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Monthly Archives: October 2009
Starbucks VIA: Camping Coffee That Doesn’t Suck
I took my life into my own hands last weekend, when I lured an unwitting group of testers to a cabin in Wisconsin and made them all try… instant coffee.
Before you, too, cringe, consider this: Starbucks VIA just may be the best solution for coffee on the trail. It comes in small pre-measured packets, minimizing waste and eliminating the need for a pot. If you’re used to toting an old school percolator pot around, VIA saves you a ton of space… But how does it taste?
Heads Up: Trees Down
The windstorm that buffeted Minnesota’s Arrowhead region last Monday, is gone. And gone with it are miles of clear hiking trails.
Best to plan carefully if you intend to hit the Superior Hiking Trail or the BW anytime between now and spring, as reportedly the damage is significant in some areas. How significant?
The SHT has deemed it “very severe” from Finland to the north end of the trail, with many hundreds of trees down. Apparently one hiker spent 2-1/2 hours covering just one mile, in an area north of Grand Marais.
Ourselves, we were tripping along the Sawbill Trail in the days after the storm. Some down there, on the portages, but certainly not to this extent.
Andrew Slade’s blog has more details, as well as several photos of large downed trees.
Daily Affirmations from a ‘Sconnie Microbrew Label
After canoeing last week through parts of the Boundary Waters ravaged by the 2006 Famine Lake fire, I had to smile at this one…
Duluth illustrator Rick Allen‘s logo design for a microbrew, offers up sage words. And, as always with Mr. Allen’s work, it’s served with a chaser of mirth and wit. Witnessing how just one lightning strike can devastate a forest is sobering, but as we saw, growth and renewal are never far behind. Change is always at work. Cheers, Rick!
By the way, you can pick up a Burntwood Black print here, and pick up a mug of the brew itself, here. Sounds tasty; anyone out there had it yet?
Livin’ in CougarVille, USA
Image courtesy Flickr user jurvetson
Are people crying wolf, over the rise in cougar sightings in Minnesota?
Sure, there’ve been a few publicized cases in the last several years. Even one of our favorite paddlers, Erik Simula, blogged about facing a big cat in the Arrowhead this summer. But when a motorist killed a cougar near Bemidji in late September, it built on growing fears of a breeding cougar population. Worse, it fueled a growing controversy, with some accusing the MN-DNR of covering up reports and denying a cougar migration they were ill-equipped to handle.
But a researcher (and former DNR employee) provides some insight on the 3 documented cats — all of whom have been males:
When they (cougars) are densely populated in certain areas, the Dakotas, Montana, etc., the young males will get pushed” out of the prides, Radasco said. “That’s what you see. You see them roaming long distances when they’re pushed out of their preferred home range.
My unprofessional opinion? Sleeping under the stars in the BW is still more than safe; just be sure to keep those beef jerky leftovers in the bear bag.
What’s the most dangerous critter you’ve run across in the BW?
Some Paddling Deals Worth the Drive North
In a day and age when people kayak down ski hills and surf in Lake Superior during winter, I’ve decided there’s no such thing as an ‘end-of-season’ anymore. For any outdoor activity in Minnesota. We just crazy that way.
That said, you’d be really crazy (in the literal sense this time) if you didn’t check out the monster deals on used kayaks and equipment at Superior Coastal Sports’ site right now. Word reached us last week of the deep discounts offered, but we just wouldn’t feel right to buy them all ourselves and not spread the word.
If you’re interested, John at Superior says, give me a call. But at last check, there’s still open water, so just don’t call it an end-of-season sale.
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