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Monthly Archives: January 2008
Snowfer: What Minnesota winters were made fer
For adrenaline junkies in Minnesota, the prospects for winter fun may seem…flat. Few ski hills to choose from. Just thousands of desolate frozen lakes, silent in their winter sleep. Hectares of snow-shrouded steppes laying fallow ’til spring thaw, right? Enter the Snowfer. Sails—no, flies!—over ice and even over snow alone. Looks wayyy cooler than snowmobiling (that’s gotta count for something, right?) And of course, no lift ticket required! I’ve been dreaming for one of these things for a while now. Anybody out there wanna go halfsies w/ me? Timeshare…?
Attempt at friction fire with pine
A North Carolina man (that is to say, not a Minnesotan) hones his survival skills by attempting a friction fire with various conifer woods. In the dead of winter, while neglecting to bring gloves. You know, fer fun!
Jabs aside, it is interesting and well-documented. It’s a blessing that our modern times have allowed ‘survival skills’ to become less of a necessity and more of an enjoyable hobby. And sure, there may be a time when you’re winter camping and have only resin-rich conifers to work with—and no matches. But for future reference, you *will* find this post filed under “Learn by Watching Others Sweat it Out”…
The Garmin Colorado joins the iPhone…in my dreams
I’m crying as I write this, Garmin. You must know that someday, perhaps our love could work… but today is not that day. No, please, let me explain… I adore the good looks of your Colorado 400i model, with its color display and uber-cool Rock ‘n’ Roller controls. And I love your brilliant mind too—all your built-in maps of US inland lakes, with depth counters and shoreline details. And I certainly can’t forget your heart—how you share routes and waypoints with others…so selflessly, so wirelessly.
It’s about your $600 pricetag. Don’t get me wrong, you’re worth every penny. It is I, who does not deserve you. [tear-stains] So this isn’t really a goodbye. Don’t think of it as a rejection. Please try to believe that maybe we *could* make that connection…in another time, another place, another income bracket.
Paddling Symposium
This time of year, paddlers begin to get restless. Longing for the open water, we pull out crackly maps from years past and plan the next trip. We put the finishing touches on voluminous, 46-page trip reports from last fall. And we sign up for the Far North Symposium, at St. Paul’s Metro State University, March 29th. Think MacWorld for canoe nerds. Presented this spring will be several adventures deep into some of Canada’s historic and most remote waterways, as told by seasoned paddle-folk. And there’ll be a fair share of gear talk as well. Registration is reeeally cheap, so y’oughta come see it, okay? via Canoeing.com
Isle Royale Wolf/Moose Study
Findings from fifty-year study (the longest such study ever done) on the predator/prey relationships of wolves and moose are being shared with the public. The anniversary will be commemorated in speaking engagements (sadly, none in Minnesota) and lesson plans for teachers. Like you, I’d wondered, Great, but what’s so unique about the study to warrant fifty long years? From the press release:
In the late 1940s, a pack of wolves made the treacherous trip across 15 to 20 miles of frozen waters of Lake Superior to Isle Royale, located not far from the Canadian border. There they found a wilderness island safe from hunters and traffic and home to an abundant moose herd. The wolves settled in to a self-contained ecosystem where they were virtually the only predators and the moose were their primary prey.
Wow, almost sounds like a trailer for some Disney flick, only really interesting. For more details on the findings, see the Study’s official site.
Beargrease Marathon Status
From heavy melts Monday and freezing rains overnight, to sled dogs eating their booties(?), it’s been a wild race so far. The weather conditions have definitely run a range, but they haven’t stopped the dogs nor the mushers yet. Don Galloway of Makinen, MN has been declared the winner of the Mid-Distance Marathon. Meanwhile, the first of the full-distance mushers left the halfway point at Trail Center around midnight, with New Hampshire resident Matt Carstens in the lead. Check back to this post for updates, or for up-to-the-minute coverage—as wireless signals allow—here.
UPDATE 1: …Better yet, pick from a slew of videos already on YouTube for the action…
UPDATE 2: Some of the teams are beginning to drop off as the temps continue to fall. At present, Blake Freking and Tim Calhoun are in the lead, overtaking Nathan Schroeder and Rita Wheseler.
UPDATE 3: Jason Barron, son of previous Beargrease champion John Barron, has emerged as the winner of this year’s race. Race finish details here. Congrats to all!
New rules for border crossing
Headed up into Quetico this year? Here’s a heads-up about new regulations, effective January 31, on acceptable forms of identification as you cross into Canada. Sounds like, “Hi, I’m Me, and I’m an American” won’t cut it anymore…
Boundary Waters Flickr Pool
When I joined the Boundary Waters Flickr Pool a few years back, there were maybe a dozen members. It’s now up to 150, turning out a steady current of beautiful images like “Morning Mists” here, by member Himalayafan. Make yourself happy today and pay the pool a lingering visit. Better yet, jump on in and add your photos.
Video of wolf catching deer in BWCA
This is fascinating! A winter camper captures several minutes’ footage of a wolf and its prey on a frozen lake. And at the end, a couple seconds of a dude wearing infrared stalker gear, apparently?
Easton’s big snowshoes leave small footprint
A longtime supplier of aluminum to snowshoe companies like Tubbs and Atlas will soon be producing its own line of 80% recyclable snowshoes. While Easton Snowshoes will sport handy features like asymmetrical frames and independently-pivoting crampons, their sense of environmental responsibility impresses me most. They will even take the snowshoes back for recycling if none is available in your area…Or if you can’t fetch a decent sum pawning them on Craigslist. via Trailspace.
UPDATE: I just called Tubbs customer service line to see if they offered a similar program for my aging pair; the rep I spoke with was unaware of one. Doh! Time to step up to the plate, fellas.
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