Northern Wilds

A Fine Kettle of Fish

If this issue smells faintly of fish, there’s a reason. We’ve managed to stuff enough fish inside this issue to stock a small lake. After all, the May fishing openers in Minnesota and Ontario are celebrated as rites of spring. Thousands of folks brave the elements (often wintry weather) for the chance to wet a line and hopefully catch enough fish for dinner. The fishing opener—whether or not you catch anything—is a sure-fire antidote to cabin fever.

We realize not all of our readers are anglers, so this issue is about fish—and not just fishing. Joan Farnam tells us about gyotaku, the Japanese art of fish prints. She also presents us with a survey of the many ways fish are incorporated into works of art by local artisans. On our cover is a work by a North Shore artist who has made a career out of depicting pioneer-era commercial fishing, Howard “Bud” Sivertson of Grand Marais.

For anglers, Thunder Bay’s resident fishing expert Gord Ellis gives us the lowdown on early spring walleye fishing. Javier Serna recounts a successful solo expedition into the Boundary Waters last spring in pursuit of ice-out lake trout, a quest which had become a personal obsession. He also tells us about a popular fishing hole near Grand Marais— Trout Lake.

The point of catching fish for many folks is to get something to eat. However, there can be too much of a good thing. Erin Altemus reports on The FISH Project, a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency research effort to learn more about whether eating locally caught fish contributes to higher mercury levels in blood. Food columnist Kelsey Roseth writes about gathering wild edibles from the forest, perfect accoutrements for a fresh fish dinner.

If you’ve had your fill of fish, you’ll find plenty of other topics to read about in this issue. We speak with a young woman from Hovland who starred in a Ugandan rap video. Elle Andra-Warner takes us on a tour of the fortress of Louisburg, a Canadian national historic site in Nova Scotia. Closer to home, Eric Chandler explores the wild Whiteface River—and makes it downstream in spite of himself. Joan Farnam meets a Grand Marais woman who finds plenty to explore in her own backyard.

As always, when you read this issue and the Calendar of Events, you’ll get plenty of ideas for explorations of your own. We encourage you to get out and make your ideas a reality. May is one of the finest months of the year. After a long, extra-hard winter, we all need some fresh air and sunshine. So go fish, hike to a waterfall or take a relaxing drive and enjoy lunch at one of the Northern Wilds many fine eateries. Just get outside and shake off winter. You’ll be better for it.—Shawn Perich and Amber Pratt

OUR MISTAKE

We incorrectly identified the picture of a black-throated green warbler as a northern parula on page 7 of our April issue. While we wish we were birding experts here, we clearly need more practice.

In our story, “Waking up from Winter” on page 32, we said the painted lady butterfly overwinters in this area; however, mourning cloak, Compton’s tortoise

shell and Milbert’s tortoise shell are the three butterflies that overwinter here. The painted lady does not overwinter here, but arrives in May.

Finally, in the North Shore Dish, we said the Betty’s Pies Cookbook was out of stock. In fact, “Betty’s Pies Favorite Recipes” is widely available along the North Shore and can be ordered online at www.LakeSuperior.com

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

OFFICE

Roseanne Cooley • billing@northernwildsmedia.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Elle Andra-Warner, Gord Ellis, Joan Farnam, Sivertson Gallery, Kelsey Roseth, Eric Chandler, Javier Serna, Sandra Updyke, Amy Schmidt, Kristin DeArruda Wharton

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)

Northern Whitetail by Sandra Updyke

The New Visitor Center at Tettegouche State Park Scheduled to Open Soon

SILVER BAY—Tettegouche State Park is internationally known as an adventure sports mecca. Outdoor enthusiasts from across the globe visit the park to take advantage of its numerous recreation opportunities. Now it could get even more famous: The new $7 million visitor center is set to open in May, and with its high-tech features, expanded interpretive programs and increased focus on relaxation, it is poised to become a popular destination for North Shore visitors.

Phil Leversedge, park manager for Tettegouche, said technology is a major feature of the facility. “We have an interactive map display we are building based on a Google Map-type platform where people

Eating fish in moderation is part of a healthy diet. You can look up mercury rates in fish from area lakes on the MN DNR lakefinder website.

will be able to explore the park before they go out … Think of it as a 54-inch smartphone,” said Leversedge. Explorers can use the display to select a trail, learn its current condition and view images from popular vistas along the hike, like Shovel Point or Palisade Head. The visitor center will also utilize technology to help reduce its carbon footprint. Solar panels should generate 36 percent of the building’s energy needs.

The new facility partially serves as a starting point, providing people with a place to plan their day in the nearly 10,000-acre park. Guests can learn more about Tettegouche by visiting its 750-square-foot exhibit space or by attending an interpretive program in the new amphitheater. Then,

after a long day kayaking on Lake Superior, exploring the historic resort known as Tettegouche Camp or participating in outdoor activities from trout fishing to cross-country skiing, people can return to the visitor center to relax and recharge for a few hours. The building boasts a large patio facing Lake Superior with seating, a fireplace, picnic shelter, gift shop, a coffee bar and snack counter.

The visitor center is also a Minnesota Department of Transportation rest area. MnDOT contributed $3 million to the new building, which includes expanded restroom facilities that are open 24 hours a day and meet the standards required by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Leversedge said the update was overdue. Tettegouche’s former visitor center was built in the 1980s, when park visitation was 28,000 people per year. By 2011, Tettegouche received more than 335,000 visits. “It was built without knowing how big and popular the park would become, so it was built too small,” said Leversedge. Even with the new facility, he doesn’t expect a dramatic increase in park attendance. Rather, he anticipates the visitor center will give guests reason to spend more time at Tettegouche, instead of stopping briefly as part of tour of all the North Shore’s state parks.—Kelsey Roseth

FISH Project Begins Late May

COOK COUNTY—Beginning late May, women ages 16-50 who reside in or near Cook County, may begin enrolling to participate in the FISH Project (Fish are Important for Superior Health). The project comes on the heels of a 2007-2011 study of mercury levels in newborns in the Lake Superior Basin in which the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) found that 10 percent of newborns tested in the Minnesota region of the study had mercury levels above what the Environmental Protection Agency deems to be safe. Because mercury levels were higher in infants born in summer months, researchers determined that local fish consumption may be part of the cause.

These elevated mercury levels in newborns led to the FISH project, which is taking action to reduce mercury exposure in women of childbearing age. Local FISH coordinator and RN at the Sawtooth Mountain Clinic, Joyce Klees, points out

that benefits outweigh risks if women eat fish low in mercury and other contaminants. Fish is a healthy source of protein and Omega 3 fatty acids. Educating about the risks and benefits of eating local fish will be part of the FISH project’s mission.

The enrollment period for the project will last one year. Women can enroll by calling either the Sawtooth Mountain clinic in Grand Marais, or the Grand Portage Health Service and ask for a FISH coordinator to schedule an appointment.

At your appointment you will take a short survey and give a blood sample. The appointment will take about an hour. Blood will be tested for mercury, and results will be shared with the participant. Names and participant information will be kept confidential.

The participant also will be given educational material about which fish are healthy to eat and which fish should be avoided.

The appointments are at no cost, and participants who complete the visit will receive a Visa gift card. Participants may be asked to make a follow-up visit within six months of their initial appointment.

Patricia McCann, Minnesota Department of Health project leader, said that she hopes other health-care providers will adopt the methods developed through this project. McCann also foresees creating new materials for education as well as providing training for health-care providers about how to educate the community on the risks and benefits of eating fish.

FISH is a partnership between the Grand Portage Health Service, the Sawtooth Mountain Clinic, the Cook County North Shore Hospital, Grand Portage Trust Lands and the Minnesota Department of Health.

—Erin Altemus

An artist rendering of the new visitor center at Tettegouche State Park. | MN DNR

Biologists Find Lots of Lynx

VIRGINIA—Northern Minnesota appears to have more Canada lynx than it usually does this year. Lynx sightings have been reported throughout the winter in Lake and St. Louis counties. One lynx has been seen numerous times around Ely, including at the Dorothy Molter Museum and outside the U.S. Forest Service office. Federal wildlife biologists who monitor the lynx population in the Superior National Forest are finding more animals, too.

“We’re seeing a lot of lynx this year,” says Dan Ryan, USFS wildlife biologist for the Laurentian Ranger District.

Every winter, biologists follow lynx tracks in the snow until they find hair or scat, which is collected and sent to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Rocky Mountain Research Center in Montana for DNA analysis. This provides them with an individual identification of the animal and its sex, which is added to a database for the forest. Canada lynx in Minnesota are listed as Threatened on the U.S. Endangered Species list.

Ryan says the database contains about 180 lynx and 12 unique lynx-hybrids. First discovered in Minnesota through DNA analysis, hybrids have since been discovered in Maine. The Minnesota hybrids have all been the offspring of a male bobcat and female lynx. Ryan says this may indicate that bobcats, which have become more abundant in northeastern Minnesota in recent years, are more aggressive than lynx.

During the 1990s, the Minnesota DNR claimed that lynx did not consistently reproduce in Minnesota and that lynx seen in the state were mostly migrants from Canada. However, biologists tracking lynx have since documented reproduction every year since 2001. They’ve found 13 kittens this winter, the most ever recorded. Ryan says they may have collected samples from as many as 50 individual lynx.

Why are there more lynx this year? The most likely reason is an uptick in the numbers of snowshoe hares, their primary food source. Ryan says this year lynx have shown up in locations where they haven’t been documented before. Invariably, they show up in places where the hares are.

While a past study followed radio-collared lynx,

present monitoring is done exclusively by looking for tracks in the snow, either in areas where lynx are known to exist or in places where sightings are reported. Ryan said a core area for lynx, where they are consistently found, is in the vicinity of Isabella in Lake County. If there is good hare habitat, lynx will stay in a relatively small area. If hares are scarce, they go looking for them.

The DNA analysis often shows lynx from which DNA was collected previously, either as adults or kittens. Biologists have been able to identify and follow family groups over the years. Sometimes, kittens remain with their mother for more than a year.

Ryan believes Minnesota has a viable lynx population, even though there isn’t enough data to estimate the size of the population or its extent in the northern portion of the state. When tracking cats, biologists are limited to somewhat accessible areas—a challenge when the north is blanketed with deep snow. Most of the tracking occurs in Lake County, with less in and St. Louis counties— both of which have suitable lynx habitat. Also, researchers haven’t looked for lynx in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, even though the cats certainly exist there.

The USFS monitors lynx because the agency is required to take Threatened or Endangered species into account when it is planning activities on the national forest, such as timber harvests or even the construction of recreational trails. Biologists will survey the project area to determine if those species will be affected by the planned activity. Ryan said managing for lynx hasn’t had much effect on timber harvesting activities. In some instances, the growth of young conifers after a harvest provides snowshoe-hare habitat, thus attracting lynx.

Ryan, who has logged about 30 miles on snowshoes tracking lynx this winter, has been lucky enough to see seven of them, including some kittens. Like some other far-northern creatures, such as the spruce grouse, lynx are not very wary around people. It isn’t unusual for lynx to linger beside a road or in someone’s backyard even when humans are nearby. Their behavior is very different from that of bobcats, which are shy and elusive.

Please visit our store for spring preview of Jambu styles! Enjoy special $5 discount and receive a Jambu tote bag with purchase.

Biologists monitoring lynx have been seeing more sign than they did previously and are collecting DNA from them as well. Ryan says northern Minnesota’s bobcats seem to be moving east, into the lynx range. While the two cats are somewhat similar in appearance, lynx have some distinguishing

features, including prominently tufted ears, a black-tipped tail and enormous paws that allow them to walk across the top of deep, powdery snow. Last winter, those big feet may have helped lynx outcompete the bobcats invading their turf.

—Shawn Perich

Lynx sightings have been frequent this year. | STOCK

Out of Africa

In Africa, Michaela Peterson of Hovland is a television star. She appears in a rap video currently being aired in Uganda and other east African countries. Although she’s seen the video on YouTube, she returned home before it aired on TV. Appearing in the video was a footnote to a nine-month adventure.

A friend asked if she wanted to be in a music video with a popular Ugandan artist, saying it would only take an hour, that she would be paid and that she “wouldn’t have to do anything stupid.” Once on the set, plans changed. Instead of appearing in a few shots, Michaela became the stat of the video. The story line is about the rapper falling in love with a beautiful mzungu (white girl) and shows Michaela in a traditional gomezi dress dancing with the rapper.

“It was really fun recording it; I even carried a pot of water from the Nile on my head,” she says, although that scene didn’t make the video.

Instead of one hour, the filming took eight hours. She was paid about $30 (“You can live on that for four months over there,” she says) and was taken to lunch at a restaurant of her choice. The lunch was one of four times she ate meat during her stay in Uganda.

Uganda was not Peterson’s first choice for volunteering after she graduated from Cook County High School in 2013. She had hoped to do similar work in the United States, but was turned down by the organization to which she applied. Crestfallen, she spent a night on the Internet researching other volunteer programs, settling on a worldwide organization called United Planet.

“I picked the scariest place I could imagine,” she said. “I figured if I could conquer that, I could conquer anything.”

She soon learned Uganda was very different from the North Shore, but not scary. She lived with a host family in Lukuli Naanganda, a village outside the capitol city of Kumpala. There she taught kindergarten-aged children. She soon discovered that her high school education exceeded the education of most of the adult Ugandans she was working with. One of her first tasks was writing class curriculums, because none existed.

Parents must pay to send their children to school. Because money is scarce, there are frequent breaks in the school year. During the breaks Peterson travelled throughout Uganda with her host mother, working at schools and medical clinics. She discovered even doctors working in the clinics had very little education and often turned to her for advice. In one instance, she may have saved an infant girl’s life. The doctors were giving her Prednisone, thinking she had a lung ailment, and feeding her a mixture of bananas and flour. She determined the baby was premature, and advised the doctors to stop the medication and have her breast fed. The child recovered soon after.

Michaela Peterson of Hovland prepares a meal in Uganda, where she worked nine months as a volunteer. | COURTESY OF MICHEALA PETERSON

Peterson taught kindergarten-aged children. Ugandan parents must pay for their children’s schooling. | COURTESY OF MICHEALA PETERSON

Awards

Do

you know someone who inspires you to Move more?

Someone who shoveled a path for their neighbor to walk safely this winter, a child who encourages their classmates to play outside no matter the weather, a Care Center resident who loves to dance!

E Submit your nominations for a chance to win!

• In 200 words or less tell us about the local resident who inspires you to move more, and why.

• Please include your names, phone number and email.

• Mail to: CCNH, PO Box 757, Grand Marais 55604 or email starnews@ boreal.org

E A panel from the Cook County News Herald, Sawtooth Mountain Clinic, and Cook County Senior Center will randomly pick from the entries.

E In early June, we will award prizes in 3 categories; children, adults, seniors.

E Each winning nomination will receive a $40 gift certificate for the nomine and a $20 gift Certificate for the nominator!

Hunting Camp for Kids

GRAND MARAIS—When the Arrowhead Chapter of the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association hosts their annual banquet Tues, June 3, at The Legion in Grand Marais, the money raised will be used to introduce local kids to hunting and the out of doors. Chapter president Pete Harris of Grand Marais says the chapter can send up to 10 kids to the Forkhorn Camps sponsored by the MDHA.

Forkhorn Camps are held at eight different facilities around the state. The Arrowhead Chapter sends kids to the Laurentian Environmental Center in the Iron Range community of Britt. The camps last for five days. Parents are welcome to attend.

Forkhorn I for 11- to 15-year-olds, includes Minnesota firearms safety certification, as well as beginning rifle, archery and shotgun training, map and compass orienteering, safe shooting scenarios and sessions on wildlife management, deer hunting and survival skills.

Forkhorn II, for ages 12-16, includes bowhunting certification, marksmanship training, ethical hunting practices, game preparation and more. Forkhorn III, for ages 14-17, includes an advanced hunter certificate, advanced marksmanship and wing-shooting training, big and slam game biology, hunting techniques, bowhunting safety and even optional beginning handgun shooting and safety training.

“When kids come home from Forkhorn III, they can teach us old-timers about hunting,” says Harris.

The Arrowhead Chapter usually sends four or five kids to Forkhorn Camp each summer. Costs are covered by the chapter from money raised through the banquet and he Hides for Habitat program. Prospective campers have a $100 deposit, which is refunded by the chapter. For more information, contact Harris at 387-1868 or harrispc@boreal.org —Shawn Perich

MnDOT 2014 Projects

Questions? Contact Rhonda Silence at the News Herald starnews@boreal.org, Kristin Wharton at the Sawtooth Mountain Clinic 218-387-2330, or Bev Greene at the Senior Center 218-387-2660.

Funding for the Move It! Awards is provided by the Moving Matters project at Sawtooth Mountain Clinic, Cook County Herald, and the Cook County Senior Center. The Moving Matters project, with funding from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota’s Center for Prevention, is working to create safer and more accessible places to walk and bike in Cook County and Grand Portage. E Deadline for Nominations: Monday, May 26th!

ST PAUL—More than 300 construction projects scheduled for 2014 will do much to improve highways, bridges and other state transportation infrastructure to ensure the safety and mobility of the travelling public, the Minnesota Department of Transportation announced in early April. Here are the projects that may affect travelers in the Northern Wilds area.

HWY. 1

Murphy City June 2013-July 2014

Raise grade, reconstruct Hwy. 1, replace culvert, about 2 weeks of work remaining

Impact: Single-lane closures

Tower and Ely May 2013-June 2014

Resurface 2.5 miles of Hwy. 1, pedestrian ramps, and resurface 25.5 miles of Hwy. 1, repair shoulders

Impact: Daytime lane closures

HWY. 61

CR 5 to CR 7 May-Oct 2014

Resurface pavement, replace/repair Babineau Creek and Spruce Creek bridges, replace culverts

Impact: Lane closures controlled by signals or flaggers

Crow Creek, Knife River and Beaver River in Lake County May-Oct 2014

Paint 4 bridges on Hwy. 61

Impact: Crow Creek Bridge, single shared lane controlled by a temporary signal system; Knife and Beaver River Bridges, shoulder closures and intermittent short-term lane closures. 32nd Ave. E. to 59th Ave. E. in Duluth May-Nov 2014

Construct new pedestrian ramps

Impact: Shoulder closures

Little Marais July 2013-Sept 2014

Resurface 5.27 miles, reconstruct shoulders, construct new bridge, replace culverts

Impact: 18-day detour, intermittent single-lane controlled by flaggers

First-Time Camping For Families

ST. PAUL—People who have never pitched a tent or cooked over a fire—or who have forgotten how— can practice these and other outdoor skills when they sign up for one of the 24 “I Can Camp!” programs offered this summer at state parks and recreation areas.

“Camping is fun, and it’s a longstanding Minnesota tradition,” said Eric Pelto, who coordinates the “I Can Camp!” programs for the Department of Natural Resources Parks and Trails Division.

All camping equipment is provided (including tents, air mattresses and cook stoves) at these beginner-level programs. Participants need only bring their own food and bedding (sleeping bags or blankets and pillows).

“Our ‘I Can Camp!’ instructors will be on hand to help families with everything from tent setup to meal preparation,” Pelto said. “They’ll also try to make sure everyone has fun by providing opportunities to try geocaching, digital photography and other activities.”

One-night workshops ($40 for up to six people in a tent) are scheduled on most Saturdays in June, July and August. Eight

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

two-night workshops ($60 for up to six people in a tent) are also available for families who want a more complete weekend camping experience.

“I Can Camp!” programs will be available at Jay Cooke, Gooseberry and Tettegouche state parks along with other state parks in the state.

Reservations are required and can be made online or by phone. www.mndnr.gov/reservations or 866-857-2757, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. daily, excluding holidays.

For more information, including dates and locations, visit www.mndnr. gov/icancamp or contact the DNR Information Center at info.dnr@state.mn.us, 651-296-6157.

Families can learn to camp at MN State Parks this summer. |MN DNR

[ABOVE] Luke Huls survives the Whiteface River expedition at the takeout. [BELOW] Huls walks the canoe through the shallows. [RIGHT] Huls checks the depth shortly after we put in. | ERIC CHANDLER

Eric Chandler, glad this is the only beaver dam they had to portage.

| LUKE HULS

Whiteface River Mini-Expedition

BY ERIC CHANDLER

As a kid, I read about polar explorers and expedition mountain climbers. I wanted to go on extreme adventures like Douglas Mawson and Edmund Hillary did. But I was rooted in the Midwest, and you can only go so far on a banana-seat bike. So, I became an imaginary pioneer. I patted my head and rubbed my tummy and sang “Yankee Doodle” for a few seconds. I told myself I was the only person in the world doing that. It wasn’t Everest, but it worked for me.

I’m older, but still thinking like Walter Mitty. North Face doesn’t sponsor me. I don’t climb in the Himalayas. Most excitement happens within a single-day road trip. The good news is day-trips abound near mighty Duluth.

A key ingredient of my outdoor time is avoiding crowds. Just 40 miles north of Duluth, the Whiteface River flows from the Whiteface Reservoir south and west to where it joins the St. Louis River. There’s a 14-mile leg between the Vermilion Trail (Hwy. 4) and the Comstock Lake Road where there’s no easy escape. It’s not like the Grand Canyon, but you’re committed. Every time I drove past the river, I imagined following it downstream like the little canoe in “Paddle to the Sea.”

I could only find one guidebook that mentioned this stretch of river. There’s a DNR map dedicated to the St. Louis River that includes the Whiteface River as an afterthought. In the modern world, this small amount of information qualified me as a real explorer. I traced the river’s satellite picture in Google Maps to see what I could find. As a novice paddler, I was worried about rapids and the more likely beaver dams. It looked smooth. It was encouraging to see two kayaks in one satellite view.

There was one stumbling block: My wife demanded I go with a buddy. I whined about this, but she insisted. The map of the river sat on my desk at work for three years. Finally, my friend Luke Huls aligned his schedule with mine. The guidebook said you could paddle the first stretch with a 50-cubic-feet per second (CFS) flow out of the Whiteface reservoir dam. It also said 100 CFS would be better. Flows out of the dam were 50 CFS, so we launched the greatest mini-expedition in history.

In April 2012, we put in just above the tunnel that flows under Hwy. 4. Our spirits were high as snow fell out of the gray overcast sky. We paddled under the highway. We had extra clothes in a dry bag and some lunch. We wore chest waders, since I didn’t know how much portaging we’d be doing.

In less than a half mile, we were beached like a green Royalex whale in a rocky riverbed with water only 3 inches deep. Luke took the rope attached to the bow and pulled the canoe along like a reluctant mule. He muttered something like, “Chandler really knows how to pick ‘em.” Sometimes we walked downriver outside the canoe. Sometimes we kneeled on one leg in the canoe and scooted the canoe along with the other. I was drenched. From sweat, not from the river.

Thankfully, the rock bashing ended after 3 miles and we had clear sailing in the smooth black water. We saw several beaver lodges built against the riverbank. A bald eagle was kind enough to pose for a picture. We saw two different cable systems that helped folks shuttle across the river to their deer shacks. There was one old tumbledown cabin. And a lot of peace and quiet.

We stopped for lunch in a big sweeping bend of the river through a grassy clearing. You could see the far off stands of poplar. The sky was gray, and I kept thinking we might as well be in the middle of Canada. We were only an hour from town, but we were isolated.

We pushed on and enjoyed the river as it sped up and deepened nearer the takeout. We saw a trio of trumpeter swans that were shadowed by a trio of Canada geese. The paddles occasionally drummed the side of the canoe. There were big schools of fish lurking in the tea-colored shallows that we couldn’t identify. At one point, we had to portage around a beaver dam that spanned the river. I was surprised there weren’t more of those.

During a quiet curve I commented about not seeing a soul. Just then, two kayaks appeared going upstream. We said hello to the two ladies. We told them about our major expedition. The older lady said she was on the river every day and that we were the first people she’d seen in more than six years. I wondered if they were the ones in the satellite photo of the kayaks.

We smiled as we strapped the canoe to the roof of the truck. Two people out of 7 billion earthlings canoed the Whiteface River. Maybe the first in six years to paddle that water. That counts as avoiding crowds. And I didn’t have to sing while patting my head and rubbing my stomach.

A few months later, the Flood of 2012 hit Duluth. Flows out of the dam topped 2,000 CFS. That’s probably too much. So, try this trip. There must be a sweet spot between 50 CFS and flood stage where you can avoid walking your canoe like a dog on a leash.

Painting Fish

By Joan Farnam

Fish art—there are all kinds objects inspired by these beautiful–and often tasty–underwater creatures.

Fish-y paintings, woodcarvings, prints, posters, mosaics, stained glass, sculptures, pots, jewelry and more are on the shelves of art studios and art galleries up and down the North Shore.

But only two styles are actually crafted from fresh fish: Tom Christiansen’s bronze lake trout and herring sculptures installed on net-like wire along the Tofte Lakewalk, and Cameron Norman’s gyotaku or fish rubbings crafted in a centuries-old Japanese style.

Christiansen, who also created the fish weathervane for the Angry Trout Cafe and does a series of metal, fish-shaped hooks for hats and clothing, used his imagination for those projects. But for the Tofte Lakewalk pieces, he actually made molds from fresh fish and then cast them in bronze.

Cameron Norman, a gyotaku artist, goes a step further.

They use a fresh, whole fish, carefully paint it with sumi-e non-toxic inks, press rice paper firmly over the entire form, and then pull a print from it. When they’re all done, they clean the fish thoroughly and eat it.

“Gyotaku started in Japan in the 1800s where it was used to measure fish for fishing contests,” she said. ”After the print was made, the fisherman got the fish.”

Because fish skin is impermeable, after it was washed, it was safe to cook and consume.

At some point in the late 1800s, people began to realize that the prints from the Japanese fishing contests were beautiful, and the gyotaku art form was born.

Norman has explored a number of different art forms in the last 10 years, including sumi-e painting, jewelry-making and more, as well as photography and book publishing. She is well-known in the county for her beautiful self-published book, “Superior Artisans: In Praise of Hands,” which documents the lives and work of artists and craftsman on the North Shore. (A few copies are still available at local venues.)

As is her preference, when that project was finished, Norman began casting around for others, and at one point, she decided to try gyotaku.

She said she had seen a few giclee prints by gyotaku artists at a gallery in the Twin Cites and found the idea fascinating. And she had some time on her hands. She was taking care of her father, who had moved in with her and her husband after his first stroke.

She had some rice paper left over from her sumi-e classes at the Grand Marais Art Colony, and, living on the North Shore, she obviously had plenty of access to fresh fish.

The best fish for gyotaku printing are herring and whitefish because they have such large scales, she said. And she quickly discovered she could find them at Dockside Fish Market.

“I went on YouTube to find out how to do it,” she said. “I like experimenting by myself. It’s very fun.”

It’s also tricky.

The fish has to be pinned correctly, the skin has to washed and then dried so it will accept the inks. They are difficult to apply, and pressing the paper against the painted fish has to be done just right to get a great print.

In this particular case, it was even trickier.

form

process.

[ABOVE] Cameron Norman holds up a completed gyotaku print in her studio in Grand Marais. She will be exhibiting work at the Angry Trout this summer. [FAR LEFT] Norman paints colors on the fresh fish, which is secured in a

for the printing

[LEFT]Rice paper is carefully pressed over the painted fish.

Fish are beings that can breathe under water—a super-power almost.

Tim Young

Fish are a symbol of wholeness and being weathy, having food to eat. They are also a kind of hospitality symbol, too.

Tom Christiansen

I used to commercial fish with Tommy Eckle. I was just amazed at how beautiful the trout were when they were rolling up in the net... We’d always go out at dawn to pick the fish at dawn and the way the light caught it—that always amazed me.

Sharon Frykman

This stained-glass brook trout by Sharon & Steve Frykman is in the Angry Trout Cafe.

School of herring, bronze, by Tom Christiansen, is on the Tofte Lakewalk.

Gefilte Fish, felted wool, Elice Kyllo.

Goldfish with Dandelions by Timothy Young.

[ABOVE] “Fiesta Fries,” acrylic, Liz Sivertson. [LEFT] Three brook trout with creel by Birney Quick. A Retrospective of Quick’s work will open at the Johnson Heritage Post July 25.

NorthShore ArtScene

By Joan Farnam

May is the month on the North Shore when spring stirs the ground and everyone gets out to enjoy the coming summer season. This month we’ll find great music, a watercolor extravaganza, dance, a Celtic harp and more.

Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra launches the month with its season finale: “From Russia with Love.” The evening of classical music includes Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony and other Russian works. The concert will be held at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium at 8 p.m. (EST).

In Grand Marais, Christina Cotruvo performs Celtic harp music at the Public Library at 2 p.m. May 2. She will present “Superior Love: Songs from the Shores and Oars of Lake Superior.” The event is free and open to the public.

Also Friday, Cascade Lodge Pub will hold the second annual Midnight Ramble in honor of Levon Helm starting a 8 p.m. Cook County musicians will pay tribute to the award-winning musician by performing music by The Band as well as some of Helm’s later songs. Proceeds from the $10 donation will be used to purchase instruments for Cook County band students and donate to Helm’s Keep It Goin’ Foundation. Last year’s performers included Boyd Blomberg, Briand Morrison and Roxann Berglund, The Joe Paulik Band Eric and Jessa Frost, Gordon Thorne, Jim and Michele Miller, Bill Hansen, Travis Wickwire, John Gruber and Liz Sivertson, Don Bauer, Yvonne Mills, Barb LaVigne, Amanda Hand, Marco Good and David Grinsted

The next day, May 3, a Spring Craft Sale will be held at the Grand Portage Lodge from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. featuring local crafts and foods.

The first weekend in May is the Northern Sustainability Symposium at North House Folk School, too. See www.northhouse.org for details.

In Thunder Bay, the Thunder Bay Art Gallery will host Michael Anderson, an Aboriginal artist, who will give a walking tour of his “Moose Antler Carvings” exhibit at 2 p.m. (EST) May 4. All invited.

Other exhibits at the gallery include “Everyday Light: Family Photographs Selected by Contemporary First Nations Artists,” “Into the Woods,” etchings by George Raab and a selection of John Hartman’s works from the gallery’s permanent collection. The gallery has also created an exhibit illustrating how it is digitizing its art collection, which includes nearly 1,600

Cross River Heritage Post will feature an exhibit of work by Eastman Johnson this season, on loan from the St. Louis County Historical Society.

works with more than 340 Canadian artists represented.

There’s lots of things to do the second week of May, too.

The Joyce Gow Retrospective Exhibit opens at the Johnson Heritage Post with a reception from 5-7 p.m. Friday, May 9. Gow, who died earlier this year, was a prolific and enthusiastic watercolorist as well as a teacher and mentor in Two Harbors. She was a member of the Midwest Watercolor Society, the American Watercolor Society and the Duluth Art Institute, to name a few, and taught workshops in Minnesota as well as in South Dakota and Iowa. The exhibit continues through June 15.

“Instructor Show,” featuring work by the instructors at the Grand Marais Art Colony, opens with a reception in the Founders Hall at the Art Colony from 5-7 p.m. Friday, May 9.

“Out of the Vortex -- A Spring Dance Recital,” with dancers from Lenna Stever’s

Cook County Dance group will be held Friday and Saturday nights, May 9-10, at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at the door.

On Saturday, May 10, an expanded Splinters, called The SplinterTones, will play for a dance at What’s Upstairs? above the Betsy Bowen Studio at 7 p.m. The core band includes Leah Thomas, Bill Hansen, Rick Brandenburg, Holly Harwig and Max Bichel. They will be joined by Liz Sivertson and John Gruber. Donations accepted at the door.

In Thunder Bay, The Lakehead University RetroGraduate Exhibit opens at the Definitely Superior Gallery in Thunder Bay with a gala reception May 9. The exhibit includes painting, drawing, printmaking, ceramics and sculpture. The reception is from 7-9 p.m. (EST) and includes refreshments from the Sushi Bowl and music by Fabulous Dave. All invited. The exhibit continues through May 31.

Drury Lane Books will hold a Full Moon Reading outside by the lakeshore Wednesday, May 14, from 5-6 p.m.

A reprise of the Grand Marais Playhouse’s blockbuster hit, “Church Basement Ladies” will be performed in the social room at Bethlehem Lutheran Church as a dinner theatre production May 23-24. For more information, visit www.arrowheadcenterforthearts.com.

The Sivertones will play at Sivertson Gallery on Memorial Day weekend. They will play from 5-7 p.m. on Friday, May 23.

Children’s author Mary Casanova will present at a Writer’s Salon at Drury Lane Books at 5 p.m. May 24. She will read from and speak about her latest book. Open to the public. Free.

The WolfGang, an 18th century style sextet, will perform at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts at 7:30 p.m. May 24. The Twin Cities-based group will present three of Mozart’s masterpieces, including

The

spotlight

a transcription for chamber ensemble of opera, “The Magic Flute.” Performers include Laura Handler, Gail Olszewski, Jennifer Kalika, Marie Sortie, Stanley King and Paul Jacobson. Grand Marais soprano and violinist Erika Ternes will join the group for the performance. The concert is brought to the ACA stage by the North Shore Music Association. For tickets, see www.tix.com.

And Last Chance Gallery will celebrate Qu-Art Demonstrations and Blues from 1-3 p.m. Sunday, May 25. Four artists, Kristin Blomberg (pastels), Tom Christiansen (sculpture), Anna Hess (acrylics) and Grace Hogan (jewelry) will create quick art (quart) pieces in their medium. Fingerstyle blues guitarist Gordon Thorne will play from 2-5 p.m. Refreshments will be served. All invited.

Also Sunday, May 25, Chris Gillis & Friends will play at What’s Upstairs? The What’s Upstairs? Stage now has an official Facebook page. Check it out.

Country western powerhouse Charlie Pride and the Pridesmen perform at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium at 7 p.m. May 28.

In other art news, the Attic Gallery of Fine American Crafts is featuring prints by Grand Marais photographer David Johnson, as well as handmade cribbage boards crafted by Wooden Images of Missoula, Mont.

Blue Moose Gallery will open for the season on Mother’s Day weekend, May 9-11. There will be a number of new artists and work, including new jewelry lines and hand-cut steel wall displays from Haiti.

The Cross River Heritage Center opens for the season May 23. This year’s permanent exhibit is on loan from the St. Louis County Historical Society and features reproductions of paintings by Eastman Johnson Johnson painted on the North Shore for two years in the 1850s, focusing on the Ojibwe in their daily lives. The exhibit includes maps as well as interviews with Ojibwe elders of today.

Great Gifts of Lutsen is featuring handmade moccasins crafted at Itasca Leather Goods located in Lake George. The shop also has a selection

of dream catchers and cards by Jayne Richards as well as nylon and canvas items crafted by Heavy Duty Designs, a descendent of Heavy Duty Sewing.

Bronze sculptor Tom Christiansen will again be participating in the Crossing Borders Studio Tour & Sale this year. The tour is Sept. 26Oct. 5.

Lake Superior Trading Post has just received copies of “Life on the Invisible Line,” a biographical book written and illustrated by John Bouchard

Painter Adam Swanson is a new artist at Sivertson Gallery.

Threads is featuring “Reincarnations,” repurposed, upscale clothing by Kim Knutson and her daughter Kate Orth. The pieces include scarves, dresses, skirts and bags, which often include vintage fabrics and lace. Look for a new look at The Garage

Displays and exhibits have been reorganized in the space, which features work by more than 80 artists and artisans, including antiquers. The shop is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 11 to 3 p.m. Sunday.

MARCIE MCINTIRE Ojibwe beadworker

Have you always lived in North Shore?

“Untitled” by Kristin Blomberg. She is one of the artists demonstrating at Qu-Art at Last Chance Gallery May 25.

And finally, acrylic painter Janice Andrews has new work at Gallery 33 in Thunder Bay and fabric artist Joyce Seppala’s clothing is available at the Satellite Studio & Art Gallery, also in Thunder Bay.

I was born in Minneapolis. I came up in 1975. My mother (Ellen McIntire, also a beadworker) had moved back five years before that when I graduated from high school. I went to the University of Minnesota, roamed the country for a while, lived in Florida and New Mexico and then decided Minnesota was best. Some of those places are nice to visit, but you don’t want to live there, you know?

What projects are you currently working on?

I’m about to embark on a man’s traditional dance outfit—moccasins, leggings, dance apron, a yolk, cuffs and a belt. It will be modeled on a historic piece. I do my own designing, and this dance outfit comes from Ojibwe traditions. I also make all different kinds of jewelry—ear rings, necklaces, bracelets—and do beadwork on clothing and bead paintings.

What about your art continues to attract and fascinate you?

I like where it’s brought me so far. I can work on my art on a daily basis, but I also teach and lecture, and am in art shows and have exhibitions. Right now I have a gallery, and I buy other people’s work, too. I like learning about other types of art than my own. It isn’t a job, it’s a lifestyle that I really enjoy.

Where can we see your work?

My gallery is called “Ningii Ozhitoomin, We Made It Ourselves.” It’s on the Grand Portage Reservation at 102 Store Road, one block north of the Grand Portage National Monument. The gallery is open most afternoons. And I have pieces in the Tweed Museum of Art and The College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, and in the Goldstein Gallery in McNeil Hall on the University of Minnesota St. Paul campus. I can be reached at 218-475-2146.

Watercolor by Joyce Gow. A retrospective of her work opens at the Johnson Heritage Post May 9.

Moose antler carving by Michael Anderson, who is exhibiting his work at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery.

Victoria Lundmark, large-scale screen print on paper.

Waterfall Spectacular

Late April to Mid-May

Every spring, when the snow and ice melt, over 100 waterfalls along the North Shore swell into foaming, brawling, breathtaking torrents. Cook County in particular becomes a waterfall wonderland. The fullest part of waterfall season will last approximately two weeks; with local best guesses ranging from April 20 through early May. During this time, not only are the major rivers flowing, but also hundreds of ‘pop-up’ waterfalls emerge. A waterfall road trip along the North Shore’s Hwy. 61 is a great spring get-a-way.

Northern

Sustainability Symposium

May 1-4

Focus on learning do-it-yourself skills such as soap-making, canning and bee-keeping. Straw-bale gardening pioneer Joel Karsten will lead a workshop. Coursework, tours, speakers, and opportunities for conversation will round out a weekend designed to inspire, engage and educate. www. northhouse.org

Christina Cotruvo, Celtic Harpist

May 2

The Grand Marais Public Library is pleased to present harpist Chrisina Cotruvo in a free family program on Friday, May 2 at 2 p.m.

Cotruvo presents her original music celebrating Lake Superior love. Enjoy Celtic harp instrumental music based on the love songs of the people who have lived and traveled Lake Superior.

Living on the shore of Lake Superior inspires Cotruvo’s soothing and relaxing harp music. Learn what inspires her, how she researched the stories behind the songs and hear the beautiful music she creates with her Celtic harp.

Food & Wine at Lutsen Resort

May 2-4

Join Lutsen for a South America Culinary Adventure! Friday night features premium wines paired with intriguing and compelling food “flights.” Saturday night features a six-course wine dinner. Sunday features a champagne brunch. Call 800-258-8736 for reservations.

FEST

Jeweler Grace Hogan

Sculptor Tom Christiansen

Pastel Artist Kristin Blomberg

Painter Anna Hess 1:00 - 3:00 pm

Celebrates

SHTA Annual Meeting

May 2-4

Held at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in Finland, the weekend will be filled with hikes, workshops, presentations, good food, and hiking enthusiasts. www.shta.org

Annual Ham Run

May 3

Enjoy the tranquility of Superior National Forest with the Ham Run Half-Marathon, the Ham Run 5k and the Little Runts Run, all of which take place on the scenic Gunflint Trail. Participants are treated to a complimentary ham dinner, free beverages, live music and free massages. www.hamrunhalfmarathon.com

Folklore Festival

May 3-4

Thunder Bay’s annual Folklore Festival is like taking a trip around the world in 48 hours. People of all cultures come together to experience, enjoy, and show respect for all the cultural heritages that the various ethnocultural and Aboriginal communities bring to our country. The festival takes place at Fort William Gardens from 12-11 p.m. (EST) Saturday and 12-7 p.m. (EST) Sunday. Food booths feature cuisine from all over the world. A “Parade of Nations,” exhibitors and incredible onstage entertainment round out the weekend. The festival is a family-friendly event. See www.folklorefestival.ca for more info.

| BRYAN HANSEL

Since Andrew Hedstrom first began sawing lumber in 1914, the

been a mainstay in Cook County. We are especially thankful to the many people in the community who have worked for our company over the years. We are asking everyone in the community to join us in July for our 100th anniversary celebration.

MnDOT Bike Meeting

May 8

The public, local government officials and transportation supporters are invited to provide input for Minnesota’s statewide bicycle system plan at a meeting in Duluth at Duluth City Hall.

“Minnesota is often recognized as one of the top bicycle-friendly states in the country, and the best way to continue improving is to learn from constituents who use the highways, bike lanes and shoulders to bike,” said Tim Mitchell, MnDOT bicycle and pedestrian coordinator.

Participants will be asked to provide feedback on:

• Where are the MnDOT roads that could improve the local bike network?

• Where are the places riders want to bike long distance?

• Where do people feel comfortable biking?

• With limited funding, how do we prioritize projects?

Feedback will help MnDOT identify and recommend routes, improve existing facilities in the bike system and more effectively address the needs of bicycles riders in Minnesota.

All meetings will take place from 4 to 6 p.m., and attendees should plan to stay the entire time. The event will begin with a brief project description followed by a facilitated workshop. There will also be a community open house from 6 to 7 p.m., where people can come and go.

Online participation is also available at www.mndot.gov/bike

For other meeting times and locations or more information on the project, visit www.dot.state.mn.us/bike/study.html.

Spring Dance Recital

May 9-10

Out of the Vortex showcases the hard work and talent of more than 50 dancers who live in the Grand Marais community. The dancers range from toddlers to retirees--some with over 20 years of dance experience. The show will feature Ballet, Jazz, Tap and Modern choreography by Christine Curtis, Jalene Betts, and Lenna Stever Sobanja. Shows at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts are at 7 p.m. both nights. Tickets on tix.com or at the door.

Superior Trail Races

May 17

The Superior 25 & 50k trail races are out-and-back trail runs which traverse the Sawtooth Mountain Range on the Superior Hiking Trail in the far reaches northern Minnesota . The courses parallel Lake Superior, the greatest freshwater lake in the world, climb to near 2000 foot peaks with breath-taking vistas of the lake and inland forests and cross whitewater rivers and serene streams while meandering through mystic Boreal forests. The races start and finish at Caribou Highlands Resort in Lutsen Minnesota. Runners will have access to aid stations between the start and finish. Run, volunteer or spectate. See www. spring.superiortrailrace.com.

May 3

Ham Run Half Marathon and 5k Fun Run

May 19

Welcome Neighbours Victoria Day Holiday

May 23-25

Church Basement Ladies Lutheran Church Basement Dinner Theater

June 7

Grand Marais Classic Car Show

June 20-22

Wooden Boat Show and Summer Solstice Festival

June 28 Lutsen 99er

July 13-14

Grand Marais Arts Festival

The WolfGang performs at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts on May 24. | ACA

The WolfGang

May 24 7:30 p.m.

The WolfGang, an 18th century style sextet, was founded in 1996 for the exploration of chamber music from the time of J.S. Bach’s sons up to the time of Beetho-

place May

ven and Schubert. The six accomplished musicians of The WolfGang--Laura Handler, Gail Olszewski, Jennifer Kalika, Marie Sorlie, Stanley King, and Paul Jacobson--have performed with celebrated historical instrument ensembles throughout the U.S. and abroad. Their goal: to make 18th cen-

tury music as engaging, novel, and enjoyable today as it was when it first leaped off the barely dry manuscripts of its day.

At the heart of The WolfGang’s repertory stands the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. For this performance, the

ensemble presents three of Mozart’s masterpieces: an opera, a motet for soprano and orchestra, and a fantasy for fortepiano alone. The opera, “The Magic Flute,” is a transcription for chamber ensemble arranged by Johann Wendt, a contemporary of Mozart. The motet, “Exsultate, Jubilate,” has been newly transcribed for The WolfGang and soprano soloist by its flutist, Paul Jacobson. For the premiere of this new transcription, The WolfGang is joined by Grand Marais artist Erika Ternes, a remarkable soprano and violinist.

Tickets $15 adults, $5 ages 18 & under, for sale in advance at www.tix.com, or at ACA box office night of show. See www. northshoremusicassociation.com

Cascade River State Park Spring Fun Walk

Saturday, May 24

Register at the Trail Center. Starts at 9 a.m., must be finished by 5 p.m. Two 5km loops available or walk whatever distance you are able. Meet friends and walk scenic trails at your own pace for fun, fitness and friendship. Folkssports are leisure-time activities for people of all ages, alone or in groups, with no competitive requirements but plenty of awards. There is a $2 participation fee. The event is sponsored by NorthStar Trail Travelers, www.nstt.org For event info call 612-529-0552.

PlayCleanGo Day is Saturday, June 14, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Join us on the trails at 13 park locations across the state and learn how you can help prevent the spread of terrestrial invasive species and protect our beautiful Minnesota natural resources. For more information and park locations visit www.PlayCleanGo.org.

Minnesota State Park admission is FREE on June 14

July 25-27, 2014

Paddle Roar Give!

WEDNESDAY, MAY 14 Full Moon Reading featuring Kate Fitzgerald. Outside on the lakeshore.

FRIDAY - MONDAY MAY 23 - 26 DRURY LANE BOOKS 11TH ANNUAL SALE. 50% o a wide selection of books.

SATURDAY MAY 24 • 11 AM Season opening for e Mu n Man. Stories for young children.

SATURDAY MAY 24 • 5 P.M. Writer’s Salon with author Mary Casanova reading and discussing Frozen, her latest young adult book.

MAY 26 Memorial Day Hours: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

WEDNESDAY MAY 28 6:30 PM Women’s Book Group. Read A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf and join the discussion.

Hours May 1 -May 22: Mon, Tues, Thurs 11 am - 4 pm Fri & Sat 10 am - 5 pm • CLOSED Wed & Sun Starting May 23: M-Sat 10 am-5 pm , Sun 10 am-4 pm

Out of the Vortex: a Spring Recital takes

9-10. | LENNA STEVER SOBANJA

Memorial Day Weekend— Arts and Music on the Shore

May 24-26

Everyone enjoys the harbor in Grand Marais. Galleries and shops welcome you to select just the right work of art, piece of clothing, book, North Shore memento or kites to send soaring over the harbor. Live music available all weekend from Tofte to Grand Marais.

Judge Magney State Park Spring Fun Walk

Sunday, May 25

Register at the picnic area across the footbridge. Starts at 8 a.m., must be finished by 3 p.m. Three different routes available (1km, 3k or 6k) or walk whatever distance you are able. Meet friends and walk scenic trails at your own pace for fun, fitness and friendship. Folkssports are leisure-time activities for people of all ages, alone or in groups, with no competitive requirements but plenty of awards. There is a $2 participation fee. The event is sponsored by NorthStar Trail Travelers, www.nstt.org. For event info call 612-529-0552.

Boreal Birding and Northern Landscapes Festival

May 30-June 1

Learn more about the birds, wildflowers, and geology of the northern landscape. A variety of courses and public programs will focus on northern Minnesota geology, flora and fauna. Guided hikes and film screenings round out the weekend. www.northhouse.org

The WolfGang

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Honoring Choices

Completing Your Health Care Directive

A Community Open Forum

Arrowhead Center for the Arts

Grand Marais, MN

Saturday, June 14, 2014

9:30 am to Noon

All are welcome and encouraged to come to this free event.

A panel of professionals: doctor, social worker, clergy, lawyer, and a Care Partners representative will be on hand to guide us through the process of filling out a Health Care Directive. A copy of the ‘Honoring Choices Health Care Directive’ will be provided.

A refreshment break will be followed by small focus groups. Choose one or several of interest to you. For more information: call 218-387-9076 or visit www. NorthShoreHealthCareFoundation.org

music played

classical instruments, Including Mozart’s “Exsultate Jubilate”

“The Magic Flute” with soprano Erika Ternes

Christina Cotruvo plays celtic melodies at the Grand Marais Public Library on May 2. | GMPL

The North Shore Dish Break into wild food foraging

By Kelsey Roseth

A lot of people are apprehensive about foraging for wild foods. Those who haven’t attempted the activity fear that they’ll eat the wrong thing, and their worry is within reason: One bite of a poisonous plant, and that meal can be your last. Fears aside, foraging experts say that with proper education, preparation and practice, foraging can be a valuable, rewarding pastime.

“It connects you to your environment, to the place you live. Understanding the plants, their benefits to you and how you can use them, it deepens that relationship,” said Ian Andrus, an instructor at North House Folk School. Later this month, Andrus is teaching a class at North House that introduces people to the hobby, and he is hoping to showcase its numerous benefits. For example, harvesting ingredients for meals saves you money at the grocery store. And, if you find seeds while foraging, you can plant the seeds in your backyard so you can easily access the edible foods in the future. Another benefit of foraging is that the activity reduces our carbon footprint. Fossil fuels are needed to transport foods across the country, so Andrus said the more we use local ingredients, the better.

Breaking into foraging requires a bit of preparation. Andrus said it’s crucial to use field guides or other references and research the plants thoroughly. Blueberries, raspberries and the morel mushroom are easy to spot. However, locating other northern edibles like fiddleheads, docks, stinging nettles, leeks and spring beauties can be a bit more challenging. And it’s necessary to positively identify the plants to ensure you’re foraging safely.

Dr. Stephen G. Saupe, a professor in the Biology Department at the College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University in Collegeville, shared some tips for the wild foods forager:

• Don’t eat a plant you can’t positively identify.

• Lear n to recognize common poisonous plants.

• Don’t assume t hat a plant related to an edible plant is edible. For example, wild carrot, which is edible, is in the same family as poison hemlock.

• Watch out for poisonous plants that look like edible plants. For example, wild onions look similar to the poisonous plant called death camas.

• Sample new species sparingly. Check for allergic reactions and toxicity.

• There are no rules of thumb to determine if a particular plant is edible.

• Prepare the appropriate part of the plant. In some cases certain parts of the plant are edible, while others are not.

• Some edible plants must be cooked or dried to render them non-toxic.

Wild raspberries are not

taste is unparalled. | KELSEY ROSETH

• Use caution when collecting plants along heavily traveled roadsides or areas that are likely to be contaminated or sprayed.

• Wash wild plants before eating.

Once ample time is spent on education and preparation, it’s time to explore the woods for wild foods. Foraging season kicks off as soon as the snow melts and the ground thaws, which usually happens in May for northern Minnesota and northwestern Ontario. Keep in mind that each plant needs to be picked at a specific time of year. For example, spring is the season to forage for tender greens, while it’s better to pick berries in the summer.

Jack Greenlee, an ecologist for the Superior National Forest, said it’s crucial to be considerate and thoughtful in your harvest. He said when foraging for berries, feel free to pick a patch clean. The juicy gems produce an expansive amount of seeds, and so personal collection rarely harms reproduction. However, Greenlee said harvesting is harder on some plants, making it difficult to reproduce. For example, when harvesting fiddleheads, you break the stem near the base, a process which Greenlee said can cause damage. “It will re-sprout but it takes more energy to do that so it probably reduces its vigor,” said Greenlee. “I would use caution in that sense and scatter your efforts more… to spread out your impact.”

Greenlee said before you forage, check with officials who manage the land to ensure the activity is legal. He also said you should pay attention for hazards while harvesting. The terrain can be slippery, and strong winds can suddenly break the limbs of dead trees, which can increase your risk of personal injury.

After the harvest, you can get creative with cooking your wild edibles. According to Andrus, foraged foods can be great substitutes for common ingredients. Stinging nettle and docks are a green that can replace other greens like spinach in recipes. Stinging nettle can be combined with pancetta and leek in a rich, fluffy quiche. Or, you can fry leeks to use in a potato and morel gratin. Andrus said fiddleheads are similar to asparagus or green beans, so sautéing those in butter can add a little crunch to a recipe. Spring beauties are an edible flower, which can make a delicate plate decoration.

To get started, see the list of our foraging experts’ favorite field guides. Or, you can attend Andrus’ class “Foraging for Spring Wild Edibles” at the North House Folk School Saturday, May 31, and Sunday, June 1. Tuition is $110 per student. More information can be found at northhouse.org.

A few of our foraging experts’ favorite field guides: Moyle, J and Moyle. 2001. “Northland Wildflowers: A Guide to the Minnesota Region,” Revised Edition. University of Minnesota Press.

Thayer, Samuel. 2006. “The Forager’s Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting and Preparing Edible Wild Plants,” Forager’s Harvest Press.

Schofield, Janice. 1989. “Discovering Wild Plants—Alaska, Western Canada, The Northwest,” Alaska Northwest Books.

Blueberries are perhaps the most popular edible to harvest from the Northern Wilds.

KELSEY ROSETH Ian Andrus teaches

class

North House Folk

What your weight does and does not say

By Amy Marie Schmidt

If you’ve been to the clinic recently, we probably asked you step on the scale, even if you were just seeing us for cold symptoms or had been to see the doctor only a week before. You may have thought, as you stepped up, that your weight wasn’t relevant to a doctor’s visit for a cough and nasal congestion or that we didn’t need to weigh you again after only a week. But, your weight is just as important to your over-all health as your blood pressure is and we take your blood pressure at every visit, no matter what. Think of your weight as another vital sign, just like your blood pressure, pulse or temperature. Vital signs, including weight, assess over-all health; they give your provider a window into how well your body is functioning and alert them to red-flags indicating potential complications.

In addition to taking your weight at every visit, we are also calculating your BMI. BMI stands for Body Mass Index, a number calculated from a person’s weight and height. BMI is used as a screening tool to identify possible weight problems for adults. Being overweight or obese, classified as a BMI of 25.0 or higher, can cause many health problems in an otherwise healthy adult including Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease and some types of cancer.

I realize that weight is a sensitive issue. In a culture rampant with magazine spreads, television ads and internet photos that show models who are hopelessly thin or

obnoxiously ripped with big, toothy smiles, nice skin and a general glow of happiness and contentment, it is nearly impossible to not look at your own body, whatever its size, and feel inadequate or worthless. And then you come to the clinic because you don’t feel good. And we make you feel even worse by asking you to step on the scale. Trust me, I hate stepping on the scale just as much as any person who walks through the clinic doors. But I’ve learned and I want you, reader, to learn this: you are not your weight. The nurses and doctors at the clinic do not judge you by your weight like our culture does. We do not make assumptions about your personality based on your weight and, most importantly, we do not equate your worth, in any way, to what the scale says.

If you are over-weight, it can negatively impact your life, not because you can’t be happy and content (as our culture would have you believe) but because it can keep you from doing things you enjoy, cause diseases or stress your heart; we do not want any of those things for our patients. We want our patients to live their best lives, ones filled with healthy, vibrant days. We care about your weight because we care about you.

Amy Marie Schmidt is a registered nurse at Sawtooth Mountain Clinic. This information is brought to you in collaboration with Cook County Public

NEARBY WATERFALLS

Beaver River

View the falls at Highway 61. Ask locally for directions to Glen Avon Falls about three miles upstream along County Road 3.

Baptism River

Hike to 70-foot High Falls and Two Step Falls at Tettegouche State Park. Ask park staff for directions to Illgen Falls along State Highway 1.

Split Rock River

Park in the Highway 61 parking lot and follow the Superior Hiking Trail to a series of waterfalls for a great spring hike.

Electronics Recycling Collection Event

Bring

Saturdays, May 17 & August 23 in Grand Marais

9 am to 1 pm Cook County Recycling Center

Saturday, July 19th in Tofte

9 am to 1 pm · Tofte Transfer Station on the Sawbill Trail

Electronics

- Computer Monitors - Other computer components - Televisions - Stereos - Misc.

Appliances - microwaves - blenders - toasters - vacuum cleaners -

| PATRICK

New Ways to Move

Christine Angelo has lived on the Gunflint Trail for the past four years. Long commutes and challenging road conditions are a given for anyone living on the Trail. But Angelo, like so many others, has been more than willing to put up with those trade-offs in exchange for the perks of living in such a beautiful area.

However, after three car accidents in the last three years, the trade-offs of the drive and costs of transportation have changed Angelo’s perspective slightly.

“The beauty is phenomenal, and I realize how lucky I am to live here, but I spend $75 every week on gas alone,” said Angelo. “Every time I get behind the wheel, I feel this anxiety and fear of another accident. Plus the negative effects on my health from sitting so many hours driving, and the cost of gas… it’s made me think twice about other transportation options.”

One morning on her way to work, Angelo noticed that a school bus was coming down the trail at the same time she was heading to work, and that there were many open seats: “I thought, wouldn’t it be great if somehow we could figure out a way for people on the Trail to use the bus as a service, getting a ride to town and then back again when they go home?”

As Angelo gave the idea of riding a bus to work more thought, she began to see just how much it could benefit her health, and her pocketbook . If she could ride the bus to and from town, it would reduce the anxiety she has over potentially hazardous driving, her gasoline use and transportation costs would decline, and it would encourage her to walk her daily errands in town, thereby helping to keep her fit.

“I have talked to a lot of people who live outside of Grand Marais who would like to have the option of riding a bus into town, and then walking when we are in town. It just makes so much sense, and it would be an easy way to get more physical activity. I

think it’s worth looking into,” she said.

For Angelo, staying fit and maintaining her health, in spite of a chronic health challenge with multiple sclerosis, is an important part of her life: “In our Chronic Disease Self-Management Program, we have talked about safety issues for people who have balance issues, like after strokes or in the case of MS. A flat surface is one of the most important things for us to be able to get around. And I don’t mean flat as in uphill or downhill, but flat, even terrain. Sidewalks. For people living with any chronic disease, sidewalks are very important.”

The Sawtooth Mountain Clinic has launched a new community health project known as Moving Matters to address some of these issues. The clinic is spearheading efforts to make streets and roads safer and more accessible for walking and biking throughout Cook County and the Grand Portage Reservation. Through conversations and gatherings with local residents like Angelo, Moving Matters is asking about creative ways people can safely move around the county with foot and pedal power, as well as automobiles. And while public use of school buses may not be an immediate solution, Moving Matters believes that it is creative thinking like this that will lead to new, workable solutions to improve how local residents can get around safely and include more physical activity in our daily lives.

For more information on the Moving Matters project, check out www. becausemovingmatters.org, or facebook. com/becausemovingmatters, or contact Wharton at the Sawtooth Mountain Clinic at 218-387-2330.

Funding for this three-year project is provided, in part, by the Center for Prevention at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. Kristin DeArruda Wharton is a registered nurse at Sawtooth Mountain Clinic and a coordinator of Moving Matters.

Christine Angelo contemplates new ways of moving around Cook County.

KNIGHT

By Kristin DeArruda Wharton

Northern Wilds Calendar of Events

April 26-May 31

“A Kenspeckle Bestiary” featuring Duluth artists Rick Allen & Marian Lansky Siiviis Art Gallery, Duluth

May 1, Thursday

TBSO Masterworks Series VI: To Russia with Love The Community Auditorium, Thunder Bay 8 p.m. (EST) www.tbca.com

Dedric Clark Duo Gunflint Tavern Grand Marais 7:30 p.m.

www.gunflinttavern.com

Documentary: Beyond the Light

Switch North House Folk School 7 p.m. www.northhouse.org

May 1-4

Northern Sustainability Symposium North House Folk School www.northhouse.org

May 2, Friday

Chrisina Cotruvo Celtic harpist presents “A Superior Love,” Grand Marais Public Library, 2 p.m.

Tim Can Gin Gun Flint Tavern Grand Marais 8:30 p.m.

www.gunflinttavern.com

Levon Helm Tribute Evening Cascade Lodge Restaurant and Pub 8 p.m. www.cascadelodgemn.com

May 2-3

Spring Food & Wine Lovers Weekend Bluefin Bay Tofte www.bluefinbay.com

May 2-4

Lutsen Resort’s Spring Food & Wine Event 218-663-7212

May 3, Saturday

Gunflint Green-up Help clear dead and downfall trees near Chik-wauk Museum on Gunflint Trail.

Spring Craft Sale Grand Portage Lodge & Casino 10 a.m.-3 p.m. www.grandportage.com

Dulcimer Day in Duluth Folk Music Festival First United Methodist Church, 230 E. Skyline Parkway www.dulcimersinduluth.com

Ham Run Half Marathon and 5k Fun Run www.hamrunhalfmarathon.com

Tim Can Gin Gun Flint Tavern Grand Marais 8:30 p.m. www.gunflinttavern.com

May 3-4

Folklore Festival Fort William Gardens Thunder Bay www.folklorefestival.ca

May 4, Sunday

Michael Anderson "Moose Antler Carvings" exhibit walking tour. Thunder Bay Art Gallery 2 p.m. (EST)

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

May 8, Thursday

MnDOT public input meeting for statewide bicycle system plan. Duluth City Hall 4-7 p.m. www. dot.state.mn.us/bike/study.html

Family Movie Night hosted by Cook County Co-op. Showing “Fresh” at What’s Upstairs, Grand Marais 7 p.m.

Pushing Chain Gun Flint Tavern Grand Marais 7:30 p.m. www.gunflinttavern.com

Fay Gleeson Dance Centre presents Anything Goes! The Community Auditorium, Thunder Bay 7 p.m. (EST) www.tbca.com

May 9, Friday

Grand Marais Art Colony Instructor Show Opening Reception 5-7 p.m. www.grandmaraisartcolony.org

Joyce Gow Retrospective Exhibit

Opening Reception Johnson Heritage Post Gallery 5-7 p.m.

Retrograduate Exhibition Gala Opening Reception 7-10 p.m.(EST)

Definitely Superior Art Gallery www.definitelysuperior.com

Black River Revue Gun Flint Tavern Grand Marais 8:30 p.m. www.gunflinttavern.com

May 9-10

Out of the Vortex: A Spring Dance Recital. 7 p.m. Arrowhead Center for the Arts. Tickets on tix.com or at the door.

May 9-31

Retrograduate Exhibition Definitely Superior Art Gallery www.definitelysuperior.com

May 9-June 11

Grand Marais Art Colony Instructor Show www.grandmaraisartcolony.org

May 9-June 15.

Joyce Gow Retrospective Exhibit

Opening reception May 9 5-7 p.m.

Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery

May 10, Saturday

Minnesota Fishing Opener and Take a Mom Fishing Weekend. Moms fishing with a child don’t need a license.

A Forest is a Forest. Comparing Forests 10 a.m. Sugarloaf Cove, Schroeder www.sugarloafnorthshore.org

Zorya Ukrainian Dance Association presents their 16th annual concert “Tour of Ukraine” Community Auditorium, Thunder Bay 7 p.m. (EST) www.tbca.com

The SplinterTones 7-piece dance band. What’s Upstairs (Betsy Bowen Studio) $5 donation. Bring snack/bev. to share. 7:30-10 p.m.

Black River Revue Gun Flint Tavern Grand Marais 8:30 p.m. www.gunflinttavern.com

May 11, Sunday

Mother’s Day

Ryan Zwanziger Gun Flint Tavern Grand Marais 7:30 p.m. www.gunflinttavern.com

May 12-16

Bike/Walk to Work or School Week. Free blender bike smoothies Fri for bike commuters at Superior North Outdoor Center, Grand Marais.

May 13, Tuesday

Bike Safety Rodeo Community Center in Grand Marais 3-5 p.m.

Fix-a-flat bike class at the YMCA Grand Marais 5-6 p.m.

May 14, Wednesday

Full Moon Reading featuring Kate Fitzgerald. Outside on the lakeshore. Drury Lane Books 5-6 p.m. Grand Marais

May 15, Thursday

Kenny vs. Spenny vs. Canada The Community Auditorium, Thunder Bay 8 p.m. (EST) www.tbca.com

Gordon Thorne Gun Flint Tavern Grand Marais 7:30 p.m. www.gunflinttavern.com

May 16, Friday

City and Colour Dallas Green with special guest Half Moon Run The Community Auditorium, Thunder Bay 8 p.m. (EST) www.tbca.com

Thunderheads Gun Flint Tavern Grand Marais 9 p.m. www.gunflinttavern.com

Movie Night in the Park Marina Park Thunder Bay

May 17, Saturday

Ontario Walleye Opener

Waste Electronics Collection at the Recycling Center, Grand Marais 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Superior Spring Trail Races

25 and 50k Lutsen www.spring.superiortrailrace.com

Ely’s City Wide Rummage Sale and Business Crazy Days www.ely.org

Thunderheads Gun Flint Tavern Grand Marais 9 p.m. www.gunflinttavern.com

May 18, Sunday

Steve Blexrud Gun Flint Tavern Grand Marais 8 p.m. www.gunflinttavern.com

May 19, Monday

Victoria Day, Canada

May 23, Friday

Opening Day at Cross River Heritage Center: Exhibit Ojibwe Faces & Stories 10 a.m.-4:30 pm Schroeder www.crossriverheritage.org

Sivertones

Sivertson Gallery 5-7 p.m.

Celebrate Spring at Betsy Bowen Studio, Booksigning & Music Grand Marais 11-5 www.woodcut.com

The Wrong Omar Gun Flint Tavern Grand Marais 8:30 p.m. www.gunflinttavern.com

Movie Night in the Park

Marina Park Thunder Bay

May 23-24

Lakehead Shrine Circus Fort William Gardens Thunder Bay

Dylan Days Hibbing www.dylandays.org

Church Basement Ladies Dinner Theater, Bethlehem Lutheran Church Grand Marais www.arrowheadcenterforthearts. com/playhouse

CROSS RIVER HERITAGE CENTER

May 23-26

Art & Music on the Shore Memorial Weekend www.visitcookcounty.com

May 24, Saturday

Season Opening The Muffin Man Stories for young children. 11 a.m. Drury Lane Books, Grand Marais Community Ink Day—Screenprinting Grand Marais Art Colony 1-4 p.m. www.grandmaraisartcolony.org

Bird Banding Sugarloaf Cove Nature Center Schroeder 7 a.m.-12 p.m. www.sugarloafnorthshore.org

Cascade River State Park Spring Fun Walk 9 a.m-5 p.m. Two 5km loops available or walk whatever distance you are able. $2 participation fee. NorthStar Trail Travelers, www.nstt.org.

Cook County Farm & Craft Market

Senior Center Parking Lot Grand Marais 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Michael Monroe Log Cabin Concert Grand Marais 7-10 p.m. www.michaelmonroemusic.com

Writer’s Salon with author Mary Casanova reading and discussing Frozen' her latest young adult book. 5 p.m. Drury Lane Books, Grand Marais

Bob’s Birthday Bash W/Scarlet Rivera & Gene LaFond Gun Flint Tavern Grand Marais 9 p.m. www.gunflinttavern.com

The WolfGang Arrowhead Center for the Arts 7:30 p.m. www.northshoremusicassociation.com

May 25, Sunday

Bike Ride to Naniboujou sponsored by Superior North Outdoor Center. Call 218-387-2186 to pre-register by May 23.

Chris Gillis & Friends play at What's Upstairs? (Betsy Bowen Studio)

May

Qu-Art—Quick Art Demonstration and the Blues Last Chance Art Gallery, Lutsen Artists create a piece of art from start to finish 1-3 p.m. Gordon Thorne

Wednesday

A Challenging Walleye Opener Ahead Northern Trails

By Gord Ellis

Opening day of the walleye season should be an interesting one in northwestern Ontario this spring. Like last year, this will be a late spring, with ice and snow a very real possibility on many lakes. The serious wobbler this year will be high water. There is so much snow in the bush this winter that all rivers and streams will be high, cold and dirty. If you normally fish a river on the opening walleye weekend, be prepared for challenging conditions. In some places, the river water may simply be too high and swift to fish properly. The Kaminsitiquia, in Thunder Bay, is almost certain to be at an extreme height. Hopefully it won’t be over its banks, but bloated, muddy water is a certainty. The Kam will be a tricky river to fish this spring, and potentially dangerous in small craft.

The good news is there are many great opening day walleye choices that are also good bets in late springs. Whitefish Lake, near Nolalu, is a fine body of water to fish in a late spring. The lake is long and shallow, with minimal structure and just a handful of islands. This means the fish generally group up in good numbers around the few islands and rock points there are. A jig and minnow is tough to beat here, especially when that water is cold. Last year, a few friends and I fished Whitefish opening day and still found some ice chunks floating around. The fishing was not superb, but there were enough bites to keep it at least interesting. We also found many of the fish incredibly shallow, often in less than 2 feet of water. Pitching jigs and casting cranks to visible rocks and wind-blown shore was the ticket.

Traditionally, the opening weekend of walleye season equals a trip to Lac des Mille Lacs. If there is anything even approaching a sure bet on a late spring opener, it is Lac. The lake is dark and warms up relatively quickly as compared to other lakes. It can, however, still be tough. I remember about six years back on an opening day when my wife, two boys and I piled into the truck and pulled our boat to Sawmill Bay, on the southeast end of the lake. I should have known it was going be a tough day when the snow started falling just outside of Thunder Bay and never really stopped. When we got out at the lake, the wind was howling, and the snow had a real sting to it. Not the best conditions for a family outing. However, my troop is made of tough stuff, so we anchored behind an island near the mouth of the Savanne River and toughed it out. One son curled up and slept. The

other one watched the bobbers as Cheryl and I jigged. We did catch a few fish, but barely enough for a meal. When the snow started to accumulate in the boat, it was time to head back. A tough day, for sure, but there were walleye to be caught. We were all happy to get back in the truck and put the heater on.

My most memorable late spring walleye bite happened in 2009. It was an ultra cold opening weekend, and air temps rarely got above zero Celsius. There was also fairly persistent snow. Yet the big walleye were out and about. My buddy Sandro Fragale and I fished all three days of that opener, looking mostly for monster walleye in cottage lakes outside of Thunder Bay. We didn’t catch a lot, but we did catch some beauties. On the holiday Monday, we were joined by Thunder Bay anglers Davis Viehbeck and Kevin Pruys. They hooked a monster 31-inch walleye, and we came over to take some pictures. Once that fish went back, Viehbeck suggested we stick around, so Fragale and I began tossing our suckers to the same wind-swept shore. When my rod registered a hard strike, the hook was set. At first it felt like a big, lethargic pike.

But when the fish passed under the boat, neither Fragale nor I could believe our eyes. This was the biggest walleye either of us had ever seen. A brute.

After a few anxious moments, the gigantic golden fish was netted and lifted into the Lund. When we put a tape to the fish, the number seemed impossible. The walleye was 34-inches long.

The cold, snow and nasty wind no longer mattered. The fish of a lifetime had been boated. After a few quick pictures and a couple high fives, the 14-pound class fish went back.

This opener may not have perfect conditions, but if there is open water, there are memories to be made. Snow or no snow.

If we’re lucky we’ll have ice-free lakes to fish this May. | GORD ELLIS

Anglers brave the ice and snow on Whitefish Lake, opening day 2013. | GORD ELLIS

Follow the Ice-out Find the Fish

By Javier Serna

As I ascended a hill overlooking Tuscarora, I could see the ice glistening as it melted away in the 70-degree sunlight. I could not have better timed my arrival.

Most of the ice was gone by the time I finished the 438-rod portage from Missing Link Lake a few hours later. That afternoon, in a far corner of the lake, a few remaining sheets crinkled as waves washed through them. Except for random piles that washed up on shore, there was little trace of the ice by the next morning.

This was my first solo trip in the Boundary Waters, and I wouldn’t have gone by myself but for the chance of catching lake trout during the small window after ice-out when they are shallow. A spring lake trout canoe trip had been on my short list for some time, and when all of my fishing buddies bowed out, I decided to go on my own.

The trip appeared in jeopardy a week out, as there was still a lot of ice on Round Lake, from where I would launch.

Anxious in the days leading up to my departure, I called Hungry Jack Canoe Outfitters, and Nancy Seaton tried to reassure me without making any promises about the weather.

“Things can change fast this time of year,” she said.

Ice-out on Round Lake happened the Monday before my Friday arrival, proving Nancy’s point

I only wish I had started a day earlier. Almost every campsite was taken when I arrived. There was one near the Owl portage, but it was blocked by that last sheet of ice, and another in part of the lake, which I was forced to take.

The campsite was overgrown, and the path to the latrine had turned into a spring drainage.

I tossed my packs back into my canoe in

hopes of finding a way over to that other site.

But another group emerged, busted a hole in the ice with an aluminum canoe and claimed it.

That final, remaining site grew on me, especially once I realized how close it was to good fishing. But that still came after a little more dejection Saturday morning.

David Seaton, the other half of the brain trust at Hungry Jack Canoe Outfitters, had marked a few spots on the lake map I printed off the DNR website. With ice just lifting off, he figured the trout could be in as little as 5 feet of water, and he marked several spots inside the 10-foot contour line.

I took several passes through those spots and others like them but didn’t get a hit. Worse, not only was my 2/5-ounce spoon often getting snagged, but after a few hours of trolling, I realized my fishing line was twisted and almost ruined.

I was frustrated, and all I had were cheap barrel swivels.

So I changed reels, and changed to an inline spinner in hopes that it would do less damage.

I headed back to one of Seaton’s spots, to no effect, but kept following the shoreline past an almost square-shaped point, which quickly dropped off to 60 feet of water. Knowing this, I hugged the shoreline, trying to keep my lure in 20 feet of water.

As I paddled past the point, the line jerked.

Somehow I managed to lose the fish, but I quickly regrouped and took another pass at the point. I had to remind myself that I had a considerable amount of line out, and to wait for it, wait for it. Bam.

Every time I passed that point my line went tight.

The fishing was spectacular. I’ve spent entire days targeting lake trout in the warm-

er months only to be disappointed. None of the fish were very big but this was too easy. I just wished my buddies were there.

On Sunday, the fish were gone from the point, but I found they had moved to those shallower, sandy flats that were barren the day before.

I also began to wonder how much longer the weather would hold. Saturday had been rainy with mild wind, which had been holding Sunday morning.

I didn’t want to get stuck on Tuscarora if the wind picked up.

May is known for windy weather and whitecaps, and with the icy water temperatures, capsizing would be life-threatening.

So, before noon Sunday, I tore down camp and departed, hoping to get that long portage behind me. I caught a few more fish on the way out.

I camped on Round Lake Monday and

Wilderness Retreat FOR SALE: Remote cabin on Kemo Lake north of Grand Marais MN. 16 acres and 500 ft. shoreline. Mixed timber. Moose, deer, grouse, and great lake trout fishing. 20 x 24 furnished cabin, shed, 14' Lund boat w/ 7.5 HP Evinrude motor. A great place to relax and enjoy nature. $239,000. 218-387-1926

Lake trout are found in shallow water immediately after ice-out.

| JAVIER SERNA

paddled out against rain and wind that hit me from all sides. The hard gusts kept pushing me to shore, and I was still sore from Sunday’s long portage.

But I’d do it all again to catch those iceout lake trout.

Souvenirs • Deerhide Moccasins

Weather Vanes

Javier Serna takes a selfie with his catch. | JAVIER SERNA

Dockside Fish Market is closed in the winter, and Norman is not fisherman. How could she even get a fresh fish in March to demonstrate the technique?

Boreal Access saved the day when Donna and Orvis Lunke responded to a request for help and offered to try to catch a few fish for the project.

Two days later, there was a knock on the door, and the Lunkes presented Norman with three beautiful little lake trout.

Norman tried a number of different inks on the fish that afternoon, to try and capture the colors of the living being. Traditionally, gyotaku were printed with a deep, blue-black ink, which she also likes to use, she said.

She pins the fins to a form so they look realistic and puts cotton in the fish’s mouth to keep it open so the fish looks as natural as possible.

A number of prints can be pulled from one fish, and Norman experimented with different colors and combinations that day. “Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t,” she said. “I can always sponge off and try again.”

Cameron Norman finishes every gyotaku print with her “chop” or stamp. She will teach a class in gyotaku printmaking at the Art Colony in August.

| COURTESY OF CAMERON NORMAN

Traditionally, the print is completed when the ink dries and the artist paints in the eyes. “They say the spirit of the fish returns to the image when you paint the eye in,” Norman said.

And that’s probably good, because after the printmaking session, the fish were washed and prepared for dinner. They were delicious.

OUT OF AFRICA cont. from page 9

She also had the opportunity to work with former child soldiers from the Sudan. She said it was difficult to communicate with them, because they had no shared language. If left alone in a room, the traumatized youth would immediately begin fighting with one another. But the biggest difference, she says, was in their eyes.

While she coped with homesickness after she arrived, Peterson came to love Africa. While Uganda’s extreme poverty was a rude awakening, she soon appreciated the people and the way they live. At one point, after the local crops were destroyed by heavy rains, she and everyone else in the community where she lived ate grasshoppers, because there was nothing else available. Although hunger and homelessness are part of the reality of life in Uganda, Peterson was struck by how, despite difficulties, life goes on.

“Everything is really real there,” she says. “The people are very genuine.”

She was also touched by how much an average person can do to help others. She found it very rewarding to be able to make a positive difference in people’s lives. And, returning home, she received a President’s Volunteer Service Award, for which she received a gold pin and a letter from President Obama. But for her, the sincere gratitude of her Ugandan friends was reward enough. –Shawn Perich

WHY GO: While there are few larger lake trout swimming in Trout Lake, it does have a wild population that is made up of quite a few smaller fish. It also is stocked with rainbow trout, giving trout-minded anglers more than one option. The presence of brook trout gives anglers the chance for a triple trout challenge.

ACCESS: There is a carry-down access to the northwest corner of the lake off F.S. 308. Turn right onto Trout Lake Road (F.S. 140) about 12 miles from Grand Marais on the Gunflint Trail, and then turn left onto 308. The friendly folks at Trout Lake Resort (218-387-1330) also rent boats and motors.

VITALS: Trout Lake sits inside the Superior National Forest and Cook County. It’s a deep 257-acre lake with a pair of 70-footdeep basins.

SPECIES PRESENT: Lake trout, rainbow trout, brook trout, yellow perch, rainbow smelt, creek chub, golden shiner.

LAKERS HANGING ON: There aren’t a lot of larger lake trout in the lake, but, as the wall hangers inside Trout Lake Resort suggest, the lake is capable of producing some nicer fish, and has done so over the years. The presence of rainbow smelt has given the lakers an oily, fatty option on their menu, though it appears the lake’s cisco population has faded.

“The forage base is there,” Steve Persons, Grand Marais area fisheries supervisor, said. “Occasionally, we’ll see some fish that grow faster than others. Next thing you know, you have some five- to 10-pound lake trout, and there are some of that size.”

But the most recent assessment of the lake, conducted in 2011, turned up mostly smaller fish, with the majority in the 15- to 19inch range, with many smaller than that, and only two that fell between 2024 inches.

Persons stressed that anglers should shift gears after catching their two trout and not cull fish, since lake trout are considerably vulnerable to dying from the stress of being caught, especially as the things warm up in the summer.

OVER TO THE RAINBOWS: Though few showed up in DNR’s most recent survey in the lake, there is a rainbow trout population supplemented annually with stockings.

In spring time, the rainbow trout can be found cruising the surface waters, Persons said.

“They are active this time of year,” he said. DNR stocked the lake with both fingerlings and the larger yearlings in each of the last three years, with 4,000 yearlings stocked last year, in addition to 5,650 fingerlings.

PERCH ACTION: In the 2011 survey, yellow perch were abundant, though small,

which is typical for the lake. That survey did turn up a few handfuls of perch that were nine inches long or slightly greater.

OF NOTE: Though biologists did not collect any northern cisco during the 2011 survey, a small remnant population is still possible, though increasingly unlikely. While the invasive spiny water flea was not detected during the last survey, is has since been discovered in the lake, unfortunately. Be sure to carefully drain and clean your boat before departing. —Javier Serna

When the Unexpected Happens COLD WATER SURVIVAL

By Shawn Perich

You never plan to capsize or fall overboard. When it happens, in an instant, what was a day on the water suddenly becomes a struggle to stay alive. In the cold waters of Lake Superior or inland lakes and streams, you may have just minutes before you begin succumbing to the effects of hypothermia.

“It doesn’t matter if you are a good swimmer,” says Bernice McArdle, executive director of the Personal Flotation Device Manufacturers Association. “Hypothermia affects everyone.”

The best survival strategy is to keep your head above water, control your breathing to avoid hyperventilating and to minimize movement to conserve your energy, which will help maintain your body temperature as long as possible. Even then, your window for survival may be measured in minutes. If the water temperature is less than 40-degrees, you may reach total exhaustion and unconsciousness

within 30 minutes. Your expected survival time is less than 90 minutes.

Of course, all of the above assumes you are wearing a life jacket, also known as a personal flotation device (PFD). Boaters are required by law to have Coast Guard approved PFDs for every passenger onboard, even though adults may choose not to wear them. Given the cold water and weather conditions that are common throughout the boating season, not wearing your PFD is a foolish choice. You almost certainly won’t have time to put it on before you wind up in the water.

“No one ever goes into the water willingly,” says McArdle. “It’s always unexpected.”

To prepare for that unexpected immersion, she suggests practicing self-rescue. For paddlers, this includes learning how to right a capsized canoe or kayak. You might even consider jumping into the water fully clothed while wearing your PFD, just to know how it feels. You could even practice using

How long can a person survive in cold water?

a throwable floatation device or, in Ontario, a 15-meter (50 foot) buoyant heaving line to rescue someone who is in the water.

Boaters should be able to find approved PFDs that meet their specific boating needs.

“The advances in life jacket design are extraordinary,” says McArdle. “Manufacturers have really listened to the user groups and tried to address their needs.”

PFDs are available for duck hunters. Children’s PFDs include colors and patterns intended to make the devices fun to wear. For adults, inflatable PFDs provide a lightweight, comfortable option. Another advantage of inflatables is they are easily stowed in a gear bag, making them suitable for travel. Non-swimmers may want a style that is intended to keep your head up in all or most situations.

Minnesota’s inland lakes and streams are generally colder than 70° F in winter and spring. Water this cold always presents the danger of hypothermia. Surface water temperatures in western Lake Superior rarely exceed 70° F. Lake Superior’s average surface temperature is about 40° F (4° C). | SOURCE: MINNESOTA SEA GRANT

It is important to make sure the PFD you choose is suitable for your intended use. Paddlers can find designs offering cut-out arms and shorter torsos to provide a greater range of motion. Camouflage

Regardless of the style you choose, the most important thing you can do is wear your PFD whenever you are on the water. As McArdle says, you never know when you will need it.

Inflatable PFDs offer comfort and mobility, but little thermal protection in cold water. | MUSTANG SURVIVAL

Stepping Back in Time

By Elle Andra-Warner

There’s something mystical about standing on ground where historical events took place hundreds of years ago. Such a place is the Louisbourg Lighthouse and the Fortress of Louisbourg located on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia.

A National Historic Site of Canada since 1928, the Fortress of Louisbourg is North America’s largest reconstructed historical site, and it is a fabulous place to spend a day.

Founded by the French in 1713, the fortified walled town during its heyday had more than 4,000 residents (mainly French Roman Catholics) and was the third busiest seaport in North America. It was the capital of the colony known as Isle Royale. In 1758, during the seven-week British siege of Louisbourg, more than 27,000 British troops defeated the French (outnumbered 4 to 1) and captured Louisbourg.

I started the day at the Louisbourg Lighthouse, site of Canada’s first lighthouse and North America’s second (The Boston Light, 1713, is the oldest). First lit in 1734, the Louisbourg light could be seen for 18 miles. The light was supplied by codfish oil burning in an open bronze basin (3 feet in diameter, 10 inches deep) fed through 31 pipes in a floating copper ring to the wicks, which gave the flame. Not surprisingly, fire destroyed the first lantern in 1736; a second lantern was lit in 1738 and mysteriously demolished sometime before 1798. The lighthouse burned in 1922 and was quickly replaced.

And what a stunning lighthouse landscape. Volcanic rock juts out into the Atlantic Ocean with bare rock islands nearby. There is also a clear view of the fortress across Louisbourg Harbour, but unseen are the many shipwrecks in the water. Was I standing where some soldier had fought 250 years ago during the famous siege? The sense of history here is powerful.

After the French capitulated in 1758, Louisbourg became British for the second time, and the following year served as a British base for a larger attack on Quebec (which resulted

in victory for the British on the Plains of Abraham). Unfortunately, the British soon destroyed Louisbourg to prevent it from ever falling back to the French.

Reconstructed Louisbourg is massive in size, covering 12 acres with 60 buildings (amazingly, that is only 20 percent of the original Louisbourg). At the Visitors Reception Centre, shuttle buses bring people to the outside edge of the fort, right beside one of the many fish houses that were located on Louisbourg Harbour.

And what a brutal life for fishermen. Every day, hundreds of 30-foot open boats (shallops) with 3-4 fishermen each would go out 10-12 miles into the wicked Atlantic Ocean, bringing back 300 pounds of cod per day. After being dried and salted, the fish was shipped by Louisbourg’s wealthy fish merchants back to France in 110-pound fish bundles.

At the fortress, dozens of costumed interpreters—from musicians, soldiers and merchants, to street vendors, bakers, servants and fishermen—walk the streets, talking to visitors, just like they would have done in 1744.

There is so much to see and experience at Louisbourg: the Quay; cannons on stone ramparts; period houses; historic gardens; exhibits; bastions; the astronomy room in the engineer’s house, and the King’s Bastion Barracks (the largest building on-site, and in its day, one of the largest buildings in North America). There are 18th century restaurants and taverns (I had a delicious lunch of pea soup and turkey with gravy and turnips). In the garrison’s chapel, Chapelle St. Louis, Catholic merchants would hang ship models in the window to say thank you for saving their ship on a rough journey (reports say at times, there were ships in every win-

And you

try

ghosts (stories have been featured on the television series, Creepy Canada).

I overnighted at the Louisbourg Harbour Inn Bed & Breakfast, an elegant century old sea captain’s house (built by Captain Thomas Townsend) overlooking the waterfront. Townsend was a descendant of a prominent officer who fought in the 1758 siege of Louisbourg. Just a short walk from the Inn is The Grubstake, a country western kind of restaurant with a “casual elegant country cuisine.” I ordered their Digby scallops in white wine for dinner, and the meal was delicious.

Fortress of Louisbourg is at the top of my 10 best places to visit in Canada.

dow).

can

to see the

The Louisbourg lighthouse was Canada’s first lighthouse. | ELLE ANDRA-WARNER

Actors at the Fortress of Louisbourg portray the fort’s heydey of the 1700’s. | ELLE ANDRA-WARNER

Photo © Gary Alan Nelson

The Three-Minute Outdoorsman

Wild Science from Magnetic Deer to Mumbling Carp

By Robert M. Zink

University of Minnesota Press, $17.95

This is not a typical outdoor book, because Bob Zink isn’t a typical outdoor writer. The Breckenridge chair in ornithology at the U of M’s Bell Museum of Natural History, as well as the curator of birds and professor of ecology, evolution and behavior, Zink adds an intelligent and insightful twist to traditional and nontraditional outdoor topics. Best of all, he is very fun writer to read. Chapters such as “Eagle Attacks Toddler! Then Again, Maybe Not” or “A New Kind of (Un)Natural Selection in Deer Antlers: Hunting,” live up to their catchy titles. This collection of 63 short stories is a keeper.—Shawn Perich

The Other Side of the Ice

One Family’s Treacherous Journey

Negotiating the Northwest Passage

By Sprague

Theobold with Allan Kreda Sky Horse Press, $24.95

Fans of Arctic adventure will enjoy documentary filmmaker Sprague Theobold’s tale of taking a 57-foot trawler through the fabled Northwest Passage. Although the sea route over the top of North America has become more navigable due to the growing summer retreat of Arctic ice, it nevertheless remains a very challenging trip. Sprague adds to the challenge by bringing along his son and two stepchildren, all of with whom he’s had a strained relationship since his divorce 15 years previous. The family tensions and interactions are part of the story. But so, too, are moments such as brief visit to Beechey Island where they saw remains of the doomed Franklin Expedition in 1846.—Shawn Perich

The Laird of Fort William

William

Irene

Heritage

William McGillivray, head of the North West Company (NWC) from 1804 until 1821, was arguably the most powerful businessman in Canada in the early 19th century. McGillivray emigrated from the Scottish Highlands to work for his uncle, Simon McTavish, when he was 20 years old and assumed the leadership of the NWC in 1804 upon McTavish’s death. McGillivray guided the company through a decade of rapid expansion and great prosperity from 1805 to 1814, but it was also a time fraught with violence and damaging rivalries.

Set against the background of history and legacy of the NWC, the biography tells McGillivray’s complete story, from his early days in Scotland, immigration to Canada, wilderness adventures and fur-trading successes to the eventual downfall of the company he worked so hard to build. McGillivray was a frequent visitor to the NWC’s fur-trading headquarters on Lake Superior at Fort William, which was named after him, as was the city of Fort William, which later became Thunder Bay. —Elle Andra-Warner

University of Minnesota Press $21.95

Lake Superior Flavors

A Field Guide to Food and Drink Along the Circle Tour

By James Norton Photography by Becca Dilley

Lake Superior now has a local foods book, and a pretty good one at that. The author and photographer traveled the Circle Tour with an eye for good eats and drinks. The book is a compilation of the bakers, brewers, famers, fishermen, chefs and monks they met along the way. Monks? Yes, monks. Members of a small monastery on the Keweenaw Peninsula make and sell jam. Minnesota’s North Shore is well represented, from commercial netter Steve Dahl in Knife River to Round River Farm in Finland and the World’s Best Donuts in Grand Marais. The Thunder Bay area is especially well represented, with everything from wild boars, Boreal Forest Teas and much more. A great guide to get anyone started eating their way around the lake.

—Shawn Perich

AnySharp Smart Sizzors

www.anysharp.com

$24.95

We process both game birds and domestic fowl, tasks made easier with a sturdy pair of shears. The Smart Sizzors from AnySharp are the best I’ve used. The sharp, curved blades are made of hardened, professional grade steel and have tension adjustment. The large handles are comfortable for someone who has large hands without being unwieldy for someone who does not. They make clean cuts and are capable of cutting bone. They’d be handy in a workshop or sewing kit, too. Smart Sizzors are designed with accoutrements that allow you to crush garlic, crack nuts, open bottles and strip wire, although mine will be primarily used as a cutting tool.

Shawn Perich

Bootleg Booze and Gangster Al Capone Strange Tales

During the Prohibition years 19201933 in the United States, bootleg booze and gangsters like Al “Scarface” Capone flourished big time. Prohibition began in January 1920, thanks to a Minnesota congressman from Granite Falls, Andrew Volstead, who wrote the prohibition legislation (Volstead Act) that became the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. For the next 13 years, until it was repealed in 1933, Americans could not manufacture, sell or transport beer, wine and spirits.

By Elle AndraWarner

During those years, the wilderness areas of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ontario became hot spots for gangsters like Capone, looking for remote hideaways, secret storage places to stash the liquor, and routes to transport liquor into the United States from Canada (like the “Whiskey Gap” route crossing the border into North Dakota with alcohol destined for Minneapolis and St. Paul).

According to FBI records, during Prohibition, Capone smuggled 4 million gallons of alcohol each year into Minnesota, South Dakota, Iowa and Illinois, and was running a $200 million bootleg operation. Born in Brooklyn Jan. 17, 1899, Capone started his career as a bouncer, then chief enforcer and protege of Chicago mobster Johnny Torrio. In 1925, when Torrio retired to Europe, 26-year-old Capone took over Torrio’s huge Chicago outfit criminal empire.

Capone’s visits to northern Minnesota first caught my attention while spending a weekend at the historic Lutsen Resort on Lake Superior, opened in 1891 by Swedish immigrant Carl A. Nelson. Apparently, Chicago gangsters like Capone found Lutsen to be a great stopover. As the story goes, Capone arrived with a woman, requested a remote spot away from the lodge and was offered a fish house about 2 miles away. Nelson wasn’t too pleased when he later found bullet holes in the cabin; he demanded—and got—an extra $20 from Capone.

In Thunder Bay, there are plenty of stories about secret hotel tunnels and passageways to the waterfront loading docks. One of those hotels, the now-demolished Mariaggi Hotel, was owned by the famous Bronfman family who in 1928 merged with Seagram & Sons to become the world’s largest distillery firm. In the book, “The Last Best Places: Storytelling About Thunder Bay’s Historic Buildings,” author Dr. Tania Saj writes that there was “plenty of speculation that

during Prohibition, the Bronfmans used the Mariaggi Hotel as a liquor smuggling point to transport alcohol into United States.” Urban legends tell of liquor smuggled by tunnel to boats and trains that stopped in front of the Mariaggi and “thousands of cases of liquor” shipped to Detroit and Chicago, hidden under mounds of grain.

Ely has its share of folklore about mobsters, including one about Slumber Lake being called Gangster Lake, because it was once owned by “people with gangster connections.” Mike Hillman from Ely recalled his father talking about a man named Leonard Locust from Chicago “who brought gangsters up from Chicago to Shammy Somrock’s cabin on American Agness. They wore shoulder holsters, and one shot a hole in the bottom of their boat while trying to pacify a northern pike.” Shammy, who during his early years had been active in union activities, later became the wellknown Judge John “Shammy” Somrock of Ely.

Another Capone connection in Ely appears in a story online relating to Hibbard’s Lodge. As the story goes, the former owners George and Minn Hibbard were store owners in Chicago during Prohibition when the Capone gang was collecting protection money, and the Hibbards refused to pay. Gang members smashed their store, injuring both George and Minn. The gang threatened they wouldn’t survive if the couple testified against the gang in court. Brave souls, they did testify, the mobsters went to jail, and the Hibbards—fearing for their lives—left Chicago and ended up in Ely.

There are plenty of tales about where Capone and his entourage stayed in our Northern Wilds, like Capone stashing his liquor in the downtown caves of Stillwater and using the back door of the blacksmith’s shop as his secret entrance to the caves. Or staying at a hideaway in Alexandria; relaxing at the grand Naniboujou Lodge and Restaurant on Lake Superior (opened in 1929 as a private, exclusive club), and spending time at a resort on Whitefish Lake, Ontario, where, as the story goes, he gave the owners a gift that still hangs in the main building. Locals also tell of gangster cars being dumped in Whitefish Lake as well as Basswood Lake.

In 1931, Capone was convicted of income tax evasion, sentenced to 11 years in federal prison, paroled in 1939, and died at his Miami home in 1947, at 48 years of age.

Al Capone had various encounters in the Northern Wilds. | PUBLIC DOMAIN

A land that tells stories

By Joan Farnam

There’s a wolf on Kris Hedstrom’s land that likes to have her picture taken.

“She smiles for the camera,” Hedstrom says, as she talks about what her game camera has captured on the 16 miles of trails her husband, Ed, built and maintains on their Maple Hill land.

Wolves, moose, a mama bear with three cubs, a bobcat -- they’ve all been pictured at one time or another on the camera, which Kris moves occasionally to broaden the opportunities for seeing an animal neighbor going about its daily life.

And, like these other residents, Kris has

clack them together like a crazy lady,” she said. She also yells “Ho, ho, ho” loudly, and, so far, it has kept the wolves at bay.

The first time she did this, Kris said the male wolf dropped to the ground, apparently terrified by the sounds. The female scratched her belly, then slowly stepped off the trail, giving Kris a look as if to say, “Seriously, lady?”

(She’s the wolf that smiles at the camera.)

Hedstrom has quite a few tales to tell about the wolves that live on her land. The game camera captured one of them carrying a wolf pup in its jaws one spring.

Kris said they had been logging along the Elbow River, and the wolves probably had a den there and decided to move the pups

She sees tracks of deer mice, voles, red squirrels, rabbits, pine martens, fox, moose and grouse in the snow all the time.

She’s discovered some interesting things over the years about her land, too.

She had never seen any evidence of bobcats on their property until after the Pagami Fire a few years ago. Then suddenly, there was a bobcat feeding on a dead deer on their trail camera. Since then, she’s seen bobcat tracks from time to time, confirming the cat is still around. She’s assuming that the bobcats fled the fire and one (or more) ended up on Maple Hill.

This winter, she’s seen some huge cat tracks and thinks it could be a Canada lynx, but she isn’t sure. She is hoping to see some tracks in the snow again before winter ends

and have a friend confirm the identity for her.

Some might say that getting to know your land is like listening to the stories it tells, and Hedstrom is reading these stories, paying attention to them and enjoying what they have to say.

Or, as she puts it:

“The winter is especially fun because I can see all my familiar animal tracks and occasionally a new one,” she writes. “Like Dorothy in the ‘Wizard of Oz’—each first snowfall I see their tracks and I feel like, “Oh, you’re here! and you’re here!” once again.”

Kris Hedstrom’s trail camera captured a bobcat, the smiling wolf, Hedstrom biking and mama bear with three cubs.

[LEFT] Kris Hedstrom and her dog, Grace walk the trails almost every day. [ABOVE] A trail camera caught this moose using the trails in winter.

northern sky

MAY 2014

By Deane Morrison UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA STARWATCH

Last month Earth caught up to Mars in the orbital race. In May, it’s Saturn’s turn to be overtaken.

We lap the ringed planet on the 10th, when the sun, Earth and Saturn line up and Saturn is at opposition, or opposite the sun from our point of view. Like a full moon, the planet will rise in the southeast at sunset and be up all night, shining from the rather dim constellation Libra.

In mid-evening, after skies darken, we’ll be treated to the sight of all three of the outer planets visible to the naked eye, and all will be bright. Jupiter, the brightest, will be up in the west-northwest; Mars in the south, just northwest of the bright star Spica, in Virgo; and Saturn in the east. If you have any trouble spotting Saturn, it’ll be the bright object above the rising moon on the 14th.

Besides its lovely rings, which are now tilted at a favorable angle of 22 degrees from horizontal, Saturn has the distinction of having a very low density. The planet is lighter than water and would float in an ocean, even a freshwater one, if any were big enough.

Above Spica, see if you can make out the kite-shaped form of Bootes, the herdsman. The kite extends northeastward from the brilliant star Arcturus.

In the morning sky, Venus rises almost two hours ahead of the sun. Our sister planet is receding as it heads toward the far side of the sun, but it will be with us for a few more months.

May’s full moon, known to many Algonquin Indians as the Full Flower Moon, arrives at 2:16 p.m. on the 14th.

We’ll have to wait till around sunset to see it, but as it rises against a pale sky, what’s not to love?

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

MALCOLM CLARK, Broker

6 LAKE SUPERIOR ISLANDS

2 to 95 acres. Starting at $90,000 USD

UPPER SCOTCH LAKE

New Levels of Service

640 Beverly Street, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 0B5 Canada

Phone (807) 344-3232

FAX: (807) 344-5400

Toll Free 1-888-837-6926

Cell: 807-473-7105

mclark@avistarealty.ca www.avistarealty.ca

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

WATERFRONT - NEEBING

Lake Superior! A stunning 3.86 acre piece of property with 600 feet of shoreline with ultimate privacy and solitude at the very end of Memory Rd. Winterized, comfortable A-Frame cottage with year-round road access. Great views. 20 minutes from the border. $319,000.00 CDN

LAKE SUPERIOR LOTS

NICOL ISLAND ROSSPORT

LAKE OF THE WOODS

Little Trout Bay, 20 minutes north of the Minnesota/Ontario border, 3 large estatesized lots, very sheltered with southern exposure. Tremendous views. Power and telephone available. Priced beginning at USD$199,000

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

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

HARRY LAKE LODGE

The ultimate fly-in fishing resort. Totally outfitted with all the modern conveniences. 80 miles north of Thunder Bay. Incredible fishing! Main lodge, beach house with sauna and hot tub. Diesel generator, fish cleaning house, boats, motors. Harry Lake is a very large lake with no road access and Harry Lake resort is the only improvement. $295,000 CDN

LAND – CONMEE TOWNSHIP

Almost 3000 continuous acres about 35 miles west of Thunder Bay, Ontario. Bordering Crown land on the west and road accessible. Many water features and a wide variety of plant and animal life. Many opportunities such as large private compound, your own huge hunting retreat or resort and so on. Mixed timber. $895,000 CDN

Rent it -- Buy it Rent is rebated

$329,900 Owner/Broker; Brokers Welcome

Lake Superior Shoreline Located Between Lutsen and Tofte

• 2400 sq ft luxurious comfort

• Soapstone counters, hardwood floors, stone fireplace

• 3 Bedrooms/3 Baths, 2 person jetted tub

• Huge family room to accommodate the family

• Excellent rental clients who pay the bills

PRoPeRT y MaNageMeNT

Vacation Rental: Cabins! Condos! Homes! Check website for details

Long Term Rental: This is the time to invest, Let us do the rest. Family Property: We can help make the family cabin workable and pleasurable

Call for an appointment for a confidential discussion.

Judy Motschenbacher, Broker Deborah Nelson, Owner

(218) 370-0136 14 Broadway South, Grand Marais Mailing: PO Box 1276, Grand Marais, MN 55604 Visit our webside to see our current listings: www.superiorescapes.info email: dnelson@superiorescapes.info

Own a slice of Minnesota’s Favorite Resorts

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

Bluefin Unit 16

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

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.

Bluefin Unit 48 New interior, luxurious appointments. 3BR, 3BA. Will be a popular rental unit.

Bluefin Unit 55 Great location next to outdoor heated pool.

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

• 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.

Bluefin Unit 66 Spectacular setting. Largest townhome. 3 BR, 3 BA. $100K in annual income.

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.

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

Bay Condos & Townhomes

Lake Superior View

$49,700

5.8A

$69,900 - County Road 67 - 4A

Enjoy the majestic beauty of Superior without premium lakeshore price! Creek runs through property, and Co. Rd. means easy access. MLS 6001752

$69,900 - East Highway 61

6.8A

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

$59,900 - East Highway 61

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

Lake Superior Lots

$99,900 - Big Bay, Hovland

Deep Lake Superior lot w/11A of heavily wooded land. Gently sloping topography to 318’ of shore. PRICED TO SELL!! MLS 6001514

$239,000 - Stonegate Road

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

$129,900 - 14 Stonegate Road

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

$149,900 - 57XX East Hwy 61

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

$299,900 - 2884 W Hwy 61

Attractive 1.30A of lakeshore just past Terrace Point. 371’ of stunning ledgerock shoreline. MLS 6000576

$239,900 Birch cliff

Gunflint Lake

Homes & Cabins

Camp 20 Rd

Large Acreage Land

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

MLS 6001860 $129,900

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

MLS 6001171 $57,500

Irish Creek Road

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

MLS 6001816 $29,900

92A, Tom Lake Rd, Hovland

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

MLS 6001244 $79,900

20SS W Hwy 61

110 acres of nicely wooded land has excellent location on the Highway 61 corridor with walking distance to downtown Grand Marais!. Year round access via Highway 61 and County Road

7. Many development options with multiple zoning: Far-3, R-1 and commercial NEW MLS 6002185 $649,900

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 $47,900

93A, East Hwy 61, Hovland

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

MLS 6001571 $199,900

Camp 12 Rd

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

MLS 6001818 $159,900

Camp 12 Rd

Affordably priced 40 acres, located right off of the Irish Creek Road. Land is surrounded on 3 sides by State Land for added privacy. Features approx 1/4 mile of babbling frontage on the Irish Creek. Attractive mix of trees. Great for recreational activities.

MLS 6001819 $54,900

Arrowhead Trail

40A of excellent recreational land with excellent potential and building sites.

WATCH FOR CHANGES COMING SOON

MLS 31141 $81,900

34A of great year round access to prime recreational opportunities.

WATCH FOR CHANGES COMING SOON

MLS 31731 $85,000

Meeting of Water and Wilderness! 200 ft of Ledge rock sprawling for what seems like a football field in to Lake superior! north of Castle danger, Phenom build site! Mls#30422 $409,000

on l

and lakeshore! several acres of privacy and way more than 200 ft of Level access Lake superior shoreline in schroeder, near sugarloaf Cove naturalist a rea!

Mls#6001554 $320,000

WHoa MoMM a look at tHese vieWs! Perched on the mountain side, just minute’s to Lutsen mountains ski & summer resort! main level living, decks, and 2 car garage and tons of value! reduCed! Mls#6001010 $348,500

extra- ordinary lutsen Lake superior home! Unforgettable to say the least, enjoy a Gorgeous superior stone Corner Fireplace with main Level Living, and a modern functional design that welcomes your own touches for updating! Over 300 ft of shoreline, garage and outdoor fireplace!

Mls#6000899 $735,000

neW! Crazy Big lake Big Mountain v ieWs! epic home with sprawling views, too incredible to imagine, you mUst see! main Level Living, huge deck, loft bedrooms and lower level family/guest space. Over 6 acres! Mls#6002052 $275,000

sale pending

autHentiC l ake superior Cottage! Mls#6001790 $749,900

neW! sCHroeder’s east Bay on l ake superior! Mls#6002070 $349,000 sale pending

l ake superior log HoMe near tettegouCHe state park with 50 mile views! a rchitecturally hand crafted log home on over 230 ft of shoreline on Lake superior! designed for main level living, the Great room is all about the views with huge windows and walk out deck, grab the railing because the views just may knock you over! sophisticated k itchen with quartz counters, large island, Viking stove! 3 season screen porch with a gas stove and walk out lower level designed to have family and friends enjoy their own space! sweet interior sauna, Lovely landscaped grounds, fabulous 2 plus workshop garage! tons of Value!

Mls#6001241 $599,000

l ake superior v ieWs, This home sleeps tons, generates great rental revenues and borders the Cascade r iver state Park Overlooking Lake superior in between Lutsen and Grand marais! Mls#31098 $239,000 roCk BottoM priCe

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 and the level ledgerock of Lake superior!

Mls#31207 reduCed Huge!! $279,900

neW! Crafted froM tHe rugged ledgeroCk! This Lake superior masterpiece exudes thoughtful design focused on joining the big Lake with the Living space. enter in to the Great room to Jaw dropping Views through a 22 ft Prow of Windows rivaled only by a Gorgeous well situated Fireplace. Over 11 ac. & 317 ft of shoreline scratching in to the Lake creating interesting e xploration with many opportunities for Lakeside firepits! Mls#tBd $849,900

vaCation getaWay at CH ateau lev eaux!

Fabulous Location, improving rental incomes and tons of interior improvements of Common Lodge entry, swimming Pool, etc! Condo is mint Condition, Great Views!

Mls#26043 reduCed!

$122,500 ask for #31!

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

HoW aBout foCusing on tHe 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! and catch some fish!

lutsen l ake

HoMe, Wilderness Living! in between the boundary Waters and Lutsen mountains ski resort with miles of snowmobile and cross county trails between! year round amazing Cabin, Oversized garage with workshop & bunkhouse!

Mls#29855 $379,000

CliffHouse overlooking l ake superior! Lake superior Views at Lutsen resort, Fine dining and stylish living at your own piece of the north shore! Finely appointed, this townhome won’t disappoint! Mls#28460 $499,000 or Half sHare at $279,000

sW eet sHoreline on deeryard l ake W itH rustiC CaBin! west of Grand marais, south facing and 10 acres of maples, Old Growth White Pines and ancient Cedars all abutting public land. Current owners got you started: a garage that was their starter cabin complete with

water and septic tank! Mls#6001066 $189,000 reduCed!

arCHiteCtural 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 $485,000

faMily fun at lutsen Mountains-CariBou HigHlands r esort! enjoy low maintenance vacation living at the famed Caribou highlands resort, tons of amenities and good year round rental revenues to off set ownership costs!

Mls#6000261 studio ask for 108a $68,900 roCk BottoM priCe

Mls#6001787 1 Br 1Ba Mint! $109,900 ask for 128B!

Mls#6001192- 4Br 4Ba ask for 503 Moose Mt $299,000

Mls#6002082 Corner townhome w/ Main l evel living! $365,000 neW

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! affordable association dues make for low maintenance living with a good management company available for offsetting the ownership costs. and 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!

Mls#26022 k3 1BR plus loft, Totally Renovated! $189,000

Mls#6001054 $319,000 a rtful living at kaH n ee taH! These authentic north shore Cottages enjoy Lutsen’s Cascade beach rd

Mls#6001261 B3 2BR Villa in Mint condition! $300,000 Mls#6001265 B1 3BR Corner Villa, Mint Condition! $400,000

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! Mls#6001945 $169,000 reduCed!

arCHiteCtural 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! Mls#6001636 $250,000

neW! Wel CoMing tofte HoMe on six and a half acres of boreal forest! The remodeled kitchen is mint, great space for cooking up plenty of family meals! Living room is large and open to dining area, just needs a fresh coat of paint and you are going to love this home! Large crafts room/art studio attached to the garage! Mls#6002213 $199,000

Holy sMokes Mls#6001996 $187,000 sale pending

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 in-floor heat, plumbing, electric, time-dose & 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 WeLL beLOW what has already been put into this tremendous lot! Mls#6001308 $129,900

dog sledding dream! Mls#6000833 $329,000

updated log CaBin in Lutsen! Feel the northwood’s Vibe inside this nearly historical log cabin that’s been updated with all the modern necessities! Fab Location, garage and craft barn! Mls#6001753 $228,000

tuCked a long tHe alfred 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! Mls#6001748 $299,000 live

siLver Bay to Litt L e Marais to Fin Land & i sa Be LL a!

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 $99,000

Enough Is Enough!

We are talking 30 acres of elevated rolling hills bordering the ridge looking down the Little manitou river to Lake superior. Can subdivide, but at this price, you’ll want to keep it all for yourself!

Mls#24573 $179,000

Super Views, Super Future! bordering county lands, this 6 ac parcel can easily be subdivided in to 3 parcels, all with views of the big Lake! Or keep it all for yourself! hUGe Lake views, it won’t disappoint!

Mls#30736 reduCed! $129,900

Sonju Lake Road

Large acreage parcels! 40 plus acre lots ranging from $35k to $60k. all 170 acres for $180,000 Mls#6001324+

HUGE Lake Superior Views on 5 ac, creek and electric at build site! Gorgous Cliff, borders county land $89,900

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

30 ac parcel

is a combination of marsh lands and meandering beaver ponds with high ground in the north West corner with some nice maples and views of the surrounding marsh grasses and sawtooth r idges,

Mls#6001525 $47,500

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

Mls#6001560-66

froM $95,000

30 Ac and 40 Ac parcel, almost adjoining Prime Wilderness with road access available and tons of wildlife through moose ponds, with some high ground for building sites. Great Value and tons of end of the road feel!

Mls#6001525 from $47,500 for 30 acres!

10 Ac Parcels of Maples! scramble across the rolling terrain of mature maples (breathtaking in the Fall) to a sweet building site Perched Over a mixed boreal Forest, Good Levels of serenity For sure! year round access and electric at road!

30 acres of Prime Wilderness Land with year round access and electric at street with Views of Lutsen’s famed Clara Lake!

Mls#6001462 $137,500

Mls#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!

Mls#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!

Mls#25701-4

toF te a rea n ear B LueFin Bay r esort!

Just Up the Sawbill Trail Grab your little piece of the northwoods, rolling terrain and small community feel with year round access, great build sites!

Mls#6001346 from $24,900

Hilltop Views at LeVeaux Mountain! From spectacular Lake Views to sites bordering superior national Forest… even a site overlooking a Wildlife pond! Give these sites a look if you like location location location!

Mls#27035-26505-30560 from $19,500!!

LOCATION says it all, enjoy nice Lake superior Views and tons of Privacy bordering county lands, toftevaag is a great spot to build your dream cabin, especially for year round living close to all that tofte offers! Mls#24091-30549 reduced from $53,000

Lutsen Lake views & wiL derness Lands!

Boulder Point at Lutsen Mountains! recreational 10 acres off ski hill road, flat Plateau with awesome Views of moose mountain and Lake superior!

Mls#6001621 $75,000

Honeymoon Trail Wildlife Lands! 10 ac nearby Poplar river in Lutsen, great hunting or hiking land at a sUPer Great price! nice boreal Forest with build site bordering UsFs lands!

Mls#26729 $39,900

Caribou Lake Area Build Site on 5 Ac! at t he 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!

Mls#6000-049 reduCed! $49,900

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!

Mls#31531 $41,900

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!

Mls#tBa $79,000

Super Building Site on Honeymoon Trail

Lutsen locale with electric and all year access! high ground!

m ls#6001796 $39,000

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

Mls#6001680 $155,000

Grand Marais Location Location Location!

A River Runs Through It! 160 acres of Upland and river Frontage on the Cascade river near eagle mountain, a rare Find with tons of opportunity. Whether hunting land or Wilderness retreat, this is a Great Opportunity! Mls#31732 reduCed $159,000

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!

Mls#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 river falls and Lake superior! Mls#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! Mls#25633

Lutsen

Hovland 63 Chessie Trail

MLS#6000958 $299,000

Great rustic cabin with privacy and considerable setback from the Highway. Property features a cozy well kept cabin with sleeping loft and wood burning stove. Nice level lot. 178’ of very private gravel shoreline close to Naniboujou and Judge Magney State Park.

5-Acre Parcel

project at Superior National Golf Course, the new 6 place high speed chairlift at Lutsen Mountains (which will transform the ski experience) and the completion of the Lutsen section of the Gitchi-Gami Bike trail, this is the perfect opportunity to purchase. Call today for additional information and a private site-visit of the development and this lot. Now for only $75,000 MLS #6001645

Lutsen, 4170 Cascade Beach Road

4 bedroom 3

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.

Lutsen Sea Villas

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

1044

G RE aT VaC an T Lan D Va LUES

Boulder Pt Road, Lutsen Lk Superior views, close to Superior National Golf Course & Ski Hill

20 acre parcel

Johannes Toftey Homestead Sites

Beautiful hillside lots in Tofte with Lake Superior and Carlton Peak views. $35,750-55,000

MLS#6001643 $199,000

MLS#6001644 $135,000 40 acre parcel

Jonvick Creek Beautiful home sites in mature Maple, Spruce and Birch forest.

REDUCED! $29,500-54,900

Stonegate Road Private Lake Superior lot in Hovland Includes driveway, electric & new septic. (A/O) MLS# 24409 $399,900

xxx Sawbill Trail 120 Acres located up the Sawbill Trail. Large Maples

MLS# 27551 $199,900

Lot 2 Quist Acres 5 acre parcel on Quist Road outside of Grand Marais.

MLS#30439 $47,500

Lot 5 Quist Acres 5 acre parcel on Quist Road outside of Grand Marais, sister parcel to Lot 2.

MLS#30440 $49,900

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

MLS#60000147 $649,000

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

Lot 13 Sawmill Bay 233’ shoreline 2.2 acres

MLS#31370 $88,000

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

MLS#6000143 $199,000

Boulder Point Rd, Lutsen 20 acre parcel MLS#6004644 $135,000 40acre parcel MLS#6001643 $199,000

lake superior properties

private l ake superior retreat

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! Main cabin has 2 bedrooms, 1 bath and spectacular views. Guest cabin had a main room and porch. There is much hand-made attention to detail in these historic and classic Aldrich log cabins.

Mls#6002084 $1,250,000

tHree 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 from $175,000 to the unique and pristine point at $409,900 Mls 6000590, 6001067, 6001068.

CoMMerCial properties

speCtaCular

piNCusHioN BeD aND BreakFast

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

lutseN CoMMerCial 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.

NeW! 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. On-site delivery available from USPS, UPS and FedEx. Located close to town, with easy access to services, restaurants, retail and lodging. The business park is home to some of the least-expensive commercial lots near the north shore, yet the environment is wooded and beautiful, living up to its unique location. Lots available in varying sizes. Call us today for a guided tour of this unique and affordable business park opportunity, located at the edge of Grand Marais in Cook County. 32 Lots available. prices start at $10,000

iNlaND Water properties

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 wellmaintained cabin, sauna, dock and outhouse. Easy year-round access. Unique opportunity to own a private wilderness compound!

Mls #31513 $700,000.

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 #6000757 $265,800.

private HiDe-

aWaY. 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

MCFarlaND

l ake CaBiN

Beautiful cedar full log cabin on McFarland Lake. Cozy hide-away with sauna building, guest cabin, storage building. Great shoreline with new dock. Partially furnished. Large deck, nice cedar trees. Great view of palisade.

Mls #6002033 $259,000.00

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

Mls #6002030 $239,900.00

FaMilY CaBiN— BirCH lake.

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

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

BorDer, Beaut Y aND BWCaW.

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

level lot, NiCe WooDs, easY sHore.

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

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

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

680 of private shoreline. One of only nine 20-acre lake lots on Lost Lake. Premier location with view of the length of the 70-acre lake. This is a private lake with no public access, gated entrance and exit. Cabin foundation and sauna pad in. Beautiful woods and views. Mls # 6002250 $179,900

iNlaND Water properties

aMaZiNG HoMe Near trestle piNe lake.

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

Mls #6001793 $169,000

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.

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.

CoND oMiNiuMs

MaiNteNaNCeFree 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; perfect for your family gatherings. 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

spaCious l ake superior CoND o with panoramic views of the water. Open concept living/dining with captivating views of the big lake. Main level also includes master bedroom and full bath. Upper level combines loft with skylights, private guest bedroom, and 3/4 bath. Air conditioning unit on upper level. Soft wall colors and newer carpeting creates a nicely refreshed space for you to relax and enjoy Lake Superior living. Ample space for your family & friends, sleeps 8+. This unit is also highly sought-after as vacation rental; revenue reports available. Mls#6002172 $119,500

lake superior CoNDo/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 onsite manager. Facility is in excellent condition for easy and affordable lakefront living or vacation rental. Mls #6000473 $100,000.

HoMes & CaBiNs

piNCusHioN MouNtaiN reCreatioN area HoMe. Close to town yet situated in the woods on ski and hiking trails. 3 BR, 2 BA, on 4.75 acres. Large living room with beautiful white tile fireplace and large dining room with Carlton Peak rock chimney. Remodeled kitchen; walk-out basement with sun room. Unique design, lots of wood and windows; several unique handmade doors. Mls #6001099 $349,000

eNerGY eFFiCieNt HoMe.

Earth sheltered home with over 55 acres and a creek.

Conveniently located near Grand Marais and Gunflint Trail. 4 BR, 3 BA with a 2-car detached garage. Updated and remodeled with many custom features. This home is designed for the person who wants to live the rural, energy-efficient lifestyle. Mls #6001251. $297,000

CouNtrY HoMe iN HovlaND.

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

GraND Marais HoMe.

Conveniently located in town with incredible views of Lake Superior. The home features 4 BR, 3 BA with a great layout and tons of storage space. Master BR includes a custom whirlpool tub, skylight, and a separate covered porch overlooking the harbor. The kitchen has been totally redone. Outside you will find a private patio area, heated drive-through garage, gardens, flowerbeds and custom landscaping. Mls #6002043 $247,000

NeW 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. Artesian well. Double detached garage. Directly across from private Solbakken ski trails. Near downtown Lutsen and Lutsen Mountains Resort. Owner /agent. Mls #6002162 $229,000

NeW reCreatioNal Base

CaMp. This great parcel in Tofte has two garage buildings waiting for your toys. Either one could easily become living space, with a second level on one of them. The exteriors are nicely finished. 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 with circle drive and walking paths around the property. Make this into your home away recreational retreat, or turn it into a permanent home site with plenty of garage space ready to go. 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.

CasCaDe valleY retreat. Charming cottage on 30 acres with adjoining public lands. Well-built cabin has great views of the Cascade River Valley from the screen porch. Sauna building with sitting area, fireplace, dressing room and large cedar sauna. Remote location but good access, and only a short drive to Grand Marais. Mls #6001829 $169,900

rustiC loG, roiliNG river, MoDerN CoMForts. 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.

NeW CaBiN WaitiNG For Your FiNisHiNG touCHes. 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 $154,000

starter HoMe or Base CaMp. Warm and comfortable cabin in the woods. Great place to call home with room to add or expand as you grow. Easy access on lower Arrowhead Trail Power, phone, outhouse, garden space, big potential.

Mls #6000609 $54,900

river/Creek FroNtaGe

DraMatiC

CasCaDe river propert Y.

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

10 aCres oN

CouNtY 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

laND/BuilDiNG sites

piNCusHioN trail parCel.

This parcel has forest with direct access to the Pincushion Ski Trail system, Superior Hiking Trail and Devil Track River. Resort/Commercial zoning

Mls #6000299 $214,900.

over 217 aCres/CaMp 20 roaD

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

vieWs FroM terraCe poiNt.

Two lots for development at Terrace Point. One has townhome foundation in place.

Mls #6001069 $94,500

Mls #6001100 $175,000

NeW! HuNter's HeaveN Proven Great Hunting Area - 80 acres of prime hunting land 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. Good access on Zeke's Trail which divides the two 40 acre parcels. Mls #6002159 $142,500

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

Five aCres Near toWN. Ready to build, Croftville location, Superior view, nice forest, RC/Residential zoning. Mls #6001810 $80,000.

5 aCres Near Devil traCk lake. Deep wooded home site – just steps from Devil Track Lake, and DNR access. Enjoy the lake without the high taxes! Mls #31534 $74,900.

Five WooDeD aCres. Surveyed. Septic and access road in place. Close to Devil Track Lake. Mls #6000318 $65,000. Additional 6 +/- acre parcel available.

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.

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

Mls #6001901 & 1902 $59,900

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

Mls#6001470 $54,900.

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

Mls#6001463 $52,900.

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

Mls #6000671 l ots start at $52,000.

Great CaBiN spot! Mixed topography of beautiful rolling land with many great build sites. Old growth cedar, spruce, pine and birch. Mons Creek meanders through the property border where it abuts state land.

Mls #6001242 $50,250.

reCreatioNal laND For Your HiDe-a-WaY. 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 loCatioN. 4.09 acres, power and phone. Walk to landing on Christine Lake. Adjoins state land. Mls #31546 $44,900.

HovlaND area parCel

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

reCreatioNal parCel iN HovlaND. 43+ acres close to the public landing on Tom Lake. Survey complete; may subdivide into two 20+ acre parcels. Road plowed year round in special taxing district. Owner/Agent. Mls #6001471 $37,500

Got reMote?

Can't beat this property for "off-the-beaten-path". 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#6001477 $37,000.

CATCHLIGHT

American whitetail

I many times walk the Horseshoe Bay circle on the beach, out to the island and then back to the parking lot with my dog Toby. On the way back on the little path/road from the island to the lot, two fawns jumped across the road and both laid down in the ditch....right along side of the road. I walked by them, with Toby clipped onto his leash at a few feet. I could have had both in one shot, but then they would have both been smaller. So, I chose this one because it had better brush. They were both hiding in plain sight and didn’t move a muscle.

—Sandra Updyke