Northern Wilds - Explore the Northern Wilds

You Gotta Get Out of the Woods...

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:07:35 UT

Moving to the Gunflint Trail with visions of becoming a northwoods Crocodile Dundee, the author eventually found satisfaction in owning and operating a construction business there. This self-published book chronicles his adventures along the trail and is amply illustrated with photos of moose and other wildlife he has encountered, as well as photos of the 2007 Ham Lake Fire.

The Arrowhead—A Lake Superior Portfolio

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:04:55 UT

For seven years, the author photographed North Shore landscapes with a large format camera. This self-published book, his first, showcases 43 of his North Shore images. From Split Rock to Pigeon River, the photographs show the colors and moods of the natural world through the seasons.

Venison Stew for the Nature Lover’s Spirit

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:03:08 UT

Many folks enjoy feeding and watching wildlife in their backyards, but few get as up-close-and-personal with the critters as does the author. Her short stories chronicle adventures with porcupines, bears, deer, skunks and more around her backyard in Poplar, Wis. This self-published work is illustrated with 140 of the author’s photographs.

Lake Superior Rocks and Minerals—A Field Guide to the Lake Superior Area

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:00:42 UT

Rock pickers and beachcombers will enjoy this pocket guide to the rocks and pebbles they are likely to find along Lake Superior beaches and elsewhere in the region. Illustrated with excellent color photographs on 75 rocks and minerals accompanied with clear written descriptions, this book is a great addition to any rockhound’s collection.

Old Reliables—Three Guides Share Their Favorite Fishing Lures

Shawn Perich — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 17:54:21 UT

Sometimes it seems there are as many ways to catch fish as there are anglers. But experienced anglers usually have a few tricks up their sleeve for consistently catching fish. Very often, those tricks include the use of a favorite lure. We talked to three experienced fishing guides who shared their favorite fishing lures for consistently catching fish in the Northern Wilds.

Nipigon Launches Paddle-to-the-Sea Park

Elle Andra-Warner — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 17:48:11 UT

When the international best-selling children’s book Paddle-to-the-Sea was first published in 1941, it is unlikely the book’s Michigan-born author and illustrator Holling C. Holling imagined it would someday launch a $4.3 million destination theme park in the small town of Nipigon (pop. 1,752) on Lake Superior. But it did. Ten years in the making, the Paddle-to-the-Sea Park was officially opened this spring.

Did You Bring the Clubs? Golfing in the Northern Wilds

Shelby Gonzalez — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 17:43:48 UT

Over 40 golf courses pepper the Northland, and while these courses vary in size, difficulty, price tag and cachet, they share a set of features that makes golfing in the northern wilds unlike golfing anywhere else in the world.

Sailing Lake Superior

Joan Farnam — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 17:34:42 UT

Want to get out on Lake Superior and sail the big water? There are plenty of opportunities along the North Shore do to just that this summer.

Lifejackets are a Vital Part of Water Sport Gear

Ada Igoe — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 17:31:59 UT

A few years back, paddler Brandee Wenzel took a day trip in June down a choppy Boundary Waters lake.

Wenzel stayed close to shore to avoid the wind gusts blowing down the lake and fanning out on the lake’s surface but, as she paddled across a bay, a gust of wind came down the water towards her. The wind blew a spinning waterspout about an arm span in width and raised about 4 to 5 inches from the water surface into Wenzel’s canoe, knocking her into the water without her lifejacket.

Pedaling the Piedmont Trails

Eric Chandler — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 17:29:04 UT

In a world of video games, when my 8-year-old boy says he wants to go mountain biking, I drop everything and go. The great thing about the Piedmont Trail system in Duluth is that you get a full-blown biking adventure—and it’s in the middle of the city.

Riding the Green Wave—Surfrider Foundation Chapter Growing in Minnesota

Shelby Gonzalez — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 17:21:33 UT

When Matt Pensyl moved to Duluth from San Diego in 2008, he sold his surfboards. As he wrote in an email interview, “I thought my surfing days were behind me.”

Then his wife, “Bless her heart,” discovered that Minnesota harbored a budding chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting water quality, beach access, and threatened surf breaks. Pensyl got involved. (Fellow Surfrider member Graeme Thickins described him as “kind of a master at organizing events.”) Now he is helping the chapter stage a local celebration of International Surfing Day.

Northern Sky

Deane Morrison — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 17:17:45 UT

What can beat watching the stars on a lazy summer night? Our first treat comes early, when Mars makes a close pass over the bright star Regulus in Leo, the lion. Looking to the west around 10 p.m. on June 6-7, you’ll see the reddish planet less than half a degree above Regulus, anchor of the Sickle of stars forming Leo’s head.

Lake Superior Day

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 16:50:46 UT

Some Lake Superior communities hold activities or events to celebrate Lake Superior Day, which is Sunday, July 18. Lake Superior Day was started in the early 1990s and is promoted by the Lake Superior Binational Forum to highlight the special connections people have to this unique world treasure. Anyone can hold activities or events that celebrate life on the lake. This year the theme is “Let’s Go Fly a Kite!” to symbolize clean energy sources such as wind power.

Chik-Wauk and Nature Center to Open

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 16:49:10 UT

After years of planning and work, the Gunflint Trail Historical Society will hold a grand opening for the Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center on July 4.

Navigating Highway Construction

Joan Farnam — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 16:46:29 UT

It is a year for highway construction in Duluth and along the North Shore. The biggest project is the rebuilding of I-35 through Duluth. Called the Mega Project, the $66.8 million undertaking will rebuild the freeway (including bridges) from Boundary Avenue to Mesaba Avenue and do major repair work on the pavement through downtown Duluth from Mesaba Avenue to 26th Ave. East.