with Hok backcountry skis and fatbikes for rent. Plus new footwear offerings from Ahnu, Ariat, Blundstone, and Salomon—as well as Canadian-made clothing and outerwear by FIG!
THE LAKE SUPERIOR STORM FESTIVAL IS NOV. 7-9, 2014! It’s a full weekend of fun throughout the our community. Join us at the store for our TAKING FASHION BY STORM event on November 9.
November is not a month that all of us look forward to. Daylight continues to wane as rain showers give over to snow. But November has some big things going for it, because people some time in our past tried to make the best out of a gloomy month. And for that we have traditions.
For most of us, November begins a two-month stretch of holiday festivities, centered around food and family. There might be traditional foods on Thanksgiving or shopping rituals the next day. There might be a last trip to the cabin to winterize. For resorts it’s a time to catch up on deep-cleaning or make repairs before the winter season. Folks with wood heat scramble to top off their wood pile, while many of our forest critters go hide in a hole and go to sleep.
For some, November might be the very best month.
Ask the folks that mark their calendars each year for deer hunting opener about their traditions, and you’ll get an earful. Joan Farnam did. She spoke with folks up and down the shore about their yearly rituals surrounding the hunt. Some will take off work or school to wake up before dawn and sit in the woods and wait. They will spend evenings filling their bellies, bonding with their friends and family, and if they are lucky, carving up something for the winter meals ahead.
Traditions, it seems, are what make any culture or geography unique. On the North Shore, many folks make a living from the forest. Many of our communities prospered during the logging era, and Shawn Perich spoke with folks who continue making their living this way.
Another way that we celebrate tradition is through dance, and Julia Prinselaar spoke with dancers that all feel closer to their heritage by taking up a form of traditional dance. Nine-year-old Olya Wright, from Grand Marais, pictured on our cover, travels to Thunder Bay each week to practice Ukranian Dance.
There are new traditions, such as the Lake Superior Storm Festival, which, after a successful first run in 2013, will happen again Nov. 7 &8. Some folks will take a second annual plunge into Lake Superior. While that tradition is just getting underway, a more established one, Empty Bowls, will
follow suit later that week. At the end of the month, the Christmas Parade, a Grand Marais tradition on the Friday evening after Thanksgiving, brings us into the holiday season, and the Christmas tree will be lit.
Kelsey Roseth takes up soup, a cold-weather tradition that we are keen on keeping and Gord Ellis tells us the tale of a fly-in moose hunt. ,
Before we get ahead of ourselves—it’s not quite Christmas yet after all—take time to celebrate your traditions. And remember you can always start a new one this year.
—Erin Altemus
Sing me a song of a lass that is gone, Say, could that lass be I?
Merry of soul she sailed on a day Over the sea to Skye.
Billow and breeze, islands and seas, Mountains of rain and sun,
All that was good, all that was fair, All that was me is gone.
Sing me a song of a lass that is gone, Say, could that lass be I?
Merry of soul she sailed on a day Over the sea to Skye.
— Skye Boat Song
Victoria “Vikki” Lynn Elberling
May 1, 1956—Oct. 2, 2014
Vikki Elberling passed away this fall. Our hearts are with Shawn Perich, Vikki’s best friend and life partner of 32 years, and their families at this time.
www.northernwilds.com SERVING THE NORTH SHORE AND THE WILDERNESS
PUBLISHERS
Shawn Perich & Amber Pratt
EDITORIAL
Shawn Perich, Editor editor@northernwilds.com Erin Altemus, Managing Editor erin@northernwilds.com
ADVERTISING
Sue O’Quinn, Sales Representative sue@northernwilds.com
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Katie Viren • katie@northernwilds.com
Kate Watson • kate@northernwilds.com
OFFICE
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CONTRIBUTORS
Elle Andra-Warner, Trish Bloomquist, Gord Ellis, Joan Farnam, Julia Prinselaar, Kelsey Roseth, Amy Schmidt, Kelly Schoenfelder, Javier Serna
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The original route between Cloquet and Remer was never completed. The rest of the re-route trail will be completed when congress makes the Arrowhead re-route part of the North Country National Scenic Trail.
GRAND RAPIDS—When Congress passed legislation in 1980 establishing the North Country National Scenic Trail (NCNST), the National Park Service (NPS) drew a proposed route for the Minnesota section of trail across a gap between Jay Cooke State Park and the Chippewa National Forest by Remer. The Superior Hiking Trail did not yet exist, and the intent of the NPS was to utilize the large sections of public land between Carlton and Remer for a hiking trail.
What NPS officials didn’t consider was how much of that stretch of land was wetlands, said Matt Davis, regional trail coordinator for the Minnesota and North Dakota portions of the NCNST.
In the following decade, there was little interest from volunteers (most sections of the NCNST are built and maintained by volunteer groups) to build out this portion of trail. So when the Superior Hiking Trail was well established in the early 90s, volunteers approached the NPS and suggested that the NCNST be re-routed through the Arrowhead, first following the Superior Hiking Trail, then the Border Route Trail and then the Kekekabic Trail through the Boundary Waters. A final section of trail would have to be built to connect the Kekekabic with the NCNST near Remer.
When the Park Service looked into making the route change, they found they needed to undergo a public planning process and go through Congress to make the official change because of the magnitude of variance from the original route.
The public weighed in with a resounding affirmation that the Arrowhead reroute, as it came to be called, was a good idea, that it would provide the best recreational experience for hikers and that it would be good for communities along the way--up the North Shore and even in Ely, Cook and Tower, where the new trail would also pass by.
Trail to get from Giant’s Ridge to Grand Rapids, but the paved bike trail offers a different type of experience for longdistance hikers.
Davis pointed out that hiking is the most popular recreation activity in Minnesota, and that while they don’t necessarily spend as much money per person as other types of recreation, as a whole, hikers bring a lot of economic development with them.
With Nolan’s seat at stake in the coming November election, Davis isn’t sure what the future will be for the Arrowhead reroute legislation.
“We’re hoping that no matter who wins the election in the 8th District, that Stewart Mills or Nolan will take leadership on the issue and work for the bill’s passage during the 114th Congress,” Davis said. —Erin Altemus
But Congress would still need to make the re-route official by passing legislation that approved the route change. And this is where things get tricky—or you could just say slow. The North Country Trail Association (NCTA) has been working on getting the official route change passed through Congress for more than 10 years.
Recently, the North Country National Scenic Trail Route Adjustment Act of 2014, (HR 4736) was introduced by Rep. Nolan in the 113th Congress with bipartisan support. HR 4736 may end up dying because the Republican-controlled House Natural Resources Committee won’t hear the bill. Nolan was recently given the NCTA’s Vanguard Award for his dedication to moving this bill forward in the House.
The bill is simple in intent, and doesn’t necessitate any funding appropriations. It would make three changes to the National Trails System Act: update the estimated length of the NCNST to 4,600 miles, replace a reference to the old NCNST map with a new map showing the Arrowhead re-route and extend a portion of the trail in Vermont (to connect the NCNST with the Appalachian National Scenic Trail).
According to Davis, everybody thinks it’s (the re-route) a good idea, but bills like it just don’t go anywhere in Congress. “There is little good bipartisan work being done on natural resources,” Davis said.
The entire NCNST trail stretches 4,600 miles across seven states. Portions of the trail are incomplete. The Arrowhead reroute portion, which is 500+ miles, would contain the longest contiguous section of trail and the longest section within designated wilderness.
Once the Arrowhead re-route is officially designated as part of the NCNST, volunteers can begin working on the trail from Ely to Remer. Currently, long-distance hikers on the NCNST do part of the Mesabi
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GRAND MARAIS—Do you take a water fitness class?
Have you studied in a college prep course for a health-related degree at Higher Ed?
Have you taken part in Senior Rides or childbirth education at the clinic?
If you have, you can thank the North Shore Health Care Foundation for helping to make these programs—and more—happen in Cook County.
Launched in 1993 as a volunteer board to benefit health care in Cook County, the organization has grown to include an executive director, four executive officers, 15 board members, three advisors and several hundred members.
So what does the North Shore Health Care Foundation do exactly? The answer is: a lot.
“It’s a hodge podge of all sorts of things,” Karl Hansen, the Foundation’s executive director, said. “What we really do is fund niche things that aren’t going to get funded other ways.”
These niche things involve grants to local health care providers on a quarterly basis, including Sawtooth Mountain Clinic, North Shore Hospital & Care Center, and Care Partners. They also fund the local Oral Health Task Force, as well as help coordinate a cancer fund, which provides stipends to any community member that receives a new cancer diagnosis and has to travel for treatment.
If that wasn’t enough, their reach extends even further. In previous cycles, they’ve funded everything from fire education pro-
grams in Cook County schools by the local fire departments to scholarships to encourage and sustain medical and nurse’s aide training through Cook County Higher Education. They also recently partnered with other local businesses and organizations to fund hygiene packets for every Cook County child in fifth through 12th grade. The funding allowed local health teachers to teach basic hygiene education and provide students with samples of things like deodorant and toothpaste.
It also works to provide community outreach programs. This year, the focus has been on health care directives and educating community members about what they are and how to prepare one.
The complexity of the Health Care Foundation’s giving is not only what makes it unique, but it is also what makes it useful to the community. It’s able to fill the gaps of local organizations who would like to meet a health care need in Cook County, but might not have enough funding to do so.
“We don’t have those restrictions on what we can do, we can jump around and do it, and really quick,” Hansen said. “People have a good idea and they want to do something but the funding isn’t around, and we help with that funding.”
“Health care is vital to everybody and having local health care is really important,” Hansen said. “It’s way too often that we have to run to Duluth or Rochester, and anything we can do locally is wonderful for everybody.”—Kelly Schoenfelder
GRAND MARAIS—Lady Luck touched David johnson on Sept. 30. He had set up his camera to shoot northern lights, when a “falling star” happened by.
“There were quite a few falling stars that night,” Johnson said in an email. “I was taking shots with a 14mm lens so I was covering a wide area, shot length from 5 seconds to 30. I remember saying to myself, ‘I hope I got that.’”
While capturing these “falling stars” on camera is rare, these astrological occurrences are quite common, according to Terry Jones, a professor in the Minnesota Institute for Astrophysics. On an average clear night, you would see one streak per hour. If you look all night for a week, you would see one like Johnson caught.
Technically, what Johnson saw was a piece of space rock moving 10,000 mph that passed through earth’s atmosphere,
and as it heated, the object burned so hot it created a streak (what we usually call a falling star). What differentiates Johnson’s sighting is the burst of light at the end of the object’s tail in the sky. The flash is created when heat and pressure break these things apart, Jones said.
According to Jones, the object may or may not have touched ground, it’s hard to tell from the picture, he said. Whether it touched the ground or not, it wasn’t very big. “I’m guessing this is the size of a pingpong ball,” Jones said.
While we don’t often see these occurrences, Jones emphasized that 108 kg of cosmic dust lands on the earth each year, meaning, there are particles big and small entering the atmosphere all the time. In 2013, a meteor the size of a house slammed into Russia, and was the first such occurrence in a century.—Erin Altemus
DULUTH—Superior National Forest managers are requesting public input as part of a study of National Forest System (NFS) roads across the Forest.
The Forest Service currently maintains more than 2,500 miles of roads within the Superior National Forest. Road maintenance needs continue to grow as funding for road maintenance continues to decrease. Forest managers are conducting the study to help determine a sustainable road system that both provides safe travel for visitors and protects Forest resources, such as water quality.
In the roads study, Superior National Forest managers will analyze the risks and benefits for Forest visitors and the environment associated with the Forest’s road system. The study is part of the implementation of the national 2005 Travel
Management Rule, 36 CFR 212 and is informally known as “Subpart A” after the section of the Rule where the direction resides. This part of the Travel Management Rule is an information-gathering study, not a decision-making process.
The result of the Subpart A study will be a report of recommendations intended to inform future processes. The report, to be completed by October 2015, will provide recommendations for a potential future road system that considers access for management activities, public uses, minimizes environmental impacts, and is affordable.
The Forest Service values public participation. Communications from the public, including commenters’ names and contact information, will be compiled as part of the public record for this project and will be provided to environmental analysis
(NEPA) teams for consideration in a future more in-depth analysis.
“I encourage interested parties to share comments on specific Forest Service roads that are important to you, or if you have ideas on how to best address maintaining roads with decreasing budgets,” says Forest Supervisor, Brenda Halter.
To be included in draft recommendations, public comments must be submitted before Dec. 12.
The public will also be able to comment again early in 2015 after draft recommendations have been compiled.
To learn how to provide comments and more about this study, visit the Superior National Forest website: www.fs.usda. gov/superior
Road maintenance needs continue to grow as funding for maintenance continues to decrease.
| ERIN ALTEMUS
GRAND MARAIS—Three designated stream trout lakes in Cook County will be chemically rehabilitated to remove undesirable fish species and may be temporarily closed during treatment applications.
Treatment of Kimball, Mink and Boys lakes will begin the week of Sept. 29 and should be completed by the end of that week. The rehabilitation is a joint project
between the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Trout Unlimited.
All three lakes will be treated with the selective fish toxicant Rotenone. The three lakes will be posted with informational and warning signs before, during, and following treatment.
The project uses Game and Fish funds and funding from the Outdoor Heritage Fund.
Rotenone detoxifies quickly, usually within two weeks. Swimming in or drinking treated water immediately after treatment is discouraged, and fish killed by Rotenone should not be consumed.
Persons. “Minnesota’s inland stream trout lakes are popular with anglers and provide unique opportunities for both novice and experienced trout anglers.”
Treatments will be done aerially and are expected to kill all fish in the three lakes. Rotenone kills fish, but is not toxic to birds or mammals at the concentrations used in these lakes. While aquatic invertebrate populations can be somewhat affected, effects are minimized by the low treatment concentrations and invertebrates quickly become re-established.
Stocking of trout in Kimball and Mink lakes will resume in the spring of 2015, while Boys Lake may not be restocked until the fall of 2015. Kimball Lake will be stocked with rainbow trout yearlings and brown trout fingerlings, Mink Lake will receive rainbow trout yearlings and splake fingerlings, and Boys Lake will be restocked with brook trout fingerlings.
“We appreciate the commitment of our Trout Unlimited partners in helping us provide long-term stream trout fishing opportunities for future generations,” said Grand Marais Area Fisheries Supervisor Steve
Anglers fishing these and other stream trout lakes in the area should be sure to follow regulations banning the use or possession of live minnows on designated stream trout lakes. Minnows from bait shops or natural sources are often contaminated with undesirable species like yellow perch or bullheads. When these species become established in a trout lake, the lake’s ability to support a high quality fishery is greatly reduced.
Questions can be directed to the DNR fisheries office in Grand Marais at 218387-3056, or to Persons at steve.persons@ state.mn.us.
COOK COUNTY—Every winter, deer migrate from inland areas to the south-facing ridge rising from Lake Superior’s North Shore, where severe cold and snow are moderated by the influence of the Big Lake. Most of the people on the North Shore live close to the lake, too, so the deer benefit from human-created habitat (backyards, gardens and the like), as well as from intentional deer feeding.
The abundance of deer during the winter makes it difficult to grow trees, especially native white pine and white cedar. Adding to the problem is that many areas of the North Shore forest, which grew back in paper birch, balsam and aspen after the pioneer logging era, are now past maturity and littered with dead and dying trees. Any new forest growth is stymied by hungry deer. The result is expansive grassy areas with sparse trees.
A group of North Shore public land managers and private landowners have formed the North Shore Collaborative in an attempt to restore pines and other conifers by planting young trees in areas where conifers once grew. All of the saplings are surrounded by protective fencing. Project managers also hope to try bud capping— stapling a paper envelope over a sapling’s leader bud—as a way to stymie deer. Whatever method is used to establish young conifers in a deer wintering area is time-consuming and expensive.
Some of the work is funded with a $400,000 Conservation Partners Legacy (CPL) grant awarded to Sugarloaf: The North Shore Stewardship Association, one of the Collaborative partners, by the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council. Funding will be used for reforestation of federal and state lands in the Spruce Creek and Cascade River watersheds and at the Sugarloaf Cove Nature Center, all in Cook County.
“We’re very excited about the opportunity to work with partners on projects to restore a healthy forest at multiple locations on the North Shore,” said Molly Thompson, Sugarloaf’s executive director.
The grant allows land managers to plant pines and cedars on hundreds of acres. The conifer growth will also create shelter for wintering deer, which may seem ironic, because deer and even moose were
sparse along the North Shore prior to the pioneer logging era. Instead the area was dominated by woodland caribou. While they are cursed by some ecologists and foresters, whitetails are likely here to stay on the North Shore. Thompson says the challenge is to manage for an abundance of deer that satisfies hunters, but allows native vegetation to be restored.
Most of the work the Collaborative is doing is based on forest restoration rather than harvest. And, given their long lifespans and limited abundance, it is unlikely the white pine and white cedar planted today will be considered merchantable timber in the future. However, also in Cook County the Minnesota DNR is in the midst of putting up a “super sale” of an estimated 25,000 cords of primarily aspen and birch. At least a portion of the sale would occur on the North Shore ridge.
As timber markets lagged following the crash of the housing market, the DNR has had trouble selling timber along the North Shore. Kent Jacobson, business consultant for the Division of Forestry, said the large sale, which will involve the harvest of about 1,600 acres, may entice larger customers, such as mills, to purchase the wood. Keeping the harvest in a relatively small geographic area will make harvest ing more economical for the operator. The vast cutover areas remaining after the harvest could be attractive moose and deer habitat.
Most of the proposed harvest will occur along the Jackson Lake Forest Road in east ern Cook County near the border with the Grand Portage Indian Reservation. Jacob son says he has talked to both the reser vation forester and the U.S. Forest Service about conducting sales on their adjacent or nearby properties to take advantage of access roads created by the state sale and again, make the sales economically attrac tive to operators.
Just how much merchantable timber is available is somewhat open to question, because some of the aspen and birch is very old and falling down. Steep slopes and rough terrain may hinder both access and harvest. Jacobson says the sale will avoid extensive stands of sugar maples and lowland conifers, as well as white pine and white cedar. Other disciplines within DNR have had an opportunity to weigh in on
the sale and suggest places where harvest shouldn’t occur.
If the sale proceeds as planned, nearly 2,000 truckloads of aspen, birch and other species will be hauled from the forest, primarily along the Arrowhead Trail to Hwy. 61. Some of the birch may be stockpiled in old gravel pits along Hwy. 61 so the sugars in the wood may cure. A Wisconsin mill extracts the sugars as a byproduct called black liquor that is used as a chewing gum
sweetener and is also used in cosmetics.
The DNR has called in outside help to appraise the proposed stands this fall. Much of the proposed area is School Trust Fund land, which means a portion of the sale proceeds go to education. Jacobson said the School Trust lands were not a primary factor in selecting the location for the super sale. He hopes to have the sale available for auction in Two Harbors in January.—Shawn Perich
By Joan Farnam
Hunting deer is not like playing golf. You don’t yell “Fore” before you make your move. Instead, you’re quiet, focused, sometimes for hours, before the explosion that will put meat on your table.
In the meantime, you’re probably thinking about your strategy or watching the shenanigans of the wildlife around you.
“Fisher, fox, coyotes, wolves—you see it all as you sit there,” said Dan Bauman, who hunts with his extended family from a deer camp he and his wife, Teresa, own on the Iron Range.
The whole experience of deer camp is something hunters look forward to every year, and it is often ringed with traditions developed by friends and family hunting together for generations.
There’s the food part and the teasing part and the satisfaction of downing a deer and butchering it properly part. There’s the camaraderie of spending hours with some of your favorite people, even though you only see them once a year. There’s the laughter and the jokes and the knowing that some of the traditions started by your grandfathers and great grandfathers have continued to the present and will undoubtedly still be celebrated for generations to come.
Those traditions are often as unique as the people who started them.
One of them is food, and lots of it.
“There has to be Lynetta’s cheesy potatoes and her pumpkin bars … and her chicken soup is a must,” said Sarah Hamilton, who hunts in Cook County. The deer camp is close enough that people just use it during the day, so their big meal of the day is usually lunch.
By contrast, Drew Myers hunts in the wilds of Northwestern Ontario and lunch is a sandwich on the tailgate of a truck or somewhere in the woods.
Dinner is the big meal of the day. “Everybody has a night to cook,” he said. “We plan it for a year. And it’s gotta be quick. Nothing fancy, like chili, spaghetti and shepherd’s pie.”
“We got one of the best-fed camps,” said Orvis Lunke, who hunts out of Grand Marais. The men lay in supplies and cook, but their wives also contribute, he said, sometimes sending up a big pot of soup or casserole or mashed potatoes and gravy with pork chops.
Craig Sterle, who hunts from a deer camp about 32 miles north of Duluth, said they’ve had some “fantastic meals up there. Sometimes barbecue, salmon, chicken and steaks.”
Lots of things can happen at deer camp, and many record what happens that year. Sterle has been keeping a deer camp journal for 30 years.
Like many deer camp records, it has a daily narrative of who saw what and stories of things that happened in camp as well as pictures from each season and other memorabilia.
They even have report cards at this camp.
“It goes back to when the first generation decided we needed to be graded on our deer hunting” Sterle said. Everybody gets a grade for each day of the first week of the season, he said.
“The grading is done by the senior member in the camp.
The Baumann brothers and sons process a deer at their hunting cabin in 2008.
[LEFT] The Baumann’s hunting cabin gets new siding and a new deck in 2008. [RIGHT] Jonathan Baumann takes a sunny snooze in their upscale deer stand. | PHOTOS COURTESY DAN BAUMANN
If you get a deer, you usually get an “A,” or an “A+” for a nice, big deer. You get an “F” if you’re a total embarrassment to the camp, probably somebody who missed a deer.”
Dan Baumann said he and his brothers organize their deer camp to teach their sons and daughters how to hunt. They don’t hunt themselves, but stay with their children and teach them. “It’s basically being able to hunt with your kid and teach ethical and legal ways to hunt,” he said. “The right way to do it, the way you’ve been taught.” Everybody who gets a deer signs and dates a helmet with tiny antlers on it. “You don’t have to wear it,” he added. “It’s a dorky looking thing.” But everyone is proud to sign their name, he added.
Spending time with friends and relatives is always one of the most important parts of deer camp.
“Deer camp is when a bunch of friends get together and, of course, harass each other,” said Orvis Lunke, laughing. “It’s just a lot of fun. You could say a bunch of guys get together and do their bonding. But it’s not just guys. We’ve had women there, too.”
Everyone takes hunting seriously, he added. “Most people who hunt there would like to have some meat.” “On a typical day, we get up at 4 o’clock in the morning, put the coffee pot on and start your harassing right then,” he said. “By 5, someone has cooked
The Peterson/Parkinson/Sterle hunting shack, cc. 1964, was first established around 1929. It was rebuilt in 1976.
breakfast. Normally it’s pancakes, bacon and eggs. By 6, we’re out the door, we’re gone. We scatter out in all different directions. Our tent is on private property, and from there, we go to public land.
“If someone got something, we go out and get it, or they bring it back. We’ve got a meat pole out there to hang our deer. We skin them, cool the meat down right away. Then we go in and eat lunch. Some take a nap.
“About 1 or 1:30, everyone scatters again, and they’re back by 5 o’clock. If there’s dragging to do, we go out and do it. If anyone got anything, there’s skinning to do and the deer is hung. Then we go in, have dinner and go to bed. Usually we’re in bed by 8 p.m.”
Lunke’s camp is close to Grand Marais, but the camps in more remote places have different schedules.
Meyers, for example, who hunts in Northwestern Ontario, said the deer season in that region can last for a few months, but the most intense deer hunting happens the first two weeks of November.
“Where we hunt, we hunt all day,” he said. “It’s real wilderness.” They get to their spots by driving on logging roads and then bushwhacking. “It’s as much as 50 miles to the nearest highway,” he said. It’s also mountain and brush country. “It’s hard to get deer back to the truck,” he said.
He, his dad, brothers and friends are very focused on hunting for those two weeks. “We process them toward the end of the week. Usually it takes a day or two—we have a processing line. In the past, we’ve had to hire a butcher, we’ve had so many deer: seven guys, 16 deer to do.”
The 1991 “Report Card” for the Peterson/Parkinson /Sterle hunting shack. Everyone gets a grade each day for the first week of hunting season. The tradition has been on-going for 25-30 years.
[LEFT] Dan “Sparky” Parkinson holds a 12-point deer that he got in 2007. [RIGHT] The inside of the new Peterson/Parkinson/Sterle deer shack, which has been improved every year. The boards on the new shack were cut on Thursday and put up on Saturday and Jack Sterle, Craig Sterle’s dad, said “Every time you swung a hammer, you got a bath because the boards were so wet.”
| PHOTOS COURTESY CRAIG STERLE
This year could be different, Myers and the other hunters said.
The past few winters have really cut down the deer herd.
“Three falls ago, I saw seven deer a day,” Myers said. “The year after that I saw a deer a day. Last fall, I saw half a deer a day. And our wolf population went through the roof. There are lots of wolves around.”
Dan Parkinson, who hunts with Sterle in the hunting camp north of Duluth, said he is not at all convinced that anyone will even see a deer this fall.
The land they hunt has been great for deer in the past. “There are deer around us that have never seen a human being,” he said.
This year, his trail cameras aren’t spotting any deer.
“I’m a real hardcore whitetail hunter,” he said. “I have six cameras up there, 360 days a year, 24/7. I have cameras that have gone for months that are on a (deer) lick, and I don’t have pictures of anything,” he said. “It’s a bad deer situation. A smart guy this year, getting his orange ready, when he gets up on opening day, Nov. 8, he should grab a shotgun and go grouse hunting. There are grouse everywhere.”
Strategy, skill, patience and luck might be the ticket to filling a freezer this year.
Regardless, deer camps will be full of eager hunters Nov. 8.
“Everybody looks forward to it,” Hamilton said. “Hardly anyone can sleep the night before.”
By Julia Prinselaar
In prehistoric and ancient times, dance was a ritual means of communicating with nature and the divine forces. Today only isolated elements of the ancient folk calendar ritual and cult dances have survived through the centuries, with modern-day dance styles influenced by politics and stage performance.
Highland dancing is the traditional solo dancing of Scotland, and combines the endurance and strength of an athlete with the artistry of a dancer.
It has taken dancers like Erin Zysko across Canada and around the world to perform at championships and audition for scholarships.
“It’s something that I’ve always had in my life,” says the Thunder Bay-based 15-year-old, whose Scottish grandparents encouraged her to pursue the traditional style. “I’m always practicing. Not a lot of my friends knew what Highland was until they met me. It’s unique, and that’s sort of why I kept it up.”
Historically the ruggedness of the Scottish Highlands led to the separation of people into small groups called clans. The traditional garment of the Highland clansmen is the kilt, which was tailored for climbing the rough hills. Each clan had its own colourful pattern for weaving cloth, called a tartan.
Highland culture was largely an oral culture, with song and traditions passed down by word-of-mouth.
“Every time we learn a dance, my
teacher tells us a story. With each dance you get a feeling. That’s how you take the movements,” says Zysko.
Centuries ago Scottish regiments used Highland dancing as exercise to keep their troops in shape and ready for battle. In a typical six-step Highland Fling, for example, a dancer jumps vertically 192 times while performing complicated and intricate footwork.
The style is akin to sprinting, with dancers using fast-twitch muscle, which is also required by soldiers.
“It’s tiring, but it’s also fun,” said Zysko. “Even though Highland dancing isn’t as big as ballet or jazz, it’s a tradition. Each year when I go into national [championships] I see how many people are a part of it and celebrate the tradition.”
Ukranian dance involves grand sweeping movements. | ICONIC IMAGES
Ukranian dances typically involve colourful costumes, bounding and sweeping movements. According to the country’s official tourism website, the Kozak dances of central Ukraine are focused on the traditional and historical cultural dances. After some military influence, the men are dressed in loose fitting riding pants, boots, spacious shirts and a waist sash.
After seeing a Ukrainian dance performance in Thunder Bay last year, nine-year-old Olya Wright has been
making the drive from her home outside of Grand Marais with her parents to Thunder Bay to practice and perform with the Chaban Ukrainian Dance Group.
“I think that’s part of what motivated me—seeing the dancing and feeling like that’s what I’m meant to do,” said Olya. “It’s always been my heritage. I love the costumes, I love just how the dance goes, how light and fluent it is. I love performing, and I love making new friends.”
From the northern Alpine region to the southern boot of the country, folk dancing continues to be a tradition held by the people of Italy.
In Thunder Bay, where 3 percent of the population speaks Italian and thousands more identify with its heritage, the legacy of folklore dancing lives on.
“Keeping Italian culture alive for me is very important. It’s always been a part of my heritage,” says Leah Nadin, who teaches and performs with Le Stelle Alpine Italian Dancers.
From as young as 3 years old, Nadin took up folklore dancing through her grandparents who immigrated to Canada from Italy and settled in Northwestern Ontario. Nadin’s mother used to dance as a teenager.
“My biggest influences in joining Le Stelle Alpine Italian Dancers were to make my Mom and my Nonnas proud, by showing them my love and respect for the Italian culture. My love for Italian dancing has grown over the years, and this is why I have continued to dance and teach the tarantella,” she said.
When Olya’s great grandparents left Ukraine in the 1900s, they landed in New York and settled in Chicago.
“Very much like Thunder Bay, Chicago had a strong Ukrainian background,” said Olya’s mother, Jeanne. Her mother spoke Ukrainian but took up the English language after going to school.
“You get further and further removed from your roots and who you are, so dance is just a wonderful way to connect us to that culture” she said. We still have family back in Ukraine, and Olya is named after a cousin there. So it’s just a way to stay connected and keep that very much alive and part of your life.”
The tarantella is originally a dance of the lower- and middle-classes that was thought to cure the sickness from a tarantula bite.
“There’s an ancient belief that says jumping and moving to music can heal a person from ‘tarantismo,’ and that was a spider bite, and that’s where the name tarantella comes from.”
Female dancers wear a costume with vibrant red and green skirts characteristic of different regions of Italy. Men typically wear the same type of costume from region to region. The basic pieces include black or dark slacks that end just below the knee, a white shirt and a vest made out of wool or velvet.
The tarantella is also performed as a dance of courtship, where the woman uses rapidity and liveliness to excite her lover, and in turn the man tries to charm her with his agility and elegance.
Other popular dances include the pizzica and the saltarello, which trace to ancient Italy when people danced in the streets, Nadin said.
By Joan Farnam
This month’s ArtScene kicks off with three stellar events—the Grand Marais Art Colony’s Annual Members Show, the 24th annual Bluegrass Masters Weekend at Lutsen Resort and Hunger 9, a Halloween Cabaret in Thunder Bay.
The Grand Marais Art Colony opens the Annual Members Show & Sale on Thursday, Oct. 30, with an annual meeting of members at 4 p.m. and a reception for the exhibit from 5-7 p.m. The show, which showcases work by members in a variety of media, continues through Nov. 23. Glass, ceramics, oil, encaustic, sumi-e, watercolor, mono-prints, sculpture, collage and more will all be exhibited at the show. The Art Colony is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
The Bluegrass Masters Weekend, hosted by the North Shore Music Association, draws musicians and music lovers from all over the region for a weekend of jamming, workshops and an outstanding concert in the ballroom at Lutsen Resort on Saturday night. The featured musician this year is Emory Lester, who is nationally recognized for his outstanding skill on the acoustic mandolin. He will teach
workshops all day Saturday ($7 each, $30 for the full day) and perform with guitarist Al Smith and bass player Kene Hyatt for the concert on Saturday night. The event starts on Friday night with jamming throughout the resort. Tickets to the workshops and the concert are available on-site. See www.northshoremusicassociation.com.
Hunger 9 transforms downtown Thunder Bay into a giant Halloween Party Oct. 31. The event, which is a fundraiser for the contemporary arts, drew 4,250 last year, many in costume. This year, eight venues, including Crock’s, Black Pirates Pub, The Foundry, The Sovereign Room, Gargoyles, A Little to the Left, Red Lion Smokehouse and Hell, will host a total of 56 performance acts, including 44 bands/DJs of all genres, specialty performers and more. Exhibits will also be open at Definitely Superior Art Gallery, which hosts the event. For more info, see www.definitelysuperior.com.
The Baggage Building Arts Center in Thunder Bay opens “Birch Bark Visions” Nov. 1 with an exhibit of
collaborative drawings on birchbark by artists Mac Squire, Lisa Winter and Gail Marshall. The exhibit continues through Nov. 30.
This is the last weekend for the exhibit, Five Generations of Art & Craft, at the Johnson Heritage Post. The exhibit closes Nov. 2 and is the last show of the season for the Heritage Post. It will re-open in May.
The next weekend, the Grand Marais Public Library will host photographer Brian Rauvola in a three-hour digital photography workshop at Cook County Higher Education at 1 p.m., Nov. 7. Pre-registration is required. Call 387-1140 for more information.
The Lake Superior Storm Festival in Grand Marais is that weekend, too, featuring lots of events, including the Wave Dash and presentations. Shelby Gonzalez will teach a workshop “Writing up a Storm” at East Bay Suites on Sunday, Nov. 9 at 9 a.m. Gonzalez, who founded the Writing Field School, will provide “An Adventure Story Anatomy Chart,” to guide participants in writing about their North Shore explorations. Free.
Also that weekend, the Violence Prevention Center will hold the Lunafest Short Film Festival, a fundraiser for the organization. Lunafest features nine selected short films for and about women. It will be held at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts at 7 p.m. Nov. 8. Tickets available at the door.
In Thunder Bay, the play “The Hours That Remain,” a thriller, performed at the Magnus Theatre, concludes Dec. 8. Performances are at 8 p.m. (EST) each night, and at 2 p.m. Dec. 6 and noon Dec. 8.
is “Lost in the Barrens,” based on the novel by Farley Mowat. It will be screened at 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21. Other films include “Rendez Vous With History: A Grand Portage Story” and “Cold Love: The Final Cut.”
Also that weekend, the Cross River Heritage Center will hold “Holidays in Schroeder” from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 22. The North County Creations holiday bazaar will be held at the Schroeder Town Hall at that time, too. The art show at the Heritage Center will feature work by Mary Jane Huggins, Peter Juhl, Kathy Gray-Anderson, Trish Hunter and Tim Ostroot
The Baggage Building Arts Center in Thunder Bay will hold “Christmas on the Waterfront,” an exhibit and sale Nov. 22-23 and Dec. 5-6, showcasing local artists.
The next weekend Last Chance Gallery in Lutsen will hold “Home for the Holidays: A Holiday Market” Nov. 28-29. The event includes displays, artist demos, ornament-making for charity and Food Shelf collection. The opening reception is from 4-7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 28 with refreshments and caroling with the tree lighting ceremony at 6 p.m. The market continues on Saturday with artist demonstrations and special displays.
And the New Standards Holiday Show, a must-go-to for holiday music in Cook County, will be at Papa Charlie’s at 8:30 p.m. Nov. 28.
In other art news, printmaker Rick Allen will be at Sivertson Gallery Nov. 29 to sign the new book he illustrated, “Winter Bees & other Poems from the Cold,” by Joyce Sidman.
Blue Moose is closed to re-open Nov. 28 for Christmas shopping. There will be lots of surprises, said Rene Swadburg, shop manager. The shop will be open Fridays through Mondays through Dec. 15.
Have you always lived on the North Shore?
I was born in Red Wing, but we moved to Knife River and I went to high school in Two Harbors. I went to the University of Wisconsin-Superior and got an art degree. I was always fascinated with metalsmithing. I got into silversmithing in college, and when I graduated, I worked for a couple of years in a jewelry shop. I started on my own in 1986.
What projects are you currently working on?
The Empty Bowls Lunch and Dinner, a fundraiser to combat hunger in Cook County, will be held at St. John’s Catholic Church Thursday, Nov. 13 with seatings from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. Potters and community members have made a variety of ceramic and glass bowls for the event, as well as ceramic bowl necklaces. There is a silent auction as well, including a selection of special bowls made by regional ceramic artists, including Lee Ross, Carolyn Fritz and Ann Ward. All invited.
In Thunder Bay, the annual Artisans Northwest Art and Fine Craft Show will be held at the Valhalla Inn Nov. 15, and includes everything from pottery to weaving.
The Winterer’s Gathering and Arctic Film Festival will be held at North House Folk School Nov. 20-23 featuring presentations, workshops, the Snowshoe Shuffle Contra Dance with Over the Waterfall and screenings of films throughout the weekend. The featured film this year
The Attic Gallery of Fine American Crafts features Christmas ornaments and decorations all year round.
Betsy Bowen’s Studio is closed until the Holiday Art Underground Show, which opens the first weekend of December. Stay tuned for details.
Drury Lane Books is featuring these books for November: “The Night the Fitz Went Down,” by Hugh Bishop; “White Hurricane,” by David Brown and “Shipwrecks Along Lake Superior’s North Shore” by Steven Daniel
The Garage has rosemaling pieces by Edna Bowen, handmade collage cards by Linda Quick, new paintings by Tom McCann and fused glass barrettes and pendants by Jeri Person
Tara Block has new pottery at Threads. The shop also features paintings by Heidi Sobanja and clay magnets by Melissa Wickwire
Great Gifts of Lutsen has new dreamcatchers by Jayne Richards and new work by Rusted Roof Pottery.
I’m kind of all over the board right now experimenting. A lot of it is so visually related. It’s really fun to play. About six years ago, I started working with basalt, carving owls and fish and making beads—silver beads, glass beads. I’ve been making agate beads and basalt beads and started putting silver linings in the beads, and I’ve kept on with the silversmithing. I’ve also been experimenting with beach glass, carving little stone fish with glass lures on them. I’m also branching out to some of the Sami designs, doing tin thread designs in silver. And recently I got into bronze dies from India—they hammer thin sheets of silver and cut etched designs in them. They date back 1,000 years. I’m combining with some of the Sami designs. I’m also doing some Steam punk.
What about your art continues to attract and fascinate you?
It’s ever changing. You get an idea and you build on that. For me, it never becomes stagnant. I like fresh things. If it was the same thing over and over, it would become a job rather than a lifestyle. I keep things fresh and not let them stagnant. My focus is always going forward.
Where can we see your work?
Right now I’m only at my studio here—B E Nelson Design, 583 Scenic Drive, outside of Two Harbors. I will have a show in Palo, about five miles from Aurora, Feb. 7-8 at the Laskainen Finnish Sliding Festival. It’s a really a fun event, one of the oldest ethnic festivals in the U.S. I am also on facebook at B E Nelson Design Silversmith.
By Shawn Perich
Stan Nelson Jr. loves the North Shore and Grand Marais, but he likes it best when he heads into the woods.
“I prize my solitude,” he says.
Nelson goes into the woods every working day, because he’s a logger. And, you could say, the apple hasn’t rolled far from the tree. His father quit school at age 12 to work in the woods and was a logger all of his life.
“Dad started with a two-horse team in 1944,” he says, “working out of a camp on Dumbbell Lake.”
Today, Nelson sits in the climate-controlled cab of a cut-to-length processor. The two machines he owns represent a $1 million investment. His monthly payments run into five digits. Add to that his ongoing costs for fuel, stumpage, trucking, repairs and salaries for himself and one employee. Nelson has to cut a lot of wood just to make ends meet.
“I put up about 15,000 cords per year,” he says.
Much of the work he does is thinning in red pine plantations, although he harvests other tree species as well. When he first started working around Grand Marais 15 years ago, he often encountered anti-logging sentiment. Now he thinks the adoption of harvesting guidelines and best management practices have improved logging—and public attitudes.
“People used to voice an opinion. Now they look at a site and say “Good job,’” he says. “When you have such big investment, you take a lot of pride in what you do.”
Logging is as much a calling as it is a profession. Kent Anderson of Grand Marais got started when he was seven years old, skidding wood for his father and his uncle.
“I couldn’t use a chainsaw yet,” he says. His father, Wayne, was a millwright for Hedstrom Lumber Mill and a member of the Hedstrom family. Anderson started working summers at the mill when he was 13 and spending winters working in the
woods. When he was 15, he bought a skidder. After graduating from high school, he spent two years in college. He began logging with just a chainsaw and a skidder.
“Then I stuck my neck way out,” he says and started purchasing mechanized equipment. By age 22 his operation was fully mechanized and he began to hire help.
In the late 90s, the Hedstrom mill was
operating a chipper machine to supply raw material for other mills. To meet the demand, Anderson upped his annual production to 10,000 cords. When the chipper went down in 1998, he had to downsize his operation. He began to build up again during the 2000s until the housing market crashed in 2008. Currently, he has a crew of three and may add one more person this winter.
| ERIN ALTEMUS
For the last 20 years Anderson has contracted with Hedstrom Lumber. He started out cutting a sale of large pine—literally at the end of an era—then began red pine thinning. These days he spends about 75 percent of his time doing final harvests of mature stands and about 25 percent thinning red pine.
Not so many years ago, the North Shore had far more logging operations than it does today. The older loggers have retired, although some continued working into their 80s. At age 53, Nelson now considers himself the oldest logger in Cook County, although statewide the average age of loggers is about 60. Young blood is hard to attract to the business. Currently, skilled equipment operators can find high-paying work in mining or in the oil fields of North Dakota. Then there are the high costs of purchasing and operating logging equipment.
“It’s hard to tell a young person to go into logging,” says Anderson. “When I started, I went from non-mechanized to fully mechanized in a couple of years. That was a big chunk of change.”
Loggers are dependent on the price they receive for their harvested wood from the mills. Nelson and Anderson agreed that Hedstrom Lumber is vitally important to the North Shore, because it is the closest market. The distance from “civilization” also creates a challenge.
“We’re the furthest away from everything—fuel, mills and parts—so we pay the most,” says Anderson, although the additional costs are somewhat offset by lower prices for stumpage.
In order to survive, loggers have to be smart and self-sufficient. They sort the wood they cut for different markets to ensure they get the most value out of their product. Many do nearly all of their own equipment repairs. And they are always thinking ahead.
“When you are on the ground in every season, you get to know a lot of things,” Anderson says. “You don’t want to be working in the clay country around Hovland and Grand Portage in the spring. Instead you want to be up on the gravel, such as along the Gunflint Trail.”
From just about any perspective, logging is a tough way to make a living. So why does anyone do it?
“I’ve asked myself that question hundreds, if not thousands of times over the years,” Anderson says. “Now I’ve been through the hardest part financially, I’m experienced, and I know I can solve the problems that occur.”
Nelson is succinct about his motivations. “It’s not what you do, it’s who you are,” he says.
THERE’S NOTHING LIKE A NOVEMBER GALE. Join us as we celebrate the power and wild beauty of Lake Superior at the second annual Lake Superior Storm Festival.
FRIDAY NOV. 7
Ride the Waves
Stand Up Paddleboard the North Shore
Randy Carlson, UMD Surf/Kite Pgm. Coord.
SATURDAY NOV. 8
The Life and Loss of the Henry Steinbrenner Jim Shinners, Local History Expert Seasons of the North Shore
Paul Sundberg, Photographer
The Muffin Man and Kids Go Big! Stories and art activities for kids
Wave Dash
Like a polar plunge, but better Superior Songwriters Shindig Superior-themed open mic night
SUNDAY NOV. 9
Writing Up A Storm – Free Workshop Shelby Gonzalez, Writer
Taking Fashion By Storm Fashion show, mimosas and brunch courtesy of Stone Harbor
“The North Now” 2014 Northern Ontario Juried Exhibition
The Thunder Bay Art Gallery will feature art from across Northern Ontario in this multi-disciplinary juried exhibition, which provides a glimpse of the immense creativity, diversity and innovation by established and emerging artists living in the north of the province.
This is the first juried exhibition organized by the Gallery in 10 years and this time the reach has been extended to include Northeastern Ontario artists as well. Artists were invited to submit original works of art created within the last two years for consideration by a jury of arts professionals. Artists were encouraged to submit work that challenges, expands and innovates.
“Mitakuye Oyasin: All My Relations” Works From the Permanent Collection
The emphasis on the interconnected nature of the universe that is embodied in the statement ‘All My Relations’ can be seen in the work of contemporary artists in the Permanent Collection exhibit, which features the art work of Ahmoo Angeconeb, Roy Morris, Maime Migwans, Roy Thomas, Rick Rivet, Susan Ross and Eleanor Kanasawe.”
See www.theag.ca for gallery hours and more information.
Nov. 7
FUN!!damentals of Photography! Brian Rauvola from the Duluth Photography Institute will present a three-hour hands-on beginning photography session about using your digital camera and editing your photos. The group will explore the Cook
Art
Cross
“
Mrs. Santa Claus
Krum kaka & lefse demos
Blowout
County Higher Education building inside and outside (weather permitting) to practice taking photos while also learning to use light effectively and other artistic elements, such as composition, leading lines, rule of 3rds, etc. to improve your images.
This program will be held at the Cook County Higher Education building on Friday, Nov. 7 at 1 p.m. Pre-registration is required. Please call the Grand Marais Public Library at 218-387-1140 to register.
Nov. 7-8
Lutsen Resort will celebrate the Autumn Harvest with a unique selection of wines paired with a delicious menu prepared from this season’s harvest. Vineyard owner Rob Wetzel from Alexander Valley Vineyards joins Chef Rob for a weekend of delicious food and fabulous wine.
Friday Night is Flight Night, Saturday is a six-course wine dinner, and Sunday is a Champagne brunch. Call 800-258-8736 for reservations.
Bluefin Bay also has a Food and Wine Lovers Weekend, with a four-course dinner Friday, wine tasting Saturday afternoon, and a five-course dinner Saturday. Call 218663-6200 for reservations and information.
Nov. 7-8
Bring the tools of your craft and set up in the inspiring setting of Naniboujou Lodge. Demonstrators will be on site to feature different techniques and tools, and will be available to assist you with your projects. You can set up your “wares” for the entire weekend and work on your favorite project non-stop. See www.naniboujou.com to learn more about the weekend.
Nov. 7-9
During the gales of November, visitors can see Lake Superior in its most malevolent season, not to mention, participate in various events and collect prizes all weekend long.
“There’s nothing quite like a November gale—wind howling, icy waves lashing the rocks, a shiver of awe running down your spine,” says Linda Kratt, executive director of Cook County Visitors Bureau. “Whether the lake is stormy or serene, Storm Fest offers plenty of excitement and one last nature’s getaway before the holiday anticipation begins.”
The festival commences at 5 p.m. on Friday night at Sven & Ole’s, where visitors can catch a bite to eat while Randy Carlson, Surf/Kite program coordinator at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, shares the art of stand-up paddle boarding on the Great Lake.
On Saturday morning and afternoon, follow the modern history of the Henry Steinbrenner, the most recent ship to be lost along Minnesota’s famed North Shore.
At noon, all those who dare to enter the Wave Dash can compete in a chilly dash into Lake Superior, to raise money for the Lutsen Volunteer Fire Department, qualifying for a fleece beanie hat and other festival memorabilia. Afterward, warm up with cocoa and a roaring fire. Also during the morning and afternoon, local photographer Paul Sundberg will share images and stories of the North Shore, highlighting wildlife, scenery, and of course, storms. On Saturday night visitors can gather for themed drinks and specials at Superior Songwriters Shindig, an open mic night, featuring the music of the Big Lake at Cascade Lodge Restaurant & Pub.
Start Sunday morning off with a free writing workshop, led by Shelby Gonzalez, founder of Writing Field School. Play with five powerful techniques to beat writer’s block, free creative energy, and find flow. Then wrap up Storm Fest with a fashion show inspired by the latest fall outdoor and lifestyle styles. Mimosas, scones and brunch fare will be provided. For a full listing of Storm Fest events visit www.VisitCookCounty.com
Nov. 10
Every year at Split Rock State Park, on Nov. 10, the lighthouse beacon is lit to commemorate the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald and all the other vessels lost on the Great Lakes. This event offers the only time during the year that visitors can see the interior of the light tower when the beacon is lit. The lighthouse and the fog signal building will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The lighthouse will close temporarily at 4:30 p.m. while the names of the 29 lost crew members are read to the tolling of a ship’s bell. Following the ceremony, the beacon will be lit and the tower once again opened for visitors to tour.
Nov. 13
For many in Cook County, November is the time to make sure the pantry and freezer’s stocked before the snow flies in earnest. Yet one in 10 Cook County residents struggles with hunger, and 4.4 percent of Minnesotans have “very low food security,” meaning they not only worry about or struggle to get enough food, but they actually eat less or skip meals because there isn’t enough. The annual Empty Bowls fundraiser event strives to bring awareness to the pervasiveness of hunger in Cook County while actively working to solve this community problem.
At Empty Bowls 2014, enjoy a simple soup dinner provided by local restaurants and continue the conversation about hunger in Cook County with fellow community members. Take home a beautiful handcrafted bowl made at the Grand Marais Art Colony or by Cook County schoolchildren. Shop the silent auction, featuring a large selection of gift certificates perfect to give as holiday gifts, donated by local businesses, and a selection of special bowls. For those with a sweet tooth, pick up goodies at the bake sale.
Empty Bowls in Cook County began in 2006 as a collaboration between the Cook County High School Art Clubs and the Grand Marais Art Colony. Today, Empty Bowls is organized by community volunteers. Approximately 75 volunteers are needed on the day of the event to assist with setting up, serving, and assorted other tasks. If interested in volunteering, please contact Pat Campanaro at 651-336-2964 or pcampanaro@gmail.com.
Proceeds from Empty Bowls battle hunger in Cook County by funding hunger programs offered by the Snack Packs Program, Cook County Food Shelf, Violence Prevention Center, ISD 166, Oshki Ogimaag Charter School, Meals on Wheels/Cook County Senior Center, Good Samaritan Fund, and others.
The event takes place Thursday, Nov. 13 at St. John’s
Hundreds of bowls are made for and sold at the Empty Bowls fundraiser. | COURTESY ART COLONY
Catholic Church at Broadway and 5th St. in Grand Marais. Lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and dinner from 5-7 p.m. The silent auction closes at 6:30 p.m. Soup is $5, and a handcrafted bowl is $10, $20, or $35.
Our 39th Annual
“as unique as each snowflake”
Sat. Nov. 15 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Sun. Nov 16 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Valhalla Inn in Thunder Bay Free Admission Silver Collection Door Prizes www.artisansnorthwest.ca
•
-
Open Year Round Book Now for Winter!
This clean & cozy 2-BR, 1 bath cabin is the perfect location for day trips into the woods, relaxing near the lake or exploring the town on foot.
Large Yard, Picnic Area, Wi-Fi, Full Kitchen Near North House Folk School & Grand Marais Art Colony
218-387-2111 • hakes@boreal.org http://suehakes.com/JacksonHouse/JacksonHouse.htm
Nov. 21
At 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 21 Henry Boucha, an Ojibwa-Native American Olympian will talk at the Grand Marais Public Library about life growing up in Warroad, becoming an Olympic and NHL hockey player and how his Ojibwa roots have helped him persevere through challenges and tragedies to become a leader in raising awareness about Native American athletes today.
Henry Boucha is a retired Native American professional ice hockey centerman who played six seasons in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota North Stars, Kansas City Scouts and Colorado Rockies. Henry’s promising hockey career was tragically brief, cut short by an eye injury that forced him to hang up his skates at the age of 25. How-
ever, his impact on the game continues to this day, thanks to his work with an NHL/ USA Hockey Diversity Task Force Program and the National Coalition Against Racism in Sports and Media.
While raising his family in Warroad, Henry tried but was unable to find someone interested in developing a series about Native American Olympians. In 2011, he formed Boucha Films to share the tragedies and successes of these sports figures to motivate native youth, families and nations of Indigenous people through these inspirational stories.
Nov. 22
From 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Schroeder will host their annual holiday event at Cross River Heritage Center and the Schroeder Town Hall.
Watch expert krumkake and lefse demonstrations at the Cross River Heritage Center.
Mrs. Santa Claus will greet visitors, handing out candy to the children. There is a 2 p.m. raffle drawing for a handmade quilt donated by The Schroeder Area Historical Society.
Friday, Dec. 5 & Saturday, Dec. 6 • 10 am - 4 pm Not to combine with other discounts WICWAB - What is Christmas Without a Book? Everything on sale: calendars, pens, books, cards
15%
Hours: Mon, Fri, Sat 11 am-4 pm, Thur 11-5:30
Nov. 23-24
This is a weekend all about embracing winter, cold-hardy souls take note. Featured speakers this year are kayakers Katherine Breen, Sarah and Eric McNair-Landry and Erik Boomer, who hand crafted four traditional Inuit style sea kayaks and paddled 600 miles across Baffin Island, retracing a historical migration route. The team’s goal was to celebrate the ancient skin-on-frame kayak, and to help keep this tradition alive in the Canadian Arctic culture.
In addition to speakers, the weekend at North House will feature a gear & ski swap, international Arctic films, winter tent camping, snowshoe shuffle dance, deep freeze chili feed, winters skills seminars and of course, courses in northern craft, such as “Forging the Scandanavian Small Forest Axe.”
See www.northhouse.org to learn more about this weekend.
Nov.28
After your turkey leftovers are eaten and holiday shopping is done, head to downtown Grand Marais for the Christmas Parade, an event for hardy souls that are ready to get into the Christmas spirit. There are prizes for floats in the parade which begins at 5 p.m. and as well as a Christmas Sweater competition. Don your best or most audacious holiday sweater, or even better, put it on your dog and watch the parade floats make not one, but two! trips around downtown Grand Marais.
November 28th – 30th
15% off all Holiday Items
Mrs. Meyers Holiday Collection
Photo Processing
Amaryllis & Paperwhites
Holiday Candies
Lupine
Holiday Dog Collars
Kids’ Hat & Mittens
Fleece Throws
Baking Dishes
Tree Stands
Wreaths
Toys
Additional Discounts on: Tree Decorations
Xmas Lights
Wrapping Supplies
www.buckshardware.net
v Get Your Scandinavian on and get in the Parade –line up starts at 4:30 p.m. in parking areas off Broadway Ave. for 2- and 4-legged entries on floats or walking.
v Win the Travelling Gnome Trophy Best Overall entry, on display at Joynes, 2013 winner.
v Cash prizes for Best Scandinavian Theme, Cutest Entry, Best Holiday Spirit.
v Parade kicks off at 5 p.m. Tree lighting and carols in Harbor Park at 4:30 p.m.
v Uff Da! Christmas Sweater competition: Best Family or Group and Best Animal(s) in sweaters.
2014
By Kelsey Roseth
There’s really nothing like a piping hot bowl of hearty soup on a cold North Shore day. At the mere mention of soup, my taste buds perk up, my mouth starts to salivate and I take a quick day-dream to a place where I’m swirling a warm French baguette around a creamy, comforting bowl of brick red tomato basil soup that is sprinkled with fresh, shredded parmesan …
Whoa, sorry. I got carried away there for a minute.
Right after my move to the North Shore, I realized that it’s cold here. Quite often. I quickly learned that soup can be one of my greatest defenses to kill the chill. But as it turns out, my thoughts aren’t exactly unique.
“Minnesota loves soup,” said the Ledge Rock Grille’s executive chef Uriah Hefter. Originally from the southern part of the Midwest, Hefter moved to the North Shore two years ago, and he made a keen observation: “You get that cool breeze off the lake and all of the sudden you think, ‘Hmmm, I could go for soup now.’”
For soup sales, it helps that the Ledge Rock Grille sits smack on the shore of Lake Superior (it’s part of the Larsmont Cottages complex). The cool temperatures by the Big Lake are basically a free, massive marketing tool for the dish. And, since soup is requested by customers year-round, creativity is crucial and something the establishment takes pride in.
“We challenge ourselves not to rest on our laurels and be comfortable with what we are doing,” said Hefter. To be frank, Hefter doesn’t have much of a choice: with the Ledge Rock Grille’s open kitchen, cooks are pressured to develop cutting-edge dishes that will surely satisfy customers. “It keeps us really, really honest. We are not in an environment where you can send out a plate that you’re not 100 percent happy with,” said Hefter. “There is nowhere to hide from that.”
To artfully prepare a delicious, simple soup, the chef said you need to “let the ingredients speak for themselves. Let a potato taste like a potato. Let a pea taste like a pea,” said Hefter. “It’s not about over-complicating the soup.”
When I dropped by the Ledge Rock Grille one chilly afternoon to learn the chef’s secrets (and hopefully save my fiancé from
another can of the reduced-sodium soup I have stashed in the cupboards), Hefter taught me a neat trick: when it comes to preparing soup, at times, a processor can make it perfect.
He prepares a classic Italian recipe called pea and green onion soup. And, by “cooking it down, reducing it, then processing and straining it, you are getting a lot of substance that you wouldn’t have gotten before,” said Hefter, “because [before processing] it
would’ve been individual parts and those would have combined only as you chewed the food, macerated and swallowed.”
simple, customer standpoint, what I can say is that soup was, well, delectable. The pea and onion flavors were delicately combined in this thin soup and when I was lost for words at exactly what was going on in my mouth, Hefter explained, “It’s the essence of all the flavors of everything that was in the soup.”
Further up the shore, in Grand Marais, is another chef who seriously knows his soup. Chef Ed Straub co-owns the Harbor House Grille with his wife Cindy Carpenter-Straub; the pair opened up the restaurant two years ago. Since its conception, the chef has vowed to whip up a pot of soup from scratch daily.
Think about it: that’s nearly 365 pots of soup each year. Now that’s dedication. “My husband comes up with the tastiest soup every day,” said Carpenter-Straub. “Sometimes it’s a challenge to come up with something different, but it always tastes so good.” Sure, the chef admits he has between five and 10 favorites that he prepares once a month. But if you do the math, that’s still a lot of from-scratch soup recipes to create.
“I like to take whatever I can see that’s fresh,” said Straub, “and I take that and run with whatever is really in-season.” The chef’s success comes from his long-standing relationship with cooking; Straub began working in kitchens at age 14 and his first boss, renowned chef Palle Erickson,
the Harbor House Grille is a small, hands-on operation (with only 6 to 12 employees at a time), that sticks true to its motto: fresh ingredients, simply prepared, extraordi nary taste. “The chef touches everything that comes out of the kitchen, and I am here every day, too,” said Carpen ter-Straub. “We pay attention to detail.”
They must be doing something right: the grille is devel oping a bit of a nationwide fan club. There’s a group of Canadian gentlemen who have coaxed the chef into prepar ing steak and potato soup when they drive through Grand Marais.
Oh, and there’s a couple from out East who happened upon the Harbor House Grille on a North Shore vacation. They were delighted to stumble upon a Pennsylvania sta ple that pays homage to the chef’s eastern U.S. roots: the chef’s chicken and corn soup. “It’s very hearty with a hint of saffron in the broth, and the flour in the dough balls helps the soup gain a little thickness. It’s kind of a cold-day soup.” How perfect, I’m somewhat of a “cold-day soup” gal myself. Is anyone up for a quick jaunt up the Shore? It’s Chef Ed’s
By Amy Schmidt
Nov. 20 is going to be a great day. Of course, I haven’t checked the forecast—it could be snowing or raining or sleeting or all three. But, weather doesn’t affect why Nov. 20 is going to be a great day; it’s independent of clear skies, warm temperatures or their reverse. I could even steal a bit of the postman’s creed and say “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night” could keep it from being a success. Because on Nov. 20, millions of people will make a life-changing decision to stop smoking for a whole day, a decision that, in my opinion, renders the day incredibly good.
On Nov. 18, 1976, the state of California managed to convince nearly 1 million residents to quit smoking for one day. At first glance, getting people to quit for just a day doesn’t seem like much of anything to brag about. Especially because there were no follow-up statistics to report how many of those people stayed tobacco-free after that day. But, still, what California accomplished was revolutionary. In a time when the shocking realities of tobacco use had just started to surface, that single day of
cessation opened our nation’s eyes to the truth of cigarette use and paved the way for dramatic changes in how we viewed tobacco and its hazards to our health.
Since that pivotal day, every third Thursday in November has been designated by the American Cancer Society as the Great American Smoke-Out, a day set aside to encourage people who want to quit smoking. Some people will quit for a day, others for a lifetime. Still others will use the day to make a plan for how they will quit, choosing a specific date on which to start. However it looks for an individual, the Great American Smoke Out is a day dedicated to encouragement and to sharing resources available to folks who want to quit smoking.
Now, there is a lot of information out about why a person shouldn’t smoke, about how amazingly fast the body starts to heal itself from the negative effects of nicotine and cigarette smoke and how much money a person can save by not smoking. Just type “why quit” into Google and you will be absolutely bombarded with information. Unlike people in the 1970s, smokers and non-smokers alike don’t need more ev-
On Nov. 20, millions of people will stop smoking for a whole day or maybe forever. | STOCK
idence that smoking is less than ideal for your health.
So what can I tell you, as a nurse, that’s new or interesting or convincing? Probably nothing, to be quite honest. Anything I say will just seem trite, over-used or unfounded. But, I think I can say with confidence that the decision to quit smoking, even for a day, is a challenging one and, when faced with a challenge, most of us appreciate feeling like we belong, like we have people in the same boat with us, people who support us, empathize with us and are “in it” with us. So, all of that touchy-feely talk is to say that, if you’ve ever considered, even in your faintest dreams, quitting cigarette smoking,
on Nov. 20, there’s a whole heck of a lot of people around the world who are going to give smoking cessation a try. And, as far as I know, there’s plenty of room in their boat.
For more information, check out www.cancer.org/healthy/stayawayfromtobacco/index or make an appointment to discuss options and resources with your doctor at Sawtooth Mountain Clinic. Stay tuned for tobacco cessation related events, articles and posts at www.sawtoothmountainclinic.org or by liking us on Facebook.
Amy Schmidt is a registered nurse at Sawtooth Mountian Clinic.
Through Nov. 2
Smith-Daley-Ouradnik Multi-generation Exhibit at the Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery Grand Marais www.johnsonheritagepost.org
Wood Engravers Network Exhibit at Northern Prints Gallery, Duluth www. northernprintsgallery.com
Through Nov. 24
Members Show at the Grand Marais Art Colony www.grandmaraisartcolony.org
Through Jan. 4, 2015
“The North Now” 2014 Northern Ontario Juried Exhibition Thunder Bay Art Gallery www.theag.ca
“Mitakuye Oyasin: All My Relations” Works From the Permanent Collection Thunder Bay Art Gallery www.theag.ca
Oct. 31, Friday Halloween
Eric Frost Bluefin Grille Tofte 8-10 p.m.
Halloween Dance at Grand Portage Lodge & Casino Dance and Costume Contest Music by the
Sensational Hot Rods 50s Tribute Band 8:30 p.m.-1 a.m. www.grandportage.com
Hunger Cabaret Downtown Thunder Bay 8 p.m.-2 a.m. (EST) www.definitelysuperior.com
Halloween Dance Party & Fundraiser for Grand Marais Music Collaborative American Legion 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Earth, Wind & Todd, Angel Hair Rasta and Other Acts TBA. Costume Contest and Prizes, Food & Drink Specials.
Oct. 31- Nov. 1
Halloween Open Bonspiel Cook County Curling Club Grand Marais
Oct. 31-Nov. 2
24th Annual Bluegrass Masters Weekend Lutsen Resort www. northshoremusicassociation.com
Nov. 1, Saturday
Emory Lester Concert Lutsen Resort Tickets for sale at event only. 7:30 p.m. www.northshoremusicassociation.com
Paint-a-Bowl for Empty Bowls Grand Marais Art Colony $5 material fee. Pre-registration required. www.grandmaraisartcolony.org
Nov. 4, Tuesday
Sarah McLachlan Thunder Bay Community Auditorium 7:30 p.m. (EST) www.tbca.com
Nov. 5, Wednesday
Open Mic Night Gun Flint Tavern 5-9 p.m. www.gunflinttavern.com
Nov. 6, Thursday
International Festival of Authors (Kathryn Kuitenbrouwer, Alison Pick and Michael Winter will read) Thunder Bay Art Gallery 6-7 p.m. (EST) www.thag.ca
Up Close & Personal with Jim Cuddy & Greg Keelor of Blue Rodeo Thunder Bay Community Auditorium 8 p.m. (EST) www.tbca.com
Nov. 7, Friday
Digital Photography 101 with Brian Rauvola Held at Cook County Higher Education Grand Marais 1 p.m. Pre-registration required. Call Grand Marais Public Library at 218-387-1141
Nov. 7-8
Card Making/Scrapbooking Weekend
Naniboujou Lodge Grand Marais www.naniboujou.com
Fall Food and Wine Weekend at Bluefin Bay Tofte www.bluefinbay.com
Nov. 7-9
Lake Superior Storm Festival Grand Marais www.visitcookcounty.com
Fall Food and Wine Weekend at Lutsen Resort www.lutsenresort.com
Nov. 8, Saturday
A Wine Affair Wine Tasting and Auction to Support Thunder Bay Community Auditorium 5 p.m. (EST) www.tbca.com
Lunafest, A Program of Nine Short Films all By, For, and About Women. All Lunafest Proceeds are Donated to Charity (Breast Cancer Fund and Violence Prevention Center). Arrowhead Center for the Arts Grand Marais 7 p.m. Tickets $10 www.lunafest.org
Lane Trisko Lutsen Resort 7-10 p.m. www.lutsenresort.com
Nov. 9, Sunday
Timmy Haus Gun Flint Tavern Grand Marais 7 p.m. www.gunflinttavern.com
Nov. 10, Monday
Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Beacon
Lighting Split Rock State Park 11 a.m.-6 p.m. www.mnhs.org/historic-sites/split-rock-lighthouse
Nov. 11, Tuesday
Veteran's Day
Nov. 12, Wednesday
Open Mic Night Gun Flint Tavern 5-9 p.m. www.gunflinttavern.com
Nov. 13, Thursday
Empty Bowls 2014 St. John’s Catholic Church
Grand Marais 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. Soup $5, Handcrafted Bowl $10. Proceeds benefit hunger programs in Cook County.
Rich Mattson & Germain Gemberling
Gun Flint Tavern Grand Marais 7 p.m. www.gunflinttavern.com
Give to the Max www.givemn.org
Nov. 14, Friday
Portage at the Legion Grand Marais 6-8 p.m.
Tin Can Gin Gun Flint Tavern Grand Marais 7:30 p.m. www.gunflinttavern.com
Nov. 14-16
Girls Gone North Weekend at Bluefin Bay Resort www.bluefinbay.com
Nov. 15, Saturday
Reel Rock 9 Film Tour Wilderness Supply hosts this event featuring some of the best climbing films of the year. Held at Finlandia Club 6:30 p.m. (EST) www.wildernesssupply.ca
Timmy Haus Music by the Fireplace Lutsen Resort 7-10 p.m. www.lutsenresort.com
Tin Can Gin Gun Flint Tavern Grand Marais 7:30 p.m. www.gunflinttavern.com
DJ Beavstar at the American Legion Grand Marais 8 p.m.-12 a.m.
J
ohnny Cash Tribute Grand Portage Lodge & Casino 9 p.m. www.grandportage.com
Nov. 15-16
Artisans Northwest Christmas Show Valhalla Inn Thunder Bay 10-6 p.m (EST) on the 15th, 10-4 p.m. on the 16th (EST) www.artisannorthwest.ca
Nov. 19, Wednesday
Open Mic Gun Flint Tavern Grand Marais 5-9 p.m. www.gunflinttavern.com
Nov. 20, Thursday
Roy Coran Big Band “In the Christmas Mood” Thunder Bay Community Auditorium 8 p.m. (EST) www.tbca.com
Gordon Thorne Gun Flint Tavern Grand Marais 8 p.m. www.gunflinttavern. com
Nov. 20-23
Winter’s Gathering North House Folk School Grand Marais www.northhouse.org
Nov. 21, Friday
Henry Boucha, an Ojibwa-Native American Olympian and NHL hockey player talks at Grand Marais Public Library 1:30 p.m. www.grandmaraislibrary.org
Evergreen Grass Band Gun Flint Tavern Grand Marais 9 p.m. www.gunflinttavern.com
Nov. 21-23
Outdoor Expo Midwest Mountaineering, Minneapolis www.midwestmtn.com
Nov. 22, Saturday
Cross River Heritage Center Sale and Quilt Drawing Schroeder 10 a.m.-2 p.m. www.crossriverheritagecenter.org
North Country Creations Schroeder Town Hall 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Josh Von Mink Lutsen Resort 7-10 p.m. www.lutsenresort.com
Comedy Show at Grand Portage Lodge & Casino 8 p.m. www.grandportage.com
Evergreen Grass Band Gun Flint Tavern Grand Marais 9 p.m. www.gunflinttavern.com
Nov. 23, Sunday
Stuart McLean & The Vinyl Cafe
Christmas Show Thunder Bay Community Auditorium 2:30 p.m. (EST) www.tbca.com
Timmy Haus Gun Flint Tavern Grand Marais
7 p.m. www.gunflinttavern.com
Nov. 23-24
Opening Weekend at Lutsen Mountains www.lutsen.com
Nov. 25, Tuesday
Honoring Choices: Completing Your Health Care Directive Corcoran Classroom Lower Level of
Sawtooth Mountain Clinic Grand Marais 4-6 p.m. www.northshorehealthcarefoundation.org
Nov. 26, Wednesday
Open Mic Gun Flint Tavern Grand Marais 5-9 p.m. www.gunflinttavern.com
Nov. 27
Happy Thanksgiving
Nov. 28, Friday
“Oh Ole Night” Christmas Parade and More... Grand Marais 4:30 p.m. www.visitcookcounty.com
The New Standards Holiday Show Papa Charlie’s Lutsen 8:30 p.m. www.lutsen.com/newstandards/
Winter Bees Book Signing 1 - 4 p.m. Siviis, Duluth www.sivertson.com
Nov. 28-29
Home for the Holidays at Last Chance Gallery Lutsen 10-5 p.m. Both Days with Reception from 4-7 p.m. Friday and 6 p.m. Caroling and Tree Lighting Friday. www.lastchancefab.com
Nov. 29
Holiday Craft & Consultant Sale Cook County Community Center Grand Marais 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Hovland Artisan PreChristmas Sale 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Hovland Town Hall
Michael Monroe Log Cabin Concert 7 p.m. Reception, 8 p.m. Concert Reservations at 218-387-2919 www.michaelmonroemusic.com
Tim Fast Music by the Fireplace Lutsen Resort 7-10 p.m. www.lutsenresort.com
Winter Bees Book Signing 1 - 4 p.m. Sivertsons, Grand Marais www.sivertson.com
Nov. 30, Sunday
Jaggedease Gun Flint Tavern Grand Marais 7 p.m. www.gunflinttavern.com
By Gord Ellis
I’d been calling like a lovelorn cow moose along the edge of the bay my son Devin and I were hunting, when I heard what sounded like a response. I froze and strained to hear if there was an animal close. We were on the first afternoon of a fly-in moose hunt, and the conditions were perfect. I looked to the end of the bay where Devin was set up and saw an unusually dark shape about 175 yards away. It didn’t look familiar. The binoculars went up and sure enough, there was a cow moose. The beast was quietly feeding in a creek channel, 100 percent broadside and wide open. So why wasn’t I hearing Devin’s gun? We had a cow tag and he was 75 yards closer to the moose than I was.
What the heck?
A minute crept by, then two minutes. It felt like days. The moose was looking like it was getting ready to leave. My gun was in hand, but there was nothing I wanted more than for Devin, 21, to bag his first moose. Plus, he was between me and the cow, not a safe shooting option. Finally, the moose walked forward and disappeared into the trees.
Silence.
“Why didn’t you shoot?” I said to Devin just a few moments later.
“All I could see was her head, Dad,” he countered, wearing a look of deep disappointment. “I heard her walking in the bush, and crawled up closer to see, but when she came out I was at a bad angle.” This was tough medicine to swallow, but I assured my son there would be more chances and we carried on. That first opportunity would haunt us the rest of the trip.
A fly-in trip for moose hunting has been on this writer’s bucket list for a long time. So when the opportunity arose this past fall to do one, there was not a lot of humming and hawing. Our group was made up of Devin, my father Gord Sr., and my outdoor writing colleague and longtime friend James Smedley, from Wawa. We were using the services of Wilderness North, a fly-in outfitter based in Thunder Bay. They have been running moose hunts for years. The plan was to drive north up Hwy. 527, nearly to the town of Armstrong, then fly by float plane from a Wilderness North sea plane base to an outpost camp on D’Alton Lake. There had not been a hunting party on the lake in a couple of years, despite lots of great moose habitat on and around the lake. Plus it was known to be stuffed with walleye. Everyone was pumped.
Our morning flight in to D’Alton Lake was delayed somewhat by wet snow the night before. The white stuff foreshadowed the weather to come, but by the time the Twin Otter was in the air it was truly gorgeous out. The late September sun was shining and the winds were light. We enjoyed a perfect landing and before long were unloading hunting gear, sleeping bags and a week’s worth of food.
The cabin at D’Alton Lake was solid and cozy. There were two bedrooms that could sleep three people in each. I’ve done many outpost trips in my career, but this one had a couple of things that I consider real creature comforts. The first was a hot shower. Jumping in a lake in October is bracing, so enjoying a shower was a sweet option. Also, thanks to solar panels, we had lighting and Wifi. Some people might prefer not being connected on a trip like this , but this link to the outside was well-used by our group.
Our first few days of hunting were eventful, but for various reasons not a moose was harvested. On Day Two, Devin and I were just finishing lunch when we spotted a big cow feeding across the bay from the dock. We jumped in a boat to try and get to the other shore for a stalk, but the animal saw us and bolted. That same evening my dad
and James were hunting in the marshy bay west of camp. Smedley had a cow moose walk within 40 yards of his position, but thick bush screened a potential shot.
On Day Three the rain started and the temperature plummeted. That following morning we awoke to a winter wonderland. The snow didn’t stop for three days. The moose hunkered down, and we never saw another one. This, despite hearing them call or walk behind us nearly every day. We soldiered on hunting the snow-covered swamps and shoreline, but it was nogo. That is moose hunting.
One of the very cool sidelines on this trip was the walleye fishing. D’Alton Lake had a lot of water to explore, and we found walleyes just about everywhere. Trolling deep diving cranks, we were able to get enough fish to eat in no time, as well as some beauties that were a bit too large for the fry pan. As fall walleye bites go, it was a great one.
Despite not getting a moose, we all had a really great time. For seven days, we got to hang out—hunting, fishing, playing guitar and eating. A lot of eating. We laughed like crazy around the wood stove, shook our heads at the snow, and enjoyed the many wonders of the wilderness. As anxious as we were to see our loved ones, we all felt a bit sad when the turbo Otter came around to pick us up at the end of our week.
Our fly-in moose adventure had been an experience to remember.
By Erin Altemus
In early September, I pay avid attention to the forecast. When the overnight temperature drops below 50 degrees, it’s time to start fall training. This fall, we were especially antsy, as we signed up to run the Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon, a 380-mile race that starts in Duluth, runs up the North Shore to the Gunflint Trail and back to Duluth. This is 200 miles more than we’ve ever run for a race, so preparation is everything.
When I say “we,” I am including my husband, Matt. We learned a little something about mushing while working one winter at YMCA Camp Menogyn on the Gunflint Trail. Several years later, we adopted a team of free sled dogs where we lived in Wisconsin and spent our winters running them around cornfields. After helping friends at a race, and trying a short race ourselves, we were hooked, and, long-story short, we moved away from the farm belt to run in the boreal forest and now have 26 Alaskan huskies that love running more than anything, except maybe eating.
Mushing is a lot of things, one of which is that it’s a lifestyle. Our life revolves around our dogs. There are daily dog chores, scooping, feeding and the required attention (ear-scratching, belly rubs, fur-stroking, and if they aren’t too smelly, kisses). In the fall, we start with short runs—5-6 miles a day, gradually working up to 20 or 30 mile runs in November and increasing into December, until the dogs are in good enough condition for their first race (this year it will be the Gunflint Mail Run on Jan. 3-4).
For now, every dog in the kennel trains. Each day we run either team Buddha (one of our leaders), or team Beezus (Buddha’s brother). The teams alternate days, which
means every dog is running every other day. Most of our dogs are two or three years old. We don’t know who will make the race team, though we have a pretty good idea. But there are some rising stars. After each run, we talk about who did well, who was the MVP that day. Next month, I will introduce you to some of them.
Going into November, we will increase our mileage and keep track of each day’s run in a spreadsheet. This way we can compare how we are doing this year compared with previous years and make sure we hit our training targets. I will sew 400 booties for the dogs to wear this winter. We’ll order vast quantities of raw meat and chop it into daily rations. We’ll assess our winter gear and our headlamps and make sure we have what we need to make it through another racing season.
I sometimes feel we give up a lot of to live with 26 canines out our back door—vacations, for one (it is difficult to find a housesitter for 26 dogs). Certainly we trade time we could be spending on other hobbies (long canoe trips, rock-climbing, dance, and art have all but disappeared from my life since we began mushing). In my mind, we trade cable TV and new clothes to pay for dog food.
But the dogs give us so much.
This morning, we finished hitching up 12 dogs just as it was light enough to turn off our headlamps. By the time we reached a high ridgeline several miles into the run, the sun was cresting the hills beyond, creating a sliver of silver about the clouds. The tamaracks picked up the glow, and in their peak of fall color, blazed gold along the road and adjacent to the marsh. The grass that grows from the wetlands along the trail held last night’s frost and as the sun rose further, the icy tips shimmered like millions of
glass shards flung across the land. Not a bad way to spend a morning.
Sometimes we run into the sunset. Sometimes I take pleasure simply watching one leader, Nancy, run the trail with ears erect, looking straight ahead, as if there must be a moose around every corner. Sometimes we just listen to the dogs howl, a chorus with tenors and altos and marvel at how they can all stop at once, as if on cue.
Sometimes we join in their choir.
To follow our training progress, watch videos of the team or learn more about us, check out our blog at www.mushlakeracing.weebly.com, or find us on facebook at www.facebook.com/mushlakeracing.
“(It)
By Deane Morrison— MINNESOTA STARWATCH
In November, Saturn and Venus trade places, and we get a meteor shower that could be worth the late hour.
Saturn, an evening planet, is falling into the sun’s afterglow just as Venus is emerging from it. On the 13th the two planets cross paths, but all month long they are much too close to the sun to see. Saturn drops behind the sun on the 18th, at which moment it becomes, officially, a morning planet. Venus, a morning star for most of the year, passed behind the sun in late October, and now we can look forward to its reappearance as an evening star.
In the southwest, Mars, the fastest of the outer planets, manages to keep above the horizon. Behind it, the Teapot of Sagittarius slips by, tips its spout and dips below the horizon. The Red Planet still has a few more months in the evening sky, but it won’t get much company until next year, when Venus comes calling.
In the morning sky, Jupiter is high and brilliant in the south at dawn, near the
bright star Regulus, in Leo. As Earth gains on the giant planet it rises earlier, and this month it begins coming up before midnight.
The Leonid meteor shower peaks in the afternoon of the 17th, so try looking between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. the previous night or 11 p.m.-3 a.m. that night. Meteors will radiate from the east, in the Sickle of stars near Jupiter. Leonids are bright and often leave persistent trails, but the shower is famous for varying in intensity. If we’re lucky, we’ll get something closer to a storm than a drizzle.
The full moon rises around sunset on the 6th, less than an hour after reaching perfect fullness. This is the full Beaver Moon, named for the busy rodents now preparing their lodges for winter.
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
WHY GO: It’s a big lake with a lot to offer, with a handful of game species to target. “If you are flexible and take whatever comes, it’s a good lake to fish,” said Steve Persons, Minnesota DNR’s Grand Marais area fisheries supervisor, mentioning walleye, smallmouth bass and northern pike. The lake is also popular with whitefish netters in the fall.
ACCESS: Several resorts on the lake offer access, but the only public landing is on the west side of the lake, accessible by heading south from the Gunflint Trail. The ramp is concrete, with quite a few parking spaces, and is also used by paddlers heading into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, as four portage trails lead out from the lake.
VITALS: This 764-acre lake is entirely in Cook County and is surrounded by the Superior National Forest, though there is quite a bit of private land bordering the lake, as evidenced by the number of lake homes. The lake is generally deep and clear, with a maximum depth of 73 feet and clarity down to 10.4 feet, according to Minnesota DNR’s latest survey conducted on the lake in July of 2012.
GAME SPECIES PRESENT: Walleye, northern pike, smallmouth bass, whitefish, burbot, black crappie, pumpkinseed, yellow perch.
WHITEFISH HAVE REMAINED: Despite all of the homes on the lake, which are associated with decreased water quality, Poplar has hung on to its population of whitefish, which are associated with high water quality. Historically, there were lake trout in the lake, which have disappeared for unknown reasons, Persons said, but the water quality has been good enough to support whitefish. That’s probably been helped by a Cook County program that stays on top of septic systems, ensuring they are maintained at a high enough level. “It’s a productive lake for netters,” Persons said. “They do pretty well out there.”
WALLEYE STRUGGLES: Walleye aren’t native to the lake, but they were introduced in the 1930s, Persons said. There is little natural reproduction occurring in the lake, and DNR has been trying to figure out a way to improve the fishery for years, most recently going to an every-other-year stocking regimen in 2011. “We have tried almost every trick in the book,” Persons said, noting that the next move might be regulations that
would limit the number of fish harvested — though that approach would need public support. Still, while the population of walleye may not be where managers would like, there are fish to be found. “It seems like folks who are familiar with the lake are able to find some walleye,” Persons said.
PIKE ARE PLENTY: That recent 2012 survey showed that the lake was meeting DNR’s goals for northern pike, though most of the fish collected in that survey were under 20 inches. There wasn’t a single fish collected that was at least 30 inches, and Persons said he doesn’t hear
of many giants being landed. “I don’t hear of real big pike too often, which is kind of surprising,” he said. It’s surprising because northern pike usually grow big when they have access to deep, clear water and an oily forage base such as whitefish, as is the case at Poplar. “It’s possible that with the amount of people on the lake, even though it doesn’t get that much fishing pressure, that fish don’t live long enough to reach those sizes,” Persons said.
PONDERING PANFISH: The pumpkinseed and yellow perch on the lake aren’t generally big enough to warrant spending any time pursuing them, Persons said. But there are occasionally some large black crappies caught on the lake. “They are probably not worth targeting, but if you happen to run into a school, you could have an interesting time with it,” he said.
By Elle AndraWarner
Back 147 years ago in 1867, two things happened in what is now called Canada: the former British colony became a new country called the Dominion of Canada, and as a new country, officially registered as its first vessel—the tug boat Mary Ann While Canada is still going strong, having expanded from four to 10 provinces and three territories, the historic tug—even though it was one of the most famous vessels in the waters of Thunder Bay and Lake Superior—didn’t do as well.
The Mary Ann was supposedly scuttled in 1936, topping the list of 32 decaying derelict vessels littering the waterfront and contracted to be sunk 250 feet in Thunder Bay harbour, in an area that became known as the Graveyard of Ships. However, over time, knowledge of the whereabouts of the graveyard was lost until searching divers found the site alongside the Sleeping Giant in 2001. But were all 32 scuttled ships in the graveyard? Mary Ann’s fate remained a mystery until the summer of 2013 when two divers, David Shepherd and Rob Valley, using sophisticated side scan equipment and computer technology, found the Mary Ann by accident.
According to a news release about the find, Shepherd and Valley were calibrating their equipment on what they believed was a known shipwreck but instead, without realizing it, they had discovered the Mary Ann
“I was completely shocked when David came back to the surface and informed me ‘Well it’s not the ship we were supposed to be on,’” said Valley. “The big question now was ‘if it isn’t what we thought it was, what is it?’” The two men, along with other local divers, returned to the location a number of times during the next three months, documenting and filming. Then, using historical documents and the knowledge of local shipwreck historians, including the well-known wreck hunter Ryan LeBlanc, the wreck was confirmed as the Canadian history-making Mary Ann
“This ship is a once-in-a-lifetime find. How often do you get to find and dive into history?” said Shepherd.
The Mary Ann, however, was found off of the Welcome Islands, not in the Graveyard
of Ships. The wreck “was in a different location, much shallower, offering great recreational potential,” said the news release. For now, the location is being kept secret until the site receives heritage protection.
The Mary Ann was one of two tugboats built in 1867 in Stromness, Ontario for Scottish-born Canadian politician and Fenian fighter, Senator Lachlin McCallum, who named each of the boats after one of his daughters, Mary Ann and Jessie. The sturdy Mary Ann was 78 ft. long, 15 ft. wide and 8 ft. high. According to the late historian Russell Brown in a 1944 newspaper article, tugs like Mary Ann were “giants of their time”, earning large dividends for their owners and could tow up to six sailing vessels behind them at a time. In the early 1880s, Mary Ann was brought to Port Arthur (now part
“How often do you get to find and dive into history?”—David Sheperd
of Thunder Bay) after being purchased by Thomas Marks’s Lake Superior Tug Co.
Besides working as a harbor tug, Mary Ann was licensed to carry 30 passengers and did service as an excursion boat for dignitaries, special events, and taking people to Silver Islet, as well as doing charters to carry fish from Port Arthur to Duluth after the closing of the regular navigation season. And occasionally, she became a rescue tug. On Oct. 20, 1886, she was returning to Port Arthur from Silver Islet and rescued the crew of the A. Neff from Edward Island. The crew had escaped to the island on lifeboats after the steamer floundered during a northwest gale and was wrecked on rocks off Porphyry Point. Mary Ann finished her working days as a barge with a small shed on deck with Pigeon River Lumber Company after her engine was removed and placed in the tug Laura Grace. Records indicate she was taken out of service (“condemned”) in 1901 and removed from the registry in 1933.
Nipigon Mayor Richard Harvey, a wellknown avid diver, said finding the Mary Ann is “a really exciting and encouraging find”, and a real boost to developing the North Shore of Lake Superior as a destination for dive tourism. And the search for more shipwrecks continue, with Shepherd, Valley and Harvey all agreeing there are more waiting to be found and documented in Lake Superior.
Story by Gord Ellis
Photos courtesy of Becky Monk
Murray Monk is one of those people who you meet once and never forget. He is tall, and built solid, like a man who has lived most of his adult life working hard in the bush. He also has a shock of white hair and major league beard, things that he was rocking when the Duck Dynasty boys still had shiny chins and brush cuts.
Monk and his wife Becky live way off the grid, north of Nipigon. In fact, they have been pretty much self-sufficient for the better part of eight years. Solar power and wood fuel their rustic lifestyle that does, however, include Wi-Fi. But it wasn’t always this way. Monk is one of those people that changed gears in a major way half way through life.
“I was born and raised on a farm just north of Hanover, Ontario, which I left to work for the T. Eaton Co.,” he says. Monk then went on to 10 years in the restau-
rant business. But the grind of the urban lifestyle in the Greater Toronto Area wore him down.
“I knew life was too short to waste in the rat race,” he says.
One Sunday afternoon, the 34-year-old business man was sitting in his restaurant reading the weekend Toronto Sun. There he found a big, full-page story in the Outdoor section. It was about the Nipigon River, the home of the world’s largest speckled trout.
“Being an avid fisherman I had to go and investigate,” he said. “The fishing was better than promised and the rest is history.” Monk was soon out of the Toronto area and living in Nipigon.
Although Murray Monk loved to fish, it was the hunting he was really passionate about. During his first fall in NW Ontario, the pursuit of a bull moose led him to what he calls “moose heaven” just north of what would become his main trap cabin. The cabin was originally owned by an old
trapper that took a liking to both Monk and his two sons. After gaining the necessary points, and experience needed to trap, Monk bought the line and went to work.
Over the years, Monk has worked avidly for hunting, fishing and trappers organizations. He played a key role working with a group of like-minded trappers in the formation of the Ontario Fur Managers Federation. He served Ontario trappers as the founding president and helped establish the Canadian National Trappers Alliance. He is no stranger to adversity and has been on the front lines of many anti-trapping and hunting skirmishes. However, some recent health issues have seen him face down his biggest challenge yet.
Monk had been struggling with his hips for several years and finally had to use a cane to get around. This was a difficult situation for a man who had relied so heavily on his strength to make a living. Getting help with his health was a huge change of philosophy for him.
[FAR LEFT] Murray Monk fell in love with the Nipigon area after a fishing trip to the Nipigon River 35 years ago. Fishing is now a major part of his subsistence life-style.
[ABOVE AND LEFT] Murray and his wife Becky live way off grid, north of Nipigon. They have been nearly self-sufficient for eight years.
“I didn’t go see a doctor for 25 years,” says Monk. “When my hips just kept getting worse I finally got forced into a doctor’s office.”
After 25 years out of the loop, Monk had to renew his health card. He hadn’t used the Ontario health system for ages. The doctors ran tests and told Monk what he already knew. His hips were shot.
“The specialist canceled my MRI because she said a motor mechanic could tell looking at my X-ray that these hips are done,” he said. Monk was told he was a candidate for a bilateral hip replacement, but this was major surgery and Monk would be off the trap line for a while. The surgery was a success.
“It’s a different feeling when they cut your whole bottom end off and then re-attach it with two new tie rods end and a couple of ball joints,” said Monk. “Then put 235 pounds back on top of it. It was quite a trip, I’ll tell ya.”
[RIGHT AND LEFT] Winters off-grid are a challenge. Solar power, large reserves of firewood and a snowmobile are basic necessities that make it all work.
However, while Monk was healing from his hip replacement, another problem surfaced. For many years, Monk had been a heavy smoker. He quit six years ago, but the damage had been done. While in the hospital, one of the attending doctors found a “smudge.” A CT scan revealed a fairly large tumour deep in his lung. Removing the growth would require more surgery. “Lucky for the hips they found my tumour, as it never showed up in any X-rays before that,” he says.
This past summer, Monk had the tumour removed. Half his right lung was lost in the process and a rib was broken. However, the surgery was a success and Monk was
soon back at his wilderness home to heal. Incredibly, just three weeks after lung surgery, Monk felt well enough to shoot a cow moose on the opening day of the Ontario gun season. Sure, it was not far from his wilderness home on the lake, but he did it. His wife Becky volunteered to do the tracking. Monk says his tremendous recovery must be due at least in part to the clean air and low-stress life he lives. He also believes the good wishes and prayers of his many friends around the world helped the surgeons make those wishes come true.
“I was 69 going on 90,” Monk says. “Now I’m 69 going on 65.”
By Larry Weber Illustrations by Judy Gibbs Stone Ridge Press, 2014
If you could learn just one thing about nature every day for an entire year, you would be a walking encyclopedia, or ... at least a more knowledgeable naturalist. The Backyard Almanac can do this very thing for you. Each day of the year has a half page of information about one thing: a flower, a bird, an insect, a mammal, a tree. Each entry is accompanied by a hand-sketched illustration.
This 2014 edition is actually a second edition. Things change over the course of two decades. Nature is evolving, and the second edition accounts for some of these changes. Whether you read it then or are just finding it now, this is book is wealth of information for gift or personal inspiration —Erin Altemus
By Molly Beth Griffin
Illustrations by
Jennifer A. Bell
Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2014
Rhoda is on a long hike with her aunt and uncle, deep in the northern forest. While Auntie June and Uncle Jonah watch for wildlife and set up their campsites, Rhoda hunts for rocks. She finds sparkly ones, striped ones, little ones and big ones—and she puts all of them in her backpack. By the time they reach the Big Lake, Rhoda’s pack is too heavy to carry. What will she do then?
“Rhoda’s Rock Hunt” is written for children and adults who never get tired of sifting through Superior’s cobblestone beaches, and there is inspiration here for those needing a nudge to go on a special rock hunt.
—Erin Altemus
By David Benson
Photos by Paul Bannick Stone Ridge Press, 2014
This beautiful little guidebook to North America’s woodpeckers is sure to interest anyone interested in birds. The 22 species of woodpeckers regularly found in North America are each covered in depth with detailed photographs, identification information, habitat and behavior notes. There is a wealth of little-known details, such as how baby woodpeckers eliminate waste in tiny fecal sacs that the parents fly away with and dispose of far from the nest, which simultaneously keeps the nest clean and deters predators. Cool. Or how elf owls rely on ladder-backed woodpeckers to make them a cavity nest, as the owls can’t make their own.—Erin Altemus
MSRP $179.99
www.thermacell.com
The same company that makes Thermacell mosquito lanterns also makes heated insoles (they have you covered in both seasons). The original Thermacell insoles have an embedded rechargeable battery that is operated by a wireless remote. The ProFlex version has removable batteries, which means if you have an extra set you can swap them out and keep on doing your cold thing once the first five hours of battery life has expired. You can recharge the batteries using a wall charger or USB port. There are three settings, so you can turn the heat up or off with your remote control—no need to fish out the insoles once you’ve put them in.
For anyone spending time in the cold outdoors this winter, this is the solution to cold feet. Seem pricey? Ask yourself once your feet are numb how much you’d spend right then to have them feel toasty. Yeah, I thought so.
—Erin Altemus
MSRP $69
www.bodybark.com
Body Bark is the newest in long-underwear gone chic. The line of tops, bottoms and intimates are made from beech tree fiber and are manufactured in the USA. The fabric is deliciously soft, making the scratch of a wool sweater irrelevant when wearing a Body Bark long-sleeve shirt. And if you’re going for a sexy sort of look, these tops are nothing but complimentary. Not keen on long undies, but want a piece of apparel made from trees? Try the tank dress or the scarf.
—Erin Altemus
MSRP $79.95
www.coldavenger.com
As you can see from the picture, this thing is a la Darth Vader. But, you have to figure that when it’s -20F, there will be no one around to see you wearing this space-age mask, or they will be too cold too care, unless they are wearing one too.
The Cold Avenger is basically your average balaclava gone polar vortex. The fabric is tightly knit and highly wind-resistant. The ventilator portion is an additional face mask that velcroes on and off easily. The ventilator itself allows you to breathe freely while keeping your face warm and dry and it whisks that moist breath away and into the sky. You can wear this with goggles and/or a helmet making this great for any outdoor activity in the winter. So get your Darth Vader on and avenge that cold. —Erin Altemus
I
mclark@avistarealty.ca www.avistarealty.ca
Own a slice of Minnesota’s Favorite Resorts
We bring you closer. To the lake, each other and your vacation property dreams.
Bluefin Unit 11
2BR, 2 BA. Lower level w/lockout. $66k in income.
Bluefin Unit 16 2BR, 2 BA. Sweeping views. Rent as one or two units to maximize income.
Bluefin Unit 45 & 49 3BR, 3 BA. Brand new units! Master craftsmanship. Pure elegance.
Bluefin Unit 40 Upper-level, so. facing 2 BR condo (lockout) w/ stunning views. Seller to pay $10.5K BA upgrade.
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. $990,000 USD
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 CDN
Little Trout Bay, 20 minutes north of the Minnesota/Ontario border, 3 large estate-sized lots, very sheltered with southern exposure. Tremendous views. Power and telephone available. Priced beginning at $199,000 USD
Bluefin Unit 55 & 66 3 BR, 3 BA. Largest townhome. $100K in annual income.
NICOL ISLAND ROSSPORT
Tremendous Lake Superior building sites. Lakefront and interior lots for sale with docking facilities. Causeway opened year round. Power and phone. Starting at $55,000 CDN
The ultimate fly-in 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
guest camp, boathouse, large deck and more. Great views! $239,000 CDN
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.
• 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.
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-$225K, includes furnishings. Eric Frost
Bay | Surfside |
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
7412 GunFLint traiL Grand Marais
1846
L and
20 wooded acres priced to sell.
MLS# 6002983 Price: $16,000
XXX5 cty. rd. 14, Grand Marais
5 Acres w/ small garage.
MLS# 6002133 Price: $72,500
2.29X e. Hwy. 61, Grand Marais
Wooded 2.29 acre lot with stubbed in drive and close to town.
MLS# 6002332 Price: $45,900
16 x 12 log cabin on five acres. Handy mid trail location.
MLS# 6002855 Price: $75,000
216 soderBerG Lane BircH Lk GunFLint traiL
Very private cabin. One bedroom with loft. Deck and dock. Garage. 300 ft lakeshore on 7.63 acres.
MLS# 6002859 Price: $297,500
310XXX soderBerG Ln. BircH Lake
202 ft. lake shore lot on 5 acres. Driveway and build site.
MLS# 6002970 Price: $149,900
1.57X e. Hwy. 61, Grand Marais
Nice 1.57 acre residential lot close to town.
MLS#6002333 Price: $35,900
25X cty. rd. 14, Grand Marais
Beautiful maple forest
MLS# 6002136 Price:$87,000
253 soutH sHore deviL’s track Lake
4 Bedroom 2 Bath 3 Car Garage with Guest Cottage on 216 ft. of lake shore.
MLS# 6002643 Price: $384,900
79 cty. rd. 44 Grand Marais
10 Acres with 2 Car Garage with Living Loft. Power and Well. Land sub dividable.
MLS# 6002519 Price: $124,900
10a and 10B cty. rd. 14, Grand Marais
Two beautiful 10 acre maple parcels awaiting your plans.
MLS# 6002134 & 6002135 Price: $55,000 each
474X soutH sHore dr., Grand Marais
Very nice 5 acre parcel near Devil’s Track abuts Fed land.
MLS# 6002390 Price: $42,500
For results list your property here!
Lutsen 4170 Cascade Beach Road
MLS#6002279 $899,000
Beautiful 4 bedroom 3 bath home with private
Tofte 90 Hoaglund Drive
MLS# 6002328 $545,000
Drop dead gorgeous Lindal Cedar home with substantial upgrades throughout entire home Owner will complete kitchen, flooring throughout and master bath to buyer suit - or new owner can complete based on own design criteria.
24 Lodge Lane, Lutsen
MLS#6002521 $254,900
Extremely well maintained 3 bedroom 2 bath
Lutsen Log Lodge located on Ski Hill Road in Lutsen. Newly updated 3 season enclosed porch. Nicely appointed home with vaulted ceilings, master bedroom with private bath and jetted tub. Open main level floor plan with great room, kitchen and fireplace. Private Association with carefully crafted declarations for your benefit. Vacation Rentals and private management available or perfect for second home or permanent residence.
with sleeping loft and wood burning stove. Nice level lot. 178’ of very private gravel shoreline close to Naniboujou and Judge Magney State Park.
Lutsen 1044 Caribou Trl
MLS#6000638 Price: $319,900
Excellent Caribou Lake opportunity. 3 br/1 bath, open area kitchen and dining, large open deck area, permanent dock. New improvements include: septic, windows, siding, roofing, Insulation & more.
Lutsen 505 Poplar River Rd
MLS#6002439 $419,000
The Poplar River Condominiums are Lutsen Resorts most flexible luxury accommodations. These three bedroom units offer outstanding views of Lake Superior. Nestled on 20 acres of land across the Poplar River from the Main Lodge, the site offers privacy with convenient access to all Lutsen Resort Amenities and activities.
Grand Marais 661 Pike Lake Rd
MLS#30752 $219,900 Fantastic package! 37 acres on Pike Lake Rd. 2 bdrm 2 bath and 1 car garage. Only 8 miles to town but pure private.Direct access to
Grand Marais 241 Mile O Pine Rd
MLS#6003228 $390,500
Gunflint Lake 3 Season Home on 200’ of prime frontage, 3 BR, 1 ¾ baths, big rock fireplace, 11 big picture windows, guest cabin, boat dock, well and approved septic. Living and dining area is nicely paneled with a paneled ceiling. Excellent Lake and woods views with 11 picture windows. The porch wraps two sides of the house and is 6” wide. The house comes with most furnishings including a big moose head, bearskin rug and flint musket to complete the North woods life. Enjoy days by the lake on a new aluminum dock.
MLS#6003124
at the end of North Pike
on
The
Tofte - Bluefin Bay Unit 66
MLS#6001732
$525,000
This outstanding Grand Superior town home has wonderful views of Lake Superior from main level living which includes a lakeside
wood
dining area, sofa
and private BR with Jacuzzi. The 2nd
suite includes a
Jacuzzi,
and
includes a queen bed, TV, private bath and micro and small refrigerator. Multiple rental options providing significant revenues under the professional management of Blue Fin Bay family of resorts.
Lutsen 261 Caps Trail Tait Lake
MLS#6001233 $334,500
Tait Lake in Lutsen. Wonderfully appointed and extremely well maintained 2 bedroom, loft and 2 bath south facing home on a 2.9 acre parcel and 190’ of shoreline with dock. Abundance of natural light throughout the home. New addition in 2006 includes second bedroom, bathroom hallway and laundry. Office added in 2011 (could be converted to third bedroom). Excellent value. Call Katterine today for your private showing.
Grand Marais 517 S Gunflint Trail
MLS#6000932 $599,000
Gunflint Lake home on nearly 12 acres of forest land with 619’ of private shoreline on Gunflint Lake. Two stall detached garage, guest cabin, boathouse and woodshed. Priced below taxable market value! Call Bruce today for showing.
Jonvick Creek Beautiful home sites in mature Maple, Spruce and Birch forest. $29,500-54,900
xxx Sawbill Trail 120 Acres located up the Sawbill Trail. Large Maples MLS# 27551 $199,900
xxx Mountain Ash Ln Cedar covered hillside overlooking Lake Superior in Lutsen.
MLS#60000147 $649,000
xxx Mile O’Pine 1.6 acres, Gunflint Trail. MLS#6002389 $179,900
xxx Leveaux Ridge
3.45 acres Birch Forest, pines, Lake Superior View MLS#6002548 $37,500,
Johannes Toftey Homestead Sites
Beautiful hillside lots in Tofte with Lake Superior and Carlton Peak views.
Lutsen 5295 W Hwy 61
MLS#6002804 $129,000
Two+ bedroom manufactured home located downtown Lutsen. New septic and deck summer 2011. Newer roof, furnace and dishwasher. Great location with convenient horseshoe driveway and level lot. Solid foundation. Walking distance to “downtown Lutsen” and close proximity to area employers and related businesses. Very nice floor plan with well appointed furnishings included.
Lutsen 4010 Cascade Beach Rd
MLS#6002547 $429,000
Well-built and well maintained 2 bedroom 2 bath Lake Superior Home near Black Point on Cascade Beach Road in Lutsen. Wood burning fireplace with living, dining and kitchen combined with orientation toward lake and very nice views. Separate yearround sun room and third room study. Main level laundry with separate study/craft room or 3rd bedroom option.
K2
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.
$35,750-55,000
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
342 Rd Schroeder 160 acres covered in Maples, Birch, and other mixed forest. Can be sold as parcels.
MLS#6000143 $199,000
Lot 13 Sawmill Bay 233’ shoreline 2.2 acres MLS#31370 $88,000
179 Birch Trail MLS#6002382 $469,000
Custom built timber frame home with outstanding Lake Superior views. Home features exposed timbers, vaulted ceilings, well oriented window placement and wraparound deck. Beautifully appointed kitchen, custom staircase and great room fireplace. Bordered by Cascade State Park. Over-sized detached two stall garage complete with second level private living quarters and deck.
Hovland 90 Stonegate Rd
MLS#6002703 $699,000
This home blends pure quality restating an original Lake Superior homestead with a Clarence Kemp addition that seamlessly ties two areas under one roof with masterful eloquence. Kitchen with custom made cabinetry, high-end appliances, gas stove, granite countertops and a custom designed brick-oven. An open living space with the Great Room with vaulted ceilings with Lake Superior view. Kitchen, great room and dining room are all connected.
Lutsen 181 S Caribou
MLS#6002800 $334,900
Caribou Lake Home with outstanding views. Located on South Caribou Drive in Lutsen. Three bedrooms, two bath, lower level walk-out and upper level loft. Large windows and deck overlooking Caribou Lake. Wooded and private. Large permanent dock and landing platform. Home well appointed complete with new washer/dryer, efficient kitchen area and nice appointments. Large parking area and parking pad sufficient for multiple cars, boat storage and more. Off peak heating canisters with electric base-board back-up. Move-in ready.
Lutsen 5170 W Hwy 61
MLS# 6003083 $349,000
Authentic and classic late 1940’s - 1950’s log home located in Lutsen near Caribou Trail. Deep, private and recessed 2 acre lot. Home has been meticulously maintained and well cared for spanning four decades and two generations within the same family. Drilled well providing seasonal water use. Septic functional but noncompliant. Cool cabin, cool piece of real estate, mutli-options present themselves for future use consideration. An all around cool place.
QuIeT OasIs On THe bIg Lake! relax and just enjoy Life, a masterpiece of main level living for the couple who enjoys entertaining but also enjoys having their own space at the end of the night, why, that’s why you have two guest quarters!
MLs#6003227 $895,000
a rchitecturally designed
hUge
to soak in the superior Views! enjoy two fireplaces, two levels of living! great location between Lutsen and tofte! ML s#6001010 $344,900
TOW nHOMe aT W IndsOng On Lake su PeRIOR! Up and Coming beaver bay boasts an easier drive to the cities and really good Value! a mazing layout to soak in the Views, this home won’t disappoint! ML s#6002658 $339,000
L ake suPeRIOR LOg CabIn! This home has tons of value in it with 4 br and 2.5 ba, move in ready home just waiting for you to make it your own! shoreline is nice cobblestone beach with fire pit! The interior of the home is nicely updated with new granite counters in the kitchen, which opens to an informal dining area and a wide open family room space! ML s#6001711
R eduCed! $325,000
easY LIVIng On Lake suPeRIOR! super location between grand marias and Lutsen with incredible views of the big Lake! meticulously maintained, move in ready, great Opportunity to make this your dream Lake superior home! MLs#6001226 $569,500
beauTY and THe
bIg Lake! Quality crafted townhome features an owner’s suite so luxurious your family and guests may wonder if you’ll ever reappear! 476’ of shared shore w/ a point that juts dramatically into the lake forming good harbor & Cutface Creek beach. Water, sewer, ext. maint. covered by assoc., Just show up, relax, and e xplore! ML s#6002475 $375,000
LuTsen sea VILL as, Level accessible Lake superior! The Lutsen sea Villas are a great Way for those who enjoy vacationing long term or short term along the north shore! a ffordable association dues make for low maintenance living with a good management company available for offsetting the ownership costs. a nd if you want to keep the Villa all to yourself, you can! One, two and three bedroom Villas available, most recently update and all in the heart of Lutsen just a short shuttle to Lutsen mountains ski resort! From $189,000 Call tOday! k3 $189,000 RenOVaTed! b3 $300,000 2 bedRM MInT! b1 $400,000 YR ROund LIVIn’! C5 $249,9000 ReMOdeLed!
Ma RV eLOus Lake suPeRIOR LIVIng! Well maintained Family Compound with yr round newer home on 8+ ac and 340+ ft accessible shoreline! but’s it really about “The shining rocks” The “rock 1” log cabin was built early 30’s, and it’s been lovingly maintained by only a handful of families since. Cabins rock 1, 2 & 3 create this incredible family compound!
ML s#6002529 $799,000
60 aC WITH Lake V IeWs
e of grand marais! keep this gem all to yourself and enjoy plenty of elbow room!
ML s#6002841 $124,900
sHOCk Ing V IeWs, InCR edIbLe HOMe! bowl Over your guests with the Lake superior views, quality crafted home with fine finishings and thoughtful design! Lovely setting perched atop the sawtooth r idges over blue Fin bay in tofte! MLs#6002232 $550,000
L OV eLY bLue FIn baY Lake superior home! modern and functional space from the kitchen overlooking the lake and great room, flowing through a newly remodeled upper level, you’ll fall in love with this townhome! nice rental revenues makes this vacation home a keeper! MLs#6002385 $554,900
M Y OH M Y MILes OF V IeW! Lake superior sprawls from your feet on a park like serene Lakeshore parcel with plenty of shoreline from an elevated building site. a must see! ML s#6002686 $275,000
dR ea MY Lake su PeRIOR land and lakeshore! several acres of privacy and way more than 200 ft of Level access Lake superior shoreline in schroeder, near sugarloaf Cove naturalist a rea! MLs#6001554 ReduCed! $275,000
Lake su PeRIOR 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 $279,900 ReduCed Huge!!
dR ea MY Lake suPeRIOR V IeW home in Lutsen! Floor to Vaulted Ceiling windows draw you to the massive Lake superior Views from this Lindal Cedar home! top notch Quality home, tons of space for entertaining, and enjoy the new rock patio and fire pit, a great place to create your family vacation memories!
ML s#6002838 $399,000 InCR edIbLe Va Lue!
CR az Y bIg Lake bIg MOunTa In 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
Fish Camp for friends and family to gather and enjoy the cabin, guest cabin and sauna house! a nd catch some fish! MLs#6001054 $299,000 baRgaIn!
seCLusIOn, PeaCe, Lake. gR een WOOd Lake! Quality built by fine local craftsmen, on one of the best lots on greenwood Lake! end of the road location bordered by state land! mature White pines, level lake access, dock in place. hand hewn Log siding, tOns of windows and skylights to allow the light to flow thru this green Living Off grid home! soapstone propane stove & wood burning stove, solar system, hot tub, sauna! Vacation at your Lake home on greenwood! ML s#6002522 $499,900
MesMeRIzed On CL a R a Lake In LuTsen! spectacular Land and Lakeshore with Fed Land across the road. rustic Cabin to boot! must see $175,000 ML s#6003077
aRCHITeCTuR a L dOOzIe On CHRIsTIne Lake in Lutsen! Luxury Lodge style home with basalt stone Fireplace engulfed between built in douglas Fir bookcases…get the picture? total Quality, total serenity from this very Cool Lutsen Lake home with bunkhouse, tons of privacy and wildlife! rental revenues offset ownership costs! MLs#6001978 $455,000 aWesOMe VaLue!
Ta IT Lake HOMe In LuTsen! enjoy Fall leaf color from the breezy deck overlooking the 260 ft of shoreline! tons of light flows through the Living room focusing on Wilderness lake views. Well maintained year round home is totally dialed in and the garage boasts a roomy workshop with spacious guest suite! ML s#6002868 $349,000
HOLY sMOkes , IT’s a H a R bOR dOW nTOW n bu ILdIng FOR sa Le! enjoy Whimsical Living space in Upper level and Outdoor Courtyard garden deck! Lease the main level business front for rental revenue, rare , Fab V ieWs OF the harbOr! ML s#6003100 $429,000
jaW dROPPIng COOL Ca RIbOu Lake LOT! mature maples, birch and Cedars on hillside building site with the backdrop of ledgerock walls and Ledgerock boulder shoreline, an a rchitect’s dream site, an incredible piece of land and lakeshore! ML s#6002791 $250,000
400 FT WITH 14 aC On deVIL TR aCk Lake! What more can we say? Oh yes, there is a nice meandering driveway through mature red pines leading to level access beach shoreline. Quite nice! ML s#6002721 $375,000
shared shoreline, water and septic, allow you to just enjoy the Wilderness that surrounds ninemile Lake, lake access for fun fishing and swimming! newer 2 story home ML s#6002645 $159,000!
sW eeTsHOR eLIne On W HITe PIne Lake! honeymoon trail location in Lutsen, this level lot is build ready with a meandering driveway in place, garage/cabin and access to both the lake and the tait r iver, yr rd access & elec avail. ML s#6002667 R eduCed!$180,000 a nCIenT PInes On Ta IT Lake! Lovely log sided Cabin with Vaulted Ceilings, gorgeous Fireplace, and awesome Views! so much to Offer, yr r nd Living on tait Lake in Lutsen! ML s#6003095 $369,000
IM agIne IF YOu Can, your Own peninsula on greenwood Lake! Comfortable living in this m int Condition cabin surrounded (well almost) by water, with Onan slow start generator, sauna house, and stylish 2 bedrm plus loft home with hUge views of greenwood Lake! MLs#6002348 $429,000
LOV eLY dOV e Ta IL LOg HOMe! 20 ac in Lutsen, super Views! maple syrup business add’l, ask k im Wolff for details! ML s#6002581 $335,000.
Fa MILY Fun aT LuTsen
MOunTa Ins-Ca RIbOu HIgHL ands ResORT! spend your days hiking, biking and speeding down the a lpine slide, and walk to Live music at Lutsen mountains! Check out the value of these gorgeous Vacation homes adjoining the Lutsen mountain ski resort! multiple Units available from 1 to 4 bedrm: ML s#6002881 $115,000
WILdeR ness TOW n HOMe FOR CROssCOunTRY sk IIng! 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! MLs#6001979 ReduCed!! $143,000
FeaTuR ed LIsTIng!
526 moose mountain, mint Condition with great Views, a must see at bargain $199,500 ML s#6002963
naTu R a L beauTY! main level year round living just east of grand marais, with insulated garage! ML s#6002327 $198,000
FIne LIVIng In FInL and! Cherry cabinets in k itchen, huge deck overlooking pines! garage and sheds. great price! $175,000 ML s#6002456
FunCTIOna L HOMe
On 6 aC in between Lutsen and tofte, just a minute to the ski hill or sugarbush XCountry trails! garage, tons of space! $199,000 ML s#6002213
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 W eLL beLOW what has already been put into this tremendous lot! ML s#6001308 $124,900
CLean LInes and easy Living in tofte! sweet 2 plus bedroom, detached garage and nice Lake superior views, you will enjoy coming home after a day of outdoor adventure! a must see to appreciate how nice this home is! ML s#6001945 $169,000
aRCHITeCTuR a L desIgn near Carlton peak! good bang for your buck for square footage, this multi-level home is very Cool. Updated gourmet kitchen, new flooring and carpet and two garages! ML s#6001636 $240,000
IM agIne YOu R VaCaTIOn bunga LOW just across from blue Fin bay on Lake superior…your mortgage could be less than a week’s stay at blue Fin! needs a little tLC, has new roof! $139,000! ML s#6001354
CabIn LIVIng WITH eLbOW ROOM! great location between blue Fin bay and Lutsen mountains, make this your winter getaway retreat! easy access to hiking, biking, snowmobiling…you name it and it’s within minutes! 4+ acres, nice Lake superior views and a two plus garage! ML s#6000042 $140,000
Fa RM sTYLe HOMe WITH sH aza MMM Lake suPeRIOR
V IeWs! great schroeder location near the temperance r iver and Cross r iver, this home has tons of offer, and just needs a bit of tLC to complete the recent renovations. give this home a new look! ML s#6002837 $169,000 suPeR OPPORTunITY, rent the Lower Level and love living on the main level with wrap around deck and LOV eLy Lake superior views! really worth a
s i Lver Bay to Litt L e Marais to Fin L and & i sa B e LL a!
New! Mount Rockwood Overlooking Lake superior just outside silver bay
$110,000 MLs#6003239
Hunting Camp or get AWAY cabin! 40 ac parcel with rustic cabin, sauna and storage! nature conservatory on border, forest service land on another!
MLs#6002962 $124,900
80 acres for $79,000 blesner Lake rd!
MLs#6003110
Show Stopping Views from this White tail r idge building site, looks over Wolf r idge eLC, astounding mountain top Views! MLs#6002468 $79,000
Rocky Wall land with driveway in place, hUge views of shovel point!
MLs#6002434 $99,000
Swallow Lake Land, isabella a rea Wilderness shoreline in a mature pine area off deep Lake rd. multitude of Lakes abound, much recreational opportunity!
MLs#30253 $69,900
Enough Is Enough! We are talking 30 acres of elevated rolling hills bordering the r idge looking down the Little manitou r iver to Lake superior. Can subdivide, but at this price, you’ll want to keep it all for yourself!
MLs#24573 $149,000
SHAZAAAM Lake Superior views with 5th Wheel, electric at build site minutes to tettagouche state park
MLs#30736 $119,000!
Sonju Lake Road in Finland! several large parcels from $44,900 MLs#6001324
Huge Lake Superior views, build site surrounded by cliff wall and creek!
MLs#6001295 $89,900
Perhaps the most unique piece of property on the north shore! Old rock quarry is surrounded by steep ledge rock reaching up to the sky. your own little lagoon like lake on the top of sawtooth mountain ridge, it’s simply stunning. rugged terrain that was touched by man many years ago, time has now passed and the land has gone back to wilderness with mature pines and south facing maples. MLs#6001560-66 FROM $89,000
Zeke’s Road 30 ac parcel-great hunting land! MLs#6001525 $42,500
10 Ac Parcels of Maples! scramble across the rolling terrain of mature maples (breathtaking in the Fall) to a sweet building site perched Over a mixed boreal Forest, good Levels of serenity For sure! year round access and electric at road! ML s#6000676 $56,900
Over 5 acres of Young Aspen and Lake superior Views on the sugarloaf road, Walk to superior hiking trail or sugarloaf Cove on Lake superior! ML s#25632 $29,900
Sugarloaf Retreats on High Ridge Drive, located up the surgaloaf road from sugarloaf Cove naturalist a rea, enjoy large acreage parcels at rock bottom prices! From $62,000! ML s#25701-4
t o F te a rea
n ear B LueFin Bay r esort!
LeVeaux Mountain Foothill site,Cliff wall to your back! $45,000 MLs#6003160
Affordable Elevated Built Site bordering UsFs lands, yr round, electric! $15,900 MLs#6003223
LeVeaux Mountain, super Views and Wildlife ponds! FROM $52,500 MLs#6002929 & MLs#6002995
Gorgeous 5 acre parcels in the heart of Lutsen paved Caribou trail locale bordering UsFs lands! MLs#6002383 FROM 54,900-$77,500
Rollins Ridge land, hike to Oberg mtn from your front door! MLs#6002351 ReduCed! $49,900
What an opportunity! 30 plus acres on Lutsen’s ski hill rd, just down the hill from the midwest’s best ski area: Lutsen mountains. great views of Lake superior and toward moose mountain. property has coveted resort, commercial, residential designation. The possibilities are endless!!
MLs#6002951 $269,900
Honeymoon Trail Wildlife Lands! 10 ac nearby poplar r iver in Lutsen, great hunting or hiking land at a sUper great price! nice boreal Forest with build site bordering UsFs lands! ML s#26729 $39,900
Caribou Lake Area Build Site on 5 Ac! at the base of the sawtooth r idge overlooking Caribou Lake is this sweet land perfect for your year round cabin with easy access to all that Lutsen Offers!
ML s#6000-049 $49,900
30 acres of Prime Wilderness Land with year round access and electric at street with Views of Lutsen’s famed Clara Lake! ML s#6001462 $137,500
Lovely 20 acre parcel located on the outskirts of Lutsen, only minutes to bigsby and Caribou Lakes! nice mixed forest with high ground for choice building sites. great price for your northwoods getaway!
ML s#31531 $37,900
New! Own your own park in the heart of grand marais! MLs#6002396 $17,000
Between Grand Marais and Devil Track Lake 60 Acres! rolling terrain and nice mixed forest and grasslands just up the gunflint trail and devil track Lake rd, this is a great location and an amazing price! ML s#6000-606 $95,900
Bordering Cascade River Park! potential to subdivide or keep it all for yourself! nice Lake superior Views from multiple build sites, hike right in to the park land with access to Cascade r iver falls and Lake superior! ML s#31097 $200,000
County Rd 7 Murphy Mountain Lake View lands! bargain buys in young poplar Forest, easy clearing for sweet Lake superior Views for as little as $39,900! Or enjoy hilltop build site with driveway in place, creek bordering site for $89,900! ML s#25633
60 Ac with Lake Views e of grand marais! keep this gem all to yourself and enjoy plenty of elbow room! MLs#6002841 $124,900
Parten Way on Pike Lake Rd! panoramic Vistas of the sawtooths, road rough in, a five minute drive to new pike Lake Landing! yr round access! $39,900 uP MLs#6003047
$199,000
160 acre parcel of upland maples and boreal forest. beautiful forest, absolute quiet, total seclusion. Owned by the same family since 1904!
Just Up the Sawbill Trail grab your little piece of the northwoods, rolling terrain and small community feel with year round access, great build sites!
ML s#6001346 From $17,500!!
MLs#6002612 $140,000
Wilderness Getaway near Tettegouche State Park, good point to Lake superior! rustic log cabin with electricity is waiting for your tLC to bring it in to its next life! MLs#6002571 $64,900
s chroeder a rea n ear the c ross r iver!
40 Ac of Maples and boreal forest meandering toward a sweet moose pond and creek, with driveway in place and cleared build site! MLs#6002822 $125,000
Sweet mint cabin on 10 ac of maples! $87,900 MLs#6002164
Gorgeous Acreage Overlooking sawtooth range! yr round, electric. $45,000 MLs#6003185
Toftevaag on the Sawbill, nice Lake Views! Walk to the Coho, great location! FROM $53,000 MLs#29252
Cool Spot for your Dream Home!driveway is in place leading to a drop dead gorgeous building site with ledge rock vertical drop water fall!
MLs#6002624 $65,000
Lutsen Lake v iews & w i L derness Lands!
Turnagain Trail Hunting Parcel! Convenient to everything, but end of the road! FROM $59,000 MLs#6003036
Over 15 ac of Wilderness on turnagain trail in Lutsen! MLs#6002934 $69,500
Prime Build Site(s) just off theCaribou at Jonvick Creek! $49,000 MLs#6003188
Gorgeous Views of Williams and Wills Lake in Lutsen! year round access, electric, mountain top site bordering UsFs land. a Wonderful place to build your northwoods home!
ML s#6001685 $79,000
Super Building Site on Honeymoon Trail Lutsen locale with electric and all year access! high ground!
ML s#6001796 $28,800
Grand Marais Location Location Location!
60 Acres Minutes to Grand Marais near devil track Lake! easy walking/biking access across Fed land to monker Lake!
ML s#6002586 $95,900
New! Birch Drive just west of grand marais, wilderness living with sUper build sites, borders UsFs lands, year round access! great buy at $49,900 MLs#6002349
A River Runs Through It! 160 acres of Upland and r iver Frontage on the Cascade r iver near eagle mountain, a rare Find with tons of opportunity. Whether hunting land or Wilderness retreat, this is a great Opportunity! ML s#31732 $140,000
VOYageuR POInT On POPL a R Lake! new boat dock allows you to get out over the water and look down the bay. nice path from dock to boat house and to elevated home site. MLs#6002494 $159,000 ba Rga
ake in Lutsen, year round access with over 10 acres and 200 feet of shoreline! hilltop building site with cleared path thru cedar forest to Christine Lake, a super wilderness lake great for paddling your days away! ML s#28961 $129,000 deLuxe
exeCutive estate at ChiMNeY roCk Absolutely spectacular soft contemporary home situated above Chimney Rock with miles of panoramic views of Lake Superior. This is one of the most stunning offerings you will see. See the Chimney Rock website as there are so many features you will not want to miss. www.stunninglakesuperiorhome.com Mls # 6002771 $1,930,900
private l ake superior 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! Mls#6002084 $1,250,000
oNe oF a kiND l ake superior parCel This Lake Superior lot has ledge rock, coves, creeks and a spectacular view of the lighthouse in Grand Marais and the Sawtooth Mountain ridges to the west. Only a short walk to the shops and dining in Grand Marais. The over-sized septic was installed and built to accommodate 5+ bedrooms. End of the road privacy, private bridge over a bubbling creek to access the site. Mls#6003042 $729,000
FiNish to Your likiNg Lake Superior, affordable, finish to taste. This new lake shore home sits on 110 feet of north shore ledge rock with great views. The 2 bedroom, 2 bath home is quality constructed and partially completed inside. It's ready for you to use now and finish to your own taste and time frame. Mls# 6002642 $369,500
ChiCago baY hoMe Located along coveted Chicago Bay Road, this charming Lake Superior cottage has fresh paint, new carpet and counters. Roomy spaces with large windows for great views of the lake. Mls# 6002611 $185,000
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 guNFliNt
l ake superior CharMer Privacy, gardens and 250' Lake Superior Shoreline make this a fantastic home and location! Look at Artists Point from the deck. Feel secluded at the end of the road. The house sits just feet from the stunning Lake Superior shoreline! Kitchen with wall of glass that brings the outdoors inside. Mls#6002465 $625,000
l ake superior l aND parCel. Elevated site with slope to lake. Rugged Shoreline. Towering White Pines, Spruce, Birch and Cedar. Must be seen to be appreciated. Views to offshore island. Great Building Site. Mls #6002594 $379,000
total peaCe, privaCY aND solituDe Spectacular custom executive log home and retreat located on 2 lots, 750' of shoreline and over 13 acres on pristine Greenwood Lake. The main home consists of 2932sqft of living space. 3 bedrooms including a lovely master suite, 2 baths with showers and one with whirlpool tub. The lake view is spectacular through lots of glass from all the rooms. Mls# 6002467 $989,000
CustoM-built CabiN McFarland Lake. This quality cabin has custom built-in cabinets and bookshelves. Views overlook the palisades through a forest of mature cedar trees. The lot feels private and peaceful. There’s a large shed, with beautiful cedar sauna. Furnished and includes the dock, boat, canoe and kayak for your wilderness adventures just a short paddle to BWCAW. Mls#6003044 $239,900
CasCaDe lake privaCY. This is the only private land on the lake. Enjoy the utmost privacy and unspoiled wilderness views with 87 acres and over 3,000’ of shoreline. Includes a well-maintained cabin, sauna, dock and outhouse. Easy year-round access. Unique opportunity to own a private wilderness compound! Mls #31513 $700,000. seagull lake – large lot, great vieW Over 660' on Sea Gull Lake. Tremendous views, many build sites and a nice boat cove. Driveway into pad where old cabin was located. Great location for your wilderness home or cabin! Mls #6002455 $329,000
2 speCtaCular lake superior lots at terraCe poiNt. Outstanding shoreline views all the way to Artist Point & Grand Marais. Each has dramatic shoreline. Great location west of town. priced at Mls 6000590, $600,000 and Mls 6001067 $300,000 ChiMNeY ro Ck poiNt. Spectacular Lake Superior lot framed by the palisades. Nicely wooded with two or more perfect build sites. Shared septic for development is in. Mls#6002417 $365,000
CasCaDe beaCh
CabiN Spectacular ledge rock Lake Superior parcel on Cascade Beach Road. There are rock outcroppings, a cove and could be improved to year round. No septic sites located. Mls# 6002552 $399,000
private harriet lake retreat Want seclusion? Here is a classic homestead property at the end of a private road. It has 87 acres and 1300 feet of shoreline on a peaceful bay of Harriet Lake. There is no other private land on the bay, and adjoining on two side of this property. There are two older cabins that can be swept out and put to use. Lots of white pines. Mls#6003076 $325,000
WilsoN lake lot. Strikingly beautiful 5.4 acre lot, 355’ of shoreline with great build sites near the lake or tucked around the bluff for gorgeous views. Mls #6002430 $259,500.
private hiDeaWaY Charming cabin on 150' of Little Ollie Bay on Poplar Lake. Adjoins BWCAW. Easy access to Banadad Ski Trail. Nice views, deck, 2 bedrooms, bath and sauna. Used as a managed rental unit with good income and history. Mls #6002044 $259,900
power, phone and great building sites. South shore, 200 ft. frontage, great views. Build your home on the lake here. Mls #6001771 $198,900. great poplar l ake lo CatioN. Large 2.11 acre parcel w/charming cabin sitting at water's edge has view down the lake. Redone kitchen; one BDR with huge windows, living room with great view and stone fplc w/wood stove. Mls# 6002476 $194,900 large aND private lake lot. This Greenwood Lake parcel has great views, classic boulder shore, dense pine forest and easy lake access. Plenty of elbow room with many nice cabin/home sites. Mls #6001764 $192,500 solituDe oN looN lake. This lot is located on the south side of Loon Lake and offers great lake views. The main road is in place and power is on the lot line. These lots offer a great shoreline and many nice trees. Mls #6001605, 6002124, 6002128 $192,000
privaCY oN aND oFF the Water! Large lake parcel with 650' of shoreline and 20 acres. Mature forest with some white pine, picturesque building site with SW views, and great shoreline. Mls#6002477 $189,000
MCFarlaND l ake 5 acres and 244’ feet of shoreline waiting for your getaway. Paddle directly into the BWCAW or relax by the shore taking in the view of McFarland Lakes' Palisades. Mls# 6002905 $179,500
speCtaCular
West bearskiN
Beautiful views, dense forest and direct BWCAW access. High building site affords views, level shoreline has lots of room for the dock and boats. Very private and dense forest at the end of a dead-end road. New stairway stystem to lakeshore. Mls# 6002464 $178,000
poplar l ake
aMaZiNg hoMe Near trestle piNe lake. 3 BR, 2 BA home up the Gunflint Trail only a few minutes from many great lakes. The interior has an open bright feeling and is move-in ready! Mls #6002885 $169,000
CharMer This darling classic Gunflint Trail cabin is perched in the trees overlooking a quiet bay of Poplar Lake. It's rustic, but easily accessible and has direct access to the BWCAW. Just the place for your weekend escapes. Mls#6002539 $169,000
Qualit Y Devil traCk lake lot.
Heavily wooded south shore lot with 150’ of shore. Easy shoreline, great views, excellent building sites. Power/phone. More shoreline available. Mls #6001770 $149,900.
south shore hoMe site Beautifully wooded parcel on Devil Track Lake's South Shore Dr, 153 feet of shoreline with nice trees and view, survey and new 700' long driveway. Sharply priced to sell!
Mls# 6002540 $125,000
greeNWooD
l ake Lovely, wooded lot on desirable Greenwood Lake. High elevation with spectacular views of the whole lake, bays and islands. This lot is surveyed, has a new driveway and turn around. Mls#6002946 $119,000
sale peNDiNg
reCreatioN paraDise oN toM l ake. Charming 1960's era cedar cabin right at the water's edge. Unique to have a Boat House right on the water that is grandfathered-in. Sold "turn-key" ready to move in and start fishing. Mls#6002496 $99,000
oN Water’s eDge
The original "Grandpa's Cabin" nestled in the woods right at water's edge. Small and very cute, the perfect getaway from town or work on those lazy hot days of summer. Mls # 6002695 $89,900
CasC
$84,900
trout haveN. Six nicely wooded, west-facing lakelots on Hare Lake. Easy county road access. Power available. Beautiful views, nice shoreline, good trout fishing. starting at $82,000.
toWeriNg piNes, West bearskiN l ake. Totally charming log cabin in towering pines. The cabin is in great shape and has been lovingly maintained. The 2 bedroom cabin is a summer-use place to reflect and escape. It comes furnished and is ready for you to move in. BWCAW just a short paddle down this premier Gunflint Trail Lake. Mls# 6002814 $319,000
paNoraMiC
MaiNteNaNCe-Free oN l ake superior Gorgeous, 3-level residential condo in Tofte. Beautiful views and quality finishes. Ideal floor plan has 3 beds and 3 baths. Private outdoor space on every level with two decks and a patio. Can be sold as a "turnkey residence" or "rental ready"-you decide. Mls #6002039 $359,000
vieWs Unit 11A and 11B at Terrace Point offers buyers an opportunity to enjoy panoramic lake views and Lake Superior experiences. Architectural designs inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright and John Howe. There are numerous built in furnishings built to a high standard. Mls#6002759 $235,000 and Mls#6002760 $215,000
perFeCt getaWaY Mls # 6002657 $109,000
lake superior C oND o/toFte. Great lake views from this 2 bedroom + loft unit with 2 baths, fireplace, balcony looking up the shore. Chateau LeVeaux offers many updated amenities, indoor pool, sauna, game room, and on-site manager. Mls #6000473 $100,000.
exeCutive hoMe With l arge shop + liviNg Quarters Country home with huge shop and apartment. Quality home on secluded 20 acres in maple forest. Sunny living/ kitchen area. Expansive master loft-suite. Huge deck with large yard and open mature woods. 3-car garage. 3100 sq ft. shop/ office/apt. perfect for cottage "industry" or other creative use. More land available. Mls# 6002767 $599,000
iMMaCulate lutseN hoMe Mls #6003089 $344,900
peNDiNg hoMes & CabiNs
huge hoMe-MaNY possibilities Large home or commercial opportunity on Hwy 61 between Hovland and Grand Portage. The 7 bedroom home has been an inn, B & B, rooming house, antique shop and retail store. Resort/commercial zoning allows many options. Large deck, stone fireplace, Lake Superior views, +/- 500' of rushing river frontage. Mls #6002691 $289,900
C ouNtrY hoMe iN hovlaND. Lovely 4 BR/3 BA home on 7.76 acres. Master suite with huge walk-in closet. Open living room with stone fireplace, formal dining room, big kitchen. Office/den opens into the attached garage. 32’ x 40’ pole building has storage for toys. Partially finished basement. Country living at its best! Mls #6002258 $259,500.
CouNtrY liviNg
graND Marais hoMe. Conveniently located in town with incredible views of Lake Superior. The home features 4 BR, 3 BA with a great layout and tons of storage space. Master BR includes a custom whirlpool tub, skylight, and a separate covered porch overlooking the harbor. The kitchen has been totally redone. Drive-through garage. Mls #6002043 $247,000
eNergY eFFiCieNt
beautiFul lutseN hoMe 3- BR country home in Lutsen
hoMe. Earth sheltered home with over 5 acres and a creek. Conveniently located near Grand Marais and Gunflint Trail. 4 BR, 3 BA with a 2-car detached garage. Updated and remodeled with many custom features. This home is designed for the person who wants to live the rural, energy-efficient lifestyle. Mls #6001812. $234,000
$219,000
Enjoy the peace and calm of true country living. Charming rambler nestled in 26 acres of meadow and woods. Plenty of storage, built ins, and garage space, even a heated studio! Mls #6002460 $242,500 reCreatioNal base CaMp. This great parcel in Tofte has two garage buildings waiting for your toys. Either one could easily become living space. The two lots have room for a home with views of a dramatic creek gorge with waterfall and Lake Superior. It's a park-like setting. Mls #6002143 $179,900 great toFte loCatioN--2 beDrooM hoMe. Quality built one-level home has 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, fireplace, full basement and attached heated garage. New tile and carpet flooring. Up to date and ready to move in. Nice deck off the dining room with a large private back yard for kids, pets and wildlife. Huge spruce trees give lots of privacy. Commercial zoning if you want to run your business here. Mls#6003116 $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.
perFeCt starter hoMe
This cute and affordable country home is at the end of Brandon Lane with a nice, private yard. There is an A frame cottage for storage or would make a great playhouse.
This is a perfect starter or empty nester.
Has a nice two car detached garage. Finished second bedroom in lower level, laundry and extra storage. Mls#6003034 $149,900
NeW priCe! rustiC log, roiliNg river , MoDerN C oMForts This log kit home sits on the scenic Flute Reed River in Hovland, just a short walk to Lake Superior's shore. The seasonal cabin has a great screen porch, modern kitchen and comes furnished with cabin-style furnishings and sportsman's décor. +/- 400' of dramatic river frontage. You can't beat the sound of a North Shore river! Mls #6003153 $140,000.
NeW C oNstruCtioN
iN 2008. Never occupied. Built to have working shop and garage on 1st level and family living space upstairs. Furnace in, some plumbing. Property has kennel permit and access to trails. Great location. Mls#6002150 $125,000
CabiN oFF irish Creek roaD Beautiful recreation, hunting, nicely forested land that hasn't been logged since early 1900. Seller is a musher and has trails throughout property and old logging roads on adjoining state lands. Mls#6002992 $67,500
busiNess aND hoMe. The Gunflint Motel in Grand Marais is a longestablished business located just a block from the harbor. There are 5 large motel units with kitchens, plus a full lower apartment in the motel structure. All are in great shape. There is also a 4 bedroom, 2 bath owner's home that has had many recent updates and enhancements. It features hardwood floors, large deck, and great views of the harbor. Mls#6002290 $419,000 big opportuNitY, MaNY possibilities.
Prime commercial location in Hovland with 1,000 feet of Highway 61 frontage.
Large commercial space now operating as a gift shop, small 2 bedroom home and 1 functioning rental cottage. Two other small cabins could be rented, and there is room for many more...Mls #6003052 $299,900
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.
CeDar grove busiNess park lots. Cedar Grove Business Park is the ideal location for your existing business or new start-up! Conveniently located in Grand Marais, near the start of the iconic Gunflint Trail. Full infrastructure in place including paved streets, municipal sewer and water, electric and telephone. Call us today for a guided tour of this unique and affordable business park opportunity. prices start at $10,000
10 aCres oN C ouNt Y 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
l aND oN the Flute reeD river
Enjoy privacy and seclusion in a deep 13 acre parcel with over 300 feet of trout stream. County road with power, phone and broadband available. Good sites to build your home or cabin in the woods. Mls#6002960 $49,900
gravel operatioN. Gravel pit, 160 acres, CUP in place. Includes: metal building 54 x 75, remaining crushed gravel, remaining loam stock piled (phs) and clay stock piled. Taxes and survey assessment to be pro-rated. Mls#6002403 $300,000 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. huNter's haveN 80 acres in Schroeder, MN. Rolling land with wonderful wildlife habitat including stream, beaver dam with large pond, and a good mixture of trees and low vegetation. Great seasonal cabin. Mls #6002159 $142,500
large parCel With possible subDivisioN poteNtial. Great Lake Superior views on the higher elevations. A small creek runs through part of the parcel. Priced below assessed value. Mls #6001758 $129,000
Caribou l ake hoMe site Magnificent, old-growth cedars and maples framing a corner lot in the Sawmill Bay area of Caribou Lake with 185’ of low-lying lake frontage. Terrific wildlife habitat with easy, year-round access. Mls# 6002756 $110,000
Maples, vieWs, privaCY. 85+ acres near Hovland. New road access, adjoining federal land. South exposure and views. Seasonal access. Mls #6001633 $99,900.
Five aCres Near toWN. Ready to build, Croftville location, Superior view, nice forest, RC/Residential zoning. Mls #6001810 $74,900. priCe reDuCtioN
DraMatiC
from, southern exposure from the
of Chicago
Mls #6001901 & 1902 $59,900 & 6001903 $54,900
Deer huNter’s paraDise 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. Great cabin spot! Near Tom, Chester, Esther and Devilfish lakes. Mls #6003078 $50,250
lake eFFeCt hoMe site – hovlaND. Great 4-acre home site. Close to Lake Superior, with some views, nice forest, easy access off of Highway 61 on shared driveway. A great place to call home or nestle-in with your recreational cabin. Mls#6002952 $47,900.
WoNDerFul vieWs oF lake superior! 3 lots available; wooded and private. Minutes to ski hill, Superior National, Lutsen shops. Surveyed, year round access. Mls #6002918, 6002919,06002920 lots start at $52,000.
reCreatioNal laND For hiDe-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. Mls #6002514 $39,900. sale peNDiNg reCreatioNal parCel iN hovlaND. 43+ acres close to the public landing on Tom Lake. Survey complete; may subdivide into two 20+ acre parcels. Road plowed year round in special taxing district. Owner/Agent. Mls #6001471 $37,500 got reMote? Can't beat this property for "off-the-beatenpath". If it's seclusion you seek, this wilderness 19-acre recreational property is for you. Surrounded by State & USFS lands. Hike in access from Devil Fish Lake. Mls#6002961 $37,000. lutseN hoMe site Secluded and heavily wooded parcel bordering on thousands of acres of US and State of Minnesota Forest land. Additional 5 acres available. Mls# 6002801 $35,000 here is the WooDeD aND reMote '40' you have been waiting for. Priced right at $4,300 below the assessed value. Good mix of woods. Parcel surveyed. Mls# 6002463 $29,250
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 #6002697 $72,500. solD
CasCaDe beaCh CabiN Mls #6002401
toM l ake CabiN Mls # 6002392
trout l ake CabiN Mls #31258
ClearWater l ake CabiN Mls #6001056
Chateau leveaux, uNit 27 Mls #6002445
Bloomquist Mtn. Road 5.8A$44,900 10 miles east of Grand Marais with power at the property, driveway, and several building sites partially cleared! MLS 6001709
County Rd 48 - $59,900 5A with excellent location near town with all the amenities. Survey & identified septic sites. Great access to Superior Hiking Trail. Minimal traffic, lots of privacy PENDING MLS 6002922
County Rd 67 - $69,900 4.16A with Lake Superior so close you can see the waves rolling in to the state-owned shoreline, meaning you’ll have walking access to the lake!
MLS 6002892
East Highway 61 6.8A - $69,900
Exceptional value on this private parcel. Driveway is in, multiple building sites, and wonderful views of Superior! MLS 6001736
East Highway 61 - $59,900
20A Large, private parcel close to town with elevation, meaning panoramic views of Lake Superior! Large building site has been leveled. MLS 6000432
Murphy Mtn Rd - $84,900
View of Lake Superior, 5A, within 10 minutes of town. Surveyed, pins are all clearly marked, utilities in place and septic sites are identified.
MLS 6002592
2888 W Hwy 61 - $319,900
Great views with 1.24A, 200’ ledgerock shoreline embedded with Thomsonite Stones. Close to town, relatively easy building site and nice mix of trees.
MLS 6002353
Big Bay, Hovland - $87,500
Deep Lake Superior lot w/11A of heavily wooded land. Gently sloping topography to 318’ of shore. PRICED TO SELL!! MLS 6002372
Stonegate Road - $239,000
Your choice of 3 Hovland lake lots! Features 2+ acres with 200’ of frontage.Very private, convenient location & well wooded. MLS 6002103
57XX East Hwy 61 - $129,900
4.1A Hovland lake lot, 281’ shore. Driveway, septic mound, and electric in place. East to walk shingle/ small cobble beach. MLS 6002142
2884 W Hwy 61 - $299,900
Attractive 1.30A of lakeshore just past Terrace Point. 371’ of stunning ledgerock shoreline. PENDING MLS 6003234
5788 E Hwy 61 - $225,000 5A Lake Superior lot; 280’
38A
$49,900
Gunflint Trail 6A, great location right off of the Gunflint Trail, close to town AND the golf course. Utilities are readily available. Healthy mix of trees.
MLS 6001301 $42,900
Residential parcel with lots of privacy but very close to Grand Marais. 5A, beautifully forested with possible Lake Superior views.
MLS 6002789 $55,000
Have you always wanted to live on a golf course? Here is 9A adjacent to Gunflint Hills Golf course with a great mixture of trees! NEW MLS 6003224 $50,000
County Rd 14
Nicely wooded 20A parcel consisting of two lots!
Year round access with electricity and telephone readily available.
MLS 6002375 $74,900
10A with year round access, electricity and phone. Abuts Federal land and provides access to an incredible amount of Gov’t land.
MLS 6002376 $44,900
County Rd 7 Wooded 5A parcel with nice mix of trees and fields with quality build sites. Privacy yet close to town, this property is the perfect place for you northwoods home!
MLS 6002413 $79,900
5A of nicely wooded, level land. Very private but close to town on County Road 7. South of the intersection of Co Rd 7 and Co Rd 44.
MLS 6002282 $54,900
Wood Mountain Rd
This affordably priced 8+ acre lot abuts Federal Land, is surveyed & septic sites are identified. Located off Taylor Land & is close to town.
MLS 6002424 $47,900
Squint Lake 5A surrounded on 2 sides by government land. Convenient mid-trail location with easy access to many recreational activities. MLS 6003242 $69,900
Lone Cedar Trail 20A with almost end-of-the road privacy just minutes from town. Hiking trails throughout over hill and dale. Travel trailer included.
MLS 6002678 $59,900
116 Overlook Dr 3.33A with Lake Superior view, privacy, and is user friendly for building. Located at the end of Overlook Trail in Tofte, utilities available & year round access.
MLS 6002510 $64,900
Pendant Lake Tr5A, beautifully wooded with year round access. Power on sight, phone close by. Has feel of complete solitude but close to town.
MLS 6002672 $48,000
Morgan Road 20A with some amazing Lake Superior views. Feels remote but close to town. Property abuts Cascade State Park and Federal land.
MLS 6002668 $79,900
Quist Rd Two 5A parcels with potential spectacular views of Lake Superior. Close to town, but very private!
MLS 6002957 $44-$46
1.06A
Rosebush Lane Nicely wooded 5.40A with shared driveway only minutes from town. Identified septic sites and fully surveyed! Approx. 430’ of creek frontage. OWNER will consider a Contract for Deed! MLS 6003093 $49,900
81 Solberg Lane
20A close to town but is definitely off-the-grid for a real North Woods getaway. Nicely elevated with the possibility of solar and wind power. Rustic outhouse and bunkhouse cabin on the site.
MLS 6003176 $62,800
Almost every night all summer these guys have been hanging around. They love the
seeds in my
They are fun to watch and don’t seem to mind having their pictures taken one bit.
The David Thompson Astronomical Observatory is a marvel of modern space science, and home to one of the largest telescopes in Central Canada.
Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings.
ADMISSION:
7:00pm to 9:00pm November Themes: 7:00pm to 9:00pm December Themes:
THURSDAYS: Biology and the
SATURDAYS: Lecture: Constellation Mythology
THURSDAYS: Lecture - The Star of Bethlehem
FRIDAYS: Tours of the Universe
SATURDAYS: Night Sky Snowshoe Treks