Explore the Northern Wilds
[ In Features ]
Two winters ago, I was lucky enough to visit Hawaii. After dozens of wipeouts, I surfed a wave for the first time in my life. While I rested on my belly on my board, I watched an old man standing up on his board and smoothly paddling out to catch another wave. He was smiling even more than I was. I asked around and learned that what he was doing was called stand-up paddleboarding or SUP.
The 85-year-old Virginia may look like a distinguished lady as she motors along the wind-whipped surface of Rainy Lake near Voyageurs National Park, but her life story teems with drama and secrets. She sank twice – for each of her three owners. It was said that during Prohibition she was sometimes taken to Canada, loaded up with liquor and steered back to a small island, where a speed boat would come and pick it up the illicit goods for distribution in the United States.
more...
About an hour’s drive northeast from Thunder Bay on Highway 11/17 is the town of Nipigon, which some people call the “Crossroads of Canada’’ because it is here that Canada’s major highways intersect, and where Canada’s two transcontinental railways join to travel a pair of bridges over the Nipigon River.
more...
On June 26, 2010, my friend Greg Petry and I were sitting in a Duluth hotel room watching the 10 o’clock news. The desk anchors on Fox 21 segued to a feature segment about a couple of kayakers.
more...
When it came to northern Minnesota deer hunting, my father believed you took the good and the bad when it came to deer abundance. If Old Man Winter is kind for a year or two, whitetails are likely to be numerous in November. But in years when deer are decimated by snow and cold the previous winter, you have to hunt for your venison.
"When there's lots of deer, any jackass can shoot one," Dad would say. "And after a couple of good years, those jackasses expect to find a deer behind every bush, but it just doesn’t work that way in the woods."
more...
When I used to think about rubber boots, four things came to mind: waterproof, clunky, ugly and no traction. Except for being 100% waterproof, these Arctic Sport Mid Muck Boots couldn’t be further from that notion. Not only do these boots fit well on my feet, but they have excellent traction -- I don’t feel like I’m going to slip and slide while out walking my dog. Comfortable, easy to take on and off, and very warm, these boots have become my go-to pair as I head out the door.
more...
Long winter nights leave all of us fumbling for keyholes. ClipLit from Nite Ize, Inc. attaches to your key ring to provide a ready source of light. About the size of a quarter, Clip Lit has a built in carabiner you can snap to zipper pulls, backpacks, key rings or any place you need a small light. A small lithium battery provides 24 hours of continuous power to the LED.
more...
Everyone “otter” have an Otter Box. The company makes a selection of waterproof containers for carrying just about anything you want to keep safe and dry. The Otter Box 2500, shown here, has plenty of room to carry a cell phone, pocket camera and other small items. It’s convenient to keep in the cab of a pickup.
more...
The aforementioned qualities in the Jetboil Sol Advanced Cooking System makes super-economic use of fuel, with the smallest fuel canister (100 g) cooking about three days’ worth of breakfast, coffee and dinner. The stove includes a locking pot support that allows you to use larger pots and pans. All components, including the fuel canister, stow away nicely within the lightweight aluminum cooking vessel.
more...
I can stop looking—I’ve finally found THE cross-country ski pant. The Ibex Breakaway 2 Pant blends new soft shell technology with the old-school standby: temperature regulating and stink-fighting wool. These formfitting pants feature Climawool softshell panels on the front (a stretchy, breathable, wind- and water-resistant blend of nylon and wool), while the back is a plush wool knit. So far this winter I’ve used them in a range of conditions across the upper Midwest.
more...
