North Shore Morning

Milt Powell grew up on the Canadian side of Saganaga Lake where he lived with his family on what was once known as "Powell's Bay."  In this segment, he tells the story of his Uncle Frank Powell's acquisition of an airplane, his father's experience as a Wilderness Ranger at Quetico Provincial Park and how the wilderness designation affected him personally. Milt's wife Alice Powell also shares a story about when Jack Powell came to town for the first time in 40 years.

The Gunflint Territory is in celebration mode this weekend.  The solstice of summer” marks the first happy event today (the 21^st), and a full “strawberry moon” (Ode’imini Giizis in Ojibwe) closes down (Sunday the 23^rd) what will surely be a festive few days in the north country.
           
Visitors galore are trekking up the Trail. Caravans of traffic, either toting or pulling some variety of watercraft, are pouring into the hundreds of favorite rest and relaxation venues. It’s tourist season and folks in those business ventures are going crazy with exuberance at their return.
           
Weather conditions over the past seven have been on the delightful side, pleasantly cool at night and tolerably warm during the daylight hours. The area around Wildersmith even got an unexpected half-inch snippet of rain last Sunday evening.  Thus, the crunchy dry forest floor has been temporarily relieved of fire danger, but more precipitation is welcome.
           
The Smiths’ neighborhood has remained void of visiting bears for another week. However, those buzzing carnivore visitors are making life in the forest pretty miserable.  One has to feel sympathetic for any being with blood in their veins as those biting/stinging varmints must number in the bazillions right now.
 
I watched recently as a cloud of bugs was tormenting a squirrel during its breakfast at our deck-side feeder. This feisty rodent seemed near the end of its wits while trying to eat just one seed and at the same time fend off the ravenous, unforgiving pests. It was sad, but also a bit humorous, as it swished its tail like a helicopter prop and occasionally jumped up in the air like a jack-in-the-box to clear the air around itself.

And if the airborne biters aren’t bad enough, those creepy ticks are so thick at ground level they can almost trip you. The insect critters are at us from all directions right now!

Speaking of yet another northern animal oddity, this one took place under water. A friend hooked onto a good-sized lake trout from his dock not long ago. The ensuing battle to land the big hog took some time, and just as it was in sight near his dock, an unknown being came streaking through the water in an apparent attack on his catch.

The attacker must have quickly assessed that the “attackee” was too big a bite to handle, and veered on by. Thinking it was maybe a huge northern pike, this fisherman was surprised when the sub-surface jet popped up out of the water a few feet away from his thrashing finny.  It turns out this was another well-meaning Gunflint fisherman: one of our local loons. By the way the trout measured in at some 34 inches, wow!
           
As thousands of visitors are coming up the byway to celebrate the wonders of our natural world, the Gunflint community gathered last week to honor some of its own. At the grand opening of the newly developed fire department facilities, nearly 250 friends and residents came together in recognition of the hard work of many dedicated people.
           
Folks were in awe of the new Schaap Mid-Trail Community Center and adjacent fire and rescue equipment storage facility. The viewing opportunity turned out to be a great social meeting as well. Friends both seasonal and year-round conversed about the past winters goings-on and were treated to some fine north woods dining under the big top.
           
A big thanks to the event organizers, provision donors and a great group of cooks and servers. And of course, congrats and thanks to the dedicated planners, design people, fund raisers, financial supporters and construction trades people that made this dream come alive!
           
A dismal past Monday morning blossomed into another sparkling midday up at the Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center. The fifth annual fish fry fundraiser brought in over 100 folks for the big shore lunch event on the Sag Lake front bay.
 
A huge thanks to all the Gunflint Trail Historical Society Volunteers who pitched in for the site set-up and to prepare/serve the fixins’. Kudos also go to Gunflint Lodge Guide Dennis Todd for providing the fish, as well as the staff at the Lodge for providing the rest of the menu items. Listeners not in attendance missed out on a great day and scrumptious food!
           
Keep on hangin’ on, and savor wonders in the land of sky blue waters!

{photo via wikimedia commons courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service}

The solar hot water installation at the Grand Marais Recreation Area is a local energy victory.  
WTIP’s Ann Possis spoke with CCLEP’s Virginia Danfelt recently on North Shore Morning.

On a snowy April night, a crowd of about one hundred gathered at the Cascade Lodge and Pub in Lutsen to hear local musicians pay tribute to the late drummer and vocalist for The Band, Levon Helm.

Planning is in full swing for the famous Tofte Fourth of July celebration.  The big news this year is that the fireworks will be on Friday, July 5, rather than on the Fourth.  This will allow fireworks fans to catch the fireworks in Grand Marais on the Fourth and then Tofte’s spectacular show on the fifth. 
 
The rest of the celebration will be on Thursday, July 4, around the Tofte Park and firehall, starting at 11 a.m. and ending at 5 p.m.  The parade, which is always a highlight, will start at 2 p.m.  There will be a dunk tank again this year with the proceeds going to the dunkee’s charity of choice.  If you’d like to be dunked and raise some money for your favorite cause, call Dorrie at 370-0518 for a time slot.
 
Another change in this year’s Tofte Fourth of July, is that all the children’s activities will be at the Birch Grove Community Center.  The balloon toss and bouncy house will be set up there.  The Birch Grove Foundation will be serving wood-fired breakfast pizza starting at 8 a.m. until all the pizza is eaten.
 
The Town of Lutsen is hosting an open house at their spanking new Town Hall and Fire Hall on Monday, June 24 from 5:30 until 8 p.m.  Fireman’s chili and tours will be offered, along with the chance to meet the dedicated volunteers from the Lutsen Fire Department and Rescue Squad.
 
The community of Finland was surprised to receive a state grant recently that paid off the remaining quarter of a million dollar debt owed on the Clair Nelson Community Center in Finland.  Representative David Dill was able to obtain the grant from excess taconite tax money that came available due to better than anticipated taconite production last year. 
 
The Clair Nelson Community Center, named after the late Lake County Commissioner Clair Nelson, is a wonderful new facility that is paying big dividends to the Finland community.  Thanks are due to Rep. Dill, along with congratulations to all the volunteers who have worked so hard to make it a reality.
 
Andie Peterson, author, award winning teacher, former mayor and all around renaissance woman, just completed a 10-year term as the president of the Schroeder Area Historical Society.  She was acknowledged at the recent annual meeting, where more than 70 members enjoyed a delicious ham dinner.  Andie will be staying on the board, so her wisdom won’t be lost to the organization.  Congratulations to Linda Lamb, who was elected to be the new president.
 
The next upcoming event at the Cross River Heritage Center is a Vintage Tea on Saturday, June 29 at 1 p.m.  Everyone is welcome and is being asked to bring a vintage or historic item to share with everyone.  I can guarantee that many great stories will be told.  For more information about the Schroeder Historical Society and the Cross River Heritage Center, call Susan at 663-7706.
 
I recently caught wind that the Human Development Center in Grand Marais is offering new mental health services for young children.  Cecilia Bloomquist is currently being trained to offer therapy for children from 2 to 6 years to help with disruptive behavior.  The therapy is evidence based and includes training for the parents.  Appointments can be made now and she will start providing the service when her training is complete in a couple of weeks.
 
This is a great new service being offered to our community, because research clearly shows that young children with mental health problems can often be treated very effectively.  Early treatment can prevent serious problems later in life.
 
Cecilia, who is a clinical social worker, also is offering in-home mental health diagnostic assessments for children ages 0 to 5.  You can reach her at the Human Development Center by calling 387-9444.
 
In my humble opinion, the day that the dragonflies emerge should be a county-wide holiday.  The dragonflies emerged in force this week and the black flies were gone within a day or two. 
 
Back in the ‘60s, my dad actually researched the possiblity of raising dragonflies in tanks and adjusting their environment to get them to hatch early. This was right after local resorts were forced to stop spraying their properties with DDT fog.  It turns out that the dragonfly life cycle is complicated and probably impossible to manupulate.  It was a good thought, but as we seem to learn over and over again, it’s not wise to mess with nature.
 
For WTIP, this is Bill Hansen with the West End News.

{photo by Molly Breslin}

The Trail folk are rounding out week two with the “Neebing (summer) Express” bearing down on the territory.  By next time we meet over the airwaves, our skinny spring will give way to the warm season solstice.
           
This final column for the spring season 2013 finds the atmosphere along the upper Trail remaining on the cool side. In fact the Smiths have even cranked up the woodstove a couple times since June took over. However, remembering how stifling it could be, there are no complaints coming from this resident of the woods in regard to coolness.
 
Once again the rain gods have forgotten border country, but on the favorable side of the ledger several spectacular sunny days were logged. On a less desirable side of things, fire danger is again on the upswing, and back country roads are choking in dust.
 
The sugar maples have been the last to unfurl their summer tokens in our neighborhood, thus completing the leaf-out process. With that, our summer camouflage is in place and things that we have been looking at for months are now obscured in many textures of green.

The gushing spring meltdown has rapidly given way to mere trickles in most streams. Due to the absence of rain over the watershed, and the slowdown of these sustaining lifelines, I’ve noticed the first drop in the lake level on the Gunflint. The same may already be happening on other area lakes too. The Gunflint Gal looks to have dropped about four inches from its high mark of a couple weeks ago.

The lake water is warming, although slowly. A check of the reading at the Wildersmith dock as of last Sunday showed a cool but improved 50 degrees. This is still not close to be inviting for a dip, so lake users should be cruising on the side of caution.
Since nearly all aspects of normal have been tardy with our spring, it is not unexpected that the black fly season has come late too. I don’t know this to be the case scientifically, but the cool weather must have them miffed. They’re always nasty, but they seem angrier than usual.

With these black fly nasties being one of the three ingredients for a good blueberry crop, it would seem that we might have another booming crop with a little more warmth and much needed rain.
 
The reconnaissance crew of mosquitoes has done their pre-season investigating and has called in their troops as well. So now it’s all about survival of the smartest. In these parts, I’m the “sultan of swat.” August can’t come soon enough!

With the frequency of moose observations along the byway on the decline, it was a real treat to catch one in a Trail-side pond during a recent jaunt. The big old gal was quite content to allow photo ops as she munched on swamp bottom tenders.

There was no accompanying calf that could be seen, and with her nonchalant approach to us nosy observers, one would think that she must have been childless. This becomes even more unsettling with the recent news from DNR researchers in regard to the alarming death rate among this year’s calf crop.

On the other hand, the bear population is reported to be immense with an estimated 12,000 in northeastern Minnesota. Not long ago, I heard about the sighting of a momma and her triplets How about that for a ready-made family?

The abundance of these brunos may also be a factor in the moose calf demise, but that is all part of nature’s plan. It’s us humans that must eliminate some of our unsavory practices to remove the part we may be playing in the moose decline equation.  

Happily, I have to report that the area “Teddys” have not made an appearance in the Wildersmith neighborhood, yet. Guess the folks down shore to the west must be keeping them occupied.

Another reminder that the fish fry at Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center takes place this coming Monday, the 17^th, at noon.  Plan to get out there early to take in the beauty of the surroundings, tour through the museum and savor the smell of fried “Missouri Walleyes,” potatoes and the trimmings along the shores of Sag Lake’s front bay.

Then one month to the day later, the annual Gunflint Trail canoe races take center stage. Planning is full speed ahead. Members of the Gunflint community are needed once more to step up with their volunteerism for the event. Please say yes when called upon, we need you!

Keep on hangin’ on, and savor the beauty of our northern woods!
 
(Above "trail cam" photo by Debbie Benedict and Jim Raml) 
 

The Gunflint Trail Volunteer Fire Department held a grand opening celebration for the newly expanded and upgraded Poplar Firehall, Wednesday, June 12, 2013.  WTIP's Carah Thomas was there. (Click on audio mp3 above to hear the report.)

The Gunflint Trail is a two-lane asphalt road originating in Grand Marais, Minnesota, and ending at Gull Lake, Minnesota. It is the only access to this major outdoor year-round wilderness recreation area.

The Fire District includes over 700 private and commercial property parcels and is surrounded by the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Superior National Forest. The main economic activity in this area is the resort and outfitting business, which attracts many overnight tourists throughout the year. Since 1992, the fire department has been responding to structure and wildland fires, medical emergencies, and search and rescue.

To receive the GTVFD Newsletter and Updates,  send an email to [email protected] . 
 
Important dates:

• Wednesday July 17, 2013: Gunflint Canoe Races 
• Thursday August 8, 2013: Mid-Trail Auction and Fundraiser at the Schaap Community Center 

The Schaap Community Center is available free-of-charge to not-for-profit community groups of less than 15 people for meetings under 2 hours. Other groups will be charged a cleaning and maintenance fee of $25 per use, or as pre-arranged. Alternate fee arrangements may be discussed with the Schaap Community Center Policy committee members (Jim Morrison, Barb Bottger, or Jayne Johnson). Fees should be remitted to the GTVFD Treasurer. If the room is not left in good condition as outlined below additional charges may be assessed. 

In an effort to maintain and improve the Schaap Community Center, the Gunflint Trail Volunteer Fire Department always gladly accepts and appreciates donations. 

Several months ago, I mentioned my friend Art Wright, who was about to turn 100 years old.  Art did turn 100 four months ago, but unfortunately he passed away last week. 
 
Art was born in Duluth.  His father was the purser on the steamship America before any roads were built up the north shore.  Art’s mother was the teacher at the Maple Hill School in Grand Marais and met Art’s father on the America while traveling to her new teaching post at the ripe old age of 17. 
 
The Wright family lived in Grand Marais for a couple of years when Art was a young boy.  Of course, all of his playmates from that era are gone now.
 
Art took many canoe trips starting from Sawbill. He could remember every detail from his first Sawbill canoe trip in 1938. 
 
A lot of history died with Art, but fortunately, the Cook County Historical Society has many of Art’s best memories on videotape for future generations to enjoy and learn from.
 
Art had many friends from Duluth to Grand Portage.  He was always good company and will be missed.
 
I was sad to read of the death of my friend, Roger Maxfield, who grew up in Taconite Harbor and graduated from Birch Grove School and Cook County High School.  Roger was a gentle and genial soul with many friends. 
 
He and I are the same age and were the last group of young men to participate in the Selective Service lottery at the end of the Vietnam War.  I was lucky enough to get a high number, so I knew I wouldn’t be drafted.  Roger had a very low number, so he was essentially sure to be drafted.  He waited on pins and needles for at least a year, but the war wound down and he never got the call.  I know it was hard on him though, to live with the uncertainty for so long. 
 
Roger worked at Erie Mining for a few years before moving to Honeywell, where he followed his father Floyd’s footsteps by making his living as an electrician.  We’ll miss you buddy.
 
The Lutsen 99er mountain bike race is just around the corner.  The fast growing, 99-mile, main event is scheduled for June 29 and starts at Lutsen Mountains.  If you aren’t already signed up for that race, you better take a pass on it for this year, unless you happen to be a well-trained mountain bike rider.
 
However, there is a 39-mile race that starts at the same time.  If you have put in a reasonable number of miles this spring, there is still plenty of time to register for the shorter distance.
 
If you are not a trained cyclist, or a kid, there are some fun opportunities for you.  On Sunday, June 30, starting at 9:30, there are three kids’ races.   The Micro Niner is for ages 5 to 7 and is a half-mile race.  The Mini Niner is for ages 8 to 10 and is nine-tenths of a mile.  The Junior Niner is for kids from 11 to 13 and runs over a 1.9-mile course.  All the kids’ races are free and will be a ton of fun.  Pre-registration is requested, but no kid will be turned away.
 
If nothing I’ve talked about so far is your cup of tea, there is an open house fun ride Sunday, June 30, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., sponsored by the Superior Cycling Association, at the Pincushion Trails on the hill right above Grand Marais.
 
There are plenty of opportunities for watching the race or becoming a volunteer.  You can find full details for all things 99er at Lutsen99er.com.  Or, you can contact WTIP and they will give you full contact information.
 
The Lutsen 99er is growing fast and is a wonderful event in itself, but it is really just a part of a fast growing bicycle scene in the West End.  Single track mountain bike trails are still being built and improved at the Sugarbush Trail system in Tofte.  Last week, another section of the Gitchee-Gami state trail was opened in Silver Bay.  The new section is a 2.3-mile section of paved trail between Rukavina Arena in Silver Bay to the West Road in Beaver Bay.  It provides a connection, via a short stretch of gravel, to the longest completed section of the trail between Beaver Bay and Gooseberry State Park.
 
Another 1.1 miles of trail will be completed this summer between the Onion River Road and the Ski Hill Road in Lutsen.
 
When the Gitchee-Gami state trail is completed, it will extend 86 miles from Two Harbors to Grand Marais and will be a major contributor to the economic and physical health of the West End.
 
Every West Ender experienced a feeling of dread last week when word spread that there was a serious fire at Bluefin Bay Resort in Tofte.  Although five condo units ended up being heavily damaged, no one was hurt in either the fire or the firefighting effort.
 
It was indeed a bad incident, but it would have been a whole lot worse but for the efforts of Tofte Fire Chief Rich Nelson, the entire Tofte Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad, and every other volunteer fire fighter in Cook County who turned out in support. 
 
These dedicated folks put in untold hours of training and routine maintenance, but it is all worth it when they can efficiently and effectively save a major community asset like Bluefin Bay and keep everyone safe in the process.  I know that the whole community joins me in saying thank you, thank you, thank you for all you do.

(Photo courtesy Bluefin Bay Resort)

Dr. Seth Moore is Director of Biology and Environment with the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. 

The Grand Portage Reservation is located in the extreme northeast corner of Minnesota, on the North Shore of Lake Superior in Cook County. Bordered on the north by Canada, on the south and east by Lake Superior and on the west by Grand Portage State Forest, the reservation encompasses an historic fur trade site on scenic Grand Portage Bay.

The band engages in fisheries and wildlife research projects throughout the year, working with moose, wolves, fish, deer, grouse, and environmental issues. Dr. Moore appears regularly on WTIP North Shore Community Radio, talking about the band's current and ongoing natural resource projects, as well as other environmental and health related issues.  In this segment, Dr. Moore talks about the band's ongoing moose calf mortality study, in partnership with the Minnesota Zoo.  Produced by Carah Thomas.

(Photo of moose cow and calf from a trail camera near Seagull Lake in Cook County, Minnesota, by Debbie Benedict and Jim Raml.  Photo taken in June 2013.)

Construction in progress, but plenty of miles open on the Gitchi Gami State Trail.  WTIP volunteerRandy Eastlund learns more in this interview with Kevin Johnson of DNR Parks and Trails.

{click above to listen}

photo courtesy of the Gitchi-Gami Trail Association