North Shore Weekend

The Cook County Historical Society is offering guided walking tours of Grand Marais harbor Saturdays through the summer, starting June 8.  

The tours were created by Harbor Friends, with funding from Minnesota's Lake Superior Coastal Program, and adapted with permission by the Cook County Historical Society for use in their present programming.  

Two tours will be offered - a Lighthouse Point Guided Tour at 11:30 a.m., followed by a West Beach Guided Tour at 1:00 p.m.  More information from the Historical Society at 387-2883.
 
(Click on audio mp3 above to hear an interview with tour guide Molly Hoffman)

The North Shore Forest Collaborative will offer a free workshop for North Shore landowners on Friday, June 7, from 12:30 – 4 p.m. at the Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in Finland. (Click on audio mp3 above to hear an interview with North Shore Forest Collaborative coordinator Julie O'Leary.)

The purpose of the workshop is to provide landowners with information about issues affecting their North Shore woods and hands-on assistance with tree planting and controlling invasive species on their properties.

The workshop will cover topics ranging from the effects of climate change on the North Shore forest to developing plans for woodlots, tips for successful tree planting, and products that can be harvested and made from the woods.

Presenters will include staff from the U.S. Forest Service, University of Minnesota Extension, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Lake County Soil and Water Conservation District, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

More information about the workshop and registration can be found at www.sugarloafnorthshore.org/landowner.php,  or call 218-525-0001, or e-mail [email protected].

2nd Annual North Shore Landowners Workshop
June 7, 2013 12:30 - 4:00 pm
Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center, Finland, MN 

• Are you wondering what you can do about the dying birch in your woods?
• Are you looking for assistance planting trees or controlling invasive plants?
• Are you interested in how climate change will affect the North Shore?
• Do you want to learn about making willow whistles and maple syrup? 

Whatever your interest or size of your property, join the North Shore Forest Collaborative for an educational and fun workshop designed specifically for private landowners on the North Shore.
 
Agenda:

This event is free and open to the public 

Click here to register

Or phone 218-525-0001, email [email protected]
 
Directions to Wolf Ridge ELC:
Follow Highway 61 approximately 66 miles north of Duluth, Mn to County Road 6 in Little Marais. You will see a large sign marking the turn to Wolf Ridge.
Take a left on County Road 6.
Travel 4 miles to the Wolf Ridge driveway (Cranberry Road).
Turn left into the driveway and follow it 2.5 miles to the main campus on the ridgetop.
 
 

The Trail is just getting used to May and here comes June! My, how the days go by in paradise!
           
May was May in name only because most of the past 31 have been like late March or April. However, the past few days have begun to take on a summer feel. Guess it took the Memorial Day weekend to jump start the official warm weather season.

As we head off into month six, there are still a few reminders of winter here and there. We still have a mini glacier holding on along the Mile O Pine, and I see a couple more spots of dirty white ice packs down on County Road 20 And some folks are still being reminded of Old Man Winter while trying to thaw frozen septic tanks and mend broken water pipes.

The past couple weeks have seen seasonal residents return by the dozens. Meanwhile, with spectacular weather, the three-day holiday saw tourists by the car- and truck-load inundate the upper Trail. Visitors to the majestic Gunflint territory were seemingly bursting with energy for time on a lake or out in the forest after being unchained from the long white season.  I surmise that most lakes, like the Gunflint, were abuzz with the hum of boaters as vacation times begin to get under way.

It’s hard to believe our summer quarter is only three weeks away, with old Sol ready to linger for our longest daylight hour. Even more difficult to comprehend is our trek then heads the other direction again.  With our spring being mostly a non-issue, rebirth is hurrying with an explosion of virescence out this way.

We year-round residents have a passion for two seasons of color, the white one just past and the green one at hand.  And boy, how we love that green, let me count the shades.  

With their pine cousins providing the backdrop, deciduous parts of our forest are in varying stages of popping their foliage. The hills are alive with the hint of chlorophyll.  A trip along the byway is displaying ever-changing hues from almost chartreuse, to lime, sage, emerald and grass, to name but a few of the countless tints. Toss in those rays of sunshine and you have an early summer spectacle.

While rapid progress is being made on the infusion of docks, boats and canoes into area lakes and the usual seasonal cabin fixits, some of us are already into the next “getting ready for winter season.” Yours truly set about splitting and stacking of firewood last Sunday.  I’ve also been busy collecting blow down stuff from winter and have accumulated four burn piles for the next time we have snow.

 That firewood task happened after catching my breath from a day with good friends putting the Smith dock together and tackling an uncooperative leaky cabin waterline. It seems like one’s work is never ending out here in border country, but oh how we love it!

Air traffic is on the increase at our sweet juice station. The hummingbirds are circling in holding patterns for a shot of our sugary concoction, and not far from our dock on the Gunflint shore, we have a pair of common Mergansers hanging out with an apparent eye on setting up for a potential egg hatching.

 There’s also a lot of loon conversation on the water and through the air, and if that talk isn’t enough, somewhere around the Wildersmith yard a nest of young crows are adding their squawking two cents worth every once in a while.

Speaking of loons, the pair that has been nesting in the bay at Chik-Wauk Museum over the past two years has returned. As yet they‘ve produced no eggs, just doing a little housekeeping.  One can keep up with the process by going to www.chikwauk.com and clicking on the prompts.

Oh, and by the way, those other winged critters are beginning to debut with the itching stings and nips on us humans. The bug dope and nets are coming out, ‘tis the season!

Tune in again next week for more bloomin’ news! Until then, keep on hangin’ on, and savor a June treat along the Gunflint!

Photo by Mykl Roventine via Wikimedia Commons: Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

It was a slow Memorial Day weekend here at Sawbill.  BWCA Wilderness travelers seemed to be here in good numbers, but the drive-in Forest Service campgrounds were half empty all weekend.  My guess is the combination of a late spring, high gas prices and a rainy forecast for most of the state was responsible for the slow traffic.  Here in the Sawbill Lake campground, four sites that were reserved for the whole weekend ended up as no-shows. 
 
The people who did show up for the holiday weekend were treated to great weather with almost no bugs.  Fishing was generally slow, although everyone seemed to catch enough for a good meal. 
 
I’m always happy to welcome a new business to the West End.  Jay Hanson and Dan Goyen have announced the establishment of North Shore Scenic Cruises based at the marina in Silver Bay. They will be sailing the historic motor vessel Wenonah on tours of the North Shore Mining Harbor and the beautiful geological formations in the Palisade Head area, and visiting the sites of historic ship wrecks. 
 
The first cruise will be June 14 and continue through the summer and fall.  North Shore Scenic Cruises has a website, which you can find by googling Lake Superior cruising, or contact WTIP for the link.  It’s great to have cruising back in the West End since the Grampa Woo stopped service several years ago.  Best of luck to Jay and Dan in their new endeavor.
 
Speaking of tours, it’s time to get your reservations made for this year’s Lundie Vacation Home Tour sponsored by the Schoeder Area Historical Society. 
The tour is scheduled for Saturday, July 13 and goes to homes and cabins designed by the famous archetict Edwin Lundie. This year the emphasis will be in the Hovland area and will end up at historic Naniboujou Lodge for a light dinner.  Information and reservations can be made by calling 218-663-7706, or by visiting the Schoeder Area Historical Society’s website.  Or, you can contact WTIP for full contact information.
 
If you can’t make it for the Lundie Tour, you can certainly stop by the Cross River Heritage Center in Schroeder to see the new exhibit, “Up From the Ashes: Forest Fires on the North Shore.”  It covers a history that has real resonance today, as large fires are a continuing presence in our lives.
 
The Cross River Heritage Center is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every Tuesday through Saturday and from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sundays. The Center is closed on Mondays.  This schedule is in place until October 19; the Center is located right in the heart of downtown Schoeder.
 
A memorial service is scheduled for Tofte native Ellis “Bud” Tormondsen Saturday, June 8 at Zoar Lutheran Church in Tofte.  Bud passed away on Feb. 15 after living in Tofte for more than 90 years.  All are welcome to come and celebrate Bud’s rich and long life.
 
A belated congratulations to Forest Service Tofte District Ranger John Wytanis, who retired at the beginning of May.  John was in charge of the Tofte District and the Isabella Work Station for a number of years.  John had many accomplishments in the Forest Service, but may be best remembered locally for his hard work and great communication skills during the Pagami Creek Fire in 2011.  That fire will certainly be a memorable career moment for him. John and his wife Marge will continue to live in Tofte, at least for a while.
 
One of the many interesting things about being in the tourism business is observing a large number of people’s behavior in what is basically in the same situation.  It provides a study of human nature to see how different people react to indentical circumstances.  One result of my lifetime in the tourism business is to remind myself, when I’m traveling as a tourist, that every clever joke I can think of has probably been told by thousands of tourists who came before me. 
 
This year, we have experienced a unique change in tourist behavior here at Sawbill.  Since the public Forest Service parking lot was built in 1962, everyone has parked their cars in neat lines facing north/south.  There are no lines on the gravel parking lot, so it just seemed like an unspoken consensus to park north/south.
 
This year, for the first time in more than 50 years, people are parking in lines facing east/west.  How is it possible that this has never happened before in the previous half century?  Why did it happen this year?  Is it somehow related to the late spring?  Have the magnetic poles shifted polarity? Ahh, the mysteries of human behavior.  They never cease to amaze.
 

This “Moments in Time” features longtime Gunflint Trail resident Sue Kerfoot.  She spoke at the Cook County Historical Society storytelling event "Stories You've Never Heard and Good Ones to Hear Again," held March 9th, 2013 at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts in Grand Marais.

Alas, genuine spring on the Gunflint!  The power of Zigwan (spring in Ojibwe) has overcome the frosty spirit of a long winter.

Since our last meeting on the radio there’s a celebration of sort with winter’s final passing. The long watch for open waters on the big lakes ended pretty much all over the territory last weekend. Exact dates for disappearance of the hard water on Saganaga and Seagull Lakes are sketchy depending upon with whom you talk. The dates are firm, though, for Poplar and Gunflint lakes, as Sarah at Trail Center and yours truly here on the Gunflint declared ice out on May 17.

The ice on Gunflint Lake didn’t go without surging back and forth for several days, leaving shorelines stacked with crystal shards. Although I have not heard of any major shoreline damage, we here at Wildersmith came within a heartbeat of losing our water line to the marauding ice cake.

Another couple items are to be celebrated along with the full “budding flower” moon of tomorrow night. Some much needed rain finally dampened the territory along with our first thunder of the season, while canoeists and anglers are smiling as they are now free to buzz to their favorite fishing places.

With winter 2012-13 now into the books, a brief review of our long months past seems to be in order. I can only reflect on what has taken place here at Wildersmith as the cold facts might vary from place to place along this 57-mile Trail.

To say the least it was a doozy, starting slow, gaining momentum month by month and closing with a lingering fury! For us cold climate enthusiasts, it was satisfying to once again experience the true character of what defines us.

On snow, we had our first measurable amount on Thanksgiving (though flurries teased us on Sept. 22) and the last came on May 11-12. In between, 107 ½ inches were tallied with the largest amount falling on April 19, 23 inches.

The Gunflint Lake succumbed to solidarity Dec. 22 and regained liquidity May 17. Between those momentous occasions the coldest recorded low temperature was an actual bone chilling minus 43 on Jan. 24. A few days prior to that frosty morning we experienced our coldest daytime high temp in 14 winters here when we got up to a paltry minus 28, brrrr!

That’s all behind us and with exception of a few mini-glaciers hidden in the coniferous shade, the past six months have melted into memories. So joyous was the winter, I celebrated its leaving by getting right into the lake.

The fact is, I was in that icy liquid twice, the day our ice left and the next day too. Both of the cool excursions were out of necessity and not out of a real zest for a cool dip.

Equipped with insulated cold water gear, I assisted with the installation of a neighbor’s dock the first time in, and then extended wild fire sprinkler system pumping lines out from the shores at three locales next day. I can assure all that the 30-something degree water is worthy of extreme caution for those hitting the canoe circuit or heading out on fishing escapades. Please be safe!

In our wild neighborhood an unexpected avian observation has captured the attention of folks down on County Rd. 20 where it intersects with the Mile O Pine.  A neighbor alerted us Smiths to a nest of ravens high in a giant white pine. I have since found that the nesting residents have been squawking for several weeks, and the two or maybe three youngsters are so big that mom and dad can’t even get in the nest. They are sure to take that first flight of independence any day, making for peace and quiet around there once more.

With the loons back on area lakes, one more homecoming is of mention. The hummingbirds have answered their northern call and are hungrily zipping about in search of some manmade nectar. No blooms yet, so it’s up to us!

Another animal account found yours truly in apparent close proximity to one of our wilderness warriors not long ago, and didn’t even know it. I had been in the yard doing some brushing and headed into the house when my wife made me aware that a wolf had just scampered along our lake shore not 100 feet away from where I had entered.

I don’t know that it had been sizing me up, but for sure, it was likely closer than I would have preferred it to be.  I’m happy that it was running away instead of at me.

Keep on hangin’ on, and savor the coming of the green!

Airdate: May 24, 2013

A conversation with the poet Czarina Crow. In this segment, Anishinaabe Cook County High School student Czarina Crow shares a poem and talks about where she finds inspiration, poetry as an exploration of characters outside of her own experience, and why she likes poetry better than other kinds of writing.

The Gala for the Grove, Birch Grove School's biggest annual fundraiser, was a smashing success once again this year.  School Director, Diane Blanchette, reported that this year's Gala more than met the goal of raising $10,000.  She asked me to thank Dennis Rysdahl, who donates the facilities and staff, along with the many other sponsors, who donated cash, raffle prizes and auction items.  The great local band, D'Merritt, provided live music for dancing.  Everyone had a great time and it's not too early to pencil in next year's Gala on your May calendar.
 
West End parents, remember the Campsite Kids and Summer Sapling programs this summer at Birch Grove.  Campsite Kids is qualified day care for kindergarten through fifth grade children three days a week, all summer long.  There will be weekly "campy" themes with field trips, creative projects, campfires, access to the school library and many other fun activities based in the Birch Grove outdoor classroom.
 
Summer Saplings is a similar program that is geared to the 3 to 5-year-old set.  It also runs three days a week, all day.  The number of participants is limited, so for more information or to register, call Diane at 663-0170 or contact WTIP for full contact information.
 
We can't let the kids have all the fun, so adults can plan on attending the popular North Shore Landowners Workshop at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in Finland. This workshop is sponsored by the North Shore Stewardship Association at Sugarloaf Cove and has generated rave reviews from those attending in the past.  It's always nice to meet your land-owning neighbors, but you can also learn why all the birches are dying, how to control invasive species on your property, which trees to plant and how to ensure their survival and many other useful things.  The event is Friday, June 7th from 12:30 to 4 p.m.  It is free and open to public, but pre-registration is encouraged.  You can register at the Sugarloaf Cove website, or by calling 218-525-0001.  As always, you can contact WTIP for full contact information.
 
The entire West End Community was saddened by the news of the death of John Fredrickson from Silver Bay.  John died May 18 at home in Silver Bay.  John was a well-known and well-liked member of the community.  He was an entrepreneur who owned the Standard station in Silver Bay and John's Sanitary Removal, which he built into a thriving business over the last 28 years.
 
John was also then longtime chief of the Silver Bay Fire Department, which is known as one of the finest small town fire departments in the state of Minnesota.  Last year, he was honored by the Minnesota State Fire Chiefs’ Association as Fire Officer of the Year. 
 
He was a famous hard worker, but was also a dedicated family man.  He will be missed by the whole community.  Our condolences to the all of John's family and friends.
 
Molly Rider, of Lutsen, will be departing this week to paddle the entire length of the Mississippi River.  The trip is sponsored by outdoor club at Bowdoin College in Maine where Molly is a student.  She'll be joined by her best friend from school, and two friends from Two Harbors.  Watch the WTIP website for updates as the trip progresses.  Molly plans to arrive at the Gulf of Mexico sometime in early August.
 
It seems like all the lakes in the BWCA Wilderness are finally clear of ice. Brule Lake had significant ice until the 20th of May. Here at Sawbill, it is starting to green up, but the snow bank in front of the store, which I call "The Glacier," is still three feet tall.  It may last until the first of June this year.  Having "The Glacier" on site is bad for ice sales, because people can just throw a shovel full of snow into their coolers.  Its presence is good for sweatshirt sales though, so I guess it all works out in the end.

Our second week of month five found that stubborn Old Man of the North slipping some but still unwilling to relinquish full command of his extended reign over the upper Gunflint atmosphere. The weather on our big Mother’s Day and fishing season opener was more of an April Fool’s celebration than that of a budding spring experience.

As expected, the ice remained solid on most of the big lakes, while howling northwest winds and snow squalls dominated the scene along the Mile O Pine Saturday and Sunday. By the end of Saturday and into Sunday our ground was white once more. And melt water standing on the Gunflint Lake ice cake was skimmed like it was December all over again.

Outside of the persistent big lake ice and prior to the weekend blast, our only remnants of winter were splashes of windrowed November and December snow in roadside ditches.  The new snow came hard and furious but measured less than an inch at Wildersmith.

With a warming forecast for border country going into week three, it’s a good bet the Trail corridor will be void of most white by the time this keyboard exercise hits the airwaves. Meanwhile, the prognosis for open waters on all area lakes remains tentative on the natural calendar.

Two issues of concern face area residents. The first issue is a potential for big winds on the days when the ice cake breaks from shorelines and begins to move. Strong air currents from any direction could prove dangerous for lakeshore fixtures like permanent docks and water lines. Those ice cakes have minds of their own and are willing to take out anything in their path with even a slight push from troubled breezes.

Our second item of concern is that even with the huge amounts of snow melt, the area is fast becoming tinder-dry. This neighborhood and on to the northwest has been void of significant rain for the past couple weeks with less than one-tenth of an inch in the Smith rain gauge. The latest snow will contribute little relief as the powerful sun will wipe it out in a matter of hours.

Many of us are fearful of wildfire potential, and doubly so when the ice is preventing the re-upping of wildfire sprinkler systems for the coming season. It would seem that burning bans for the area would be a no-brainer until both green-up and rain become reality.

Hope springs eternal as north woods flora are proceeding to sprout buds in spite of shivering temps for many days in May. Nearly every deciduous shrub and tree in the neighborhood has reached the green-tip bud stage. It would seem that the plant world will do some rapid catching up with a few consistent days of sunny warmth, and we’ll be green as usual when June comes a-calling.

Several folks have reported loon voices in the heavens over the past week or 10 days, but one has to question if their navigation systems might be a little confused with little open water on which to land. Wonder how long they can maintain a holding pattern, and if they run short of fuel, can a slippery wet ice landing be maneuvered. If our wilderness ambassadors do happen to land, how about a subsequent take-off?

Our forest has taken on a quieter note with the disappearance of those raucous crows and blue jays. I’m guessing they’re off to nesting somewhere. While I hear that the first hummingbird has been observed southwest of Grand Marais along Superior’s north shore, they had best consider waiting a spell before coming back to these parts.

In spite of the alarming decline in our county moose count this past year, several folks have reported sightings of moose with young’uns in the upper end of the Trail.  Perhaps they might be seeing the same ones, but it makes for happy reporting that not all have been wiped out. Maybe the surviving herd benefitted from the long winter with some of their parasitic nemeses possibly freezing out.

On a final note, congratulations to the folks down at Clearwater Lodge for becoming the owners of a newly-carved replica of their famous Billy Needham totem pole. The new one is in place where the original sentinel watched over lodge activities for some 65 years.

The new reconnection with Clearwater’s historic past was made possible through the generosity of Clearwater Lake resident craftsman Bob Olson. A formal unveiling will be announced sometime this summer, so check the Clearwater blog in order to be there for this next chapter in their story.

Keep on hangin’ on, and savor some wilderness time in the warming sun!

Airdate: May 17, 2013

By now you might have heard of a thing called “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch.” But if you haven’t, it’s basically a large vortex in the center of the Pacific Ocean where scientists have discovered that, over time, a bunch of trash—mostly plastic—has accumulated. This phenomenon has drawn a lot of attention around the world as scientists and environmentalists work to study the impacts this "garbage patch," and others like it, have on our oceans. But, the oceans aren’t the only places where this is happening. There’s also evidence that microplastic is accumulating in the Great Lakes. In this edition of the Lake Superior Project, Lorena Rios Mendoza, assistant professor of Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Superior, talks about what's happening on the Great Lakes, and what she's discovered so far after her study on microplastic on Lakes Superior, Huron and Erie last summer.