Milan Huard has plans for August. The avid deer hunter from Duluth is going to build a wooden bow at the North House Folk School in Grand Marais, courtesy of Northern Wilds. Huard won $500 in North House class credits as the first place prize in our 2012 Northern Wilds Adventure Awards contest. When contacted by phone, he was surprised, as in “I never win anything,” and very happy. He said he’d entered the contest shortly after visiting the North House last summer and learning about the bow-building class. Lori Young of Duluth is going on an adventure. She won our second place prize, a half-day winter or summer adventure from Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply in Grand Marais, which means she can try just about any outdoor activity from dog sledding to sea kayaking. Taking our third place prize was Mary Brett of Eveleth, who will spend her $50 gift certificate at the outdoor store of her choice. Our other winners were picked by you. Adventure Awards entries listed your favorite places in the Northern Wilds. The top choices are shown here.

Category	First	Second	Third
Park	Tettegouche	Cascade	Gooseberry
Scenic Overlook	Palisade	Hawk Ridge	Mount Josephine
Hiking Trail	Superior Hiking Trail	Oberg Mountain
Waterfall	High Falls/Pigeon River	Gooseberry	Devil's Kettle
Beach	Park Point	Paradise	Brighton
Rock Picking Spot	Agate Bay	Temperance River	Thompsonite Beach
Campground	Tettegouche	Split Rock	BWCAW
Ski Trail	Banadad	Pincushion	Korkki
Fall Color Drive	Caribou Trail	Honeymoon Trail	Heartbreak Hill
Festival	Grand Marais Fisherman's Picnic	Grand Portage Rendezvous Days	Ely Blueberry Festival
Bike Trail	Mesabi	Gitchi Gami	Munger
Fishing Hole	"I'll Never Tell"
Day Trip	Grand Marais	Grand Portage	Gunflint Trail
Wild Food	Blueberries	Raspberries	Wild Rice

We’d like to thank everyone who participated in the 2012 Adventure Awards. We plan to have another reader participation event this summer. But for now, pour a cup of coffee and sit down to enjoy this issue of Northern Wilds. You won’t have to leave your favorite armchair to find plenty of adventures. —Shawn Perich & Amber Pratt

Winter has a way of sneaking up on you. Most of us finish up with autumn backyard chores and hunting seasons just in time to get swept up in the holiday rush. The next thing you know, it’s Christmas. And nearly always in this neck of the woods, it’s white.

Tourism operators often say the winter season begins with the Christmas holidays. However, that doesn’t mean winter lovers are hunkered down indoors when December snows start to fall. Although the days are short, many of us find ways to get out and enjoy them, whether for a first ski, a snowmobile ride or an early ice-fishing excursion. Not only do we get a little preview of fresh air, but those December romps are a preview of the winter to come.

When winter arrives in all its cold and snowy glory, we’re ready for it. In the Northern Wilds, folks refuse to stay indoors. We get out there and have fun. Some folks, like writer/photographer Bryan Hansel, explore nearly endless cross-country ski trails or head off into untracked snow. Unlike, most of us, the intrepid Hansel doesn’t settle for skis, but also finds time to launch his sea kayak among Lake Superior’s ice flows.

Wildlife photographer Mike Furtman has found the cold doesn’t affect his camera gear if careful with it, so he can continue pursuing photogenic critters in a winter world. Javier Serna likes to bundle up and go ice fishing, ever hopeful they’re biting beneath the ice. Lee Boyt says you don’t need to own a snowmobile to hit the Northern Wilds’ many miles of groomed trails, because you can rent them from local businesses.

Mushing enthusiasts can participate as spectators or volunteers in three different dog races this winter: the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon, Ely’s WolfTrack Classic and the Gitchigami Express. While the long-distance Beargrease has a plethora of activities round its Duluth start, the new Gitchigami Express is designed as a spectator-friendly stage race, where daily starts and evening events allow opportunities to get close to the dogs and meet the mushers. The mid-distance WolfTrack Classic will begin in Ely and finish at the new community center in Cook.

For those who prefer to ride out winter in an easy chair, we offer some fine reading. Ion Mike Hillman spins an unusual ice-fishing yarn about his frozen father. Elle Andra-Warner takes a closer look at mysterious mooring stone found at many locations across the Northern Hemisphere. And ever-green Joan Farnam offers at interesting look at how a warming climate is beginning to affect gardening. So settle in and start reading. A long and lovely winter lies ahead.
—Shawn Perich and Amber Pratt

Wow, what a summer. After a wet start in June that brought flooding first to Thunder Bay and then to Duluth, we basked in sunshine that delivered smiles to everyone from anglers to gardeners. Legions of visitors flocked to the Northern Wilds to enjoy our weather, too.

But all good things come to an end—especially northern summers. Up here, it isn’t unusual to see snowflakes mixed among the falling leaves. Call it crazy, but most of us who live here welcome the snow’s arrival. This is especially true of our contributors. In this issue you’ll find cold-weather gear roundups from three writers who really know their stuff—Lee Boyt, Kate Watson and Bryan Hansel. You’ll also find a historical look at famous fall storms from Breana Roy, who often tracks current weather events at the Cook County Airport.

Mike Furtman and Shelby Gonzalez ventured into the forest to help us discover a couple of common, but uncommonly seen birds—the spruce grouse and the saw-whet owl. Elle Andra-Warner reports from the woods about a little-known and mysterious crash of B-47 bomber that may have been armed with nuclear weapons. Mike Hillman tells us about an old-time northwoods cure-all, the union suit.

In this issue, we are proud to share some hunting stories you may not read anywhere else. As you likely already know, many folks who love the Northern Wilds are alarmed at the steep and rapid decline of the moose population. Managing editor Javier Serna talked to tourist operators, hunting guides and others to learn their perspectives about moose and the state and tribal moose hunts (lasting over three months) that continue in spite of the decline. Gord Ellis reports moose numbers are falling in northwestern Ontario, too. Since Minnesota is scheduling its first hunting season for wolves, Ellis also reports on who hunts wolves in Ontario, which has a hunt, and how they do it.

If hunting isn’t your thing, Breana Roy tells about some places where you can hike in October and November and not encounter hunters. Joan Farnam explains why you should begin planning next year’s garden now. After all, it’s never too early to begin dreaming of spring.

—Shawn Perich and Amber Pratt

Summer has sweltered just about everywhere but here. While the rest of the Midwest has suffered through a summer of record-breaking high temperatures, we’ve enjoyed the natural air conditioning provided by Lake Superior. Up here, on a hot day temperatures are in the 80s.

The Northern Wilds is a great place to chill out—and not just because we have great weather. Where else can you find so many cool things to do? Between Lake Superior, the rugged hills rising from its shores and the lake-studded wilderness known as the canoe country, you can get wet, climb high and be wild.

We did all of that in June, when Northern Wilds visited Ontario, courtesy of Thunder Bay Tourism. Kate Watson, Jim Boyd, Amber Pratt and Shawn Perich spent four days seeing the sights and meeting the people involved in tourism and community development from the border at Pigeon River all the way to the city of Marathon.

We’ve shared some photos from the trip in this issue. In upcoming issues, we’ll have more detailed stories about the places we visited and what we learned along the way. We were impressed with the Prince Arthur’s Landing waterfront development in Thunder Bay, as well as community revitalization efforts taking place in the former mill towns along the North Shore. Much of Lake Superior, its islands and shores are included in Canada’s first National Marine Conservation Area and comprised the largest freshwater protected area in the world. It is easy to envision this area becoming a prime destination for adventure recreation.

For now, Thunder Bay and the Ontario North Shore’s many wonders are waiting to be discovered—even by many folks who love Lake Superior. To cross the border, all you need is a passport—required to re-enter the United States—and a clean criminal record. If you have a conviction, such as for DUI, call Canada Customs in advance of your trip. If the conviction is more than five years old, you will likely be allowed to enter Canada. For the vast majority of Northern Wilds adventurers, crossing the border is remarkably easy. So head north and chill out in the wildest corner of the Northern Wilds.

—Shawn Perich and Amber Pratt