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Monthly Archives: October 2008
Make-and-take snowshoe workshop
$65 bucks won’t get you far on buying a pair of ultralight aluminum-frame snowshoes. But it’s all you’ll need in learning how to build your own Ojibway-style pair.Lake Carlos State Park in Alexandria, will be hosting a “make-and-take” 2-day snowshoe workshop on November 22-23. Says Ryan Sansness, assistant park manager at Lake Carlos. “The snowshoes will not only give you the ability to explore Minnesota’s winter wilderness, but you have the added satisfaction of knowing you made them yourself.”And hopefully, like last year, we’ll have enough snow this winter to actually be able to use them. Go here for details and signup.
Pine martens — ASSEMBLE!
Have you ever met a marten while out in the wilds of Minnesota? …uh, has anyone?
We were as surprised as you to read that our marten population is doing so well that the DNR is relocating 30 of ‘em across state lines. Wisconsin’s scrappy member of the weasel family, has seen a drop in numbers — enough to earn it an uncomfortable spot on that state’s endangered list. With fewer than 1,000 martens remaining in Wisconsin, it’s hoped that the 20 females and 10 males (who will have just finished their mating season) will bring about a change.
Each of the next few years will see additional deployments of 30 martens. This will significantly better your almost nonexistent chances of actually seeing one in Wisconsin, much less in Minnesota (where I guess, the streets are positively teeming with them.) May you live long and prosper, my furry compatriots!
Ultimate Essential Bushcraft Skills: Making little doohickeys from cattails
Rainbound inside your tent? Got nine minutes to kill while your Mountain High dinner rehydrates? Here’s a simple project to try on the next trip: How to make cattail ducks and swans.
Okay, okay, I’ll admit they are kinda cute. Even if the idea is totally stolen from how they wrap your leftovers in aluminum foil at Macaroni Grill.
UpNorthica Reviews: Gregory Triconi™ 60
Next to your boots, the most crucial piece of equipment to make or break a backpacking trip is your pack. If the pack doesn’t transfer weight to your hips, your back and shoulders are going to hurt. If it doesn’t have enough space for your gear, the amazing amount of noise hanging gear makes will let everyone know. The key aspects of a pack are the fit, suspension, loading/access points, size and build quality. Let’s look at how Gregory’s Triconi 60 stacks up. MORE
McCain, Obama and the BWCA
Backpacker recently posted an interview with the two candidates, on issues close to outdoor enthusiasts’ hearts. While it reveals few surprises, we found the subsequent readers’ poll far more intriguing…
Of the 989 readers asked, “Where do you think the next national park ought to be?” a significant 31% answered the Boundary Waters. This above Mount Hood and Glen Canyon. It’s nice to see that although the BWCA is soundly under the protection of the USFS, that there is that much advocacy out there.
How about you; where would you put the next national park?
Like a Boundary Waters for mountain bikers
Picture an idyllic dreamscape where crystal clear, fully-stocked lakes bejewel a vast expanse of forest… fringed with miles and miles of singletrack sweetness.Dream no more, mountain bike enthusiasts. Planning is underway to develop the Cuyuna Country Recreational Area into a destination of national prominence. In the years since mining operations ended there in the 60’s, pits have become lakes and the land has begun to reclaim its former glory. The state established Cuyuna Country there in 1993, and the location has been described as feeling much like the Boundary Waters. Now the state is partnering with several groups including the International Mountain Bike association, to add up to 40 miles of trails to the shorelines.We’ll be keeping our eyes on this exciting development. Hope to see you soon on these trails, too!
Quick! Bookmark this for the next time you see a black bear
Unless you’re like my sister-in-law, who’s extremely phobic of squirrels, you generally don’t need to worry about animal attacks in Minnesota. It really is a blessing to be able to camp in one of the safest places imaginable.
Just the same, Outdoorzy offers some sound advice on what to do if you do run into a black bear. Worth a look. And always remember, you don’t have to run faster than the bear to get away… just faster than the guy running next to you.
Thwarting bearpaws with a pigskin
Here’s a clever hack for one of the few unenjoyable tasks on the trail: hanging the bear bag.
While camping, father and son Chris and Adam Seitz came across a football someone had forgotten and later, some discarded parachute line. That’s when Adam scored a great idea:
At our site on Burnt Lake the tall trees were getting the best of our arms trying to string our bear ropes. Adam grabbed ‘Wilson’ and attached some parachute line that was left behind at a camp site on Kelly. And there you have it. ‘Wilson’ became our new launching device. Very accurate with good distance.
Nice idea. Much easier than kicking a field goal to hang the bag, too. Via Sawbill Newsletter.
Happy 75th to the Civilian Conservation Corps
Here’s to the boys whose legacy of preserving our beautiful places, lives on today in Minnesota roadways, state parks and soaring forests. The video here features work done at Lake Itasca State Park, but here’s a 1934 map pinpointing other projects state-wide.
Boot up for the Winter Camping Symposium
“The largest winter camping event in North America,” promises this year to be bigger, better… and of course, frickin’ COLDER than ever.
The Winter Camping Symposium, to be held October 24-26, returns this year to Ely. Vermilion Community College will host, and is additionally offering free camping on its wooded property for those attending. Pretty cool, especially when you consider the impossibly cheap registration fee of $50/person (UPDATE: $40/person; $25 for students; kids are free) for the whole weekend.
What to expect:
Numerous world-class speakers are slated, with topics ranging from camping to dogsledding. Especially noteworthy is the acclaimed keynote presentation by U of M forest ecologist Lee Frelich,“Our Future Forests: The Impacts of Climate Change on Northwoods Winters & the Boreal Forest.” You’ll also meet a veritable army of winter tent/gear vendors, helpful local experts and lots of crazies like yourself. There’s even a cook-off competition planned (but please, no seal-blubber chowder recipes this time.)
Workshop topics will include:
“Winter fishing tips, dog-pulking trips…, hands-on first aid, winter photography tips, GPS use, pros & cons of various back-country ski, snowshoe & toboggan designs, winter ecology & wildlife signs, useful winter knots, solo camping…” and other courses will keep you more than busy enough to maintain your core temp.
So if you haven’t already, hop on the bus/toboggan/pulk sled and sign up. Email info@dogsledding.com or rpula@powerelectric.com or call 218-365-6022 for program details and registration form. See you Up North!
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