Northern Wilds

Dog Days of Summer

Progress on the Course

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Settle in at our campground this summer and join us after dark at the David Thompson Astronomical Observatory as we take you on a journey through the cosmos. The campground at Fort William Historical Park is equipped with its own astronomy centre! While you’re here enjoy a tour of our Historical Park, recreational

Fort William Historical Park

Worth a Thousand Words

Some readers may recognize this month’s cover photo by Sandy Updyke of Hovland, because it was the first place winner in the People category of our 2013 Northern Wilds Photography Contest. At the time we were judging the contest we were also in the midst of redesigning the magazine. We used the photo as one of our cover mock-ups in the design process and liked it so much that we scheduled it as the cover for our August issue.

Our 2014 Northern Wilds Photo Contest is currently underway. Once again, we are asking you to submit your favorite photos in four categories: People, Landscape, Wildlife and Dogs. You can enter up to three photos in each category to compete for prizes, including $250 worth of class credits to the North House Folk School in Grand Marais. You can learn more about the contest on Page 58 of this issue. The deadline for contest entries is Sept. 30.

We take pride in the photography we publish in every issue of Northern Wilds. In every issue, you’ll see images from talented photographers throughout the region, including Paul Sundberg, Bryan Hansel, Nace Hagemann, David Johnson, Michael Furtman, James Smedley, Travis Novitsky and Chris Gibbs. Some of our columnists writers are handy with a camera, too, like Gord Ellis, Kelsey Roseth, Joan Farnam, Eric Chandler and Elle Andra-Warner.

Much of the credit for our consistently good photography goes to our staff, especially managing editor Erin Altemus, who searches high and low for the best photos for our cover, the Catchlight page and for events and stories. Intrepid NorthShore ArtScene columnist Joan Farnam also goes the extra mile to track down both photos and art images that are used throughout the publication.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. When you live in a place as beautiful as the Northern Wilds, words often fall short of the extraordinary scenery we take for granted. That’s why we stuff as many full-color photos as we can into every issue of Northern Wilds. This issue is no different. As you turn the pages, the photos will take you out on Lake Superior, canoeing in the BWCAW, swimming

Where can I find Northern Wilds in Thunder Bay?

Calico Coffee House

Fort William Historical Park

Gear Up for Outdoors

Silver Mountain Station

Metropolitan Moose Café

Terry Fox Info Centre

Seattle Coffee House

Ahnisnabe Art Gallery

D&R Sporting Goods

Global Flags

in clear-running streams, to breakfast in a Finnish restaurant and almost to the top of Mount Ranier—but we’ll let Eric Chandler tell you about that. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but we need writers to tell the whole story.

—Shawn Perich and Amber Pratt

PUBLISHERS

Shawn Perich & Amber Pratt

EDITORIAL

Shawn Perich, Editor editor@northernwilds.com

Erin Altemus, Managing Editor erin@northernwilds.com

ADVERTISING

Amber Pratt, Advertising Manager apratt@northernwilds.com

Sue O’Quinn, Sales Representative sue@northernwilds.com

Jane Shinners, Sales Representative jane@northernwilds.com

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Katie Viren • katie@northernwilds.com

Kate Watson • kate@northernwilds.com

OFFICE

Roseanne Cooley • billing@northernwilds.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Elle Andra-Warner, Eric Chandler, Gord Ellis, Joan Farnam, Joseph Friedrichs, Paul Pluskwik, Kelsey Roseth, Javier Serna, Maren Webb, Lucas Will Copyright 2014 by Northern Wilds Media, Inc.

Published 12 times per year. Subscription rate is $28 per year or $52 for 2 years. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part requires written permission from the publishers. Northern Wilds Media, Inc. P.O. Box 26, Grand Marais, MN 55604 (218) 387-9475 (phone/fax)

FEATURES GUIDES DEPARTMENTS

Loon by Paul Pluskwik

New organization will focus on trail work

GRAND MARAIS—When it comes to organizing volunteer efforts in a national forest, few people are better suited than Suzanne Cable.

Cable, an assistant district ranger for recreation and wilderness in both the Gunflint and Tofte Ranger Districts of the Superior National Forest, is helping coordinate an effort to bring volunteers to help with much needed trail work and other labor-intensive efforts to the bustling, federally-managed land.

“This is important work we hope to be doing,” Cable said. “And it can be time consuming.”

Volunteers and staff within the Superior National Forest are creating a non-profit organization that will help recruit, train and supervise volunteers interested in caring for the forest. The group, which will be known as The Northwoods Volunteer Connection (NVC), will not be strictly Forest Service-related, and will also provide trail work to county and state lands, or all of the different trail partners from ski trails, snowmobile trails, and ATV clubs, Cable said.

The idea of forming an organization that would coordinate volunteers to undertake these types of projects on the Superior National Forest was first brought forth by Bill Hansen, a local canoe outfitter, about 17 years ago, according to John Wytanis, a retired Forest Service district ranger and member of the newly-formed NVC board of directors.

“At that time, a group of people came together to work toward this idea,” Wytanis said, “but for one reason or another, the organization never got off the ground.”

Nearly two decades later—when Cable entered the picture—the idea for a Superior National Forest trail alliance returned to life. Calling on her previous experience with organizations such as the Idaho-based Selway-Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation and the Bob Marshall Foundation in Montana, Cable wanted to bring the core message of these groups to the Superior National Forest. And the message of these groups, which operate under the umbrella of the National Stewardship Wilderness Alliance, is very simple: “No politics. No advocacy. Just boots-on-the-ground work.”

As the organization continues to apply for its non-profit status, eventual plans for NVC are to be sustainable and fully funded through grants and other funding sources, and to maintain a paid staff, including an executive director and possibly several field coordinator positions, according to Cable.

A good portion of the NVC projects will focus on much needed trail work across the Superior National Forest, such as removing logs and debris from trails, cutting excessive brush and building reroutes, Wytanis said. This includes work on existing portage trails, hiking trails, bike trails, cross country ski trails and snowmobile trails. Volunteer projects could also include campsite rehabilitation, building/structure maintenance and removing invasive plants from the forest, Wytanis said.

And while NVC hopes to be a key umbrella organization leading and coordinating volunteer efforts within the Superior National Forest, people interested in helping protect and preserve the beauty of the area don’t necessarily have to join or be associated with NVC in order to help out, Cable said.

A Forest Service employee from the Tofte Ranger Station works with a volunteer to build a portage in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. | COURTESY USFS

“It is not mandatory,” she said. “We only want to compliment the great efforts we already have going on.”

The NVC hopes to have “boots on the ground” and begin its volunteer efforts starting in the summer of 2015, Cable said. The group hopes to have a website built and functioning in the near future and

people interested in volunteering with the organization will find contact information available soon. Volunteers will be sought locally, regionally and nationally.

“So many people love the Superior National Forest and Boundary Waters,” Cable said. “We hope there will be an abundance of support.”—Joseph Friedrichs

Project Healing Waters Goes North

THUNDER BAY—Project Healing Waters (PHW) is a non-profit group that was founded by members of the Federation of Fly Fishers and Trout Unlimited to serve military personnel who have been wounded, injured, or disabled and aid in their physical and emotional recovery through the introduction and utilization of the skills associated with fly fishing and fly tying.

On July 22, 10 American and five Canadian veterans were guests of Canadian adventure travel company Wilderness North and participated in the 7th annual Healing on the Albany event held at Miminiska Lodge. Wilderness North owners Alan and Krista Cheeseman generously provided flights to and from Thunder Bay to their Miminiska Lodge on the Albany River, along with all the first class service, food, lodging, boats, and motors for the veterans free of charge.

Ron Weiss, owner of Hook & Hackle graciously donated equipment and time to outfit the veterans with all of their fly fishing gear and tackle. Superfly International donated fly rods and Soldier On helped with their airfare to Thunder Bay. While in town, the Prince Arthur Waterfront Hotel provided several free rooms along with a discounted lodging rate. Gregory Heroux from Sail Superior organized a free harbour tour for all PHW participants. Combined the total value of services provided is over $50,000. It was a borderless trip made possible by both Americans and Canadians, who through their gifts, say “Thank You” to those who sacrifice so much to protect our freedoms everyday.

Project Healing Waters allowed these soldiers and veterans to spend time on the Albany River in July. | CLARENCE FISHER

Vets home residents enjoy Finland fishing pond

FINLAND—Once a week, during the summer, a bunch of folks meet at the end of a dead-end road in Finland to go fishing. They arrive in a motley collection of pickup trucks and by bus. The men who get off the bus are the reason everyone is here. They are residents of the Minnesota Veterans Home in Silver Bay.

The fishing hole is a trout pond built and maintained by Larry Schanno, the owner of Our Place Restaurant in Finland. For five years, he has hosted disabled veterans from the home to go fishing and, in the fall, to hunt deer on the 40-acre property called Legacy Homestead.

“This is a totally opposite environment from where they live,” he says. “Coming here to fish gives them an opportunity to do something they may have thought they’d never do again.”

Schanno is not a veteran—he drew a high number during the first lottery for the Vietnam War. His father, however, served in World War II and was in the battle to take Okinawa. At the age of 47, his father was found to have 100-percent service-re-

lated disability. He died at the age of 51. The sacrifices made by folks like his father have given Schanno a reverential appreciation for America’s veterans, as well as for the soldiers who didn’t come home.

He’s not alone. Every week a group of volunteers shows up at the trout pond to assist the vets with fishing. All of the volunteers are veterans, too. Fishing together gives them a chance to get to know the vets from the home and to develop a rapport.

“It’s rewarding for both the volunteers and the vets,” Schanno says.

The fishing pond is well-designed for handicapped use. The vets home bus can pull right up to the bank. The level ground is wheelchair-accessible. Sturdy wooden beams form rails at two levels—lower, so someone in a wheelchair can rest their fishing rod on it and higher, so a helper can lean against it while helping a wheelchair-bound angler fish.

Spring-fed with water depths of 12-14 feet, the pond remains cold and well-oxygenated year-round, making it capable of

supporting trout, as well as the minnows on which they feed. Initially, Schanno stocked it annually with 500 brook trout, but a few rainbows were mixed in with the fish he bought last year. They thrived, growing more quickly than the brookies, so this year he stocked more of them. To do so, he had to retrofit the pond’s outlet with additional screening so the rainbows can’t escape to the nearby Baptism River.

When fishing, the volunteers help the vets release trout unharmed. Since they are fishing with bait, some of the fish are fatally injured when they swallow the hook. These fish are placed in a cooler. Schanno cleans them and then cooks and delivers them to the vets home the following day.

The remainder of the property is developed with wildlife food plots. In November, Schanno takes the veterans deer hunting. Someone donated a camper that he has placed on a ridge overlooking a food plot, so the vets have a warm and comfortable stand. Several vets have harvested a deer on the property. He is especially proud of a veteran who had only one arm and one leg. He sat in a minivan

and used a shooting stick to prop up his rifle. Since the vet had only a two-hour window in which to hunt, Schanno wasn’t sure he’d even see a deer. Then two does and a fawn stepped into the opening. The hunter was shooting a .44 magnum caliber, so Schanno coached him to wait until the deer were within 100 yards to ensure accurate shot placement. When the deer came into range, the veteran took the shot and killed one.

While a lot of work has gone into developing and maintaining the property for fishing and hunting, Schanno doesn’t hunt there himself. Instead, he makes it available to others who might not otherwise have an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors.

“It’s for old folks and young folks,” he says.

Every year, first graders from the William Kelley Elementary School have a field trip to the pond. They catch and release trout, which they must measure and identify. When they return to school, they undertake an art project where they draw a picture of Jake Lake, as the pond is

Tyler Stanke, right, a former volunteer, listens with admiration to his veteran friend Eddie Sunvick. | COURTESY LARRY SCHANNO

known. Local Cub Scouts have visited the pond, too.

Schanno’s commitment to the disabled vets doesn’t end with hunting and fishing. Once a week throughout the year, the vets home bus brings a group of residents to his restaurant for lunch. They can order anything on the menu, at no charge. He says most will order a hamburger or the daily special, but adds with a smile that a couple of the old-timers go for the Surf and Turf, the most expensive item on the menu.

“That’s OK, they can order whatever they want,” he says. “As far as I’m concerned, these vets have already paid for it.”

A year ago, Schanno formed the Legacy Homestead LLC, complete with a board of directors comprised of other volunteers. Their intention is to ensure the property always remains available to the residents of the veterans home. While the costs of maintaining the property and stocking fish are largely borne by Schanno and other local volunteers, they have received donations from folks who became aware of the work they were doing. But Schanno makes no bones about it—far more important than the money is the people who devote a morning out of each week to take the veterans fishing.

“My biggest asset is my help,” he says. “I couldn’t do it without them.”

The staff at the vets home is thankful for the opportunities the Legacy Farm provides.

“It’s been fantastic for us to get our guys out fishing on a weekly basis,” says staffer Ward Wallin. “We are very grateful to Larry for what he has done.”

—Shawn Perich

The pond is designed for easy wheelchair accessibility. The vets home bus can drive right up to the fishing area. | COURTESY LARRY SCHANNO

Larry Schanno of Finland holds a rainbow trout caught by Gary Morris, a 23-year veteran of the Marine Corps who now lives at the Minnesota Veterans Home in Silver Bay. | SHAWN PERICH

It takes two to Fika

GRAND MARAIS—When Josh Lindstrom looks back at how he ended up as an artisan coffee roaster in Grand Marais, he attributes the small business he calls Fika (fee-ka) to several experiences.

Lindstrom was not a coffee drinker until sometime in college, when he and a friend went to the Country Kitchen and drank coffee because that’s what you do in college. Later, he had a job as a barista at Dunn Bros. and this led to another coffee job that involved roasting. But more than the coffee, it was the people that he liked and the aura of the coffee shop.

“I still remember there was an older gentleman who came in with a tweed hat, white hair and beard, like the classic professor, and he came in with a book. So I went out and bought the book so we could have a dialogue about the book,” Lindstrom said, explaining how much he likes the community that thrives in a coffee shop.

Later he was in Florence, Ore. with his wife, Stephanie, and walked into a coffee shop that was essentially the inspiration for his business today. But it took a long time to get up and running.

The Lindstroms began working on their business plan in 2003, but then there were kids, moves, and job changes. Still they kept working on it off and on, and in 2011 started back on the business plan in earnest. At that point, someone gave the Lindstroms $15,000 to use for a coffee roasting business, with no strings attached. They decided to dive in and order the roaster.

sale. A year later, Lindstrom is roasting 200 pounds of coffee each week in the summer, sold at retail stores in Grand Marais (The Whole Foods Co-op, Johnson’s Foods, and Sivertson Gallery) and used by some of the restaurants (Angry Trout, the Crooked Spoon and the Pie Place Cafe’). Lindstrom also sells his coffee beans and his brewed coffee at the Cook County Farm and Craft Market in Grand Marais on Saturday mornings and online from the website www.fikacoffee.com.

Currently Fika has five different roasts, two of which are certified organic. Lindstrom says that the origins of the coffee are important to him and he hopes to keep developing this. Lindstrom gets his green beans from Cafe’ Imports, a coffee importer based out of St. Paul. They have two people that spend most of their time visiting growers all over the world and developing relationships. Eventually Lindstrom would like to visit some of these growers himself. But it’s one step at a time.

For now Lindstrom is still developing the business—learning to use Quickbooks, creating a presence on social media, figuring out where to store all the beans. In the short-term, Lindstrom would like to get a few more wholesale accounts for places that have a strong business through the winter. Part of the vision is to have a company that provides year-round work not just for him but for 3-4 employees as

Take a fika break with a coffee or chai. | ERIN ALTEMUS

well. As a child, Lindstrom moved away from the area with his family when his parents couldn’t find sustainable employment. Lindstrom describes Cook County as a feast or famine economy and one of the goals for Fika is to create jobs that help support the local economy year-round.

So far Fika is doing well and steadily growing. Lindstrom sees that he may outgrow his roasting space soon, a 9-by-10 shed that stores his green beans and roaster. By the time he finishes roasting, the floor is full of five-gallon buckets of roasted beans and there’s nowhere to stand.

“I would like to have storage, cup coffee, do invoicing, and roast all in the same space,” he says.

And the shed is a lonely place to roast considering it’s those who drink the coffee who really get Lindstrom excited.

Coffee is a beverage for the people, Lindstrom says. “Imagine if we could just look back and see the role coffee has played in history, forming businesses, or historical events. That’s intriguing to me.”

[LEFT] and [ABOVE] Josh Lindstrom sells Fika brewed as well as bags of beans at the Cook County Farm and Craft Market in Grand Marais each Saturday. | ERIN ALTEMUS

And this is what leads Lindstrom to ask, “Does it take two to fika?”

Fika is Swedish for coffee break, and in Sweden, a coffee break taken twice a day is practically mandatory, Lindstrom says. People pull off to the side of the road if they are driving at 9:30 or 3:30, the designated times for a fika. They’ll even stop in the middle of a hike and pull out their thermos.

“I’d like to think it’s a time you’d pause and unplug and have a little fika break,” Lindstrom said.

For Lindstrom, Fika is more than coffee, more than a business; it’s an experience and a way of life that includes friends, community and conversation. So stop by the farmer’s market on a Saturday, meet Josh, taste Fika. Whether you are there for the coffee or the company, you will be part of the Fika experience.—Erin Altemus

Laying these building blocks is anything but child’s play

These are just some of the building blocks set in place over the past year to help ensure a more prosperous future for Cook County, and especially for its young people.

The Cook County/Grand Marais Economic Development Authority and the Cook County Chamber of Commerce are extremely pleased to have been involved in many of these efforts. The two organizations look forward to advancing and expanding their work in the next year.

Thank you, Cook County, for the opportunity to serve.

Counters for walk/bike traffic

The Johnson family of Apple Valley and Shakopee stopped to visit the new visitor center at Tettegouche State Park while on their annual summer vacation. The center includes an information desk, displays of the park’s natural features and restrooms. From left to right are Steve, Daniel, Debbie, April (and the little guy) and Matthew Johnson.

| SHAWN PERICH

GRAND MARAIS--Automatic counters are helping estimate the number of people walking and biking in Grand Marais this summer. The City of Grand Marais and Moving Matters are working with the University of Minnesota and Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) on this project. The data gathered will inform the upcoming Streetscape Redesign Process for the Hwy. 61 corridor in Grand Marais.

The Moving Matters project, with funding from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota’s Center for Prevention, is working to create safer and more accessible places to walk and bike in Cook County and Grand Portage.—Maren Webb

Becky Bartol of Grand Marais and her son Lance pass through the pedestrian counter as they take a stroll along the harbor on a warm sunny day. | JOAN FARNAM

Fresh produce for Food Shelf

GRAND MARAIS—Providing hungry families and seniors with fresh, healthy food has long been a goal of the Cook County Food Shelf. In the past year, the Food Shelf has created the new “fresh produce voucher” program to allow people to choose their own fresh produce and is continuing to accept and distribute produce donations from generous local farms and gardeners.

Last year, Cook County Food Shelf partnered with the Sawtooth Mountain Clinic, Minnesota Extension, and AEOA through a Community Transformation Grant to find a new way to provide greater access to fresh produce. The Food Shelf was already offering fresh produce for part of the month, thanks to generous donations from St. John’s Catholic Church. The Food Shelf board of directors saw that people loved the fresh produce, but it was difficult for the volunteers to handle, difficult to store in their small space and it didn’t keep for clients coming in later in the month. Together, the Food Shelf and partners created a new produce voucher worth $10 which can be redeemed at any local grocery store for the purchase of fresh fruits or vegetables only, and can be used at any time they shop.

The fresh produce voucher program kicked off this spring, and it has been a great success.

“We were in a position to use more money towards food for families, and we could have added more non-perishable food to the box. But we decided to put it towards these fresh produce vouchers instead,” said Food Shelf board member, Steve Deschene.

“The fresh produce voucher helps support the local grocers as well. And it gives people more options to use at any store for what they want,” said board member, Sharon Hendrickson.

Deschene is pleased to report that the produce vouch-

er has become very popular locally, and the idea is now spreading to other food shelves in the region. In addition to one $10 fresh produce voucher in each monthly food shelf box, a voucher has been provided each week in the “Snacks in Packs” youth food program. “Most parents want to get their kids more nutritious foods and this makes it more affordable,” said Deschene.

Throughout the region and the country, hunger relief programs and food shelves are realizing the important role they can play in supporting people with limited financial resources by providing them with healthier and fresher foods.

“We know how important a balanced diet is to staying healthy, for kids to do well in school, for parents to have the energy to pick up extra hours at work when money is tight, and for seniors at risk of health issues to maintain their strength,” said Rob Zeaske, CEO of Minnesota-based Second Harvest Heartland.

Another ongoing effort of the Food Shelf in providing fresh and healthy foods is to accept donations from generous local farms and gardeners. A flier for those wishing to donate garden produce has been developed by the Food Shelf to offer guidance so that the produce donated can be kept fresh, used in a timely manner, and safe for people who receive it. A copy of the flier is available at the Food Shelf. Some of the important items to pay attention to for garden produce donations include calling ahead to schedule your drop off on a Monday morning (so that the produce doesn’t go bad before someone gets to it) and taking precautions so that the produce is not exposed to uncomposted manure or harmful pesticides that could cause illness for the people eating it. The Food Shelf welcomes garden donations and needs to ensure that the produce is safe to distribute. The most popular vegetables

include: lettuce, salad vegetables, broccoli and cabbage family crops, onions, potatoes, carrots, beans, tomatoes, and winter and summer squash. (Please limit the donation of zucchini). If you have questions about produce donations, contact: Steve Deschene at 387-1767.

The Cook County Food Shelf is located in the lower level of the First Congregational Church in Grand Marais every Monday from 3-5 p.m., and the first Wednesday from 5-7 p.m. The Food Shelf serves 100-125 families located throughout Cook County.—Kristin DeArruda Wharton

The Cook County Food Shelf offers produce vouchers. | STOCK

Public comment needed on northeast forest plan

ST. PAUL—The Minnesota Forest Resources Council (MFRC) is requesting citizen review and comment on the draft Northeast Landscape Forest Resources Plan. The plan provides cross-ownership recommendations for long-term forest sustainability in the Northeast Landscape which covers Carlton, Cook, Lake, and St. Louis counties. Comments are due on Monday Aug. 11.

The plan was developed by a 32-member planning committee that was comprised of private landowners; state, federal, tribal, and county resource agency staff; forest products industry, conservation, and environmental organization representatives; educators; researchers; and other interested people.

Creation of this plan was coordinated by the MFRC Landscape Program, which was established to support a broad perspective and a collaborative approach to sustain-

able forest management across the six large forested regions of the state.

“The Sustainable Forest Resources Act set up regional landscape committees to involve a variety of interests in recommending goals and strategies to promote forest sustainability in specific regions,” stated Dave Zumeta, Executive Director of the MFRC. “Unlike many planning efforts that focus on a single land ownership (e.g., state, federal, county, or private), landscape plans cover all ownerships and provide an opportunity for a wide variety of people interested in sustainable forestry to participate in the decision-making process.”

After receiving public comments, the Northeast Landscape Planning Committee will address the comments and recommend approval of the plan to the MFRC. After the plan is approved by the MFRC, the Northeast Landscape Coordination Committee will reconvene and coordinate the voluntary implementation of the plan.

To obtain a copy of the draft Northeast Landscape Forest Resources Plan, visit the Minnesota Forest Resources Council website (http://mn.gov/frc). Hardcopies are available by contacting Michael Lynch at (651)259-5290 or michael.lynch@state.mn.us.

CORRECTION A watercolor painting by Birney Quick was misidentified in the July issue. The correct painting, entitled

“Scott’s Fish House,” can be found in NorthShore ArtScene this month. Leslie Pedersen’s name was also misspelled. Northern Wilds regrets the errors.

By Shawn Perich

On a sunny Saturday afternoon last September, Abby insisted on tagging along when the yellow Lab. Tanner and I got in the truck to go grouse hunting. While Abby, a husky-shepherd, made hundreds of hunts, in recent years she’d been mostly content to stay home. Occasionally, she’d ride along in the truck and then curl up and sleep while Tanner and I walked the woods.

This day was different. I could tell she wanted to accompany us, so I parked on a gated forest road that offered easy walking. We hunted at a pace suitable for a dog with a stiff shoulder and wobbly hips, walking nearly a mile without flushing a bird. Then Abby paused, unwilling to go any farther, which was her cue that it was time to turn around. On the way back, a grouse flushed from the roadside, thundering away unseen in the heavy foliage. Tail wagging, nose to the ground, Abby spent five minutes investigating the fresh scent the grouse left behind. That was when I realized we were, in effect, celebrating Abby’s 16th birthday. She was born sometime in September, 1997. Abby wasn’t intended to be a bird dog. Vikki wanted a dog to stay home with her when I was off with our then yellow Lab, Casey. She heard about a litter of white German shepherds near French River, so we drove down the North Shore to check them out. Turned out the pups weren’t white and were only part German shepherd, but a happy pup tumbled to Vikki’s feet and looked up with half-cocked ears. She was named Abby before we got home. Whatever her ancestry, some sled dog genes

were included in the mix. Abby had marble eyes—half blue, half brown—and half of her tongue was stained blue. She had the long, upright ears of a shepherd, but they often tipped over, leading Vikki to call her “my flying nun.”

It wasn’t long before Abby was joining Casey and me on our daily walks in the woods. When grouse season began the following fall, it was clear to all, including Vikki, that Abby had no intention of staying home. When it was time to hunt pheasants, I ended up bringing both Abby and Vikki to South Dakota.

So began Abby’s long career in the field, both as hunter and, more importantly, as a companion in many long hikes through the woods at all times of year. About the only time she stayed home was when I went duck hunting with Casey, and later Tanner. Abby clearly regarded that wet and muddy business as beneath her dignity.

I never lacked confidence in her ability to find grouse and pheasants, though her competitive nature when hunting with the Labs often resulted in grouse flushing out of range. If she put up a rooster pheasant and I missed the shot, she’d shoot me a disapproving look that said, “I went through a lot of work to flush that rooster—and you missed.”

In the woods, Abby had an annoying habit of staying just out of my sight, although she always knew where I was at. Sometimes, I’d rush through the brush to the sound of her excited barking to discover she was holding a moose at bay. I still wonder if or how often she encountered wolves,

but wouldn’t be surprised that nothing happened if and when she did.

I never saw another dog of either sex question her dominance. She wasn’t a fighter, but had a remarkable ability to quickly put other dogs in their place. I suspect she could have made a fine leader for a sled dog team. I sometimes wondered if her dominance extended into the wild. Even last winter, she was sure to pee on any wolf scat or sign she encountered.

In the woods, she seemed to regard me more as a co-captain rather than the boss. She’d pop out of the trees 50 yards ahead of me, looking back as if to confer on our route. Then, with a toss of her head that said, “Let’s go!” she’d bound ahead. Once, after walking had become difficult due to her aging hips, we came to a fork in a logging trail. Abby paused, indicating she wanted to take the left fork, which was open, but I pushed forward on the much brushier right fork. She didn’t follow. I looked back to see she was still at the intersection, looking at me. With that familiar toss of her head she started down the left fork. I turned around and took the left fork, too.

While Abby was my companion in the woods, she meant other things to other people. As a pup, she won over my father, who claimed he didn’t like female dogs. It wasn’t long before Abby was his favorite girl. Years later, when he was dying, she laid quietly at his bedside for weeks. Another one of her buddies was our neighbor, Tim, even though he’d accidentally run over her and Casey when they dashed in front of

Abby takes a break during a South Dakota pheasant hunt over 10 years ago. Note the cocked ear. | SHAWN PERICH

A Superior Day

Thousands of people drive up and down the Lake Superior shoreline each year, gazing out onto the expanse of water that stretches to the edge of the Earth, it seems. But not as many people get to ride her waves and look back at the shoreline, which is every bit as unique and impressive as the lake herself. If you have a day, or even an afternoon, you might take to the big lake sometimes called Gitchigumi. We’ve compiled some suggestions for what is sure to be a Superior Day.

Sail the Hjordis

Story and Photos by

Joan Farnam

Floating on the waters of Lake Superior as compared to just looking at the Big Lake introduces a whole new ball game. Factor in a vintage sailboat that speaks of pirates in the Caribbean, blue, blue skies, a captain and crew who know what they’re doing, and you have the recipe for an unforgettable day. Lots of unforgettable days, actually, because the good ship Hjordis sails out of North House Folk School every day in the summer, weather permitting.

It’s a magical time.

“I love Grand Marais, but there isn’t anything like seeing it from the water,” said Ian Barrett, captain of the Hjordis, as he made minor adjustments to the tiller on a recent cruise. He was right. Grand Marais glimmered under the sun as the sailboat with its tan-bark sails glided over the deep, cold waters.

Laurel Wagner, 11, had an especially good time. She and her brother, Will, 15, and her mother and father, Bill and Karen, were on the sailboat, too, but the Rice Lake, Wis. native got to call some of the shots. She was “captain” for a while, after Barrett asked her if she wanted to steer the boat.

Encouraging passengers to learn about sailing is par for the course on these cruises, Barrett said, reflecting as it does the mission of the Folk School— teaching traditional crafts. The 50-foot Hjordis was named after a Norwegian goddess and was originally built for the warm, shallow waters of the Bahamas. Through a series of fortuitous events, she eventually came to be docked at the Folk School 16 years ago. She has been sailed out of the Folk School every summer since, providing the public a unique experience of Lake Superior.

The Hjordis sails at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. daily. There’s also a Sunset Sail as well as Superior Full Moon sails. Reservations are required, but a new on-line registration system makes it easy to do, Barrett said. Would-be sailors can also stop by North House and make reservations. For more information, call 218-3879762 or visit www.northouse.org/ programs/daily sailing

The Hjordis returns to the Grand Marais harbor after a sail on Lake Superior.

Ian Barrett, captain of the Hjordis.

Volunteer John Wytanis helps Will Wagner lower the sails on the Hjordis.

Cast off from Thunder Bay

Story and photos by Elle Andra-Warner

Whether it is fishing on the big lake or sailing to nearby islands, seeing Thunder Bay grow small on the horizon as you head out on the water brings a whole new perspective about the world’s largest freshwater lake. And thanks to Capt. Greg Heroux and his crew at Sail Superior and Capt. Archie Hoogsteen of Archie’s Fishing Charters, everyone can get out on the water for a few hours, an afternoon, day or even longer excursions.

If you want to try Superior fishing for lake trout or Chinook salmon, Capt. Hoogsteen has over 25 years of fishing experience on Superior and knows where to take his guests to get the fish. There were three of us fishing with Hoogsteen past the breakwater for the first time—and each of us caught our limit. If you’d rather get on the water but not fish, he can also take you on a sightseeing or photography tour.

For me, sailing the world’s largest lake with Sail Superior for the first time was the ultimate sailing adventure. Heroux (with over 15 years sailing experience) and Sail Supe-

rior offer many sailing choices including a 90-minute harbour tour where guests get up close to the lighthouse, elevators, and ore docks. Time it right and you may see a “saltie” (ocean-going ship) or lake freighter entering the harbour. There are also island excursions (the 3.5-hour cruise to Welcome Islands is the most popular), as well as day and multi-day excursions, including a 3- to 7-day charter to Isle Royale.

You can find both Sail Superior and Archie’s Fishing Charters at Marina Park at Thunder Bay’s Prince Arthur’s Landing, or check out their websites: www. archieschartrers.com (807-473-9435) and www.sailsuperior.com (807-628-3333).

Capt. Hoogsten of Archie’s Fishing Charters on left, with the lake trout caught by On The Road’s recentlyretired Jason Davis on a fishing trip just outside the breakwater on Lake Superior.

Awesome view of Thunder Cape (which is the ‘’toe’’ of the iconic Sleeping Giant) while afternoon sailing with Sail Superior.

Capt. Greg Heroux of Sail Superior taking visitors on a sailing tour past the Thunder Bay breakwater.

Stand-Up and Paddle

By Erin Altemus

Stand-Up Paddleboards (SUPs) are popping up on lakes all over the region, including Superior. Stone Harbor offers two-hour tours that include equipment rental and guided instruction. These tours stay close to the Grand Marais harbor but offer a view straight down to the lake’s bottom. With no kayak to squeeze your legs into, your body remains loose and limber. SUP yoga and demos are also offered on occasional Saturdays. Inquire at Stone Harbor for more info.

Take a Duck’s-Eye View

By Erin Altemus

Cruising Superior in a vessel is great, but if you really want to experience the lake up close, you need to squeeze yourself into a wetsuit, don a spray skirt and shove off for a kayaking adventure. Two places in Grand Marais offer guided day or half-day trips onto Superior—Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply and North Shore Expeditions. Depending on wind directions, most

trips head west to Fall River from the Grand Marais harbor. Once at the river, you may stretch on shore and hike to the waterfall. On the return trip you can paddle around Artist’s Point and people-watch from the lake. Full-day trips can be arranged to Tettegouche State Park where you can paddle around Shovel Point. If you want to extend your stay, multi-day trips are

Amble out to Isle Royale

By Shawn Perich

If you’d like to visit Isle Royale National Park, but don’t feel up to backpacking or sea-kayaking, consider a day trip to the island aboard the Sea Hunter III. The boat departs from Grand Portage three to five days a week until Aug. 30. In September and early October, you can make day trips on the M.V. Voyager II.

Capt. Don Szczech says the Sea Hunter leaves the Grand Portage dock at 8:30 a.m. Sightseers will pass the famous Spirit Little Cedar Tree, which is over 400 years old and has been important to the Ojibwe people since before the fur-trade era. The route also goes over the wreck of the steamer

America in the island’s North Gap—the ship was the lifeline for North Shore communities before Hwy. 61 was constructed.

It takes an hour-and-a-half to reach Windigo, Isle Royale at 10 a.m., where passengers embark for a four-hour visit to the island. You can tour the national park visitor center, enjoy interpretative programs and talks, relax and eat lunch at the store, or go for a hike on your own. At 2 p.m., you get aboard the Sea Hunter for the return trip, visiting the Rock of Ages Light along the way.

While it is wise to make advance reservations online or by phone, walk-ons

offered to Isle Royale or along the Lake Superior Water Trail. During the full moon, a three-hour tour offers kayakers the chance to see the sunset and the moonrise on the lake, an unforgettable opportunity. See www.stoneharborws. com or www.northshoreexpeditions. com for more information about these tours.

are accepted, though you must have cash because the office is just opening as you leave Grand Portage. During the fall, the M.V. Voyager will make Saturday and Sunday day-trips Sept. 20-12 and 27-28, and Oct. 4-5. During the fall, Windigo is relatively quiet, because park staffing is reduced and the store is closed.

Day-trippers are advised to dress in layers and bring rain gear to cope with possible cool temps, rain showers and boat spray. You can bring a lunch or get a sandwich and something to drink at the Windigo Store. For information, visit www.isleroyaleboats.com.

The wide-open lake on one side and the Sawtooth Range on the other make for a memorable evening paddle. | ERIN ALTEMUS

SUPs are the newest way to experience the Big Lake. | ERIN ALTEMUS

Choose a career in conservation, forestry, park management, urban forestry, and the environment with a degree in Forest and Natural Resource Management from the University of Minnesota. Combine your love of the outdoors with the FNRM major for a career you will enjoy! come in and get outside

DOGS WELCOME

North Shore Known as a Dog-Friendly Destination

Story and photos by Joseph Friedrichs

Traveling, exploring, hiking, canoeing and general merrymaking throughout the Northern Wilds with pets is an extremely popular activity, according to, well, just about everybody who visits or lives here. With hundreds of miles of hiking trails, seemingly endless water routes to explore and an assortment of pet-friendly local businesses, it’s no wonder that many a dog with head out the car window, ears flapping in the wind, can be seen heading up the North Shore in summer. In fact, a new book, “The Dog Lover’s Guide to Travel,” published by National Geographic recently named Cook County one of the 75 best places in the country to travel with dogs.

Where To Go

Keep in mind that when you enter Cook County, you’re essentially traveling through dog country in every direction. When the local pharmacy, Arrowhead Pharmacy, has a special section dedicated to pets and their diet, you know it’s serious.

Between dog parties and dog seminars, Cook County has all of a dog and dog owner’s needs covered.

“Grand Marais is a small, friendly town,” said Rhonda Schulte, an information associate at the Grand Marais Visitor Information Center. “We accept people and pets.”

Schulte said “more than half” of the hotels in Grand Marais are pet friendly, as are several businesses. Several restaurants in town allow dogs on their patios while customers dine, including The Angry Trout, the Pie Place Café, Sydney’s Frozen Custard and the Harbor House Grille.

Helping showcase just how pet-friendly the region is, the Gunflint Lodge located along the Gunflint Trail hosts several Dog Lover’s Weekends each year. Seminars and specialists focus on dog massage and pet health. Furthermore, the lodge hosts K-9 Olympics, dog socials and other similar events during the gatherings.

“It’s a great way to get people up here in the slower season and we enjoy having them,” said Sue Kerfoot, an owner

A family prepares to enter the Boundary Waters with pets in tow.

of the Gunflint Lodge. “People love to have a place that is welcoming to animals.”

If keeping it simple in town is your preferred method of enjoying the area with your pet, look no further than the new dog park in Grand Marais. A local group of pet enthusiasts who function under the name Go Dog North Shore, helped to create the off-leash dog park. The dog park is located near the junction of the old and the new Gunflint Trail in Grand Marais, just north of the Recycling Center in town. According to members of the Go Dog North Shore group, the park provides a fenced-in space that allows well-behaved dogs to be off-leash and safe from traffic, predators and traps, while socializing with other dogs. The park also features what are being called “dog parties” on Wednesdays from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. and Sunday afternoons from 3 - 5 p.m.

Fit For All Seasons

While spring, summer and fall often provide ideal weather for traveling with your pet, winter is not to be overlooked for continued adventure, specifically along the Gunflint Trail. Keep in mind your dog most likely won’t be able to stick his or her head out the window and sniff away the miles free from the restrictions of your automobile. But who needs an open window when you can provide your pet with all the fresh air it desires on one of the groomed cross-country ski trails that allows dogs? If cold weather and snow are tolerable for you and your pet, visit the Banadad Ski Trail (www.banadad.org) and check out the assortment of lodges that stay open-year round along the Trail.

If ski-joring is your thing, a popular place to ski with dogs on or off leash is the George Washington Pines Trail, just up the Gunflint Trail. And the Sugarbush Trail System close to Tofte also has two trails designated for dogs that like to accompany their ski pal (www.sugarbushtrail.org).

If you don’t have a dog of your own or enjoy playing with other people’s pups, a number of outfitters and lodges offer guided dogsled adventures.

Many Rules, One Border

The northern side of the region shares its border with Canada, and it’s best to know the regulations before you arrive regarding crossing international lines with your pet.

For example, for a dog or cat 12 weeks or older, you must have a signed health certificate from a licensed veterinarian clearly describing the animal and declaring that it is healthy and currently vaccinated against rabies.

Bringing pet food across the border can be a somewhat tricky task, so it is considered an easier option to buy food once you cross. To bring food across the border it must always be in its original packages. Your best bet for getting food into the U.S. is to have unopened bags that state the food was made in the U.S. When entering Canada, you may bring no more than 44 pounds of pet food and it must be of U.S. or Canadian origin. Also, the pet that will eat the imported food must be present, according to the Canadian Food Protection Agency.

The Dog Lover’s Guide to Travel

By Kelly E. Carter

National Geographic Society, 2014

I am biased. I adore dogs. Just paging through this guidebook filled with pictures of happy travelers with their pooches makes me giddy. This book is for the dog people that like to travel with Fido and has many tips for doing so as well as great ideas about places to go in the U.S and Canada.

Pet-friendly cities are highlighted with advice about airplane travel with dogs, where travelers can find a yappy hour or barks & crafts sessions, canine cruises or “doga” yoga sessions. You might get the urge after reading about Door County, Wis. or Mackinac Island, Mich. to take a spontaneous road trip this summer with your tail-wagging friend.

Best of all, Cook County is highlighted as a fabulous place to travel with your dog.—Erin Altemus

Zen Dogs

Don’t forget to embrace and share a pet’s ability to be in the moment. While strolling along the Superior Hiking Trail, your dog is definitely not thinking about work, bills or relationships. Be truly in the moment as you paddle from one remote lake to the next with your dog at your side. Share a sunset in silence along the shores of Lake Superior with your pet. Bring your pet, forget your worries and enjoy the beautiful Northern Wilds alongside some good four-legged company.

By Lucas Will

I caught myself saying “No red squirrels, no red squirrels,” over and over. Try saying that 15 times fast.

Perched at my handlebars, I had Tischer, my Aussie Sheppard/Lab mix, standing in front of me with her dogsledding harness on and a lead connecting her to my mountain bike. I was about to ask her nicely if she would work with me—pull me—as I pedaled.

“Please, just once don’t chase the squirrels?” I asked her out loud. Unless of course, they run down the trail, I thought.

Most people train their dogs to heel. I know I tried. But most dogs, according to Frank Moe of Grand Marais, have it in them to want to pull. It’s just a matter of literally harnessing that energy for a common goal— where you and your dog (or dogs) can pitch in for the same cause.

During the summer months, this means utilizing something wheeled (as opposed to sleds or skis during the winter) behind your pulling canine companion.

Bikejoring, being pulled while on your bike, is all about working together as a dog and biker team. “If you’re really doing it well, both you and the dog are contributing,” says Moe, a North Shore dog musher, former skijorer (being pulled on skis) and bikejorer.

The set-up is similar to dogsledding: a proper fitting dog harness (dogs shouldn’t ever pull from their collar), a quick-release attachment point on your bike (in place of a sled) and a line connecting the two. Ideally, the line has an absorbing component such as a section of bungee. I would highly suggest a helmet for the biker.

I pieced all of these together with the hopes that Tischer would offer a helping paw on the up-hills and an overall added boost on the flats. I’ve skijored with her a dozen times over the past six years with

mixed luck. My pull-specific training hasn’t been much more than those outings, so for our first bikejor attempt I picked a smooth and wide trail that was also quiet (Moe suggests a trail that is best for bikejoring is one that doesn’t have a lot of people on it), with no intersections so that Tischer wouldn’t be presented with directional options.

I love mountain biking, but I still had a few concerns with incorporating Tischer. The hard ground loomed as quite different from the more forgiving snow-covered trails should a wipe-out occur.

More importantly though, was Tischer’s safety. Ensuring that she didn’t overheat and get injured was my priority, and yet I wanted this to be fun and rewarding for her. In addition to my own hydration bladder, I holstered two water bottles just for her. I also planned a shorter ride given the summer climate. A common temperature threshold that mushers adhere to is 50 F degrees—below this temperature you can go further, but above this or with higher humidity should mean a shorter distance.

For Moe, dog care while bikejoring also means you never want to overtake your dog, making sure you always have a little bit of tension in the line, and monitoring their paw pads and nails, since the hard ground can wear them down quickly. Of course, proper training with commands is a good idea for novice dogs.

Outside of these safety considerations, bikejoring is all about you, your dog and sharing the effort.

“After you learn to work with them, and you’re out on the trail working with them as a team, it’s really magic. The dog just wants to please you, but they also want to run, so they seem to really enjoy it,” says Moe.

He does offer one cautionary tale. “When I first started, I ran one dog and then I ran two dogs.” He pauses, then with seriousness to his laugh offers, “but three dogs running full speed can pull your bike on its side

Bikejoring can be fun for you and your pet, but heed caution. | STOCK

down the trail faster than you can run and catch it!”

Chalk it up to a personal experience. When he finally caught the dogs at a pond as they were rolling in the mud, what was left of the bike wasn’t much. He was happy that the dogs were uninjured, but he had a long hike out ahead of him.

Luckily Tischer and I never encountered a squirrel, and I didn’t play witness to her dragging my bike without me on it. It did take another biker leading the way in front of us for Tischer to follow (read: chase)—and subsequently pulling me in the mean time. I offered lots of praise and water, and she offered me kisses and a look of satisfaction afterwards. It was just what we were going for.

I caught myself saying “No red squirrels, no red squirrels,” over and over. Try saying that 15 times fast.

NorthShore ArtScene

By Joan Farnam

August kicks off with the 85th annual Fisherman’s Picnic in Grand Marais put on by the Grand Marais Lions Club. The event, which runs from July 30 through Aug. 3, features lots of family friendly activities, contests, events and more. A number of local musicians will play on the Harbor Park stage including Gordon Thorne, Timmy Haus, Pete Kavanaugh, Roxann Berglund & Briand Morrison, Cook County’s Most Wanted, Harris Mills, Michael Monroe, The Spruce Roots, Pushing Chain, Whurl (Friday night dance), Maria Nickolay, Joe Paulik, The Splinter Tones (Saturday night dance) and the Bagpipers from Thunder Bay on Sunday, after the parade. For more info and the complete schedule, see www. grandmaraislionsclub.com.

A spectacular exhibit at the Johnson Heritage Post, “A Quick Reflection: A Retrospective Exhibit of the Art of Birney Quick” continues through Sept. 7. Quick was an instructor at the Minneapolis School of Art, which became the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 1970. During his career, Quick was exhibited widely and produced more than 10,000 artworks as well as wrote a book, “Adrift in the Aesthetic Latitudes.” With Byran Bradley, Quick started a summer art school in Grand Marais in 1947 which eventually became the Grand Marais Art Colony. The exhibit includes a wide selection from his paintings and drawings. The Heritage Post is open from

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 1-4 p.m. Sunday and Monday.

The Grand Marais Playhouse Summer Theater Festival continues through Aug. 10 with performances of “Nunsense: the Mega Musical” and the comedy “Nana’s Naughty Nickers” Thursdays through Sundays. For the complete schedule of times and dates, see www.grandmaraisplayhouse.org.

The Live from the Rock Folk Festival in Red Rock is Aug. 8-10 this year. Blues performances are included in this dynamic mix for the 12th annual folk festival held on one of the most picturesque sites on Lake Superior. Lots of other activities are scheduled, too, and camping is available. For more info, visit www.livefromtherockfolkfestival.com.

Three top exhibits at the Definitely Superior Art Gallery in Thunder Bay continue through Aug. 9. The exhibits include the 26th annual Member’s Show, works by members of the Die Active Collective and Creators Project video screenings.The gallery will then be closed through Labor Day.

Thunder Bay Art Gallery is featuring three exhibits through Sept. 14: “Moving Metal,” an exhibit of silversmithing by 13 contemporary artists from across Cana“Nowhere is a Place,” an exhibit of

paintings by Julie Cosgrove, “Push: Contemporary Glassworks,” and works by Ojibwe artist Benjamin Chee Chee from the art gallery’s permanent collection.

Also in Thunder Bay, a children’s production of “Alice in Wonderland, Jr.” will be performed at Paramount Live, 24 Court St. South, Aug. 14-15.

A celebration of “Women in Fiber,” a special exhibit at Last Chance Studio & Gallery in Lutsen, will open with a reception from 5-7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 15. The artist displays will continue from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Featured artists include Carole Hallman (clothing), Lee Bradford (clothing), Debbie Cooter (weaver), Wendy Richardson (fiber artist) and Judie Johnson (basketry.)

Drury Lane Books will hold two Writer’s Salons in August. Rachel Hanel, author of “We’ll Be the Last Ones to Let You Down: Memories of a Gravedigger’s Daughter,” will be at the bookstore at 5 p.m. Aug. 9 and Kate Hopper, author of “Ready for Air, Ready for Premature Motherhoods” will be there at 5 p.m. Aug. 23. Free and open to the public.

“Gunflint Woods, Winds & Strings,” a benefit concert for the Gunflint Trail Historical Society will be held at Fire Hall No. 1 on the Gunflint Trail at 4 p.m., Aug. 16. The classical chamber music concert will feature Bill Beckstrand (harpsichord and keyboard), Philis Anderson (oboe), Kathy Bolstad (clarinet), Keitha Herron (violin), Paul Jacobson (Baroque flute), Barb LaVigne (flute), Judy Ranheim (flute) Laura Popkes (vocals) and Erika Ternes (vocals and keyboard.) Tickets are $20 for adults, $5 for children under 18 and sell out quickly. Call 218-388-9915 or www.GunflintTrailHistoricalSociety.org to order.

Later that evening, on Aug. 16, the North Shore Music Association presents Rosie Flores, an Austin, Texas rockabilly, honky tonk, jazz and Western swing performer who was inducted into the Austin Music Hall of Fame in 2007. She will perform at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets available online at www. tix.com or at the door.

On Sunday, Aug. 17, Ojibwe artist Carl Gawboy will hold a book signing at the Cross River Heritage Center during John

“The Witness Tree: A Triple Self-Portrait” by Carl Gawboy at the Cross River Heritage Center. Exhibit opens Aug. 5.

Weaver Debbie Cooter is one of the artists featured in “Women in Fiber” at Last Chance Studio & Gallery Aug. 15-16.

Linda Brown’s sterling silver piece, “For Zeus” is on exhibit at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery.

Quick was one of the founders of the Grand Marais Art Colony, and his enthusiasm and dedication for making art inspired a generation of artists. He is pictured in a 1965 photo painting a plein air scene in the Northwoods.

spotlight

Schroeder Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Gawboy illustrated “Talking Sky” by Ron Morton. An exhibit of Gawboy’s paintings is on-going at the Heritage Center through August.

On Aug. 23, poet Larry Schug will read from his work at the Cross River Heritage Center. The reading will be at 7 p.m.

James Moors will perform at What’s Upstairs?, above Betsy Bowen’s Studio Gallery at 7 p.m. Aug. 28.

In other art news, artists who will be creating work for the Great Place Race, a Moving Matters and Cook County Chamber of Commerce project, include a mosaic bench at the Grand Marais Art Colony by Kelly Dupre and Peter Jansen, Little Free Libraries around town crafted by Jay Arrowsmith DeCoux, Betsy Bowen’s painting of a lake trout on the Como propane tank, and an art bench at the Co-op by Tom Christiansen In all, the Great Place Race funded 16 projects. Patrick Knight is producing a video about the project.

The Grand Marais Art Colony is holding 10 a.m. Friday studio demonstrations through August. The schedule includes printmaking with Jerry Riach, Aug. 1, ceramics with Natalie Sobanja, Aug. 8, painting with Neil Sherman, Aug. 15 and ceramics with Joan Farnam, Aug. 22 and Aug. 29. Free and open to the public.

Sivertson Gallery has new paintings by David Gilsvik, many of the BWCA, new large fused-glass totems by Nancy Seaton and hand-turned bowls by Howard Hedstrom

Tim Young is exhibiting his paintings at the Coho Cafe through August.

Pastel artist Lisa Stauffer’s exhibit at the Waterfront Gallery in Two Harbors continues through Aug. 30.

Blue Moose has new stained glass by Shelly Bouquet from Grand Rapids including a loon and northern lights. The shop is also featuring a new artist, Dave Hoad of Duluth, who crafts bird houses. There are also handmade wall pieces from Haiti made from recycled oil drums.

Pushing Chain (Boyd “Bump” Blomberg & Adam Moe) has just released their first CD. “Pushing Chain.”

Tara Block has brought in new ceramics to Threads. The shop also has new photographs by David Johnson including wildlife and landscapes and new necklaces by Nikki Imsdahl crafted from beads and amethyst.

Birchbark Books & Gifts is featuring books by local authors including “Sawdust in Their Blood” by Jim Boyd and two award-winning books: “The

MARG DUNCAN Fiber Artist Thunder Bay

Have you always lived on the North Shore?

No. I’m originally from England. I was born in Cornwall, and I went to school in London. I met my husband there, and we immigrated to Canada in 1963. We moved to Thunder Bay in 2004.

What projects are you currently working on?

Right now I’m concentrating on hats. I do the Artisans Northwest Show at the Valhalla every year. It’s Nov. 16-17 this year. I concentrate on felted hats and scarves, and I do some lace knitting.

What about your art continues to attract and fascinate you?

Making wearable things -- trying to do something that’s different and yet wearable. I like to be able to keep it simple, and that can be difficult to do in the fiber arts. I can get quite fussy. With knitting, it’s a challenge to make the fiber do what you want it to do in the medium. If I do something lacy, I want a fiber that will give me the drape and yet have it warm. For my felted hats, the challenge is getting a different design, something that will fit well and look good. I know knitting is not considered an art, but there’s always room in it for creativity.

Where can we see your work?

I have knitted bracelets and the odd hat at the Johnson Heritage Post in Grand Marais, and I have work at the Baggage Arts Building in Marina Park, Thunder Bay.

“Scott’s Fish House,” oil, by Birney Quick is one of the paintings in the retrospective of his work that is on exhibit at the Johnson Heritage Post through Sept. 7.

Betsy Bowen finishes painting a lake trout on the big propane tank at Como Oil & Propane. It is a Great Place project.

Rosie Flores plays the Arrowhead Center for the Arts Aug. 16.

David Grinstead’s selfie with white water lilies was taken on a lake somewhere in the Lake Superior watershed. Grinstead is swimming and/or dipping in lakes, rivers and streams throughout the watershed to sample as many as he can and be a voice for protecting clean water.

Sampling the Lake Superior Watershed

By Joan Farnam

Photos by David Grinstead

David Grinstead, 67, has started an ambitious project.

He plans to swim (or dip) in every lake, river and stream in the Lake Superior watershed “as long as I can.”

Impossible? For sure, he says. There are thousands of rivers and creeks flowing into Lake Superior, which spans two countries, and there’s no way he’ll be able to swim them all.

But he’s determined to swim as many as he can, if the water temperature is 45 degrees or more.

“I was raised on water, I live on water,” the Grand Marais resident says, and then laughs. “I’m not a great swimmer, though. I flunked junior lifesaving when I was 15 years old.”

But he has always loved to swim and fish, and clean water is important to him. And yes, swimming the lakes in northern Minnesota is chilling, to say the least, and, he, like many others, avoided it.

Then last spring he had a powerful dream.

“I was driving down a road in a convertible and I went by this beautiful, sandy lake with big pines around it, and people were swimming from a dock,” he recalls. “They waved at me and I waved back. So I asked

them: ‘Are you going to be here all summer?’ ‘Yeah,’ they said. ‘Come on back.’”

When Grinstead awoke from that vivid dream, he asked himself: “What am I going to do so I can be in the water more?”

Then and there, he decided: “I’m going to swim. I don’t care how cold it is. I want to swim in all those lakes I fished, boated on and paddled,” he said. “I decided to just try it.”

And so he did. He tried Seagull Lake. The water temp. was below 60, but he did it. Then he decided he’d try and swim all the lakes on the Gunflint Trail, and some creeks, too, and soon realized it wasn’t so hard, and it got easier and easier.

He went swimming in swamps, so he could get an otter’s view. “I kinda knew that no monster would eat you in the swamp,” he said. “Northern pike are probably the most dangerous. And leeches—well, you just take them off.”

He worked up a protocol for swimming in cold water. If the water is warmer than, say, 55 degrees, he’ll go for a swim, but stay in shallow water so he can stand up if he needs to do so.

If it’s colder, he just “dips,” but he has his rules. It has to be a full-body dunk and “I have to stay in for 3 minutes minimum,” he said. “I’ve done polar plunges—jump in and out—they’re not my thing.”

No hot water or soap needed to wash in a waterfall.

What is his “thing” is to swim in and experience the headwaters and streams of every river in the watershed as well as explore the creeks and water bodies that all ultimately end up in Lake Superior on both sides of the border.

Last summer, he set out in his van to try out his idea to sample the watershed for the first time. Grinstead worked for years for the Grand Portage Band as a GIS (Geographic Information System) specialist, so he is well acquainted in reading maps. He also quickly discovered there are advantages to just swimming a creek or stream—no boats or canoes needed.

“You just hike in half-a-mile and jump in.” he said. “It’s so much easier.”

He swam rivers and lakes in Wisconsin

Fish like nibbling on bare toes.

and Michigan, but then slipped on a mossy rock in the Sand River and injured his elbow. That cut his first trip short, but he had a chance to swim in the Tahquamenon River in Michigan, one of his favorite rivers and one that he first fished with his brother when he was growing up.

“To go in there 55 years later and jump in there where the fish are … that was really nice,” he said.

Grinstead returned home so his elbow would heal and then set out again as soon as he could. He said he makes as few commitments as he can during the summer so that he can leave whenever he wants.

And the list of rivers and streams he has sampled continues to expand.

He swam in the headwaters of the Temperance River, for example. It was root-beer colored, he said, and had a “rooty, musky smell— it was dark and organic, which is great.” And when he goes out, he swims in as many lakes and rivers he can in a day.

He’s beginning to explore rivers and lakes in Canada, too, including the upper reaches of the Pic River system in Ontario. “It was remote, very remote,” he said.

And he loves nothing better than swimming in a swampy river and then rinsing off in the cold waters of Lake Superior.

He’s a photographer, too, and takes photos during his trips. On

his Facebook page, one can often see a hand rising from the water holding a water lily, or a splash from his feet, with a note on what waters they are churning.

Grinstead has also made a point of swimming in rivers which could be threatened by mining. He swam in a creek near where the Polymet mine is proposed on The Range and went to the headwaters of one of the streams on the Bad River where a taconite mine could be built.

“They’re actually going to move the river,” he said. “It was so pure, so clear and extremely cold. It was too fast to swim. I let myself go and was hanging onto bushes,” he said.

It’s been an incredible journey so far.

“It makes me so happy to be in those waters,” he said. “I’m taking pictures all the time, getting good exercise and meeting people. And maybe I can do some good, too. I’m going to try and have some influence on keeping the water clean around Lake Superior, protecting the water in some way.”

Since last August, when Grinstead started his project, he swam or dipped at more than 200 locations around Lake Superior. This map shows his swims to date. He’s also going to the source of the rivers as well as swimming in ponds or lakes which eventually flow into the Big Lake. The water has to be at least 45 degrees before he goes in.

Beautiful Lake Superior in a tranquil moment.

Grinstead holds a plant in the rapids of Junco Creek in Cook County.

The Tahquemenon River in Michigan has a nice sandy bottom and lots of fish.

Little Rice Lake on the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan. Boggy waters and swamps are part of the watershed and Grinstead samples them all.

The Traverse River on the Keewenaw Peninsula runs into Lake Superior through pristine white sands.

Grinstead gently cups a yellow water lily growing in a marsh lake of the Temperance River.

offers a

collection of Canadian Native Fine

and Crafts, Assorted Prints, Sculptures, Masks, T-shirts, Music, & Jewelry. Leatherwork: Moccasins, Gauntlets, etc. Artcards • Books

July 31, August 1-3

Fisherman’s Picnic, Grand Marais

August 8-10

Rendezvous Days and Pow-Wow, Grand Portage

September 5-7

7th Annual Radio Waves Music Festival, Grand Marais

September 11-14

Unplugged XIII, The Northern Harvest, Grand Marais

September 5-28

Art Colony Plein Air Competition, Exhibit and Sale, Grand Marais

September 26-October 5

Crossing Borders Studio Tour

October 17-19

Moose Madness Family Festival, Grand Marais

By Way of Water

Opens July 29

Explore the maritime history of Cook County with a spectacular new exhibit which opens July 29 at the Cook County Historical Society. “By Way of Water: Our History with Lake Superior,” is a multi-media exhibit that features stories, artifacts, photographs, paintings and more focused on when Cook County was dependent on Lake Superior.

Among the exhibits one will find the original Fresnel lens from the Grand Marais Lighthouse, the wheel from the S. S. America (which carried settlers and freight up and down the North Shore for years before it sank in 1928), interpretive panels with lots of historic photographs, artwork by local artists Howard Sivertson, Heidi Sobanja and David Hahn as well as photographs by David Johnson and Paul Sundberg and photos from the Historical Society’s collections and community donations.

The exhibit also includes a multi-media piece on Helmer Aakvik’s rescue attempt of Carl Hammer during the storm of 1958 with interviews with Hammer’s sister, Irene Malner, and Ray Nagy, who participated in the U.S. Coast Guard search for the fishermen. The exhibit is free, donations are accepted. For more information, call 218-3872883 or see www.cookcountyhistory.org.

Fisherman’s Picnic

July 31-August 3

When the rest of the state is too hot to handle, Grand Marais is the place to be, and the Fisherman’s Picnic has something for everyone. There is a giant raffle with giant prizes, a tennis tournament, arts, crafts and food as well as a Crazy Daze Sale. If you forget your own picnic, you must hit up the fishburger stand. You can get lessons in log-rolling. Or you can participate in contests all weekend, including a loon-calling contest; pickled herring, pizza or

hot dog eating contests; cutest puppy contest or rock skipping contest. You can even race minnows. There’s a trail run, softball tournament and mini-golf tournaments, and on Saturday night a fireworks display to rival 4th of July. Enter the Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply One-Pot CookOff contest and show off your mean camp meal. This is the kind of vacation you need to follow with another vacation, there is that much to do. Go to www.grandmaraislionsclub.com for the full schedule.

Howling Moon Music Festival

August 1-2

A new two-day music festival held at Bayfront Festival Park features national acts (The Guess Who and Brandi Carlile, for headliners). Music will be Americana, rock and folk. There will also be a large variety of craft beers from local and regional breweries. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the St. Louis River Alliance and Multiple Sclerosis Society-Minnesota Chapter. See www.howlingmoonfestival.com for the full line-up.

One of the displays in the “By Way of Water” exhibit at the Cook County Historical Society includes Ray Nagy’s uniforms when he was in the Coast Guard.

|JOAN FARNAM

The Grand Marais Fisherman’s Picnic parade is the best of the year. | STOCK

Grand Portage’s Stone Bridge Singers open Rendezvous Days. | NPS

Gunflint Mid-Trail Auction and Fundraiser

August 7

Many one-of-a-kind treasures will be found at the annual Gunflint Mid-Trail auction, flea market, boutique, and quilt raffle to be held at the Schaap Community Center from 1-4 p.m. If you are looking for a unique collectable, a beautifully crafted piece of hand-stitchery, or that perfect gift to remind you of the Gunflint Trail, chances are you’ll find it here.

This year’s raffled quilt, crafted by the many talented hands of Mid-Trail quilters is “Vintage Triangles” and features scrappy, multi-colored triangles. Tickets for the raffle are $2 and may be purchased at local businesses as well as at the event. Drawing for the quilt will be at the conclusion of the auction, and you need not be present to win the lovely queen/king-sized coverlet.

The flea market features household items, unusual brica-brac, games, and books at bargain prices, while the boutique offers many beautifully hand-crafted items along with great finds donated by local businesses and outfitters.

Hosted by auctioneer Phil Serrin, the bidding on goods— ranging from arts and crafts, to antiques, to gift certificates for Gunflint Trail experiences—is always lively, spirited, and fun, keeping in mind that proceeds from this event benefit the Gunflint Trail Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department. Homemade cakes along with coffee and lemonade will be available during the fundraiser.

So get out your wish list, and drive 26 miles up the Gunflint Trail for an afternoon of fun and treasures, all for a great cause.

Two Harbors Kayak Festival

August 1-3

A unique, family friendly event, the Two Harbors Kayak Festival features an 18mile marathon, a 10-mile race, a 5-mile race (all adult races are 16+) and youth sprint races.

In addition to the races there are local exhibitors, kayak demos, stand-up paddleboarding demos and classes, beginning level instructional family tours, kids kayaking, live music, food, fun, and more! There is something for everyone at this one-of-a-kind paddling festival. See www. kayakfestival.org for more info.

JUST A SHORT DRIVE TO ENJOY WORLD CLASS LIVE ENTERTAINMENT

The Two Harbors Kayak Festival is a family event. | ERIN ALTEMUS

A quilt is raffled at the Mid-Trail Auction and Fundraiser. | COURTESY LEE ZOPFF

Grand Portage Rendezvous Days and Pow Wow

August 8-10

In the not-so-ancient past, the Northwest Company built their fur-trade post at the end of the 9-mile Grand Portage, a trail from Lake Superior around the worst of the Pigeon River’s falls and rapids to the inland waters where trappers gathered furs. Today this post is a National Monument, though it lies within the borders of the Grand Portage Reservation. Each year the historical rendezvous is re-lived and celebrated in August with a grand re-enactment of history.

The Rendezvous schedule is packed with workshops (blacksmithing, cooking, baking, finger-weaving and more), contests (puppet contest, throw-thedough contest, water-lifting contest), and activities. Folks that want to come in historical attire and camp in the re-enactment camp are welcome and encouraged to do so (registration for camping is online).

The Pow Wow

The Grand Portage Band of Minnesota Chippewa holds a Traditional Pow Wow adjacent to the National Monument during the Rendezvous. Visitors and tribal members alike are invited to watch and participate in ceremonial Pow Wow dances. Vendors offer a wide selection of arts, crafts and Native American food.

For more information about the weekend, go to www.nps.gov/grpo/index.htm.

Fancy Dancers in blue and white dance to the drum at the Grand Portage Pow Wow. | MARY ANN GAGNON

Finland Welcomes All to Tori

Aug. 8-9

The community of Finland wishes everyone tervetuloa (welcome) to the Tori/Music Fest, planned for Aug. 8-9 at the Finland Heritage Site located midway between Little Marais and Finland on Cty. Rd. 6. Tori is best described as an open air market with wonderful music, mouth-watering food, all kinds of wares to see and buy, a raffle, a silent auction and fun for the whole family. Hours are 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. Sunday. Don’t miss Sunday’s pancake breakfast.

There will be music all day provided by the Wanabees from Thunder Bay, the Two Harbors Ukelele Group and the Melody Makers. Kids will enjoy games, a money dig, minnow races, a bouncy house and ice cream. Lots of food will be available, including fresh herring. Crafters and demonstrators will have booths and tables.

The Heritage Site includes several historic buildings. The Forestry Building once housed the Finland DNR Fisheries office. It was the Eckbeck family home when O.M. Eckbeck became the first district forester in 1927. The Forestry Building has many local artifacts, including pictures and historic albums that folks with ties to the community can search for relatives and information. There is also a small gift area, where you can find American, Finnish, Swedish and Norwegian gifts, books by local authors, sauna supplies and children’s novelties.

The dovetail log house was built by John Pine (Petaja), a bachelor who lived in the house most of his life. The Heritage Site has refurbished the log house to look like a typical pioneer family home, containing many artifacts and his story.

There is also a sauna. The Heritage Site sauna includes stories of saunas and their role in Finnish life.

Many area Finns attended the Park Hill School, circa 1905, which has come full circle, from Park Hill Road, to Finland, to the Heritage Site. On Saturday, a school marm will be conducting classes. The students must be on their best behavior, or they may wear the dunce hat. On display are the school bell, maps, a library and the school marm’s living quarters.

The most recent addition is the museum, which is filled with story boards depicting local history. Many local fami-

SAWMILL TOURS

ly artifacts and plaques of the early settlers and their families are on display. The log structure modern bathrooms were once a cabin at nearby Fenstad’s Resort.

Resident RV host campers conduct tours and take care of maintenance and lawn mowing. The Finland Heritage Site is open throughout the summer Thursday through Monday from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Live music is part of the Tori Festival. | COURTESY OF BONNIE TIKKANEN

Red Rock Music Festival

August 8-10

Every year, the town of Red Rock more than triples in size when music-lovers descend on it for Live from the Rock, a three-day festival. With four stages, you can always find something going on.

The event features musicians from across Canada, some of whom not only perform on stage, but hold workshops during the festival. The music is mostly folk-seasoned with a little bit of blues. In addition to music, you’ll find a variety of artisans and food vendors, as well as beer gardens. The event is family-friendly. Everything is outdoors, so be prepared for the weather. Plenty of camping is available on site. This year, due to major construction projects in the area, motel, B&B and resort accommodations are very limited. Find more information at www.livefromtherockfolkfestival.com.

morning to night.

The Secret Life of Puppets

August 8

Take a trip around the world and throughout the ages to learn the tricks of turning sticks, cloth, string and even your own hands into fun characters when the Grand Marais Public Library offers a chance to try your hand at performing with puppets. Z Puppets Rosenschnoz presents the puppets workshop at 3 p.m. on Friday Aug. 8.

Z Puppets Rosenschnoz delights children and their adults with feats of imagination, mixing hand-crafted puppetry, zany comedy with live music. The performance company has earned many awards, including support from the Jim Henson Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Puppeteers of America and Minnesota State Arts Board.

Try your hand at performing puppets.

[ABOVE AND LEFT]

The Red Rock Music Festival draws large crowds from

| MARGARET EVANS

Erika Ternes and Paul Jacobson perform at last year’s concert. | COURTESY GTHS

Gunflint Woods, Winds & Strings

August 16

The Gunflint Trail Historical Society will hold a benefit concert at 4 p.m. Aug. 16 at the Mid-Trail Fire Hall (No. 1). A “Meet the Artists” social hour will follow the concert.

“Our classical chamber music concert in a Northwoods setting last summer was so exciting for everyone—the performers, as well as the audience,” noted GTHS Events Chairperson Sally Valentini. “There are some very talented musicians in our area who will entertain us on a summer Saturday afternoon while supporting the work of the Gunflint Trail Historical Society. It’s a win-win!”

Among the scheduled performers are Bill Beckstrand (harpsichord and key -

board), Philis Anderson (oboe), Kathy Bolstad (clarinet), Keitha Herron (violin), Paul Jacobson (baroque flute), Barb LaVigne (flute), Laura Popkes (vocal), Judy Ranheim (flute), and Erika Ternes (vocal & keyboard).

Tickets are $20 each for adults; $5 for children under 18, including the reception, and are very limited. The 2013 concert was a sold out event so those wishing tickets should reserve as early as possible. Tickets may be purchased at the Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center. Ticket orders will be taken by phone on 218-388-9915 and online at www.GunflintTrailHistoricalSociety.org.

Minnesota Hiking Celebration

August 21-23

The four Minnesota Chapters of the North Country Trail Association (NCTA) are partnering with the Superior Hiking Trail Association and the City of Duluth’s Parks & Recreation Department to host a Minnesota Hiking Celebration event at Spirit Mountain in Duluth. Join other hiking and outdoor enthusiasts and be inspired to learn about hiking opportunities in Minnesota.

The free event will feature numerous guided hikes on the Superior Hiking Trail in the Duluth area, numerous speakers and presentations, family hikes and activities, a full-day hiking and outdoors exposition, and evening entertainment. The 14 guided hikes range from an easy 0.9 mile hike from Chester Bowl downhill to Burrito Union with Duluth Mayor Don Ness to an 18.7 mile challenge hike from Jay

Cooke State Park’s visitor center to Spirit Mountain’s Grand Avenue Chalet with 2013 NCT thru-hiker Luke “Strider” Jordan. Some hikes will feature local naturalists, while others are out-and-back hikes geared specifically to families. Speakers will offer presentations on the Superior Hiking Trail, Border Route Trail, Kekekabic Trail, PowWow Trail (and other hiking trails in the BWCAW), a 2013 thru-hike of the NCT,

building the Superior Hiking Trail across Duluth, lightweight backpacking, recovery from the 2012 flooding at Jay Cooke, and Northwood’s phenology. Saturday, August 23 will feature the first-ever Duluth Hiking & Outdoors Expo to be held from 9 a.m. –6 p.m. at the Grand Avenue Chalet.

Learn more about the event and register at http://northcountrytrail.org/duluth.

The North Shore is full of scenic hikes. | RUDI HARGESHEIMER

Ribfest

August 22-24

Ribfest is held annually in the Waterfront District of Thunder Bay. The three-day event brings together four Ribber Teams from Southern Ontario who compete for Best Ribs Title and more than 30,000 people will taste their fare. This is a nonprofit event and all proceeds from food and beverage sales goes to Our Kids Count and Dew Drop In. Eighteen bands /entertainers, Motor & Muscles events, a beer tent, fabulous food, and family fun are all part of this three-day event. Search for “Waterfront BIA Ribfest” on Facebook for more info.

Nature Writing Workshop at Sugarloaf Cove

August 23

Nature is a creative force. When you are at Sugarloaf Cove your creative energy goes up. Form a creative partnership between writing and nature during a three-hour workshop on Saturday, Aug. 23 starting at 10 a.m. Intended for those who are inspired by a strong sense of this special place, you will explore wilderness—both inside and out. Write creatively in whatever genre you choose: haiku, short story, memoir, natural history, poetry, narrative nonfiction, science fiction.

The workshop facilitator is Jill Swenson from Ithaca, NY, a book development editor and literary manager. With a Ph.D. from The University of Chicago and 20 years of teaching, editing and coaching writers, Jill has a current work-in-progress set in northern Minnesota and spent a decade living off-the-grid in the Finger Lakes of upstate New York. $35 per person. $30 for members. Register online at sugarloaf-

Yarn Harbor

is a full service yarn shop supplying the community with beautiful yarns, books, notions & classes.

Check out our website and blog for classes & events website: www.yarnharborduluth.com or find us on Facebook! blog: yarnharbor.wordpress.com

AUGUST EVENTS

Saturday Aug. 9 • 5 PM Writer’s Salon/Full Moon with Rachael Hanel reading and discussing We’ll Be the Last Ones to Let You Down: Memoir of a Gravediggers Daughter

Saturday Aug. 23 • 5 PM Writer’s Salon with Kate Hopper reading and discussing Ready for Air: A Journey rough Premature Motherhood

Wednesday Aug. 27 • 6:30 PM Women’s Book Group. Call for title, read the book and join the discussion.

Ribfest is popular in Tunder Bay.

CROSS RIVER HERITAGE CENTER

August

August

August

 The Rockin’ Hollywoods Grand Portage Lodge & Casino 9 p.m.-1 a.m.

 Joe Paulik Campfire Music Bluefin Bay Tofte 7-9 p.m.  Jim & Michele Miller at Cascade Lodge Restaurant and Pub 7:30 p.m.  The Gin Strings Gun Flint Tavern Grand Marais 9 p.m. www.gunflinttavern.com

 Boyd ‘Bump’ Blomberg Music by the Fireplace Lutsen Resort 7-10 p.m.

Don Juan Sydney’s Grand Marais 6-9 p.m. Larry Schug Poetry Reading at Cross River Heritage Center Schroeder 7 p.m. www.crossriverheritage.org

Eric Frost Music on the Deck Papa Charlie’s Lutsen 6-8 p.m.

August 23, Saturday Writing Wild Workshop: Stories from Sugarloaf Cove Sugarloaf Cove Interpretive Center Schroeder 10 a.m.-1 p.m. www.sugarloafnorthshore.org Writer’s Salon with Kate Hopper Drury Lane Books Grand Marais 5 p.m. www.drurylanebooks.com

Ribfest Thunder Bay Waterfront District

August 22-24

August 24, Sunday Trail Center Art and Craft Market Gunflint Trail 10 a.m.-2 p.m. www.trailcenterlodge.com  Joe Paulik Gun Flint Tavern Grand Marais 7 p.m. www.gunflinttavern.com

August 25, Monday  Joe and Jessi Gun Flint Tavern Grand Marais 7 p.m. www.gunflinttavern.com  The Sudden Lovelys Papa Charlie’s Lutsen 8:30 p.m.  Pete Kavanaugh Music in the Grille Bluefin Grille Tofte 9-11 p.m. August 27, Wednesday Women’s Book Group Drury Lane Books Grand Marais 6:30 p.m. www.drurylanebooks.com August 28, Thursday  James Moors What’s Upstairs? Besty Bowen Studio Grand Marais 7 p.m. August 29, Friday  Joe Paulik Music by the Campfire Eagle Ridge Resort Lutsen 7:30-9:30 p.m.  Fuzzy Ellis Gun Flint Tavern Grand Marais 9 p.m. www.gunflinttavern.com

 Michael Monroe Music in the Grille Bluefin Grille Tofte 9-11 p.m. August 30, Saturday Tales They Tell—Plants at Sugarloaf with Chel Anderson Sugarloaf Cove Nature Center Schroeder 10 a.m. www.sugarloafnorthshore.org Cook County’s Most Wanted Birch Terrace Lounge Patio Grand Marais 3-7

August 22, Friday

August

August 20, Wednesday

Timmy Haus Gun Flint Tavern Grand Marais 7:30 p.m. www.gunflinttavern.com

August

July

July

Through

Through

Through

Timmy Haus Saturday Night Live Music at Papa Charlie’s Lutsen 9:30 p.m. August 17, Sunday Trail Center Art and Craft Market Gunflint Trail 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

p.m. (EST) www.tbca.com

Gordon Thorne and Bob Bingham Music in the Grille Bluefin Grille Tofte 9-11 p.m. Thursdays Bird Banding at Sugarloaf Cove 7 a.m.-12 p.m. www.sugarloafnorthshore.org Explore the Shore US Forest Service naturalists lead guided tour of Artist’s Point in Grand Marais. Meet at East Bay Suites. 10-11:30 a.m. Wildflower Walk Guided hike with a U.S. Forest Service naturalists along a trail of wildflowers. Cascade Lodge 10-11:30 a.m. Nature of Oberg Mountain Free guided hike with U.S. Forest Service naturalist. Meet at Oberg Mountain trailhead. 10:30-12 p.m.

 Music on the Mountain at Moguls Lutsen 6-8 p.m. Bats in the Belfry Educational program about bats and their role in the ecosystem. Bluefin Bay Tofte 7:30-9 p.m. Wildcats Educational program about wildcats found in the Northwoods. Lutsen Resort 7:30-9 p.m.

 Summer in the Parks Concert Series Prince Arthur’s Landing/Marina Park Thunder Bay 6-9 p.m. (EST) www.thunderbay.ca

 West End Pizzas at Birch Grove Community Center, 2nd and 4th Wednesdays 5:30 p.m. www.birchgrovefoundation.org

Open Mic Gun Flint Tavern Grand Marais 5-9 p.m. www.gunflinttavern.com

Mondays Kids’ Days at Chik-Wauk Museum Gunflint Trail Children under 18 visit free on Mondays starting June 23. www.chikwauk.com Tuesdays Hedstrom Lumber Company Tours 12:30-1:30 p.m. Gunflint Trail Tuesday Nite Live in Ely Musicians and demonstrations at various downtown locations in Ely each Tuesday. www.ely.org Becoming a Boundary Waters Family U.S. Forest Service naturalists present on a different Northwoods themed topic each week. ChikWauk Museum and Nature Center 3-4:30 p.m. Minnesota Wild! U.S. Forest Service naturalist program on wildlife found in Minnesota woods and lakes. Grand Marais Rec Park 7:30-9 p.m. The Life of a Voyageur A Forest Service naturalist talks about the Life of the Voyageurs Lutsen Resort 7:30-9 p.m. Wednesdays Stories with Harriet and Bill Chik-Wauk Museum 11 a.m.-4 p.m. www.chikwauk.com

Fridays In the Studio at the Art Colony Studio talks and presentations Grand Marais 10 a.m. www.grandmaraisartcolony.org Hedstrom Lumber Company Tours 10-11:30 a.m. Gunflint Trail Make a Dreamcatcher A Forest Service naturalist will

Northern Wilds Calendar of Events

The North Shore Dish

Finnish Diner Provides Transformational Pancake Experience

By Kelsey Roseth

You may think you’ve found the perfect pancake. Perhaps you’ve discovered it on the IHOP menu or at the local diner just down the street from your house. Personally, if you would’ve asked me a few weeks ago who made the perfect pancake, I would’ve shrugged my shoulders and said, “I dunno, a pancake is a pancake, right?”

Wrong. When I first told friends I was headed to Thunder Bay’s Hoito Restaurant for the first time, they all told me excitedly, “You have to try the pancakes!” To be frank, I wasn’t really sold. I’m more of an eggsand-bacon kind of gal. So, when I was seated at the Finnish diner and passed the large souvenir placemat that serves as a menu, I began browsing the omelet list and reviewing the other egg options.

The Thunder Bay tourism manager, Paul Pepe, brought my friend AJ and I to the nearly 100-year-old restaurant for breakfast on a busy Saturday morning, bright and early. While perusing the menu and sipping a cup of hot coffee with cream, I asked Paul, “What are you going to get?” He replied with “I always get the pancakes here. They’re incredible.” My friend AJ took his enthusiastic cue and decided to order the same.

Guess I’ll get pancakes.

During the short wait for our meal, I soaked in the establishment’s energetic atmosphere. Local Finns were sharing coffee and conversation at the counter. Families

filled the crowded dining room, seated on bright blue cushions. Their chairs were tucked tightly next to their tables in order to accommodate the dozens of guests dining in a relatively small space. Friendly, agile servers slipped between the close tables with large, overflowing trays perched on their shoulders. Here and there I could hear people speak Finnish. Hoito staff said on busy weekends, they serve between 400 to 800 guests each day and that frequently, the line of diners waiting for a table stretches all the way to the street.

The Hoito Restaurant is situated in the basement of the Finnish Labour Temple on Bay Street, in the heart of the Finnish district. In the early 1900s, numerous young Finns served as bushworkers at Kallio’s logging camp near Nipigon. On days off, the men would visit the city where boarding was plentiful, but dining options were limited. With hopes of establishing a restaurant, some locals formed a committee and the group collected $300 in small loans from potential customers. Thus, Hoito Restaurant was born.

“The Hoito was developed as a cooperative for the logging industry to find a meal for a reasonable price,” said David Lible, chief operating officer of the Finlandia Association in Thunder Bay. “That’s the way the place will always be marked. It’s the place to find a reasonably-priced meal, something that will fill you up. I don’t think that will change.”

Until the 1970s, patrons purchased meal tickets or paid a flat rate to indulge in an all-you-can-eat feast at the large, communal tables. At the time, the cost of a meal was about $1. Today, you can get two pancakes, two eggs and a coffee for just over $7. And, until recently, the staff hand-wrote orders on tickets that were hung in the kitchen. The restaurant is now using its first electronic point-of-sale system, which was installed just weeks ago.

Hoito’s Karjalan Piirakka with Egg Salad—a traditional Finnish dish—it’s a hot rye/wheat bread stuffed with rice pudding, slathered in butter and served with cold egg salad on top. | KELSEY ROSETH

Hoito’s busy kitchen bustles as a server piles her plastic tray full of plates. | KELSEY ROSETH

Minutes after placing our order on the new POS system, our server slid the massive pancake plates onto the table. I couldn’t help but admire the simple plate presentation: thin, browned discs were speckled with light spots and looked absolutely mouth-watering. The two eggs over-medium were plopped right on top of the pancakes, which was an entirely new concept for me (a chronic food separator). Following the tourism manager’s lead, I poured maple syrup over both my pancakes and eggs. Bon appétit.

All I could think was, “Oh. My. Gosh.” The delicately-sweet pancake bites dissolved in my mouth, the maple syrup adding an extra punch of sugar to each forkful. As I cut into the eggs, the yolk poured out over the pancakes, combining with the thick, sticky syrup. I was in heaven. It’s official: I love pancakes.

My newfound passion for pancakes was a sentiment shared by multiple customers at Hoito that morning. Mike Thompson, a Thunder Bay local and Hoito regular, fervently praised the cakes, saying they’re “totally different. They are Finn pancakes which are much thinner than normal pancakes. It’s a whole different texture, a different taste. They’re a little creamier and sweeter than normal. They are very good.”

Thunder Bay’s Marie Tierney, another frequent customer, was sharing breakfast with her family as she professed her heartfelt fondness for the food. “The food is great,” said Tierney. “I love the Finn pancakes here. They are thin, tiny pancakes like a crepe. With butter and syrup, they are very good.”

Lible admits: it’s the pancakes that pull people in the door. However, he said it’s the hearty, home-cooked meals and welcoming, hospitable staff that keeps customers coming back. After all, Hoito means “care” in Finnish and that’s exactly what you receive from servers on a visit to the diner. Oh, and along with your friendly service, perhaps you’ll find your perfect pancake. It’s worth a bite.

peek inside Hoito’s dining room. Not much has changed! | KELSEY ROSETH

Hoito Restaurant is in the basement of the historic Finnish Labour Temple, built in 1910. | KELSEY ROSETH

Great Places Popping Up

By Maren Webb

tions or inviting places to walk, bike, and be active.

A new picnic table, a few plants, a fence, or a bike rack… While these items may seem rather ordinary, when placed in the hands of someone with an idea, they can create something great. This summer, 16 projects are underway to create ‘great places’ across Cook County and Grand Portage. Each winner of the Great Place Race has received a mini-grant to make their idea a reality, transforming a space into a great place for people to slow down and spend time together. So, what is a great place?

A great place is inviting, beautiful, and catches the eye. It reflects the unique character and identity of the community. And a great place encourages people to slow down and spend time there. In Cook County, we have many great places for residents and visitors alike; however, there are many spaces that have great potential for more. The Great Place Race is spurring the creation of more places for people to feel welcome, whether with seating, aesthetics, or something unexpected they want to check out. These great places also offer more destina-

One of these places is in Tofte outside of the Birch Grove Center. The Birch Grove Foundation applied for a Great Place Race grant to take their outdoor hearth oven and transform it into a great place for their community of residents and visitors. Located just off the Gitchi-Gami Trail, it is easily accessible on foot or bike—a perfect location for a great place. The hearth oven has been a gathering place from the start, but it was missing a few key things.

With the mini grant, the Birch Grove Foundation is creating a real gathering area around the hearth oven. They are adding two benches (that also transform into picnic tables), an herb and veggie garden, and a bulletin board. The small garden will not only add life for the space, it will also provide fresh, healthy ingredients for the community pizza bakes. On the bulletin board they will post information about the facility, upcoming events, and will also have a map showing where visitors have come from to join in Birch Grove events.

First Street Park. | MAREN WEBB

The Birch Grove Center is a gathering place and community center for people of all ages and backgrounds. On a given day you will find people from multiple generations spending time at Birch Grove, often together. To help make the area surrounding the school safer for people on foot and bike, Moving Matters is helping them install a new radar speed sign on Hwy. 61. At a Moving Matters gathering at Birch Grove this winter, residents discussed what makes a community walkable and bikeable. Local residents Trevor and Erin Huggins shared “whatever is developed should be friendly and inviting to everybody.” The new projects around Birch Grove will welcome and provide more seating for those attending Birch Grove’s many outdoor community events this summer. To learn more about Birch Grove Foundation’s summer events and community pizza bakes, visit www. birchgrovefoundation.org

The Birch Grove project is just one of 16 projects being put in place over the coming months in Cook County that liven up our communities and create more space to enjoy our beautiful surroundings. Follow the Great Place Race projects as they progress on Facebook (www.facebook.com/becausemovingmatters) or at www.becausemovingmatters.org/gpr. Also get your creative juices flowing as Moving Matters and the Cook County Chamber of Commerce plan to host another Great Place Race next spring.

The Great Place Race is sponsored by the Moving Matters project of the Sawtooth Mountain Clinic and the Cook County Chamber of Commerce. The Moving Matters project, with funding from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota’s Center for Prevention, is working to create safer and more accessible places to walk and bike in Cook County and Grand Portage. Maren Webb is the assistant coordinator of Moving Matters. The hearth oven at Birch Grove Center is a gathering place in the community. Benches and a herb garden were added to make the place even more inviting.

| PATRICK KNIGHT

Lakeside Dining

Lakeside Dining

Delicious

Delicious blend of traditional and contemporary

Breakfast, lunch & dinner daily.

Breakfast

sandwiches, and light entrees.

Summer infusion specials and microbrews.

Opens 4 pm weekdays, 11:30 am Sat & Sun

Breakfast bu et every morning fresh sh every evening. SurfSide Resort on Lake Superior, Tofte, MN 218-663-6877

Breakfast, Lunch, Afternoon Tea Daily 8 am - 3 pm

Cellars Wine Tasting 4 Wines paired with 4 Small Plates Wed. Aug 13th, 5 pm - 7 pm

www.surfsideonsuperior.com

Towering Pines Canopy Tour

Towering Pines Canopy Tour at Gunflint Lodge is the most exciting new way to experience the wilderness get a bird’s eye view plus a thrilling ride through the treetops! It’s a two-and-a-half hour nature adventure led by two sky guides.

Open daily starting May 10th.

$89.00 per person

Call 218-388-2296 for reservations.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner available at Red Paddle Bistro.

Gunflint Lodge is 43 miles up the Gunflint Trail from Grand Marais.

Minimum age is 10; maxiumum weight/person is 240 lbs.

JUST LIKE A BERRY PICKING HOT SPOT, SOME THINGS ARE TOO GOOD TO KEEP TO YOURSELF.

LIKE A GREAT FINANCIAL PLACE FOR EXAMPLE.

In the Northland, the best place to turn for good sound advice is usually your friends and neighbors. At North Shore Federal, we make sure to offer up the products and services that our members need and we consistently offer the best rates and lowest fees around. We operate with a business plan that puts our members first—and that’s a good place to be. So ask around. Like a berry picking hot spot, we’re worth sharing.

Because if you’re up here, you belong here.

Silver Bay | Lutsen | Grand Marais | Grand Portage www.northshorefcu.org

Northern Trails

August’s Superior Salmon

By Gord Ellis

It is salmon fishing time again along Superior’s North Shore. From Pigeon Bay, near the Minnesota border, east to Wawa, salmon anglers are plying the waters for big silver, Chinook salmon. Anglers who are able to cope with the occasional rough sea and heavy wind this summer can be rewarded with Chinook salmon averaging eight pounds but running to nearly double that weight. Every year, anglers catch salmon topping 20 pounds, and many are landed weighing between 15 and 18 pounds. Those are the type of quality fish big water anglers crave. So far this year, the average size is down a bit, and the fishing has been spotty. Some seem to believe it’s the warm weather that pull salmon into the near shore waters around Thunder Bay, Little Trout Bay, Black Bay and Nipigon Bay. Hot summers have traditionally meant good salmon fishing along the North Shore. With the summer weather pattern finally warming up, August should be a good month indeed.

For anglers who are in search of the silver horde, they are usually chowing down around the Welcome Islands, south of Thunder Bay, near Caribou Island in Bays End, and in the far end of Black Bay. Nipigon Bay, near the mouth of the river, is another popular trolling area. Most anglers are catching salmon on trolling spoons, and there are a lot to choose from. Some local favourites in the Thunder Bay area include the Diamond King in doctor death finish (purple or watermelon); Pro King 38 Magnum in silver and green and Nasty Boy in silver/blue. Anglers fishing the Caribou Island area in Bays

End prefer a Northern King in pearl rainbow or a Northport Nailer in mashed banana or brook trout. Other popular choices include Limon lures—a “j plug” style trolling lure made out of wood—and herring teasers for running cut bait like herring.

Most of the salmon caught in the Canadian water of Lake Superior are taken on spoons fished off of downriggers. This is the most accurate way to troll spoons and allows for in-point depth control. However, one good trick is to troll with what’s called a Dipsey Diver. This is a diving disc that takes lures down to a certain depth and holds them there. Prime depths for Superior salmon are 20 to 80 feet, with the Dipsey generally used to target fish in the 20-foot range. The salmon troll is usually done on the fast side, with most anglers running the boat from 2 to 3.2 miles an hour. Make sure your spoons don’t spin at those high speeds or you will have nightmare line twist.

One other trick that is really worth a try is running a flat line with a fire tiger Rebel Fastrac and no weight about 100 yards behind the boat. This is a lure that will pick up fish that are high in the water column and feeding. It’s also a lure that runs very well at high trolling speeds. Strikes on these flat-lined lures are crushing, so keep the drag loose and be ready for a wild ride if a big Chinook slams one.

One of the top Northwestern Ontario salmon fisheries in August is the Nipigon River. Fish start to flood in the river about half-way through the month, and the trolling can be great. I’m thoroughly convinced a jointed lure will outperform an un-jointed lure on most days. I’ve seen enough lures swinging off rod tips on the Nipigon River to know two out of every three anglers has a jointed lure on. Usually a Rapala J13 in fire tiger. The J13 is the standard bearer on the Nipigon and you really are hard pressed to beat it when it comes to catching big salmon in rivers.

One adjustment to the standard J13 I rec-

ommend is removing any stainless hooks and putting on No. 1 Gamakatsu or other super sharp treble hooks. Salmon have hard mouths, and you really need to stick the hook to consistently land them. Changing hooks is a pain in the butt, but it will equal more fish. The black hooks many newer J13s come with are fine and I don’t change them. But if the hooks look light

blue or even white, consider a hook swap. Salmon fishing on Superior is one of the great angling pleasures of the summer. It’s difficult to beat a hard fighting, delicious tasting fish caught in one of the most beautiful parts of Canada.

Sign me up.

Lake Superior salmon are bright and beautiful. | GORD ELLIS

Going Solo in the BWCAW

Story and photos by

Erin Altemus

The first time I ventured into the wilderness by myself, I was 17 and working as outfitting staff at Gunflint Northwoods Outfitters. I packed up a large Duluth pack and grabbed a 16-foot Royalex tandem canoe and paddled across Gunflint toward the Granite River. After one portage, I paddled to shore and pitched my tent in the woods. I spent the night listening to cracking twigs, blowing leaves, and rustling pine needles. The woods had never been so scary. The next morning I turned around and went back up river. But that short trip didn’t stop me. Several weeks later I had a friend drop me off at the South Lake Trail and I hiked off into the forest in the rain with a Duluth pack as my backpack. It was a really long portage from there to the Border Route Trail and all the way back to Gunflint Lodge. I was lost for a brief spell, but somehow found my way out. Later that summer I found a solo canoe and paddled the entire Granite River to Saganaga, feeling like the voyageur I imagined myself to be.

There were other solo trips here and there over the next 17 years, when a paddling or hiking partner couldn’t be found. I admit, most days, I’d rather have company. Now, I have a few dogs to choose from, and Yeller decided he would brave the bugs and rain and join me on a mini-adventure into the BWCAW.

I chose to enter on Ram Lake as I’d never been in that way before. I’d loop up through Misquah Lake to Horseshoe, over to Gaskin and Winchell, down to Brule and out through Bower Trout Lake. There were a lot of portages (22, with three long ones), but this meant paddling smaller lakes where I was less likely to be wind-bound. I had three days to spare, so off I went.

Yeller is always eager to jump in the canoe at the end of a portage.

Day One

Ram Lake is one of the closest entry points to Grand Marais, yet used infrequently.

A 90-rod portage led me up and into the wild. A light mist and fog enveloped the lake and the four loons in a huddle out on the water. After round one with the canoe, I went back for my pack, a process I would repeat for the next 22 portages. What I did twice, Yeller did four times as he ran ahead and then came back to check on me, but he didn’t have to carry anything, so I think he had the better end of the deal.

I spent the morning hopping between small lakes, with a real push onto Little Trout Lake that involved going straight up and straight down a steep 60-rod portage. Little Trout, was supposed to be a good trout lake (imagine that) and I cast my line into the water several times, enjoying the break from paddling.

The next portage, to Misquah, was labeled as 190 rods but felt more like 300. It went up and down, through a muddy bog and then up and down again before reaching the lake. Yeller watched me sink my rubber boots into deep muck several times and looked at me like what did you do that for?

Throughout the day, I passed by gigantic cedars and ancient white pines and rushing creeks full from pounding rains that had been coming all summer. Several times I thought about stopping to wrap my arms around one of these trees, but I am seldom one to give in to these whims and what if someone came along and found a woman alone in the woods hugging a tree?

This chain of lakes is surrounded by the Misquah Hills, a range of peaks that includes Eagle Mountain (Minnesota’s highest point). In fact, they are the highest points within at least 1,000 miles in any direction. Misquah Lake sits beneath one of these peaks, and I thought about staying at the campsite there, but it wasn’t the large granite outcrop I longed for, so I kept on to Vista.

Vista Lake has three campsites, but the two on the main part of the lake were taken and I didn’t want to paddle out of my way to check the third. The short portage from there to Horseshoe may have been more aptly described as a creek.

Once on Horseshoe, I opted for the slightly out-of-the-way campsite, worried that the others would all be taken. The site was a small granite outcrop looking toward the outlet of the north fork of the Brule River

on one side and Horseshoe Lake on the other. Picturesque, but buggy. Still, I enjoyed sipping some wine while Yeller chewed the rawhide I gave him and before I knew it (8 p.m.) I fell asleep while it was still light out. Twigs cracked, frogs croaked and I didn’t mind one bit.

Day Two

In the morning, I could barely stand—I was that sore. I’ve put my body through a lot in the last two decades, and a full day of paddling and portaging was overkill. But I spent day two doing it again.

A breezy headwind kicked up that morning and I worried about paddling the straight shot down Winchell, but the wind never became unmanageable. Winchell had some perfect granite outcrop campsites, particularly on the west end, but it was too early to camp for me. Had I had an extra day, I would have camped there. I pressed on to Brule.

I had visions of finding the perfect campsite on Brule—there were so many to choose from, how couldn’t I? But it turns out that when the Forest Service put in campsites on

Brule, they bypassed the granite outcrops and put all the campsites in the woods, at least on the east end, where I was looking. After passing a half dozen, I was forced to take the last one before Vernon Lake, a hole in the woods that, while unimpressive for views, had exceptionally few bugs, and for that I was grateful. I was almost too tired to care.

Day Three

Yeller and I sought out the falls in between Brule and Vernon, which was congested by fallen trees. We were now on the upper reaches of the south fork of the Brule River and for a moment I swore I saw a moose. I grabbed my camera, focused on the dark blob and took a picture, soon realizing the blob was just an overturned stump. Still, I felt if there were moose left anywhere in the BWCAW, they would surely be here in this remote area full of perfectly good swamp and water plants for the munching.

On the 300-rod portage out of Vernon, I took to singing. What I really didn’t want was to run into a moose in the woods. I

didn’t see a moose, but I did see several piles of wolf scat. I also saw the remnants of the last inhabitants of this area, likely a logging crew.

My map put Swan Lake at 100 feet deep. There were at least two nice campsites here and if I had more days, I certainly would have stayed, but there were no more days, so I kept on. Short 40-rod portages kept me going past the narrow, choked sections of the Brule. Somewhere in between Swan and Bower Trout, the hills extended upward in the distance and the low-lying river opened up and the view was positively heavenly.

I saw a perfectly painted turtle on a log and contorted my body to take its picture while the current swept me past. Once I snapped it and turned, I realized I was looking right at a moose. She saw us too and began swimming toward shore. My canoe just wouldn’t cooperate and I turned almost a full circle trying to get its picture. When it reached the shore and emerged from the water, there was a calf at its side. After I looked at the pictures, I saw there were actually two. Suddenly my sore muscles felt a little more limber.

When I finally hit Bower Trout after

Hurry up and portage already, Yeller says.

Loons abound in the BWCAW. This one checked us out as we reciprocated.

A granite knob on Horseshoe Lake makes for a pleasant evening.

A mama moose and calf swim across Bower Trout Lake.

SOLO cont. on page 52

traipsing (or trudging) through yet another bog, I paddled toward where I thought the landing would be (it was not clearly marked on my map). As I rounded another bend, I realized I was looking at another moose, a mother and calf swimming through the water. Once they were gone, I saw yet another moose swimming toward shore.

In retrospect, it was the moose that distracted me. It looked like they emerged from the lake and followed some animal trail into the woods. I didn’t see the canoe landing and turned back to go look again at the shore I’d already passed. When I did this, I again saw a moose swimming across the lake. I think it was the same mother and calf I’d seen a half mile back. Moose sightings? Check. But I still couldn’t find my way off the lake.

The landing wasn’t up-lake and it wasn’t down. I had spent at least an hour looking by this time. I decided to paddle right next to shore, and finally there it was—a mudbog more than a landing and exactly where the moose had exited the lake—I should have known. A 70-rod portage led me to the parking lot. Ram Lake, where I’d started, was just up the road, so Yeller and I hustled our way back to truck.

Next time, I vowed to portage less and rest more, which must mean I am getting older. I suppose I could wait for my husband to take time off of work and let him share the portage load. But there is something gratifying about being out there all alone. Paddlers I passed looked at me with part-admiration and part-she-must-be-crazy. They looked at Yeller like he must the bestdog-ever to sit so still in the canoe like that. Well, Yeller is one of the best dogs ever and I did feel brave and crazy for going solo. Perhaps I should start planning my next adventure, solo or not.

“Pie Place Cafe Cookbook” by Kathy Rice and “The Best Part of the Sauna,” written by Sheryl Peterson with illustrations by Kelly Dupre.

Art’s Gallery in Thunder Bay has issued an invitation to metalsmiths to participate in “Precious Metals on St. Paul Street,” a showcase of metal workers that will be held in the Art’s Gallery at 12 St. Paul St. and on the boulevard outside. The

deadline to register is Aug. 13, although late registration will be considered if space is available. For more info, call 807-767-7430.

The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council is currently accepting applications from individuals wishing to serve on its Board. The Board is especially looking for individuals with knowledge of dance or classical music. To find out more, visit www. aracouncil.org.

SAGANAGONS LAKE

WHY GO: This is a good place for folks that have never been to Quetico Provincial Park to wet their feet, and also have a chance at catching trophy fish, according to Brock Sletner of Seagull Outfitters on the Gunflint Trail.

ACCESS: There’s only one, relatively easy way of reaching Saganagons, Sletner said, and that’s via Cache Bay on the northwest end of Saganaga Lake. Several outfitters offer a tow service to Hook Island, just

across the border into Ontario. From there, paddlers head to the Cache Bay Ranger Station, where they would pick up their entry permits and fishing licenses (see www.ontarioparks.com/parks/quetico for info about permit fees and reservations). A Remote Area Border Crossing permit is also required. Once equipped with all of the required permits, paddlers head over the only portage between Cache Bay and Saganagons: Silver Falls Portage. The portage is a little bit longer than 100 rods, and considered easy to moderate, Sletner said. The portage offers great views of Silver Falls and is a good place to stop for a lunch.

GAME SPECIES PRESENT: Walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike and lake trout.

FINDING WALLEYES: Sletner advises folks that are serious about finding walleyes to bring some sort of depth-finding equipment, which will help them to locate structure such as drop-offs and reefs, which walleye seem to favor, heading up into shallow water in the morning and evening on sunny days.

He likes to find windswept shorelines and structure, pinch points and submerged shelves, where baitfish can get pushed into by current and are key feeding areas for walleyes.

Sletner said jigs and slip bobbers are some of the more effective ways of catching walleyes, but reminded that no live bait is allowed, so he brings in scented, imitation leeches, crawlers and minnows.

SWITCH TO SMALLIES: On clear, sunny days, it’s harder to catch walleyes, so Sletner said he’ll focus his attention on smallmouth bass, which

are more active during the day, either using topwater baits or soft plastics, typically around shorelines structure such as falls trees or other features.

BACK BAY PIKE: There are some northern pike pushing 40 inches on Saganagons, Sletner said, and a good way to target them is heading for some of the shallow, weedy bays on the east side of the lake and throwing large topwater plugs or diving crankbaits or jerkbaits.

“The bigger the bait, the bigger the fish you are going to catch,” Sletner said.

GET AWAY FROM THE PACK: Sletner suggested heading to the less-travelled east side of the lake. The west side, because its on a travel route to other lakes and also has lots of islands for camping, sees far more traffic. But the east side of the lake also has excellent fishing and its own archipelago of islands for camping.

Tim Young’s “Floating in the Forest,” acrylic, is on exhibit at the Coho Cafe.

A large inukshuk, or stone monument, marks a nice place for lunch.

northern sky

AUGUST 2014

By Deane Morrison UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA STARWATCH

August is a great month for vacations, and even the planets seem to be at play.

Take Mars, for example. Last month its eastward motion carried it past its longtime companion, the bright star Spica, in Virgo. As August begins, Mars is in the southwest, almost midway between Spica to the west and Saturn to the east. Continuing its eastward trek, the Red Planet glides below Saturn on the 25th. On the 31st, the two planets form a triangle with a young crescent moon.

The moon, too, is at play, some of it mischievous. It becomes full at 1:09 p.m. on the 10th, less than an hour before reaching perigee, the closest point to Earth in its orbit. This is the closest perigee of the year, so the moon will be big and beautiful; however, it won’t rise until about 8 p.m. that night—after waning for seven hours.

On the night of the 12th-13th, the moon will be past full but plenty bright enough to wash out many of the Perseid meteors at the shower’s peak. Perseids are often bright themselves, though, so look to the northeast in the late evening and hope for the best.

In the morning sky, Jupiter climbs steadily above the eastern horizon. Because it’s farther from the sun than Mars, it orbits more slowly; thus, Earth gains on Jupiter faster, making it climb faster in the morning sky. On the 18th, Jupiter sails close by Venus, which is sinking as it begins its next trip behind the sun.

Milky Way now stretches across a broad swath of the evening sky. Ornamenting it is the Summer Triangle of the bright stars Vega, Deneb, and Altair. And in the predawn hour (or two), look for the faint zodiacal light in the east, along the sun’s path. This lovely glow comes from sunlight reflecting off dust in the plane of the solar system.

The University of Minnesota offers public viewings of the night sky at its Duluth campus. For more information and viewing schedules, see the Marshall W. Alworth Planetarium at .www.d.umn. edu/planet

his truck. Every morning she ran down to greet him as he loaded his work truck. When Tim died unexpectedly one evening, she seemed to know. Certainly, she didn’t run down to see him after that.

For Vikki, Abby was an attentive companion. Because she is hard of hearing, Vikki relied on Abby’s ears to hear when someone was at the door. If she wasn’t feeling well, Abby would stay by her side. Although she loved to roam in the woods as my co-captain, she was very much Vikki’s dog.

When she was 9 years old, Dr. Kim, our vet, warned us that shepherd-husky mixes often don’t live beyond 10 years. When we discovered a fast-growing tumor on Abby’s tongue at age 12, Dr. Kim advised us to have it surgically removed in Duluth, because she was in excellent health. From then on, Dr. Kim would just smile and shake her in amazement whenever she saw the ever-older dog.

Abby had aches and pains that originated from getting hit by Tim’s truck. It was difficult to watch my walking companion, once as quick as a gust of wind, gradually slow down. The deep snow and bitter cold of last winter were especially difficult for her. By late winter, she wasn’t even interested in walking a short distance along the plowed county road.

She never lost her happy disposition. This spring, we were cautiously optimistic that she might make it to her 17th birthday in September. Then came the day when she no longer got up to greet me when I arrived home from work. Her strength was quickly fading and we knew it was time for one last visit to Dr. Kim to say good bye.

Wherever it is that dogs go, I’m sure Abby has human and canine friends who are happy to see her. Vikki says it may be awhile before we get another pup. As for me, I’ll always see Abby up ahead at the next turn in the trail, looking back at her co-captain. Then, with that toss of her head that says, “Let’s go!” she’ll disappear around the bend.

The

Send

The Best Part of a Sauna

By Sheryl Peterson and Illustrated by Kelly Dupre Raven Productions, 2013

This is a children’s book about the wonders of a sauna and Northwood’s life. The story is narrated by a young boy who is visiting his grandparents and preparing to take a sauna. The boy and his grandfa-

ther light the sauna and while he waits the boy gets to play a game with his grandmother, have a rock-skipping contest and go on a rowboat ride, all of which he insists, are not the best part of taking a sauna.

When the sauna is ready, the grandfather says it’s a hot one. “How hot is it?” the boy asks. “Hotter than cocoa! Hotter than a campfire! Hotter than hotdogs!”

I am lucky enough to have a sauna, and this tale makes me want to share the sauna and this woodsy tale with the young people in my life. The lovely illustrations by Grand Marais artist Kelly Dupre make it all the more special.

—Erin Altemus

Smitten with Squash

By Amanda Kay Paa

Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2014

Zucchini growers, fear not, help is on the way.

“Smitten with Squash” is a new cookbook with a section for summer squash and another for winter varieties. The recipes for zucchini actually make me wish I had more zucchi-

ni in my life—Summer Squash and Peach Kisses, Caprese Zucchini Noodle Salad, and Chocolate Coconut Zucchini Bread—are just a representative sample of the recipes. And there are reasons why you should eat more zucchini, such as this bountiful summer vegetable contains high amounts of manganese, a mineral that helps the body process fats, carbs and glucose.

In the winter squash section we get a chapter on each of seven varieties, including butternut, kabocha, red kuri, the behemoth blue hubbard and more. I can’t wait to try the Spiced Winter Squash Cheesecake with Dark Chocolate Drizzle and the Minnesota Wild Rice and Butternut Squash Salad with Maple-Balsamic Vinaigrette. Seriously, these recipes are making me drool, and I am willing my garden to grow a little faster.—Erin Altemus

Tight Lines Jewelry

If you are looking for a unique and classy gift for the angler in your life, look no further than Tight Lines Jewelry. Founder and designer Renee Schatzley had been crafting custom jewelry for 30 years when she was asked to create a piece that exemplified the beauty of fishing. Now she has a full line that includes pendants, necklaces, earrings, tie pins and cuff links. Each piece is hand-carved in wax and then cast in Argentium or gold.

The fly angler might like the Brook Trout Fish-On Pendant, while the Walleye Jumping Fish Pendant will please anyone who likes to take their rod to the lake on calm summer evening. For myself, a fisherwoman, I simply like the detail of the pieces that are sure to stand apart from the average necklace. A live brook trout in hand is a beautiful sight, and Tight Line’s Brook Trout Pendant on a silver fishing line captures that feeling.

See www.tightlinesjewelry.com —Erin Altemus

Amphibians and Reptiles in Minnesota

By John J. Moriarty and Carol D. Hall

University of Minnesota Press, 2014

If you have ever wanted to know more about the peeps and hums coming from your back yard pond or the snake you’ve seen meandering through your garden, this book is great reference. Filled with large color photos of creatures amphibious and scaled, the book gives detailed information about habitat and distribution as well as notes about species distinction and conservation.

The book covers all of Minnesota, so there are snakes we will never see in northeastern Minnesota (pit vipers, for example), but it’s interesting to read about them all the same. The toad, frog and turtle section is especially relevant for the Northern Wilds area and I look forward to looking up the next creature I find plopping down the path in front of me.—Erin

Altemus

SAWDUST IN THEIR BLOOD

100 years of the Hedstrom Lumber Co.

Sawdust In Their Blood:

100 Years of the Hedstrom Lumber Co.

By Jim Boyd North Shore Press

Imagine the difficult logistics of moving a burned-out sawmill from Tofte to Grand Marais in the middle of winter, using horses and sleighs. That’s exactly what Swedish immigrant and North Shore pioneer Andrew Hedstrom did in the winter of 1913-14. Then, working only with hand tools, the wrecked mill was entirely rebuilt, and on July 14, 1914, the new mill began sawing lumber on the banks of the Devil Track River as the Hedstrom Lumber Company. A century later the Hedstrom Lumber Co. is still in business.

Over the years, the sawmill has been razzed by fires, rebuilt, expanded, modernized, adjusted to the economic times of the 21st century, and more recently, moved into the specialty lumber market producing 15-million board feet a year. Today it continues to be an integral part of the economic and social structure of the North Shore community and is one of the few lumber mills remaining in northern Minnesota.

The book is a fascinating read about the pioneer days, stories, challenges and achievements of the Hedstrom family and the Hedstrom Lumber Co. during the past 100 years.—Elle Andra-Warner

Lady Lumberjack:

Dorothea Mitchell at Silver Mountain

By Dorothea Mitchell

Silver Mountain Publishing

In the early 1900s, British-born Dorothea Mitchell arrived at Ontario’s Silver Mountain Mines (located southwest of Thunder Bay near the Canada-U.S. border), and became a feisty force in mining, lumbering and frontier railroading in Northwestern Ontario, breaking into a tough business world long before the doors were open to women. After the mine closed, besides running a general store and railway station, she owned and operated her own sawmill and became known as “Lady Lumberjack”. Her trailblazing story is a pioneering adventure filled with colorful characters, old-time bush logging and milling, and challenges of wilderness homesteading (she was Ontario’s first unmarried woman to be granted a homestead).

Later Dorothea moved to Port Arthur (now part of Thunder Bay) where she scripted and acted in Canada’s first amateur feature film, “A Race for Ties”; and, she was 90 years old when her first book, “Lady Lumberjack,” was published and became a Canadian bestseller.

“Lady Lumberjack: Dorothea Mitchell at Silver Mountain” is the reprint of her original book first published in 1967. It was out-of-print for many years.—Elle Andra-Warner

Paddling to Winter

By Julie Buckles

Raven Productions, 2013

Julie Buckles and her husband Charley take off on the honeymoon trip-of-a-lifetime in 1999 paddling from Northern Wisconsin to the Arctic, wintering over in Wollaston Post, Saskatchewan along the way. They journey over 2,700 miles in their wood-canvas canoe (that they built) and you are right there in the boat with them as they paddle Superior, through the BWCA, the Winnipeg River, Lake Winnipeg and beyond. They trudge up river and run rapids, and pick berries to their heart’s content.

Buckles makes the emotional struggles real, and anyone who has been on a long paddling expedition will remember fondly what it’s like to paddle on for days, sometimes talking and often in silence. Anyone who hasn’t will wish they could.

The book is a page-turner from the beginning and an inspiration to follow your dreams.—Erin Altemus

Story and photos by Eric Chandler

Suppose you’re half in the bag at a New Year’s Eve party and your good friend Luke Huls says, “Hey, let’s go climb Mt. Rainier.” I recommend that you say, “Yes.” Even when you’re hung over on Jan. 1, stick to that crazy mid-life crisis plan.

Don’t kid yourself. You’ll have to plan ahead. In January, one guide outfit had already sold out for the whole upcoming year. The guide service we chose only had trips left in September.

More importantly, you have to prepare to climb a big mountain using technical climbing gear. This requires physical preparation. I skied the American Birkebeiner and ran Grandma’s Marathon earlier that year. That’s good for your motor, but lugging a pack up a big hill requires strength. The guide company gives free training advice at their website and regular email blasts that remind you to go train.

While preparing your body, you need to prepare a long list of gear that will get you to the summit in the elements. Again, our

guide service had long detailed checklists of what gear you need. I elected to buy my boots, ice axe, and headlamp. Luckily, I already had lots of winter sports clothing. Most everything else I rented from the guide outfit. And courage. (I’m kidding. I had to fake that since they don’t rent bravery.)

I spent several months climbing up and down the streets of Duluth with increasing amounts of weight in my pack. This allowed me to break in my boots and get my shoulders used to humping 50 pounds uphill. I asked my buddy Luke how he was training over in the flatlands of Fargo. He emailed me a picture of some bleachers at a football field. Ouch. That’s dedication.

Luke and I met up at the Seattle airport in the first week of September 2013. When we arrived we checked into Whittaker’s Bunkhouse and then met up with our guide JJ Justman. He used to race on cross-country skis, so he was okay. Oh, and he’s climbed Mt. Rainier over 200 times. So there’s that. He pulled the group inside one of the buildings and we watched a video that covered what we were about to attempt. Then we made our introductions. There were people

from all over the USA.

Next we gathered up our stuff and met up out on the grass. We spread out all of our gear for the equipment check. This was the first time I ever strapped on a pair of crampons. I walked stiffly around in the grass trying not to impale myself. We practiced climbing and crossing aluminum extension ladders since we’d be crossing crevasses on similar ladders. It wasn’t easy. I tried not to think about what it would feel like with a crevasse under the ladder. Luke laughed when he found his toddler’s pajamas in his gear. I told him he should use them as a flag at the summit.

Day Two of our four-day adventure was training day. We got into a shuttle bus that had a trailer for our packs. We drove to the Paradise lot inside the national park and swung our heavy packs onto our backs. We hiked to one of the lower snowfields so we could literally learn the ropes. We practiced self-arrests with our ice axes. We learned how to travel with a group when you are all roped up. We learned how to hold the ice axe so you’re instantly ready to hit the deck if someone cries, “Falling!” JJ kept it fun, but

he also made sure you were doing things the right way. It could be serious business, so we paid attention.

On Day Three, we awoke to steady rain. Bummer. I put on the rain shell that I rented to keep out the wet. One of the guides had an umbrella. He stayed dry and comfy. I stayed mostly dry, but sweated up a storm inside my jacket. I guess I won’t make fun of umbrellas anymore. We climbed up the same scenic path where we trained and continued to the Muir Snowfield. We trudged up into the wet clouds. We passed some scenic brooks and small waterfalls. With no views to distract me, I had more time to enjoy how the pack straps felt cutting into my shoulders. We finally made it to Camp Muir at around 10,000 feet. By then, we had climbed out of the rain and up into snowfall. Luke and I enjoyed our dehydrated meals and found a place to throw our sleeping bags in the rectangular RMI shelter. There is nothing quite like sleeping in a tiny shack with 20 of your closest sweaty, snoring friends. We went to bed at around 5 p.m. since the following summit day starts bright and early at around 1 a.m. I was just

Luke Huls and Mt. Adams, Mt. Hood, and Mt. St. Helens. From Camp Muir.

drifting off when JJ and Solveig Waterfall came back into the shack and turned on the lights. (As an aside, I think if you’re a young woman named Solveig Waterfall, you automatically grow up to be a mountain guide.)

“Well,” JJ said, “I’ve never said this in 18 years of guiding this mountain: Your group has zero chance of making the summit tomorrow.” That gets your attention.

He explained that the glacier ate all the ladders that crossed the crevasses. And that it made some new crevasses. It’s hard for puny humans to argue with that. But he said they would take us as high as they could. The place where we would have to turn around was a big blade of rock known as Disappointment Cleaver. Of course it was.

A couple people begged off. They had struggled just to make it to Camp Muir, so they checked out. About 15 people were left that wanted to continue. So I tossed and turned with a stranger kicking me in the ribs until we woke up on Day Four.

When Luke and I made it outside, it was chilly in the midnight snow. But we had a miracle. It was dead calm and crystal clear. At altitude, with no light pollution, the stars were overwhelming. One guy told me it reminded him of a time when he saw the starry sky while at the Grand Canyon where he had exclaimed, “S***, man.” I looked up and agreed.

We roped up and started across Cowlitz Glacier. Here and there we were near a crevasse. When I saw a big black hole next to our path, I quickly looked forward. Having blinders is not all bad. It was quite a sight as several different rope teams made their way across the glacier in the dark. Headlamps probed the way up to Cathedral Gap.

After a few hours, we stopped and chewed on snacks while the guides huddled. After the huddle, they switched me to a different rope. About seven people decided they’d had enough and were headed back to Camp Muir. Unfortunately, Luke decided to turn around at that point, too. I was bummed we wouldn’t continue together. Around eight climbers and several guides continued up and across Ingraham Glacier.

As we approached Disappointment Cleaver, we shortened the rope between climbers for the switchbacks up the rocky path. Solveig, now the guide on my rope, led us up. In the dark, in the glow of my headlamp, all I worried about was placing my feet securely in front of me and not yanking my fellow climbers off balance. There really wasn’t an opportunity to look around. All you’d see would be your lamplight beaming into nothingness.

Eventually, we arrived at a ledge on Disappointment Cleaver and Solveig called for a stop. I thought it was just another rest break, but this was the end of the line. We sat and watched the skies grow lighter in the east. Giant overhangs of ice and Little Tahoma Peak started to show up in the scattered clouds and the increasing light. Solveig took a hero picture of me and we eventually started down. As things got brighter, the views were staggering. I was supposed to be disappointed with no summit. It was hard to feel that way as we walked down Ingraham Glacier by the house-sized blocks of ice lit by the sunburst coming over the snow. I would’ve complained, but my jaw was hanging down by my belly button. Now I could see what we walked by in the dark. In a couple spots, oblivion was only five steps away.

We turned the corner in Cathedral Gap and could see Mt. St. Helens and the other volcanoes on the horizon. It was truly a bluebird day as we crossed the Cowlitz Glacier and returned to Camp Muir. I rejoined with Luke and tried to describe what I saw. Words failed, so we just took in the view from that saddle on the side of Mt. Rainier.

We made our way down the Muir Snowfield that was obscured the day before. A few people took the express elevator and made good time sliding on their butts. My glutes already hurt, so I didn’t add bruises to the mix. It got warmer as we headed back down to Paradise. We stopped and looked back up the Nisqually Glacier at the big mountain with the bright blue backdrop. What a shame we couldn’t go all the way up.

We hoisted our adult beverages back in Ashford and celebrated our adventure. I was glad my friend Luke suggested the trip.

In retrospect, it seems like a dream—a fourday surgical strike that barely seems real. I learned that my legs were pretty wobbly even without getting to the top. If I go back, I’ll train more. The mountain is bigger than you think. Even so, when your friends propose something crazy, sometimes you have to go.

The big gift I got from this trip is a question I can’t get out of my head. My lasting philosophical question is this: Would you rather reach the summit on a cloudy day where you can only see your boots? Or would you rather go only partway up on a day with glorious views? Well?

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LAND OWNERS

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Day 4: Little Tahoma Peak (3rd highest in Washington; to the left) while descending Ingraham Glacier.

1st Place Wildlife Category 2013, Moose Calf by Paul Chambers

Strange Tales

Fugitive in Thunder Bay

By Elle AndraWarner

Remember the slogan “Run Bambi Run” that appeared on T-shirts, bumper stickers and at public rallies when Bembenek—nicknamed “Bambi” by her supporters—escaped from a Milwaukee prison? In the early 1990s, the saga of convicted murderer Laurie Bembenek garnered international media attention when she was a fugitive on the lam for three months before being discovered in Thunder Bay, where she had been living with her fiancé and working as a waitress a half-block from the city’s police headquarters.

Milwaukee-born Bembenek had been convicted of killing her husband’s ex-wife Christine Schultz on May 29, 1981, in a case that TV’s Diane Sawyer called “the most glamourous murder case of the decade.”

In March 1980, just over a year before the murder, Bembenek joined the Milwaukee Police Department, graduating from the 21-week police academy training course, but fired a month later because of an unsubstantiated charge against her. Calling it discrimination, she decided to fight her discharge by releasing to police the photos in her possession of Milwaukee police officers dancing nude in public. However, nothing ever came of any investigation, leaving Bembenek struggling to find new work.

Sometime late in 1980, she met Elfred “Fred” Schultz Jr., a Milwaukee police detective recently divorced from his wife Christine Schultz. After dating for only two months, Elfred Schultz and Bembenek married in a civil ceremony on Jan. 30, 1981 in Illinois. Schultz (who had been one of the officers in the nude photos) continued in policing while she got a job as public safe-

ty officer with Marquette University.

Four months later, Christine Schultz was shot at point-blank range, witnessed by her two sons. Less than a month later, on June 24, 22-year-old Bembenek was arrested at Marquette University, and two days later, charged with first-degree murder, accused of using her husband’s off-duty revolver to shoot Christine. He was working that night, so he had an alibi.

On March 9, 1982, after a much-publicized trial, Bembenek—who proclaimed from the beginning she was innocent—was convicted of murder on mostly circumstantial evidence and given a life sentence. At her sentencing, the presiding judge acknowledged the circumstantial evidence but noted the ballistics evidence convicted her, as it tied the bullet to her husband’s off-duty gun.

Two years later, in June 1984, Bembenek’s divorce from Schultz was granted. He moved to Florida and she served time at Wisconsin’s Taycheedah Correctional Institute in Fond du Lac while her lawyers kept filing appeals and petitions for a new trial.

Then on July 15, 1990, after eight years and four months in jail, Bembenek had had enough: aided and accompanied by her fiancé, 34-year-old Dominic Gugliatto (a brother of an inmate), she escaped by squeezing through a laundry room window, climbed a seven-foot chain link fence and fled.

Worldwide media ran with the story, dubbing her the “glamourous convicted killer” and America’s most celebrated fugitive. Public sympathy grew for her with “Run Bambi Run” rallies and paraphernalia (T-shirts, car stickers); in a WISN-TV phone-in, three-quarters of 15,500 callers said they believed she was innocent.

Three months later, on October 17, 1990, Bembenek and Gugliatto were arrested in Thunder Bay after her case was profiled on the TV show “America’s Most Wanted” and a Thunder Bay visitor from California called in to say a woman resembling Bembenek served him at the city’s Columbia Grill & Tavern.

The couple had arrived in Thunder Bay just days after the escape, renting a small basement apartment on July 18 as Jennifer and Tony Gazzano. Five days later, Bembenek started work at the Columbia Grill, a restaurant frequented by police officers as the Thunder Bay Police headquarters was just down the street. According to Columbia’s owner Louis Kebezes, the brown-haired server (who years before had briefly been a waitress at the Playboy Club in Lake Geneva) was popular with customers. (Though the restaurant’s ownership has changed and is now Norma Jean’s, it still has its famous 1960s diner interior with the Marilyn Monroe news-clippings and good food).

Charged with Canadian Immigration Act violations, Bembenek applied for refugee status, her lawyers arguing she had been framed for murder. At the hearing, the intense media attention prompted one local lawyer to respond, “There is a tradition in Canada that we try people in court—we don’t try them in the media.”

Canadian authorities had concerns about how her American murder case had been handled, but nonetheless, 21 months later,

in April 1992, she was returned to the U.S. Seven months later, she was paroled after accepting a no-contest plea to second-degree murder, her lawyer saying she took the deal hoping that once freed, she could prove her innocence.

Over the years, much of the evidence against Bembenek has been disputed and some even disproven through DNA and new ballistics testing. Yet, when 52-year-old Laurie Bembenek died Nov. 20, 2010 in a Portland, Ore. hospice of liver failure, her name had not been cleared.

Norma Jean’s, formerly the Columbia Grill, is where Bembeneck worked while in Thunder Bay. | ELLE ANDRA-WARNER

Laurie Bembenek and Dominic Gugliatto. | PUBLIC DOMAIN

Fix ’em—Play ’em—Fly ’em:

The ‘Piano Balloon Man’ turns beloved hobbies into fulfilling career

By Kelsey Roseth

At the age where some of us were sending a Slinky careening down the stairs, cracking open an egg of Silly Putty or thoughtfully arranging our Army men for battle, Steve Johnson decided that flying was in his future.

It was the 1950s. The then 5-year-old Johnson was playing in the yard of his boyhood home in Hibbing when the loud roar of a powerful engine stopped him in his tracks. “I looked up and said, ‘Dad, what was that?’” Johnson asked. His dad replied, “Son, it’s a P51 Mustang—the airplane that won the war.”

That moment Steve Johnson fell for flying full force. The enthusiastic child began crafting wooden model airplanes and started stuffing an aviation scrapbook with magazine and newspaper clippings of the latest airplane models.

His passion for aviation accelerated. When it came time to consider a career, Johnson researched how to get a job with North Central Airlines (now known as Delta Air Lines) and determinedly tackled all requirements. Candidates had to be under 29-years-old (check), have a two-year math science degree (so he got one) and acquire 500 hours of flying time with multiple engines (which was not so easy to obtain). Johnson thought, “Air Force facilities have Aero Clubs … Maybe I can do some flying in the Air Force!”

up, was shipped out and spent the next few years in the Air Force exploring the Philip pines and Vietnam from the sky. When he returned home, Johnson got his commer cial license and became a flight instructor in Duluth, still working to obtain his flight experience.

“Aha!” moments. “I was getting married and what happens then? You have to work for a living. You can’t be putting all your money into flying lessons,” he said. Lucky

Ballooning was an easy transition after his years of flying planes and a good source fect chance for Johnson to let his passion for aviation loose. He began thoroughly studying the balloon’s mechanics and the physics that allow it to guide effortlessly in

head Region down to a science. According to his research, on average, there are 44 days per year that are perfect for flight here. He looks for wind speeds that are less than three mph and a temperature below 50

One of Steve’s favorite family pics. Shown with his grandchildren Madison and Tyler (shot about 10 years ago). | COURTESY STEVE JOHNSON

Wilderness

Retreat

SALE: Remote cabin on Kemo Lake north of Grand Marais MN. 16 acres and 500 ft. shoreline. Mixed timber. Moose, deer, grouse, and great lake trout

degrees. Those factors help his three-person balloon soar safely and with ease and, if conditions are suitable, his balloon can gain up to 7,400 feet in elevation. Oh, and his top secret spot for ballooning is the Carlton/Esko area, but don’t tell anyone.

As it turns out, ballooning is also an excellent way to rack up a ton of moving memories and great stories, like the time he met Bertrand Piccard, the first balloonist to complete a nonstop trip around the globe. Or, there was the time when he gave a friend’s 100-year-old father his first balloon ride … in the dead of winter. Or, he once accidentally saved a deer from a pack of ravenous timber wolves while in flight, as the fleeing deer ran right underneath the balloon and the wolves left, scared. Smart deer.

So here’s what an average day looks like for Johnson now: if the conditions are right, he’ll utilize his more than 45 years of flying experience to give a balloon ride in the morning. Then, he’ll tune pianos at churches and residences around town in the afternoon. On frequent evenings he’ll play piano at parties or head to Nelson’s Resort in Crane Lake where he is on his 32nd consecutive season serving as the beloved piano entertainer, rocking out to the hit parade of the 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s.

Johnson swears, “I’ll never retire. I like what I’m doing” and it makes sense. Not many of us get the opportunity to spend a lifetime pursuing all our passions and making a living from them. He took off creating a creative, clever niche for himself with no plans of landing any time soon.

The Piano Balloon. | COURTESY STEVE JOHNSON

Steve Johnson meets Bertrand Piccard, the first to complete a non-stop balloon flight around the globe. | COURTESY STEVE JOHNSON

6 LAKE SUPERIOR ISLANDS

2 to 95 acres.

Starting at $90,000 USD

UPPER SCOTCH LAKE

70 Acres and Home For Sale in Hovland

2 well built log homes. Each with log sauna buildings, sand beaches, sheltered mooring area, more building sites and southern views of Scotch Lake. Surrounded by crown land and largest of only a few private parcels on this huge lake. Very secluded and private. Great fishing/hunting retreat. $1,200,000 CDN

NICOL ISLAND ROSSPORT

Tremendous Lake Superior building sites.

Lakefront and interior lots for sale with docking facilities. Causeway opened year round. Power and phone. Starting at $55,000 CDN

The ultimate fly-in

resort. Totally outfitted with all the

80 miles

Incredible fishing! Main

of

with sauna and hot tub. Diesel generator, fish cleaning house, boats, motors. Harry Lake is a very large lake with no road access and Harry Lake resort is the only improvement. $295,000 CDN

Tremendous opportunity. 1 acre cottage lot with 149.3 feet lake frontage. Northwestern exposure, rocky shoreline, great views across Lake of the Woods. $109,500 CDN

LAKE

Just 20 mi. north of Thunder Bay is the setting for this very comfortable and private year-round home. Very well built in 1998. Includes open concept lr/ dr/kit with built-ins, 3 br’s, 2 full baths, hardwood floors. Sand/pebble beach, separate sauna building with extra bedroom. 4.27 acres with great fishing. $449,000 CDN

One mile off Hwy. 61, this park-like setting with ponds, woods and wildlife has a one-bedroom 24’ by 48’ home with electricity and solar power. No running water, could be added in future. Incinolet toilet. Woodstove and propane heat.

Includes Garage, pole building and 12’ by 12’ lookout house/studio that

sits part way up Sawtooth Mtn. Range behind the house. Buyer could divide it into three 20-acre parcels. $300,000. Call or email Penny Schuppel for more information or pictures. 218-475-2432 pennys@boreal.org

LAKE OF THE WOODS TWO ISLAND

House & Garage Open Yard with Pond Cabin on Mountain

Bloomquist Mtn. Road 5.8A$49,700 10 miles east of Grand Marais with power at the property, driveway, and several building sites partially cleared! MLS 6001709

East Highway 61 6.8A - $69,900

Exceptional value on this private parcel. Driveway is in, multiple building sites, and wonderful views of Superior! MLS 6001736

East Highway 61 - $59,900

20A Large, private parcel close to town with elevation, meaning panoramic views of Lake Superior! Large building site has been leveled. MLS 6000432

Murphy Mtn Rd - $84,900

View of Lake Superior, 5A, within 10 minutes of town. Surveyed, pins are all clearly marked, utilities in place and septic sites are identified. MLS 6002592

Lake Superior Lots

2888 W Hwy 61 - $319,900

Great views with 1.24A, 200’ ledgerock shoreline embedded with Thomsonite Stones. Close to town, relatively easy building site and nice mix of trees. MLS 6002353

Big Bay, Hovland - $87,500

Deep Lake Superior lot w/11A of heavily wooded land. Gently sloping topography to 318’ of shore. PRICED TO SELL!! MLS 6002372

Stonegate Road - $239,000

Your choice of 3 Hovland lake lots! Features 2+ acres with 200’ of frontage.Very private, convenient location & well wooded. MLS 6002103

14 Stonegate Road - $219,000

1.17A of nicely wooded, private, Lake Superior land. 200’ shoreline in an unspoiled location. MLS 6001608

57XX East Hwy 61 - $129,900

4.1A Hovland lake lot, 280 ft of shore. Driveway, power, & septic mound in place. MLS 6002142

2884 W Hwy 61 - $299,900 Attractive

Inland Lake Lots

Homes & Cabins

Large Acreage

72.56A Camp 20 Rd - $129,900

Rare large parcel (72.56 acres) with prime hunting and many recreational possibilities. Nice forest cover with aspen, birch, balsam, spruce and pine trees. Here is your recreational dream!

MLS 6001860

38A - Camp 20 Rd - $49,900

38A, situated in great hunting country. Trails and old logging roads that make for wonderful hiking, snow shoeing or cross country skiing. A cute cabin and outhouse complete this getaway package.

MLS 6001171

23A Irish Creek Road - $26,900

Year round 23A; abuts State land, Nice mix of mature trees and gently rolling topography. Easy road access.

MLS 6002407

92A Tom Lake Rd - $79,900

Rolling, wooded, great place with one identified and many other building sites. Nice 92A with lots of potential for recreation or building your own secluded hideaway. MLS 6002723

110A W Highway 61 - $649,900

110A wooded land, on Hwy 61 corridor. Year round access, many development options, multiple zoning (Far-3, R-1, and Commercial)

MLS 6002185

93A E Highway 61 - $199,900

Very rarely do we have so large and splendid parcel (93A) close to Lake Superior, with excellent access plus electricity, phone and fiber optic cable nearby.

MLS 6001571

200A Camp 12 Rd - $159,900

200 acres of land, which is basically surrounded by State and Federal land so you have access to thousands of acres!! Talk about the ultimate hideaway! Mature trees, gently rolling topography, wild life trails and logging roads.

MLS 6002411

40A Camp 12 Rd - $49,900

40A off of Irish Creek Rd. Surrounded on 3 sides by State land. Approx ¼ mile of babbling frontage on Irish Creek.

MLS 6002405

43A County Road 7 - $299,900

Large, nicely wooded parcel with seasonal Lake Superior views! Excellent development potential with multiple zoning (R1 & Far 3). Survey and wetlands delineation completed in 2007. Electric at road.

MLS 6002300

40A Morgan Rd. - $199,900

Surrounded on three sides by Cascade State Park. Located off a year round road and connects with the Superior Hiking Trail. Close to town with lovely Lake Superior views, and an excellent mix of trees. MLS 6002352

40A County Road 69 - $39,900

Good location and large 40A tract. Power available. Access via logging road and easement off Arrowhead Trail. Exceptional price!

MLS 6002427

25A Tom Lake Rd - $49,900

25A close to Tom Lake. Enjoy the lake without the high lakeshore taxes.

MLS 6002625

115+A Arrowhead Trail - $84,900

Excellent property priced right. Electric and phone at street.

Squint Lake 5A surrounded on 2 sides by government land. Convenient mid-trail location with easy access to many recreational activities.

MLS 6000882 $72,900

Gunflint Trail

6A, great location right off of the Gunflint Trail, close to town AND the golf course. Utilities are readily available. Healthy mix of trees.

MLS 6001301 $42,900

Residential parcel with lots of privacy but very close to Grand Marais. 5A, beautifully forested with possible Lake Superior views.

NEW MLS 6002789 $55,000

County Rd 7

Wooded 5A parcel with nice mix of trees and fields with quality build sites. Privacy yet close to town, this property is the perfect place for you northwoods home!

MLS 6002413 $79,900

Arrowhead Tr

Excellent recreational land with building sites and excellent potential.

MLS 6002766 $59,000

County Rd 14

Nicely wooded 20A parcel consisting of two lots!

Year round access with electricity and telephone readily available.

MLS 6002375 $74,900

10A with year round access, electricity and phone. Abuts Federal land and provides access to an incredible amount of Gov’t land.

MLS 6002376 $44,900

Wood Mountain Rd

This affordably priced 8+ acre lot abuts Federal Land, is surveyed & septic sites are identified. Located off Taylor Land & is close to town.

MLS 6002424 $47,900

5A of nicely wooded, level land. Very private but close to town on County Road 7. South of the intersection of Co Rd 7 and Co Rd 44.

MLS 6002282 $54,900

Lone Cedar Trail

20A with almost end-of-the road privacy just minutes from town. Hiking trails throughout over hill and dale. Travel trailer included. NEW MLS 6002678 $59,900

Bluefin Bay - Tofte

Units at Bluefin Bay offer stunning views of Superior and access to both award winning amenities and restaurants! Excellent rental potential. unit 16 2BR, 2BA unit with stunning view over the old Tofte pier.

MLS 6000300 $345,000

unit 40 2 BR, 2 BA unit has upper-level, south facing views of Lake Superior.

MLS 6002526 $295,000

unit 55 3 BR, 3BA unit immaculately well-kept being sold fully furnished. MLS 6001953 $565,000 unit 66 3BR, 3BA unit with multiple rental options, units A & B. MLS 6001732, $525,000 unit 11 2BR, 2BA unit, close to the lake. Can be rented as two units or one. MLS 6002770 $289,000 NEW unit 49 3BR, 3BA brand new unit. Numerous upgrades and appointments. MLS 6002762 $475,000 NEW unit 45 3BR, 3BA unit, recently remodeled. Can be rented as two units or one. MLS 6002761 $455,000 NEW

Surfside on Superior

Become an owner at Lake Superior’s newest premiere resort, Surfside on Superior. Quarter-share ownership is 13-weeks of year-round, maintenance-free ownership which you can decide to use yourself or generate rental income to offset the costs associated with ownership.

MLS 6002764 $189,000

Morgan Road

20A with some amazing Lake Superior views. Feels remote but close to town. Property abuts Cascade State Park and Federal land. NEW MLS 6002668 $79,900

116 Overlook Dr

3.33A with Lake Superior view, privacy, and is user friendly for building. Located at the end of Overlook Trail in Tofte, utilities available & year round access.

MLS 6002510 $64,900

Pendant Lake Tr

5A, beautifully wooded with year round access. Power on sight, phone close by. Has feel of complete solitude but close to town. NEW MLS 6002672 $48,000

Roman’s Rd Close to Devil Track Lake and lots of recreational activities. 1.06A

PuBLIC BeACH TO L AK e suPeRIOR a stone’s throw from your front door! nearly historical home has been lovingly restored from studs to siding, only left is your finishing touches to make this home your own! 17 acres, 4+ garage workshop, and an easy stroll to Lake superior beach just minutes to grand marais, this home is a keeper! MLs#6002339 $258,500

the least, enjoy a gorgeous superior stone Corner Fireplace with main Level Living, and a modern functional design that welcomes your own touches for updating! Over 300 ft of shoreline, garage and outdoor fireplace! MLs#6000899 ReduCed! $695,000

BeAuTY A nd THe BIG

TOW nHOMe AT W IndsOnG On L AK e suPeRIOR! Up and Coming beaver bay boasts an easier drive to the cities and really good Value! a mazing layout to soak in the Views, this home won’t disappoint! ML s#TBA $339,000

sHOCKInG V IeWs, InCR edIBLe HOMe! bowl Over your guests with the Lake superior views, quality crafted home with fine finishings and thoughtful design! Lovely setting perched atop the sawtooth r idges over blue Fin bay in tofte! MLs#6002232 $550,000

eAsY LIVInG On L AK e suPeRIOR! super location between grand marias and Lutsen with incredible views of the big Lake! meticulously maintained, move in ready, great Opportunity to make this your dream Lake superior home! MLs#6001226 $569,500

CRAFTed FROM THe RuGGed LedGeROCK!

This Lake superior masterpiece exudes thoughtful design focused on joining the big Lake with the Living space. enter in to the great room to Jaw dropping Views through a 22 ft prow of Windows rivaled only by a gorgeous well situated Fireplace. Over 11 ac. & 317 ft of shoreline scratching in to the Lake creating interesting e xploration with many opportunities for Lakeside firepits!

MLs#6002276 $849,900

M ARV eLOus L AK e suPeRIOR LIVInG! Well maintained Family Compound with yr round newer home on 8+ ac and 340+ ft accessible shoreline! but’s it really about “The shining rocks” The “rock 1” log cabin was built early 30’s, and it’s been lovingly maintained by only a handful of families since. Cabins rock 1, 2 & 3 create this incredible family compound! ML s#6002529 $799,000

dR eAMY L AK e suPeRIOR land and lakeshore! several acres of privacy and way more than 200 ft of Level access Lake superior shoreline in schroeder, near sugarloaf Cove naturalist a rea!

MLs#6001554 $320,000

L AK e suPeRIOR A nd LuTsen Leads to the good Life! sweet Lake superior build ready parcel in the heart of Lutsen, driveway in place all you need is some vision for laying out your home to take advantage of the Creek and the level ledgerock of Lake superior!

MLs#31207 $279,900 ReduCed HuGe!!

MeeTInG OF WATeR A nd W ILdeR ness! 200 ft of Ledge rock sprawling for what seems like a football field in to Lake superior! north of Castle danger, phenom build site!

MLs#30422 $409,000

L AK e suPeRIOR V IeWs, This home sleeps tons, generates great rental revenues and borders the Cascade r iver state park Overlooking Lake superior in between Lutsen and grand marais! ML s#31098 $229,000 R eduCed!

FABuLOus L AK e suPeRIOR V IeWs, FABuLOus HOMe! a rchitecturally designed for main level living, hUge windows allow you to soak in the superior Views! enjoy two fireplaces, two levels of living! great location between Lutsen and tofte! ML s#6001010 $344,900 CRA z Y BIG L AK e BIG MOunTAIn V IeWs! epic home with sprawling views, too incredible to imagine, you mUst see! main Level Living, huge deck, loft bedrooms and lower level family/guest space. Over 6 acres! MLs#6002052 $275,000

L AK e! Quality crafted townhome features an owner’s suite so luxurious your family and guests may wonder if you’ll ever reappear! 476’ of shared shore w/ a point that juts dramatically into the lake forming good harbor & Cutface Creek beach. Water, sewer, ext. maint. covered by assoc., Just show up, relax, and e xplore! ML s#6002475 $375,000

deeRYAR d L AK e FROnTAGe, with garage/workshop. south facing w/ 10 acres of maples, old growth white pine, and ancient cedars. a ll abutting public

LOG CABIn On BIRCH L AK e! ML s#6002508 $342,900 sa Le pending Less than 2 W eeks On the market!

A RCHITeCTuRAL dOOzIe On CHRIsTIne L AK e in Lutsen! Luxury Lodge style home with basalt stone Fireplace engulfed between built in douglas Fir bookcases…get the picture? total Quality, total serenity from this very Cool Lutsen Lake home with bunkhouse, tons of privacy and wildlife! rental revenues offset ownership costs! MLs#6001978 $455,000 AWesOMe VALue! HOW A BOuT FOCusInG On FIsHInG? year round cabin on gust Lake, just outside the bWCa and a half hour from Lutsen mountains ski resort is really a great Fish Camp for friends and family to gather and enjoy the cabin, guest cabin and sauna house! a nd catch some fish! MLs#6001054 $299,000 BARGAIn!

LuTsen seA VILLAs, Level accessible Lake superior! The Lutsen sea Villas are a great Way for those who enjoy vacationing long term or short term along the north shore! a ffordable association dues make for low maintenance living with a good management company available for offsetting the ownership costs. a nd if you want to keep the Villa all to yourself, you can! One, two and three bedroom Villas available, most recently update and all in the heart of Lutsen just a short shuttle to Lutsen mountains ski resort! From $189,000 Call tOday!

K3 $189,000 RenOVATed!

B3 $300,000 2 BedRM MInT!

B1 $400,000 YR ROund LIVIn’!

C5 $249,9000 ReMOdeLed!

FAMILY Fun AT LuTsen MOunTAInsCARIBOu HIGHLA nds ResORT! spend your days hiking, biking and speeding down the a lpine slide, and walk to Live music at Lutsen mountains! Check out the value of these gorgeous Vacation homes adjoining the Lutsen mountain ski resort! multiple Units available from 1 to 4 bedrm: FROM $68,900 uP TO $309,000!

LIV e A nd WORK FROM HOMe In LuTsen! a rare opportunity to buy a lovely dovetail Log home on 20 acres smack in the middle of a maple syrup operation! home and current “sugarshack” and retail sales log cabin! e xisting successful maple syruping business could be included for the right buyer. Call list agent k im Wolff for details! ML s#6002581 $375,000

K AH nee TAH! These authentic north shore Cottages enjoy Lutsen’s Cascade beach rd frontage along Lake superior (great rental revenue!) and highway access for Lutsen’s treasured a rt gallery! Live and Work on the north shore with an e xisting business! MLs#6002091 $280,000 ReduCed!

TRuLY IMPR essIV e #25 AT CHATeAu On L AK e suPeRIOR! Wonderfully decorated, recently remodeled w/ hardwood floors, new furnishings & lighting & more! spa-like bathrms!

IROnIC Isn’T IT? a condo in the middle of the northwoods, isabella location! What a great idea for those outdoor enthusiasts looking for very nice accommodations to come back to after a full day of fishing, boating, hiking, biking, snowmobiling and cross country skiing! it’s really the best of the northwoods at a great price! MLs#6001979 $145,000

WeLCOMInG TOFTe HOMe on six and a half acres of boreal forest! The remodeled kitchen is mint, great space for cooking up plenty of family meals! Living room is large and open to dining area, just needs a fresh coat of paint and you are going to love this home! Large crafts room/art studio attached to the

CLeA n LInes and easy Living in tofte! sweet 2 plus bedroom, detached garage and nice Lake superior views, you will enjoy coming home after a day of outdoor adventure! a must see to appreciate how nice this home is! ML s#6001945 $169,000

nATuRAL BeAuTY with main Level living! great home very functional design on gorgeous land, hiking trails with camp fire pit and a 20x40 very well insulated garage with work bench, it’s the complete package for wilderness living in year round location east of grand marais! ML s#6002327 R eduCed! $212,000

LOCATIOn LOCATIOn LOCATIOn! This home has a ton to offer the starter home or Fixer Upper buyer, put some sweat equity in this charmer and it will be money well spent on this gorgeous 10 acres of rolling boreal forest, minutes outside of grand marais! ML s#6000256 $180,000

LIV e In sTYLe on Caribou trail! Lutsen living minutes to the ski resort and Caribou Lake! Functional design, lots of storage and separate garage on 5 acres of maple! ML s#6000944 $230,000

TuCK ed A LOnG THe

A LFR ed CR eeK with moose mountain Views! We call this home the Lutsen Charmer! Three levels of living, detached garage and bunkhouse in a spectacular setting between downtown Lutsen and the Lutsen mountains!

ML s#6001748 $284,900

THe ROuGH sTuFF has already been done. build-ready site with high-quality components in place: insulated slabs for house w/ porch and garage are set up with infloor heat, plumbing, electric, timedose & heated septic system, 179’ deep well, gravel driveway, rocks/boulders, 15 cords of clear aspen sawn for paneling for house/cabinets/counters if desired, blue prints for buildings/ design are also included which saves a fortunate buyer thousands of dollars. priced W eLL beLOW what has already been put into this tremendous lot! ML s#6001308 R eduCed! $124,900

A RCHITeCTuRAL desIGn near Carlton peak! good bang for your buck for square footage, this multi-level home is very Cool. Updated gourmet kitchen, new flooring and carpet and two garages! ML s#6001636 R eduCed! $240,000

CusTOM CRAFTsMA nsHIP, small Footprint design! main level bedrm and Loft bedrm, large office, bath on upper and main floor! huge, heated workshop/garage, any man’s dream! Very affordable living with option to rent the garage apt. with a little finishing! ML s#6002254 $269,000

CABIn LIVInG WITH eLBOW ROOM!

great location between blue Fin bay and Lutsen mountains, make this your winter getaway retreat! easy access to hiking, biking, snowmobiling…you name it and it’s within minutes! 4+ acres, nice Lake superior views and a two plus garage! ML s#6000042 $140,000 R eduCed!

TOFTe TR eAsuR e across from blueFin bay! Looking for a Cute Vacation rental that doesn’t have a ton of association dues? This is it! Creekside location across from blueFin bay, a stone’s throw to Lake superior and Coho Café, a great Vacation spot! HUGE VALUE! ML s#6001354 $149,000

sMOOTH sAILInG Cabin in the Woods! Views of Lake superior from the Covered front porch. yr rd access, electric, well and newer septic in place! ML s#6002254 $141,500 ReduCed!

s i Lver Bay to Litt L e Marais to Fin L and & i sa B e LL a!

New! Show Stopping Views from this White tail r idge building site, looks over Wolf r idge eLC, astounding mountain top Views!

MLs#6002468 $79,000

New! Rocky Wall land with driveway in place, hUge views of shovel point!

MLs#6002434 $99,000

Swallow Lake Land, isabella a rea Wilderness shoreline in a mature pine area off deep Lake rd. multitude of Lakes abound, much recreational opportunity!

MLs#30253 $69,900 HuGe VALue!

Enough Is Enough! We are talking 30 acres of elevated rolling hills bordering the r idge looking down the Little manitou r iver to Lake superior. Can subdivide, but at this price, you’ll want to keep it all for yourself! MLs#24573 $179,000

SHAZAAAM Lake Superior views with 5th Wheel, electric at build site minutes to tettagouche state park

MLs#30736 $119,000!

Sonju Lake Road in Finland!

several large parcels from $44,900 MLs#6001324

Huge Lake Superior views, build site surrounded by cliff wall and creek! MLs#TBd $89,900

160 acre parcel of upland maples and boreal forest. beautiful forest, absolute quiet, total seclusion. Owned by the same family since 1904! MLs#6002612 $155,000

Wilderness Getaway near Tettegouche State Park, good point to Lake superior! rustic log cabin with electricity is waiting for your tLC to bring it in to its next life! MLs#6002571 $64,900

s chroeder a rea n ear the c ross r iver!

Zeke’s Road 30 ac parcel-great hunting land! MLs#6001525 $47,500

Perhaps the most unique piece of property on the north shore! Old rock quarry is surrounded by steep ledge rock reaching up to the sky. your own little lagoon like lake on the top of sawtooth mountain ridge, it’s simply stunning. rugged terrain that was touched by man many years ago, time has now passed and the land has gone back to wilderness with mature pines and south facing maples. MLs#6001560-66 FROM $95,000

40 ac at the end of Wild Onion trail! MLs#6001602 $49,000

10 Ac Parcels of Maples! scramble across the rolling terrain of mature maples (breathtaking in the Fall) to a sweet building site perched Over a mixed boreal Forest, good Levels of serenity For sure! year round access and electric at road! ML s#6000676 $56,900

Over 5 acres of Young Aspen and Lake superior Views on the sugarloaf road, Walk to superior hiking trail or sugarloaf Cove on Lake superior! ML s#25632 $29,900

Sugarloaf Retreats on High Ridge Drive, located up the surgaloaf road from sugarloaf Cove naturalist a rea, enjoy large acreage parcels at rock bottom prices! From $62,000! ML s#25701-4 t o F te a rea n ear B LueFin Bay r esort!

Just Up the Sawbill Trail grab your little piece of the northwoods, rolling terrain and small community feel with year round access, great build sites! ML s#6001346 From $17,500!!

Hilltop Views at LeVeaux mountain! sweet Lake superior views or just a great lot bordering fed land! From $19,500 ML s#27035

Toftevaag on the Sawbill, nice Lake Views! Walk to the Coho, great location! FROM $53,000 MLs#29252

Cool Spot for your Dream Home! driveway is in place leading to a drop dead gorgeous building site with ledge rock vertical drop water fall! MLs#6002624 $65,000

Lutsen Lake v iews & w i L derness Lands!

New! Gorgeous 5 acre parcels in the heart of Lutsen paved Caribou trail locale bordering UsFs lands! MLs#6002383 FROM 54,900-$77,500

New! Rollins Ridge land, hike to Oberg mtn from your front door! MLs#6002351 $59,900

Honeymoon Trail Wildlife Lands! 10 ac nearby poplar r iver in Lutsen, great hunting or hiking land at a sUper great price! nice boreal Forest with build site bordering UsFs lands! ML s#26729 $39,900

Caribou Lake Area Build Site on 5 Ac! at the base of the sawtooth r idge overlooking Caribou Lake is this sweet land perfect for your year round cabin with easy access to all that Lutsen Offers!

ML s#6000-049 R eduCed! $49,900

30 acres of Prime Wilderness Land with year round access and electric at street with Views of Lutsen’s famed Clara Lake! ML s#6001462 $137,500

Lovely 20 acre parcel located on the outskirts of Lutsen, only minutes to bigsby and Caribou Lakes! nice mixed forest with high ground for choice building sites. great price for your northwoods getaway! ML s#31531 R eduCed! $37,900

Gorgeous Views of Williams and Wills Lake in Lutsen! year round access, electric, mountain top site bordering UsFs land. a Wonderful place to build your northwoods home!

ML s#6001685 $79,000

Super Building Site on Honeymoon Trail Lutsen locale with electric and all year access! high ground!

ML s#6001796 $39,000

Bargain Clara Lake site! yr round access, electric at street and cleared build site perfect for your getaway Cabin on Coveted Clara Lake!

ML s#6001680 R eduCed! $150,000

Grand Marais Location Location Location!

New! 60 Acres Minutes to Grand Marais near devil track Lake! easy walking/ biking access across Fed land to monker Lake! ML s#6002586 $95,900

New! Birch Drive just west of grand marais, wilderness living with sUper build sites, borders UsFs lands, year round access! great buy at $49,900 MLs#6002349

New! Own your own park in the heart of grand marais! MLs#6002396 $17,000

A River Runs Through It! 160 acres of Upland and r iver Frontage on the Cascade r iver near eagle mountain, a r are Find with tons of opportunity. Whether hunting land or Wilderness retreat, this is a great Opportunity! ML s#31732 R eduCed $120,000

Between Grand Marais and Devil Track

Lake 60 Acres! rolling terrain and nice mixed forest and grasslands just up the gunflint trail and devil track Lake rd, this is a great location and an amazing price! ML s#6000-606 $95,900

Bordering Cascade River Park! potential to subdivide or keep it all for yourself! nice Lake superior Views from multiple build sites, hike right in to the park land with access to Cascade r iver falls and Lake superior! ML s#31097 R eduCed! $200,000

County Rd 7 Murphy Mountain Lake View lands! bargain buys in young poplar Forest, easy clearing for sweet Lake superior Views for as little as $39,900! Or enjoy hilltop build site with driveway in place, creek bordering site for $89,900! ML s#25633

em in the rough! MLs#30714 $149,900

L ARGe LAK esHOR e LOT On CHRIsTIne LAK e in Lutsen, year round access with over 10 acres and 200 feet of shoreline! hilltop building site with cleared path thru cedar forest to Christine Lake, a super wilderness lake great for paddling your days away! ML s#28961 R eduCed! $129,000

deLuxe CAMP On CARIBOu L AK e! rustic Lake Living with Log outhouse and shower room, bunk area and year round dock on 150 ft of nice Caribou shoreline! sweet trees and lots of privacy! MLs#31096 ReduCed! $195,000

GusT LAK e LOT In LuTsen year round access with drilled well, driveway in place and cleared build site! Just a hop skip and a jump from the bWCa with year round access! MLs#24313 $125,000 ReduCed!!

$299,000

dR eAMY L AK e suPeRIOR V IeW home in Lutsen! Floor to Vaulted Ceiling windows draw you to the massive Lake superior Views from this Lindal Cedar home! top notch Quality home, tons of space for entertaining, and enjoy the new rock patio and fire pit, a great place to create your family vacation memories! ML s#TBA $399,000 InCR edIBLe VALue!

FAB LOCATIOn just West of grand marais!

ML s#6002810 $199,000 sALe PendInG!

jAW dROPPInG COOL CARIBOu L AK e LOT! mature maples, birch and Cedars on hillside building site with the backdrop of ledgerock walls and Ledgerock boulder shoreline, an a rchitect’s dream site, an incredible piece of land and lakeshore! ML s#6002791 $295,000

dARLInG LuTsen HOMe, the perfect hobby Farm! Fab location on Caribou trail, newer addition created main level and upper level bedrooms with modern baths, excellent use of space. Farmstyle kitchen and spacious living room overlook the apple trees and perennial gardens! garage, small greenhouse and barns! ML s#6002736 $249,000

FARM sTYLe HOMe WITH sHA z AMMM L AK e suPeRIOR V IeWs! great schroeder location near the temperance r iver and Cross r iver, this home has tons of offer, and just needs a bit of tLC to complete the recent renovations. give this home a new look! ML s#6002837 $169,000

RuGGed TeRRAIn CRA dLes THIs sHOWBOAT CABIn! towering pines silhouettes the view toward Lake superior from the upstairs deck, a nice functional design with open kitchen to family room, newer construction with garage! ML s#6002692 $229,900

HOMe sPun LIVInG On CARIBOu

L AK e! Original cabin of years ago has been lovingly remodeled and enlarged, creating an eclectic style of old and new with main level living and upper level guest/family space. mature maples, White pines and 200 ft of Caribou Lake frame the home with attached garage and 2nd garage for the toys! ML s#6002743 $450,000

sW eeT

sHOR eLIne On W HITe PIne

L AK e! honeymoon trail location in Lutsen, this level lot is build ready with a meandering driveway in place, garage/ cabin and access to both the lake and the tait r iver, yr rd access & elec avail.

ML s#6002667 $195,000

40 AC OF M APLes and boreal forest meandering toward a sweet moose pond and creek, with driveway in place and cleared build site! ML s#6002822 $125,000

400 FT WITH 14 AC On deVIL TRACK L AK e! What more can we say? Oh yes, there is a nice meandering driveway through mature red pines leading to level access beach shoreline. Quite nice! ML s#6002721 $375,000

see! ML s#6002686 $275,000

60 AC WITH L AK e V IeWs e of grand marais!

Tofte 90 Hoaglund Drive

MLS# 6002328 $545,000

Drop dead gorgeous Lindal Cedar home with substantial upgrades throughout entire home Owner will complete kitchen, flooring throughout and master bath to buyer suit - or new owner can complete based on own design criteria.

24 Lodge Lane, Lutsen MLS#6002521 $254,900 Extremely well maintained 3 bedroom 2 bath Lutsen Log Lodge located on Ski Hill Road in Lutsen. Newly updated 3 season enclosed porch. Nicely appointed home with vaulted ceilings, master bedroom with private bath and jetted tub. Open main level floor plan with great room, kitchen and fireplace. Private Association with carefully crafted declarations for your benefit. Vacation Rentals and private management available or perfect for second home or

and Judge Magney State Park. Lutsen 1044 Caribou Trl

MLS#6000638 Price: $319,900

Caribou Lake opportunity. 3 br/1 bath, open area kitchen and dining, large open deck area, permanent dock. New improvements include: septic, windows, siding, roofing, Insulation & more.

Tofte - Bluefin Bay Unit 66

MLS#6001732

$525,000

This outstanding Grand Superior town home has wonderful views of Lake Superior from main

GreaT Vacan T Land Va LU e S

Jonvick Creek Beautiful home sites in mature Maple, Spruce and Birch forest. $29,500-54,900

xxx Sawbill Trail 120 Acres located up the Sawbill Trail. Large Maples MLS# 27551 $199,900

xxx Mountain Ash Ln Cedar covered hillside overlooking Lake Superior in Lutsen.

MLS#60000147 $649,000

xxx Mile O’Pine 1.6 acres, Gunflint Trail. MLS#6002389 $179,900

includes a queen bed, TV, private bath and micro and small refrigerator. Multiple rental options providing significant revenues under the professional management of Blue Fin Bay family of resorts.

Lutsen 261 Caps Trail Tait Lake

MLS#6001233 $334,500

Tait Lake in Lutsen. Wonderfully appointed and extremely well maintained 2 bedroom, loft and 2 bath south facing home on a 2.9 acre parcel and 190’ of shoreline with dock. Abundance of natural light throughout the home. New addition in 2006 includes second bedroom, bathroom hallway and laundry. Office added in 2011 (could be converted to third bedroom). Excellent value. Call Katterine today for your private showing.

NEW LISTING

xxx Leveaux Ridge

3.45 acres Birch Forest, pines, Lake Superior View MLS#6002548 $37,500,

Johannes Toftey Homestead Sites

Beautiful hillside lots in Tofte with Lake Superior and Carlton Peak views.

$35,750-55,000

Lutsen 5295 W Hwy 61

MLS#6002804 $129,000

Two+ bedroom manufactured home located downtown Lutsen. New septic and deck summer 2011. Newer roof, furnace and dishwasher. Great location with convenient horseshoe driveway and level lot. Solid foundation. Walking distance to “downtown Lutsen” and close proximity to area employers and related businesses. Very nice floor plan with well appointed furnishings included.

Sea Villas

The Lutsen Sea Villas have withstood the test of time. Nowhere else is there a shoreline like this on the entire coast of Lake Superior. The owner’s and management company have upheld excellent standards and quality while maintaining the unique integrity of this original seaside coastal development, and they are well run by Lutsen Resort.

Tofte Airport Home Sites Located between Lutsen and Tofte. Convenient Location with outstanding values. $24,750-33,000

Tait Pines Nestled hillside adjacent to Tait Lake in Lutsen, just 13 miles up the Caribou Trail. $37,950-$57,750

Caribou Hillside Outstanding homesites tucked along the hillside of Caribou Lake. $52,250-$126,500

342 Rd Schroeder 160 acres covered in Maples, Birch, and other mixed forest. Can be sold as parcels.

MLS#6000143 $199,000

Lot 13 Sawmill Bay 233’ shoreline 2.2 acres MLS#31370 $88,000

Grand Marais 179 Birch Trail MLS#6002382 $469,000 Custom built timber frame home with outstanding Lake Superior views. Home features exposed timbers, vaulted ceilings, well oriented window placement and wraparound deck. Beautifully appointed kitchen, custom staircase and great room fireplace. Bordered by Cascade State Park. Over-sized detached two stall garage complete with second level private living quarters and deck.

Hovland 90 Stonegate Rd

MLS#6002703 $699,000

This home blends pure quality restating an original Lake Superior homestead with a Clarence Kemp addition that seamlessly ties two areas under one roof with masterful eloquence. Kitchen with custom made cabinetry, high-end appliances, gas stove, granite countertops and a custom designed brick-oven. An open living space with the Great Room with vaulted ceilings with Lake Superior view. Kitchen, great room and dining room are all connected.

Lutsen 181 S Caribou

MLS#6002800 $334,900

Caribou Lake Home with outstanding views. Located on South Caribou Drive in Lutsen. Three bedrooms, two bath, lower level walk-out and upper level loft. Large windows and deck overlooking Caribou Lake. Wooded and private. Large permanent dock and landing platform. Home well appointed complete with new washer/dryer, efficient kitchen area and nice appointments. Large parking area and parking pad sufficient for multiple cars, boat storage and more. Off peak heating canisters with electric base-board back-up. Move-in ready.

with

The second

the

Nicely appointed kitchen and dining area with granite counter-tops and top-line appliances. Large porch with indoor sauna. Outdoor lakeside patio with fire pit, seating and wood fired hot tub. Oversized two-stall garage and wood shed. This home is being sold completely furnished.

Lutsen

shared ownership opportunities.

• Temperance Landing on Lake Superior: Distinctive log home luxury on ledgerock and cobblestone beach near Temperance River. 3 BR, 3BA custom log homes with access to resort amenities at Surfside.

Bluefin

Bluefin

Bluefin Bay Condos & Townhomes

NeW! exeCutive estate at ChimNey roCk Absolutely spectacular soft contemporary home situated above Chimney Rock with miles of panoramic views of Lake Superior. This is one of the most stunning offerings you will see. See the Chimney Rock website as there are so many features you will not want to miss. www.stunninglakesuperiorhome.com mls # 6002771 $1,930,900

private l ake superior re-

treat. Two North Shore historic log cabins with outstanding lake views along the dramatic, unspoiled shoreline. Trails, bridges and scenic overlooks make the whole property accessible and it feels like your own state park! mls#6002084 $1,250,000

l ake superior

Charmer Privacy, gardens and 250' Lake Superior Shoreline make this a fantastic home and location! Look at Artists Point from the deck. Feel secluded at the end of the road. The house sits just feet from the stunning Lake Superior shoreline! Kitchen with wall of glass that brings the outdoors inside. mls#6002465 $625,000

ClassiC log

Charm/Cas-

CaDe BeaCh.

This early North Shore log cabin has all the warmth and feel that only vintage cabins possess. Log beams, wood floors, cobblestone fireplace and a stunning Lake Superior setting. 150 feet of ledge rock shore. Spectacular views up and down the shore! There's a large 2 car garage to house all your toys. mls#6002401 $445,000

2 speCtaCular lake superior lots at terraCe poiNt Outstanding shoreline views all the way to Artist Point & Grand Marais. Each has dramatic shoreline. Great location west of town. priced at mls 6000590, $600,000 and mls 6001067 $300,000

ChimNey ro Ck poiNt. Spectacular Lake Superior lot framed by the palisades. Nicely wooded with two or more perfect build sites. Shared septic for development is in. Each lot will install personal septic system. Association fee $500 per year. mls#6002417 $365,000

CasCaDe BeaCh CaB-

iN Rather spectacular ledge rock Lake Superior parcel on Cascade Beach Road. Park up by the road and walk down. There are rock out-croppings, a cove and could be improved to year round. No septic sites located. mls# 6002552 $399,000

NeW! FiNish to your likiNg Lake Superior, affordable, finish to taste. This new lake shore home sits on 110 feet of north shore ledge rock with great views. The 2 bedroom, 2 bath home is quality constructed and partially completed inside. It's ready for you to use now and finish to your own taste and time frame. Kitchen, floor coverings, and master suite are waiting for your input. Build sweat-equity while enjoying a usable home, or complete the details before you move in. mls# 6002642 $369,500

WilsoN lake lot Strikingly beautiful 5.4 acre lot, 355’ of shoreline with great build sites near the lake or tucked around the bluff for gorgeous views. mls #6002430 $259,500.

private hiDeaWay. Charming cabin on 150' of Little Ollie Bay on Poplar Lake. Adjoins BWCAW. Easy access to Banadad Ski Trail. Nice views, deck, 2 bedrooms, bath and sauna. Used as a managed rental unit with good income and history. mls #6002044 $259,900.00

ChiCago Bay home Located along coveted Chicago Bay Road, this charming Lake Superior cottage has fresh paint, new carpet and counters. Lucky new owners will enjoy their very own piece of Lake Superior, and the chance to watch the sun rise over Chimney Rock. Roomy spaces with large windows for great views of the lake. mls# 6002611 $198,000

iNlaND Water

total peaCe, privaCy aND solituDe Spectacular custom executive log home and retreat located on 2 lots, 750' of shoreline and over 13 acres on pristine Greenwood Lake. The main home consists of 2932sqft of living space. 3 bedrooms including a lovely master suite, 2 baths with showers and one with whirlpool tub. The lake view is spectacular through lots of glass from all the rooms. mls# 60024671 $989,000

CasCaDe lake privaCy. This is the only private land on the lake. Enjoy the utmost privacy and unspoiled wilderness views with 87 acres and over 3,000’ of shoreline. Includes a well-maintained cabin, sauna, dock and outhouse. Easy year-round access. Unique opportunity to own a private wilderness compound! mls #31513 $700,000.

seagull lake – large lot, great vieW Over 660' on Sea Gull Lake. Tremendous views, many build sites and a nice boat cove. Driveway into pad where old cabin was located. Great location for your wilderness home or cabin! mls #6002455 $329,000

log CaBiN/tom lake. Beautiful log cabin tucked into the woods with peace, quiet and amazing privacy. Over 540' easy accessible shoreline on the NW end of Tom Lake. Custom built, many upgrades and personal touches. Large 4 season porch. You will watch the sun rise across the sparkling waters. Power by Outback Solar. Includes dock and boat lift. mls#6002392 $282,000

mCFarlaND

l ake CaBiN Beautiful cedar full log cabin on McFarland Lake. Cozy hide-away with sauna building, guest cabin, storage building. Great shoreline with new dock. Partially furnished. Large deck, nice cedar trees. Great view of palisade. mls #6002033 $259,000.00

tuCker l ake lot Gunflint Trail--Tucker Lake Lot. Have tons of privacy on this 3.68-acre lake lot with over 550 feet of shoreline, plus 237 feet more shore across the private road, in a protected bay. Pristine views, and direct access to the BWCAW. mls #6002030 $239,900.00

CaBiN oN trout lake. Charming custombuilt 1 BR cabin with 150’ shoreline on desirable Trout Lake. Knotty pine paneling, lots of artistic touches. 3.27 acres. mls #31258 $199,900.

BorDer , Beauty aND BWCaW. Rare opportunity to own a private wilderness escape, North Fowl Lake. 2 BRs, full kitchen, comfortable living room and large deck. Large open yard, sauna, storage shed and dock. Great privacy, 200’ of shoreline, abutting the BWCAW. Water access. mls #30184 $199,000.

Family CaBiN—BirCh lake. Family retreat w/2 BR, 1 BA, large deck, charming log bunkhouse, 1-car garage. Great privacy, large dock on 150’ shoreline. mls #31680 $199,900.

level lot, NiCe WooDs, easy shore This Devil Track Lake lot has easy access from county road, power, phone and great building sites. South shore, 200 ft. frontage, great views. Build your home on the lake here. mls #6001771 $198,900.

great poplar

l ake lo CatioN

Large 2.11 acre parcel w/ charming cabin sitting at water's edge has view down the lake. Redone kitchen; one BDR with huge windows, living room with great view and stone fplc w/wood stove. mls# 6002476 $194,900 large aND private lake lot. This Greenwood Lake parcel has great views, classic boulder shore, dense pine forest and easy lake access.

solituDe oN looN lake. This lot is located on the south side of Loon Lake and offers great lake views. The main road is in place and power is on the lot line. These lots offer a great shoreline and many nice trees. mls #6001605, 6002124, 6002128 $192,000

privaCy oN aND oFF the Water! Large lake parcel with 650' of shoreline and 20 acres. Mature forest with some white pine, picturesque building site with SW views, and great shoreline. Permanent conservation easement protects the opposite side of the lake. mls#6002477 $189,000

lost l ake retreat. 680 of private shoreline. One of only nine 20-acre lake lots on Lost Lake. Premier location with view of the length of the 70-acre lake. This is a private lake with no public access. Cabin foundation and sauna pad in. mls #6002250 $179,900

speCtaCular

West BearskiN

Beautiful views, dense forest and direct BWCAW access. High building site affords views, level shoreline has lots of room for the dock and boats. Very private and dense forest at the end of a dead-end road. New stairway stystem to lakeshore. mls# 6002464 $178,000

amaZiNg home Near trestle piNe lake. 3 BR, 2 BA home up the Gunflint Trail only a few minutes from many great lakes. The interior has an open bright feeling and is move-in ready!

mls #6001793 $169,000

poplar l ake

Charmer This darling classic Gunflint Trail cabin is perched in the trees overlooking a quiet bay of Poplar Lake. It's rustic, but easily accessible and has direct access to the BWCAW. Just the place for your weekend escapes. mls#6002539 $169,000

Quality Devil traCk lake lot.

Heavily wooded south shore lot with 150’ of shore. Easy shoreline, great views, excellent building sites. Power/phone. More shoreline available. mls #6001770 $149,900.

reCreatioN

outh

paraDise oN

tom l ake

CaBiN Charming, small family cabin on Tom Lake. Foundation is treated cedar logs, cabin has new roof, propane wall heater, range and refrigerator-you bring water. Furnished with typical cabin stuff. Very well maintained. Will need septic tank install to be compliant by 12/15. The BB cottages are the end of an era. mls#6002561 $89,900

CasCaDe river property A river runs through it! If you're looking for peace, quiet, and beautiful wilderness views, this could be the location for you. Off the beaten path, yet good access. Good building sites on 25 acres overlooking the beautiful Cascade River. mls #6002440 $84,900

trout haveN. Six nicely wooded, west-facing lakelots on Hare Lake. Easy county road access. Power available. Beautiful views, nice shoreline, good trout fishing. starting at $82,000.

maiNteNaNCe-Free oN l ake superior Gorgeous, 3-level residential condo in Tofte. Beautiful views and quality finishes. Ideal floor plan has 3 beds and 3 baths. Private outdoor space on every level with two decks and a patio. Can be sold as a "turnkey residence" or "rental ready"-you decide. mls #6002039 $339,000

lake superior C oND o/toFte. Great lake views from this 2 bedroom + loft unit with 2 baths, fireplace, balcony looking up the shore. Chateau LeVeaux offers many updated amenities, indoor pool, sauna, game room, and on-site manager. Facility is in excellent condition for easy and affordable lakefront living or vacation rental. mls #6000473 $100,000.

NeW! exeCutive home With l arge

+ liviNg Quarters

home

tom l ake. Charming 1960's era cedar cabin right at the water's edge. Unique to have a Boat House right on the water that is grandfathered-in. Great dock - even greater walleye fishing! Small, compact and a nice quiet spot. Sold "turn-key" ready to move in and start fishing. mls#6002496 $99,000

stuNNiNg eND uNit This end unit has been totally remodeled, with a keen sense for what vacation renters are looking for. Open concept floor plan. Nice updates include hardwood and tiled floors, butcher block island, maintenance-free decking, and beautifully-decorated spaces. End unit with much privacy. mls#6002366 $134,900

NeW! BearskiN CaBiN Log Cabin, Towering Pines, West Bearskin Lake. Totally charming Charlie Boostrom log cabin sits in a forest of towering white and red pines. The cabin is in great shape and has been lovingly maintained. This is your ideal vision of the perfect log cabin on a great wilderness lake. The 2 bedroom cabin is a summer-use place to reflect and escape. Hardwood floors, beamed ceilings and large kitchen. It comes furnished and is ready for you to move in. There's a sauna in the lower level with a stone foundation and plenty of storage room for your gear. The dock is ready for your boat, and the wilderness is calling with easy access into the BWCAW just a short paddle down this premier Gunflint Trail Lake. mls# 6002814 $319,000

homes & CaBiNs

huge home-maNy possiBilities Large home or commercial opportunity on Hwy 61 between Hovland and Grand Portage. The 7 bedroom home has been an inn, B & B, rooming house, antique shop and retail store. Resort/commercial zoning allows many options. Located on the scenic Reservation River at the gateway to the most picturesque corner of Minnesota's North Shore. Close to High Falls State Park, sea kayaking or fishing in the Susie Islands, Grand Portage Lodge and Casino, and the Border with Ontario. Great traffic location with very little commercial activity along this stretch of highway. Large deck, stone fireplace, Lake Superior views, +/- 500' of rushing river frontage. Many options for rental or retail. A great home for a large family, or your business dream. mls #6002691 $289,900

C ouNtry home

iN hovlaND.

Lovely 4 BR/3 BA home on 7.76 acres. Master suite with huge walk-in closet. Open living room with stone fireplace, formal dining room, big kitchen. Office/den opens into the attached garage. 32’ x 40’ pole building has storage for toys. Partially finished basement. Country living at its best! mls #6002258 $259,500.

graND marais

home. Conveniently located in town with incredible views of Lake Superior. The home features 4 BR, 3 BA with a great layout and tons of storage space. Master BR includes a custom whirlpool tub, skylight, and a separate covered porch overlooking the harbor. The kitchen has been totally redone. Drive-through garage. mls #6002043 $247,000

eNergy

eFFiCieNt home. Earth sheltered home with over 8 acres and a creek.

Conveniently located near Grand Marais and Gunflint Trail. 4 BR, 3 BA with a 2-car detached garage. Updated and remodeled with many custom features. This home is designed for the person who wants to live the rural, energy-efficient lifestyle. mls #6001812. $234,000

BeautiFul lutseN home 3- BR country home in Lutsen on 3.67 acres. Light filled living and dining rooms. Eat-in kitchen. 1 3/4 baths. Full basement. Sauna. New septic system. Double detached garage. Owner /agent. mls #6002162 $229,000

reCreatioNal

Base Camp. This great parcel in Tofte has two garage buildings waiting for your toys. Either one could easily become living space. The two lots have room for a home with views of a dramatic creek gorge with waterfall and Lake Superior. It's a park-like setting. mls #6002043 $179,900

remote outpost. The 2 bdr, home sits on 77 acres and features all the creature comforts with solar power and shower house, There’s a large 2-car garage with workshop plus 2 guest cabins that provide plenty of space for the whole family or group. Trails, solitude and wilderness – a perfect place to live remotely or as base-camp for your adventures. mls# 6001657 $174,900.

rustiC log, roil-

iNg river , moDerN C omForts This log kit home sits on the scenic Flute Reed River in Hovland, just a short walk to Lake Superior's shore. The seasonal cabin has a great screen porch, modern kitchen and comes furnished with cabin-style furnishings and sportsman's décor. +/- 400' of dramatic river frontage. You can't beat the sound of a North Shore river! mls #6001631 $169,900.

BusiNess aND home. The Gunflint Motel in Grand Marais is a longestablished business located just a block from the harbor. There are 5 large motel units with kitchens, plus a full lower apartment in the motel structure. All are in great shape. There is also a 4 bedroom, 2 bath owner's home that has had many recent updates and enhancements. It features hardwood floors, large deck, and great views of the harbor. mls#6002290 $419,000

stuNNiNg river aND piNCushioN trails A unique opportunity for skiers and hikers. Trail easement runs through the property. The RC zoning allows for a resort/lodging type business. mls #6000298 $85,900.

40 aCres W/moNs Creek FroNtage. Easy road access. Good building sites. Mature trees. Deeded access to Lost Lake. mls #6002120 $79,900.

40 aC – lost lake retreats. Mons Creek flowage with great views and tons of wildlife. Private and secluded location. Includes deeded access to private lake. mls #6002121 $79,500.

WooDs, Water & seClusioN. Nice ‘40’ with good timber and 1000’ frontage on Mons Creek. Great building site. Private deeded access to Lost Lake. mls #6002119 $69,900.

graND marais home site oN Creek. Nice wooded lot with City services: water, sewer and electric at site. Nice south exposure and frontage on Cedar Creek. mls #6001830 $63,900

l aND/BuilDiNg sites

speCtaCular piNCushioN BeD aND BreakFast Updated 5 bedroom, 6 bath home on 14.8 acres. New 2 car garage and two decks. Direct ski in/ski out access to Pincushion Mountain ski trails. Frontage on Little Devils Track River is fabulous. Just minutes from Grand Marais. Resort/Commercial zoning. mls 6001839 $374,900.00

lutseN C ommerCial hWy 61 FroNtage. Two acres, zoned GC. Location, visibility, nice forest, lake view. Includes a third (one-acre) parcel zoned residential. mls #6001891 $179,000.

CeDar grove BusiNess park lots. Cedar Grove Business Park is the ideal location for your existing business or new start-up! Conveniently located in Grand Marais, near the start of the iconic Gunflint Trail. Full infrastructure in place including paved streets, municipal sewer and water, electric and telephone. Call us today for a guided tour of this unique and affordable business park opportunity. prices start at $10,000

DramatiC CasCaDe river property

Twenty acres with 660’ on Cascade River. Good road, building site in cedar. Common property at spectacular waterfalls. Association, assessments. Seasonal access. mls #31332 $109,500.

10 aCres oN C ouNty rD. #14. 330’ of bubbling creek runs through this beautifully wooded and very private parcel. Build sites near the water. mls #31619 $99,500.

piNCushioN trail parCel. This parcel has forest with direct access to the Pincushion Ski Trail system, Superior Hiking Trail and Devil Track River. Resort/Commercial zoning . mls #6000299 $214,900.

over 217 aCres/Camp 20 roaD

Lovely open land with many ponds and streams. mls #31645 $216,700.

huNter's haveN

Proven Great Hunting Area - 80 acres in Schroeder, MN. Rolling land with wonderful wildlife habitat including stream, beaver dam with large pond, and a good mixture of trees and low vegetation. Great seasonal cabin. mls #6002159 $142,500

large parCel With possiBle suBDivisioN poteNtial. Great Lake Superior views on the higher elevations. A small creek runs through part of the parcel. Priced below assessed value. mls #6001758 $129,000

NeW! CariBou l ake home site

Magnificent, old-growth cedars and maples framing a corner lot in the Sawmill Bay area of Caribou Lake with 185’ of low-lying lake frontage. Wetland has been delineated; see elevation map under Associated Docs. Terrific wildlife habitat with easy, year-round access. mls# 6002756 $110,000

maples, vieWs, privaCy. 85+ acres near Hovland. New road access, adjoining federal land. South exposure and views. Seasonal access. mls #6001633 $99,900.

toReady Move North?

5 aCres oN guNFliNt trail.

A great lot with an amazing view overlooking Loon Lake. This lot includes legal access to Loon Lake for you to dock your boat, swim and relax. mls #6001601 $94,000

Five aCres Near toWN.

Ready to build, Croftville location, Superior view, nice forest, RC/ Residential zoning. mls #6001810 $80,000.

5 aCres Near Devil traCk lake.

Deep wooded home site – just steps from Devil Track Lake, and DNR access. Enjoy the lake without the high taxes! mls #6002657 $74,900.

maple hill home site

Heavily wooded 6.45 acre parcel with great privacy, county rd frontage, power and phone. Walk to golf course, easy access to Gunflint Trail or Devil Track area. mls#6002601 $70,500

Five WooDeD aCres.

Surveyed. Septic and access road in place. Close to Devil Track Lake. Add'l 6 +/- acre parcel avail. mls #6000318 $65,000.

10 aCres Near graND marais.

Great piece of property located minutes from Grand Marais, on Pike Lake Rd. Seasonal view of Lake Superior. Many nice build sites.

mls #6001078 $64,900

laND Near graND marais.

Beautiful 5-ac lot just minutes from town. Meadow, power/phone. Driveway in. Great home site.

mls #6001604 $59,900.

l aND/BuilDiNg sites

DramatiC superior vieW.

Three high lots to choose from, southern exposure from the cliffs of Chicago Bay.

mls #6001901 & 1902 $59,900

reaDy For you to BuilD.

This 5 acre lot is located only a few miles from town but offers great privacy. Nice slope, great trees and possibility for views of Lake Superior! The driveway is in place.

mls#6001470 $54,900.

lake eFFeCt home site – hovlaND. Great 4-acre home site. Close to Lake Superior, with some views, nice forest, easy access off of Highway 61 on shared driveway. A great place to call home or nestle-in with your recreational cabin. mls#6001463 $52,900.

WoNDerFul vieWs oF

lake superior! 3 lots available; wooded and private. Minutes to ski hill, Superior National, Lutsen shops. Surveyed, year round access.

mls #6000671 lots start at $52,000.

great CaBiN spot!

Mixed topography of beautiful rolling land with many great build sites. Old growth cedar, spruce, pine and birch. Mons Creek meanders through the property border where it abuts state land. mls #6001242 $50,250.

reCreatioNal laND For hiDe-aWay. Nice 41 acre parcel with good slope to southern exposure. Easy access on Camp 20 Road. Deeded private lake rights to Lost Lake. A remote escape within easy reach, with lots of fun potential. mls #6002080 $46,500

home or CaBiN sitegreat lutseN lo CatioN.

4.09 acres, power and phone. Walk to landing on Christine Lake. Adjoins state land. mls #6002514 $39,900.

hovlaND area parCel

40 Wooded acres with possible Lake Superior view. mls #6002123 $39,900

reCreatioNal parCel iN

hovlaND. 43+ acres close to the public landing on Tom Lake. Survey complete; may subdivide into two 20+ acre parcels. Road plowed year round in special taxing district. Owner/Agent. mls #6001471 $37,500 got remote?

Can't beat this property for "off-the-beaten-path".

Hwy. 3, Two Harbors

4

Nelson Dr., Silver Bay

Hwy. 1,

Finland

20 Acres – high ground and good tree coverage. Features 2 potential building sites and a well maintained road. Call for details. $79,900.

Banks Blvd., Silver Bay

2 BR, 1 bath slab home featuring many recent upgrades – new hardwood flooring, new shingles, remodeled bath and the list goes on. Move in and enjoy!! $79,900.

SerenitySpokenHere

Welcome to Golden Eagle Lodge, a family oriented, year round resort located on the historic Gunflint Trail of Northeastern Minnesota. We are on the north shores of Flour Lake surrounded by the Superior National Forest; as we are the only residents on the lake, you can look forward to the quiet and solitude offered only from the true wilderness setting. We offer modern, housekeeping cabins to ensure comfort during your stay in the North Woods.

Each season has something special to offer; excellent fishing and canoeing in Summer and nationally-renowned Nordic Cross-Country Skiing in Winter. Our website describes in detail how each season can help shape your vacation.

Try our 9-site campground which offers a quiet and personal service; each site comes equipped with water and electric hookups. We go out of our way to ensure every aspect of your visit will convince you to come back and see us again.

We know much time, effort, and expense is invested in a vacation, and we would be honored if you considered us as your vacation destination. You won’t be disappointed!