďšş11/20 Winterers Gathering

North House Folk School 218-387-9762 www.northhouse.org

Cross River Heritage Center, Schroeder 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

218-663-7706

Bentleyville “Tour of Lights� begins Bayfront Park, Duluth www.bentleyvilleusa.org

TUE 11/22 ďšť SUN 11/27 A North Shore Holiday

Cook County www.anorthshoreholiday.com

FRI 11/25 ďšť 27 AMSOIL Duluth National Snocross

Spirit Mountain, Duluth Visitduluth.com/snocross

SAT 11/26 Minnesota Muzzleloader Deer Opener Minnesota

Trapping-bobcat, ďŹ sher and marten

THU 12/1 Pikku Joulu

Finnish Pot Luck Finland

SAT 12/3 Annual Fiber Guild Holiday Sale 9-2 p.m. art@boreal.org

SAT 2/4ďšşSUN 2/12 Winter Tracks

Family Festival. Cook County www.wintertracks.com

www.GrandMaraisStateBank.com

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NORTHERN WILDS October - November 2011 him very quiet for five to six days, rather impossible for a seven-month-old Labrador, and to keep him out of the water for a couple more weeks. So much for his basic training.

Once healed, land and water retrieves were done twice a day. Mary and I would take turns throwing the dummies with the other person handling the dog. We are lucky that there is a large open field a quick walk from the house. Here again his enthusiasm outlasted ours.

A crucial step in the training process was getting him used to the report of a gun. I searched for an old-fashioned cap gun like we used when we were kids but to no avail.

I did fi nd a plastic gun that used ring caps, which worked well.

We started shooting the cap gun when throwing dummies from about 50 yards away and gradually got closer until we could

fire caps right over his head. Retrieving is what he concentrated on. We then switched to .22-caliber blanks that builders use to drive nails into wood or concrete.

Similar to the cap gun, we started with the blanks from farther away and got closer and closer without any fuss from Raleigh.

The last step in Raleigh’s preparation for the grouse opener is to get a frozen grouse from the freezer, thaw it out and then let him retrieve it while working with the dummies. A friend who found the grouse dead below a picture window donated the grouse to Raleigh’s training late last winter. Little did the grouse know that his life would benefit the growth and potential of a young bird dog.

I will also drag the grouse along our trails and then have Raleigh track the bird until finally retrieving it. It’s no dead vole, but he’ll have to make do.

TOP: Sir Walter Raleigh, a British Lab, displays his dummy-fetching prowess. BELOW: Water is no deterrent for a determined bird dog.

The Bird Dog Diaries

Channeling a young Lab’s love for dead rodents Story and photos by Kevin J. Bovee

Sir Walter Raleigh, our young British Lab, is staring his fi rst hunting season square in the face.

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I knew from the start that Raleigh would retrieve because he would pick up just about anything and carry it around for extended periods. He demonstrated his smelling ability by digging through deep snow and matted grass to seize long-dead mice and voles. But we didn’t drive 8hours for a Lab that specialized in dead rodents.

Grouse and pheasant are what we have in mind for him.

Training began with retrieving dummies in the yard and then progressed to water retrieves in local ponds or down at Lake Superior. Raleigh will retrieve dummies long after your shoulder is sore from throwing them. The next step was to add distance to the throws, which will help him in marking falls. Another person was needed for this step.

Before we could start that process, though, we decided to have Raleigh neutered. We aren’t in the business of breed-

ing dogs, and the sooner it was done, the sooner Raleigh would heal and be able to get back to the business at hand.

Instructions after surgery were to keep

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NORTHERN WILDS October - November 2011

LEFT: Under the right conditions, Superior flaunts ocean-quality waves. | BOB TEMA TOP: Surfers wait in the lineup at Stony Point near Duluth. | ANNA MARTINEAU-MERRITT BOTTOM: Whitewater offers a quick ride into shore. | ANNA MARTINEAU-MERRITT

Storm Chasers For North Shore surfers, fall gales are 'opening day'

By Gregory P. Isaacson The first big storm of the season, a powerful nor’easter, was howling down the long surface of western Lake Superior. Powerful waves pummeled the shoreline. I hurried to one of my favorite surf spots. Known as The Rock, it is located at the mouth of the Lester River, just off Highway 61.

Spectators in minivans and SUVs gawked as I unloaded my surf board.

Dressed in a skin-tight 6mm wetsuit that would shield me from the 38-degree water, I must have looked like a creature from some distant planet.

Even after 25 years of surfing the big lake, I still get stoked for the fi rst session of the season. I smiled at a bugeyed kid with his face pressed against a backseat window. Then I turned and walked down the trail to the water.

Shorebreak churned around my legs as I picked my way along the slippery rocks. I timed the next wave and paddled my freshly waxed board out into the lineup, where my friends were waiting for the next set of waves.

We had been waiting for this storm for months. Like hunters and fishing enthusiasts anticipating opening day, surfers in this region sit out through the fl at summer months, waiting for

Lake Superior to awaken. When I feel the wind switch and watch the cloud patterns change in the sky, I know surf season is on.

Like salmon returning to their spawning grounds, surfers from Thunder Bay to the Twin Cities gravitate to the North Shore in the fall and winter. We huddle around bonfi res, warming up between surf sessions, telling stories and sharing the thrills of catching Superior waves.

The surfi ng season starts around

Labor Day as summer winds down and cooler autumn temperatures fi lter in from the north. This dramatic change in air temperature, along with the powerful force of wind over such a deep, cold body of water, ignites the engine of Lake Superior’s wave machine. The contrasting conditions ripen as autumn temps drop into winter.

To surf Lake Superior with success requires a keen knowledge of weather and the ability to track storms as they arrive. With a seasoned awareness of

NORTHERN WILDS October - November 2011

the wind and the coastline, you can determine where the best locations are to ďŹ nd perfect waves—that is, waves with smooth, clean surfaces in sheltered areas out of the prevailing winds.

STEAK WITH A SIDE OF STYLE

The window of surf time can be small, sometimes lasting only a few hours. The eeting, ďŹ ckle nature of freshwater waves has surfers ready to brave even the harshest weather conditions.

In the early winter season, for example, north winds roar down from the Artic with bitter wind chills and water temperatures that drop near freezing. Winter surf sessions include such highlights as blinding snow squalls, frozen eyebrows, mustaches that drip icicles, A surfer rides a small wave with style. and the occasional case of | ANNA MARTINEAU-MERRITT “brain freeze.â€? enthusiasm as I glided down the smooth, The next set of waves loomed on the ho- glassy wave face, racing down the line of rizon. I paddled, placing myself in the per- the cresting wall of water, feeling the longfect position at the peak. I rose to my feet awaited rush of pure  ight. in a single motion. My friends hooted in

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NORTHERN WILDS October - November 2011 Unfortunately for him, the story goes, construction stopped when his fiancée called off the wedding.

Sporto’s

South of the Border

C · a · f · e Stop in for a great breakfast before you head out.

Whatever the story, it makes an interesting landmark on Day Hill.

Graffiti, Victorian-Style Artist’s Point, Grand Marais 0.1 miles In the late 1800s and early 1900s, before Highway 61 provided a land route, a ferry carried people and supplies along the North Shore. As people waited for the ferry, they passed the time by leaving their marks in the rocks.

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Many visitors to Artist’s Point head straight to the lighthouse and miss these echoes of the past.

TOP: This mystery chimney may represent a businessman’s dashed mansion dream.

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of Split Rock Lighthouse, you’ll find an interesting surprise at the top of the rocky cliff.

There, an ambitious settler was looking to secure a million-dollar Lake Superior view—but it seems the furthest he got was building a stone fi replace and chimney.

An interpretive sign says that the fi replace’s origin is actually unknown, but some believe it was the first step in the creation of Duluth businessman Frank Day’s dream home in the early 1900s.

Park on Artist’s Point and take the path just past the Coast Guard Station to the break wall. Turn right and hop off the break wall onto the rock on the lake side. Watch your step. You’ll come across many signatures left more than 100 years ago.

Abandoned Mining Town Paulson Mine, Kekekabic Trail 3.3 miles (loop) While the words “abandoned mining town” may call to mind images of Colorado or California, you can find traces of one just over a mile down the Kekekabic Trail. In the late 1800s, a deposit of iron was discovered at this spot near Gunfl int Lake and a mining operation called Paulson Mine was established. Small villages sprang up to service the site, including Gunfl int City, of which little remains. If you hike in, you’ll fi nd a fenced pit marked “Paulson Mine 1893,” which was a test shaft for the mine. Be careful if you venture off-trail as there are other partially fi lled pits nearby.

When it was fi rst begun, the mine seemed so promising that it served as a stop on the Port Arthur, Duluth and Western railroad that ran from Canada into Minnesota.

The Centennial Trail (new in 2009) follows the railroad bed. If you do the loop, you’ll hike 3.3 miles—including part of the Kekekabic Trail—and you’ll see more evidence of the mining operation.

NORTHERN WILDS October - November 2011

NORTHERN WILDS

adventures

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N E E W O L L HA I T I O N E D

Get Spooked

Nothing says “autumn” like a good case of the creeps

By Shelby Gonzalez Ah, fall—the all-too-brief interlude between summer and winter. As the days shorten, gardens wither and Arctic wind starts to blow, we seek comfort in warmth and fellowship. We also festoon our yards with spiderwebs and pumpkins and watch movies designed to scare the pants off us.

While it may be tempting to hole up on the couch with apple cider and Night Terror VI and wait for ski season to start, don’t retreat inside just yet. Here are seven ways to get some fresh air and revel in the in-between season.

Board a haunted ship Shiver your timbers with a spookified “Shanghai Revenge” experience on the ore boat William A. Irvin in Canal Park, Duluth. Tiptoe through the tight corridors and the yawning caverns of the cargo hold, wary of the ghouls that lie in wait. This year the Irvin celebrates its 25th anniversary as a tourist attraction. Before that, this 610-foot vessel spent four decades hauling coal and iron ore throughout the Great Lakes. Use discretion if bringing kids. See www.duluthhauntedship.com for details. Farnorth frights can be had at Haunted Fort Night at Fort William Historical Park in Thunder Bay, which turns into a scary place for a few nights each October. Get your tickets in advance because it sometimes sells out. Ages 10 and up. Details at www.fwhp.ca.

LEFT: Hoooo, me? A great gray owl remains unruffled by the camera. | ANNA MARTINEAU-MERRITT ABOVE: A witches’ broom afflicts a Wisconsin white spruce. | JOSEPH O’BRIEN/ USDA FOREST SERVICE, BUGWOOD.ORG

Encounter lighthouse ghosts

Listen for owls When the moon is bright and the air is still, camp out on the cabin porch with wool blankets and a Thermos full of cocoa. Go out at twilight to watch bats wheel and dart.

See the full moon rise on Oct. 11 and Nov. 10. Then listen for owls, which are particularly active and vocal in the autumn months. Alternately, trek the Nocturnal Trail at the Lake Superior Zoo. This permanent exhibit showcases denizens of the darkness, including fruit bats, burrowing owls, and reticulated pythons. The zoo will also host a kid-friendly “Boo at the Zoo” event on Oct. 8 and 15. More information at www.lszoo.org.

Scout the woods for “witches’ brooms” Stroll through the woods and keep your eyes on the skeletal trees, looking for “witches’ brooms”—out-of-place bushy growth on otherwise-healthy trees. These features are actually the result of diseases or parasitic plants like dwarf mistletoe, to which black spruce and balsam fi r are particularly prone. Take a ride on the Big Aspen ATV Trail in Aurora or the Red Dot ATV Trail in Silver Bay. Stop for lunch and broom-spotting along the way.

Venture out to Split Rock Lighthouse State Park in Two Harors when the wind shrieks and the waves tower to enjoy the dramatic sight of waves battering the cliff—and, just maybe, encounter the ghost of an old lighthouse-keeper. Such a ghost is said to have been spotted there before on stormy nights. On Nov. 10, the lighthouse navigational beacon is lit in honor of the 29 men who lost their lives on the Edmund Fitzgerald. See page 26 for the full story on what sank the famous ship.

More information at www.mnhs.org.

Peer into the Devil’s Kettle Peer into the abyss of Devil’s Kettle Falls—from a safe distance, mind you—at Judge C.R. Magney State Park near Hovland. A complete visitor’s guide to this North Shore enigma is on page 15.

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NORTHERN WILDS October - November 2011

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Get lost in a labyrinth Wander the spook-infested cornfield maze at Gammondale Farm for an experience that will tax both your navigation skills and your nerves. Recommended for ages 5 and over. For kids and grown-ups who don’t relish fright, Gammondale also hosts Pumpkinfest, with activities like scarecrow-making and pumpkin catapulting.

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61 Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

Ely

Devil’s Kettle Falls One mile into the forest, Devil’s Kettle Falls is waiting. Cross the footbridges over a small stream and waterfall.

On the east bank the trail turns upstream and rises. If you suffer vertigo, don’t look down.

And don’t get too close to the edge—it’s a long fall.

Grand Portage

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Superior

After 17 minutes, you’ll see more waterfalls as the Brule River carves through the canyon like a knife. Soon you’ll reach a T and a map. A bench offers a place to regain your composure as you take in the view of High Falls. It’s not too late to turn back.

You insist? Head back onto the right leg of the T. You’ll soon encounter steps—a terrifying number of them. We counted 167 descending down to a ramp and then more. You can almost feel the Kettle pulling you closer. You hear its thunderous bellow. Pass another unmarked fl ight of metal stairs heading left, down to the river and Upper Falls. Be sure to explore this side path, if you are up for it after viewing the Kettle. If instead you run away screaming, vowing never to return, no one will blame you.

Soon the going gets rougher. A sign points the way to two different overlooks of Devil’s Kettle Falls. From the far left corner of the second overlook, hold tightly to the railing for physical and psychological support. Peer into the whirling cauldron known as the Devil’s Kettle. Though its visual power is impressive, you are only at the precipice of the mystery.

The right half of the waterfall plummets into an oval basin, running a short course through the canyon to Upper Falls. The left half plunges into a hole to… nowhere.

Despite hypotheses that the hole must lead somewhere, its outlet has ever been located. The Devil’s Kettle has swallowed all the dyes, ping pong balls, logs and other objects dropped into it. Nothing has been seen to emerge—not in this dimension.

Scientists have theorized that the water

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NORTHERN WILDS October - November 2011

Who’s Afraid Of The Big Black Bear?

Meet Bert, your friendly neighborhood 700-pound bruin My cell phone rang while I was driving near Two Harbors. It was my neighbor, Chuck.

“Mike, there’s a huge black bear sleeping on your deck,” he said.

“Do you want me to call 911?”

borhood. Often, only dogs know he’s around. As soon as he sees people, he simply hunkers in a thick area until they move on.

That is the nature of black bears. They avoid confl ict at all costs.

Through My Lens

BY MICHAEL FURTMAN

“Oh for heaven’s sake, no,” I replied. “That’s just Bert. He probably ate all my sunflower seeds and needs a place to sleep it off. I’ll be home soon.”

And indeed, it was Bert, one of the largest male black bears I’ve ever seen. I know naming wildlife smacks of anthropomorphism, but when an animal takes to dining and sleeping at your house, you really can’t help but come up with a name for it.

Bert has been hanging around my place for nearly a decade. He has a couple of scars, probably picked up in fights with other bears, that allow me to recognize him. He begins to show up in July, and makes the rounds of local apple trees, bird feeders, and the occasional garbage can until it is time for him to den for the winter.

The first time I saw him he was on my deck (which is up a fl ight of stairs), and I watched in awe as he bent a solid half-inch steel pole with a single paw and no effort to get at the bird feeder that hung from its top. At the time, he was already a mature, large male. When I sent the photos of him to a DNR biologist, he estimated that he weighed between 600 and 700 pounds.

That’s a big bear, even if he were a grizzly. And yet, despite his size, he’s never posed a threat to anyone, and has even allowed me to follow him (at a respectful distance) through the area woods and neigh-

Large adult males have a well-defi ned territory that they know intimately, and are masters at extracting its resources – they know where the best food sources are located, and when they’ll be available. This translates then into bears that go into winter in very good shape with large stores of fat. I find it interesting that “my territory” is in Bert’s territory, and that he’s been exploiting it for nearly a decade. Because I live in Duluth, that also means that hundreds of other homes and thousands of people are within his domain, and yet Bert has managed to keep a low enough profi le that he’s never risen to the level of becoming a “nuisance bear” that must be dealt with by authorities.

It’s a sad fact that the DNR does not relocate problem urban bears, but instead captures and euthanizes them. From past experience, they’ve found that no matter how far they transport these bears before release, the bears always returned to where they were captured.

Bert’s arrival late in the summer is triggered by his need to put on weight for the upcoming winter. This behavior isn’t gluttony, but an irresistible urge. At other times of the year, black bears will quit eating when satiated, but in the late summer and

TOP: Bert mugs for a portrait. Left: Where does a 700-pound black bear sleep? Mike Furtman’s back porch.

Bears in such prime shape appear obese.

Their bodies are caked in fat, and they ripple when they walk. Despite such weight gain, black bears remain swift and energetic, thanks to their powerful builds and body chemistry.

autumn, there is no bottom to their barrel.

They will eat as long as they are awake, and that is most of the time. For they know, at least biologically, that there will be plenty of time to sleep very, very soon.

This excessive eating behavior is known as “hyperphagia” and is triggered by chemical changes to the bear’s blood. During this phase, the weight gain of black bears is phenomenal. For instance, a bear’s caloric intake may increase from about 8,000 per day (your intake is about 2,000 per day) to over 20,000. To do so, it eats nearly three times as much food during its waking hours than in the previous months. A large male bear like Bert might put on 200 pounds in just two months!

Once the bear has stored enough fat to carry it through hibernation, hyperphagia ends, and the bear looks for a denning site.

It is at this point Bert disappears for another nine months or so. Although not all my neighbors are as excited about his annual visits (my new neighbor from New York City thinks I’m nuts), I like that this huge, old bear shares my neighborhood. He’s at least 12 years old now, and perhaps much older. Recently, DNR bear researchers recaptured a radio-collared sow black bear they’ve been studying that is now an incredible 37 years old.

With luck, Bert may be still roaming this neighborhood when Justin’s five-year-old son enters college. The keys to Bert's survival will depend upon two things: that he continues to maintain his non-threatening profi le, and that people remain tolerant, and don’t insist that this magnificent old bear be destroyed simply because their garbage can was tipped or their bird feeder munched on.

I’m confident Bert will do his part.

NORTHERN WILDS October - November 2011

17

By Deane Morrison UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA STARWATCH

October - November

LEFT: A soft-focus river runs through Copper Falls State Park, Michigan. TOP: A chipmunk says “cheese” near Chester Creek, Duluth.

CAMERA SHY

Turns Out a Picture is Worth a Thousand Words eras, which offer exactly When I was 18, I spent two options for customtwo and a half months in izing your shots: pointNew Zealand. I hiked ing and clicking. through misty, primevallooking forests with giant Years later, I acquired ferns straight out of the a fancypants digital Jurassic Period. Skidded camera with optical down sand dunes on a zoom and more proskimboard. Saw kauri cessing power than the trees with trunks so big entire Apollo 11 misit would take a dozsion. But I had little en men to circle them idea of how to use it. So with outstretched arms. two autumns ago I venBY SHELBY GONZALEZ Huffed and puffed over tured to Michigan with the Tongariro Crossing Wisconsin photograbetween Mounts Tongariro and pher Anna Martineau-Merritt, who Ngauruhoe. (Ngauruhoe doubled shot this issue’s cover. The goal was to for Mount Doom in the Lord of the shoot fall colors and learn a little bit Rings fi lms.) about how to use a camera.

Miss Guided

In those two and a half months, guess how many rolls of fi lm I used?

Four.

“I want to experience the experience, not photograph it,” I would explain, with the kind of earnest insufferability only an 18-year-old can muster. “My memory is my fi lm.”

Part of the reason I wasn’t snapping photos left and right was that I was working with disposable fi lm cam-

First lesson: The sunny days that make hiking a joy are less than ideal for photo shoots. Overcast conditions are ideal for water shots. Lucky for us, the sky was gray and there was little wind.

We fueled up on gas-station coffee and set out early. Our first destination was the Presque Isle River. The leaves were a riot of red, yellow and orange.

We hauled tripods and cameras down to the rain-slicked riverbank. Tripods

are essential for stability, which you need when doing a shot with slow shutter speed.

That was the second lesson and most exciting thing I learned that day. The silky waterfall shots I have always envied and marveled at are achieved with a slow shutter speed. Such shots don’t work on sunny days because the sun glare off the water turns the image into a mass of white.

Down by the river, I fiddled with my shutter speed until—lo and behold—my camera captured a silkywater shot.

From there we went to Lake of the Clouds, which was barely visible through the rain that had sprung up.

Oh well. Then we sped to Copper Falls State Park to catch the fading light. Photographers call the hour before sunset “the golden hour” for the muted glow it gives the landscape.

I was hooked. Bright colors and interesting compositions started jumping out at me all the time. I began carrying my camera in my shoulder bag.

Instead of hiking fast, I meandered, camera in hand.

These days—as any of my exasperated travel companions will tell you—I might snap more shots in a day than I used to take in months. This summer I went to Manitoba (see page 20) and in five days took nearly 600 pictures.

Now I just need to plan a return trip to New Zealand.

Look east on Oct. 1 for an astronomical treat: Mars in Cancer’s Beehive star cluster.

The mid-autumn sky presents several spectacles this year, and they waste no time in getting started. About two hours before dawn on Oct. 1, grab your binoculars and look to the east. You’ll see the bright star Regulus, in Leo, and above and slightly to its right the reddish beacon of Mars. On that morning, the Red Planet appears in the midst of the lovely Beehive star cluster of Cancer—a stunning sight.

Check back on the morning of Nov. 11 to see Mars in a close pairing with Regulus.

Saturn appears in the morning sky near the beginning of November and climbs higher in the east as the month goes by. Our long wait for the planet to open its glorious rings fi nally comes to an end, and on Nov. 22 Saturn gives us another treat. About 90 minutes before sunrise that day, Saturn, the star Spica in Virgo, and a crescent moon will form a graceful curve low in the southeast.

Jupiter makes a terrific apparition this fall, thanks to the giant planet coming almost as close to Earth as it ever does. The best time to see it is around Oct. 28, when Earth glides between the sun and the planet, and Jupiter will be up all night.

The planet shines a brilliant yellow and follows the Great Square of Pegasus across the sky.

If you’ve missed Venus, hold tight. The planet is now climbing up through the setting sun’s afterglow and will be an “evening star” this winter.

October’s full Hunter’s Moon will be a beauty, rising the evening of Oct. 11, only three hours before true fullness. November’s full moon rises two and a half hours past fullness on Nov. 10; this moon was known to Algonquin Indians as the Beaver Moon.

18

NORTHERN WILDS October - November 2011

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If you would like to take up bowhunting, now is the time to begin preparing for next year. That’s the advice from Scott Puch at Superior Lumber in Grand Marais. Puch, an avid archer and purveyor of archery equipment, says it takes time to become proficient at shooting a bow.

“You can’t buy a bow, crawl into a tree and shoot a deer,” he says. “In respect for the animal, you want to know you have the ability as an archer to make a clean kill.”

As outdoor sports go, you can get started in bowhunting at relatively little expense. You can buy a decent, bow for less than $200 and get a halfdozen carbon arrows for around $50.

You can upgrade your bow and add accessories as you learn more about archery. For a total investment of less than $500, spread over a couple

of years, you can purchase everything you need to be a bowhunter.

It’s important not to start with too much bow—one with a draw weight that is difficult for you to pull back. Puch suggests starting out with a lesser draw weight and then getting a stronger bow later once you’ve learned how to shoot.

“You want to be able to control your shot,” he says. “If you start out right, you’ll develop good habits.”

Where can you practice? Many archers have a target set up in their backyard. You can also join an archery club or an informal group of shooters. Puch says he gets together about once a week during the winter with other archers to shoot at the local high school. Some are hunters, others

just enjoy target shooting. More than a few are kids and women.

Puch says an aspect of bowhunting he finds attractive is the length of the deer hunting season, which begins in September and ends after Christmas.

By contrast, the deer gun season is only two weeks long.

He also likes the challenge of attempting to get close enough whitetail to kill it with an arrow. Doing so is never easy. Puch, like many bowhunters, finds that challenge has become the focus of his hunting.

“I never pick up a gun anymore,” he says, “because bowhunting is such a great sport.”

NORTHERN WILDS October - November 2011

Ready, Set, SNOW! Prep your outdoor gear for winter

By Shelby Gonzalez Ready or not, winter is on its way.

Whatever your choice of outdoor recreation—whether you dream of candlelit cross-country trails, powder days on the slopes, glassy waves or wolfhaunted backcountry campsites—you can prep for the coming season by giving your equipment the once-over.

Start with your everyday outdoor apparel items: boots, jackets and parkas.

Clean everything and re-apply waterproofing as necessary. Check for fit and wear. Does your venerable down jacket leak so many feathers you look like a cat that just ate a canary? Might be time for a replacement. Do your boots fit, with enough room for wool socks and air circulation? This is a particular consideration for fast-growing kids—last year’s duds may not do the trick this year.

Also consider function. Did your feet stay warm last winter?

Maintenance for winter gear is simi-

lar across different pursuits. Here is the rundown from Beth Ambrosen, guide and “administrative goddess” at Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply in Grand Marais.

Snowshoers start a snow-kicking war on Boulder Lake near

“Prepping for Duluth. winter actually begins in the spring when you store your skis. You want to strip off the old wax all the way down to the bare surface and reapply a glide wax for protection over the summer. Store them properly, retaining the camber of the skis.

“In the winter season when you pull them out, you shouldn’t have to reapply the glide wax. You should just be able to buff them up using a waxing towel and apply a ski wax.

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NORTHERN WILDS October - November 2011

Hasta La Vista,

Manitoba

Wilderness Waterfowl

In August, I spent five days exploring the attractions of a neighboring— and quite neighborly— region. I discovered there is more to Manitoba than meets the eye.

Take the wildlife. While most of the province is prairie, Riding Mountain National Park is a patch of boreal forest reminiscent of the Northern Wilds, with elk, moose, black bears and wolves, plus a herd of bison. To the far north is Churchill, home of beluga whales and polar bears.

H i s t o r y abounds. West of Winnipeg, you will occasionally spot churches crowned with onion domes that look like something straight out of Istanbul. These are Ukranian Catholic churches.

Some sport ornately hand-painted interiors.

I got a taste of Ukraine by baking bread in a traditional clay oven at Trembowla Cross of Freedom Historical Site and Museum near Dauphin.

Another culinary treat was an al fresco lunch at Aditis Touch Greenhouse in Onanole, featuring walleye, heirloom vegetables, and a dessert of homemade icecream.

Somewhere between Poor M i c h a e l ’ s Bookshop in Onanole and the famous “Stone Angel” statue in Neepawa (the lily capital of Canada), I realized I will have to come back.

Hasta la vista, Manitoba. —Shelby Gonzalez Bread and buffalo photos courtesy of JOHN HEIM/TRAVEL MANITOBA

The author playing jack-in-the-box in a coffin blind.

Hunting for waterfowl in Northwestern Ontario is a great pastime that gets little acknowledgement. Being so close to Manitoba and its incredible duck- and goosehunting opportunities makes the Northwest seem like an ugly stepdaughter. Yet the hunting for ducks and geese here can be spectacular.

try lake that was bowlshaped and loaded with wild rice. We set up on a rocky point, and tossed some mallard decoys out, as well as a couple of goldeneye and geese dekes on the edges.

As we sat and watched, huge flocks of ringnecked ducks flew circles around the lake. They looked like nothing so much as a bunch of giant bees, the flock shape shifting as they flew. We enjoyed some exciting pass shooting on these ducks, and also took a few bonus mallards. It was an incredible experience, made all the more special by the sheer remoteness of it. There were no other hunters around, and probably wouldn’t be anytime soon.

Canadian Trails

BY GORD ELLIS

Some of my favourite outdoor experiences ever have taken place in duck blinds along Northwestern Ontario lakes and rivers. I remember one trip to the Longlac area where a few friends and I paddled down a meandering river and set up in an oxbow. The array of ducks species we saw was amazing. We threw out decoys and soon had mallards, black ducks and gadwall dropping into them. There were also green-wing teal buzzing by like tiny jet planes. The hunting was fast and varied. In a couple of hours, we’d managed a brace of birds and seen the spectrum of northern ducks.

Another time, near Ignace, a friend and I grunted a canoe into a backcoun-

Lake Superior also offers unique waterfowl hunts. Early in the season, the river mouths and wetlands hold any number of duck species. The local birds are the focus of the early hunt, but these are soon replaced by flocks of northern mallards in October. Just before the snow fl ies, big groups of scaup arrive and raft up on Lake Superior.

These are not easy birds to hunt, but it can be done if you have the gear and intestinal fortitude to deal with Gitchee-Gumee in November. This is not a hunt for the faint of heart.

As much as the wilderness water hunts are fun, the agricultural fields on the outskirts of Thunder Bay, Fort Frances and Dryden are much easier for most urban hunters to access. Here are found some enormous flocks of geese and a few mallards. The geese are attracted to the wide variety of grains left behind from the harvest.

Although the hunting can start in early September, the really big numbers of geese that show up in October and early November.

Most field hunters use what’s called a coffin blind. This contraption allows you to lie in the field fully covered by camoufl age. Generally a large set of goose decoys is set up in such a way that the birds will fly into them and make fi nal approach very close to the hunters. The migrating geese are then called into the decoys by one of the hunters. When the birds are within range, you pop out of the coffin blind much like a jack-in-the-box. It’s an exciting way to hunt these large birds.

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23

Garlic: Good for Salads, Bad for Vampires Garlic—the queen of flavorings and the bane of cold germs—is one of the finest things you can grow in your garden. Its beautiful green spikes give promise of greattasting dishes and sauces all summer long as it works its magic below the soil.

When the lowest three leaves of each garlic plant turn brown and crispy at the end of July or early August, it’s time to lift the bulbs from the soil and see what this year’s growing season has provided.

My garlic was incredible this year, as were the harvests from many gardens on the North Shore. Big, succulent cloves cleaved from the bulbs are full of piquant flavor. My salad dressings and pestos have never tasted so good.

the Accidental

Gardener

BY JOAN FARNAM

Here in the Northern Wilds, it’s best to grow hardnecked garlic. The soft-neck varieties, which you can easily craft into those spectacular garlic braids you see in Italian restaurants, do not weather our extreme temps very well. But the hard-neck varieties thrive, and there are quite a few to choose from.

Some, like Russian Red and Siberian, are streaked with purple on their outer coverings and store well.

Another variety, Music, for example, is a porcelain garlic with white skins and large cloves. I grew a little of each this year, but must admit I can’t tell the difference in fl avor. Garlic growers claim that Music has a milder fl avor than the robust reds, but my Music is loud and noisy, and I like that.

ad’s D y M

Sa Garlic

ng i s s e r lad D garlic

Both purple-striped and porcelain

hardneck varieties grow well in the a lic in r a Northern Wilds. g f e o e clov ing bowl. g r d n la a edu for names of commercial grown mix epper H one lack p es of the CRUS to a woode b ers as well as lots more info about d e t ra sid press in eshly g gainst the garlic. Minnesotagrown.com is also r f d n d. er a alt a e s h t ix D e d a great site to fi nd sources for garlic m g D n o ll A t il a ntil we them live o , i.e. o and other produce. y t work ith a fork u li ion ua ood q o-1 proport spoon g bowl w a t Garlic needs good, well-drained le u -t 1 tab in a 3 URE o soil with lots of organic matter, MEAS e vinegar ve oil and bowl. in a pH between 6.2 and 6.8, and red w spoons oli the mixing ired. le b a d to , if des t d d plenty of nitrogen, phosphorous a r 3 a d t il s n t u n r, a ture u s dr y m and potassium. Prepare the beds vinega ix n o m o c p garli teas 2 e h 1 well with compost and wellt D ith AD ther w e rotted manure and plant each g d o e t r ove SWI R L e d . t in a c or more. clove about 6 inches apart, p e k e ifi b can week emuls g a r in s blunt end down, about two to o s f e r r o Extra d he refrigerat three weeks after the fi rst killt r in glass ja ing frost. You don’t want to plant too early. The growing tips shouldn’t breach the top of the ground before winter, but you do want the garlic to Extension service, establish a good root system before the ground freezes.

According to the University of Minnesota purple varieties like the Siberian store the best, but I’ve never had problems with Music. Garlic needs to be stored in a cool, dry, dark place, and is usually bundled and hung in the room for good air circulation.

I got my starting bulbs from Ann Rosenquist, a local gardener who has been selecting for the growing conditions in Grand Marais for years. That’s actually the best way to get your seed stock—fi nd out who has great luck and beautiful bulbs in your area and buy from them. Check the Minnesota Extension web site at www.extension.umn.

It’s always good to mulch with straw after the ground is hard. That keeps the temps even and prevents heaving in the spring. When the weather begins warming, you can pull the straw away from the rows and leave it as ground cover for the growing season.

Garlic has medicinal properties that will help keep you healthy. If you have vampires in your neighborhood, hanging a head of garlic around your neck should ward them off. And remember, everything except breakfast cereal will probably taste better with a little garlic.

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NORTHERN WILDS October - November 2011

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New Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Book Marcy Bolinger says Around a Woodsy Corner may be her ďŹ rst and only book. She enjoyed writing it, but she didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t realize how much work it would eventually entail. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It took three years to write and publish,â&#x20AC;? she says.

Inspired by time spent in the woods with her grandchildren, Bolinger, who has a cabin on Tom Lake north of Hovland, wrote a book about going for an ATV ride and encountering northwoods wildlife along the way. It is colorfully illustrated by Rhonda Weitzel, her sister-in-law. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My grandchildren have a love for the area,â&#x20AC;? Bolinger says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Where else can you go out and see a moose?â&#x20AC;?

Around a Woodsy Corner is available at North Shore gift shops. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Shawn Perich

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When I received the Mountain Hardware Kanza, I was surprised by its light weight. The size medium weighs in at just over three pounds and offers 55 liters (3,350 cu. in.) capacity, yet manages to include the adjustability and features of a heavier pack. For example, the vertical position of the waistbelt can be adjusted. The Kanza offers a litany of organizational and comfort features, including generously padded straps, back panel, waistbelt and lumbar pad; a front pocket; elastic side pockets; a zippered lid with bungee webbing on top, two isolation pockets; compression straps; ski pole/ice tool straps and stowable sleeping-pad straps.

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Adjusting the Leki Cressida Aergon SpeedLock AS trekking poles is a snap.

You simply flip out the two blazeorange clips, extend the pole to your desired height (the range is 65-125 cm), and flip the clips back in place to lock it. Repeat with the other pole. It took about as much time as tying my shoes. Second, the poles were superlight—17.4 ounces, to be exact—and the grips fit my hands nicely. The Cressidas are part of Leki’s “Wildflower” line designed for women. They were a great help on a recent hike. The carbide tips never slipped after I planted them, even on bare rock. Hiking downhill was made easier by the poles because the soft antishock system absorbed some of the impact of each step. It was love at first hike. MSRP $139.95. More information at www.leki.com. –Shelby Gonzalez

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Join the Northern Wilds Team We are looking for a motivated individual to sell display advertising for Northern Wilds and other projects along the North Shore. The salesperson will be given a list of established accounts and a generous commission. Must have a reliable vehicle, good computer skills and a current passport.

Contact Shawn 218-387-9475 editor@northernwilds.com CLASSIFIED RATES: $5 per line. 3 line minimum. 50 characters per line including spaces and punctuation. All classifieds must be submitted in writing via mail, fax or email. (If emailing, please call to pay by credit card) Cost of ad is per insertion. Additional Options: Bold & CAPS: per word: .50¢/ Entire Ad: $9.00. Centered: $5.00. Fax or mail advertisment to: Northern Wilds Media, Inc, PO Box 26, Grand Marais, MN 55604 Phone/Fax: 218-387-9475 Email: class@northernwilds. com. For display classified ads (with photos/logos/boxes), please contact Calie Vannet at 218-387-9475 or email calie@ northernwilds.com. Issue Deadlines: The 12th of these months: Jan, March, May, July, Sept

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NORTHERN WILDS October - November 2011

What Sank the

was then they saw a huge wave pouring green water over their entire vessel.

Fighting the water, the crew got the ship’s bow back up, but then, Cooper recalled, “Another wave just like the first one or bigger hit us again.” The massive waves slammed the Anderson, and then raced toward the wounded Fitzgerald, travelling a mile a minute. If they continued on course, the super waves would have hit the Fitzgerald 10 minutes later. Cooper’s observations seem to support the rogue wave theory of the Fletchers.

Edmund Fitzgerald?

Almost 36 years after the Edmund Fitzgerald sank to the bottom of Lake Superior, taking its 29 crew members with her, mystery still surrounds just what happened on Sunday, Nov. 9, 1975 to sink the 729-foot freighter.

of the Edmund Fitzgerald.”

For 17 years, the Fitzgerald was the “Pride of the American Flag,” setting all kinds of tonnage and shipping records. On Nov. 9, 1975, when she sailed out onto Lake Superior from

BY ELLE ANDRAWARNER Superior, Wis. with The U.S. Coast veteran mariner Guard investigation laid the blame on the crew not Capt. Ernest McSorley in comproperly securing the hatches, mand, she had already logged a but their findings were met with total of 748 voyages and sailed scepticism. After the inquiry, the over one million miles. It was question remained: What sank her 17th winter of battling the the Edmund Fitzgerald?

November storms on the Great Two internationally known Lakes. But the storm she would Canadian divers think they may experience in the coming hours have the answer. So compelling would be so intense, so ferocious, was their case on the TV docu- that even Capt. McSorley commentary series “Dive Detectives” mented it was “one of the worst that singer/songwriter Gordon seas” he had ever seen.

Strange Tales

Lightfoot revised some of the lyrics of his ballad, “The Wreck

By 7 p.m. the next day (Nov. 10), the battered ship had a bad

Some considered the Fitzgerald’s crooked launch an ill omen. | AUTHOR’S COLLECTION

list, had lost both radars and was taking heavy seas. She was about 14 miles from the safe harbour of Whitefish Bay, just a little over 90 minutes of sailing time.

At 7:10 p.m., when asked how they were making out, Capt.

McSorley told the Arthur M. Anderson—which was sailing about 10 miles behind her—replied, “We are holding our own.”

It was the last time anyone heard from the Fitzgerald. By 7:15 pm, the Edmund Fitzgerald and her crew of 29 had disappeared.

Last year, after leading their own research and investigation into the sinking, including simulating the actual weather and sea condi-

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tions, Canadians Mike Fletcher and his son Warren concluded that a rogue wave delivered the fi nal blow to an already damaged ship. Their findings support what Capt. Jessie “Bernie” Cooper of the Arthur M. Anderson experienced shortly before they lost contact with the Fitzgerald.

Cooper and his First Mate had been watching their radar closely when they felt an unexpected bump. The Anderson lurched. It

So do the results of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) when a few years ago they recreated the Fitzgerald storm using 21st-century tools.

NOAA concluded the storm’s worst marine conditions occurred briefly in a small specific area of Lake Superior—and that location was “coincident with the time and location at which the ship Edmund Fitzgerald was lost.”

In other words, Lake Superior’s perfect storm window was short, but was big enough to swallow the Fitzgerald—an ailing ship in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The Legendar y Grea

t Lakes Shipwreck

Elle Andra-Warner is the author of Edmund Fitzgerald: The Legendary Great Lakes Shipwreck.

Elle Andra-Warner

NORTHERN WILDS October - November 2011

27

The Moose that Laid the Golden Egg The epic tale of Elyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s moose sleigh Back in Ely's logging days the lumber companies would hire people to provide â&#x20AC;&#x153;pine beef â&#x20AC;?â&#x20AC;&#x201D;mostly moose or caribouâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;to feed the lumberjacks. One hunter was a crooked-armed trapper named Mike Kelly.

horses. The problem was that they wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t move.

Nothing Ed Crossman tried could make the animals take a step forward, much less pull a cart. Just as Crossman was about to give up on his investment, his wife Addie asked if she might try. He was dubious, but had no other option.

Addie sat down and grabbed the reins.

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felt she died of a broken heart. Once, in a world of one-horse towns, Ely could boast of being a two-moose kind of place.

ISNABA E HN A

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One fall, he shot a cow moose, only to discover that sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d had two calves. Rather than shoot them, he looped IRON MIKE HILLMAN ropes around their necks and She made a clicking sound marched them into town out of the side of her mouth, on the old logging road running east to- snapped the reins, and the two moose ward the Kawishiwi River. He walked started off as if they had been working toup Sheridan Street to the front of the gether all their lives.

Crossman Saloon and Buffet and tied his Others tried, but the only person the moose to the hitching post. moose would heed was Addie Crossman.

Mike Kelly entered the saloon and asked All winter, Ed Crossmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plan of atowner Ed Crossman to pour him three tracting business with moose sleigh rides ďŹ ngers of whiskey and a schooner of cold worked well. beer. By this time, the saloon was starting When the snow melted and the streets to ďŹ ll up with curious people. turned to mud, he gave his wife and her Ed Crossman saw that these two moose now-famous team some time off. In a few would be a great gimmick to bring peo- weeks the town would ďŹ ll with lumberple into his business. Before the night jacks ďŹ&#x201A;ush with cash after a winter in the was over, he and Mike Kelly made a deal. woods and Crossman would arranged for Ed Crossman became the owner of two a photographer to offer commemorative moose. picturesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;for a fee, of course. There was He concocted a plan to offer moose- gold in them thar mooses. drawn cart and sleigh rides. He kept the Then, just before they were going to moose at his farm on Shagawa Lake, work- make Ed Crossman rich, one of them vaning on getting them used to being in har- ished. No one knows just what happened ness. The moose didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mind being har- to that moose, though there were dark runessed, and they were as quiet as two old

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Take the Northshore to Ely and Discover the end of the road

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Piragis Northwoods Company 105 North Central Avenue, Ely, Minnesota 1-800-223-6565 218-365-6745

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NORTHERN WILDS October - November 2011

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Ski trail map and information

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