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Monthly Archives: December 2009
FOUND: Canoe
I’ve never done a stellar job with knots, myself, but I’d give almost anything for the full story behind this one.
Recently posted in the Duluth News-Tribune:
“FOUND: Canoe on I-35. Call [# omitted] to identify.”
Awesome. Thanks for the tip, Andrew!
What To Do With an Old Igloo?
Ah, snow caves and igloos: Bringers of warmth and shelter amidst Winter’s deepest cold. Symbols of welcome and hospitality — perhaps never more so when they’re spared for the next weary winter camper who comes along.
So why do we have to drag them into the Leave No Trace debate?
There’s an interesting discussion over at NWHikers about whether or not snow shelters should be destroyed when it’s time to break camp. As with leaving firewood, isn’t leaving an igloo intact, considered an act of goodwill? And doesn’t it melt eventually, anyhow? Actually, the argued ‘whens’ and ‘whys’ make a bit of sense; it’s worth a read.
What do you think? Should snow shelters be left behind in the BW?
Via SnowCampers WinterCampers.
[Photo: Flickr user Paul Jerry]
Igloo Eye Candy
When considering the topic of winter survival, I’m compelled to believe that snow forts just SO ROCK!
In what feels like a page stolen from a modern architecture journal, Wend Magazine has posted a number of unusual igloo creations.
Igloo construction tools (like Grand Shelters’ ICEBOX) are becoming more widely used in winter camping. So it’s more than just fun to see how creative people are getting with them — the gallery is actually a pretty good resource.
Even with an ICEBOX, it can take up to 4 hours to build an igloo. That doesn’t leave a wide margin of error, in terms of daylight. So maybe next time I endeavor to build one, I’ll steal this page myself (especially that rad Fortress of Solitude one.) Via WinterCampers.
Working Snowshoes Into Your Workout
If you’re a dedicated runner, you’ll get your miles in, regardless of any amount of snow. You don’t let it stop you, so why even let the stuff slow you down?
This re-printed article on running with snowshoes has good advice for staying on top of your fitness — and on top of the snow — this winter. The advice on going small is something I’d say can be applied for trips into the BW during winter. You really don’t need shoes as big as canoe paddles.
Very helpful stuff; wish I’d followed the workout suggestions long before my last winter camping trip.
Stand-Up Paddling. In a Canoe. Through Rapids.
Yeah, that’s right, I’m doin’ it to you again: Just as you were getting antsy for a decent snowfall and all the fun of a Minnesota winter, I have to tantalize you with crazy warm weather activities again.
Nine-plus minutes may seem a little long for watching this guy SUPing in whitewater, but ride it out. It allowed me enough time to watch’n'learn a little from his technique. By the end, I felt like I’d taken the first session in an instructional course. Enjoy, but don’t get any ideas — even I would be wary of trying this for the first time, in December. Via Canoeroots.
Phasing Out the Haze Over the BWCA
Views from this visibility monitor show how hazy it can get in the BW.
Some day, our children will enjoy clear, haze-free views of the Boundary Waters.. Or at least their kids might?
Per the Clean Air Act, state and federal agencies are beginning the first steps in reducing air pollutants which, specifically in Minnesota, cause hazy skies over the Boundary Waters at least 20% of the time.
While cleanup measures can’t happen fast enough for anybody, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is taking a lot of heat for not pushing industry harder for changes that are demanded sooner. Even by their own figures, a haze-free Northeastern Minnesota is something you and I won’t live to see:
The MPCA’s own projections show that the proposed rates of pollution reduction won’t eliminate man-made haze until 2093 in the BWCA and 2177 in Voyageurs.
If nothing else, the sheer complexity of environmental policy is something that the controversy makes crystal clear. Here’s hoping that our generation will still be around to enjoy the fruits of this labor.
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