3Northland women enjoy winter in different ways

By Abigail Blonigen

With miles and miles of all types of trails, it is no wonder the Duluth area is filled with outdoor enthusiasts. While some people submit to semi-hibernation during the long, dark winter months, others embrace the cold and snow as part of the fun.

Yvette Maijala: Cross-country skiing

“Even though you might not know what you’re doing, I’m the example that you can start at any point in your life, and learn something new and make the best of the winter months,” Yvette Maijala, owner of the Magnolia Cafe in Carlton, said.

Now an avid cross-country skier and winter enthusiast, Maijala grew up “nowhere near any snow,” south of New Orleans in Louisiana. Though Maijala went to college in New Orleans, she did some seasonal work in Olympic National Park in Washington state, which was the first time she ever put on skis.

Her experience there inspired her to move to western Washington after graduating college, where she fell in love with the mountains and colder temperatures. That is also where she met her husband, who is from Esko.

“He brought me here to meet his parents, and I thought he was going to pop the question and ask me to marry him, but he gave me a pair of cross country-skis as I thought I was getting an engagement ring,” said Maijala.

The couple eventually got engaged for real and moved to the Carlton area about 25 years ago. Skiing has always been a part of the family’s life, with Christmas morning skis in Jay Cooke State Park, but Maijala herself wasn’t a very active skier until her 40s.

Since then, Maijala has met many friends who enjoy the sport and encourage her to get out. She competed in her first ski races two years ago in Austria and Italy and did the Kortelopet race in Wisconsin last year.

Maijala also runs, snowshoes, bikes, hikes — anything to get outdoors.

“I do something every day at least. Even in 20- or 30-below weather, I get outside. I think it’s really good for my mental health, and it’s good for my physical health,” she said.

For those looking to get out more in the winter, Maijala recommends wearing proper clothing, finding a local club, and getting outside with your family.

Kelly DeVore: Snowmobiling

Kelly DeVore has also found community through her local club, the Wood City Riders snowmobile club in Cloquet.

DeVore moved to the area about 10 years ago. Not long after moving, she enrolled her son in a snowmobile safety course and came across fliers for the group. She decided to join in order to meet people in the area with similar interests.

“The people in the club have become some of the best friends I’ve ever had, and they’ve truly been a blessing for me over the years for many things outside of snowmobiling,” DeVore said.

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Now secretary of the club, DeVore gets out to ride whenever she can. She mostly rides in the Cloquet and Wrenshall area, as she has a trail that comes almost to her front door; however, she’s ridden all over northern Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and in the Yellowstone area in Montana.

The club itself goes on an annual group ride as well as fundraiser rides where they put on up to 300 miles to raise money for causes. They also try to do a women’s ride each year to “get out there and show women that it doesn’t have to be all about the guys,” DeVore said.

DeVore was drawn to snowmobiling because she’s a cold weather person and loves to be outside.

“When you’re riding on the snow, going fast or slow, either way, it’s great taking in the natural surroundings around you,” she said. “Nature is so pretty with the snow.”

While some may think that snowmobiling is a less active sport because it involves a machine, DeVore said it can be physically challenging, depending on the type of riding and the difficulty of the trail.

“It can be relaxing, just cruising along, but it can be a very active sport,” she said.

For those interested in giving snowmobiling a try, DeVore recommends dressing for the weather, going with a group and having fun.

Brooke Wetmore: Winter camping

Yes, you read that right. People camp in the winter.

Brooke Wetmore, co-owner of the Great Lakes Gear Exchange in Duluth, went winter camping for the first time as a student in the outdoor recreation program at the University of Minnesota Duluth. The group went out to Boulder Lake, north of Duluth, and built their own snow forts to sleep in called quinzhees.

While Wetmore doesn’t consider winter camping to be her favorite activity, she has gone almost every year since her first experience.

“Once you get out there and do it, it’s very exhilarating, and you create a new respect for yourself and what you’re able to accomplish,” she said.

Warmth management is the name of the game when camping in the winter. It is imperative to dress in layers that keep you warm, but not so warm you are sweating. Almost all time is spent gathering firewood, keeping the fire going, breaking the ice open for water, making food and eating, that there isn’t time for much else, as opposed to summer camping.

“It puts your brain into a totally different way of functioning,” Wetmore said.

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness tends to be a popular place for winter camping; folks will simply ski or snowshoe in rather than canoe. In recent years, Wetmore has switched from building her own snow shelter to using a hot tent — a thick canvas tent with a stove inside for warmth.

Since setting up camp tends to be more work in the winter, campers generally set up a base camp and go on day adventures, skiing or snowshoeing, rather than packing up camp every day as one would while backpack camping.

Winter camping can be dangerous, so Wetmore recommends going with someone who has done it before in order to be prepared.

Though a lot of work, Wetmore says winter camping is “freeing and magical,” with stunning stars and stillness at night.

“People should totally try it out,” she said. “It’s a totally different kind of camping and a different way of experiencing and appreciating the wintertime.” D

Abigail Blonigen is a Duluth freelance writer and photographer.

By Andrea Busche