Despite the cancellation of the Beargrease marathon, sled dogs sure are making plenty of headlines this winter. This time though, it’s not for prize money, nor to qualify for the Iditarod.

Former legislator and Grand Marais-area dogsled racer Frank Moe plans to mush from northern Minnesota to the State Capitol this March. His cargo will be a petition which aims to protect the Boundary Waters from the potential hazards of sulfide mining.

The online petition, penned by the Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, resolves that no such mining operations be permitted in the state, should they present a risk to the state’s natural resources and heritage.

And it doesn’t mince words on its supporting arguments. Take this one:

The history of sulfide mining is one of environmental disaster, and there is no evidence that mining for copper, nickel, and other non-ferrous (non-iron) metals from sulfide rock in Northern Minnesota can be done without harming Minnesota’s fresh water resources, fish, plants, wildlife and human health…

A series of video shorts are also being posted on the page for the petition. Each features interviews with scientific experts, as well as local business and land owners.

Weather and snow depths allowing, Moe’s 8-day journey will take place in early March. The petition will be delivered to lawmakers at the Capitol.

Should you sign it? Hey, we won’t tell you how to live your life. But should you read it and watch the videos? And tell your friends to do the same? You absolutely must. Several times, if that’s what it takes.

track images: Wildlife Management

Ptacek and his companions first dipped their canoes in the waters of Saganaga, a sizable lake bordering the US and Canada. Taking a week, they journeyed through nineteen lakes in the Boundary Waters. While they were aware of the Pagami Creek Fire to the south, they were initially well out of its way. However, during the last three days, Nate’s group encountered closed portages, coming to the realization that they were likely the only souls in that neck of the woods. Continuing on, they wrapped up their trip at Seagull Lake, near the Gunflint Trail. It wasn’t until they got out that they realized the full extent to which the fire had spread.

While the film isn’t about the fire, the images provide a good idea of what a trip is like. Nate portrays some beautifully shot details like evening flies flitting through the breeze, the sparkle of moonlight water, and raindrops pooled on leaves. And, did we mention the fresh caught trout crackling over the fire? It might just inspire you to shoot some film during your next paddle.

Missing Hatchet from Nate Ptacek on Vimeo.

Like what you see? Check out more of Nate’s film and photography at aborealis creative.

On December 3, the Minnesota Canoeing Association is hosting a day-long symposium for paddling enthusiasts at the University of Minnesota.  Attend workshops by paddling legends like Rob Kesselring and Phil Cotton, individuals who’ve spent plenty of time traveling the rivers and lakes of northern Minnesota and Canada.

Here are some of the great workshops being presented this weekend.

Interested in paddling Quetico Provincial Park in Ontario?  Fred “Jaques” Shermock will suggest three routes, using 3-D technology and his knowledge of the park.  He’ll also demystify the details of getting in and out of this beautiful canoeing country.

Ever dump in frigid water? Some folks serve as an example to others.  Sit in on a session as a panel of paddling experts share their worst stories and the lessons they learned.

Expert paddler, Bear Paulsen spent 26 days paddling in Canada.  He descended the Assinika and Poplar Rivers to Lake Winnipeg.  From there he traveled up the Berens River. Enduring forest fires, severe storms and encounters with wildlife, we’re betting he’s got some interesting tales to tell.

Finish off your day by attending the Wild and Scenic Film Festival.  Sponsored by Midwest Mountaineering, the Sierra Club and Patagonia, the series will feature stories of environmental interest, nature, adventure, and conservation, to name a few.

You’ll have the opportunity to hear about lesser known paddling routes, kayaking trips around the Apostle Islands and how fire and wind affect wilderness areas. Plenty of stuff to inspire paddling trips for years to come.

The symposium will be held in the Cowles Auditorium in the H.H. Humphrey building at the University of Minnesota.  Registration begins at 9:00am and costs $10 before December 3rd or $15 at the door.  You can register through Midwest Mountaineering here.

Minnesotans Dave and Amy Freeman are doing just that. Their journey began in April 2010, floating off the coast of the Pacific Northwest in their kayaks. Their goal is to hack off the expedition in phases, taking three years to complete the task. In addition to kayaking, they will also travel by canoe and dogsled.

As partners in the Wilderness Classroom organization, they hope to raise awareness of exploration and wilderness travel to youth. Students and teachers across the country will be able to have interactive involvement through online photos, video, live chats and email.

At the end of September, they came through our neck of the woods. Part of their journey brought them across Lake of the Woods and down into Rainy River, traversing Voyageurs National Park. Crossing along the border of the Boundary Waters and Quetico, they completed their paddle at Grand Portage in late October.

After a brief respite, they will trade the water for land and resume their travels in January, covering trails in northern Minnesota by dogsled.

Follow along their journey here.

Photos: Bryan Hansel

Come January 25th you will still be able to go online and choose your entry point but a few of the entry points will still use the lottery system. After months of evaluation, the USFS decided to keep the lottery for the following:

• Fall Lake entry points D and 24.

• Moose Lake entry points F, G and 25.

You can obtain a permit through the lottery for these locations beginning December 19, 2011 through January 19, 2012. The lottery will run on January 20th.

The decision for the adjustment was made after history showed that most reserved permits are made at these locations and the remaining entry points are generally available after the lottery and throughout the season.

The remaining permits for these entry points along with all the other Boundary Waters entry points will be open on a first-come, first-served basis online, beginning at 9:00 am CT, January 25, 2012.

The 13th Annual Winter Camping Symposium was a bigger-than-ever success. The variety of seminars and activities was wider, the music was fantastic, and we didn’t get rained on like last year.

There’s plenty to cover here, but if you haven’t read Part One of our report, check it out first.

As Saturday progressed, attending every single seminar became impossible, but we loaded up on as much as we could. So read on, as we unpack all of what we found…

Gear on a winter camping trip is a huge consideration. With less-than-featherlight, yet essential, materials (like canvas and wood stoves), weight adds up quickly. So learning how Brian Maruska has refined his ultra-light setup, was a must.

Brian Maruska's winter camping gear.

Brian unpacked his own toboggan, noting each item not only for its weight, but also calling out any multi-functional uses. There was the tote for the wood stove’s firebox, that’s also used to haul firewood; the portable ‘camp kitchen’ that’s also a bench and a cutting board (all that from what had once been a plastic waste basket).
Gear was also packed very thoughtfully; an ice chisel’s handle is sectioned in lengths that will fit inside his stovepipe.

And as if it weren’t clear already, thriftiness lightens his load, too. Most all of his items were DIY’ed from materials purchased locally. There was even a crafter’s wicker basket used because of its weight and size.

Brian assembled his whole camp—tent, stove, cot—and had everything organized and inside the tent in a very short period (did anybody catch the actual time?).

Done, and done! Brian's quick tent setup left extra time for questions.

The clear afternoon was perfect for the annual Tent Tour. Symposium organizers Chad Nelson, Ryan Fox and Duane Lottig (of Snowtrekker Tents) led the procession. At each tent, the given camper said a piece about how they had made or modified their winter home-away-from-home.

On the grounds were structures from Frost River, Cabela’s, and even GoLite. Many, however, sported some nice touches by the owners; a DIY rainfly over one person’s tent, for example. Others were entirely hand-made; one was even furnished with painted chairs and decorative hangings.

This year we followed along with Rhonda and the judges of the Winter Cook Off, one of whom happened to be our son. This meant two things: A few extra photo ops… and tastes of anything he had to sample (what! that’s not a crime. it’s not).

Winter Cook Off Tip #1: Everybody loves hot cider drinks.

Entries from this year’s contestants were all rather exceptional and would make this winter camper never wish to return home. Jackie prepared a warm, unfiltered cider drink with apple slices, cinnamon, spices and Applejack (yeah, I had no choice but to stand in for my boy here). Delicious and heartwarming. Fritz’s gumbo was a rich, complex spicy treat which he served with a jalapeño cornbread. Mike, in his first-ever use of a dutch oven, baked a pineapple upside-down cake that looked and tasted like perfection. And Sydney cooked a dish with tender duck, sauteéd vegetables and subtle orange flavoring.

Gumbo, anyone?

Judge Stuart deliberates over Fritz's Jalapeño Cornbread.

The Winter Cook Off judges sample Mike's Pineapple Upside-Down Cake.

In the end, Sydney’s fine meal earned her this year’s Golden Spatula award. Congrats, Sydney!

Sydney's winning entry, which featured duck, orange, and sauteéd veggies.

Maybe it was no coincidence that the Cook Off was just shortly before dinner. A good call.

And if you weren’t hungry from the gourmet offerings, you were hungry from the cutthroat bidding of the Gear Swap. Me, I was out-bid on a wood stove by a Maruska. Huh. I don’t want to talk about it, let’s just eat.

After the meal, wilderness explorer and Ely resident Tyler Fish, had the floor. His keynote centered around the most recent of his ventures: the First American Unsupported North Pole Expedition and the Catlin Arctic Surveys of 2010 and 2011.

Polar explorer Tyler Fish details his latest expeditions.

The account was fascinating; the journeys, grueling. The constant race against time, tides, temperatures and the constant psychological battles, left Fish and his travel partner absolutely drained by the end.

But the evening was not over yet! Local bluegrass greats, the Sans Souci Quartet, provided music and entertainment late into the night. And Surly provided some of their top-notch beverages (which in itself may have accounted for the huge jump in Symposium attendees this year). A fantastic night.

Sunday.
Nobody was ready to leave yet.

With still a little time to find inspiration, we caught “Camping with Kids at 26 Below,” by Chris Evavold, owner of Black River Sleds. Having brought his children onto winter trips since they were basically toddlers, Evavold had a wealth of advice and sound opinions on raising kids to love the outdoors.

Chris Evavold's slideshow of winter adventures with his kids.

At times, Evavold says, bringing kids means bringing a few extra comforts (games, books and treats) than one might normally want to include. He also emphasizes that everyone pulls their own weight, be it backpacks or a small sledload for each kid. But in Chris’ slides, the only kids we saw were happy ones, so the guy is doing something right. And we loved the idea of going ahead of the kids on a portage, leaving surprises and snacks for them to discover. Inspiration achieved.

Campers assembling their own Black River Toboggans.

A few more workshops beckoned after the brunch. For those who wanted to build sled assemblies, Chris Evavold offered a toboggan construction course. Ed Bouffard (of Ed’s Wilderness Systems) also led a hands-on pulk sled assembly course. And master of the blade, Warren Peterson, had a workshop on antler handle knife making.

Elsewhere, others assembled pulk sleds under the direction of Ed Bouffard.

Warren Peterson teaches a antler handle knife making workshop.

The final event was the much-vaunted Saw Off Competition. This weekend, numerous manufacturers donated their products for campers to demo, discuss and decide upon. But everything culminated right here, right now. Choose your weapons, gentlemen.

Contestants hack it out for glory in the Saw Off Competition.

The competition was fast and furious, but it was a certain Michael Maruska who ‘made the cut.’ Nice work, sir!

The Winter Camping Symposium was not just bigger, and not just better, than last year’s. We felt it to be more diverse (with activities for kids, as just one example) and it attracted some fantastic sponsors as well. We even met a photojournalist who’d covered the event professionally last year, and had since changed careers, now working for one of our great local gear manufacturers.

A success? Yes, we very strongly believe so. And many thanks to Bridgit, Chad, Ryan, Matt, and the staff of YMCA Camp Miller for hosting a fantastic weekend.

What did you think of this year’s event?

This spectacular moment in time was captured by Ethan G. Knuti. We just love how every space of the exposure is utilized to capture color and beauty in this photo, Autumn Colors & Loon. Even the wake stirred up by the loon pulls in more color — the hue of the clear sky on that day.

But don’t think that’s all there is to see from Ethan. In fact, Flickr lists him as the third-top contributor to The Boundary Waters group pool. Take a look at his work and be inspired.

Thanks for the share, Ethan!

More than a few of us were on pins and needles a few days ago; high winds and unseasonably high temps were recorded in some parts of Minnesota. So it was good to learn of firefighters’ progress after the weekend:

Winds continued to be high Saturday but cooler temperatures and higher humidity moderated fire activity. Crews and aviation resources continued to focus suppression efforts on cooling hot spots within the fire perimeter and constructing fire line along the North portion of the fire near Fishdance Lake. Fire line construction also continued on the East side of the fire near Ferne Lake and on the Southwestern side near Bog Lake.

But wind gusts weren’t the only on again/off again condition in the Boundary Waters; fire restrictions have been very carefully managed. And at present, campfires in the BW are prohibited. In fact, they’re restricted in most of the state. So take note, late season campers.

Photo: Ken Hupila

Many folks plan their canoe trip a year in advance. Some have specific dates in mind or a popular destination they want to paddle.

As a result, it matters which entry point they pull a permit for. Historically, the USFS has held a lottery system, beginning mid-December and ending January 1st for those who like to guarantee their spot. Next year, that will all change. Beginning January 25th, people will be able to call into USFS or use their online registration system to secure their permit. It will be a first come, first served situation. About 9,000 people applied for permits during the lottery period.

We’ll be curious to see how the phones and online services hold up when the system goes live.

Via: Star Tribune

As of Sunday evening, the fire was 71% contained, with a little over 92,000 acres still burning. Crews put forth extra effort this past weekend as temperatures in the coming week are expected to be unseasonably warm and windy. One of the challenges with the fire is accessibility. Much of the area can only be reached by canoe or plane and crews are utilizing both options. For current road, entry point closures and campfire restrictions, see here.

Via WDIO and Duluth News Tribune.
Photo: Duluth News Tribune

Crews are slowly gaining the upper hand on the Pagami Creek Fire in the BWCA. And more good news: Due to more accurate mapping, the fire’s size has been reduced to 93,459 acres.

It’s not over yet, however. Despite the rainfall of a few days back, the weekend was drier and warmer. This has resulted in some spot fires, but these were anticipated.
Sunday saw bucket drops of water over these areas, as well as a ‘changing of the guard’ amongst fire crews.

For more details and closure info, check out the official InciWeb page for the fire.

And if you’ve been following our Facebook and Twitter pages, you’ve already seen some amazing images from both campers and fire crews. Stay tuned…

Photo: Ken Hupila

They’ve focused their efforts on the Knife Lake area of the Boundary Waters; a region that was inhabited thousands of years ago. The University is partnering closely with the USFS and tribal leaders in order to ensure that the sites will be respected and protected. Artifacts will be closely monitored and the few that will be removed will be housed in Duluth for future research.

Check out their informative multimedia presentation that shows what they found.

Via SC Times
Times photo: Bre McGee

A crewchief assisting with the firefighting effort, @MNseth began posting photos from his unique perspective on Twitter. They’ve been receiving much mention in our corner of the Twitterverse.

As all of us have been holding our breath for any and every update on the containment situation, images like this certainly aid in understanding all the more, what the firefighters are working with.

Much respect to @Mnseth and all those who’re working so hard to keep the Boundary Waters safe for residents and campers like us.