Reviews are Appreciated and Certainly Important

It'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.

http://brownsguides.com/boundary-waters-canoe-area-paddling/?platform=hootsuite

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.

Raymond did that on Facebook... here's what he had to say, "I love Piragis Northwoods Company. "

We can't agree more.

If you'd like to review our Canoe Trip Outfitting department we invite you to do so on our Facebook page or Trip Advisor.

We'd also like to encourage all of you to write reviews of products that you've purchased from the Boundary Waters Catalog 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.

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.

Thanks, from Your Friends in the Great Northwoods,

Piragis Northwoods Company and the Boundary Waters Catalog

Canoe Trip Photojournal, July 2011

Steve and Nancy recently took time out to get a canoe trip in. The weather here has been beautiful and the water is perfect for swimming. I don't know why they call these the dog days, they feel like paradise!

All shot a site on the east end of Loon Bay were the Heritage Creek flows into Lac La Croix. Cool temps over night resulted in fog over the warm lake but the day soon warmed up to the mid 80's with few clouds.

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BWCAW FIRE UPDATE Lake Three Area Boundary Waters Horseshoe Island

Horseshoe Island (Lake Three) Fire
Update – June 20, 2011
          
DATE OF DETECTION:  June 13, 2011

CAUSE:  Lightning

CURRENT SIZE:  31 acres

LOCATION:   T62N, R9W, Sec. 2 NWNW; Horseshoe Island in Lake Three within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW)

AGENCY:  Superior National Forest, Kawishiwi Ranger District

STATUS:  First sighted by visitors on June 12, 2011 and reported on June 13, 2011

SMOKE CONDITIONS:  Some smoke may be visible in the general area of Lake Three.

RESOURCES:  The fire is being monitored as needed based on weather and fire behavior.

RE-OPENED:  All campsites in the southern end of Lake Three have been re-opened.

FIRE INFORMATION:     (218) 365-2093 Becca Manlove
                                                (218) 365-7619 Tracy Richards

Today’s Messages:  Visitors approaching burned areas should use caution due to the danger of falling trees. In the narrow channel next to the burned island paddlers should stay as close to the green shore as possible. The fire activity is low due to damp weather. Visitors are continuing to travel throughout Lake Three.  All portages are open, including the portage into Horseshoe Lake.

Our roots of Tradition.

There are two pictures that hang in the store at Piragis Northwoods Company. Century old pictures. They are shots taken in 1905 of what was then the Bloomenson Store.

The first is an exterior shot that shows vintage awnings and the purveyor outdoors in front of the building with guess what? hanging outside. Coats. Not our staple of windblocker fleece, but two staples of the time, wool and beaver. Nature's answer to synthetic technology. The sidewalk in front of the store isn't a sidewalk, it is a boardwalk. The other falsefront buildings across the street can be seen reflected in the window.

Original Ely. With a look of determination on its face. Promise of a bright future. Open for business and proud to stock what is needed and wanted by the people.

The second picture is an interior shot complete with gas lights and the original tin ceilings and walls. There are wool pants stacked high on sturdy oak tables. Suspenders hanging from circular displays from the ceilings. The stovepipe rises to the decorative tin covered chimney from the essential woodstove in the back. The long glass displays showcase quality men's shirts while the shelves behind are complete with rows and rows of hat boxes stacked up to the tall ceilings. Men's wool driving caps stretch out in a long row across the hat boxes, displayed just at arms reach. There are cases that hold ties, gloves and shoes.

Pride and promise are evident. You can find them both in our store today. Residual benefits of a long history of service commitment to customers. The tin walls are still in place today. The looks on the three clerks faces are recognizable too. You can see the same looks of determination and commitment on the faces of our staff today.

Piragis Northwoods Company still believes that the advantages of high quality goods and services far outweigh the short term value of "a great deal." You can tell the old Ely store owners felt the same way. They are sharply dressed and waiting to help you.

At Piragis Northwoods Company we want you to be at home, to feel comfortable and at ease while you shop. We trust that you can find most things you need here, and hope that you know that you can ask us any question you like about our canoes, kayaks, camping gear, accessories, men's and women's clothing, books and gifts. No question will be considered too small, too odd or too silly. Our staff is on hand to serve your needs, to help you in any way possible.

Our merchandise speaks for itself, our reputation stands on our ability to serve the customer above and beyond the norm. We stay open to serve the local population year round with clothing, equipment and a full service bookstore that rivals any other in Minnesota. In the summer our doors open at 6 a.m and don't close until 10 p.m. Giving you time and opportunity to shop on your schedule. We go the extra mile because many people travel far and wide to reach Ely and all of you deserve our best. Each and every one who comes through our door deserves old fashioned, honest to goodness service with a smile. If you have a destination in Ely besides the Boundary Waters we hope that it is Piragis Northwoods Company, Your Friends in the Great Northwoods.

We know that many of you will never get the opportunity to visit us here in Ely, and that is one of the reasons that we uphold the same commitment to customer service and great items in our online catalog. Please call us with questions or customer service concerns at 1-800-223-6565.

Thanks for helping us forge new memories in Ely!

Tim Stouffer

Sunrise in Ely

What follows is a pictorial essay of a very beautiful morning.  The light was fantastic -- capturing the first colors of the day as dawn crept out of darkness.  A rainbow graced the sky with the promise of a new day with new challenges and new adventures.  A glorious golden hue descended on Tuesday.  At 5:22 a.m. Steve Piragis began taking these shots.  The only thing more spectacular would be viewing this light from the shore of a favorite campsite just as your slip bobber went under...

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Moose sighting in Ely. Yeah, right IN ELY.

The other night on the way back from Virginia, MN my headlights lit up some glowing eyes that were taller than the large number of whitetail deer I'd already spotted in the darkness.  It was getting a little hairy out there, and I was on full alert.

When I spotted this pair of eyes on the edge of the woods about 12 feet from the woods, I sat up straight, slowed down and gripped the wheel a little tighter.  Getting closer I saw the huge form of a dark colored adult male moose.  He seemed to be browsing in the ditch.

This is how we most often see them, on the edge of our roads up here or many times, jogging it down the middle of our gravel roads out in the surrounding landscapes of Ely.  I've seen them doing this near Ely over by White Iron Lake and up towards the old Chainsaw Sisters.

HOWEVER, there's a picture circulating around Ely that proves we are America's Coolest Smalltown.  The picture is of a moose right in town here.  Hanging out amidst the lilac trees and taking in the view as it looks down the hill towards Britton's Cafe as if it were going to saunter down and order today's lunch special.  Only in Ely, that's all we've got to say...

Photo by Ely's Amy Kireta.  Moose doesn't answer to "Bullwinkle".

Come up and hang out this summer!  Maybe you'll spy a moose of your own.