tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33843559800519959902024-03-13T09:40:37.463-05:00Piragis Northwoods Company Boundary Waters Blog...stay in touch with Your Friends in the Great NorthwoodsTim Stoufferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04850560980529356841noreply@blogger.comBlogger400125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3384355980051995990.post-84181808236109118992018-06-19T10:23:00.000-05:002018-06-19T10:23:40.242-05:00Adam's Hunter's Island Trip - June 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8iPoQFnilz0/Wykd-zmz52I/AAAAAAAAAXY/L0DwBEBsi8YDtvfLDXjdWDkqaFSw7WGDwCLcBGAs/s1600/Adam%2B-%2BHunters%2BIsland%2BJune%2B2018.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="805" data-original-width="1258" height="408" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8iPoQFnilz0/Wykd-zmz52I/AAAAAAAAAXY/L0DwBEBsi8YDtvfLDXjdWDkqaFSw7WGDwCLcBGAs/s640/Adam%2B-%2BHunters%2BIsland%2BJune%2B2018.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br />Some
people (maybe most people) think I am crazy, but I love to push myself in the
canoe and cover as much ground as I can.
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">One of my goals is to see how fast I can complete Hunter’s Island, a 144
(or so) mile loop through some of the nicest parts of Quetico.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">It takes you through Birch, Carp, Knife,
Ottertrack, Saganaga, Saganagons, the Falls Chain, Kawnipi, the Poet’s Chain,
Sturgeon, the Maligne River, Lac La Croix, Iron, Crooked, the Basswood River,
Basswood, and back to Birch Lake.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">I pack
light, travel long days, and push myself.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Unlike most Boundary Waters and Quetico trips, this type of trip is more
for exercise than fishing, relaxing, and sightseeing.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">(In fact, it is extremely difficult to just
zip through these amazing places without taking a moment to soak them in.)</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">That said, I can’t think of a better place
than the Quetico or Boundary Waters to get in a good workout!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
<br />
It came up on short notice, but I was able to get a few days off in a row this
June to give the loop a shot. I have a
few paddling buddies (including Tim and Joe from outfitting) who would be
willing to go with, but they were working, which meant I was going solo since I
didn’t have time to line anyone else up.
There are some points to bail out along the way. I could head south through Agnes, Kahshahpiwi
Creek, or exit at Moose River (or another Boundary Waters access point) if I
needed too. A quick call to a couple friends
and I had drivers set up to pick me up if I needed to bail. I was excited and ready to go!<br />
<br />
I woke up early, finished packing, and made my way to Moose Lake. I hit the water in a Wenonah Voyager canoe at
6am in a cool, steady rain, but no wind.
Day one was pretty easy as far as conditions go. I got to Birch Lake around 7:30… the official
start time of my loop. There was
basically no wind all day, which really allowed me to get a nice start. The rain stopped by mid-morning. I paddled past Thunder Point on Knife. Kept working through Ottertrack and continued
east to Cache Bay where I picked up my permit from Janice. Janice was really fun to talk to. She has been a Quetico Ranger for 34
years—the longest tenured ranger in park history. I took a few moments to chat with her about
some of her canoeing adventures and some of the interesting trippers she has
met over the years. She gave me some
info on passing through the Falls Chain and sent me on my way. I spent about 30 minutes chatting with her
and hit the water again around 3:30 in the afternoon. I worked my way through the Falls Chain to
Kawnipi with about an hour of daylight left.
I found a spot to camp just north and a little west of McVicar Bay. Day one was done at about 11:30pm with a
total of 51 miles covered.<br />
<br />
The alarm went off at 4:41am on day two.
I promptly hit the snooze button.
In my groggy state, I determined that another 45 minutes of sleep would
be more productive than a super early start.
Finally, I woke up and was on the water at 6am. I finished out the rest of Kawnipi and
entered the Poet’s Chain, one of my favorite stretches. I was a little protected through the Poet’s
Chain, but I could tell the wind was picking up. I worked from Shelley, to Keats, to
Chatterton, to Russell. When I emerged
from the portage onto Russell Lake at about 11:30am, the wind was howling in my
face. There were some small white caps
and the wind was directly in my face. I
snugged up my PFD (a quick reminder to wear your PFD), and started my 7-hour
fight with the wind through Russell and Sturgeon. It wasn’t the most pleasant day
I’ve had in the canoe. I worked hard,
cursing the wind, and got to the start of the Maligne river around 6:30pm. By now, the wind had slowed some and I was
protected on the river. It was nice
having the current push me along a little bit too. I zipped through the river. It was starting to get dark when I got to
Tanner Lake, but figured I had another hour or so of twilight, so I decided to
push a bit further. I made it to Twin
Falls at dark, and found a spot to camp just before the falls right around
10pm. There was a bunch of dead and down
fire wood at the campsite so I started a small fire to smoke the bugs out while
I set up my tent. I put out the fire and
went to bed. Day two covered about 42
miles.<br />
<br />
From the forecast I saw before my trip, I knew I would be dealing with more
wind (mostly from the south) on day three.
I did not want to get stuck on La Croix with a south wind, so I got up a
bit earlier and hit the water by 5:30am, hoping to beat the wind. La Croix was flat! I worked through it and made it to Bottle
Portage around 10:30, just as the wind was picking up. The rest of the day would be a struggle. The wind pushed against me on Iron, and <i>ALL</i> the way across Crooked. It felt like paddling through cement all
day. I stopped on a few islands as I
crossed Crooked for short breaks and to get out of the wind for a minute. It was a slog, but I made it through the
Basswood River and to Basswood Lake just as it was getting dark. Basswood was rocking, and I could see/hear a
storm rolling in from the south. I
camped near Basswood Falls and hunkered down for the storm. Day three covered about 41 miles.<br />
<br />
I could hear it raining on and off all night, but the heavy rain hit around
4am. It rained and thundered and
lightninged for hours. I waited it out
in my tent, listening to the ominous howl of the wind. It was going to be another fight. Around 9am, the thunder and lightning had
passed and the rain slowed. I got up and
got moving. I was on the water by 10am,
with a strong wind pushing from the south.
Getting around US Point was going to be a real challenge. I dug in and slowly started making progress,
bobbing through the waves. There was a
little relief on the north side of US Point, but it was right back into the
wind on the east side of the point, heading south. I pushed forward. Once I got to the “English Channel” I was
protected. I took a short, much needed
break on Ottawa Island. That paddle
around US Point against the wind the whole way drained me. Thankfully, the wind subsided, and I was able
to make the push back to Birch Lake without much trouble, completing the
Hunter’s Island loop! But, I wasn’t done
yet. I still had the 6 or so miles on
the Moose Chain to get back to my truck.
This was a long hard paddle… harder than it should have been, but I was
exhausted. I was very thankful the wind
subsided. Fighting the wind on that
stretch would have been a real bear. I
finally made it back to the truck and completed my trip! Day four covered 22 miles.<br />
<br />
It was a great trip, and I was happy to be able to complete the loop,
especially with the tough winds for much of the trip. I can’t wait to get back out there and do it
again!<br />
<br />
Sorry I don’t have any pictures to attach—spent all my time paddling!<br /><br />Adam Macht<br />Piragis Outfitting</span>Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16065413318205058688noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3384355980051995990.post-90884258573365980212018-05-30T15:58:00.002-05:002018-05-31T10:38:42.618-05:00Jigging for Walleye in the Boundary Waters<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Jig fishing is a time-honored nearly failsafe method for fishing for Walleye in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. It has many different incarnations and can lead to a variety of angler modified or inspired choices when it comes to personal preference.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">In short it is versatile and adaptable and requires a very limited number of parts to reach success.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">I like vertical jig fishing because with a little patience and of course (luck?) the right location, you can do two things well: 1) Have Fun and 2) Catch Dinner.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none;"></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kpMHcoAO_IA/Ww8Q3f8FEhI/AAAAAAAABLM/CaExCGQq0uASZOUFcAAMAb0Qg2mU7ypfQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kpMHcoAO_IA/Ww8Q3f8FEhI/AAAAAAAABLM/CaExCGQq0uASZOUFcAAMAb0Qg2mU7ypfQCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_6129.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none;">Traditional “ball jigs” combine a spherical weight with a hook and when the hook is tipped with bait it is a simple combination that allows an angler to take the bait down to wherever the fish are or might be. This combination allows one to fish the rocky shorelines, fallen trees, weed lines and shale piles by casting if they want to change the pace or tire of jigging.</span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none;">Vertical jigging off the bottom allows your bail on your spinning reel to be open while you rest the line on your finger. Walleye often nibble or have light mouthed touches (not always — there are plenty of times they suck up your jig with force) and this approach allows you to play a little line out subtly before you set the hook. You can also close the bail and just wait for the tell-tale bobbing of the end of your rod, something that gets the blood pumping really fast. Fishing vertical drop offs, where the depth of the lake changes dramatically is a good place to start. Jigging near tips of points, and over top mounds or rises in the middle of lakes is a good option for jigs as well.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WYlSLfXUfrE/Ww8Q2McjX6I/AAAAAAAABK0/eBDhxGwA1C8eEUsqnQyMyd_yFOc_V-F8ACEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_6123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WYlSLfXUfrE/Ww8Q2McjX6I/AAAAAAAABK0/eBDhxGwA1C8eEUsqnQyMyd_yFOc_V-F8ACEwYBhgL/s640/IMG_6123.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none;">We promote non-lead alternatives in an attempt to promote Loon health. Our state bird can easily be poisoned by lead jig heads and sinkers, as they often ingest them accidentally, mistaking them for food or rocks. Tin and Bismuth make a slightly larger but no less effective jig.</span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none;">Color choices can get you into many a long conversation with older more experienced anglers and those who are just superstitious, or rely on a favorite. We have a variety of water colors in the Boundary Waters lakes, from crystal clear to dark and tannin stained. It pays to have a variety of colors in your tackle box. Many people would never try darker colors, however I’ve personally proven to myself that fish must see darker colors differently than we do because black, dark blue, red have performed well for me even in darker waters. Traditional choices are yellow, chartreuse, pink, white or glow and orange.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4lnjwSvfIQg/Ww8Q3JyzlAI/AAAAAAAABLY/huoHy85-pUgGRua810klFHFep2fAVglxQCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_6127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4lnjwSvfIQg/Ww8Q3JyzlAI/AAAAAAAABLY/huoHy85-pUgGRua810klFHFep2fAVglxQCEwYBhgL/s640/IMG_6127.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cTIcxbMPPGI/Ww8Q22l8S3I/AAAAAAAABLA/nA2bbeNrasEWUrVxSAZmqqgBi1zcwCDrQCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_6126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cTIcxbMPPGI/Ww8Q22l8S3I/AAAAAAAABLA/nA2bbeNrasEWUrVxSAZmqqgBi1zcwCDrQCEwYBhgL/s640/IMG_6126.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none;">The ideal choices to bait your jig hooks with are leeches, minnows and nightcrawlers. However, live bait is increasingly difficult to keep alive during wilderness trips that extend past a couple of days or if the weather is warm such as it is in the later weeks of July and much of August. There are a number of artificial and plastic baits that mimic the visual and swimming performance of minnows, leeches and worms. There’s even a company called of all things, Magic®, that package preserved Emerald Shiners. These shiners are traditionally a favorite bait on some Minnesota lakes where for years and years anglers have used frozen shiners that they preserved. These preserved minnows have an anise scent to them. Jigging up and down tipped with an Emerald Shiner seems to some to indeed be Magic.</span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vtV8N71FZEc/Ww8SPtG4yDI/AAAAAAAABLk/wyepeHxgwCoxIcR9il1k3SEcdwmUsUcWACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vtV8N71FZEc/Ww8SPtG4yDI/AAAAAAAABLk/wyepeHxgwCoxIcR9il1k3SEcdwmUsUcWACLcBGAs/s640/IMG_6130.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none;">It’s hard to beat a twister tail on the end of a jig. White, green or black seem to do an excellent job of exciting fish and mimicking minnows, leeches and worms.</span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l1mDAyuA8eQ/Ww8Q2TLHqXI/AAAAAAAABLc/6WHeRXA5Xh8Yzoe9Wjbt0EjMPBf8-AK-ACEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_6125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l1mDAyuA8eQ/Ww8Q2TLHqXI/AAAAAAAABLc/6WHeRXA5Xh8Yzoe9Wjbt0EjMPBf8-AK-ACEwYBhgL/s640/IMG_6125.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none;">Jigs have the downfall by nature of not being weedless and hanging up on rock piles and getting stuck. That’s why it always makes sense to take along more than you think you’ll need. It makes sense to give yourself color options and even take along some different sized jigs in case the wind comes up (the Walleye Chop isn’t famous for no reason… they like the wind, they despise direct sunlight (look at their eyes — wouldn’t you) and they also like fast moving water (fishing the tail end of rapids often produces). Tiny jigs and bits of Twisty Tails or colored fluff are excellent baits for crappie, trout and panfish.</span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none;">I have to confess that I really enjoy bobber fishing and often I’ll employ a jig at the line underneath my bobber and just let my patience drift. There’s nothing quite like watching that red and white ball go under, and then go deeper. Wham!!! Dinner!</span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none;">Just a side note because sometimes you want options. When I first moved to Minnesota I came across a rig called a Winkum Spin-N-Float. There’s a little float and a spinner attached to the same leader line as the perfect sized simple Walleye hook. Where this rig attached to your line you attach either a sliding weight or a few of Water Gremlin Lead Alternative Sinkers. You bait the hook with a nightcrawler or your preference and the float keeps it up off the bottom while the spinner attracts attention. Toss is out from your campsite and leave it sit while you wait for the end of your rod to bend down! When I’m not jigging or casting a countdown Rapala® or Mepps® spinner, I’m using one of these.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J_H_uY1iISg/Ww8Q3XMpgzI/AAAAAAAABLc/exmGfZXrp-427DNrxdFonocKgtVSqJ6AwCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_6128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J_H_uY1iISg/Ww8Q3XMpgzI/AAAAAAAABLc/exmGfZXrp-427DNrxdFonocKgtVSqJ6AwCEwYBhgL/s640/IMG_6128.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none;">Once again, my fishing choices revolve around simple, classic choices that can appeal to a variety of species and produce time-honored results. Walleyes in Minnesota seem to bite on vertical ball head jigs more than just about anything else. If you don’t include Mister Twister® Tails in your pack, you should.</span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-kerning: none;">As one of the anglers, Mark, who replied to my last fishing blog said, “</span><span style="direction: ltr; font-kerning: none; unicode-bidi: embed;">I usually paddle into the wind on a lake, and then toss one of my white twisters out and drift with the wind across the lake and usually have caught at least one northern or walleye using this method.</span><span style="font-kerning: none;">” You see what I mean, jigs are versatile and adaptable. They allow you to develop your own style and catch fish the way you are most comfortable.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></div>
Tim Stoufferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04850560980529356841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3384355980051995990.post-4815780317881232252018-05-17T13:33:00.001-05:002018-05-17T13:39:14.778-05:00Boundary Waters Fishing: Go To Lures by Tim StoufferI often find Original Floating® Rapalas® in various conditions in the bottom of old tackle boxes that I buy. Since I was a little kid, one of my passions has been antiques. I gravitate towards old tackle boxes and (avoiding rusty hooks) love to dig through them looking for treasure. Aside from remnants of melted plastic worms, the single most popular discovery is some form of lightweight balsa Rapala® Floating Minnow. Sometimes this will include foil-sided early models with embossed stars from when they were still made in Finland.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pkOr11VNszg/Wv3KmGoEATI/AAAAAAAABKU/3vS84aJPfoYrhPN9K4fS9Mzy3rGVmSMgQCLcBGAs/s1600/RapalaOrigUSEDclassicfloatingBlog1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="654" data-original-width="806" height="518" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pkOr11VNszg/Wv3KmGoEATI/AAAAAAAABKU/3vS84aJPfoYrhPN9K4fS9Mzy3rGVmSMgQCLcBGAs/s640/RapalaOrigUSEDclassicfloatingBlog1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
This got me to thinking… why do I find so many of these? Why are they always in such a state of disrepair and not pristine? Why do their newer counterparts show up nearly as often in Perch, Silver and Blue, Firetiger and Orange? And, perhaps an even better question, what do I consider my “Go To” lure when on a Boundary Waters Canoe Trip? Not necessarily my favorite lure, because if I’m perfectly honest Mepps® Spinners are my favorite because they were my Dad’s favorite and who doesn’t enjoy a bit of flash? Usually walleye, definitely Pike and the Smallmouth love em. Let’s face it though, they aren’t minnow shaped, don’t swim or look like a minnow except in the heat of the moment.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gt4819W95j4/Wv3Kkxs4LYI/AAAAAAAABKc/Ho5ukXOiEvY4xUKsB-k2GTIlOI9mXfO_gCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/MeppsBlogwhitedressedA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="784" height="163" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gt4819W95j4/Wv3Kkxs4LYI/AAAAAAAABKc/Ho5ukXOiEvY4xUKsB-k2GTIlOI9mXfO_gCPcBGAYYCw/s320/MeppsBlogwhitedressedA.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Most predators are attracted to anything that closely mimics their natural prey. Wounded or erratically swimming minnows. Or, when wounded ones aren’t on your radar, something that looks like what you’d expect to be swimming in the water.<br />
<br />
Live bait is difficult to keep alive during the Summer months when the temperatures rise. It’s hard to transport and care for even when it is cooler outside. Most of us use artificial baits on extended trips longer than a couple of days. Most anglers have favorite colors and like to change it up according to the season. I prefer perch colors early and late in the year and will switch them out for Firetiger and Silver and Blue and crawdad brown and orange imitators during the heat of July and August.<br />
<br />
Whether or not I’m going up to Quetico Park in Canada where barbless hooks are a requirement, I always pinch the barbs of my hooks off. Often on a Rapala® that means crimping down 9 hooks for the three trebles, at least six, depending upon the model. Fish tend to flip and writhe at the exact moment you are reaching into the net or for their mouths. At that point you are in danger of embedding multiple hooks into your hand or arm and believe me you don’t want that to happen. You especially don’t want those hooks to have barbs on them when they are driven deep into your thumb.<br />
<br />
From the beginning Rapala® has tank tested and tuned by hand each of the lures that they produce. This is how you know that every model you pull of a new box or old tackle box will accurately mimic the action of baitfish. There are many different models available and I plan on highlighting a few of our favorites that produce well in the Boundary Waters. You can plan your wilderness tackle box accordingly and tweak what you take along in your canoe to your taste.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bkz5v9CalHc/Wv3KlyNfZPI/AAAAAAAABKQ/IJCUu_73JWYmNXbAChLQY-V8yBQxCnztwCEwYBhgL/s1600/RapalaOrigNEWfloatingBlog2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="1000" height="202" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bkz5v9CalHc/Wv3KlyNfZPI/AAAAAAAABKQ/IJCUu_73JWYmNXbAChLQY-V8yBQxCnztwCEwYBhgL/s400/RapalaOrigNEWfloatingBlog2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Shallow Fishing for Northern Pike, Walleye, Bass and Trout is an ideal beginning to the season. For this the Original Floating® Minnow is very hard to beat. Fish where you know baitfish will be: in warmer waters, near new weed growth just underneath, casting near structure like downed trees and shallow rocks. Add weight like a pinch on sinker of some sort (we recommend non-lead alternatives because lead poisons Loons and other wildlife) perhaps a foot above your Original Floating® Minnow and you’ve just extended the season and reason for this lure. Now you can troll at mid-depth with it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x0_FZ93NXnM/Wv3Kk631qsI/AAAAAAAABKA/4fhfQEdXf4UjZDgrn8XTkNGypPHWjHoDwCEwYBhgL/s1600/RapalaFloatingMagnumBlog3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="1000" height="246" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x0_FZ93NXnM/Wv3Kk631qsI/AAAAAAAABKA/4fhfQEdXf4UjZDgrn8XTkNGypPHWjHoDwCEwYBhgL/s640/RapalaFloatingMagnumBlog3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
If you like to hunt for large fish, you can use Husky Magnum® or Floating Magnum® Rapalas both as floating surface models as the Lilly Pads and grasses grow out of the water or off of a “bottom bouncer” a weighted wire that bounces off the bottom and allows you to fish large lures way down deep. This is a classic up north way to troll deeper waters but requires heavier rods, reels, line and leaders. The point is, as you are starting to imagine, that Rapala® makes a lot of lures, but each one has multiple uses!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XElIuE3lnlA/Wv3KmTfDv4I/AAAAAAAABKk/dcsTTu-ir-cVL35_Me8A5gcO-b9agyETwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/RapalaTailDancerDeepBlog4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1600" height="280" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XElIuE3lnlA/Wv3KmTfDv4I/AAAAAAAABKk/dcsTTu-ir-cVL35_Me8A5gcO-b9agyETwCPcBGAYYCw/s640/RapalaTailDancerDeepBlog4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
While we’re on the subject of Big, one of our Outfitting Crew’s favorite lures is the Deep Tail Dancer®. Made to head down to the thirty foot range they seem to attract a great deal of attention from Lake Trout and larger fish in particular. They come in some fantastic color options. They’re a little bit like an overgrown version of the Fat Rap®, which has also been a favorite of Walleye and Pike for many years.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z4SFCJnnnAk/Wv3Kk7cdRWI/AAAAAAAABKc/8wWbC24Wi68Z6d8ukh1_qowEKTzfvpaGQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/RapalaCountdownPerchBlog5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="1000" height="178" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z4SFCJnnnAk/Wv3Kk7cdRWI/AAAAAAAABKc/8wWbC24Wi68Z6d8ukh1_qowEKTzfvpaGQCPcBGAYYCw/s400/RapalaCountdownPerchBlog5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The CountDown® Rapalas® are the best choice for mid-range depth and they lend themselves to great stop-and-go motion when retrieving. One of my most successful afternoons of Walleye fishing involved casting medium sized Perch colored CountDown® Raps towards an island and counting to five before I began retrieving it in a steady, fluid motion instead of stop-and-go. I couldn’t cast it too close to the island because by the time I reached five, it would have sunk to snag in the rocks, but with patience in my pocket by the time I reached another five on the retrieve I had a Walleye on. Time and time again, the perfect size for dinner, one after another. Ever since then, especially on a hot day, I’ll go back to the CountDown®.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0En6L7g56QQ/Wv3KlP3Zl2I/AAAAAAAABKo/_CeIHIpsM_g94PIhBoaIM7GXSOIuC9ZgwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/RapalaJointedBlog6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="361" data-original-width="1000" height="143" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0En6L7g56QQ/Wv3KlP3Zl2I/AAAAAAAABKo/_CeIHIpsM_g94PIhBoaIM7GXSOIuC9ZgwCPcBGAYYCw/s400/RapalaJointedBlog6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Anytime during the season when you want to get attention quickly, it’s a good idea to move to the erratic swimming motion of a Jointed Rapala. Your retrieve and depth choices can modify the display of this magical lure even more. Wounded Baitfish, wounded baitfish, wounded baitfish. It should be your mantra, especially when nothing else is working. If you are paddling steadily towards your first (or next) campsite and you want a lazy way to have the best chance at fresh fish for dinner, the Jointed Rapala is often your best bet.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uYRiTpAauDY/Wv3KlTNUgLI/AAAAAAAABKg/D6hsj0YQM8Eg-tDfOGMwnVfGWRIBp_Z2wCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/RapalaMiniFatRapBlog7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="483" data-original-width="1000" height="153" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uYRiTpAauDY/Wv3KlTNUgLI/AAAAAAAABKg/D6hsj0YQM8Eg-tDfOGMwnVfGWRIBp_Z2wCPcBGAYYCw/s320/RapalaMiniFatRapBlog7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Around camp, you’ll often find panfish. Usually that also means there’s Northern Pike, the wolves of the northern waters, cruising for big punkinseed and bluegill (not to mention Black Crappie). Traditional ways to fish for panfish include slip bobbers and tiny “flu-flu” jigs. I like to put on a piece of night crawler when I’m near home. People love to fish them with a slip bobber rig and small, silvery “crappie minnows”. Those traditional methods involve live bait. There’s a relatively new version of the fantastic performing Fat Rap called simply the Mini Fat Rap. They have a compact, tight swimming action that imitates (nearly perfectly) the speed and motion of a fleeing baitfish. This causes what seem to be instinctive strikes from panfish that you’d expect from its one and a half inch size. Again, add a weight six to twelve inches up from it on your line and you can create this action at a deeper level, down by where the bigger ones are hiding in the shadows.<br />
<br />
Well, that’s why you find so many Rapalas® in old and new tackle boxes up North. Down South too, for that matter, but for the Boundary Waters and Canoe Camping Trips, it’s hard to beat a balsa minnow that has been hand tuned to catch fish for dinner. Breakfast too.<br />
<br />
You pick the colors, you pick the style, just get more than one, because even if you don’t lose any, your friends will want to use em. These lures and/or other Rapala® lures are in-stock at our Retail Store, Piragis Northwoods Company at 105 North Central Avenue in Ely, Minnesota on the edge of the Boundary Waters.Tim Stoufferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04850560980529356841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3384355980051995990.post-88185878094089064542018-05-16T10:22:00.001-05:002018-05-16T10:22:55.505-05:00Solo Canoeing -- at peace with yourself by Taylor HamI cannot decide if I prefer to paddle in a group or if Id rather just go alone. The thing that I love most about solo paddling is that whether it's just a day trip or a multi-day trip there is no outside pressure to do anything. No schedule in a sense, unless YOU make one. You have to be disciplined enough to accomplish your goals and you are the only one responsible to push yourself. When you are alone it's all up to you.<br />
<br />
For my first solo paddle I took it easy and went to entry point #14 Little Indian Sioux North. I have been there once before during last season, but it was at the end of a very long day so I didn't have the energy to explore. It made for an easy decision to go back. Unfortunately, due to a small wrist injury, I was not able to make it to my planned destination which was Devils Cascade. I will leave that for another day, I suppose.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o19L7XG0veg/WvxK7KpO3iI/AAAAAAAABJw/WkhLicxMeVwEfENtNqDVwN49SXPVFMYbACEwYBhgL/s1600/taylorhamblog21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o19L7XG0veg/WvxK7KpO3iI/AAAAAAAABJw/WkhLicxMeVwEfENtNqDVwN49SXPVFMYbACEwYBhgL/s640/taylorhamblog21.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
I took a Northstar Magic on my trip. The Magic is my favorite solo boat to paddle. It handles better and portages better than any boat that I have tried yet. I also prefer to use a kayak paddle, that way, I feel like I am able to cover more ground.<br />
<br />
The weather on the river was absolutely gorgeous and the wind was very mild, not a cloud in the sky. I paddled slowly down the river, stopping often to listen to the earth singing. I didn't see a single person out there even though the parking lot was packed for fishing opener.<br />
<br />
When I first arrived at the portage I jumped out of the boat into the chilled water, I could hear water rushing. I walked back and forth along the portage until I found a good spot to sit down and read for a while. The portage is 60 rods and it leads to another segment of the river. I sat there for a good while to gather my thoughts and enjoy the sound of runningwater . <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u7QFabMiO2Q/WvxK7C_sWRI/AAAAAAAABJs/1Ky5ZultHJsaQSHTPNlzCsmhbaZ0A29SgCEwYBhgL/s1600/taylorhamblog22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u7QFabMiO2Q/WvxK7C_sWRI/AAAAAAAABJs/1Ky5ZultHJsaQSHTPNlzCsmhbaZ0A29SgCEwYBhgL/s640/taylorhamblog22.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
When I got back on the river I searched for a nice sunny spot on the shore where I could have some lunch. As I ate, a small family of turtles joined me on a log. They stayed there until I got up to leave. <br />
<br />
My first solo paddle of the year wasn't very eventful but not every paddle into the Boundary Waters has to be about what you saw, how far you went or what you did. A vital part of every experience should be about how your body is feeling and most importantly how your mind is feeling when you're finished.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XipASOUu-SI/WvxK7Jd790I/AAAAAAAABJw/THorYkEbmn4lcv0pZHHN3FUCirkIU3-vgCEwYBhgL/s1600/taylorhamblog23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XipASOUu-SI/WvxK7Jd790I/AAAAAAAABJw/THorYkEbmn4lcv0pZHHN3FUCirkIU3-vgCEwYBhgL/s640/taylorhamblog23.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Luckily with the Boundary Waters so close, I never really feel like we are finished -- there's always another day and another lake to explore. Maybe I'll see you out there.<br />
<br />
Taylor Ham, Piragis Northwoods Outfitting<br />
<br />Tim Stoufferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04850560980529356841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3384355980051995990.post-6038269112389836012018-05-11T11:56:00.005-05:002018-05-16T10:16:22.423-05:00Portage to my first Paddle of 2018 by Taylor Ham<div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
On May 6th I woke up early before work and knew it was going to be a good day on the water. I went to work knowing that I would have to leave early so I could take advantage of the weather. With zero resistance my manager told my co-worker Joe and myself to have fun and be safe. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K1WtmUe3iFE/WvXK3SghonI/AAAAAAAABI8/kVi7cU1JHa4mTWpUdoUSIcnF7hQjBwC2gCEwYBhgL/s1600/taylsblog12.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K1WtmUe3iFE/WvXK3SghonI/AAAAAAAABI8/kVi7cU1JHa4mTWpUdoUSIcnF7hQjBwC2gCEwYBhgL/s640/taylsblog12.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
We left town at around 3:30 PM and had a nice drive up the Echo Trail to entry point 23 Moose River North. Its about a 45 minute drive from town. It was my first time portaging or paddling of the season. The first portage into Moose River North is about a half mile long, it is a beautiful portage that is relatively flat. It is always interesting how your body will react to the first portage of the season. Carrying a boat isn't always the most pleasant feeling but it is something over the years that I have grown to be very comfortable with. <o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
When we got to the water I was a little relived to get the canoe off of my shoulders. As we began to paddle I started to regain skills that come with every summer I spend here in Ely. There are three portages until you get to Nina Moose. Joe and I finished our second portage and we paddled for just a few minutes until we spotted something unusual in the water ahead. It looked like small rapids, or like water was running over a stick in the water. As we got closer the movement in the water got further away and we realized that it was three small otters. We followed them up the river for about half a mile before they realized we were behind them. They swam to the shore and scurried away to the woods. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Iwz0VEvWPgI/WvXK3mwwqmI/AAAAAAAABJE/9cjeBZsCZF8d8nn3b2aZqRXo9R_siI_iQCEwYBhgL/s1600/taylsblog14.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Iwz0VEvWPgI/WvXK3mwwqmI/AAAAAAAABJE/9cjeBZsCZF8d8nn3b2aZqRXo9R_siI_iQCEwYBhgL/s640/taylsblog14.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
The reason I chose to go to Moose River North is because there is a high peak that you can easily climb to the top of and see all the rest of the river and Nina Moose Lake. I had been there a few times before in previous years and I wanted to see it in the spring time. Its not marked on a map anywhere but when you arrive you can see where people in the past have gotten off of the river. We climbed to the top of the hill and the wind picked up as we got out in the open. The sun came out from behind the clouds and we sat up there for a while and talked about our grand paddling plans for the season. After a while we climbed back down to our boat and paddled to Nina Moose. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NOt3R_3Dzs8/WvXK3sRbg2I/AAAAAAAABJA/tcxo0zEF9K4Mcx-u9eKOkJYnrRWe05-HwCEwYBhgL/s1600/taylsblog13.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NOt3R_3Dzs8/WvXK3sRbg2I/AAAAAAAABJA/tcxo0zEF9K4Mcx-u9eKOkJYnrRWe05-HwCEwYBhgL/s640/taylsblog13.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
Paddling rivers is very different than paddling lakes, although the rivers in the Boundary Waters don't flow very strong it is still important to read the water as it flows over rocks and other things in the water. Its a good idea to have good communication between yourself and your paddling partner to avoid the things that can damage your canoe. I would draw from the right or left from the bow seat to quickly change the direction of the boat. The person in the stern cant always see the incoming rocks so its important for the person in the bow to always be watching to protect the canoe.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
We paddled to Nina Moose and the wind completely died. We spent some time there to write down our thoughts and to capture some of the science. Two swans landed in the lake and we also shared the lake with a loon. It was the first time since getting back to Ely that I had heard the call of a loon. The sun was hinting to us that it was time to start heading back. The sun was behind the trees on our way back so the temperature lowered considerably. The water was clear as glass and in the reflection you could see the shore line. We ran into a beaver that swam about 15 feet away from us before diving under us and popping back up 15 feet behind us. We also saw our otter friends again and it seemed as if two of them were fighting but they disappeared to the woods again. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x1sD8GBeLao/WvXK1D3XsbI/AAAAAAAABJI/GW9VGMjYescr2UqPlXpmbQ43GDspkWkvgCEwYBhgL/s1600/taylsblog11.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x1sD8GBeLao/WvXK1D3XsbI/AAAAAAAABJI/GW9VGMjYescr2UqPlXpmbQ43GDspkWkvgCEwYBhgL/s640/taylsblog11.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
Spring time is such a wonderful time to go into the Boundary Waters, even if it is just for a day trip. It's as if you get to watch the world wake up right in front of you. I'm excited for another season of padding in the most beautiful country!</div>
</div>
Tim Stoufferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04850560980529356841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3384355980051995990.post-69676258536638023262018-05-05T11:38:00.000-05:002018-05-05T11:39:42.408-05:00My First Paddle of the Year 2018#32 South Kawishiwi River<br />
May 2 and May 3, 2018<br />
Adam Macht<br />
<br />
On May 2nd, Joe and I hit the trail for my first paddle of the year. Joe had been out a few days earlier and was able to get to Devil’s Cascade out of #14 Little Indian Sioux River. This in mind, we decided we would try to get into #32 South Kawishiwi River, and if we were lucky, do the whole Kawishiwi Triangle.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W3bU6r0dDgA/Wu3bXR0f8TI/AAAAAAAAAV8/MmFclDyq2AsC-uBkyOnxkKv0bY8604LDACEwYBhgL/s1600/South%2BKawishiwi%2BLanding%2B050218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W3bU6r0dDgA/Wu3bXR0f8TI/AAAAAAAAAV8/MmFclDyq2AsC-uBkyOnxkKv0bY8604LDACEwYBhgL/s640/South%2BKawishiwi%2BLanding%2B050218.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">South Kawishiwi River Portage</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The portage trail to the river was pretty rough. There were a few downed trees along the way that required a little teamwork to get the boat through. When we got to the river, we had open water, but only along the edges. We slowly made our way north when we saw a large ice sheet blocking the river. We had to break a little ice and skirt the shoreline, but we managed to get the first campsite on the west side of the river.<br />
<br />
The ice had pulled away (maybe 15 feet) from the west shoreline. We decided to see how far north we could get. Not far. Less than a mile up, the ice was thicker than we wanted to mess with, so we decided to back track and take that first campsite. We got to camp, got all set up, and started dinner. Ribeyes, potatoes, onions, and garlic. Not a bad way to start the camping season! We had a nice fire and a relaxing evening at camp. After a long, cold winter, it was great to back in the canoe!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PFhYWxY7r9c/Wu3badpJgkI/AAAAAAAAAWk/NRaaQcXfmI0KJFU6vlv2ZT1pmKgeH9D9gCEwYBhgL/s1600/Campsite%2Bview%2B050218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PFhYWxY7r9c/Wu3badpJgkI/AAAAAAAAAWk/NRaaQcXfmI0KJFU6vlv2ZT1pmKgeH9D9gCEwYBhgL/s640/Campsite%2Bview%2B050218.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from my tent pad.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The warm sun hit my tent early in the morning. (I love to put my tent where it will get good morning sun in the spring and the fall.) I could hear at least 3 pileated woodpeckers and some trumpeter swans as I got out of my tent. I let my stuff dry for a bit in the sun and then got all packed up. Meanwhile, Joe slept. We were in no rush to leave camp—it was nice to have a slow leisurely morning. I started a fire and got some water boiling, and literally watched and listened to the ice melting. It was an incredibly peaceful morning.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BRkP2oO4Shg/Wu3baVK5jDI/AAAAAAAAAWk/PZdWOsXGpQQ0fjq3R7KRzpd-d7SO-5f6QCEwYBhgL/s1600/Camp%2Bview%2B2%2B050218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BRkP2oO4Shg/Wu3baVK5jDI/AAAAAAAAAWk/PZdWOsXGpQQ0fjq3R7KRzpd-d7SO-5f6QCEwYBhgL/s640/Camp%2Bview%2B2%2B050218.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Campsite view on the morning of May 3.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OM04On_ex7I/Wu3bbcN2xtI/AAAAAAAAAWo/cIz4WA-LhBwvvykDY6cyK8GAUGnC5WbKwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Morning%2Bview%2B050318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OM04On_ex7I/Wu3bbcN2xtI/AAAAAAAAAWo/cIz4WA-LhBwvvykDY6cyK8GAUGnC5WbKwCEwYBhgL/s640/Morning%2Bview%2B050318.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of ice had melted by mid-morning.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After a little brunch, we hit the water at about noon, and decided to see how far we could get. The warm morning sun had done some work on the ice. We were optimistic that we could get further than the day before. We made our way north, skirting the west shore line, clinging to open water. Now and again, we had to paddle through an ice sheet. The ice was dark and soft and broke easily when our canoe bumped it.<br />
<br />
Eventually, we were able to make it to Eskwagama. It was clear! We continued north to check out Clear Lake. It was open as well. We decided to keep going. We portaged north from Clear, back to the Kawishiwi River. It did not look good. The ice was pushed back into the bay, but there was a small channel of open water along the shoreline (maybe 4 feet wide). We contemplated turning around, but after some deliberation, decided to push forward. We followed the edge of the river, getting out on to shore in a couple spots as the ice was too thick to get through. Finally, things opened up a bit as we continued east.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SFPcoaBAzuk/Wu3bbrQYmpI/AAAAAAAAAWw/YTgnQEgpQQc7jy4c7X0XRwO4o09a2-e2QCEwYBhgL/s1600/Narrow%2Bshoreline%2B050318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SFPcoaBAzuk/Wu3bbrQYmpI/AAAAAAAAAWw/YTgnQEgpQQc7jy4c7X0XRwO4o09a2-e2QCEwYBhgL/s640/Narrow%2Bshoreline%2B050318.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Things looking a little sketchy ahead.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We made it to the 200+ rod portage on the North Kawishiwi. The trail was long, and we were nervous to see if there was ice on the other side. When we finished portaging, we came out to open water, but we could see quite a bit of ice in the distance. Again, the thought of turning back crossed our minds, but we pushed onward. The NE corner of the triangle was pretty icy. At one point, we needed to cross the river to start heading south. By some stroke of luck, the ice sheet had cracked and split apart. There was a seam about 10 feet wide that we were able to use to cross the river.<br />
<br />
We pushed south. Hugging the west shore to stay in open water. Just before the 30-rod portage near the south tip of the triangle, we ran into more ice. It was a long slog, and we had to break some ice, but we made it! It was smooth sailing after that. By this point, it was starting to get dark, but the end was in sight. We needed the headlamps for the portage out but made it back to the car without incident.<br />
<br />
By the time you read this, I suspect the Kawishiwi Triangle will be open and ready for paddlers. The bigger lakes still need a little more time, but this was encouraging. It was so nice to knock the rust off from the long winter and get back into the canoe! Hopefully you can hit the water soon!<br />
<br />
Adam MachtAdamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16065413318205058688noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3384355980051995990.post-47622990896242463172018-04-19T10:17:00.001-05:002018-04-19T11:43:21.349-05:00Wilderness Camping is not Just a "Guy Thing" by Cara Berzins<br />
<span id="docs-internal-guid-216a466f-de7a-3f7e-3935-78455e9282be"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-216a466f-de7a-3f7e-3935-78455e9282be"><span style="color: #83992a; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 26pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wilderness camping is not just a “guy thing”</span></span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-216a466f-de7a-3f7e-3935-78455e9282be">
</span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3199999999999998; margin-bottom: 24pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-216a466f-de7a-3f7e-3935-78455e9282be"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3384355980051995990" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3384355980051995990" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3384355980051995990" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://standupandlivelife.com/about/" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #a8bf4d; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 17pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">By Cara Berzins</span></a></span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-216a466f-de7a-3f7e-3935-78455e9282be">
</span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3199999999999998; margin-bottom: 18pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-216a466f-de7a-3f7e-3935-78455e9282be"><span style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ladies, no matter what hats we wear and titles we carry, I suspect that there are some core things we all want. For example, I carry the titles mom, wife, teacher, writer. I’m always looking for ways to improve how I carry those titles. I think as women we are always looking for ways to grow, and unfortunately, we tend to doubt ourselves and wonder whether we are doing any of those things right. I know I do. </span></span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-216a466f-de7a-3f7e-3935-78455e9282be">
</span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3199999999999998; margin-bottom: 18pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-216a466f-de7a-3f7e-3935-78455e9282be"><span style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I believe I know a secret and unexpected way to build confidence and reduce doubt and guilt. This is my story of how wilderness camping shaped my identity and set me up for a happier life. </span></span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-216a466f-de7a-3f7e-3935-78455e9282be">
</span>
<br />
<h1 dir="ltr" style="background-color: #83992a; border: 3pt solid rgb(131, 153, 42); line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 5pt;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-216a466f-de7a-3f7e-3935-78455e9282be">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">CAMPING IN THE BWCAW AS A GIRL</span></span></h1>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-216a466f-de7a-3f7e-3935-78455e9282be">
</span>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3199999999999998; margin-bottom: 18pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-216a466f-de7a-3f7e-3935-78455e9282be"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3384355980051995990" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3384355980051995990" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3384355980051995990" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was 1 year old when I visited the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness for the first time. It's a wilderness camping area of supreme quiet, endless forests, and interconnected lakes stretching across the northern border of Minnesota. Every summer, as a family of 5 and sometimes with friends, we meandered the over 1500 miles of canoe routes traversing more than 1000 lakes. </span></span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-216a466f-de7a-3f7e-3935-78455e9282be">
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3199999999999998; margin-bottom: 18pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Not only did my parents get double takes because they brought young children with them into this utterly remote wilderness camping area, people noticed when two of the three little ones were girls. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3199999999999998; margin-bottom: 18pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As my sister and I grew, we became increasingly aware that we were a rare breed in the BWCAW. We couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment when we were able to load ourselves up for portages with ease while guys with other traveling groups looked on openmouthed. One of us would help the other slip her shoulders into a large bulky looking canvas canoe pack. Sometimes, to avoid coming back for another trip over the portage we would carry two packs. The other would be strapped on backwards so the backpack part hung in front. (Believe it or not, this method was actually easier because the weight was distributed more evenly!) Then the one carrying the packs would prop up the canoe as the other centered her shoulders under the yoke. Away we went after taking all of 3 minutes to load up. Seeing a teenage girl carry a canoe on her head all by herself was a shock to some of our fellow campers. Seeing how impressed they were was a huge self-esteem boost to me in the years when girls usually feel especially awkward.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3199999999999998; margin-bottom: 18pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The wilderness does not discriminate. When the wind howls and the waves rise into frothy whitecaps, you still need to paddle back to your campsite whether you are male or female, 8 or 80. You need the same bare minimum of gear to survive and enjoy your time in the wilderness. As yet, there is no portage concierge available to shunt these belongings from one waterway to the next. This fact makes it seem like a man's world. Instead, this very fact makes wilderness camping the great equalizer.</span><span style="color: #83992a; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 17pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><img height="480" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/lSxH6r7qi17AVgUQqfKiG0_-VjnT0iP43F1XxQEO7gz2DvMSOTiIjlaV61wyefQ_6HibLRikyeHo7bjqiZrWhKYmv70vx6myN624ZvVhlLIqtzOHN76dCv_oGSaoxSO3yQrsVMrdgxSX13Cjbw" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="640" /></div>
<h1 dir="ltr" style="background-color: #83992a; border: 3pt solid rgb(131, 153, 42); line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 5pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">WHY EVERY WOMAN SHOULD TRY WILDERNESS CAMPING</span></h1>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3199999999999998; margin-bottom: 18pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I believe these experiences have shaped my self-image in fundamental ways. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2jURMMjd6DU/Wti6VKS28NI/AAAAAAAABIo/eLYntMiXxr4kYZaeUud_4bI9UtnQcamDACLcBGAs/s1600/quoteblogcara.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="1600" height="166" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2jURMMjd6DU/Wti6VKS28NI/AAAAAAAABIo/eLYntMiXxr4kYZaeUud_4bI9UtnQcamDACLcBGAs/s400/quoteblogcara.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<ol style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 5pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I feel strong and sure of myself. Traveling for miles powered only by my own muscles taught me to be confident in myself and my ability to handle physically demanding situations. </span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I feel a connection with nature that is strongest in this true wilderness, but helps me seek out and find that same feeling even in places where nature is scarce. </span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This connection with nature is like a deep seated well of tranquility. It helps me combat anxiety and stress, which gives confidence in my emotional ability to handle demanding situations. </span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Being at the mercy of the elements taught me that I can't expect things to always be easy. It also taught me not to give up when the going is hard.</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I learned to think outside the box. Sometimes you need to be innovative and learn to make do with what you have when you are traveling with the bare minimum. (Once we traded minnows for toilet paper from a group of fishermen. Priorities</span><span style="font-family: "quattrocento sans"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">😉</span><span style="font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I learned to distinguish between need and wants. You quickly realize what is needed and what’s not when you have to carry it all for a couple of miles.</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The value of cooperation and teamwork is obvious in the wilderness. If you aren’t paddling in unison, you get nowhere fast. If you don’t work together to set up camp, it takes twice as long.</span></div>
</li>
</ol>
<h1 dir="ltr" style="background-color: #83992a; border: 3pt solid rgb(131, 153, 42); line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 5pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">HOW CAMPING FEELS</span></h1>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3199999999999998; margin-bottom: 18pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Some of my happiest memories are times we spent as a family camping. The sound of a paddle swishing through the water, the call of a loon, the lapping of waves, rain on the tent flaps, beavers slapping the water with their tail, various bird calls, the rustle of our feet on the portage, waterfalls thundering, wind rushing through the treetops. How often do we experience these sounds anymore? The effect they have on the mind and body is . . . I struggle to come up with the right word. Invaluable, healing, soothing, life altering.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3199999999999998; margin-bottom: 18pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nancy Piragis summed it up well on the </span><a href="https://youtu.be/EPG7qPjP1eY" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #a8bf4d; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">welcome video</span></a><span style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> for Piragis Northwoods Company. She said, “I never forget a canoe trip. I never forget a day in the woods. But I forget days at home, I forget days in the office. . . Every single time you go out there’s always memories to be had.” You find that life has been reduced to what is right in front of you. No distractions, no rushing, no multitasking. It’s so good for your psyche and your brain.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3199999999999998; margin-bottom: 18pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Humans seem to be built to perform their best when at one with nature. It makes us happier, healthier, calmer. This effect has even been hitting the headlines recently. I especially enjoyed this recent episode of </span><a href="http://blogs.wgbh.org/innovation-hub/2018/2/9/naturally-good-you/" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #a8bf4d; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Innovation Hub</span></a><span style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> on my local NPR station. It’s about the scientific evidence that nature is good for us.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3199999999999998; margin-bottom: 18pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of the saddest side effects of modern living is that people have started to fear nature. And yet nature has so much to give us. They flood their yards with spot lights at night, they avoid uninhabited areas because they are afraid of the animals. For me, the sounds of nature are so soothing, it seems absurd to be afraid of them. I remember when I realized how much people fear nature. I was camping with friends, a single mother and her daughter. She mentioned they might not sleep well because of the noises. That night in my tent I listened with extra attention to the forest noises. Because I was listening so intently and imagining how it would sound to someone unfamiliar with the forest, my senses were all on high alert. Suddenly, I heard a terrifying, unidentifiable rumble. For a few scary moments my mind rushed through a whole series of animals until it finally dawned on me. A jet was flying high overhead! I felt relieved to finally identify the noise. But this confirmed my previous opinion; the creature most to be feared is our own species, humans. No animal noise could sound that terrifying. In the end my friends slept well, and decided they loved camping.</span><img height="480" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/6kA7gWUEE5mK3oJbU2BhYCXR5fafuxahSxp_0eWeVjR0l_1iDSiDe9lxCffp0_nidNO2GQ6iiICxZu061-QuhzPP5oKwG0SUNbP87-SZ2WtkHdLhrSbDyRd_5gz1bjMyQhYT4T5In1gxxi3yKA" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="640" /></div>
<h1 dir="ltr" style="background-color: #83992a; border: 3pt solid rgb(131, 153, 42); line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 5pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">CONTINUING THE LEGACY</span></h1>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3199999999999998; margin-bottom: 18pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3384355980051995990" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3384355980051995990" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3384355980051995990" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My parents gave me a priceless legacy by taking me wilderness camping as a girl. Since then we have camped with my nieces and my daughter. At first the noises and the wildness made them nervous too. But soon enough they feel just as comfortable and at home as they would in their own house. The difference is, instead of being enclosed in walls and under a roof, the lake cradles them under the vast blue sky while the forest sings its lullaby. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3199999999999998; margin-bottom: 18pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Experience wilderness camping for yourself. If you want to learn to believe in yourself, if you want to connect with nature more deeply than you thought possible, if you want to shake off the built-up stress and pressure of every-day life, then wilderness camping might be just the right thing for </span><span style="color: #a8bf4d; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.piragis.com/plan-your-canoe-trip/plan-your-boundary-waters-canoe-trip.html" target="_blank">your next vacation</a></span><span style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Editor's note: Piragis Northwoods Outfitting offers a fully guided <a href="https://www.piragis.com/guided-canoe-trips/women-exploring-the-boundary-waters-wilderness-canoe-trip.html" target="_blank">Women Exploring Wilderness Canoe Camping Trip</a>. We also have <a href="https://www.piragis.com/guided-canoe-trips/meet-our-experienced-boundary-waters-guides.html" target="_blank">Women Guides</a> on staff as well as men, each with excellent experience in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. We also have all the gear you need for your trip at <a href="https://www.boundarywaterscatalog.com/" target="_blank">The Boundary Waters Catalog</a> and for <a href="https://www.piragis.com/partial-outfitting/canoe-rental-partial-outfitting.html" target="_blank">RENT</a>.</span></span></div>
</span>Tim Stoufferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04850560980529356841noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3384355980051995990.post-59595698003027560372018-04-19T09:30:00.001-05:002018-04-19T09:30:35.690-05:00Poem: Minnow Bay by Tim Stouffer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RChBNifs8Hc/Wtim4duK69I/AAAAAAAABIY/sUCFL23six4m4_xqzCLEAAzRri44Nap3gCLcBGAs/s1600/openwatersdream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RChBNifs8Hc/Wtim4duK69I/AAAAAAAABIY/sUCFL23six4m4_xqzCLEAAzRri44Nap3gCLcBGAs/s640/openwatersdream.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
Minnow Bay</div>
<div style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
Ahead, light pours out over water so clear</div>
<div style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
that every rock is bathed in sunlight;</div>
<div style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
afternoon’s gift of warmth </div>
<div style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
to native Minnesota minnows:</div>
<div style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
Bluntnose, Creek Chub, Fathead, Golden Shiner</div>
<div style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
and Northern Redbelly Dace.</div>
<div style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
Minnows, not just smallish fish.</div>
<div style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
Like abandoned jewels encrusting the bottom,</div>
<div style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
their scales capturing shadows bouncing</div>
<div style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
from agate, quartz and granite gravel.</div>
<div style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
Pushing off the canoe with my foot in the cold water,</div>
<div style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
I don’t drag, don’t bang, don’t make a sound,</div>
<div style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
yet they scatter in schools from the over-large shadow</div>
<div style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
of the craft, giant and banana-like above,</div>
<div style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
my second summer skin,</div>
<div style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
gliding out of the bay.</div>
<div style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
How can these waters still be so clear?</div>
<div style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
How can silence still be the musical score?</div>
<div style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
How have you waited so long?</div>
<div style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
Underneath, untouched by travelers,</div>
<div style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
another world reflected.</div>
<div style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
Another chance at</div>
<div style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
freedom.</div>
<div style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
©Timothy James Stouffer 04182018</div>
<div style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
All Rights Reserved Ely, Minnesota</div>
<div style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
If you are looking for a <a href="https://www.boundarywaterscatalog.com/brand/wenonah-canoe" target="_blank">kevlar canoe</a> for the Boundary Waters and Beyond,</div>
<div style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
click here for our fantastic selection of canoes (tandems only way 44 lbs)</div>
<div style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.boundarywaterscatalog.com/canoe-gear-canoes" target="_blank">The Boundary Waters Catalog</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />Tim Stoufferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04850560980529356841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3384355980051995990.post-17587222507050956912017-07-10T13:17:00.001-05:002017-07-10T13:17:28.838-05:00Bear Activity in the Boundary Waters and How to Hang a Food PackRebecca Manlove, Information officer for the the U.S. Forest Service sent us this recent update on Bear Reports in the BWCAW.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cZF6WUcRnpY/WWPErxYZi7I/AAAAAAAABIA/gcxKuplzNoYt3Ey8P07MHF8c2zDB8ebBQCLcBGAs/s1600/pack%2Bhanging%2Bpulley%2Bclothesline%2Bgraphic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1321" height="522" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cZF6WUcRnpY/WWPErxYZi7I/AAAAAAAABIA/gcxKuplzNoYt3Ey8P07MHF8c2zDB8ebBQCLcBGAs/s640/pack%2Bhanging%2Bpulley%2Bclothesline%2Bgraphic.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Bear Reports sent July 4th:</span></div>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoListParagraph" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Shell Lake Bear—appears to be a juvenile male encountered on the southeast campsite on Shell Lake. This bear came into the campsite and was chased off three times with pot banging and finally rock throwing. The group strung noise makers (pots, etc.) onto the pack before hoisting it into the trees, but the bear didn’t return that night. Bear was estimated between 200 and 250 pounds and may be favoring his back right leg. Reported 7-3-2017.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoListParagraph" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">On July 2 around 4 p.m. a bear tore into a food pack on Campsite #34 on the South Arm of Knife Lake: the site is southeast of Amoeber Lake (in the bay by itself). Earlier groups reported seeing a bear but had no encounter. The unlucky group hung their food pack 10 ft. up and 4 ft. from the tree before leaving the campsite. They were gone most of the day. When they returned, they found their food pack shredded. A bear broke branches until it broke the one supporting the food pack rope. A tent was torn also (almonds inside). The group said this was a persistent and smart bear—even got the pack off the carabiner. Bear returned to the site while the leader was calling in the bear report. The group moved to a nearby site and the bear followed them. They were successful in chasing it off that time. In the same area, another group carried their food pack and garbage with them while they were day tripping, but a bear knocked over three unoccupied tents. That group was all girls. Although there was no food in the tents, the contents may have smelled sweeter than average </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">. (Actually, still-packaged feminine hygiene products may have smelled attractive to the bear. Using unscented toiletries when in the woods is a good idea.)<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 12pt 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 12pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Further Bear Reports:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoListParagraph" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">On 6/24 on the South Arm of Knife, Campsite #34 (again): bear came into camp while group leaders were making coffee. They chased it away by banging pots.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoListParagraph" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">On 7/3 on the campsite on the northeast point of Thunder Point a bear came within 15 to 20 feet of a group. Yelling wasn’t successful—only aggressive pot banging drove it away. The bear showed little fear and finally walked away slowly. The group stayed at the site another night and the bear did not return.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoListParagraph" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">On July 6<sup>th</sup>, a bear entered a campsite on the south side of the large island on South Arm Knife (Campsite 30) and got away with a bag of granola. It returned later that afternoon and was chased away. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoListParagraph" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">I’m attaching a bear-discouraging food hanging poster. You’re welcome to reproduce it and hang it up. If you have groups going into the South Arm of Knife Lake, please share these bear reports with them. Remind them of the importance of keeping ANYTHING with a scent out of their tents.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoListParagraph" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Please report anymore bear incidents to me (not just sightings, but interactions—especially if the bear is successful or acts aggressively).</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoListParagraph" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Walking behind a campsite to dump fishguts or burning food waste is sending out invitations to bears and other wildlife. And the people dumping are not the only group who will wind up hosting them. Encourage visitors to think about future campers and the shortened future for a nuisance bear</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="margin-left: 6.75pt;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="padding: 0.75pt; width: 46.35pt;" valign="top" width="62"><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><img alt="Forest Service Shield" height="65" id="Picture_x0020_4" src="cid:image001.png@01D2F701.6709A900" style="height: 0.677in; width: 0.7187in;" width="69" /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="width: 100%px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="padding: 2.25pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 13.800000190734863px;">Rebecca Manlove<br />Information Assistant<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="padding: 2.25pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 13.800000190734863px;">Forest Service<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="color: #28742e; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 13.800000190734863px;">Superior National Forest, Kawishiwi Ranger District<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="padding: 2.25pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="padding: 2.25pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #555555; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt; line-height: 13.033332824707031px;">1393 Highway 169<br />Ely, MN 55731</span><a href="http://www.fs.fed.us/" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt; line-height: 13.033332824707031px;">www.fs.fed.us</span></a><span style="color: #555555; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt; line-height: 13.033332824707031px;"> </span><a href="http://usda.gov/" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt; line-height: 13.033332824707031px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="http://wwwstatic.fs.usda.gov/images/email/usda-logo.png" border="0" height="14" id="Picture_x0020_3" src="cid:image002.png@01D2F701.6709A900" style="height: 0.1458in; width: 0.2083in;" width="20" /></span></a><a href="https://twitter.com/forestservice" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt; line-height: 13.033332824707031px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Twitter Logo" border="0" height="16" id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image003.png@01D2F701.6709A900" style="height: 0.1666in; width: 0.1979in;" width="19" /></span></a><a href="http://facebook.com/USDA" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt; line-height: 13.033332824707031px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Facebook Logo" border="0" height="16" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image004.png@01D2F701.6709A900" style="height: 0.1666in; width: 0.1666in;" width="16" /></span></a><span style="color: #555555; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt; line-height: 13.033332824707031px;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="padding: 2.25pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<b><span style="color: #28742e; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 13.800000190734863px;">Caring for the land and serving people</span></b></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Tim Stoufferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04850560980529356841noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3384355980051995990.post-17061190263079390082017-06-09T10:19:00.000-05:002017-06-09T10:19:15.214-05:00Moments in Polaroids: Lines from the Boundary Waters and Beyond<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RJpGSvPqKOk/WTq8C-2qsqI/AAAAAAAABHw/J8mz75oflXwt8a7MAN2SyTw2fVTlirwHgCLcB/s1600/boundarywatersfridaydream17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RJpGSvPqKOk/WTq8C-2qsqI/AAAAAAAABHw/J8mz75oflXwt8a7MAN2SyTw2fVTlirwHgCLcB/s640/boundarywatersfridaydream17.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Moments in Polaroids</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> Remember when you’d stand there<br /> shaking the film as it developed from a grey<br /> ghost slipping through the shadow world,<span class="text_exposed_show"><br /> like a walleye<br /> rising up through<br /> tannin stained waters,<br /> desperate to stay<br /> hidden but<br /> pulled uncontrollably<br /> towards the surface that<br /> tensioned between<br /> you and I.</span></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<div class="text_exposed_show">
<span style="font-size: large;"> Little by little the granular<br /> surface would appear<br /> underneath colors<br /> that couldn’t quite <br /> be explained. Then we’d <br /> shove our eye into <br /> that rubber socketed<br /> viewfinder again and<br /> shift the sun to the <br /> left while crossing<br /> our fingers. While missing<br /> the larger, contagious<br /> beauty?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> If only this touches <br /> the memory of this moment<br /> just a fraction, sets the hook,<br /> I can reel in the rest of<br /> it years from<br /> now when we dig<br /> through a dusty box<br /> forgotten in the attic.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> Remember when we spent<br /> more time making the<br /> memory than recording it?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> Let’s do that again.<br /> Let’s do <br /> that now.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> ©Timothy James Stouffer 06082017<br /> All Rights Reserved Ely, Minnesota</span></div>
<br />Tim Stoufferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04850560980529356841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3384355980051995990.post-54777060582266769152017-06-07T13:27:00.000-05:002017-06-07T13:27:34.235-05:00Poem: Separation Lines from the Boundary Waters and Beyond<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6HYrNdmoQZ4/WThD8xnbNFI/AAAAAAAABHQ/Z-zlDqnB6t8PUWG6a3iQ062zeubtJyk5ACLcB/s1600/boundarywatersmisty17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1079" data-original-width="1500" height="460" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6HYrNdmoQZ4/WThD8xnbNFI/AAAAAAAABHQ/Z-zlDqnB6t8PUWG6a3iQ062zeubtJyk5ACLcB/s640/boundarywatersmisty17.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Separation<br />
<br />
There’s a line that the wilderness <br /> draws behind each of us<br /> a little distance from Ely.<span class="text_exposed_show"><br /> Whether by stream, river or lake<br /> as our canoes slip <br /> over it,<br /> pulled by paddle stroke<br /> and the desire to find more than<br /> our own reflection in the<br /> Boundary Waters.</span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show"><br /></span>
<div class="text_exposed_show">
This line when crossed can<br /> never be returned from,<br /> can’t be uncrossed.<br />
<br /> Though it is invisible, almost everyone<br /> I know can recall the moment<br /> they entered the other side.<br />
The side where our previous selves<br /> began to fade and our<br /> canoe camping self began to pulsate,<br /> like the oldest coals of our<br /> campfires.<br />
<br />
The afternoon sun burnt off the rest of the shadows<br /> as we paddled on,<br /> not stopping until we blended into <br /> the darkness and the branches<br /> of the pines and cedars <br /> reached out over the water<br /> to welcome us home.<br />
<br />
©Timothy James Stouffer 06052017<br /> All Rights Reserved Ely, Minnesota<br />
<br />
If you like the poetry we publish here and on social media you might like to check out a recent Zine created by Simon and Tim Stouffer who work at Piragis Northwoods Company. Pronounced "ZEEENE" like Maga-zine, a zine is a self published, small run of artwork and/or prose. This particular zine was actually printed locally at Ely Design Works on high quality paper to showcase the 20 black and white photos taken by Simon. Accompanying the photos are original poems by Tim Stouffer. The content was inspired by their day together along the North Shore early this Spring.<br />
<br />
Here's a link: <a href="https://www.boundarywaterscatalog.com/tim-stouffer/day-one-a-zine-by-tim-and-simon-stouffer-159648">https://www.boundarywaterscatalog.com/tim-stouffer/day-one-a-zine-by-tim-and-simon-stouffer-159648</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3ZlU0yftfDE/WThFP5ZK1GI/AAAAAAAABHc/eX9hAnDsU00id4V43o7bOICI7gMRsz0agCLcB/s1600/IMG_1774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3ZlU0yftfDE/WThFP5ZK1GI/AAAAAAAABHc/eX9hAnDsU00id4V43o7bOICI7gMRsz0agCLcB/s640/IMG_1774.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--tNF1nPaah8/WThFRwT0bQI/AAAAAAAABHg/gEOVfBUDG6AMf9A06UwUKEhnPdb3ESQOACLcB/s1600/IMG_1773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--tNF1nPaah8/WThFRwT0bQI/AAAAAAAABHg/gEOVfBUDG6AMf9A06UwUKEhnPdb3ESQOACLcB/s640/IMG_1773.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
Tim Stoufferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04850560980529356841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3384355980051995990.post-7469898853765672712017-06-07T12:57:00.001-05:002017-06-07T13:03:56.050-05:00Father's Day Special Blade from Helle: GodbitEach year the good folks at Helle Knives release a special edition model for Father's Day. This year their knife is the Godbit.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: yellow; font-size: large;">HAPPY FATHER's DAY!</span></b><br />
<br />
<div 0px="" 12px="" 20px="" arial="" font-size:="" line-height:="" padding:="">
<span style="font-size: small; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">This year's model is the "Godbit" which means "goodie" or "treat". This model was originally produced in the 1990s and was designed by Gunnar Lothe. The pommel knob on the end anchors the knife in place by securing the knife via the sheath tab (similar to the Helle Harding model).</span></span></div>
<div 0px="" 12px="" 20px="" arial="" font-size:="" line-height:="" padding:="">
<span style="font-size: small; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<strong 0px="" arial="" helvetica="" margin:="" padding:="" sans-serif=""><strong style="font-family: Arial; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Handle : </strong>Curly birch, 4.53 inches long</strong><br /><strong style="font-family: Arial; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Blade :</strong> Triple layer steel, 4 inches long</strong><br /><strong style="font-family: Arial; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Includes: </strong>Genuine leather black sheath</strong><br /><strong style="font-family: Arial; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Total weight :</strong> 6.07 ounces</strong></strong><br />
<div>
<strong style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="font-family: Arial; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></strong></strong></div>
<div>
<strong style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="font-family: Arial; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">WE CURRENTLY HAVE THE GODBIT on SALE Was $144</strong></strong><br />
<strong style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="font-family: Arial; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></strong></strong>
<strong style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="font-family: Arial; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: red;">Now $129.99</span></strong></strong></div>
<div>
<strong style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="font-family: Arial; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></strong></strong></div>
<div>
<strong style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="font-family: Arial; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: red;">Click the image below to purchase at the Boundary Waters Catalog!</span></strong></strong></div>
<div>
<strong style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="font-family: Arial; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></strong></strong></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.boundarywaterscatalog.com/helle/godbit-knife-159269" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_01tpQ4Qgd8/WTg98YBYH5I/AAAAAAAABG8/zesrzufmyZMrq6AUiWR3E7UTvjEjpw4XQCLcB/s640/godbit3.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://www.boundarywaterscatalog.com/helle/godbit-knife-159269" target="_blank">https://www.boundarywaterscatalog.com/helle/godbit-knife-159269</a></div>
<div>
<strong style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="font-family: Arial; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></strong></strong></div>
Tim Stoufferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04850560980529356841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3384355980051995990.post-32723516382389589972017-06-07T12:47:00.001-05:002017-06-07T12:48:12.742-05:00Poem: Grandparents Lines from the Boundary Waters and Beyond<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hX4XYuxhfbk/WTg74_7izlI/AAAAAAAABGw/1D_8QLfKMWMmTiW92eatggF3bk87FnN8gCLcB/s1600/sunsetscreenshotp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hX4XYuxhfbk/WTg74_7izlI/AAAAAAAABGw/1D_8QLfKMWMmTiW92eatggF3bk87FnN8gCLcB/s640/sunsetscreenshotp.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.666666984558105px;">
<strong style="font-size: 18pt;">Grandparents</strong></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">
<strong>(Poetry from the Boundary Waters and Beyond)</strong></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br />This day ending with its sentinels<br />of pine pointing towards the<br />setting sun could have<br />meant anything,<br />anywhere,<br />to<br />anyone.<br /><br />But,<br />to you and<br />I under the tarp near<br />the glowing coals of the fire,<br />it meant sore muscles, blistered<br />hands and one of the best tasting<br />dinners I've eaten out of a<br />pouch in forever.<br />Well, what<br />wouldn't<br />taste<br /><br />Fabulous<br />when paired with<br />lake trout picked up while<br />trolling towards this point on<br />the island that gifted us a view of<br />our own private lake? This<br />moment is why I wish<br />I would have<br />listened<br />to you<br />be<br /><br />fore, when you told me that we could still find ourselves in the boundary waters canoe area wilderness, even at our age, even having forgotten more about camping than most young people ever imagined they'd learn thank goodness for the air mattress and the forty four pound kevlar canoe.<br /><br />It is never too late<br />to remember.<br /><br />©Timothy James Stouffer 05252017<br />All Rights Reserved Ely, MN</span></div>
<br />Tim Stoufferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04850560980529356841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3384355980051995990.post-14823398498116978282017-05-22T10:15:00.002-05:002017-05-22T10:16:54.556-05:00Quetico Spring Fishing with Adam Macht<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
I just got back from a week-long trip into Quetico. We did some exploring but spent the bulk of the trip fishing on Argo and McIntrye. The lake trout fishing was fantastic. Our best success came trolling crank baits that dove 15’ – 30’ (my favorite was the Rapala Deep Diving Tail Dancer).</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wHLBIuHF3Gk/WSMATn1_w2I/AAAAAAAABGc/Ku8QaOvyXJ8EuwoZ2BLeXKvBRjX82yxqgCLcB/s1600/taildancer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wHLBIuHF3Gk/WSMATn1_w2I/AAAAAAAABGc/Ku8QaOvyXJ8EuwoZ2BLeXKvBRjX82yxqgCLcB/s400/taildancer.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-70qTH-SJf5Y/WSMATv1MnvI/AAAAAAAABGg/G5x6CZ0M2d0XhUGoaCZTcWbhTHanJnllwCEw/s1600/normanshad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-70qTH-SJf5Y/WSMATv1MnvI/AAAAAAAABGg/G5x6CZ0M2d0XhUGoaCZTcWbhTHanJnllwCEw/s320/normanshad.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4OpUHENDJ8c/WSMATjM4PDI/AAAAAAAABGY/nDu6IqOInxI-U80iIFs_MwE4pdtYr8fPwCEw/s1600/whiteminnowjig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4OpUHENDJ8c/WSMATjM4PDI/AAAAAAAABGY/nDu6IqOInxI-U80iIFs_MwE4pdtYr8fPwCEw/s320/whiteminnowjig.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
A lure with a white or silver flash seemed to be most effective. I had good response with a Norman Shad lure as well. There were times throughout the trip that a jig with a 4” white minnow (artificial) was very productive. We had plenty of fish to eat! Interestingly, in one of the fish we caught to eat, it’s belly was full of flying ants (I should have taken a picture!!). I had never seen this before. They must have been coming to the surface to pick the ants off the water. It was unique, and might explain why the bite was a little slower that day.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bnowfQKSa-k/WSL3dQh8aeI/AAAAAAAABFw/MeWxz83DTzEtB9ceY3Lwa0fQXqavHE8HgCLcB/s1600/Argo%2BLake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bnowfQKSa-k/WSL3dQh8aeI/AAAAAAAABFw/MeWxz83DTzEtB9ceY3Lwa0fQXqavHE8HgCLcB/s640/Argo%2BLake.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Argo Lake </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RAd6M2UHylk/WSL3dsR3AUI/AAAAAAAABF0/g5uEfSz1lkk-FzMealfrnlqH51jJpdTSwCLcB/s1600/Foggy%2Bmorning%2Bon%2BMcIntyre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RAd6M2UHylk/WSL3dsR3AUI/AAAAAAAABF0/g5uEfSz1lkk-FzMealfrnlqH51jJpdTSwCLcB/s640/Foggy%2Bmorning%2Bon%2BMcIntyre.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foggy Morning on McIntyre</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gp4yOr7HyPU/WSL3eJz8wOI/AAAAAAAABF4/E3tufi-MlJkeRL7g1mIJvIFjQkiml49XgCLcB/s1600/Morning%2Bon%2BArgo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gp4yOr7HyPU/WSL3eJz8wOI/AAAAAAAABF4/E3tufi-MlJkeRL7g1mIJvIFjQkiml49XgCLcB/s640/Morning%2Bon%2BArgo.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning on Argo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YxGwafzKobs/WSL3esvryUI/AAAAAAAABF8/blH9RAf8RlI9lEL5oCaH6Cx5De-qpcgEQCLcB/s1600/Solo%2Bsunrise%2Bon%2BMcIntyre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YxGwafzKobs/WSL3esvryUI/AAAAAAAABF8/blH9RAf8RlI9lEL5oCaH6Cx5De-qpcgEQCLcB/s640/Solo%2Bsunrise%2Bon%2BMcIntyre.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Solo sunrise on McIntyre</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
Overall, the trip was great. We had great campsites on Argo and McIntyre, and the only canoe we saw was a family of 4 with 2 small kids. It was so quiet and peaceful, and it is always fun to spend a week with good friends in Quetico. I hope you get a chance to get out and enjoy this beautiful wilderness up here!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
Adam Macht<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
Piragis Outfitting<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
800-223-6565</div>
Tim Stoufferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04850560980529356841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3384355980051995990.post-12774777369103140252017-05-17T09:02:00.000-05:002017-05-17T09:02:40.278-05:00SPRING WEEK IN QUETICO <div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Spring Trout Trip </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">When four adult, slightly past middle age, guys, get together for a camping trip you know there will lots of jokes, jabs and jabbering. The great thing about a boyz trip to the Quetico for lake trout is the chance to be little boys again or a primitive hunting party or some combination thereof. At these ripe ages there less bragging and less muscle testing and a lot more dependence of each other and modesty, the result of what little wisdom that has been gained over so many years. All for the better to have more fun, take fewer portages and prepare a few good meals that men have garnered from years of watching their wives. </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a3-qJaim8MQ/WRxVWsPeBkI/AAAAAAAAAH8/aMXLLaTy_kcBHE-fdjnDkdfR8w05xZBbwCEw/s1600/IMG_1244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a3-qJaim8MQ/WRxVWsPeBkI/AAAAAAAAAH8/aMXLLaTy_kcBHE-fdjnDkdfR8w05xZBbwCEw/s640/IMG_1244.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">This was a laid back, no worries about catching a lot of fish and happy to be out, kind of trip we did last week to the fabled North Bay of Basswood Lake in Quetico Park. It was the week before fishing opener in Minnesota and two weeks before the same in Ontario. Lake Trout is the only species that we could keep that were in season. When we caught a smallmouth bass and a walleye, both handsome specimens, they had to go right back in the lake. The lakers were playing hard to get on us. We trolled a lot of water at different depths and saw some great scenery, absorbed too much solar radiation on the hands, ears and nose but rarely had to reel up lunker lakers. Actually, there were no lunkers caught last week. The bay was cold and calm most of the 5 days we were there but she was pretty stingy with the red fleshed trout. </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J95rtp4wuww/WRxVXWpNFoI/AAAAAAAAAIE/-8vWuusM1eMoFeeV35yJLBVUhI00nZOwQCEw/s1600/IMG_8170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J95rtp4wuww/WRxVXWpNFoI/AAAAAAAAAIE/-8vWuusM1eMoFeeV35yJLBVUhI00nZOwQCEw/s640/IMG_8170.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">When a lake trout was landed it was meant for the pan and the meals were exceptional. I made a first for me; trout tacos. It was just snap decision while hiking the isles of Zup’s grocery in Ely the day before the trip to buy cole slaw mix and dressing and some real big soft taco shells. I just breaded strips of trout cut off the filets and fast fried them laying them in the taco with some fried cubed potatoes and onion topped with juicy cole slaw. It seemed to be a hit among the four men cooking around the campfire. One of my chums for another trout dinner baked his filets over the fire in aluminum foil with butter and onions; another big success story for the guys. We spent time contemplating how much water to use for oatmeal and whether or not the pork loin over the fire was cooked enough or if a little pink was now ok to serve America’s other white meat. With the occasional sip of box wine from a plastic bag details of cooking were more easily worked out. </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BpJCqdf42sg/WRxVY7lNDuI/AAAAAAAAAIk/3vTd2njV3LA-bk6cvUIMQtLnIjo6wEkAwCEw/s1600/thumbnail_P5100133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BpJCqdf42sg/WRxVY7lNDuI/AAAAAAAAAIk/3vTd2njV3LA-bk6cvUIMQtLnIjo6wEkAwCEw/s640/thumbnail_P5100133.jpg" width="502" /></a></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<style type="text/css">
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 15.0px Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000}
span.s1 {font-kerning: none}
</style>
<br />
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Perhaps the most solemn moment of the trip was the scattering of the ashes of one of our fathers who passed away recently. Jack was a friend to all, a great hockey coach and a bit of an old curmudgeon but renowned for his unique expressions and liberal use of language that would be bleeped out on TV. Not that Jack was on TV but he a star to those of us who knew him. If you knew Jack you always smiled when his name was mentioned. He did some fishing up north and he loved to visit Ely with his wife Ann to see what their son was doing now to live the life of a modern entrepreneur woodsman. Like father, like son, Steve managed to scatter a few choice words in every conversation we had last week. It’s a loose group when the men that are still boys at heart, make a trip to the woods to catch lake trout in spring. Enjoy the photos and come up soon. </span><br />
<span class="s1"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TKeUb6qJWO8/WRxXFhhT5AI/AAAAAAAAAIs/ZjGeFcuinQopMEJjbxI89xJFQsGvtN8GgCLcB/s1600/IMG_1355.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TKeUb6qJWO8/WRxXFhhT5AI/AAAAAAAAAIs/ZjGeFcuinQopMEJjbxI89xJFQsGvtN8GgCLcB/s640/IMG_1355.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
piragimanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13145252370615564555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3384355980051995990.post-12723382586379054602017-05-15T11:32:00.000-05:002017-05-15T11:32:01.527-05:00Mother's Day and Fishing Opener -- Adventures in ElyThis past weekend were two of my favorite days of the year. For once, Saturday, came without snow, without hail, without a blustery windy, rainy day that was more about what rain gear to put on that would allow for multiple warm layers underneath than fishing. It was a pleasant day. So of course, that meant that I ultimately had other plans.<br />
<br />
One of my fishing partners had to travel to Virginia, Minnesota mid-day to finish up her last hour of behind-the-wheel-driving so that she can take her driver's test as close to five minutes after she turns sixteen as possible. My oldest daughter is all about fishing, just like her mother. Her younger sister is also one of those people who will sit in a canoe or ankle deep in water for hours as long as they are biting.<br />
<br />
Sure I had a couple of friends that had asked me to hit the water for opener, but I'd promised Lucy that I'd fish first with her, and so, I took the day to work on my novel. Writing went well enough and all and all it was a relaxing day in which I solved some problems, gained some ground on character development and discovered something I'd been hoping to find.<br />
<br />
That evening we went to an early graduation party for one of my son's friends and the next morning was church. After that Lucy, Juliet and I changed clothes, loaded up the gear and canoe, stopped at the bait store for supplies and headed out. We needed to be back before five to get started on dinner for Mother's Day.<br />
<br />
The sun was out and there was a breeze that pushed us around a little bit, but most often let us be. The water isn't very warm due to quite a few nights in the twenties, but it isn't just a few degrees above freezing any longer either. We had sustained ourselves with a quick lunch just before leaving and I have to admit that with the warmth of the sun on my face I was perfectly comfortable just lounging in the stern seat of our <a href="https://www.boundarywaterscatalog.com/wenonah-canoe/champlain-18-tripper-147282" target="_blank">Wenonah Champlain</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1_5PGvSeEnI/WRnW53x4MBI/AAAAAAAABFc/mn2fbcgfQC89InUAum3WaqwH55Jv_KbLwCLcB/s1600/momsday2017fish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1_5PGvSeEnI/WRnW53x4MBI/AAAAAAAABFc/mn2fbcgfQC89InUAum3WaqwH55Jv_KbLwCLcB/s640/momsday2017fish.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
We had our lines out and the girls spent time between bites to add laughter to the lake. For some reason Lucy and I repeatedly over cast nearly every time we threw towards the shore. Probably over zealous after a long winter :) and so we ended up tangled in a few branches and bushes. That only contributed to the hilarity. It didn't take long though for her to land the first fish of the season. On Mother's Day.<br />
<br />
Well before that I felt like I'd achieved my goals. Sitting there in the canoe, peering down through clear water, I felt like Spring had finally arrived. With the sound of strong wings beating the air a wood duck landed on a house attached to a dead spire of cedar rising up out the lake bottom about 6 feet from my end of the canoe. She disappeared inside and it was about that time that we too, felt the pull towards home and dinner and the celebration of MOM.<br />
<br />
I pulled up that anchor, we stowed our lures, hooks, and rods and put our paddles to water. Pulling through the cold water it was hard to imagine that just a little while ago we'd have been walking out here. Up ahead though, shot up two of the clearest signs that the season had changed for good... a pair of loons surfaced, stark white markings against black so deep in color that it takes on purple and green coloring. Sleek, young, streamlined. Up close, only a few feet from the canoe, I'm taken with just how beautiful they are each time I see them. One after the other, they dove underneath the surface and with powerful kicks from their legs glided past. Every detail was visible in the clear water and their white spots seemed to glow until they surfaced again twenty yards away.<br />
<br />
I wanted to stay, but the blackflies had arrived as well, and so we climbed out, grabbed everything and Lucy took off down the trail with the canoe on her shoulders. Just like when Simon was a very little boy, Juliet now voiced what always comes to mind. Walking behind, it looked like Lucy wore a giant yellow hat.<br />
<br />
Olive bread and barbecued chicken awaited and the giving and receiving of gifts for the two moms in my life. My wife and my mom. As Simon would later post, "GOAT" -- the Greatest Of All Time!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AccHZOSPFuw/WRnW6LKvRfI/AAAAAAAABFg/1NMWGumjEA8ZaVPS_ShDHxt9_ZG3m6OBACLcB/s1600/momsday2017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AccHZOSPFuw/WRnW6LKvRfI/AAAAAAAABFg/1NMWGumjEA8ZaVPS_ShDHxt9_ZG3m6OBACLcB/s640/momsday2017.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Happy Mothers Day to all you moms and Guys, if you spent all weekend fishing, you missed out.<br />
<br />
Peace, Tim Stouffer, Piragis Northwoods Company.Tim Stoufferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04850560980529356841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3384355980051995990.post-77670526804845723672017-05-15T09:41:00.002-05:002017-05-15T09:41:50.677-05:00Update on Foss Lake Prescribed Burn May 15, 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FT4qpWLlqTA/WRm910u2i9I/AAAAAAAABFI/IjWSlQa1UpkKyVV_Wypjq1IEO_FptjKqACLcB/s1600/fseprd542286-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FT4qpWLlqTA/WRm910u2i9I/AAAAAAAABFI/IjWSlQa1UpkKyVV_Wypjq1IEO_FptjKqACLcB/s640/fseprd542286-1.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nWV5B2HW1o0/WRm92DCIW7I/AAAAAAAABFM/PM-K0sb04KgxsNVczojjXtMOuCz2fhIMACLcB/s1600/fseprd542286-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="482" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nWV5B2HW1o0/WRm92DCIW7I/AAAAAAAABFM/PM-K0sb04KgxsNVczojjXtMOuCz2fhIMACLcB/s640/fseprd542286-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Tim Stoufferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04850560980529356841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3384355980051995990.post-21156428557088752102017-05-15T09:29:00.000-05:002017-05-15T09:29:12.361-05:00Reviews are Appreciated and Certainly ImportantIt's great when you log onto your computer on Monday morning and find out that someone else has taken the time to feature you on their guide site.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://brownsguides.com/boundary-waters-canoe-area-paddling/?platform=hootsuite">http://brownsguides.com/boundary-waters-canoe-area-paddling/?platform=hootsuite</a><br />
<br />
It's also great when you see without any prompting at all except our excellent customer service and selection of gear that one of our customers takes it upon themselves to share their satisfaction.<br />
<br />
Raymond did that on Facebook... here's what he had to say, "I love <a class="profileLink" data-hovercard-obj-id="44039868227" data-hovercard-prefer-more-content-show="1" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=44039868227" href="https://www.facebook.com/piragiselyminnesota/">Piragis Northwoods Company</a>. <span class="_5mfr _47e3"><img alt="" aria-hidden="1" class="img" height="24" src="https://www.facebook.com/images/emoji.php/v8/fd3/2/24/1f609.png" width="24" />"</span><br />
<span class="_5mfr _47e3"><br /></span>
<span class="_5mfr _47e3">We can't agree more.</span><br />
<span class="_5mfr _47e3"><br /></span>
<span class="_5mfr _47e3">If you'd like to review our Canoe Trip Outfitting department we invite you to do so on our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pg/piragiselyminnesota/reviews/?ref=page_internal" target="_blank">Facebook page</a> or <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g43044-d2560574-Reviews-Piragis_Northwoods_Company_Outfitters-Ely_Minnesota.html" target="_blank">Trip Advisor</a>.</span><br />
<span class="_5mfr _47e3"><br /></span>
<span class="_5mfr _47e3">We'd also like to encourage all of you to write reviews of products that you've purchased from the <a href="https://www.boundarywaterscatalog.com/" target="_blank">Boundary Waters Catalog</a> on their individual product pages. It only takes a short amount of time, lets us hear your feedback and helps other canoe campers and outdoor enthusiasts make decisions about products that you enjoy! We promise it is easy and fast and we check everyday to see if there are reviews ready to be posted. To avoid spam and inappropriate language the reviews have a short waiting period, so don't worry when they don't appear right after you enter them, it usually takes 24 - 48 hours to post.</span><br />
<span class="_5mfr _47e3"><br /></span>
<span class="_5mfr _47e3">Thanks Everyone! Your feedback is important to us and we sure appreciate your reviews. In today's online driven marketing world, it is very important for customers to be given the opportunities to review products and interact with our company via social media. We realize for some of you that's not your cup of tea, but we also realize that the majority of us always turn to reviews when we are shopping for any products online. We have so many great ones that have stood the test of time over the years that we'd just as soon like you our best customers to speak for them. You use them, you recommend them by word of mouth, and now you can do so online.</span><br />
<span class="_5mfr _47e3"><br /></span>
<span class="_5mfr _47e3">Thanks, from Your Friends in the Great Northwoods,</span><br />
<span class="_5mfr _47e3"><br /></span>
<span class="_5mfr _47e3">Piragis Northwoods Company and the Boundary Waters Catalog</span>Tim Stoufferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04850560980529356841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3384355980051995990.post-61480841253365636412017-05-05T09:54:00.000-05:002017-05-05T09:54:27.264-05:00What does Hegman Lake look like in the Winter?Have you ever wanted to walk on water? Visit the pictographs on a windswept day? Or perhaps you've just wondered what the northland looked like during winter. We visited one of our favorite (and many of yours) places this winter. <br />
<br />
We thought you'd like to see Hegman Lake in March.<br />
<br />
If there are other places you'd like to see or things you wonder about around the Ely area and our favorite wilderness, please comment below and let us know.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fAbs8tLO5CQ/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fAbs8tLO5CQ?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />Tim Stoufferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04850560980529356841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3384355980051995990.post-25909746651648181652017-05-03T16:36:00.000-05:002017-05-03T16:36:45.467-05:00Poem Silhouetted by Timothy James Stouffer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VJBqaGo215Q/WQpM39M9iLI/AAAAAAAABEw/vGR5ClE5A-cxczh4C-sxzCV-HChwIGiJgCLcB/s1600/_J3T0941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VJBqaGo215Q/WQpM39M9iLI/AAAAAAAABEw/vGR5ClE5A-cxczh4C-sxzCV-HChwIGiJgCLcB/s640/_J3T0941.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: 'American Typewriter'; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal;">
Silhouetted</div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal;">
Against the last of Winter’s </div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal;">
remnant, pines strike</div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal;">
a pose familiar. When </div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal;">
the skies wouldn’t stop</div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal;">
weeping but couldn’t</div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal;">
agree on flakes or tears,</div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal;">
the sun, brief and frustrated,</div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal;">
settled the matter.</div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal;">
A signature on that first</div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal;">
day of May that fleeting</div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal;">
formed a question mark</div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal;">
in the second morning</div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal;">
and inquiried of us all. What</div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal;">
do we think</div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal;">
the shadows keep?</div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal;">
Who might the </div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal;">
light reveal with</div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal;">
its brush under the boughs?</div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal;">
Sifting through the slush</div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal;">
of sunrise, my fingers grow</div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal;">
cold and numb</div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal;">
searching by feel in the thick darkness</div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal;">
for the words to our song</div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal;">
that began with Spring</div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal;">
but has lost itself</div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal;">
against the reflection</div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal;">
of the reaching</div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal;">
Red Pines.</div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal;">
Where is it that the path</div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal;">
leads us two from here?</div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal;">
Like some darkened maw</div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal;">
swallowing the borders</div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal;">
marked so carefully</div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal;">
on the map we hold.</div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal;">
©Timothy James Stouffer 05/02/2017</div>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'american typewriter'; line-height: normal;">
All Rights Reserved Ely, Minnesota</div>
<div style="font-family: 'American Typewriter'; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p38_M-2pt7Y/WQpM77niJ3I/AAAAAAAABE0/WkVDDK5HtvAz8mnMfWuujhiKK_ZFtnG9wCEw/s1600/_J3T0927%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p38_M-2pt7Y/WQpM77niJ3I/AAAAAAAABE0/WkVDDK5HtvAz8mnMfWuujhiKK_ZFtnG9wCEw/s640/_J3T0927%2B2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: 'American Typewriter'; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Tim Stoufferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04850560980529356841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3384355980051995990.post-57813590142211337952017-04-27T11:51:00.000-05:002017-04-27T11:51:39.816-05:00Glamping with Mary Jane ReviewGlamping :) <a href="https://www.boundarywaterscatalog.com/ingram-book-company/glamping-with-mary-jane-157391" target="_blank">Glamping with Mary Jane by Mary Jane Butters</a><br />
<br />
At first glance this book looks like a cross between a pin-up poster review and a vintage R.V. advertisement. Glamour camping has much more to offer as a concept, though. We sell lightweight gear and canoes for the Boundary Waters and Beyond. Our bookstore is eclectic!! Our philosophy is not a purist exclusive. We figure, if "IT" gets you into the woods, then IT is a good thing. Isn't IT?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.boundarywaterscatalog.com/ingram-book-company/glamping-with-mary-jane-157391" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v0E-39Otw_Y/WQIf9vzRRmI/AAAAAAAABEY/ryUI9LdMQCEqxb6QfNq89VmTVllR1tHLACLcB/s400/glampA.jpg" width="298" /></a><span id="goog_1429339309"></span><span id="goog_1429339310"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Mary Jane Butters has an affinity for the vintage paired with modern sensibilities. As an antique collector and dealer, I can certainly appreciate her point of view. She begins with a short history of women in the outdoors and jumps right into trailer shopping and restoration. M.J. makes it clear that research and more research is key to acquiring and outfitting a new mobile version of your home away from wherever you used to have to be to lay your head on your pillow at night.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zdcS-1uQN7k/WQIf9TbrLYI/AAAAAAAABEQ/L63PXWcvCfkypHGHEc4tzD_bi5_9tZbuQCEw/s1600/glamp1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zdcS-1uQN7k/WQIf9TbrLYI/AAAAAAAABEQ/L63PXWcvCfkypHGHEc4tzD_bi5_9tZbuQCEw/s400/glamp1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TKSuwIoeG4w/WQIf9crjqnI/AAAAAAAABEM/DIyPqbluqUw9VpNNX80ZWUTNcgxobPqaACEw/s1600/glamp2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TKSuwIoeG4w/WQIf9crjqnI/AAAAAAAABEM/DIyPqbluqUw9VpNNX80ZWUTNcgxobPqaACEw/s400/glamp2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
Tenting, outdoor bathing, adjusting to small spaces, decorating, ideas, lifestyle, gear, tool kits, safety, maps and more are the waypoints in this GPS of a camping book. Inevitably leading to some fabulous recipes, which is, lets face it, is the key to what most of us think about when camping or Glamping... Good Food.<br />
<br />
And... how to cook it over a campfire.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--LCBKCi1hY4/WQIf9n-kjLI/AAAAAAAABEc/q-7FC5GXpF8J5gsK_NJdSMGPeGxDXV6OwCEw/s1600/glamp3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--LCBKCi1hY4/WQIf9n-kjLI/AAAAAAAABEc/q-7FC5GXpF8J5gsK_NJdSMGPeGxDXV6OwCEw/s400/glamp3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Activities follow, including Junktiquing and other distractions and excuses to hit the road. Who doesn't want to reclaim some items from the past and give them your own flair and flavor n'route to the next International Glamping Weekend?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZApVbkPzKXQ/WQIf9RXQejI/AAAAAAAABEU/7lsRGXN8vdgKL_sOmWA0JMSTi-6fn8RyACEw/s1600/glamp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZApVbkPzKXQ/WQIf9RXQejI/AAAAAAAABEU/7lsRGXN8vdgKL_sOmWA0JMSTi-6fn8RyACEw/s400/glamp.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
You might find yourself wondering why this book is on our list and so I'll repeat myself. If reading it gets you outside and sleeping under the stars then you are one step closer to braving the wilds of the Boundary Waters. And... one step closer to a visit to the Canoe Capital of the World... Ely, Minnesota. Besides that, I like the restoration of old things, even trailers, and, I like the restoration of some old ways of thinking.<br />
<br />
Namely that camping can be an eventful lifestyle - a celebration - at all levels instead of a difficult endurance exercise. Roughing IT has its place, but being comfortable and happy outdoors is never overrated.<br />
<br />
One more thing. The book is fun.<br />
<br />
Tim Stouffer<br />
the Boundary Waters Catalog<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.boundarywaterscatalog.com/ingram-book-company/glamping-with-mary-jane-157391" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fpYazqiSebA/WQIf93o2wqI/AAAAAAAABEg/zdCIxoDA5oEW94RQlXHoIKkxFiBsRIrQgCEw/s400/glampZ.jpg" width="293" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />Tim Stoufferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04850560980529356841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3384355980051995990.post-21145196890530976492017-04-26T12:00:00.000-05:002017-04-26T14:55:41.814-05:00Keep your eyes PeeledLee Johnson is the Heritage Program Manager for the Superior National Forest. He's also a friend of ours who at one time worked with us here at Piragis. He recently gave a talk here in town at the Grand Ely Lodge during one of our Tuesday Group meetings.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qDSb0gueq9g/WQDRlDh797I/AAAAAAAABDc/y0ttqnDeMBQqqLunKnxPRidYaViclNEDwCEw/s1600/leeJ17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="510" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qDSb0gueq9g/WQDRlDh797I/AAAAAAAABDc/y0ttqnDeMBQqqLunKnxPRidYaViclNEDwCEw/s640/leeJ17.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
These meetings take place every Tuesday over the lunch hour and everyone who's interested are welcome to come. We have guest speakers and the subjects vary from who's newly moved to town and their personal introductions, to antique history and appraisals, to natural history and preservation to Ely area current events, to politics, to... well you name it. It is great way to have lunch with others and connect and to learn about many things in person, that you probably have some connection with, but don't know too much about.<br />
<br />
Lee was working on a project in the forest that is about to have the results published. Travelers and members of the Forest Service have begin to discover what Native American canoe builders knew already existed. Bark-Peeled Pine that dot the Border Lakes Region of Minnesota and Ontario. What made these marks and why? That was the topic of the study and the talk.<br />
<br />
These are not the triangular fire scars that are widest at ground level, these are usually head or chest high and terminate at waist or knee level. They profile deep tree wounds with large "healing lobes" and are most often present on Red Pines, though also on Jack Pines and occasional White Pines. The theory presented by Lee was very interesting and rather easy to subscribe to based on the discovery and historical documentation that he provided. Native Americans most likely made these marks to collect Pitch for Gum that was used to build and repair birchbark canoes. This pitch and gum was an integral part of the fur trade era. Indeed, without it, your canoe would begin to fall apart and sink.<br />
<br />
These Bark Peeled Pines are clues to the glue that held the culture of the fur-trade together and date back to the mid-18th century. Each year we lose some of these ancient trees to age and storms, so preservation of these uncovered stories may depend on written record alone as time goes on. It was a fascinating presentation and I've duplicated the brochure here for you:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TpOuzQESfDA/WQDRk1IEbII/AAAAAAAABDU/LHkmjIXoWpIllpDlN6hd6WC98kWwVqmUQCLcB/s1600/peeled1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TpOuzQESfDA/WQDRk1IEbII/AAAAAAAABDU/LHkmjIXoWpIllpDlN6hd6WC98kWwVqmUQCLcB/s640/peeled1.jpg" width="294" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GK28k6jzydw/WQDRk-nd2UI/AAAAAAAABDY/78fKksu2cSc-t7W_qR1i2eC_O_NYJSUpACLcB/s1600/peeled2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GK28k6jzydw/WQDRk-nd2UI/AAAAAAAABDY/78fKksu2cSc-t7W_qR1i2eC_O_NYJSUpACLcB/s640/peeled2.jpg" width="288" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9Aat5F5OKBE/WQDRlKgkQgI/AAAAAAAABDg/k9J5wJLKIxQnWQjU7QB5np_siz-glrNeACLcB/s1600/peeled3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9Aat5F5OKBE/WQDRlKgkQgI/AAAAAAAABDg/k9J5wJLKIxQnWQjU7QB5np_siz-glrNeACLcB/s640/peeled3.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pKGXSdmpirg/WQDRlDbyp9I/AAAAAAAABDk/Sfyn7aAnWrQds47fG_SMpvV6R9qMBiVkgCLcB/s1600/peeled4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pKGXSdmpirg/WQDRlDbyp9I/AAAAAAAABDk/Sfyn7aAnWrQds47fG_SMpvV6R9qMBiVkgCLcB/s640/peeled4.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-81AR6nfS6_o/WQDRlT7_50I/AAAAAAAABDo/4tEG1FEGZa8UDF855ZOAvajoVuSX18VCwCLcB/s1600/peeled5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-81AR6nfS6_o/WQDRlT7_50I/AAAAAAAABDo/4tEG1FEGZa8UDF855ZOAvajoVuSX18VCwCLcB/s640/peeled5.jpg" width="306" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OQ9mcDxeMXk/WQDRlaLd3aI/AAAAAAAABDs/NkxMrckSkwU8UbxLJT1Ra6LVf-uFDqJKQCLcB/s1600/peeled6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OQ9mcDxeMXk/WQDRlaLd3aI/AAAAAAAABDs/NkxMrckSkwU8UbxLJT1Ra6LVf-uFDqJKQCLcB/s640/peeled6.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
If Birchbark Canoes interest you, you will enjoy <a href="https://www.boundarywaterscatalog.com/skyhorse-publishing/bark-canoes-and-skin-boats-of-north-america-145391" target="_blank">Bark Canoes and Skin Boats of North America</a> by Edwin Tappan Adney and Howard Chapelle with a forward by John McPhee. Lee referenced it several times during his presentation and it has been a perennial best seller for us since we began incorporating great books into our retail store in 1979. An interesting read and a fantastic resource.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.boundarywaterscatalog.com/skyhorse-publishing/bark-canoes-and-skin-boats-of-north-america-145391" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_O-pyUrzb6U/WQD7F4M9gzI/AAAAAAAABD8/-9wkZs4ev4kQsSmV_fjTqAzLYX60Hif5gCLcB/s400/barkcanoes.jpg" width="305" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<br />Tim Stoufferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04850560980529356841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3384355980051995990.post-71073681434165221082017-04-21T09:54:00.001-05:002017-04-21T09:55:47.918-05:00Book of the Week Manitou Canyon by William Kent KruegerI like the Cork O'Connor series of mystery books by William Kent Krueger quite a bit. More importantly, for myself, I like Krueger quite a bit. I've met him twice, both times in Ely. He's been here at Piragis for a book signing and reading and he's been to our new Ely Library. At the time of his last visit <a href="https://www.boundarywaterscatalog.com/simon-and-schuster/manitou-canyon-156369" target="_blank">Manitou Canyon</a> was about to be released and I got my hands on an advanced reader's copy. It didn't disappoint.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.boundarywaterscatalog.com/simon-and-schuster/manitou-canyon-156369" target="_blank"><img alt=" Buy Here" border="0" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1fixQvXzjpg/WPoVupyBpFI/AAAAAAAABCc/RF-B8Xgyk3gJuOZ96Foqr6TLaLcY44R8QCLcB/s640/IMG_1384.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Everyone loves a good car chase in a movie and Krueger delivers on some great canoe chases in the wilderness. There's something about a wilderness mystery that includes danger from humans that moves the story even more fluidly forward (and sideways) through an already wild environment. Add in the unknown approach of Winter's grip and after just a few pages (paragraphs really) the reader wishes they had the whole day to spend in the midst of this story.<br />
<br />
Perhaps the real reason that William Kent Krueger finds his novels on the New York Times Bestsellers list is because he naturally slips in between the pages of his stories. <a href="https://www.boundarywaterscatalog.com/simon-and-schuster/ordinary-grace-130152" target="_blank">Ordinary Grace won the Edgar Award for Best Novel</a> and many think this stand alone book holds some of his greatest work. Fans of the world that Cork finds himself in, the land of the Superior National Forest, Boundary Waters and Beyond, though, find themselves connected in very personal ways to Krueger's cast of characters. His unabashed efforts to incorporate social problems that face us all but women and Native Americans in particular deliver a punch to our reality gut that can't be ignored. This writer takes the time to know the land and the people he writes about. The fact that these stories are woven into the fabric of our own backyard makes our paths cross in ways that other books can't. We find ourselves walking and paddling the same routes, capturing the same sights and smells around the campfire with O'Connor.<br />
<br />
In person he is generous with his time (he's taken a few minutes each time I've met him to discuss with me the pages of my own novel in the works). He is engaging and honest about his path to success and the power of story. He's also committed to the story itself. Oh, and he's generous with his time. Yes, I repeated that because I would encourage you to attend a reading and signing if he is scheduled to appear in a local bookstore near you. The talk and question and answer sessions are worth the time!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.boundarywaterscatalog.com/all-products/browse/keyword/william-kent-krueger" target="_blank">If you've been looking for a good series</a> that won't fail to entertain, don't miss out on Krueger, he won't let you down. And... you don't have to start at the beginning. Give <a href="https://www.boundarywaterscatalog.com/simon-and-schuster/manitou-canyon-156369" target="_blank">Manitou Canyon</a> a try!<br />
<br />
<div style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">"Manitou Canyon </span></strong><span style="font-size: small; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">by William Kent Krueger</span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Since the violent deaths of his wife, father, and best friend all occurred in previous Novembers, Cork O’Connor has always considered it to be the cruelest of months. Yet, his daughter has chosen this dismal time of year in which to marry, and Cork is understandably uneasy.<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />His concern comes to a head when a man camping in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness goes missing. As the official search ends with no recovery in sight, Cork is asked by the man’s family to stay on the case. Although the wedding is fast approaching and the weather looks threatening, he accepts and returns to that vast wilderness on his own."</span></div>
Tim Stoufferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04850560980529356841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3384355980051995990.post-24333620931154143632017-04-19T14:36:00.000-05:002017-04-19T14:37:35.609-05:00Thoughts When Looking at the Stuart River Entry Point<div style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-kerning: none;">Entry Point No. 19 Stuart River by Todd Burras - Piragis Northwoods Company</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; min-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-kerning: none;">For all those who have been privileged to set foot in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, nearly all have memories of not just placid campsites and pristine waters, but also something less inviting: portage trails. These ancient paths cut through the forest and serve as primitive escape routes for eager paddlers seeking temporary emancipation from civilization and its seemingly frenetic treadmill of endless running, playing, working and worrying.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZS927KbyC0M/WPe7CyzCsBI/AAAAAAAABCM/2QWL6aSjzS0G2p6MUgaDG30NJctkr7IpACLcB/s1600/Unknown-3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZS927KbyC0M/WPe7CyzCsBI/AAAAAAAABCM/2QWL6aSjzS0G2p6MUgaDG30NJctkr7IpACLcB/s640/Unknown-3.jpeg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; min-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-kerning: none;">All portages are not created equal, though. Some can be short, flat and relatively free of rocks, tree roots and wet spots. In many cases, however, portages can be long -- a quarter-mile is normal; a half-mile or more common -- and arduous, requiring paddlers to pack their gear and canoes over and through rugged terrain that includes steep inclines, rocks and boulders, downed trees, water, mud and frequent clouds of insects. No matter the fear, frustration or even hardship these well-worn thoroughfares have produced, paddlers know that they are just a temporary means to a usually glorious end: fish fries and shore lunches, warm campfires and laughing loons, distant wolf howls under an aurora night sky, and most of all: happy, serene memories.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oEKtBZ4v-28/WPe7C10E9pI/AAAAAAAABCI/k3k_x-Gt1ZYHUjIRGgKRmSIuX1H4re6UgCEw/s1600/Unknown-2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oEKtBZ4v-28/WPe7C10E9pI/AAAAAAAABCI/k3k_x-Gt1ZYHUjIRGgKRmSIuX1H4re6UgCEw/s640/Unknown-2.jpeg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; min-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-kerning: none;">Have you added your footprints to the stone, soil, tree roots and mosses that make up these hallowed portage trails? This summer will you add your name and write your own chapter in this unending wilderness story? The trails, rivers and lakes within the BWCAW await your arrival.</span></div>
Tim Stoufferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04850560980529356841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3384355980051995990.post-86088523208691939722017-04-18T11:11:00.000-05:002017-04-18T13:40:24.865-05:00North Shore Road TripMonday was a day off for Easter break for my kids and so we hit the road. Jen and the girls headed one direction and Simon and I headed into the wind, for the North Shore of Lake Superior. Down Highway One out of Ely, into the teeth of an April "snowstorm". The flakes were huge and the further we drove, the more evidence of snow could be seen on the branches of the pines and forest floor. It was April, though, so 95 percent of it wasn't destined to last the hour, let alone, the day.<br />
<br />
We turned off of Highway One and onto Two on our way towards Two Harbors. Easy on the directions, easy on the eyes. We stopped at two points of interest on our way through the forest and the surrounding lowlands. One was a little public access to a roadside lake and one was a forest service picnic area.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--kgPsIyxuX8/WPY0R4TM8QI/AAAAAAAABBg/wEGjaPiFY8szHkxBy9pQsazEzQR49PYMQCLcB/s1600/IMG_1318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--kgPsIyxuX8/WPY0R4TM8QI/AAAAAAAABBg/wEGjaPiFY8szHkxBy9pQsazEzQR49PYMQCLcB/s640/IMG_1318.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FkFDmuJtogo/WPY0TNQxJLI/AAAAAAAABBo/I9FHAZ-b8MQOSJXS4oK-5HhYEPkVcUKzQCLcB/s1600/IMG_1327.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FkFDmuJtogo/WPY0TNQxJLI/AAAAAAAABBo/I9FHAZ-b8MQOSJXS4oK-5HhYEPkVcUKzQCLcB/s640/IMG_1327.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7jJNohTXR6M/WPY0SeNPv0I/AAAAAAAABBk/BD0M_CD37PwqN4k6WmbyOYB4ApvmrTrSgCLcB/s1600/IMG_1331.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7jJNohTXR6M/WPY0SeNPv0I/AAAAAAAABBk/BD0M_CD37PwqN4k6WmbyOYB4ApvmrTrSgCLcB/s640/IMG_1331.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QPyYHef39cs/WPY0VQnaM8I/AAAAAAAABB0/v4grrv70Dxcv2GcSofY3dGk_WyTMtXhEgCLcB/s1600/IMG_1332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QPyYHef39cs/WPY0VQnaM8I/AAAAAAAABB0/v4grrv70Dxcv2GcSofY3dGk_WyTMtXhEgCLcB/s640/IMG_1332.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This particular spot has a sign titled, "Sentinels of the Past" and shares the fact that these old White Pines were already 70 years old when the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776. Standing under them, with the last evidence of of winter desperately clinging to their branches I couldn't help but notice a chill running up my spine. They are survivors and they are a constant reminder that the forest around us is a living, breathing organism. It isn't simply a place to enjoy, it is, very much so, a part of our home that has a much longer history than we do.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
How many have stood under these trees? How many have stood there with their sons who are now men and are making preparations for college. What kind of lessons could be learned with time enough to sit on a fallen pine that has been in this place for 300 years or more? It was a quiet morning under the clouds and a perfect beginning to our road trip.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Ely is a great spot to visit and to kick off your <a href="https://www.piragis.com/boundary-waters-info/general-info.html" target="_blank">Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness</a> trips. It has a lot to offer, including spending time around town and our area before and/or after your canoe trips. The North Shore is less than two hours of driving that could include multiple wildlife sitings like moose and more! Our <a href="https://www.boundarywaterscatalog.com/books" target="_blank">bookstore</a> manager, Jordyn, saw a moose the day before we drove down Highway One and so did Drew Brockett, our <a href="https://www.piragis.com/canoe-trip-outfitting/piragis-northwoods-boundary-waters-outfitters.html" target="_blank">canoe trip outfitting</a> manager. Here's a shot of the one he saw on Sunday.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WYiIs17xdtk/WPY3a7pkPUI/AAAAAAAABB4/2i1nG1C4a40mNRs5su4FrXaQ_lHFHwZSACLcB/s1600/drewMoose2017two.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WYiIs17xdtk/WPY3a7pkPUI/AAAAAAAABB4/2i1nG1C4a40mNRs5su4FrXaQ_lHFHwZSACLcB/s640/drewMoose2017two.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We continued our trip, down to Two Harbors and took a left to check out how the waters of Gitche Gumee were breaking against the shore and the Split Rock Lighthouse. Driving through massive tunnels in the granite, pulling over at various rivers and rest stops, listening to music on the winding road. Everything combined for a fantastic soundtrack to the best movie I've seen in years, right through the windows of the Mountaineer. Best of all, whenever we wanted, we could park and walk right into the environment all around us.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The black sandy beach filled with battered and softened rocks and driftwood, the bike paths, the cold spray in our faces and the snowflakes that were by this time fading in their strength, these things woke me up to the beauty of Spring and the ice-out season.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We turned around at some point and headed to Duluth for lunch. Afterwards, we returned by the Scenic North Shore route and stopped to experience anything that caught our eyes. The sun had come out and the blue of the sky was now reflected in the big waters of our inland sea.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It was hard to leave...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MsPiHvBIEQQ/WPY0VE4RB3I/AAAAAAAABBw/lgRei1DFoNcfv6TvSXqfHQ5hx8cHCUWjQCEw/s1600/IMG_1360.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MsPiHvBIEQQ/WPY0VE4RB3I/AAAAAAAABBw/lgRei1DFoNcfv6TvSXqfHQ5hx8cHCUWjQCEw/s640/IMG_1360.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o8Jfbs2-BSc/WPY0Ui-OR9I/AAAAAAAABBs/7iq3r4pyCXYwIW2KazodD_mRR6JBSg6ZwCEw/s1600/IMG_1344.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o8Jfbs2-BSc/WPY0Ui-OR9I/AAAAAAAABBs/7iq3r4pyCXYwIW2KazodD_mRR6JBSg6ZwCEw/s640/IMG_1344.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<br />Tim Stoufferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04850560980529356841noreply@blogger.com0