Northern Wilds

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Northern Wilds Reaches a Milestone

This is a month of anniversaries. The Wilderness Act, which led to the formation of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, is now 50 years old. Unplugged, the annual North House Folk School music fest, is celebrating its 13th year. Another Grand Marais music festival, Radio Waves, is seven years old. You’ll find stories and information about each of these anniversaries inside.

The big anniversary, at least in our office, is that Northern Wilds magazine is now 10 years old. We’ve come a long way in a decade, from humble beginnings as two freelancers producing a quarterly tabloid to small local company that publishes a monthly magazine, and produces regional books, guest directories for lodging properties, and tourist maps and menu guides. We also do commercial printing jobs such as catalogs, brochures, business cards and more.

Amber and I joke that the most amazing part of this 10year milestone is that we haven’t killed each other. A business partnership definitely involves lots of give-and-take, as well as open lines of communication. Sometimes, that communication occurs at high volume. But it happens and we move the company forward.

In this issue you’ll find a feature story about the evolution of Northern Wilds and the strong supporting roles of our staff, advertisers, contributors and readers. Ultimately, dozens of individuals are involved with the creation and production of each issue. In addition to the aforementioned folks, there are our printers at Forum Communications Printing in Detroit Lakes, driver Rich LeDoux of Hibbing (who delivers the magazine), Duluth distributors Derek Breemeersch and Cathy McKinnon, Thunder Bay distributor Glenn Warner and Postmaster Frank Lehto and his staff at the Grand Marais Post Office. These are the people who are crucial in getting this and every issue of Northern Wilds to you.

Over the last 10 years, we’ve made dozens, if not hundreds of friends and acquaintances from Duluth to Nipigon—and well beyond. All of them have been happy to give us advice or moral support when we need it. Very often they are willing to go the extra mile at the drop of a hat. It’s encouraging and humbling to know these folks believe in us and in Northern Wilds.

We are natives to this area (Amber was born in Grand Marais, Shawn in Duluth). Since the beginning, we’ve believed this vast geographical space we’ve chosen to call the Northern Wilds shares a common culture and identity that transcends an international border, county lines or city limits. We strive with every issue to allow what we have in common to shine through and identify not only our publication, but this wonderful place we choose to call home. We fully intend to continue doing so as we enter the second decade of Northern Wilds.

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, Gord Ellis, Joan Farnam, Joseph Friedrichs, Kelsey Roseth, Breana Roy, Javier Serna, Paul Sundberg

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

The David Thompson Astronomical Observatory is a marvel of modern space science, and home to one of the largest telescopes in Central Canada.

Experience a Star Walk

Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings.

ADMISSION: Adults $10, Students, Seniors & Youths $8, Children 5 and under FREE!

9:00pm to 11:00pm September Themes: 7:00pm to 9:00pm October Themes:

THURSDAYS: Harvest: Farming and the Sky

FRIDAYS: Tours of the Universe

SATURDAYS: Workshop: Hunting, Tracking & Navigation

THURSDAYS: Lecture: Death In Space

FRIDAYS: Tours of the Universe

SATURDAYS: Star Walk / Sci-Fi Movie Night

The FISH Project—mercury and fish in Cook County

GRAND MARAIS—The FISH Project (Fish are Important for Superior Health) continues to enroll women of child-bearing age (age 16-50) in Cook County in a study that assesses the levels of mercury and healthful fatty acids in each participant’s blood, as well as educates women on the risks and benefits of eating fish.

The FISH Project stems from a 2010 Minnesota Dept. of Health (MDH) study that found 10 percent of northeastern Minnesota babies tested had mercury in their blood above the level considered to be safe, and notably, higher than any of the other regions tested in the Lake Superior Basin.

So why did babies in northeastern Minnesota have higher than average levels of mercury in their blood?

Babies born in summer months were most likely to have higher levels of mercury, suggesting that fish consumption was at least partially responsible (as fish consumption is higher in summer months). Those of us who live in northeastern Minnesota think of our waterways as being pristine, and they are, but that pristine water actually contributes to higher levels of methylmercury in fish, according to Bruce Monson of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA).

Pristine biological systems, such as the lakes and forests in Cook County, are actually better at collecting mercury from the environment than less pristine systems. As plant material is broken down, organic carbon is dissolved, which often gives our waters that tea-stained look. Organic carbon is good at holding on to mercury. The mercury is carried downstream to lakes and wetlands where natural bacteria promote the methylation of the mercury. So, it’s not that there is necessarily more mercury found in northeastern Minnesota, or even arriving in the rain, it’s just that our wetlands are extremely efficient at methylating mercury.

Methylmercury binds to an amino acid, a building block for proteins. So organisms (algae, plankton, fish) accumulate it as a source of protein. Once the methylmercury has bound to the proteins in muscles of fish, it stays there. The older the fish, the more likely they are to have higher levels of mercury, which is why the FISH Project and the MDH have recommendations about fish consumption that are largely based on size of the fish. They have their guidelines posted online that are based on sampling they have done of fish in lakes all over Minnesota. In general, the larger the size of fish, the less frequently you should eat it.

And where is this mercury coming from?

According to Monson, some of the highest levels of mercury in the state have been found in fish in Voyageur’s National Park, where there are no direct human-caused sources of mercury. Surprisingly, 90 percent of the mercury that gets into our fish comes from outside the state, large-

ly, Monson says, from coal-burning power plants, and also researchers are finding that artisanal gold mines where elemental mercury is used to extract gold from the ore, is a large source of mercury emissions. This mercury comes here from other parts of the country and even around the world.

Trends for mercury levels in fish are somewhat difficult to interpret. In 2007, an analysis of trends from 1982 to 2006 showed that average concentrations of methylmercury in fish were going down. Looking very closely at the data, however, revealed that levels went down until the mid-90s and then went back up until 2006. The last six years show a trend of methylmercury levels in fish going down again.

Monson pointed out that in northeastern Minnesota, the downward trend of methylmercury levels is not keeping up with the rest of the state. The lakes along the Canadian border are trending upward, based on Monson’s research, which he says is not yet published. His hypothesis is that this is explained by changes in climate—warming, changes in precipitation, greater amounts of rain, more flushing of the watershed, more transporting of mercury, greater fluc-

tuations of water levels—and that all of this has an effect on the methylation of mercury. In the Canadian Arctic, researchers are seeing the same trends—that despite the pristine waters, methylmercury levels in fish are rising, and researchers believe this is due to the effects of climate change.

Will the FISH Project do anything about methylmercury levels in fish? No. But healthcare providers at Sawtooth Mountain Clinic and Grand Portage Health Service will speak with project participants about the fish they eat, how much fish is safe to eat, and which fish are safe to eat. The MPCA does have a mercury reduction plan, however, that is reducing mercury emissions from local sources, including coal-fired power plants and iron mining.

By September, FISH Project coordinator Joyce Klees estimates that 100 women will have signed up to participate in the project, but they are hoping to get 500 participants. To sign up, you must be between the ages of 16 and 50 and be a resident of Cook County for more than 9 months of the year. You can call the clinic in Grand Marais, Grand Portage or Tofte to make an appointment. At the appointment,

which takes up to an hour, you answer a questionnaire about your fish consumption and give a blood sample. All results will be shared with the participant but kept confidential. An overall report on the project will be shared with the community at the completion of the project. Participants will receive a $50 Visa gift card after completing their one-hour appointment.

You do not have to eat fish regularly or ever to participate in the project, and to date, some women have said they eat fish very regularly through the summer, while at least one vegetarian has also signed up.

Two events in September offer easy opportunities for women to sign up. On Saturday, Sept. 13, there will be a walk-in participant enrollment at the lower level of the Sawtooth Mountain Clinic in Grand Marais from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. (refreshments provided) On Wednesday, Sept. 10, there will be an event coinciding with the West End Pizza Bake at the Birch Grove Community Center from 3 to 7 p.m. It will allow women an opportunity to sign up for the project on the West End.—Erin Altemus

The Minnesota Dept. of Health has guidelines on their website about how much of any given fish is safe to eat for most lakes in Cook County. | ERIN ALTEMUS

New moose license plate

ST. PAUL—Minnesota motorists can support conservation with a new critical habitat license plate featuring moose art by a renowned wildlife artist, the late Les Kouba.

“Moose are synonymous with Minnesota’s north woods and its outdoor heritage,” said DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr. “Nothing captures the essence of being up north better than a bull moose feeding in the shallows of a boreal lake, and that’s exactly what this new license plate depicts.”

The new moose license plate will raise money to purchase wild lands throughout Minnesota. | DNR

The new moose plate, which displays a never-before-published painting by Kouba, is the eighth critical habitat plate offered. Other plates display a loon, pheasant, chickadee, showy lady’s slipper, a fishing scene and whitetailed deer. Motorists who purchase a critical habitat plate make a minimum annual contribution of $30 to the Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM) program. Every dollar generated through the sale of the license plate is matched with private donations of cash or land. Revenue from the sale of the

new moose plate will go directly to RIM Critical Habitat and not be used for moose research and management.

However, Kouba’s artwork will be used to raise money for moose research. The DNR worked with Les Kouba Outdoors to design the license plate using previously unpublished art. The two organizations also signed a partnership agreement that will use some of the proceeds from the sale of Kouba’s moose imagery to help fund research and management projects.

“This is a unique public-private partnership formed to help pay for wildlife research and habitat work that we hope keeps moose on Minnesota’s landscape,” said Lou Cornicelli, DNR wildlife research manager.

The partnership offers Kouba’s moose imagery as incentives for individuals and organizations to join Call of The Moose Minnesota as a member, sponsor or licensee. Les Kouba Outdoors will direct a significant portion of the proceeds to Minnesota’s moose research and management. Information about the partnership is available online at www.callofthemoose.com

The new license plates are now available at deputy registrar offices statewide. For questions about ordering critical habitat license plates, call the Department of Public Safety-Driver and Vehicle Services at 651297-3304

The late Les Kouba’s art often depicts wildlife in Minnesota settings. | DNR

New digs for Visitors Bureau

GRAND MARAIS—Cook County Visitors Bureau (CCVB) purchased the former Gunflint Realty building on Hwy. 61 in downtown Grand Marais to relocate its visitor center and staff offices. The organization hopes to complete its move before winter. Remodeling work will be done by Glen E. Peterson Construction of Grand Marais.

“By combining operations of the CCVB administrative and marketing teams with the Grand Marais Info

Wayside improved for bikers, hikers

TOFTE--The family of Ray Berglund, a St. Paul businessman who cared passionately about conservation, has been keeping his memory alive at the state wayside named after him on Lake Superior’s North Shore. Over the years, donations from the R.R.W. and Florence Berglund Family Foundation have funded several improvements to the 54acre site, but restroom facilities remained an unmet need, until this summer.

In July, representatives of the Minnesota DNR and the Berglund Family Foundation celebrated the opening of a new building that includes public restrooms and information for travelers.

“The site is well-used by cyclists, anglers and other visitors, but neither the DNR nor MNDOT had funding for restrooms at this location,” said Mark Kovacovich, DNR Parks and Trails Division district supervisor. “The Berglund Family Foundation’s donation is helping us provide these much-needed facilities and will be a welcomed amenity for people who use this site.”

The Ray Berglund State Wayside is located at the mouth of the Onion River on Hwy. 61, just north of Tofte in Cook County. Following Berglund’s death in 1948, friends contributed to a fund for the purchase of the land, which was deeded to the state in 1949 and established as a state wayside by the Minnesota Legislature in 1951. A short hiking path from the parking lot leads to a waterfall on the river.

In 2009, the Minnesota Department of Transportation reconstructed Hwy. 61 in the Onion River area, which included redesigning and rebuilding the wayside’s parking area and constructing a section of the Gitchi-Gami State Trail—a paved multipurpose recreation trail—through the wayside.

Center, we’ll be able to work together more effectively as a team,” says CCVB executive director Linda Kratt.

The CCVB was formed in 2010 to encourage tourism and marketing collaboration throughout Cook County. “Cook County’s unified tourism voice affords us more political leverage at county and state levels, as well as a combined pool of marketing dollars, which allows for additional buying power,” says Kratt.

DNR to hold meeting on Sag, Seagull walleye reg

GRAND MARAIS—The Minnesota DNR is seeking public input on experimental walleye regulations being considered for Saganaga, Sea Gull, and Gull lakes, and the Sea Gull River. A public meeting will be held at the Cook County Community Center in Grand Marais on Saturday Sept. 27 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Area fisheries staff will be on hand at that meeting to take comments on this proposal only. The DNR will also continue to take input on the proposal through October 7, 2014. Regulations may include a 17-inch minimum size requirement and a limit of three fish, with only one fish over 20 inches allowed.

The regulations are being considered in response to concerns from anglers over a lack of smaller walleye in these waters, coupled with DNR assessment data showing declines in the number of walleye of all sizes present.

The minimum size limit is intended to protect younger fish from harvest and maximize returns from natural reproduction and stocking. The lower bag limit is intended to prevent harvest of too many fish. The restriction on the number of fish over 20 inches has been included to be consistent with statewide walleye regulations, and to prevent overharvest of the largest walleye in these waters.

Questions and comments can be directed to the DNR fisheries office in Grand Marais at 218-387-3056, by email to Grand Marais area fisheries supervisor, Steve Persons at steve.persons@state.mn.us, or by mail to DNR Fisheries, 1356 E. Highway 61, Grand Marais, MN 55604.

CCVB’s future location is centrally located in Grand Marais. | ERIN ALTEMUS

Officials break ground for Gitchi-Gami trailhead

BEAVER BAY--In August, officials held a ground-breaking ceremony for the new Beaver Bay Trailhead and Wayside Rest. The new facility will serve as a trailhead for the Gitchi-Gami State Trail, which includes a newly completed portion of the trail connecting the West Road in Beaver Bay to the City of Silver Bay. It will also serve as a key wayside rest for visitors traveling on Hwy. 61. The trailhead will include parking, paved pathways, picnic tables, plumbed restroom facilities, and interpretive signage. All facilities will be ADA accessible to accommodate visitors of all abilities to enjoy this new resource along the North Shore. Construction of the trailhead will commence in August, with expected completion in the late fall of 2014 or early 2015. The trailhead facility will be open for public use in spring, 2015.

The project effort was led by the North Shore Scenic Drive Council and and included the partnership of many different groups and agencies, including the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission (ARDC), City of Beaver Bay, Lake County, Minnesota DNR, MNDOT, Lake County Historical Society and the Bay Area Historical Society. ARDC serves as staff to the North Shore Scenic Drive Council, which coordinates grassroots citizen involvement in activities along the North Shore Scenic Drive, promotion of the byway, and leadership on design projects to enhance and improve the visitor’s experience while traveling the byway. For more information about the North Shore Scenic Drive please contact ARDC at 1-800-232-0707 or visit www.superiorbyways.com

Saturday, September 20th 2:00 - 4:00 PM

Breaking Ground for the new Beaver Bay trailhead are (from left to right) Maggie King, Bay Area Historical Society member, Bryan Anderson, MnDOT District One Planning Director, Bonnie Hundrieser, Arrowhead Regional Development Commission (ARDC), (hidden behind Hundrieser) Krysten Foster, Lake County Engineer, Joe Litman, LHB Inc., Rich Sve, Lake County Commissioner, Alan Goodman, Former Lake County Engineer, Kent Shamblin, Mayor of Beaver Bay,Mark Kovacovich, MN DNR District Supervisor, Division of Parks and Trails NE Region, and Lee Radzak, Historic Site Manager at Split Rock Lighthouse. | COURTESY ARDC

Give your creative side a vacation! Bring the tools of your craft. You will be able to set up for the entire weekend and work non-stop if you desire. Demonstrators will be on-site featuring different techniques and tools, and they will be available for help. Call for package information, or email info@naniboujou.com

Fifty Years of Wilderness

By Erin Altemus

Before there was wilderness

Pictographs on the granite rock outcroppings attest to early human history of the Boundary Waters. When the glaciers receded, native people inhabited the area for thousands of years. Eventually European explorers, then fur-traders and trappers, made their way into this land of interconnected waterways. Pioneer settlers, miners and loggers came into the area in the 1800s, putting down roots. As more people moved in with competing interests, battles over how to use the Boundary Waters and its natural resources began.

In 1909, 500,000 acres of land in northeastern Minnesota became the Superior National Forest. And in 1922, Arthur Carhart produced a recreation plan for the Superior National Forest that emphasized wilderness canoeing. From then until 1964, there were congressional acts to limit logging along lakeshores, ban float planes from the area, limit construction of resorts and cabins in the roadless areas and even buy-out and destroy some of the existing ones. As each new threat surfaced, wilderness advocates moved into action.

As this 1921 photo shows, the Boundary Waters has long attracted paddlers seeking solitude. | COURTESY OF USFS

PAUL SUNDBERG

“A wilderness...is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man...” —The Wilderness Act

Forest Officers making a portage, likely in the 1920s. Typically a pack for two men for a two-week trip would weigh from 70-90 lbs. A new wood canvas canoe weighed 75 lbs. and increased as it was continually repaired. | COURTESY OF USFS

A Rocky Start

Fifty years ago, in 1964, as the war in Vietnam escalated and the civil rights movement gained steam, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a monumental piece of conservation legislation that protected 9.1 million acres of land across the U.S. as designated Wilderness, including the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA). Today, the Boundary Waters spans over 1 million acres and extends nearly 150 miles along the Canadian border. Flanked by the Quetico Provincial Park to the north and Voyageurs National Park to the west, the great span of lakes we know as “canoe country” is a part of Minnesota’s identity, and a place that old and young alike cherish for solitude, beauty and spiritual replenishment.

But the quiet reaches of wetlands, oldgrowth white pine forests, and calm waters on a summer evening we know and love today have not always been so. Historical

accounts from the Forest Service, locals and wilderness advocates tell a story rife with controversy.

Perspectives vary of course, depending on which side of the wilderness issue you find yourself. Bill Hansen, owner of Sawbill Outfitters, and age 11 at the time of the 1964 Act’s passage, recalled that his parents started the outfitting business in 1957 as a spin-off from a lodge. The Boundary Waters was already being called canoe country, and there was demand for outfitting from folks wanting to go on canoe trips.

“My parents didn’t comment much on it [the ‘64 Act],” Hansen said. “Once the Wilderness Act passed, the Boundary Waters became more popular. It raised people’s consciousness of it—they perceived it to be of higher quality. Things took off after that.”

When asked about how the new law changed things, Hansen replied, “The ‘64 Act didn’t change much—motors were still allowed on most of the routes here.”

The initial passage of the Wilderness Act created 54 wilderness areas across the U.S, and though the BWCA was one of these areas, special amendments within the Wilderness Act allowed for motor boat use, logging, snowmobile use and mineral exploration in the BWCA. In fact, a special line went into the 1964 Act that stated in regards to the BWCA: “nothing in this act shall preclude the continuance within the area of any already established use of motorboats.”

For the next 14 years, the discrepancies between the language of the Wilderness Act and the realities of human activities in the BWCA drew people apart. For some, the canoe country was meant to be a place of quiet and solitude, where one could paddle away from the trappings of civilization.

Kevin Proescholdt, who later became executive director of Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, began taking trips into the BWCA, leading trips of high school and college students. Proescholdt recalled that for “wilderness advocates, it was a real time of crisis, because there were timber sales that were about to be re-opened. I had been guiding trips for three or four years and felt strongly we needed to do all we could to protect the area. I was asked to testify and lobby in Washington, which was a real educational experience in the political process and also showed me how fragile the political process was.”

For Dave Zentner, the process was a little slower, but he, too, recalls becoming a “true believer” in wilderness. Zentner’s first foray into the Boundary Waters was to go fishing. He had read some of Sigurd Olson’s 1964 Wilderness Act is passed. Motors restricted to 62% of water surface. 1966 BWCAW permits required (no quotas). 1968 Group size limited to 10 people. (Changed to 15 in 1969, reduced to 10 in 1975 and then 9 people and 4 watercraft in 1993 management plan.) 1971 Camping restricted to designated sites on heavy use routes. 1972 Nixon Executive Order prohibits snowmobiles and recreation vehicles in Wilderness areas. 1973 Cans and bottles prohibited in BWCAW. 1974 MPIRG and Sierra Club bring suit to halt cutting of virgin forest in BWCAW. District Court (Judge Lord) bans logging of virgin timber in 1975 decision. 8 th Circuit Court of Appeals reverses the decision in 1976. 1975 Camping restricted to designated sites on all routes. Key events that shaped the

Area

Teamwork is just one of the values learned on a canoe trip. | COURTESY YMCA CAMP MENOGYN

work and decided to give Olson a call to ask where he might catch a large lake trout. Zentner was active with the Izaak Walton League, which supported wilderness, but also greatly valued a multiuse approach to managing lands.

“I struggled with those things, (multiple-use versus hands-off management) and at Izaak Walton meetings, I appeared to be too pro-multiple use ... so I had a personal evolution. I didn’t show up and say ‘kumbayah, high-five’ but over time I began to appreciate wilderness and its equally important role,” Zentner said.

Zentner did find his lake trout haven in the Boundary Waters and would often drive through Ely for a weekend of fishing in the BWCA. He came to realize wilderness attributes—providing the physical challenge for young people, a wild respite for business people and a spiritual sanctuary for lovers of the wild—were more important than the multiuse approach that the ’64 Act allowed for the Boundary Waters.

A Battle in Congress

Wilderness advocates found themselves increasingly at odds with the many ways in which the BWCA wasn’t being managed like true wilderness. Two bills sought to fix these problems—one, a rigid wilderness bill put forth by then Twin Cities Rep. Don Fraser to eliminate motorized use and log-

ging. The Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness formed in 1976 and threw their support behind Fraser’s bill, and, in one notable marketing maneuver, created a button for supporters to wear that bore the slogan “I Like it Wild.”

Northeastern Minnesota Rep. Jim Oberstar’s bill took a more multiple-use approach, protecting some of the motor-use routes already in place, and creating a National Recreation Area from 400,000 acres in the Boundary Waters, while leaving part of the wilderness intact.

At the height of the congressional debates about these bills, a hearing took place in Ely where folks could voice their opinions about the issue. Bill Hansen’s father attended. At this meeting, some participants hung Sigurd Olson, an Ely resident, in effigy.

“I remember when my dad got home, he got out of the car and he had an odd expression on his face. When asked how it went, he said it was the first time he got spit on, and four guys followed him out to his car and threatened to burn down his business,” Hansen recalled.

Longtime Hovland resident, Harry Drabik, once a Boundary Waters guide, was also on the side of the wilderness.

“It was really unpopular to be a prowilderness person in 1978,” Drabik said. “It wasn’t that I thought the resorts should go to hell, it’s just that the compromise wasn’t working.”

In the end, a new bill put forth by California’s Phillip Burton and Minnesota Representative Bruce Vento prevailed as the 1978 Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Act. Motorized use allowed dropped from 62 percent of water surface to 33 percent, with more phase-outs dropping use to 22 percent in 1999. Logging and mining were completely banned, and more than 56,000 acres were immediately added to the wilderness area. The area became officially known as the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW).

The Wilderness Today

A timeline of management changes from the Forest Service illustrates how the wilderness management evolved to what it is today. According to Forest Service spokesperson Kristina Reichenbach, the BWCAW is among the most-heavily used wilderness

areas in the U.S. “We’re usually in the top five, depending how you define it,” Reichenbach said. “And that is one of the challenges for wilderness managers, because the usage is so high.”

In recent years, the Forest Service estimates that 250,000 people visit the Boundary Waters annually, including both overnight and day-use visitors. But these numbers are not completely accurate. From October through April, you are only required to have a self-issued free permit to enter the BWCAW. Still, it seems as though usage has been fairly steady from year-to-year, with a slight increase in overnight permits from 2002-2004. The Forest Service attributes variation from year-to-year on a combination of factors including campfire restrictions, bugs, weather and the economy, especially gas prices.

In July and August, permits for most Boundary Waters entry points are unavailable—especially for the most-popular entry Oberstar introduces new BWCAW bill which includes extensive National Recreation Area concept. 1976 Fraser introduces new BWCAW bill to give full Wilderness status. (Congress fails to act on either bill). Quotas established for BWCAW visitors. State bans mining on waters of BWCAW and state lands within the BWCAW. 1978 BWCAW Act passed. 1998 Overnight user fees established for the BWCAW. Transportation Equity Action allows operation of motorized vehicles to transport boats across Prairie Portage and Trout Lake Portage. Removes Canoe and Alder Lakes in Cook County from the list of where motorized use is allowed. 1999 Storm in July with straight line winds in excess of 90 mph caused extensive blowdown on nearly half the BWCAW.

2006 Cavity Lake Fire burns 31,000 acres south of Seagull LakeThe first of three major fires that burned extensive amounts of downed trees after the 1999 windstorm.

2007 Ham Lake Fire burns more than 75,000 acres of forest and damaged or destroyed 140 structures along or near the Gunflint TrailStarted by unattended campfire. 2011 Pagami Creek Fire burns more than 90,000 acres, almost percent of the BWCAW. Started by lightning strike.

Campfire scene, Ottertrack Lake, Windigo Point, 1936. | COURTESY OF USFS

Introducing young people into the wilderness is a priority for outfitters, camps, and the Forest Service. | COURTESY CAMP MENOGYN

points. Users in July and August and even September often report difficulty finding open campsites.

Ann Schwaller, wilderness specialist for the Boundary Waters, explained that recreational use is just one aspect that the Forest Service looks at when managing the wilderness.

“The wilderness area is managed for wilderness character first and human desire second,” Schwaller said. “Sometimes users and outfitters want us to bump the quota for a certain entry point, but we [the Forest Service] have to think about the resource questions first.”

Another aspect that the Forest Service manages in the BWCAW is research. Wilderness is perhaps the only place where researchers can observe how natural systems work without human interference or manipulation of resources.

“With wilderness there are accountability standards from the Act [’64 Wilderness Act],” Schwaller said. “There’s other areas outside the wilderness that give a sample of the wilderness, but the management can change outside the wilderness.”

With adjacent national forest and state lands, for example, management styles and plans may change depending on who is appointed to be Secretary of Agriculture or who is in political office. With wilderness, there is more consistency. But it’s not handsoff either.

“Just because it’s wilderness doesn’t mean we put a line around it and walk away,” Schwaller said. “We just manage to a different set of standards.”

One of the successes over the last few decades of wilderness management has been more and more emphasis on education about Leave No Trace (LNT) and a wilderness ethic. It used to be that visitors would come upon piles of trash at campsites—leftover food, cans, bottles, fish scraps, etc. To-

The next 50 years

Across the board—between wilderness advocates, outfitters and Forest Service personnel—one of the biggest concerns about the Boundary Waters is that there are fewer young people on trips. And statistics back this up.

According to a report by the Forest Service from studies completed in 1969, 1991 and 2007, the average age of respondents to the surveys rose from 26 in 1969 to 45 in 2007. Similarly, 47 percent of respondents were students in 1969, dropping to 11 percent by 2007.

Doug Nethercut, director of YMCA Camp Menogyn, a wilderness tripping camp for youth ages 12-18 located on the Gunflint Trail, was first introduced to the wilderness himself as camper at YMCA camps in Minnesota. Five years ago, he accepted the position at Menogyn because he was excited about introducing young people to the wilderness.

are a lot of great programs—Menogyn, Widgiwagan, Wilderness Canoe Base—but it’s worrisome to me that we have not been doing as good a job introducing our kids to the Boundary Waters. There is lots of talk about kids today not as connected to the outdoors as they were 20-30 years ago ... there is truth to that.”

Climate change, proposed mining near the Boundary Waters and technology are potential threats the BWCAW may face in the coming decades. Reichenbach reiterated that mechanical devices are not allowed, but will that include drones? Will there be hovercrafts? We likely don’t even know what some of the new threats to wilderness will be, said Reichenbach.

Time to celebrate

There is much to celebrate about how far the BWCAW has come in 50 years. The Forest Service points to the wide support they now feel both from communities near the wilderness and outfitters and advocacy groups.

“We meet with the co-operaters (outfitters and business that can distribute BWCAW permits) two or three times a year ... and there is always a question of money versus resource protection. If we change something that will significantly affect their business, we talk about it with them, sometimes for hours.” Reichenbach said. “There is a lot of support from them—they are our eyes in the field. That is very important.”

Bill Hansen stressed the importance of the Wilderness Act.

“It was one of the more landmark pieces of enlightened legislation that Congress has ever passed, right up there with the Voting Rights Act. The wilderness system is the only land-use policy that is striving for sustainability, overtly. Let Nature take its course and preserve it until perpetuity.” Hansen said. “I give a lot of credit to the visionaries who said ‘Hey, these are important areas and we need to set them aside.’ The opposition must have looked insurmountable.”

day, clear rules about what you can bring in to the wilderness have made a difference. But it’s far from perfect.

Schwaller says she is seeing more and more vandalized trees at campsites. Also, people are bringing more tents than they used to.

“Our tent pads are pretty big,” she said. “But now people bring a lot of tents and the tent spaces are spreading out. A lot of times it seems like one action won’t make a difference, but some of these things really multiply.”

“I had a real belief that getting small groups of young people in to wild places is a magical experience for them,” Nethercut said. “They gain self-confidence, an appreciation for beauty, silence and wildness, traditions, conservation, taking responsibility for their own actions, hard-work, and being part of a team. They learn creative problem-solving and leadership.”

Nethercut and others surmise that there are more alternatives for youth these days—sports camps, international travel—all sorts of programs. “All of us involved in wilderness programming are concerned that the younger generation is plugged in 24/7,” he said.

Kevin Proescholdt, who now works for Wilderness Watch, agrees.

“I think we need to reintroduce younger generations to the Boundary Waters. There

Hansen also acknowledged that the wilderness isn’t for everyone, but he had an opportunity to take Dessa, a popular hiphop artist from the Twin Cities, and her boyfriend, out for a little paddle this summer. She just wanted to see the Boundary Waters, but wasn’t necessarily interested in a multi-day trip.

“I said to her, there are times out here where its completely silent and you can hear the blood in your ears. And she said, ‘Yeah, like in a vocal booth.’”

Harry Drabik perhaps best summed up that feeling that many have about the Boundary Waters.

“There are two things—the nature of the terrain, the lake and lands. It’s a special kind of place. You breathe it in your lungs, but you feel it in your soul. That never goes away. I have yet to un-love the Boundary Waters.”

Fishing has been and remains a popular way to enjoy a quiet morning in the BWCAW. | ERIN ALTEMUS

Ranger with pack and “tump line” on head—old way of balancing heavy loads. | COURTESY OF USFS

Northern Wilds

By Shawn Perich

It was all Amber’s idea.

Having found our combined skills as a writer (me) and a graphic designer (her) gave us extra power as freelancers, we started working on projects together. One day, she said, “I think the North Shore needs an outdoor publication.” Her idea was to publish a quarterly newsprint tabloid, with local advertising, as a way to make some extra money. It scared the heck out of me.

10 Years and Counting 1

“Who will advertise?” I asked.

“Lots of businesses,” she replied.

“How will we pay for the printing?” I asked.

“We’ve got credit cards,” she said.

So I thought about it and discussed with my other half, Vikki. She thought it sounded like a good idea. So I took a deep breath and told Amber I’d give it a shot. We roughed out the idea for the new publication on a sheet of paper. Then, after much thinking and research into existing business names, we decided to call it Northern Wilds. Amber came up with the advertising rates.

and

Then we headed up the Gunflint Trail to see if anyone would bite. Our first sales call was at Golden Eagle Lodge, where we chatted with Danny Baumann. He knew Amber because she used to babysit for his brother. And he knew me because we were both

We sold enough advertising to publish the first, 16-page issue of Northern Wilds, dated Fall 2004. Then we began to grow. A year later, our Fall 2005 issue was 40 pages. We were well on our way. In 2006, we won the bid to produce the weekly Cook County real estate guide. Now we were in a pickle, because the workload was more than the two of us could handle.

April Fools! In April, 2009, we created a stir with a Hwy 61 cover story about a fictitious oil strike near Grand

active in our volunteer fire departments. He listened to our idea (it wasn’t really a sales pitch) and bought the back page. Since then, Golden Eagle has advertised in every issue of Northern Wilds.

Then Laurie Johnson walked through the door. Having recently moved to Grand Marais from Montana, she was looking for work and became our first employee. Laurie handled the real estate guide and much more, such as our bookkeeping. When Northern Wilds “went corporate” in 2007, becoming Northern Wilds Media, Inc., Laurie set up the bookkeeping system we still use.

While Laurie was our first employee, we’ve had many others since then. We are proud to say we’ve hired many young people who gained experience at Northern Wilds that allowed them to land better jobs. We remain in touch with most of them.

In 2008, due to requests from our readers and advertisers, we changed Northern

The cover of our first issue, Fall, 2004, featured a photo of a red-tailed hawk by Michael Furtman.

Our August, 2014, cover featured a dog and a boy retrieving a shoe by photographer Sandy Updyke.

Amber

Shawn help unload the January, 2014, premiere issue of the new Northern Wilds as it arrives from the printing plant in Detroit Lakes.

Marais.

Wilds from a quarterly to a bimonthly publication. Not long afterward, we transformed the real estate guide into a monthly tabloid called North Shore Highway 61, which included arts, entertainment, community stories and real estate. Highway

61 was mailed to every household in Cook County and available, like Northern Wilds, at news racks along the North Shore.

In 2009, we had some fun with the April edition of Highway 61. Our cover photo

showed a massive oil tanker entering Grand Marais Harbor and inside was a story about an oil strike near Devil Track Lake and how a oil company planned to build a giant pipeline to the harbor so they could load the crude into tankers. Some of our readers were horrified and thought quaint Grand Marais was about to be destroyed. If they’d read the whole story, they would have discovered at the end that it was an April Fools prank.

Producing two publications—North Shore Highway 61 monthly and Northern Wilds every other month—meant there was always a publication deadline looming for our staff. We also had to find room for two magazines on the news racks and shelves where our publications are distributed. For a long time, we considered combining the two publications, but we weren’t sure if we could successfully do so. In 2013, we finally decided the time was right to take a big step forward and create a new, better, and bigger publication.

We gave the task of creating the new design to Kyle Sobanja, who worked with our staff to build a framework for the pub-

lication. We launched the new Northern Wilds magazine in January—a fitting start to our 10th year. We mail a copy to every household in Cook County and distribute it at over 150 North Shore locations from Duluth to Thunder Bay. The overwhelming positive response we received from our readers and advertisers has been humbling. This summer we published our largest issues ever.

Northern Wilds has been and will continue to be a community endeavor. In other words, we couldn’t do it without you—our advertisers, readers, staff and contributors. We’ve come to know many wonderful people through Northern Wilds, including more than a few who have been with us since the early years. While we would love to name everyone who has been involved with Northern Wilds, we’d inevitably leave someone out.

So instead we’ll say, “Hey, you know who are.” From the bottom of our hearts, Thank You! for being a part of Northern Wilds.

Northern Wilds has crossed paths with the stars. From the top, Shawn with Andrew Zimmern of Bizarre Foods, Vikki Elberling (Shawn’s partner) with Alan Doyle of Great Big Sea and Amber with Paul Schaffer of The Letterman Show.

A kayak tour at Rossport in 2012 proved Shawn and Amber make better business partners than paddling partners.

A 2010 Christmas shows past and current members of the Northern Wilds team. From left to right are Dominique Holz, Shelby Gonzalez, Joan Farnam, Calie Vannet, Shawn Perich, Amber Pratt, Jim Boyd, Breanna Super and Sue O’Quinn.

We couldn’t do it without the support of many others, including (left to right) graphic designer Katie Viren, managing editor (and dog musher) Erin Altemus, and Amber’s husband Mike Pratt.

Radio Waves

By Joan Farnam

The Radio Waves Music Festival rocks.

The festival, which started as a one-day celebration to thank supporters of WTIP Community Radio for being on the air for 10 years, is now a three-day event anticipated by fans and musicians alike from as far away as Minneapolis, Duluth and Thunder Bay as well as lots of local residents.

“It’s totally unique, really,” said Cathy Quinn, co-director of the festival, which is held at Sweetheart’s Bluff in the Rec Park in Grand Marais the weekend after Labor Day. The bluff is tucked into one corner of the park below the sledding hill, surrounded by pine trees and only a short walk from Lake Superior.

It’s a beautiful space, and the festival is held at the perfect time of the year to sit outside, or under the big tent, visiting with friends and listening to music.

“People are coming down off their summer, and local people can get out a little instead of working,” she said. “There’s back-to-back music on two stages, and it runs continuously. You can come and go as you want, bring your own food and drinks, or buy from our vendors. There’s no agenda, no strings attached. It’s just listening to good music with friends and neighbors. It’s super cool.”

The three-day festival has expanded hours this year. It runs from 4-10 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. (For the complete music schedule, see page opposite.)

So far, vendors include Lola’s Sweet Life Bakery, Fika Coffee, Double D’s BBQ and Great Expectations School.

Melanie Steel, development director at WTIP, said more than 1,500 people came to the festival last year. Not only is the event affordable ($5 a day, $10 for the whole weekend), but it’s definitely family friendly.

“There’s something for everyone here,” she said.

The Kids’ Tent, for example, which is organized by Jana Berka, is a big draw for children and their parents.

“There aren’t that many places that children can just

James Jupiter “Jupie” Little, drummer with The Carpenter Ants, returns with the band this year. They headline on Saturday night and play a gospel show Sunday morning. | CARAH THOMAS

enjoy the day, listen to music, play and hang out, being safe and having fun,” Steele said. The tent is open on Saturday and Sunday.

It’s an intergenerational event, too.

Deb Benedict, station manager, noted that Radio Waves “is an opportunity for folks who don’t stay up late and go to bars and clubs to hear the music, and this includes all ages in our community, from youth to the elderly.”

And the music is wonderful.

The tent is large enough so there’s plenty of room for a

dance floor, but the audience is still close to the musicians, making for great listening.

“We shoot for a multi-generational mix that gives you diversity … from having a swing band to Whurl, playing for everyone from high school students to people in their 70s, Quinn said. “It’s like if you don’t care for this band, the next band you’ll probably like.”

Quinn tries to keep it as local as possible, too.

“We have 33 groups booked this year and had to turn people away,” she said. “I really try hard to include as many local acts as possible, but we’re starting to get a lot of interest from outside the area. It’s kind of tricky. I have to be careful how many outside folks I bring in.”

There are some nationally known bands included in the mix—The Carpenter Ants return again this year, and Sam Miltich and the Clearwater Hot Club will play. Regional groups like Rich Mattson & the North Stars and Minneapolis singer/songwriter Gina Lee are performing as well. But the line-up includes great representation from the local music scene. Everything from blues, country, jazz and rock will be played over the weekend to an enthusiastic crowd.

The musicians love it.

“They like playing for this type of crowd,” Steele said.

John Gruber, who plays with the SplinterTones and Shoot from the Hipsters, agrees. The SplinterTones is a big, 8-piece band, and there aren’t many places in the county where they can play.

“Radio Waves is an opportunity for us,” he said.

Radio Waves also gives musicians a chance to hear each other perform, Benedict said, and Quinn notes that new collaborations have developed from the festival.

“One of the things that’s really cool is seeing the musicians perform with each other in different collaborations,” she said.

Gruber, for example, said that his band, Shoot from the Hipsters, came together specifically to play at Radio Waves.

“We only play for one hour, and we can rehearse, get it it right, and play to a big audience. It’s a gas,” he said.

The Radio Waves Music Festival draws hundreds of people for a weekend of listening to great music and enjoying neighbors and friends. | CARAH THOMAS

Marco Good and Don Noyce enjoy a laugh at the festival. | PATRICK KNIGHT

“That’s

Radio Waves music schedule

FRIDAY, SEPT. 5

4 p.m. North Shore Community Swing Band

5:10 p.m. Fred Anderson

5:40 p.m. Oversize Load

6:25 p.m. Jim & Michele Miller

7:05 p.m. Viton, Lavigne, Mills & Hand

7:45 p.m. Pushing Chain

8:30 p.m. Rich Mattson & The North Stars

SATURDAY, SEPT. 6

10 a.m. Larry Carpenter

10:30 a.m. John Silliman

11 a.m. Earth, Wind & Todd

11:50 a.m. Maria Nickolay

12:20 p.m. Trails End Band

1:10 p.m. skyBLuetrio and the ORANGEgirl

2 p.m. The Curry Family Band

2:50 p.m. D’Merritt

3:40 p.m. Portage

4:30 p.m. Frozen Britches

5:05 p.m. Bughouse!

5:45 p.m. Gina Lee

6:20 p.m. Cook County’s Most Wanted

7:10 p.m. Ric Gillman & Bruce Bowers

7:50 p.m. Al Hedstrom & Don Bauer

8:30 p.m. The Carpenter Ants

SUNDAY, SEPT. 7

10 a.m. Gordon Thorne with the Carpenter Ants

11:30 a.m. The Spruce Roots

2:20 p.m. Whurl

1 p.m. Shoot from the Hipsters

1:50 p.m. Joe Paulik Band

2:40 p.m. Briand Morrison & Roxann Berglund

3:15 p.m. The Pete K Group

4:05 p.m. Blues Galaxy

4:55 p.m. Sam Miltich & the Clearwater Hot Club

5:45 p.m. The SplinterTones

Amanda Hand performed with Zababo at Radio Waves.| PATRICK KNIGHT

Musa Abdel-rahman plays his congas. | CARAH THOMAS

Emma James likes her face paint. | CARAH THOMAS

What You Get” performed at Radio Waves last year. | CARAH THOMAS

NorthShore ArtScene

By Joan Farnam

September is the month for music and art on the North Shore. There are some outstanding events and art exhibits scheduled for this month, so pull out your calendar and pen them in.

The first weekend of September begins with the Grand Marais Art Colony’s Plein Air Competition and the Radio Waves Music Festival, which is held throughout the weekend at Sweetheart’s Bluff at the Grand Marais Rec Park.

The 12th annual Plein Air Painting Competition sponsored by the Grand Marais Art Colony is held Sept. 5-12. In all, 60 artists have entered the competition this year, where they will have the opportunity to paint landscapes everywhere in Cook County for a week. The competition is followed by an exhibit and sale at the Johnson Heritage Post, which continues through Sept. 28.

There are several special events organized during the plein-air painting week as well, including the Sugarloaf Paint Out (Sugar Loaf Cove, Sept. 6 from 1-4 p.m.) and the very popular Quick Paint at Artists’ Point (Thursday, Sept. 11, 4-5:30 p.m.). The public is invited to observe the artists at work at both events. An Artist Scavenger Hunt is also offered during the competition, where the public can scope out artists at work. The Art Colony provides a scavenger hunt map to aid in the search.

The juror for the show this year is Bonnie Paruch, an internationally known pas-

tel artist, who will give a lecture at the Art Colony at 11 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 11. She will also teach a class while she is here.

On Saturday, Sept. 6, poet Ken McCullough will be featured at a Writer’s Salon at Drury Lane Books. He will read from his work and discuss poetry at 5 p.m. All invited. There will be a Full Moon Reading with Erin Huggins at Drury Lane Books Sept. 8 at 5 p.m.

The next week is also very busy in Cook

County and Thunder Bay.

Unplugged XIII opens at North House Folk School Sept. 11 and runs through Sept. 14. Mountain Stage Radio will present concerts Thursday and Friday nights, and the classic Unplugged concert featuring singer/songwriters and hosted by the creator of Unplugged, Jon Vezner, is Saturday night. Performers at the Mountain Stage concerts include David Wax Museum, Dan Wilson, Chris Smither, Tony Trischka’s Great Big World, and The

Don Juans Thursday night and David Lindley, Pert Near Sandstone, Carrie Newcomer, Judith Owen and Bill Miller Friday night. Tickets can be purchased at www.northhouse.org. Unplugged also features a number of community gatherings, including a square dance (music by Pert Near Sandstone), craft beer tasting and jam sessions.

Also that weekend, the Grand Marais Art Colony will hold the opening reception for the Plein Air Competition at the

“Boreal Spring,” a painting by Thunder Bay painter Linda Dell. is on exhibit at the Baggage Building Arts Center in Thunder Bay.

A stack of turned bowls by Jim Sannerud. He will be demonstrating at Betsy Bowen’s Studio during the Crossing Borders Tour & Sale.

SHAW

“Doug in Action,” oil, by Lee Englund, a plein air painter.

“Flora,” metal, by Caroline Kajorinne will be on exhibit at “Precious Metals” in Thunder Bay Sept. 13.

“Hidden Falls,” oil, by Neil Sherman. It was selected for the Fine Arts Exhibition at the Minnesota State Fair.

Johnson Heritage Post Friday, Sept. 12, from 5-7 p.m. Winners of the competition, as well as the Red Suspender Invitational will be announced. All invited. Refreshments will be served.

On Saturday, Sept. 13 in Thunder Bay, “Precious Metals,” an all-day event featuring a showcase of metal workers will be held at the Art’s Gallery, 12 St. Paul Street. The show also features live blacksmithing, music and more. The

Art’s Gallery includes two studios: Hide 5 Leather and the Pike Lake Forge

Lorna Landvik will read from her newly released book, “Mayor of the Universe” at Drury Lane Books at 2 p.m. Sept. 17.

The next weekend, Walking With Our Sisters, a national tour honoring the lives of murdered and missing indigenous women of Canada and the United States, opens at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery with a special ceremony at noon. (EST) Sept. 19. The exhibit is a commemorative art installation of more than 1,000 moccasin vamps (tops) created and donated by hundreds of individuals to draw attention to this injustice. A special film screening will take place Sept. 20 from 7-9 p.m. (EST) and a sharing circle will be held Oct. 2 from 6-7:30 p.m. All are welcome. The exhibit continues at the gallery through Oct. 12.

Also that weekend, the Lake Superior 20/20 Studio Art Tour begins, featuring open studios in a 20-mile loop from just outside Duluth to Two Harbors. Artwork from the 20 artists participating in the tour includes everything from ceramics and fiber art to printmaking, painting, woodworking and photography. The event also includes live music and refreshments. 20/20 will be held Sept. 19-21 and Sept. 26-28. For more information, hours and maps, visit www.lakesuper2020.com. .

On Saturday, Sept. 20, poet Kate Hallett Dayton will read from and discuss her poetry from her books “Salt Heart” and “Catalpa” in a Writer’s Salon at Drury Lane Books at 5 p.m.

That evening, Briand Morrison & Friends will hold a CD release party at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts at 7:30 p.m. The event is sponsored by the North Shore Music Association

The last week of September is one of the highlights of the season for artists on the North Shore as The Crossing Borders Studio Tour & Sale opens Sept. 26. Artists along the North Shore from just outside Duluth to Grand Portage are featured in this tour and include Michael Tonder, Jody Freij-Tonder, Dick and Debbie Cooter, Tom Christiansen, Betsy Bowen, Dan and Lee Ross and Marcie McIntire. Guest artists will also show their work at a number of studios.

cont. on page 45

BRIAND MORRISON Jazz guitarist Grand Portage

Have you always lived on the North Shore?

No I haven’t. I moved here in 2000 to settle the estate after my dad passed away, and then I ended up staying. I was born in New York and raised in Rhode Island and moved to St. Paul in 1970.

What projects are you currently working on?

I’m working on a blues CD through a Minnesota State Arts Board grant. The CD is called “Blues Galaxy.” Technically, I’m partnered with the North Shore Music Association. The grant calls for a CD and a performance. The idea was to do blues rock, a style of music that’s more palatable for the general public and fun for me as well, and to collaborate with local musicians. At last count I had 17 local musicians that are going to be on the CD.

And I’m working on jazz recording made in my studio, MMI Studios, which will be used in a documentary about my father, (George Morrison) produced by Minnesota Public Television.

What about your art continues to attract and fascinate you?

The joy of playing and the ability to be able to make music that I enjoy and then to share it with people. That keeps me playing. Jazz is king. That’s my first and foremost thing. But I also like playing Celtic, folk and classic 70s rock.

Where can we hear you play?

Fridays at The Pie Place at 6 p.m., the Grand Marais Public Library, Aug. 27, 6 p.m., Radio Waves Music Festival, Sept. 5-7 and my CD Release Party at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts, Sept. 20 at 7:30 p.m. See www.briandmorrison.com for more.

“Nipigon Bay,” oil, by Tom McCann.

An angel from the former St. John’s Catholic Church graces the studio of Sharon and Steve Frykman. Their home will be one ofthose in the Art Colony’s Tour d’Art this year. | CAROLYN FRITZ

“River of Rock,” acrylic, by Heidi Sobanja.

ARTSCENE

Hymers Fall Fair

Aug. 31-Sept. 1

Each summer the village of Hymers near Thunder Bay hosts a classic country fair. This year’s theme is “Country Roots and Cowboy Boots.” The fair’s purpose is to encourage an awareness of agriculture around rural Thunder Bay. Craft demonstrations, contests, children’s races, a mutt show, animal shows (horses, dairy, small animals) and much more make this a true country fair. There will be two stages for entertainment and a $1,500 cash prize draw. See www.hymersfair.com.

Free Workshops With Cartoonist Bill Barnes

Sept. 4

Making comic strips might just be the most fun job in the world. Thanks to the Internet, it’s easier than ever to put your work in front of potential readers. From 6 to 8 p.m. at the Grand Marais Public Library, veteran cartoonist Bill Barnes (Unshelved, Not Invented Here) will show you how to make comic strips, publish them on the Web, and maybe make some money too.

The first hour, “The Basics of Cartooning,” is a fast and fun workshop for middle school students through adults, covering every step in making a comic strip: Creating memorable characters, writing dialog, lettering, penciling, inking and coloring.

The second hour, “The Technology and Business of Cartooning,” is oriented toward mature teens and adults. Barnes describes how he uses computers to create and publish comic strips to the Internet, and describes how he makes money doing it.

Radio Waves Music Festival

Sept. 5-7

WTIP’s Radio Waves Music Festival takes place annually the weekend after Labor Day and highlights the talent and diversity of North Shore and regional musicians. In addition to live music through-

out the day, the festival features on-site food vendors and a children’s activity area. Radio Waves is held at Sweetheart’s Bluff in the Grand Marais Rec Park. Tickets are $5 per day or $10 for the weekend, available at the gate. See the story on Page 21 for a music schedule.

Sawtooth Mountain Bike Challenge

Sept.

7

More than 600 feet of vertical elevation separates downtown Grand Marais from the Pincushion Mountain Biking Trails located at the Pincushion Mountain Over-

look. This climb is spread out over 2 miles of rugged trail twisting its way up the hill to its zenith at the trailhead of “Rock and a Hard Place,” one of the newest mountain bike trails in the Arrowhead.

As a way of highlighting “Rock and a Hard Place” and many new trails, the Superior Cycling Association hosts the annual Sawtooth Mountain Challenge, a grueling mountain bike race with 21-mile, 15-mile and 8-mile options. This race raises money for the construction of new trails as well as raises awareness of this riding gem located in Cook County’s backyard. The race starts at 10 a.m. in downtown Grand Marais. Registration can be completed by emailing Superior North Outdoor Center at bike@

boreal.org. Refreshments will be provided for racers and there will be category awards for top finishers.

For several years the Superior Cycling Association has been working in conjunction with the U.S. Forest Service and the International Mountain Biking Association to promote cycling of all kinds in Cook County, but with a focus on taking advantage of our unique geography to develop a top-of-the-line mountain bike “ride center” on the North Shore. Trails have been developed at Britton Peak just outside of Tofte and at Pincushion Mountain just outside of Grand Marais with the grand plan of having many more miles of sustainably built trails installed throughout the region.

Watch artists at work during The Quick Paint on Artist’s Point from 4-5:30 p.m. Sept. 11. | KJERSTI VICK

The Sawtooth Mountain Challenge offers 21, 15 and 8-mile rides on exhilarating trails. | COURTESY SUPERIOR CYCLING ASSOCIATION

CROSSING BORDERS STUDIO TOUR

September 25 - October 5 10-6 each day

7 STOPS — 22 ARTISTS

Unplugged XIII/Mountain Stage Radio

Kick up your heels and raise your glass! North House Folk School’s Unplugged XIII promises to have plenty of unique flavors. Three nights of music (two with NPR’s Mountain Stage Radio Show), a community square dance on Saturday night featuring music by Pert Near Sandstone, beverages and a workshop with Minneapolis’ Fulton Beer round out a long weekend of events.

Enjoy the fall colors on Lake Superior’s North Shore and visit artists in their studios. glass, jewelry, print making, pottery, fiber art and metal, wood and stone sculpture

For more information go to crossingbordersstudiotour.com or call Marcia or Tom at 218-663-7008

For the last three years Mountain Stage Radio has been a dynamic addition to the Unplugged event. The radio show records two live shows Thursday and Friday nights, which are broadcast nationally during

Lake Superior 20/20

Studio Art Tour

Sept. 19-21 and 26-28

The Lake Superior 20/20 Studio Art Tour embarks on its third year, adding new works, new artists and a new stop. Artists’ studios will be open for visitors to enjoy original art from 20 artists in a 20mile loop, east of Duluth, and west of Two Harbors. The tour offers a variety of art including: glass, ceramics, painting, woodworking, printmaking, jewelry, photography and more. Refreshments, demonstrations, story-telling, poetry and music are all a part of the tour. Artist Studios will be open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The tour is dedicated to the late Joyce Gow, who died in January.

For more information visit www. lakesuperior2020.com

Sept. 11-14

the following year. The classic Saturday night concert employs a more informal songwriter-in-the-round format.

This year’s performers include David Wax Museum, Dan Wilson, Chris Smither, Tony Trischka’s Great Big World, The Don Juans (featuring Don Henry & Jon Vezner), David Lindley, Pert Near Sandstone, Carrie Newcomer, Judith Owen, Jeff Gilkinson and Bill Miller

As always, craft and community are at the event’s core, and there are five opportunities to take music coursework with performers including Chris Smither and

Tony Trischka. Also on the schedule are traditional craft courses and mini courses in everything from birch bark weaving to bread baking. For the third year, Points North Auction will give online bidders the opportunity to bid on lodging, experiences and gift certificates with a distinct North Shore flavor at www.biddingforgood.com/ northhouse

Tickets for this year’s Unplugged concerts are available for purchase online, along with event details, performer links and other weekend events at www.northhouse.org.

SEPT. EVENTS

Monday Sept. 1 Labor Day Open 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Saturday Sept. 6 • 5 PM Writer’s Salon with poet Ken McCullough reading and discussing Broken Gates

Monday Sept. 8 • 5 PM - 6 PM Full Moon featuring Erin Huggins. Outside on the lakeshore.

Wendesday Sept. 17 • 2 PM - 4 PM Book Signing featuring Lorna Landvik. Her newest books are Best to Laugh and Mayor of the Universe.

Saturday Sept. 20 • 5 PM Writer’s Salon with poet Kate Hallett Dayton reading and discussing Salt Heart and Catalpa.

Wednesday Sept. 24 • 6:30 PM Women’s Book Group. Call for title, read the book and join the discussion.

Pert Near Sandstone plays at Unplugged XIII at North House Folk School.

Walking With Our Sisters

Sept. 19-Oct. 12

Walking With Our Sisters (WWOS) is a commemorative art installation exhibit to honour missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada and the U.S. This international touring exhibit will be at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery for just under a month as it tours over 30 locations in the next six years across North America.

The art installation is made up of more than1,725 pairs of moccasin tops that have been created by 1,372 caring and concerned people from around the world to honour and pay respect to the lives and existence of the missing and murdered Indigenous women. Each pair of moccasin tops represents an indigenous woman or girl who is missing or was murdered.

This art exhibit will also bring attention to this issue as the numbers of indigenous women and girls going missing and or being murdered continues to grow. According to the most recent data 1,181 indigenous women and girls have gone missing or have been murdered in Canada in the past 30 years. It is suspected that the actual numbers of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls are much higher.

The opening ceremony for this exhibit will be held at noon (EST) Sept. 19 at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery. See www.walkingwithoursisters.ca for more information about the exhibit.

Briand Morrison CD Release

Sept. 20

Guitarist and composer Briand Morrison of Grand Portage, through funding from the Minnesota State Arts Board and partnership with the North Shore Music Association, has composed 12 original jazz, rock, and blues numbers for guitar and an array of backing instruments and vocals. Having recorded this material at his studio with several regional musicians and produced a full-length album, Morrison will release his CD at a Sept. 20 performance at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts. The concert will feature Morrison and area musicians performing this and other works.

Morrison was inspired to play jazz guitar as a young teenager, when he heard Joe Pass play on the album Portraits of Duke Ellington. “I couldn’t believe my ears,” he says. “Jazz, I thought, really can be played on guitar.”

He began studying with Dave Pederson at the West Bank School of Music in Minneapolis, learning technique and theory and coming to feel that “jazz was more interesting than rock, because it was richer in every way: harmonically, rhythmically and melodically” and that it “gave rise to more expression and color when playing and soloing.”

After studying for two years with Pederson, Morrison was hired, at age 16, by the West Bank School of Music as a rock guitar teacher. His special skill, he says, “was the ability to learn, transcribe, and teach a song to a student in a half-hour lesson.” In

Betsy Bowen Woodcuts

Betsy Bowen Studio woodcut.com

301 First Ave West Grand Marais - 218-387-1992

Studio open daily through Oct. 19 11am - 5 pm

A family-friendly working studio in a historic church just up the hill from downtown.

1979 he left Minneapolis to attend Berkley College of Music in Boston.

Today, while he continues to compose for and perform solo jazz guitar extensively, Morrison also composes and performs in a style he calls, “reminiscent of a Hendrix, Stevie Ray, Allman Bros, Early Clapton sound—a refined 60/70s style.”

See www.arrowheadcenterforthearts. tix.com for tickets and details.

Sara Pajunen Plays Finnish Folk Music

Sept. 24

Sara Pajunen plays Finnish folk music on the violin. During her Laatikko/Box program, she uses her violin combined with items she has collected about Finnish immigration to the United States to create a multimedia interactive story about immigration and how we as individuals are always moving from the known to the unknown as we move through different phases of our lives.

Laatikko/Box is a project about immigration. At 1 p.m. join Pajunen as she performs and explains her project at the Grand Marais Public Library. More than 1,725 pairs of moccasin tops

Crossing Borders Studio Tour

Fri. September 26 - Sun. October 5 ª 10am - 6pm daily www.crossingbordersstudiotour.com

Sheri Hargrove

Port Aransas, TX

Fused dichroic glass jewelry and decor Sept.27 - Oct.6

Fritz Lehmberg Ontario Early Snows Pottery

Simple,wood-firedfunctional pots Sept. 27, 28, 29

Betsy Bowen Studio Guest Artists: Jim Sannerud FUNctional Woodenwear, turned, carved, and painted.Woodturning demonstrations daily at 2pm. Sept. 26 - Oct 6

Briand Morrison’s CD Release Concert is Sept. 20 at Arrowhead Center for the Arts. | COURTESY NSMA

September Maples Steal the Show

By Shawn Perich

The Rengo Road crosses through the heart of the Grand Portage Indian Reservation. A single lane of gravel, it’s the kind of road that persuades you to slow down, whether you are driving an SUV or a sedan. One reason is prudence—the Rengo is in good, but not great condition. Another reason is that taking it slow allows you to see the forest for the trees. Several miles of the Rengo Road follow a ridge forested with sugar maples. The road winds beneath a canopy of mature trees through a forest so shaded there is virtually no underbrush. Midway through September, the Rengo Road becomes a golden tunnel as the maples enter autumn with a brilliant blaze of color.

We try to drive the Rengo Road at least once during September. Sometimes, we’re a little early and the gold and scarlet is splashed like paint on a forest that is mostly greenWe try to return a week or so later, when the color reaches its peak. Then the golden bower overwhelms the senses. The colors are best on dreary, overcast days, when they are rich and saturated. The peak of maple color is ephemeral. September cold fronts ride in on strong winds from the northwest, which pluck the golden leaves from the trees and scatter them across the forest floor. The forest that was a fairyland of color one day can be no more than naked black branches the next. The finality of this transformation is a stark reminder that winter is on its way.

As the leaves fall from the maples, aspen and birch, the deciduous mainstays of the North Shore’s boreal forest are just beginning to change color. In early October, the forest will be cloaked with their golden mantle. But the September peak of the maple color in scarlet and gold is a North Shore autumn at its sweetest.

Maples don’t grow everywhere, but they aren’t hard to find. Look for them on the high slopes of the Sawtooth Mountains that rise up from Lake Superior. Most roads leading up the hill from the lake pass through maple forests, such as Hwy. 1, the Sawbill Trail and the Caribou Trails. The best driving routes are side roads that follow the ridge, passing beneath the canopy of maples for miles.

Every September, thousands of people drive over Heartbreak Hill on FR 166 north of Schroeder, supposedly named because the road was so hard on horses during the early logging era. These days, the hill is a mature maple forest. Less popular, but no less lovely, is CR 60 going east from the Gunflint Trail to CR 14. But for me, the best color route is the Rengo Road, where every autumn we make a drive through a golden wonderland.

In September, the North shore’s maple forests are ablaze with brilliant fall colors. | SHAWN PERICH

Crossing Borders Studio Tour

Sept. 26-Oct. 5

The public is invited to participate in a free self-guided tour of a select group of professional artist studios located along the Minnesota North Shore of Lake Superior. The Crossing Borders Studio Tour offers a unique opportunity to visit the home studios of the artists and view and purchase artwork. Learn about the artists’ processes and how this environment influences our aesthetic decisions.

Featured this year are stone sculpture, Ojibwe art work, pottery, weaving, glass, printmaking, woodturning, metal works, jewelry and leather. While traveling between the studios, visitors will enjoy the amazing fall colors and panoramic views of Lake Superior.

Visit www.crossingbordersstudiotour.com for more information and a map of the studio locations.

Golfing for Health Care

Sept. 28

This annual fundraiser held at Superior National Golf Course in Lutsen helps fund initiatives that support the NSHCF mission, “to benefit health care for all who live, work and visit in Cook County.”

To date these grants have totaled more than $531,000 and include programs such as Care Partners of Cook County and the Oral Health Task Force for children. To register see www.northshorehealthcarefoundation.org

HOURS:

218-387-3177 • crystals@boreal.org 1100 West Hwy 61, Grand Marais, MN Re ected Wedges Table Runner Class Sat. Oct. 11 or Sun. Oct. 12, 9 am - 4 pm $87 + tax, includes class, fabric kit, pattern, and wedge template! 7 Days a week 10 am - 5 pm

Brenna Klassen-Glanzer is a jeweler and is participating in the Crossing Borders Studio Tour.

The North Shore Dish An Unexpected Escape from Ordinary

By Kelsey Roseth

The Naniboujou Lodge and Restaurant is a far cry from your standard Minnesota getaway. While numerous resorts fully embrace the relaxing rustic cabin look, Naniboujou does just the opposite. The lodge’s unexpected burst of colors in its dining room and surprisingly multicultural focus provides a unique experience on the North Shore—an escape which is sought out by many folks.

Naniboujou, named after the Cree Indian god of the outdoors, has been atypical since its conception (and let’s just get this out of the way: it’s Nana-bah-zhew, not Nan-ee-boo-joo like I’ve embarrassingly pronounced it for months). In 1927, the Naniboujou Holding Company began to build a private, exclusive club on Lake Superior with a grand scope. Construction started with a 24-room lodge and a 30x80 foot dining room featuring bright, exuberant Cree designs that were painted from floor to 20-foot-high ceiling. Early members included the former New York Yankee Babe Ruth and world heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey.

The holding company had plans to develop the grounds further to include a large clubhouse, 150 sleeping rooms, a golf course, a bath house and tennis courts. “It was hoity-toity,” said Tim Ramey, who now owns the lodge with his wife Nancy. “If you had to ask what the price of membership was, you couldn’t be a member.”

| KELSEY ROSETH

The intent was for members to arrive by ship and stay the month (or perhaps the summer), but the holding company opened the club “without completing it so when people arrived, they didn’t have anything to do,” said Ramey. Once the stock market crashed in the late 20s, the membership never materialized and the club development ceased to a halt.

From there, the lodge has a rocky history: It switched hands and opened, then closed, multiple times. In the 1960s, Luther and Suzie Wallace moved from Denver to the North Shore, determined to change the lodge’s reputation. The pair spent years transforming Naniboujou into a family-friendly retreat founded on Christian principals and developed a fresh, home-cooked menu that

attracted visitors. In 1977, tragedy struck the family when two of the Wallace’s children, 23-year-old Luke and 28-year-old Bill, lost their lives when their canoe capsized in the raging Brule River during a storm.

Merely three years later, the Wallaces sold the lodge to Campus Church, a nonde-

Lakeside Dining

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Afternoon Tea at Naniboujou consisted of a cucumber cream cheese sandwich, white chocolate scones w/raspberry jam and whipped cream, lingonberry bundt cake, shortbread cookies dipped in chocolate, a smoked turkey and date finger sandwich on freshly-baked focaccia, topped with fresh parsley, and Ashby’s tea served with milk and cream.

entrees.

This recipe is from “DiningintheSpiritofNaniboujou,” the lodge’s cookbook compiled and edited by Bonnie Jean Swanson.

nominational Christian church located on the University of Minnesota campus. That’s where Tim and Nancy Ramey came in. The Rameys were members of Campus Church and agreed to relocate to the North Shore to manage, preserve and renovate the lodge. During that time, the pair updated rooms and added a sun-drenched solarium.

Five years passed and the lodge was for sale… again. The Rameys were the obvious choice for new owners; however, “There were two big problems,” said Ramey. “We had zippo for money … Secondly, [we] didn’t want it really.” The pair was burnt out from their years managing the lodge, but after careful consideration and a month of praying, the Rameys realized it was the path they were supposed to take.

Flash forward to the present and “we try to assure two things,” said Ramey, “One is that [the lodge] is a getaway, and the other thing is to try and preserve the integrity of its history.” The lodge is now on the National Register of Historical Places and the Rameys have carefully updated cedar shakes, preserved original furniture and hired artists to replicate the Cree dining room designs throughout the rest of the lodge.

What comes as a shock to most guests is that the dining room’s awe-inspiring paint and delicate paper chandeliers are original and have never been repainted. Not even once. “It’s very elaborate… I can’t imagine how it’s not faded,” said Sadie-Jo Kobussen,

Lodge owners Tim and Nancy Ramey purchased the lodge in 1985.

| COURTESY NANIBOUJOU

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a Twin Cities native who had a friend tell her “absolutely don’t miss” Naniboujou on her North Shore vacation.

As an escape from their rustic camping retreat on the Gunflint Trail, Kobus-

over the walls and the 20-foot-high domed ceiling (resembling the shape of a canoe). | COURTESY

sen brought her family to the lodge for the Sunday breakfast buffet. “The food is kind of exotic almost,” said her 11-year-old

son Max, who was biting excitedly into a flakey, buttery quiche served alongside sausages with blueberries and wild rice.

The caption for this historical illustration reads: Proposed club house and grounds at the mouth of the Brule River and overlooking Lake Superior. In the rear is Hwy. 61, following the shores of Superior for 200 miles from Duluth to Ft. William and Port Arthur, Canada, one of the greatest scenic drives in the world. | COURTESY NANIBOUJOU

“That’s not the kind of thing you run into every day.” he added enthusiastically. Kobussen laughed, saying, “They don’t serve that at school lunch.”

The mastermind behind the full-flavored, from-scratch menu is Nancy Ramey, who tries to make nearly all items fresh because “it tastes better and it’s healthier,” she insists. Nancy gets her culinary prowess from her parents: her father was a cook in the Navy who owned a pizza chain and her mother was a talented baker and chef. “I grew up liking good food,” said Nancy. “I really enjoy unique, fresh, healthy food that tastes good.”

Call it a labor of love, because preparing food for Naniboujou is a ton of work. Each season, Nancy bakes about 6,000 loaves of bread. And each week she spends hours preparing dozens of the “world’s best sweet rolls” as they are known around the lodge. Nancy discovered a cream-cheese-filled yeast bread recipe and transformed it into

a roll recipe and the resulting buns are a “legend within themselves,” she said.

Then there’s Afternoon Tea. In an establishment inspired by the outdoors, it’s quite unexpected to witness this daily ritual that combines English and Irish culture for a fancy, dress-your-best event. “We serve it in the Solarium, which is a nice and quiet place, with lace cloth, real china and silver trays. It’s a very tasty, nice, pleasant experience.”

The light, fresh menu features items such as a smoked turkey and date finger sandwich served on fresh focaccia, a shortbread cookie hand-dipped in chocolate, a white chocolate scone complemented by fresh raspberry jam and whipped cream, a cucumber cream cheese sandwich and a thick, hearty slice of Lingonberry bundt cake. Naniboujou serves Afternoon Tea every day in the summer from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., giving guests the opportunity to partake in yet another unexpected tradition that’s far from ordinary.

A glimpse into the lodge’s past. | COURTESY NANIBOUJOU

Antoine Goufee, a French artist, painted Cree Indian designs

NANIBOUJOU

Living with Narcolepsy

By Breana Roy

“You are what we call a ‘textbook’ case, meaning you have all the symptoms, making your diagnosis easy.” Narcolepsy. All I really knew about it was what I had seen in the media: People falling asleep mid-sentence and collapsing. I’d never actually met anyone with narcolepsy and I’d never even heard of cataplexy. Yet apparently I had been living with both for a few years, and it was nothing similar to what is portrayed in the media.

Looking back now, I realize symptoms had been building up, but the symptoms spiked during college, becoming unbearable. Like a dam about to break free and flood the entire area, my body was maxed out. I constantly felt like a zombie, awake but useless. It felt as if I hadn’t slept in months and no amount of naps during the day could cure my exhaustion. I could sleep for 24 hours and still yearn to crawl back into bed the moment I got up.

Everyday tasks like showering, cooking, doing dishes and laundry became hard work. My life was falling apart, but I had no idea why I constantly felt this way. My grades soon began to suffer and so did my social life, but those things were minor compared to the self-guilt and inner turmoil that began to boil. I felt lazy and continually blamed myself for my lack of motivation and became depressed. After silently suffering and trying to “fix” myself independently, I did what I should have done from the start: I confessed my problems to my mother. And with the help of my family, we began to slowly piece my life back together.

Though I’m thankful I didn’t have to endure numerous exhausting sleep studies, being poked, prodded and studied like a lab rat like most PWN’s (persons with narcolepsy), the news of my diagnosis brought mixed emotions and numerous questions. Is there a cure? Can I still drive? Will it ever go away? To put it simply: no, yes, and, unfortunately no. I’ll have to learn to accept it, and live with it.

Narcolepsy is a neurological sleep disorder affecting roughly one in 2,000 people in the United States, involving irregular patterns during REM sleep (rapid eye movement) and causing significant disruptions of the normal sleep/ wake cycle. A PWN will feel as if they have gone 48-72 hours without sleep, making every day not just tiring, but downright exhausting.

Narcolepsy affects a particular group of nerve cells in the brain called the hypocretin neurons, which controls the brain’s sleep-wake cycle. It is an autoimmune disease, meaning that for reasons unknown, the neurons are attacked by the body’s own immune system, rendering one Pincapable of controlling when one should be awake and when one should be asleep; something no amount of coffee can control.

Cataplexy is a symptom specifically unique to narcolepsy, but not all narcoleptics have cataplexy. Cataplexy is a symptom in which a person has no reflex or voluntary muscle control while experiencing any strong emotion, such as laughter, joy, surprise, and/or anger. This can momentarily cause the knees to buckle, jaw to go slack, or head to fall back for a few moments while still remaining conscious. The severity of cataplexy differs for those affected. Thankfully, my experiences have been fairly mild.

Symptoms of narcolepsy include EDS (excessive daytime sleepiness), sleep attacks, cataplexy, sleep paralysis, hypnogogic hallucinations and disrupted nighttime sleep. There is no known cure for narcolepsy; therefore any medications taken are to help lessen the severity of the symptoms. Narcolepsy is also an invisible illness, meaning “but you don’t look sick” is commonly heard, making it difficult to discuss or explain.

Breana Roy displays her Narcolepsy: Not Alone campaign sign, an awareness campaign founded by Julie Flygare, fellow PWN and author of “Dreaming: AMemoirofNarcolepsy.” More than 1,000 PWN’s and their supporters have taken part in the campaign, sending in pictures from all 50 U.S. States and 37 countries around the world.

| BREANNA ROY

For the first few months, it was simply a guessing game. Different doctors recommended different medications and the options were almost overwhelming. It takes time to find the proper medication combination that will work best for each individual and their lifestyle. While each case differs, it took me roughly three months to find my right medication, a daily pill, which settled me into a good, healthy routine that brought me back from the “walking dead.” I’ve become more conscious about maintaining healthy eating habits and regularly working out to maximize my energy. It’s also imperative that I keep a strict sleep schedule, getting at least eight hours of sleep every night.

I still don’t know what caused the onset of my narcolepsy, but thanks to my diagnosis, my life has been able to fall back into place. I am able to function normally again, though some days are easier than others.

At first, I was hesitant to tell people about my diagnosis. I wasn’t sure how people would accept the “new” me and I didn’t want their pity, but hiding my narcolepsy means hiding a part of who I am.

And while I am not defined by my narcolepsy, it’s shaped me into the person I am today. Having narcolepsy has taught me amazing time management skills and how to prioritize what’s most important each day. It is a constant battle, making me strong-willed and a bit stubborn. Thanks to narcolepsy, I know I am quite capable of handling change, and I’m still able to follow my dreams. I’ll just need an occasional 20-minute nap from time to time.

For narcolepsy info, visit www.narcolepsynetwork.org

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.

Give Invasive Species The Brush Off

Northern Trails

September’s Surf and Turf Excursions

By Gord Ellis

In Northwestern Ontario, surf and turf adventures coincide with the opening of grouse season in September. My family plans each trip around a route that will take us down access roads or trails featuring ruffed, spruce or sharp-tailed grouse habitat. Roads that cut through birch forests, old cuts and low swamps fit the bill.

To make things a bit more complicated, the trails should lead to a stocked brook trout lake. We like having a chance to take some birds on the way into, and out of, the trout lake. The fishing portion of the day is done from shore, unless someone has stashed a canoe back in the woods. Over the years, these surf and turf adventures have proven to be some of my most memorable trips of the season. Most outings provide enough game for a meal and great memories.

When the big game seasons are open, you can really mix it up. Last fall, our group had a bull moose tag, so when the rifle season opened, we were ready for anything. The odds of knocking a moose over while hiking into a trout lake aren’t good, but it certainly would be the ultimate surf and turf outing if it did happen. As in all hunting and fishing, proper preparation and thorough research can make a big difference in how the adventure unfolds.

When picking a lake for fall trout fishing, it’s best to lean toward bodies of water stocked by the Ministry of Natural Resources. Stocked lakes in Northwestern Ontario—with a few exceptions, check your regulations—remain open for fishing through most or all of the year. This means that in September and October, when most natural brook trout fisheries are closed, there are still some great angling opportunities. Best of all, most stocked lakes allow for a generous bag limit. If you like to eat fish, this is a good way to take advantage of Ontario’s excellent stocking program.

Finding out where and when the MNR stocks a lake is really pretty simple. You can drop in at a local office and get a stocking list from the Service Ontario desk. If you are really serious about finding out which lakes produce trout and where the trails are, you may need to do some extra research. Conservation officers in particular have a vast knowledge of trail systems and will often point out a lake access. Some MNR offices have a map with trails and stocked lakes clearly marked. In the Thunder Bay district, the MNR published a small book that details how to access stocked lakes.

As for the actual fishing, hooking and landing trout from the shore of a lake can range from ridiculously easy to death defying. Thankfully, the cool water of September and early October allows brook trout to move back into the shallows. This makes it easier to find aggressive fish. Casting spoons, spinners and other flashy baits is the best way to attract and hook trout from shore. Human instinct says to cast as far out as you can. Yet most of the trout will be within 50 yards of shore or less. The only time this is not the case is in shallow bays where the trout will be roaming all over the flat.

Things to look for include any beaver house or fallen tree in the water and rock

piles along shore. Creeks coming in or flowing out of a lake will also attract brookies. Remember that trout will often hug shore in the fall. Cast you lures at a slight angle down the shoreline to cover the most water and, if possible, keep a low profile. I generally don’t bring a net on these trips, as they are unwieldy to carry when hunting. But you will certainly lose some fish without a net.

Finding grouse is a bit trickier than locating trout. Generally, the morning and evening periods are best, with birds coming out onto trails to pick at gravel. Grouse like warmth, and will gravitate to areas that receive morning and afternoon sun. Tops of hills and trails are often good grouse

zones. It pays to keep a close eye around water holes and especially small rivulets or creeks that cross a trail. Grouse love creek bottoms. In the heavier bush, as often as not you will hear a grouse putt, putt, putting and walking in dry leaves before you see it. If you think a bird is close, stop and keep your eyes peeled. Grouse are well camouflaged, but cannot stand sitting still for long, and will invariably move to get a better look at you.

As for the hunting, a shotgun and a pocket full of No. 6 shot shells is all you really need. The grouse hunting I grew up doing is quite a bit different from the classic upland game tradition. My first ruffed grouse was

Gord Sr. and Devin Ellis with stocked brookies. | GORD ELLIS

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shot with a single shot rifle. Not a round I’d recommend for grouse, but still a common one in parts of the north. These days, a single-shot 20 gauge is the gun my boys and I carry for birds. It is a light gun and does the job. A good quality pack sack that can hold the shells, tackle and your rod (pack rods are ideal) is a must. A vest with a game pouch is good for carrying birds. Bring a couple plastic bags or a creel to put fish in.

Many great options available for fall fishing and hunting excursions in Northwestern Ontario. Head out on your own surf and turf adventure.

Casting for stocked brook trout in the fall.

| GORD ELLIS

Sled Dogs to Saint Paul

By Frank Moe Culicidae Press, 2014

Frank Moe becomes a musher after he tries skijoring with his pet dogs. Soon this leads to a full team of Alaskan huskies. During the same timeframe, Moe decides to run for state representative. To campaign, he mushes his sled dogs from town to town, introducing them to school kids and talking with anyone that he can along the way. He wins the seat against the incumbent.

“Sled Dogs to Saint Paul” is the story of a man’s relationship to his dogs and his involvement with politics and environmental advocacy. He writes about mushing and sled dogs with honesty, and takes the reader with him in his sled during the Beargrease and other races. Finally, he recounts the decision to run a team of sled dogs to the Saint Paul capitol with a pile of petitions against sulfide mining in northeastern Minnesota. His team carries Moe through the streets of the city, and, as readers, we are witness to their bravery and get insight into the extraordinary ability of Alaskan huskies.—Erin Altemus

Big Waves, Small Boat, Two Kids. A Family Sailing Adventure

By Katya Goodenough Gordon North Star Press, 2012

After a serendipitous encounter with a sailboat for sale, Katya Goodenough Gordon and her husband, Mark get married, buy the boat and hop aboard for their honeymoon. Two daughters later, they circumnavigate Superior and less than a year after that, head for the Caribbean—from Minnesota’s North Shore. Their daughters are quite young, and would lead some to question the motivations or perhaps, tolerance of parents willing to bring their children on such a trip.

Gordon answers these questions as she writes about her family’s unconventional life aboard the Amicus sailboat with humor, honesty and vivid detail. Despite many setbacks, the Gordons seem to truly be “livin’ the dream.” This is yet another treasure to add to my shelf of epic adventure stories.—Erin Altemus

A Paddler’s Guide to the Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area

By Zach Kruzins and Darrell Makin

Lake Superior Research Group, 2012

The Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area extends from Bottle Point in Ontario all the way west to Thunder Cape and includes both Nipigon and Black Bay. This land is protected from such activities as dumping, mining, and oil and gas exploration and is managed by Parks Canada.

The Paddler’s Guide is one-stop source for information about where to put-in and take-out, where to camp and what you’ll see. It is also packed with additional information such as gear lists, ecological information, maps and stories about shipwrecks and other things that will make your paddle more educational and interesting. The photos are full-color and attest to the beauty of the Big Lake.

The authors paddled their way along this stretch of coast—715km—for seven weeks to research the book. Readers will surely be inspired to follow in their tracks. —Erin Altemus

WHY GO: It’s a nice little lake tucked away in the Superior National Forest, with a solid population of walleyes and muskies. There are also a pair of campsites accessible only by boat.

ACCESS: There is a concrete ramp on the southwest corner of the lake, off F.S. 172, where the Forest Service also has a dock for loading a floatplane that is also used as a fishing pier.

VITALS: This 406.1-acre lake is entirely in the Superior National Forest and Lake County. It has a maximum depth of 40 feet, and, according to DNR, has water clarity down to 9 feet.

GAME SPECIES PRESENT: Walleye, muskie, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, and rock bass.

COME FOR THE WALLEYES: Dean Paron, DNR’s Finland area fisheries supervisor, said Dumbbell is a great place to target walleyes, and while fish in the 13- to 17-inch range are the norm, there are even some nice fish up to 28 inches likely swimming in the lake. “People have been catching walleyes and doing good, getting limits of smaller fish,” Paron said. Why has the walleye population done so well?

The lake gets stocked by the DNR with walleye fry two years in a row, then is skipped for two years, most recently re-

ceiving 500,000 fry in 2012 after the same amount in 2011. So, it will next receive fish in 2015 and 2016. This is how biologists know there is some natural reproduction occurring in the lake, since young-of-theyear walleye have been collected on years when the DNR did not stock the lake, according to Brian Borkholder, inland fisheries biologist with the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, which conducts fall surveys on the lake.

It’s still unclear how much those naturally produced walleyes are contributing to the lake’s overall walleye population, Borkholder said.

“Hopefully, some of them are becoming adults, but it’s not as simple as that,” Borkholder said. “There are processes we are trying to figure out.”

Borkholder said there are plans to work with the DNR to combine his fall surveys with the DNR’s gillnet data, to hopefully get a better picture of what is going on in the lake. Paron said DNR is next scheduled to survey the lake in 2017.

STAY FOR THE MUSKIES: The lake hasn’t been stocked with muskies for years, but it’s one of the better—and only— muskie lakes in this part of the state. Because these fish are of the slow-growing Shoepack strain, they generally aren’t very big. The last survey DNR conducted, in 2009, did turn up 10 muskies of at least

30 inches though.

“The genetics don’t allow them to grow to trophy levels,” Paron said. “But it’s not unheard of for anglers to catch 12, even 14 muskies in a single outing.”

WATCH OUT FOR ROCKS: Paron warns boaters to feel their way around the lake. There are some rocky humps in places they might not be expected, and many a boater have damaged their lower unit on this lake. So it’s best to take it easy on this lake.

CAMP OUT: There are a pair of U.S. Forest Service backcountry campsites on Dumbbell Lake, accessible only by boat. Permits aren’t needed, and they are sim ilar to sites that one would find in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wil derness, in that they each have fire grates and latrines. Pack out garbage, and there is a nine-person limit per site.

HARDLY A TRACE OF TROUT: lake is listed as having received 2,867 brook trout fingerlings in 2010, according to the DNR website. But that was a mistake. Brook trout lakes are stocked via float plane, and Dumbbell is used as a take-off point for

“They essentially became muskie food in very short order,” Paron said.—Javier Serna

northern sky

SEPTEMBER 2014

By Deane Morrison— MINNESOTA STARWATCH

The hot August nights have passed, and now we can watch the stars with darker skies but comfortable temperatures.

September’s harvest moon shines the night of the 8th9th. This will be a perigee full moon (“supermoon”), when the moon reaches the closest point to Earth in its orbit at a near-full phase. When it rises over Ely—at 7:16 p.m. on the 8th—it will be only 22 hours past perigee and 82 minutes shy of full. So if you have a chance to watch this lovely moon lift above the horizon, don’t miss it.

Low in the southwest, Mars is speeding eastward, away from Saturn and into the stars of Scorpius. On the 28th it glides above the gigantic red star Antares, the heart of the scorpion. This is a rare chance to see Antares, whose name means “rival of Mars,” close to its planetary namesake. However, a waxing crescent moon may wash out some of the duo’s brightness that night, so try comparing the red rivals on the near-moonless 26th.

Jupiter is well up in the east before dawn, rising earlier every day. The bright star west of the planet is Procyon, in Canis Minor, and above Jupiter are the Gemini twins Pollux (lower and brighter) and Castor. Other winter stars are also up: Northwest of Procyon, Orion strikes a gallant pose, and Sirius, the brightest of stars, glimmers below Orion. Far below Jupiter, Venus sinks rapidly and all but disappears into the sun’s glare as it circles toward the far side of the sun.

A waning crescent moon sweeps by Jupiter on the 20th. On the 27th, about an hour after sunset you’ll see a young moon hanging over the western horizon with its cusps pointed toward neighboring Saturn.

Fall begins at 9:29 p.m. CDT on the 22nd. At that moment the Earth’s lighted face stretches from pole to pole.

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

Crab Fishing on Saltspring Island

Story and Photos

by Elle Andra-Warner

Saltspring Island is one of the Gulf Islands located off Canada’s west coast between the mainland of British Columbia and Vancouver Island. Dubbed the “Banana Belt of Canada” because of its temperate climate, the question most asked about the island is its name—one word or two? Well, according to the Canadian government, the official name since 1910 is “Saltspring.” However, locals prefer using the two-worded “Salt Spring,” the name given in the early 1800s by the Hudson’s Bay Company.

When I was crab fishing off Saltspring Island, I learned quickly that the tricky part in crab fishing comes after you haul up the crabs. “Pick the crabs up from the back or grab the back leg. Watch the sharp claws. They can go through the gloves and if cut through the skin, they go into a frenzy for blood,” said Capt. Gary Le Marchant, the quintessential salty mariner who has been a crab fisherman since the 1970s.

I went fishing with Le Marchant and some friends while staying at the Hastings House, a country house hotel on the waterfront of Ganges Harbour. It was a hands-on fishing adventure where guests go crab fishing one day, and learn gourmet “cooking crab” the next. The hotel made all the arrangements; all we had to do was show up at the dock, put on big black rubber boots, yellow rain slickers and life jackets, and climb into the captain’s weathered 24-foot Welbury Bay Too crabbing boat.

We headed out on Ganges Harbour to markers floating above the captain’s crab cages. The plan was for each of us to haul up a cage and get out the crabs. When it was my turn, I put on my bright blue safety gloves, inched along to the crab pod pulley at mid-deck, snagged a float marker with the rope hook, pulled the rope up to the pulley, winched up the crab cage and opened up the hatch to get at the big Dungeness crabs inside.

Under federal regulations, only male crabs with a back width of 16.5 cm (6.5 inches) or longer can be kept; the rest are tossed back in the water. So it meant pick-

[LEFT] The tricky part in crab fishing comes after you haul up the crabs. Only male crabs with a back width of 16.5 cm or longer can be kept, so it meant picking up each scampering crab to identify gender and measure the males.

[RIGHT] At the famous Saltspring Island’s Saturday Market at Ganges, every product is either made, baked or grown by the vendor selling the product.

Canadian journalist/friend Don Genova (author of “Food Artisans of Vancouver Island & the Gulf Islands”) is all smiles after successfully flipping over a crab.

ing up each scampering crab, turning it over to identify the gender by the markings, measuring the males (point to point) with a government-issued ruler, and flipping the keepers into a pail. Thankfully, the captain finished the job on dockside, holding the crab in both hands and smashing it in the middle on the side of the pail (like cracking an egg), then gutting and cleaning it.

The next afternoon, we gathered for the culinary part of the crabbing adventure in the kitchen of the Hastings Manor House (built in 1940 in the 11th century Tudor-style English manor). While we sipped white wine, Swiss-born executive chef, Marcel Kauer, showed us how to cook crab and then made crab cakes for us, mixing the crabmeat with egg whites, mustard powder, chives, mayo, parsley, red pepper, and chopped shallots before coating each one with Japanese breadcrumbs and quick-frying them in hot clarified butter. The final touch was cooking them in a 550 F oven for three minutes. Scrumptious.

While crab fishing had brought me to Hastings House, there were other highlights I enjoyed during my stay, including kayaking on Ganges Harbor with a lunch stopover on one of the islands; touring an organic artisan bakery studio; visiting a cheese farm; and, shopping at Ganges’ famous Saturday Market—tagged Canada’s best-loved outdoor market—where every product is either made, baked or grown by the vendor selling the product. And being a history buff, I particularly enjoyed my accommodations at Hasting House: their luxurious two-room garden Post Cottage was originally Saltspring’s first Hudson’s Bay post built back in the 1800s.

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

A huge hanging rock is suspended from trees high above the Sculpture Trail cedar bark path, daring (or inviting?) the visitor to walk the path.

Exploring the 22-acres of Hastings House estate was itself a cultural adventure. Strong supporters of the arts, the owners of Hastings House—Bonny O’Connor and Jerry Parks—have installed on the grounds the Sculpture Garden, an outdoor art gallery of six large installations (the Ghost Salmon trio is cool). And in the forest just behind the

hotel is the mile-long Sculpture Trail with a cedar bark path along which artists using natural and found materials have created massive site sculptures.

Salt Springs is only 17 miles in length and 9 miles in width, and has 83 miles of gorgeous shoreline with 22 beaches, 225 farms and a population of 12,000 creative free spirits.

The ‘’Ghost Salmon” trio in the Sculpture Garden at Hastings House Country Hotel, overlooking Ganges Harbour.

The Post Cottage was originally Saltspring’s first Hudson Bay Company post back in the 1800s; now it is a luxurious two-room cottage with French doors opening to a fabulous view of Ganges Harbour.

ARTSCENE cont. from page 23

Betsy Bowen, for example, will host glass artist Sherri Hargrove, potter Fritz Lehmberg and woodturner Jim Sannerud during the studio tour. Sannerud will do woodturning demos daily at 2 p.m. Crossing Borders runs through Oct. 5, and the studios are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. For maps and more information, visit www.crossingbordersstudiotour.com.

In other art news, the Birney Quick Retrospective exhibit at the Johnson Heritage Post continues through Sept. 5.

Tom McCann is exhibiting oil, acrylic, watercolor and Sumi-e ink paintings in an exhibit entitled “Postcards from the True Country,” at the Pictograph Gallery in Atikoken, Ontario, through Sept. 13.

September artists exhibiting at the Cross River Heritage Post include Trish Hunter, Tim Ostroot, Mary Jane Huggins, Kathleen Gray-Anderson and Dave DeGree.

Sivertson Gallery is featuring drawings by Dave Steckelberg on cards and birchbark bookmarks. The gallery will host Kelly Dupre to sign her award-winning book “The Best Part of a Sauna,” from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 30. On Sept. 27, the gallery will hold a jewelers’ trunk show of work by JL Walsh of Bozeman, Mont. The jewelry features Lake Superior stones and Chinese turquoise.

RETAIL

David Steckelberg has cards and bookmarks at Sivertson Gallery illustrated with his pencil drawings.

Threads is now featuring paintings by Heidi Sobanja. The shop is also exhibiting new photo prints by David Johnson, jewelry by Yelena Quistad and wool vintage clothing by Jo Bauman. It also has lots of art supplies, including paints and brushes.

Anna Hess is showing her paintings at the Coho Cafe in Tofte.

LAND OWNERS

Lake or Pond? Aeration is your first step toward improved water quality. Complete Systems: $189 - $369!!! WATERFALL? We have Super Hi Efficiency water pumps that can move up to 17,000 Gallons per Hour!! $ave Thousands in electricity costs! www.fishpondaerator.com (608) 254-2735 For information about placing your classified ad, contact Sue at sue@northernwilds.com

Thunder Bay painter Linda Dell is exhibiting her work “Boreal Dreams,” a series of paintings inspired by the landscapes of Northwestern Ontario at the Baggage Building Arts Center at Prince Arthur’s Landing in Thunder Bay through Sept. 10.

Birchbark Books & Gifts has copies of William Kent Krueger’s latest, “Windigo Island.” They also have John Henricksson’s book, “Over the Portage, Into History.” It was first published as an e-Book.

Tickets are still available for the Grand Marais Art Colony’s “Tour d’Art: The Legacy,” a homes tour of artists and instructors associated with the Art Colony. The tour includes the homes of Hazel Belvo and Marsha Cushmore, Sharon and Steve Frykman, Liz Sivertson, Byron Bradley and Dan Quick. The tour is Oct. 4. For more information, call 218-387-2737.

Solbakken Resort on Superior

Relax this summer on the water with our Pontoon Rentals

Canoe rentals and hiking shuttles also available.

Strange Tales

North America’s Ancient Art of Fingerweaving

By Elle AndraWarner

Plenty of history has been written about Old World traditional crafts. The earliest knitted items date back to the 13th century in the Middle East and Estonia. Silk-worm loom-weaving was a well-developed craft in China by 2700 BCE. Yet until recently, the ancient art of fingerweaving in North America—which goes back 3,000 years—has gone largely unrecognized.

By the time the Europeans arrived here, fingerweaving was already finely-tuned and firmly established as a cultural tradition by the Ojibwe of Lake Superior and other Native Americans/First Nations of the Eastern Woodland Peoples. Using only their fingers and maybe a couple of sticks, the Ojibwe and people of the Great Lakes made woven belts, garters, bags, burden straps for cradleboards and packs, and other items. They used materials of the natural environment like plant fibres (including inner bark from trees, hemp, nettle, wormseed, milkweed, evergreen roots, cattail, leaves, etc.), animal hairs and sinew, and rawhide. The natural fibres would be twisted into strands and intricate patterns woven using an even number of threads.

When the Acadian people from France settled in Quebec, they adapted fingerweaving from the First Nation people to make fringed sashes (later named Assomption after their village where sash-making became a cottage industry) for the fur trade

industry, both as a trade item and as a multifunctional piece of clothing worn by the legendary French Canadian voyaguer (canoe travel workers) and coureur-de-bois (runner of the woods).

According to artisan/weaver Lynn Landry-Rody, owner of Threads in Time, a fibre arts studio, school and store in Thunder Bay, “The men wound these sashes around their waists to protect their backs and kidneys while carrying 90 pound packs, several of them at the same time. The sash also served as a first aid kit, a washcloth, a towel, and as an emergency girdle and saddle blanket; the sash was also used as a tumpline to carry heavy loads.”

The Eastern Woodland people learned from the French about wool and beads, which they blended into their traditional

fingerweaving, and about the wearing of the sash as a piece of clothing.

It was the voyageurs and coureurs-debois who brought the fingerweaving art of sash-making out West where the tightlywoven brightly-coloured fringed sash eventually became known as the Metis Sash. In the 21st century, the sash continues to be an integral cultural and nationhood symbol for the Metis people (distinct Aboriginal people who are the descendants of European fathers and First Nation/Native American women).

A top quality fingerwoven sash used 300-400 fine waxen woolen threads and took about 200 hours to complete, while a lower-quality one used 100 thicker woolen threads and took 70-80 hours. Sashes varied in size between 6-10 inches wide and 15-20

feet in length.

Fingerweaving almost became a lost art around the 1760s. Apparently when the French fingerweavers balked at getting 15 cents per sash in goods rather than money from the fur-trade companies, Landry-Rody said the “gentlemen who were in charge decided that they would have the sashes loom woven from then on in Coventry, England. That was the demise of the fingerwoven sashes.”

Fortunately, fingerweaving survived and is enjoying a revival thanks to people like Dennis White, a Lac Court Orielles Ojibwe fingerweaver who grew up in Superior, Wis., majored in mathematics at University of Wisconsin-Superior (UWS) and now lives in Haywood. “Finger weaving was at one time an important and widespread art among our

Modern samples of traditional weaving patterns. | KATIE VIREN

What is Fingerweaving?

Fingerweaving is done entirely by hand and requires no other material than the yarn to weave and a hook on the wall. The weaver works each thread individually from top to bottom, stopping every once in a while to untangle the false weave that builds up at the bottom. When making a sash, the average weaver is able to weave about 1 inch per hour. Fingerweaving yields a strong cloth with little stretch and can include a large number of different coloured patterns www.sashweaver.ca.

Arrow and lightning pattern fingerwoven sash (mid-19th century) consisting of 515 threads woven in 1,089 rows. | NPS

people in the Great Lakes, but now there are not that many people in Wisconsin and Michigan that actually do the weaving at the advanced level” said White in an online power presentation, “Ojibwe Fingerweaving.” Being a mathematician, he is particularly interested in the numbers, multiples and symmetry of the intricate woven patterns. In the article “Saving an Ancient Art” in the UWS Newsletter Winter 2010, he wrote, “Almost everything (in

weaving) has to be viewed from that mathematical standpoint.” White’s goal is to preserve the art form and encourage a new generation of weavers.

It’s good to know that the fingerweaving in making the original sashes is once again being taught and practised around Lake Superior, the Great Lakes and beyond. It is about time that it’s recognized and celebrated.

Be Ready

Know your Risk

Emergencies can happen anywhere, at any time. It is important to understand potential risks where you live.

What you can do: Bookmark weather.gov to stay informed on severe weather. Learn about CodeRed messages (www.co.cook.mn.us/index. php/cr), that will be sent to your phone during an emergency.

Take Action

Make sure that you and your family are prepared for an emergency. What you can do: Prepare a disaster supply kit with supplies to ensure you can go for at least three days without electricity, water service, access to a supermarket, or other local services. Create a Family Emergency Plan, so that your family knows how to communicate during an emergency. Obtain a NOAA Weather Radio.

Be an Example

What you can do: Get involved with your local American Red Cross Chapter or train with a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).

You don’t know when an emergency might occur. These simple steps will help you be prepared for the worst. To learn more about how your family, your business and your community can prepare for emergencies and get involved, please visit www.bt.cdc.gov/ preparedness or www.ready.gov.

Cook County Emergency Management National Preparedness Month September 2014

Homemade Pie, Historical Ties

Story and Photo by Joseph Friedrichs

Ask Gloria Johnson, the kitchen manager at Clearwater Lake Lodge, about the secret to her taste-bud exploding pies and her answer is short, sweet and direct.

“Lard,” she states, quite matter-of-factly.

While rendered pig fat might not seem a miracle ingredient in too many dishes, history has a definitive way of separating what works and what can be shoved aside in the culinary world. And because Johnson and her variety of cookies, cinnamon rolls, breads, breakfast items and soul-satisfying pies continue to be among the most popular and sought out food items along the entire Gunflint Trail, clearly something is working properly in Johnson’s kitchen.

“It is the way we have done things here for a long, long time,” said Johnson, who is the granddaughter of the original owners of the lodge she calls an office.

Clearwater Lake Lodge was originally built in 1915 and the main lodge was finished nearly a decade later. It was owned and operated by Charlie and Petra Boostrom, the folks Johnson knows more commonly as “Grandma and Grandpa.” The main lodge at Clearwater still stands today and is the oldest and largest free-standing log structure in the region. It is also listed on the National Historic Registry, Johnson proudly explained after a recent breakfast was served to more than a dozen guests at Clearwater. Nearly-empty plates that once contained stacks of made-from-scratch buttermilk pancakes are the only remnants of a morning’s labor.

“A lot of these are Grandma’s recipes that she used forever,” Johnson said, as she casually wiped tiny specks of flour from her forehead.

This summer completed Johnson’s third year of baking, cooking and bringing historically good energy to Clearwater. Johnson has previously been employed at the lodge. She is a year-round resident of the area.

“That’s my place just down the road,” she said, pointing out the window of the lodge that stores so much family history.

Johnson was born and raised in Grand Marais and has called the North Shore home for nearly all her life. Her family loved to travel when she was growing up, but, as fate would have it, their favorite des-

tination was always Clearwater Lake Lodge.

“It’s where we always wanted to go,” she said with a laugh, “so that made planning a trip very easy.”

Erik Danielson, the manager of Clearwater Lake Lodge, said Johnson’s family recipes and abilities in the kitchen are unmatched anywhere along the North Shore.

“What Gloria brings us is something you just can’t buy,” Danielson said. “It’s literally history on a plate.”

Not an avid eater of pancakes, Danielson

said Johnson creates something “amazing” when she whips up a batch of buttermilk cakes on griddles that have been used for nearly the lifespan of the lodge.

A typical work day for Johnson starts at 6 a.m. in the main lodge, where she preps and plans the day’s breakfast, pies, breads and specialty orders. Johnson typically bakes two pies each day, and bakes and serves breakfast to about a dozen or more people.

“I stay busy around here,” Johnson said, “but that is one of my favorite aspects of the job.”

And despite nearly a century of baking, cooking and catering to guests at Clearwater Lake Lodge, not once has a kitchen fire posed a serious threat to the original, handhewn (built without nails) log structure. To this day, it remains a place where family recipes are still made by family hands.

And while the term “homemade pies” has become commonplace among many bakeries, diners and other eating establishments along the North Shore, many visitors to the area attest to Johnson’s pies reigning supreme.

While visiting the Northern Wilds from their home in Evansville, Ind., Tessa Van Hook and her daughter Ashley, received a tip from a local source that Johnson’s pie was a “must-have item” while in the area.

“Our friend who told us was absolutely correct,” Tessa said. “And we’ve had other pies that talk about being homemade and made from scratch and all that, but this was the best.”

Gloria Johnson makes exquisite pies at Clearwater Lodge.

70 Acres and Home For Sale in Hovland

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

Well-maintained

Rd 3, Two Harbors SITUATED on 17.6

with

frtg. on Encampment

4 BR, 2 bath home with 3 car det. gar. Newer kitchen cabinetry, some newer windows, off peak heat and large deck are just a few of the amenities you will want to see. Reduced to $199,900.

Granite Countertops

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 permanent

Lutsen 4170 Cascade Beach Road MLS#6002279 $899,000 Beautiful 4 bedroom 3 bath home with private 2 bdrm seaside cottage located on Cascade Beach Rd on Lake Superior in Lutsen. This home is perched over a ledge rock shoreline with perfect orientation toward the lake. The home features a Great Room with fireplace with the Lake serving as your focus. Gourmet style kitchen sets up perfect for entertaining. Heated drive through garage and attached two stall over sized garage for multiple cars, boats and utility storage.

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.

Lutsen 505 Poplar River Rd

MLS#6002439 $419,000 The Poplar River Condominiums are Lutsen Resorts most flexible luxury accommodations. These three bedroom units offer outstanding views of Lake Superior. Nestled on 20 acres of land across the Poplar River from the Main Lodge, the site offers privacy with convenient access to all Lutsen Resort Amenities and activities.

Tofte - Bluefin Bay Unit 66

MLS#6001732

$525,000

This outstanding Grand Superior town home has wonderful views of Lake

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

guest room 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.

Gunflint Lake home on nearly

acres of forest land with 619’ of private shoreline on Gunflint Lake. Two stall detached garage, guest cabin, boathouse and woodshed. Priced below taxable market value! Call Bruce today for showing.

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.

Lutsen 4010 Cascade Beach Rd

MLS#6002547 $429,000

separate study/craft room or 3rd bedroom option.

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. K2

PENDING

PENDING

PENDING

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.

On Gunflint Trail

MLS#6002596 $799,000

This custom built 3,700 sq ft. 3 bdrm 3 bath log home features Western Red Cedar logs. The craftsmanship is immaculate. Main level great room features a wood fireplace with large windows as focal point. The second level great room/study area compliments the lower level great room. 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 Sea Villas

tait l ake home in lutSen! enjoy fall leaf color from the breezy deck overlooking the 260 ft of shoreline! Tons of light flows through the Living room focusing on Wilderness lake views. Well maintained year round home is totally dialed in and the garage boasts a roomy workshop with spacious guest suite! ml S#6002868 $349,000

SuPerior townhome skiin ski-out on Moose Mountain at Lutsen resort ski and summer resort! ski right from the front door to Moose Mountain. from the dining room table you can watch the skiers and groomers go past, entertainment while eating! ml S#6002963 $199,500

Jaw droPPinG cool caribou l ake 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

fab location, just a Hop from the Harbor and dockside fish Market! original slate floors in entry, a gorgeous stairway leading to a curved landing, a very cool design and layout including two stair cases! Living room features floor to ceiling south facing bay window with magnificent Carlton Peak granite fireplace! Large owner’s suite has it all, complete with garage! ml S#6002976 $255,000

care free Ski in/ Ski out condo at Caribou Highlands resort in Lutsen! spectacular views of the Mountains a N d the Poplar r iver Valley from the balcony of this Maintenance free easy Living Condo. ml S#6002881 $115,000

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 cradleS 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

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

400 ft with 14 ac on devil track l ake! 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

huntinG camP or Get away cabin! 40 ac parcel with rustic cabin, sauna and storage! Nature conservatory on border, forest service land on another! ml S#6002962 $139,900

w hat an oPPortunity! 30 plus acres on Lutsen’s ski Hill rd, just down the hill from the Midwest’s best ski area: Lutsen Mountains. great views of Lake superior and toward Moose Mountain. Property has coveted resort, commercial, residential designation. The possibilities are endless!! ml S#6002951 $269,900

Public beach to l ake

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

two fireplaces, two levels of living! great location between Lutsen and Tofte! ml S#6001010 $344,900

townhome at w indSonG on l ake 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#6002658 $339,000

lake SuPerior loG cabin! This home has tons of value in it with 4 br and 2.5 ba, move in ready home just waiting for you to make it your own! shoreline is nice cobblestone beach with fire pit! The interior of the home is nicely updated with new granite counters in the kitchen, which opens to an informal dining area and a wide open family room space! ml S#6001711 reduced! $349,900

eaSy livinG on l ake

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

beauty and the biG l ake! 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

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. o ver 11 ac. & 317 ft of shoreline scratching in to the Lake creating interesting e xploration with many opportunities for Lakeside firepits!

mlS#6002276 $799,900

m arvelouS l ake

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

ShockinG v iewS, incredible home!

bowl o ver 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

dreamy l ake

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#6002838 $399,000 incredible value!

dreamy l ake 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 reduced! $275,000

l ake

SuPerior and 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 a N d the level ledgerock of Lake superior!

mlS#31207 $279,900 reduced huGe!!

m y oh m y mileS of v iew! Lake superior sprawls from your feet on a park like serene Lakeshore parcel with plenty of shoreline from an elevated building site. a Must see! ml S#6002686 $275,000

60 ac with l ake v iewS e of grand Marais! keep this gem all to yourself and enjoy plenty of elbow room! ml S#6002841 $124,900

crazy biG l ake 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. o ver 6 acres!

mlS#6002052 $275,000

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

SecluSion,

Peace, l ake. Greenwood l ake! Quality built by fine local craftsmen, on one of the best lots on greenwood Lake! end of the road location bordered by state land! Mature White Pines, level lake access, dock in place.

Hand Hewn Log siding, ToNs of windows and skylights to allow the light to flow thru this green Living off grid home! soapstone propane stove & wood burning stove, solar system, hot tub, sauna! Vacation at your Lake Home on greenwood! ml S#6002522 $499,900

a rchitectural doozie on chriStine l ake 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!

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!

live and 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

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 reduced!! $143,000 i NC o M e ge N eraT i N g o

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

truly imPreSSive #25 at chateau on l ake SuPerior! Wonderfully decorated, recently remodeled w/ hardwood floors, new furnishings & lighting & More! spa-like bathrms! ml S#6002471 $144,500

clean 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

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 reduced! $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

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 reduced! $240,000

cuStom craftSmanShiP, 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 reduced! $259,000

$220,000!! tucked a lonG the a lfred creek 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 reduced! $124,900

tofte treaSure 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 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 reduced!

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 r educed!

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 reduced! $149,000

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#6001295 $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

10 Ac Parcels of Maples! scramble across the rolling Terrain of Mature Maples (breathtaking in the fall) to a sweet building site Perched o ver 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!

New Listings at LeVeaux Mountain, super Views and Wildlife Ponds! from $52,500 mlS#6002929 & mlS#6002995

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

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 reduced! $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 reduced! $33,800

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

l arGe lakeShore lot on chriStine lake 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 reduced! $129,000

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!

Lutsen Lake v iews & w i L derness Lands!

New! Over 15 ac of Wilderness on Turnagain Trail in Lutsen!mlS#6002934 $69,500

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 $89,000

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 reduced! $49,900

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 reduced $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 reduced! $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

deluxe camP on caribou l ake! 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 lake 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!!

exeCutive estate at ChimNey roCk

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

sale peNDiNg! ClassiC log Charm/ CasCaDe BeaCh mls#6002401 $445,000

NeW! l ake superior l aND parCel. Elevated site with slope to lake. Rugged Shoreline. Towering White Pines, Spruce, Birch and Cedar. Must be seen to be appreciated. Views to offshore island. Great Building Site. mls #6002594 $379,000

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 CaBiN 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

ChiCago Bay home

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. mls# 6002642 $369,500 priCe reDuCtioN

Located along coveted Chicago Bay Road, this charming Lake Superior cottage has fresh paint, new carpet and counters. Roomy spaces with large windows for great views of the lake. mls# 6002611 $185,000

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# 6002461 $989,000

mCFarlaND l ake

CaBiN Beautiful cedar full log cabin on McFarland Lake. Cozy hideaway 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

sale peNDiNg! CaBiN oN trout lake

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

sale peNDiNg! log CaBiN/tom lake. mls#6002392 $282,000

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

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. Plenty of elbow room with many nice cabin/home sites. mls #6001764 $192,500

solituDe oN looN lake. This lot is located on the south side of Loon Lake and offers great lake views.

NeW! mCFarlaND l ake 5 acres and 244’ feet of shoreline waiting for your getaway. South facing boreal forest shoreline on beautiful McFarland Lake. Paddle directly into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area or relax by the shore taking in the view of McFarland Lakes' Palisades. mls# 6002905 $179,500

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

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

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.

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 #6002885 $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.

south shore home site Beautifully wooded parcel on Devil Track Lake's South Shore Dr, 153 feet of shoreline with nice trees and view, survey and new 700' long driveway. Sharply priced to sell! mls# 6002540 $125,000

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

sale peNDiNg! gorgeous vieWs + reNtal reveNues. mls#6002445 $112,900

C oastal C ottage Charm. Gorgeous lower level unit walks out to Lake Superior. Cork flooring, rainfall showerhead and a cool spa bathroom. Open concept floor plan with a seashore cottage feel and beautiful furnishings! mls#6002369 $88,000

NeW! greeNWooD l ake Lovely, wooded lot on desirable Greenwood Lake. High elevation with spectacular views of the whole lake, bays and islands. This lot is surveyed, has a new driveway and turn around. Sharply priced to sell under assessed value and an excellent investment opportunity. mls#6002946 $119,000

reCreatioN paraDise oN 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

oN Water’s eDge

The original "Grandpa's Cabin" nestled in the woods right at water's edge. Small and very cute, the perfect getaway from town or work on those lazy hot days of summer.

NeW! paNoramiC vieWs Unit 11A and 11B at Terrace Point offers buyers an opportunity to enjoy panoramic lake views and Lake Superior experiences. Waves, wildlife, views of sailboats, ore boats and Lake Superior fisherman at work. Architectural designs inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright and John Howe. There are numerous built in furnishings built to a high standard. mls#6002759 $235,000 and mls#6002760 $215,000

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

exeCutive home With l arge shop + liviNg Quarters Country home with huge shop and apartment. Quality home on secluded 20 acres in maple forest. Sunny living/kitchen area. Expansive master loft-suite. Huge deck with large yard and open mature woods. 3-car garage. 3100 sq ft. shop/office/apt. perfect for cottage "industry" or other creative use. Would make excellent horse barn with trails on adjoining forestry lands. A true country estate tucked in the maple woods. More land available. mls# 6002767 $599,000

unique features. Too much to detail - must see! Extremely private location at end of dead-end street adjoining state land. Running creek and some lake view. Large sunroom for all your plants. Basement could be set up as an apartment as it has a separate entry. mls#6002309 $349,900

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. 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.

CouNtry liviNg Enjoy the peace and calm of true country living. Charming rambler nestled in 26 acres of meadow and woods. Plenty of storage, built ins, and garage space , even a heated studio with electric for crafts, painting, writing, etc. Perfect size and setting to raise the kids and the school bus stops at your driveway! mls #6002460 $242,500

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. Drivethrough 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, energyefficient 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.

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.

rustiC log, roiliNg 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.

priCe reDuCtioN New construction in 2008. NEW, never occupied. Built to have working shop and garage on 1st level and family living space upstairs. Buyer to finish. Furnace in, some plumbing. Property has kennel permit and access to trails. Great location. mls#6002150 $125,000

eW! CaBiN oFF irish Creek roaD Beautiful recreation, hunting, nicely forested land that hasn't been logged since early 1900. Seller is a musher and has trails throughout property and old logging roads on adjoining state lands. mls#6002992 $67,500

CommerC

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

solD! speCtaCular piNCushioN BeD aND BreakFast 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.

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.

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

NeW! l aND oN the Flute reeD river

Enjoy privacy and seclusion in a deep 13 acre parcel with over 300 feet of trout stream. Easy access from county road with power, phone and broadband available. Good sites to build your home or cabin in the woods. mls#6002960 $49,900

pi

.

. mls #6000299 $214,900.

Own a slice of Minnesota’s Favorite Resorts

We bring you closer. To the lake, each other and your vacation property dreams.

The Bluefin Bay Family of Resorts is unmatched in its intimate proximity to Lake Superior. We offer three distinct ownership opportunities to achieve what you’ve been dreaming of for years.

• Bluefin Bay on Lake Superior: Award-winning property, Minnesota’s Favorite Resort. One, two and three bedroom condos & townhomes on Lake Superior with access to restaurants, pools, saunas, tennis court, gift shops, & full service spa.

huNter's haveN P

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

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. 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.

5 aCres oN guNFliNt trail

mls #6001601 $94,000 sale peNDiNg

Five aCres Near toWN.

Ready to build, Croftville location, Superior view, nice forest, RC/ Residential zoning.

mls #6001810 $74,900. priCe reDuCtioN

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.

Surfside on Lake Superior: New townhomes, total coastal luxury right on the shore of Lake Superior. 3,000 s/f, 3BR, 3BA. Quarter-share ownership w/ flexibility for personal use & rental income. Excellent family retreat or investment property. Prices from $179K-$229K, includes furnishings.

• Surfside on Lake Superior: New, spacious luxury townhomes on Lake Superior. Home to Waves of Superior Spa & Café. Offering 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.

Eric Frost

Sales Agent, Bluefin Bay Family of Resorts

Let Eric, exclusive sales agent for Bluefin Bay Family of Resorts, provide the details about each property and guide you through the process. Contact him today to learn more.

218-663-6886 | eric@bluefinbay.com

l aND/BuilDiNg sites

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

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.

DramatiC superior vieW. Three high lots to choose from, southern exposure from the cliffs of Chicago Bay. mls #6001901 & 1902 $59,900

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#6002952 $47,900.

WoNDerFul vieWs oF lake superior! 3 lots available; wooded and private. Minutes to ski hill, Superior National, Lutsen shops. Surveyed, year round access. mls #6002918, 6002919,06002920 lots start at $52,000.

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 site - great 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 mls #6002123 $39,900 sale peNDiNg 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". If it's seclusion you seek, a place that's tough to get there, and worth the effort (or, the effort is half the fun), this wilderness 19-acre recreational property is for you. Surrounded by State & USFS lands. Hike in access from Devil Fish Lake. mls#6002961 $37,000.

NeW! lutseN parCel

Secluded and heavily wooded parcel bordering on thousands of acres of US and State of Minnesota Forest land. Additional 5 acres may be available. mls#6002923 $35,000

lutseN home site Secluded and heavily wooded parcel bordering on thousands of acres of US and State of Minnesota Forest land. Additional 5 acres available. mls# 6002801 $35,000 here is the WooDeD aND remote '40' you have been waiting for. Priced right at $4,300 below the assessed value. Good mix of woods. Parcel surveyed. mls# 6002463 $29,250

Bluefin Unit 16

2BR, 2 BA. Sweeping views. Rent as one or two units to maximize income.

Bluefin Unit 40 Upper-level, so. facing 2 BR condo (lockout) w/ stunning views. Seller to pay $10.5K bathroom upgrade.

Bluefin Unit 55 Great location next to outdoor heated pool.

BR, 3 BA. Beautiful interior w/ custom baths.

Bluefin Unit 66 Spectacular setting. Largest townhome.

BR, 3 BA. $100K in annual income.

Bluefin Bay Condos & Townhomes

Lake Superior View

Bloomquist Mtn. Road 5.8A$44,900 10 miles east of Grand Marais with power at the property, driveway, and several building sites partially cleared! MLS 6001709

NEW County Rd 48 - $59,900 5A with excellent location near town with all the amenities. Survey & identified septic sites. Great access to Superior Hiking Trail. Minimal traffic, lots of privacy MLS 6002922

NEW County Rd 67 - $69,900

4.16A with Lake Superior so close you can see the waves rolling in to the state-owned shoreline, meaning you’ll have walking access to the lake! MLS 6002892

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

5A Hovland lake lot, 281’ shore. Driveway, septic mound, and electric in place. East to walk shingle/ small cobble beach. MLS 6002142

2884 W Hwy 61 - $299,900

Attractive 1.30A of lakeshore just past Terrace

Inland Lake Lots

Homes & Cabins

Large Acreage

72.56A Camp 20 Rd - $129,900

Prime hunting, nice forest and many recreational possibilities. MLS 6001860

38A - Camp 20 Rd - $49,900

Great hunting country with cute cabin and outhouse. 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, lots of potential for recreation or building. 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)

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.

200A Camp 12 Rd - $159,900

Surrounded by state and federal land. Mature trees, gently rolling topography. 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

Seasonal Lake Superior views, multiple zoning, electric at road. MLS 6002300

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!

6002427

25A Tom Lake Rd - $49,900 25A close to Tom Lake. Enjoy the lake without the high lakeshore taxes.

6002625

115+A Arrowhead Trail - $84,900 Excellent property priced right. Electric and phone at street. Private

$49,900

Forest Rd

6002932

- $164,900

of maples, spruce and balsam, Durfee Creek and beaver ponds. Bordered on two sides by public lands. MLS 6003013

NEW Reason Rd 120A

$109,900

Directly abuts state land with a ton of privacy! Just minutes from the Tom Lake public access. MLS

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.

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. MLS 6002678 $59,900

Morgan Road

20A with some amazing Lake Superior views. Feels remote but close to town. Property abuts Cascade State Park and Federal land.

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

Bluefin Bay - Tofte

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

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

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.

MLS 6002672 $48,000

1+A Roman’s Road Two 1+A lots with year round access of nicely wooded land near Devil Track Lake. Minutes away from public lake access. Additional land available.

NEW MLS 6003000 $19,900

Roman’s Rd

Close to Devil Track Lake and lots of recreational activities.

1.06A MLS 6002324 $19,900

1.72A MLS 6002323 $29,900

Quist Rd

Two 5A parcels with potential spectacular views of Lake Superior. Close to town, but very private! NEW MLS 6002957 $44-$46

Silver Fox Rd

5A of northwoods privacy with all modern conveniences about 8 minutes from town. Gently rolling with some very attractive building sites. Abuts government land.

NEW MLS 6002967 $49,900

CATCHLIGHT CATCHLIGHT

I was photographing this pink and white showy lady’s-slipper in

State Park the first week of August. Just as I was ready to take the shot, a bumble bee comes flying in. It goes into the

of the flower and I was ready for it when it came climbing back out.

Bumblebee

Gooseberry Falls

slipper

—Paul Sundberg