Discover the Trezona Trail

Ely’s Trezona trail has a lot to offer.  For some of us it is our regular exercise path during all four seasons.  You’ll see wildlife like whitetail deer and snowshoe hares and plenty of birds.  To walk, ski, run or bike the complete trail is a four mile love affair with nature.  Walking and talking at leisure takes about an hour and a half around, but at a faster pace, focused on the exercise, you’re much closer to 60 - 70 minutes of quick stepping.

On Saturday we walked together as a family and took time to admire the many colorful flowers and greenery along the path.  If you want a lesson in the forest around us, you can’t find a better choice right in town as the trail winds its way through red and white pines, spruce, paper birch, ash and cedar trees.  There are pin cherries, june berries, raspberries, honeysuckle, vetch and many other smaller ground cover type bushes and plants.

The terrain which encircles Ely’s Miners Lake (a former iron ore pit) elevates to granite outcroppings and dips down to the edge of the mine pit and into the cedar swamps lush with moss and wetland flora.  It has beautiful sections in the shade of the forest and bright sunlit sections that wind their way out of the woods and along the edge.  You’ll find yourself walking by Miners Dry, the building where our Miners used to wash and dry their clothes at on Saturdays.  These days the Miners Dry and Shaft House is home to the Ely Arts & Heritage Center.

It is a great walk and one you can have your car waiting for at the end in an easy to access parking lot just 3 blocks from Piragis Northwoods Company.  There are benches along to route if you feel you need to take a rest and at the parking lot there is a portable outhouse :)  Bring along a water bottle and an energy bar and your dog if you promise to keep them on a leash and clean up after them.

We started our walk by spotting some Forget-me-nots and discovering some beautiful and hearty wild roses just down the path.  In the first mile we saw many more flowers including Columbines and Dwarf Dogwood (Bunchberry).  Around the bend, bright and tall in the green grasses, we spotted Orange and Yellow Hawkweeds and in the shade by some additional Dwarf Dogwoods some small fragile Canada Mayflowers held court with their airy blooms.  Along the way we spotted a tree that we think looks like it has a face of its own and what Northwoods hike would be complete without the large fronds of Interrupted Ferns.

Forget-me-nots

Wild Roses

Columbines and Dwarf Dogwood

Can you see the old man's face in this tree?

A pale pink wild rose

Orange and Yellow Hawkweed

Yellow Hawkweed

Canada Mayflower (top) and Dwarf Dogwood (bottom)

Large Interrupted Ferns

Secret Creek ;)

As the path curves around the end of the lake and back towards town, keep your ears open for running water (i.e. a babbling brook).  Off to your right hand side there is a hidden path that leads to a small creek just a few steps off the trail.  It is a cool place but don't stay too long because the mosquitoes will find you quick :)

        There’s plenty to look at if you like walks on well established paths with good company.  There are also other paths and hiking trails around the Ely area, just ask us.  Thanks to Nancy Piragis and Jen Stouffer for helping me identify all the pictures that I snapped along the way.

See you around the bend!  Tim Stouffer

Boundary Waters Birding

Last week we had a surprise visitor across the street from Piragis Northwoods Company.  A Merlin.  It is of the Falcon family of birds of prey and sometimes seen in town, so it wasn't a huge surprise, but an unexpected one.  Perhaps most appropriately its colloquial name of Pigeon Hawk describes it well, but not accurately as it is not a hawk.  This one stood over the pigeon it had caught and alternated between keeping an eye on me and a lookout for escape.  The dilemma was clear, he wasn't finished with his lunch and I seemed intent on walking past him down the sidewalk.

He resembles the American Kestrel and that seemed appropriate as well since we have a few of those sleek Kestrel kayaks for sale in the canoe barn opposite his picnic site.  He hunts by flying very fast and low, utilizing speed and agility, typically less than a meter above the ground using trees and shrubs as cover.  You may see Merlins "tail chasing" other confused birds like a jet.  They actually capture most of their prey in the air.

Merlins are one of the most agile and able aerial predators and in North America they are well known for fiercely attacking other birds of prey that they encounter (reportedly even adult eagles).  Breeding pairs of Merlins will frequently hunt together, with one bird flushing prey (not unlike a good bird dog is trained to do) towards its mate.

It was a cool way to end my week and I thought you might enjoy hearing the story and seeing the pictures.  After calling Nancy and Steve Schon over, I accidentally spooked him and he flew off, leaving lunch behind.  Schoney drug the pigeon over into the protected brush where the Merlin could return to it later in a more protected setting.

Fall has come to the Northland with some amazing weather.  The reds are popping out of the landscape, but only in rare appearances.  The cool nights should take care of that soon, though, and the horizon will be painted with reds, oranges, yellows, browns and greens soon enough.  Please accept our invitation to come up and visit and bring your cameras.  The paddling, we promise, will be great!

Have a great day from Your Friends in the Great Northwoods,
At the End of the Road,

Tim Stouffer, Marketing Director and
The Staff at Piragis Northwoods Company

Green Fire Film about Aldo Leopold shown in Ely tomorrow night.

July 21, 2011 7:00 pm in Ely, MN
Vermilion Community College Theater

"Green Fire" will be shown to an audience in Ely, MN. Curt Meine will be at the screening. Admission is free. The theater seats 190 people.

Vermilion Community College Theater
1900 East Camp Street
Ely, MN 55731
• Phone: 218-365-2618

The first full-length, high-definition documentary film ever made about legendary environmentalist Aldo Leopold, Green Fire highlights Leopold’s extraordinary career, tracing how he shaped and influenced the modern environmental movement. Leopold remains relevant today, inspiring projects all over the country that connect people and land.

“We reached the old wolf in time to watch a fierce green fire dying in her eyes. I realized then, and have known ever since, that there was something new to me in those eyes—something known only to her and to the mountain. I was young then, and full of trigger-itch; I thought that because fewer wolves meant more deer, that no wolves would mean hunters’ paradise. But after seeing the green fire die, I sensed that neither the wolf nor the mountain agreed with such a view.”
- Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac, 1949 

The impact of his own gunshot from a rimrock in Arizona changed Aldo Leopold’s own thinking, leading to the key insight that was the culmination of his life’s work: a responsibility for its health. Join us as we trace Leopold’s personal journey and follow the threads that connect to his legacy today.

The Green Fire Film Project

Green Fire was produced in partnership between the Aldo Leopold Foundation, the Center for Humans and Nature, and the US Forest Service. The film provocatively examines Leopold’s thinking, renewing his idea of a land ethic for a population facing 21st century ecological challenges. Leopold's biographer, conservation biologist Dr. Curt Meine, serves as the film's on-screen guide.

Green Fire describes the formation of Leopold’s idea, exploring how it changed one man and later permeated through all arenas of conservation. The film draws on Leopold’s life and experiences to provide context and validity, then explores the deep impact of his thinking on conservation projects around the world today. Through these examples, the film challenges viewers to contemplate their own relationship with the land community.

The high-definition film will utilize photographs, correspondence, manuscripts and other archival documents from the voluminous Aldo Leopold Archives as well as historical film and contemporary full-color footage on location, including landscapes that influenced Leopold and that he in turn influenced.

The film also features commentary and insight from some of today’s most recognized and credible scholars and conservation leaders, including: three of Aldo Leopold’s children—Nina, Carl, and Estella, Leopold scholars, noted environmental writers, scientists, humanities experts, public policy leaders, business leaders,; and leaders of non-profit groups inspired by Leopold.

FROM:
Aldo Leopold Foundation
PO Box 77
Baraboo, WI 53913
608.355.0279
greenfire@aldoleopold.org

Tuesday dawned all white and fluffy. April 27, 2011

Well, we woke up to it again.  The white stuff.

Our first canoe rental client of the year showed up today from Arizona.  He is usually in town this time of year on other business.  Last year he got to take a great little solo trip in fabulous weather.  This year their was skim ice everywhere on the waters that were open last night.  The water is bitter cold.  It is just fine for camping out, which is what he decided to do.

The canoe stayed here.  Along with its friends on the racks, waiting nicer weather, open water and all of you folks.  Not quite ready for its maiden voyage of 2011.  Although some of the rivers and smaller lakes have had a few paddles wet on their waters already, the bulk of the lakes are still ice-bound as I write.

Mother's day is two weeks away and the following week is fishing opener on May 14th this year.  It is a great time to plan a trip to Ely on early water.  Permit availability is good at this time of year, the fish are hungry and everything looks new and fresh out there in the wilderness.  Wildlife activity is more noticeable before all the trees leaf out to their full potential.  Songbirds are prevalent.  It is a great time to do a trip because then you have all the excuses you need to come up again later on in the summer or even the fall.

For now, this is what it looks like just outside.  As we always say, it makes life interesting here in the Northwoods.  Trips are being planned, permits reserved, boats prepped.  Call us today and get your trips in order, remember if you have a large scout group or church group, we can do all the logistics for you.  Call 1-800-223-6565 today and ask us about our full outfitting options that include all the camping gear, canoes, paddles, lifevests and excellent food you'll need to make your trip a success.

Lily the Black Bear gives birth to two cubs today.

Check out the live cam when you get time.

Yeah!!!!!! LILY!  Take good care of those babies and last year's baby Hope!

Stay warm it'll be 40 below again tonight :)

Winter Visitants Arrive in Ely, the Piragis Northwoods Birding Chronicles

Lots of critters leave Ely for the winter and head “south”. These include summer home residents, snow birds, tourists, paddlers and plenty of real birds.  Believe it or not some birds come south to spend the winter in Ely!

Photo by Steve Schon

During October some of the first winter visitants to arrive are the beautiful Bohemian Waxwings.  They replace their smaller cousins the Cedar Waxwings who spend their summers here and then head south to warmer climes during the winter months.  They feed on the mountain ash trees both ornamental and native as well as crab apples trees planted in Ely.

Photo by Steve Piragis

By November we start to hear the quiet call notes of Pine Grosbeaks.  They have nested north of us in Canada and arrive in Ely to feast on the seeds of pine and deciduous trees.

Photo by Steve Piragis

They also visit bird feeders in our area gorging themselves on black oil sunflower seeds and along with the Evening Grosbeaks that can be found anytime in Ely make for a colorful addition to the snowy background.

Photo by Steve Piragis

One of our smallest visitors are the Common Redpoll and their rare cousin the Hoary Redpoll.  They can be seen eating catkins in our deciduous trees as well as gleaning seeds from shrubs.  The also visit bird feeders and dive right in among the bigger Grosbeaks.  The common Redpoll has been shown to be one of the hardiest species as far as withstanding cold temperatures and they manage to survive Ely winters that often reach -40 degrees.

Lucky birders may also get a glimpse of either the Red or White-winged Crossbill.  Although these species are nomadic and may be seen almost any month, they are much more likely in the winter.  Their specialized bills are adapted to efficiently extracting seeds from pine and spruce cones.  Add to these visitors our permanent residents such as Ruffed Grouse, Common Ravens, Blue and Gray Jays, Black-capped Chickadees and Red-breasted Nuthatches, and several Woodpeckers to name a few and you can see that Ely is far from bird poor in the winter.

What we lack in numbers we make up for with interesting, beautiful, and hardy species.

What is your favorite winter bird?  What is the rarest bird to visit your hometown this time of year?  Let us know!

Steve Schon

Hundreds of kids hunt for 4000 eggs in Whiteside Park

Ely's Easter rabbits were busy early this morning hiding 4000 eggs in Whiteside park.  I'm estimating about 200 kids or more showed up and had found them all in under 5 minutes.  It was poetry in motion and boy was it cold out there compared to the nice warm days in the sixties we've been used to.