North Shore Morning

North Shore Morning host, Mark Abrahamson talks with Chris O'Brien about the North Superior Ski and Run Club's 2021 Pincushion Virtual Ski Race / Tour .

WTIP's North Shore Morning host, Mark Abrahamson talks with Great Expectations School Director Peter James for this update on the 2020-2021 school year.

Backpacking 101 with Michelle Schroeder is a monthly feature on WTIP's North Shore Morning.
In this edition, Michelle discusses how she trains for the upcoming hiking season.

Chel Anderson is a botanist and plant ecologist and she joins us periodically to report on what she’s seeing in our woods and waters right now.

"Money Matters" with Scott Oeth.  In this month's edition, Scott talks about the volatile markets and strategies to navigate them.

Wildersmith on the Gunflint     by     Fred Smith
February 5, 2021  
         
It seems as though we’ve missed something. Oh yes, that’s it, the first week of month two has slipped by nearly un-noticed. This being the case, I’m betting most of us paid no attention to the fabled “Ground Hog” day.                                                                               

It’s any ones guess as to whether “Woody the Chuck” ventured out around Gunflint territory. Regardless of sun or no sun and shadow or no shadow, the legendary critter surely will have forecast an earlier than usual spring, based on another warm cover that’s been hovering over border country.                                                                                              

The area had a brief sampling of real north woods cold, during January’s last gasp. It was finally seasonably cold, with one night of minus thirty and in the mid-twenties below a couple mornings prior, real Zamboni conditions. Although this bitterness slipped back toward the Arctic, causing drippy icicles over the past few days, it sounds like the thermometer yoyo is heading back down as this report hits the air.                                                                            

Meanwhile, Gunflint neighborhoods were re-decked out in white last weekend. The heavenly flakes did not pile up with any gusto, but the add-on around Wildersmith was nevertheless welcomed.                                                                                               

The new fluff did little to alleviate our overall lack of stored moisture. But it’s amazing how the beautiful flocking of white puffs on pine green made for cheerier feelings with us observers. And, it couldn’t have come at a better time for the John Beargrease Marathon sled dogs, to come dashing through the snow.                                                                     

So February’s off and rollin’, and although it’s been relatively mild since taking the stage, her mind for comfort might diminish with little notice. She’s known to have lost her sense of humor in years past.                                                                                                 

While I’ve been whining for several weeks about the areas’ deficient snow, the anomaly seems not to be a one and done situation. Climate researchers are giving account to widespread decreases in lasting snow accumulations across northern forests of the US, since the mid 1960’s. A study by researchers at the University of New Hampshire reports that part of the US has been losing an average of 3.6 snow covered days per decade. (Dybas, Nat’l. Wildlife). And it is well known what’s been happening in other places, for example, the diminishing ice pack in Glacier National Park during the past 100 years.                                                              

I have no accounting for Minnesota on this snow issue, but our location in the northern forest would likely place us in similar latitudinal inclusion. Regardless of where one might be located in northern latitudes, this is an ecological dilemma for everything living in the world under snow. This subnivium is “nature’s igloo”, natural insulation for both flora and many fauna species. (Dybas, Nat’l. Wildlife).                                                                                 

So while my affection for the season of white is based solely on the beauty, peace and purity of this awe inspiring landscape, the dearth of snow is problematic for all humanity from a scientific point of view.                                                                                                          
While we have opportunity to make life style changes that can initiate a reversal of dismal climatic predictions, the question is; “do we have the will to do it”? In the meantime, away from the scientific aspects of the current situation, Gunflinter’s might be doing a little snow dancing!                                                                                                                         

Local musher, Erin Altemus, and her dogs, was leader of the Beargrease teams coming into the Trail Center check point after one day into the Marathon. A great race to the finish, late day Tuesday, found first and second but seconds apart.  Alaska musher, Erin Letzring edged Ryan Redington, also of Alaska, by a mere seven seconds, while the Altemus team completed the over three hundred trip with a fine fourth place finish.                                                       

Congratulations to Erin and all the competitors who took part in honor of John Beargrease and his historic mail delivery runs of days long ago. And thanks to all the local volunteers who helped with the Gunflint Trail leg of the Beargrease journey.                             

For WTIP, this is Wildersmith, along the Gunflint Trail, where every day is great, still waiting for the late arriving, great northern express!
 
 

Wildersmith on the Gunflint     by     Fred Smith
January 29, 2021    
           
January is fading away under the Ojibwe “Great Spirit” moon (Gich-Manidoo-Giizis), giddy and unpredictable as a spring lamb. The early part of this week was somewhat cold, but not like this time of year used to be. Around this place, we have yet to see one of those week-long spells of yesteryear, where the mercury never climbed to the plus side of zero.                               

By the next time we meet on the radio, February will be several days old and the worst of winter could well be in the review mirror. Month two may have snow to fall and winds to howl, but real northland winter has been “winter” in name only to this point.                 

Further, there are slightly over three weeks of ’21, chapter 2, left in the last fully winter segment. March springs onto the scene, signaling the end to a disappointing visit from the once “tough, spirit of the North.”                                                                                                                       

The scourge of overdue snow in most parts of border country has extended the drought another week. A feeble dropping last weekend netted only two inches in this neighborhood. We might blame the nation’s delivery services for white shipments missing the territory, but the reality is, systems are avoiding this moisture starved area like we have the plague.                   

On the bright side, two positives can be said for the meek seasonal character. One lies in the fact there has been less energy expended to move snow either by hand or mechanically, and the other realized , in knowing the wood shed will likely have carry over to ’21-’22.                                 

The thirty-seventh annual John Beargease sled dog marathon hits the trails Sunday.  Event organizers confirm that although snow depths are not as they would prefer, and with warmer weekend temps predicted, trails are nevertheless, safe for the teams to run.                                   

The race departs as usual from just north of Duluth on its three hundred plus miles journey to a finish at Grand Portage sometime on February third or fourth. Dogs and their mushers will silently, swoosh into this area to the Trail Center check point sometime late Monday and on to the King’s road turn-around, then head on to the Portage finish.                                

Unfortunately, due to continuing COVID complications, there will be no spectator interaction for Trail residents. However, the race can be followed with on-line connections from start to finish. Fans will just have to cheer our area mushers on from their living rooms. Teams are wished a safe race, and good luck to all from the WTIP family of listeners.                                    

The ice report on Gunflint Lake is running from nine to sixteen inches, while slush conditions of a few weeks ago have improved to where there is very little.                              

There’s a lot of angling activity going on, but while the conditions above the ice are good, happenings below the ice have been slow in the past few days. When catches have been pulled onto the ice, sizes are running smaller than usual. Reports on a few other area lakes seem better, with good catches of rainbows and splake.                                                                        

In addition to anglers filling up the parking lots, the all-season resorts appear to be doing quite well with winter vacationers to this point. One might think the business is being spiked upward as folks want to spread out from COVID infestations of suburbia. Whatever the reason, it is great for area business owners and their staffs during these trying times in our country.                                                                                                                                            
For WTIP, this is Wildersmith, along the Gunflint Trail, where every day is great, as we stand in readiness to see if the real “Mr. Winter” will get serious! 

Paul Thompson, retired teacher and former Peace Corps volunteer will be skiing his 40th Birkebeiner Race - but here, in Cook County because of the coronavirus.  He hopes to raise $40,000 dollars to be divided between four "organizations working to address climate change and bridge the political divide tearing the county apart."
Paul recently talked with North Shore Morning host, CJ Heithoff ...

Deane Morrison is a science writer at the University of Minnesota where she authors the Minnesota Starwatch column.
In WTIP’s “Northern Sky”, Deane shares what there is to see in the night sky in our region.
 

The Minnesota Historical Society is recruiting college students for their summer Native American Undergraduate Museum Fellowship program.

North Shore Morning host, CJ Heithoff talks with NAUMF Program Manager, Amber Annis to learn more about this 10-week summer internship.

Priority Application deadline is March 26.

All application materials must be postmarked no later than April 5.

To learn more about the application process, click here.