North Shore Morning

Biidash and Jered report the latest School News from Oshki Ogiamaag Community School in Grand Portage.

National Wolf Awareness Week is in progress.  The International Wolf Center was founded in 1985 and has offices in Minneapolis and an interpretive center in Ely.  North Shore Morning host Mark Abrahmason spoke with the executive director Rob Schulz about wolves, their habitat, and interaction with humans.

Moose Madness is contagious and coming to a town near you!  North Shore Morning host Jana Berka spoke with Anna Klobuchar of Visit Cook County on North Shore Morning.  More information soon at Moose Central, the Visit Cook County Tourist Information Center at 116 West Highway 61; or online now at visitcookcounty.com

{photo by bimier2 via Flickr}

 
Hi.  I’m Steve Robertsen, interpretation and education person for the Tofte and Gunflint Ranger Districts, with the Superior National Forest Update.  For the week of October 10^th, here’s the scoop on conditions affecting travel and recreation on the Tofte and Gunflint Districts of the Forest. 
 
Highway 61 road construction along Lake Superior is finally starting to come to an end with more and more pavement daily.  But - for a while longer, stay patient and plan on some extra time coming up to the Forest from the south.  Once here, you could encounter log trucks on the same routes as last week in the Gunflint District:  Bally Creek, Devil Track, Ball Club, Shoe Lake, Greenwood, Pine Mountain, The Grade, Gunflint Trail, Swamp Lake Road, Cascade River Road and Cook County 7 and 45.  Plus, there will now be trucks hauling on the Mark Lake Road and the Caribou Trail.  It is busy time of year!  Tofte is a little less busy with truck traffic on Cook County 3 near Vyre Lake, and on both the Grade, and the 4 Mile Grade.  There are still people stopped to look at foliage, as well as people pulled over for hunting grouse, deer, or, until the twelfth, bear, so watch out for vehicles parked along roadsides. 
 
We’ve had an uneventful year for fire, and the threat of wildfire is nearly past, but you may be smelling some smoke in the air this week.  Piles in timber harvest areas are being burnt to prepare for reforestation.  You may also see fire crews in the Sawbill Trail area.  They won’t be burning, but will be working on reducing understory fuels.  If you are planning on burning brush yourself, be sure to get a permit and choose a day with good burning weather.  Remember it is illegal to burn trash in a fire in Minnesota - and generally frowned on to burn your marshmallows.
 
October 15^th marks the end of water and trash pick-up at fee campgrounds on the Tofte and Gunflint districts.  Weather depending, sometimes water will be left on later in the season, but consider that a bonus and don’t count on it past the 15^th.  It is not the end of camping though, campgrounds will still be open to use, and fall can be great bug free time to get in a camping trip.  Camping in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness this time of year is great as well.  Remember that even though you don’t have to pay for permit after October 1^st, you need to fill out the self-issued permit before you go - it helps us to keep track of how many people are using the wilderness.
 
Traveling without permits right now are thousands of migratory birds.  You may have heard that this year had a ‘fall out’ event where weather conditions caused these migrants to end up at ground level in large numbers.  You’ve probably seen birds flying across the road in numbers, particularly at dawn and dusk.  What you probably didn’t see is that there are also large numbers of tiny saw-whet owls migrating as well.  These are pint sized owls, only about as big as a pop can.  Unlike bigger owls, they can’t find prey easily in snow, and are forced to move south.  Since they move at night on silent wings, they pass unnoticed, except to Forest biologists who band some of them on the way through.
 
Have a great week in the Forest.  Take advantage of our moonlit and longer nights, and go for a night hike.  Who knows, you may see an owl.  Until next week, this has been Steve Robertsen with the Superior National Forest Update.

Artist Joan Farnam shares the scoop on how to Make-a-Bowl for Empty Bowls, with North Shore Morning host Randy Eastlund.
There is still space available in the Make-a-Bowl Sessions at the Art Colony and this year you have your choice between working in the clay studio or the glass studio.

Sessions are:

Sunday, October 4 | Clay | 2pm - 3pm

Monday, October 5 | Clay | 7pm - 8pm

Sunday, October 12 | Clay | 2pm - 3pm

Monday, October 13 | Clay | 7pm - 8pm

Wednesday, October 22 | Glass | 7pm - 8pm

Thursday, October 23 | Glass | 7pm - 8pm

Registration with the Grand Marais Art Colony, 218-387-2737

www.grandmaraisartcolony.org

Deane Morrison is a science writer at the University of Minnesota, where she authors the Minnesota Starwatch column.

A total lunar eclipse on the morning of October 8th helps us see Uranus and more.

Hello.  This is Suzanne Cable, Assistant District Ranger for Recreation and Wilderness, with the Superior National Forest Update, providing you with information on conditions affecting travel and recreation on the Tofte and Gunflint Districts of the Forest.  For the week of October 3rd, here’s what’s going on around the Forest.
 
It is October, with the emphasis being on the adapting to autumn weather conditions.  Temperatures are going down into the thirties at night, and we’ve been having some wet weather.  This kind of damp cold can lead to hypothermia.  Often people who know how to dress well for twenty below may forget to add layers and raingear when it doesn’t seem quite so cold.  Hunters that are quietly waiting for game are particularly prone to getting chilled, so please do your best to dress warmly, and don’t ignore signs of hypothermia just to stay a “little while longer” at your stand, or check out “just one more spot” for a grouse.  The first signs of hypothermia to be alert for include shivering, dizziness, fatigue and confusion.
 
While you’re out driving in the Forest, you could encounter logging trucks and timber operations on the Gunflint District around Bally Creek, Devil Track, Ball Club, Shoe Lake, Greenwood, Pine Mountain, The Grade, Gunflint Trail, Swamp Lake Road, Cascade River Road and Cook County 7 and 45.  On the Tofte end, visitors can expect hauling on Cook County 3 near Vyre Lake, on the Grade, and 4 Mile Grade.  Almost everywhere, you might encounter other visitors looking at the fall foliage.  If you’re the one doing the leaf looking, please make sure to be aware of other drivers and pull off the road in safe locations to let others pass.  Slow driving is especially important this time of year.  Rains have led to some soft roads in places and there is a lot of washboarding over a great deal of the road system.
 
We’d also like to remind people that fall is the time that many small birds flock along roadsides during their migration.  Unfortunately, when spooked by a car, they fly across the road at grill level.  Save your grill and the birds by slowing down on the back roads.
 
October means that the Tofte and Gunflint Ranger Stations will no longer be open on weekends.  We’re still here Monday through Friday, 8:00 - 4:30.  Also starting in October, you no longer need an overnight reserved permit for trips into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.  You still need to fill out a free self-issued permit available at most entry points or at our offices.  Those permits help us keep track of visitation and are an important part of managing the Boundary Waters.
 
If you’re planning a camping trip outside of the Boundary Waters, be aware that our fee campgrounds will have the water shut off and garbage pick-up halted starting October 15th.  You can still camp at the campgrounds, but you will have to supply your own water and carry out your trash.  It is also the month that docks start to be removed from lakes for the winter, so get out soon for your last couple of fall fishing trips.
 
I hope you enjoy what could be the peak of the fall colors this week, and until next week, this has been Suzanne Cable with the Superior National Forest Update.
 
 

Hi.  I’m Anna Botner, Wilderness Specialist for Gunflint and Tofte, with the Superior National Forest Update, providing you with information on conditions affecting travel and recreation on the Tofte and Gunflint Districts of the Forest.  For the week of September 26th, here’s what’s going on around the Forest.
 
Fall just keeps getting more and more colorful.  It promises to be a spectacular week to get out and drive the fall color routes, or finding your own roads to explore in the Forest.  If you’re out enjoying the season, make sure to respect other drivers by parking in appropriate spots, closing doors when you get out, and allowing others to pass if you are traveling slowly.  Take a hike on one of our many trails while you’re out.  After all, you can’t really see all of fall through the windshield. 
 
While driving, you could encounter some logging trucks and timber operations around Bally Creek, Devil Track, Ball Club, Shoe Lake, Greenwood, Pine Mountain, The Grade, Gunflint Trail, Swamp Lake Road, Cascade River Road and Cook County 7 and 45.  On the Tofte end, the only active harvest area is off Cook County 3.  You still might see a few trucks on the 4 Mile Grade as well.
 
Fall is also the season for some prescribed burns in the Forest.  These burns help to prepare soils for pines to grow.  A 140 acre burn will be finishing up off the Sawbill Trail, but some residual smoke and campfire aroma will be in the air still this weekend.  Other burns that could be taking place next week, weather dependent, are southwest of Devil’s Track Lake, one east of Isabella, and one on the 600 road in Tofte.  Our local fire people are being assisted by some crews from Michigan and Wisconsin, so thanks to those crews for their help.
  
Bucks are looking their best right now with nice sets of antlers, most still in velvet.  Hunting seasons for many kinds of game have already started, with this weekend being the opener for waterfowl hunting.  The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is the agency in charge of hunting, but our Forest Service offices can help if you are looking for road maps or vehicle use maps that show where
off-highway vehicles can be used.  Remember, you cannot use off-highway vehicles for cross-country travel in the national forest.  They can only be used on travel routes shown on the motor vehicle use map, which can be picked up at any Forest Service office.
 
Enjoy what could be the peak of the fall colors this week, and until next week, this has been Anna Botner with the Superior National Forest’s Recreation and Road Report.
 
 
 
 

Deane Morrison is a science writer at the University of Minnesota, where she authors the Minnesota Starwatch column.

The autumnal equinox, Jupiter in the morning, Mars in the evening (meeting his rival Antares); and another look at the summer triangle.

 
Hi.  I’m Nancy Larson, Gunflint District Ranger, with the Superior National Forest Update, providing you with information on conditions affecting travel and recreation on the Tofte and Gunflint Districts of the Forest.  For the week of September 19th , here’s what’s going on around the Forest.
 
The most obvious change in the Forest is the ramping up of the fall colors.  If you can’t be out in the woods, you can keep track of the season with our fall color reports on our website and links to weekly photos on Flicker.  If you are out in the woods, watch out for other color enthusiasts who might be driving slowly, or have stopped to take pictures.  If you are one of those enthusiasts, be aware of others and park in safe locations, shut your doors when you get out, and pull over to let others pass. 
 
While driving, you could encounter some logging trucks and timber operations around Bally Creek, Devil Track, Ball Club, Shoe Lake, Greenwood, Pine Mountain, The Grade, Gunflint Trail, Swamp Lake Road, Cascade River Road and Cook County 7 and 45.  On the Tofte end, the only active harvest area is off Cook County 3.  You still might see a few trucks on the 4 Mile Grade as well.
 
There could be smoke in the air by Harriet, Fulton, and Toohey Lakes.  Slash piles are being burned which is part of preparing a logged area for reforestation.  There is one 40 acre prescription burn off of the Sawbill Trail.  This is what’s called a site preparation burn and is also part of getting an area ready for a new forest.

The roads themselves are in good shape this week.  There is still construction on Highway 61 which will slow you down as you pass through.  There might be heavier traffic than usual on the Cramer Road through the Forest as people try to find alternative routes to 61.  Most of the time, this particular route isn’t a time saver and isn’t recommended.
 
We may be traveling by road, but this is also the time for birds to travel south by air.  Fall migration is a peak time to see hawks along the North Shore, as well as many other species, but it is also a peak time for window strikes.  You can help reduce the number of birds hitting windows by pulling blinds when you aren’t home so birds can’t see through the window.  You can also things in the window to break up reflections and help the birds to ‘see’ the clear glass and avoid it.
 
Bears are also getting ready for fall by finding food wherever they can.  They are checking out bird feeders, garbage cans, and other sources of food that they may not have bothered the rest of the summer.  Feed the birds, but not the bears by taking in your feeders at night, and stashing your food in a locked vehicle if you are camping.
 
Speaking of camping, our campgrounds are still open with water available at the fee campgrounds until October 15th.  It is great insect free time of the year to pack your tent in the car and enjoy a campfire.
 
Whether camping or not, we hope you can get out into the fall forest.  Until next week, this has been Nancy Larson with the Superior National Forest’s Recreation and Road Report.