March 31st, 2008 | by Andy | published in BWCAW, Wildlife
Lately, I’ve been posting a bit about Northern Minnesota wildlife that’s either become increasingly uncommon, or increasingly unwelcome. But I’m happy to report there are all kinds of wonders for new eyes to discover, as well.
It was my wife who first spotted several odd things floating just under the surface of Ruby Lake, as we [...]
March 29th, 2008 | by Andy | published in BWCAW, Uncategorized
Say it isn’t so!
March 28th, 2008 | by Andy | published in Camping, Gear
“Hmmm…Veneerware disposable bamboo sporks, huh?” I was skeptical of these at first. And if you’ve already spent your REI dividend on a set of ultra-light, pure adamantium utensils, you may be tempted to turn your nose up at these sporks, too. I think we all can agree you should never put any kind of spork [...]
March 27th, 2008 | by Andy | published in BWCAW
Sadly, for the third time in its long history, the Hungry Jack Lodge was destroyed by a fire yesterday. The cause hasn’t yet been determined, but nearby resort owner Sue Prom, (also one of the volunteer firefighters brought in to help) has posted her account of the blaze on her blog.
Our thoughts and prayers go [...]
March 27th, 2008 | by Andy | published in BWCAW, Environment, North Shore
When I recently learned of the Department of Agriculture’s plan to treat 85,000 acres along the North Shore this year to fight gypsy moth infestation, I had two questions.
The first was, “Whoa, just how big an area is that?” It certainly sounded alarming. I really wanted to see a visual; some way to better understand [...]
March 26th, 2008 | by Andy | published in BWCAW, Camping, Canoeing, Resources
If you’ve been to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, we want to hear from you. We’re starting to build an online planning tool that will be a fresh, unique resource for folks like all of us. Yeah, we’re pretty jazzed about it.
This site will be for you. So we really need your help and [...]
March 26th, 2008 | by Andy | published in Outdoor Living
A record-setting $34,000 grant has funded the purchase of one sweet-looking hovercraft for the Excelsior Fire Department.
Optimized for winter use, the vehicle provides a far safer way to rescue dumb-as-an-ox snowmobilers and drunken ice fishermen, than using the common belly crawl. It’s also a handy ride when you need to go shopping for R-2 units [...]
March 25th, 2008 | by Andy | published in BWCAW, Camping, Canoeing, Kayaking, Resources
I’ve never taken a kayak into the BWCA, but while touring a stretch of the St. Croix a year ago, it didn’t take long to see some differences between kayak-camping and canoe-camping. Wish I’d read this article by seasoned kayaker Rob Lyon, there are great tips you can take away, even if you can’t afford [...]
March 25th, 2008 | by Andy | published in Art, Wildlife
We’ve added a few new pieces to the Vintage Wildlife Illustrations Flickr set. Grab your fieldglass and have a look.
March 24th, 2008 | by Andy | published in Gear
This water bottle from The Onion, made me laugh out loud. Of course, being plenty secure in my own rugged outdoorsiness, I’ve always carried water in an old leather wineskin at my side…
(Thanks, Chris!)
March 24th, 2008 | by Andy | published in Art
When it comes to photographing natural wonders, the Northern Lights are hard to beat. So try to beat other photographers instead, in the Top 20 Northern Lights Flickr Group. Any time you post a photo, you have to remove someone else’s. Or… if that kind of cutthroat competition is too nerve-jangling to your Scandihoovian disposition, [...]
March 24th, 2008 | by Andy | published in Art, BWCAW, Resources
An area photographer shares some user-friendly tips on how to get the best shots of the Aurora Borealis. Every bit helps, for a guy like me that still can’t turn my flashbulb off in broad daylight.
March 24th, 2008 | by Andy | published in Camping, Food
Let me make a stand on something: I’m against smothering the Real Meaning of Easter. Plain and simple, I don’t think after all Jesus went through for humankind on this historic weekend, that the guy deserves to play second string to clucking bunnies and creme-eggs.
That said, here’s a slightly lesser stand: I don’t believe there [...]
March 21st, 2008 | by Andy | published in BWCAW, Resources
One day last fall, my family and I put in on Snowbank Lake. On that day, there happened to be 40-mph gusts, with waves reaching 2-1/2 feet high. While passage across the lake gave me a newfound respect for Nature’s power, I was most impressed with all the windfalls literally crashing around us on the [...]
March 19th, 2008 | by Andy | published in Wildlife
It’s the first confirmed presence in the state in over 100 years, in fact. After an Oshkosh resident spooked the large cat from a his neighbor’s barn, he called in state biologists for a look. Though results on the cat’s paternal DNA aren’t yet in, testing has revealed its mother to be North American, meaning [...]